Four Month Pre-Conception Plan - A Wise Move For Those Who Are Trying To Conceive

Struggling to get pregnant? You are not alone.
Undeniably, many couples worldwide are having difficulty in conceiving and having their own offspring. While some travel to fertility tourist destinations just to get pregnant, some couples just gave up their hopes of having their own children in the future. But did you know that your present health condition and your environment can affect your chances of conceiving?
Assessing your health condition and environment is a crucial component of the four-month pre-conception plan which can significantly increase your chance of conceiving soon. The pre-conception stage is a vital period to period to prepare for parenthood. By following the advices given during this period, you are giving your baby the gift of best possible health.
What Is The Four-Month Pre-Conception Plan?
Basically, it is period where you observe healthy lifestyle, which includes diet, in order to increase your likelihood of getting pregnant. The components of the program should be strictly followed before any attempt to conceive. According to research, attempting to conceive during this period will only increase your likelihood for miscarriage. One of the aims of the program is to prepare the body and make it a suitable and ideal ground for the foetus to grow and develop.
What Are The Components Of The Program?
Diet is a vital component of the pre-conception plan. If you want to get pregnant soon, make sure to reduce your intake of foods rich in preservatives, additives and chemicals. Take more of organic foods and whether you are underweight or overweight, try to achieve an ideal BMI level. According to research, a normal BMI level ranges from 19-24.
A body mass index of less than 19 is considered underweight while people who have BMI of more than 24 but less than 30 are considered overweight. If your BMI is over 30, then you can be considered as obese. Being obese, overweight and underweight can negatively affect one's fertility.
Perhaps you can visit a nutritionist to assess the level of vitamins and minerals in your body to determine if you have any deficiencies. Make sure to have your body screened for high levels of toxic metals like cadmium, lead and mercury. After identifying the level of heavy metal toxins, vitamins and minerals in your body, the therapist will design an appropriate supplement program for you and your partner that will help in correcting any deficiencies and minimising the level of heavy metal toxins in your body.
If you cannot take the expert advice of a nutritionist, just make sure to increase your intake of supplements such as Vitamin C, linseed oil and amino acid chelate or zinc citrate. If your partner has low sperm count, he should take L-Arginine and Vitamin E during this period.
Stop taking any over the counter drugs which may affect your fertility. If you are taking any drugs, find a healthier substitute to it. Also, try to eliminate any unhealthy habit such as smoking, alcohol consumption and taking street drugs. Smoking and drug consumption are known to reduce your fertility. Meanwhile, alcohol consumption is known to be active at promoting miscarriage and abortion. In some cases, it can even impair the foetal growth and development.
Even your partner should observe a healthy diet. Poor nutrition and tobacco smoking are known to cause poor quantity and quality of sperm. If you have recently suffered from miscarriage, have you and your partner's bodies checked. Make sure that you are free from any genitourinary infections.
Your environment is also a factor that can affect your fertility. According to research, there are certain chemicals from the environment which can prevent you from conceive or if you can conceive, it can only increase your likelihood of having a miscarriage because it negatively affects the embryo, such that it is no longer capable of growing or developing. Studies show that some cases of miscarriage are triggered by high levels of chemicals found in leather upholstery, wood preservatives and carpets.
Make sure to stay away from harmful chemicals used in the house and garden. Instead of using pesticides and sprays, you could make use of natural cleaners which are widely available on the market today. Also, you should avoid chemically laden toiletries, perfumes and hair dyes during this crucial period. Lastly, make sure to limit your exposure to mobile phones, VDUs and television prior to your conception period.
This article is for information purposes only. It is in now way intended to take the place of your medical team's advice.

Shaving The Pubic Hair (For Women)

The proper word is "Vulva" but I prefer to call it "Vagina" so I won't confuse too many people. "Vagina" is the word of choice for a woman's private part, never heard anyone including my OB/GYN refer it as Vulva... I wonder why "we" are afraid to say "Vulva"..?? Anyways, this article will discuss the proper way to shave the "Vagina" in order to prevent those nasty razor bumps & minimize ingrown hairs. I have heard many women talk about getting nasty razor bumps a day or two after shaving, so I'm here to show you a good way to prevent or minimize your chance of getting it. I experiment with my body a lot so this is a shaving routine that works for me each time, and I hope it works for you too!
Things You Will Need
(a) Brand new shaving razor... a cheap disposable razor is a No-No. (Make sure you invest in a good quality razor; the ones with multiple blades and pivot heads are the best because they give a smoother close shave)... Example of good brands are Venus Embrace, Schick Quattro, etc.
(b) Pure Silk shaving cream for women..Make sure it says for "Sensitive Skin"...
(c) AYATE washcloth... This will be used for exfoliating dead skin cells..
(d) Shaving oil
(e) EQUATE Unscented baby oil (hypoallergenic)..make sure it contains Vitamin E
(f) Clean towel
Step-By-Step
(A) Trim your pubic hair (if it is too hairy)..This will make shaving easier and minimize irritation down there.
(B) Take a "Warm" shower or bath for at least 15mins.
(C) Use an Ayate washcloth and unscented bathing soap to wash your private part. This will exfoliate the dead skin cells.
(D) Apply some shaving oil on your private part... The razor will glide easier and your skin will remain moisturized throughout the shaving process..Very important!
(E) Apply a generous amount of shaving cream... A rich lather will protect your skin from nasty nicks & cuts. (Before applying the shaving cream, make sure your private part is Damp, Not soaking wet)... Big difference!
(F) Using a sharp razor, shave in downward motion. Make sure you rinse the razor every few strokes... Allowing the razor to clog up will cause a disaster on your private part.
(G) When you are done shaving, rinse your private part thoroughly. Pat dry with a clean towel.
(H) Make sure you moisturize the shaved area right after patting dry. I use Equate unscented baby oil for this purpose. Yes, you will be oily. Better oily than itchy, right? ******Avoid applying scented lotions, this will irritate your skin thereby causing those nasty bumpy bumps****. Apply on the external part Only!!!
A friend of mine suggested "Flawless Ingrown Hair Serum" & "Bikini Zone Anti-bump Shave Gel" for fighting ingrown hairs & bumps. Keep it handy in case you need it.
(I) Avoid wearing panties for at least an hour. Also, avoid wearing tight fitted clothes (especially jeans) right after shaving... (I often shave on my day off so I just wear a skirt or loose fitting shorts with no underwear for the rest of day). Whenever your private part starts to feel dry, apply more baby oil on the External parts only. Dry private part = Itchy private part.
Final Note: Ladies, if you want to go completely bald down there I suggest you get a Brazillian Wax. Trying to shave off the pubic hairs completely can be dangerous because you might cut your inner Vulva. Brazilian Wax also keeps you bald for some weeks and you don't have to worry about razor bumps either.
A Quick Recap: I'm not in anyway claiming that this method will prevent bumps and ingrown hairs in everyone. This is just a shaving method that works for me so I decided to share it with everyone with hope that it will help someone else. Cheers!

Difference Between Chiropractor and Orthopaedic Doctors

An unfortunate accident occurred one day while you were playing contact sports and that left you with a knee injury. You know that you need to consult a medical professional for this injury and you start to evaluate the options available. Should you go to an Orthopaedic doctor or should you go to a Chiropractor? Each has its own advantages. For some cases, chiropractic sports are great to treat certain injuries while some injuries fall outside the jurisdiction of chiropractic and only orthopaedic surgery can treat them.
Who are Chiropractors and how do they treat an injury? First of all, Chiropractors are not medical doctors and they do not prescribe medications. Chiropractors believe in hands on and alternative treatment instead of surgery. They believe that the body is able to heal on its own. For example, if mobility to a certain part of the body is observed, they will manipulate that particular part to regain mobility. A visit to a Chiropractor usually cost a lot lesser than a visit to an Orthopaedic doctor. Some chiropractors even make the first consultation complimentary. Not only that, you are also able to fix an appointment at an earlier date as compared to an appointment with an Orthopaedic doctor. However, multiple visits to Chiropractors are required to be able to see results and in the long term, it may cost more than a visit to the latter.
Orthopaedic doctors on the other hand are medical doctors. They specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of our musculoskeletal system. Many people have the idea that orthopaedic doctors are doctors who will recommend surgery for everything, from a torn meniscus to a dislocated bone. This is not true. Orthopaedic doctors will often only recommend surgery when all other available options are exhausted. If the injury can be treated with physical therapy, they will recommend that unless patients insist on surgery in the first place. Orthopaedic doctors will make use of medical technologies such as X-Rays and MRI scans to tell the patient what exactly is wrong with their body. They are also able to prescribe pain relief medications be it orally or via injections, something that Chiropractors are not able to.
Deciding on a visit either to a Chiropractor or an Orthopaedic doctor is purely the decision of the patient. As a patient, you need to know what type of injury you have suffered and make your decision based on that. Different people prefer different things and be sure to know what results you really want.

Blood Donation - Giving the Gift of Life

Donating blood has become a regular routine for me as well as many other people looking to make a difference in other peoples lives. I can remember the first time I donated blood, I'll be honest, I was nervous and wasn't really sure what to expect. After filling out a pretty detailed questionnaire, a technician checked my vitals and took a few drops of blood from my pointer finger to check my iron levels. I watched anxiously as the blood from my finger was dropped into a tube of some sort of liquid. The blood sunk quickly to the bottom of the liquid showing that my iron levels were good enough to donate blood. The reason for the iron test is that a normal blood donor loses between 200-250 milligrams of iron per donation. Iron is a nutrient that is vital in the process of making red blood cells, so needless to say, someone with low iron is not a good candidate to donate blood.
I can remember the first blood drive I participated in. The staff was very friendly and made sure I was comfortable during the process. Once I was hooked up to the bag, I was handed a small ball to squeeze throughout the process to help keep the blood flowing. After about twenty minutes, the technician came over and told me I was finished. I was a bit light headed but still able to stand up and walk to the refreshment area. The refreshments consisted of bottles of water, apple and orange juice, cookies, crackers and a few other tasty items. I sat for a few minutes and had a great conversation with some other donors. It still amazes me that a mere twenty minutes of my time could possibly save the lives of three people in need.
There are four different blood types, A-B-AB and 0 negative, each can be positive or negative. AB is a universal recipient and 0 negative is a universal donor of red blood cells. If you don't know what blood type you are, the blood center will tell you after your first donation. After you donate whole blood, you are not eligible to donate again for at least eight weeks. This is the appropriate time it takes to replace the donated blood. Roughly 4.5 million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year, almost two-thirds of the U.S. population is eligible to donate yet only less than 5 percent of those eligible will actually donate. When I see statistics like this, it makes me wonder why more people don't give blood.
After donating blood for the first time, I decided to donate on a regular basis and have also become active in fundraising efforts to help a very important non-profit organization. If you have never donated blood and would like to save a life or three, contact your local blood bank or stop by a blood drive in your area.

Weight Loss Tips With Logic: Get It Right This Time!

We've all been on at least one or two diets that seemingly let us down, but the truth of the matter is, the failure is on us! Stop the yo-yo plans and fly-by-night guru subscriptions: make weight loss a priority and do it the right way. Start your new and healthier way of living by reading over the following helpful tips.
1. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Simply put, they help your body work better. Filled with tons of vitamins, minerals and disease fighting phytochmeicls, these are the best foods to boost your metabolism into high gear. They also give you the feeling of being full which will help you resist desserts or taboo snacking.
2. Eat smaller meals throughout the day. You can much more easily control your appetite and keep your energy levels up if you enjoy five or six small meals than a few big ones. This way of eating is also much more efficient to your metabolic rate and will aid in weight management. Find a way to schedule mini-meals into your day and make each of them count.
3. Make exercise a daily habit. Adding cardio and aerobics to your healthy eating plan will burn more calories and build lean muscle, period. You cannot starve yourself or even eat a healthy diet and expect permanent weight loss, it simply won't happen. Get yourself into a good workout rhythm, and stay with it no matter what comes up in your day, including the feeling of just wanting to slack off on the sofa.
4. Drink more water. Dehydration stalls your metabolism! You need more water to keep your system functioning at optimum, so be sure and get at least eight glasses in throughout the course of your day and time it right: research shows that 10 minutes after consuming a good amount of water (17 oz or more) the rate at which you burn calories goes up by a whopping 30%.
5. Add whole grains and other wholesome foods. Eating processed and fast foods slows down your metabolic rate and adds more junk than your body can handle. Therefore, your body is too busy dealing with all that excess fat, sodium, sugar and other garbage to be working on slimming you down. Think before you eat every bite, make sure it will be working for and not against you.
6. Don't eat at night. Although it may be tempting to dig into something while your day is winding down, it will disturb your metabolic efficiency, actually into the next day! Get your healthy meals in at least three hours before going to bed to maximize all the hard work you put in, doing anything else will be counterproductive and leave you wondering why you're not seeing the weight loss you should be.
7. Keep a journal and stay motivated. This isn't just a passing fancy or a game you play to drop 10 or 20 pounds, it's a commitment to a totally healthy way of living for the rest of your life. Always document your efforts in a daily journal to keep you on track, and make sure your routine stays fresh and interesting. If you find yourself losing steam rather than weight, rethink and re-do the plan and get right back into it!
You know you can do this, and you now know how to begin. Make the commitment to healthier eating and exercising that will get your weight down where it belongs and keep you that way!