Job Stress, Health, and Consequences - How Stress-Caused Health Problems Can Kill Your Career
By Elisabeth Kuhn
They call it karoshi in Japan: death by overwork. But even in Japan, most people don’t quite die from working too much - they just get sick and suffer. And suffering, year after year, can be a prescription for career disaster…

We get stressed when we work too much or under bad circumstances, and it’s not news to anyone that such stress can make us sick. But there’s a wrinkle that flies under the radar in the stress and health discussion: Not only can an excessively stressful career make us sick, but once we get sick, our lower energy levels affect the quality and quantity of the work we can do, and sooner or later, our impaired performance can in turn ruin our careers.

Excess stress on a daily basis is something that’s unfortunately very common for lots of people. And for all too many, it has already resulted in an assortment of health problems, ranging from the merely annoying, embarrassing, and slightly painful, such as cold sores, acne, neck pain, headaches, and hair loss, all the way to obesity, heart attacks, and even death.

Sometimes things can get so bad, that karoshi may seem like a merciful way out. But let’s focus on the kinds of health consequences that result from stress that doesn’t quite kill you and on the impact they can have on your career in turn. If the stress is ongoing, and it usually is, you may well end up suffering for years, alive but not so well.

We know that when the body experiences stress, it releases adrenalin and cortisol as part of our primitive fight-or-flight response. These important hormones help increase the oxygen level in the blood and boost the sugar in the blood - preparing us to either flee or fight.

That reaction may have been useful in an era where fighting or fleeing would have been considered reasonable options. But if your boss is yelling at you, neither bonking him on the kisser nor running away screaming qualifies as appropriate behavior. Instead, there you are, a sitting duck, flooded with stress hormones that have no place to go and serve no purpose except wreak havoc on your well-being.

What havoc? For example, the immune system is suppressed or damaged, which compromises your body’s ability to resist infection. So you’re the first to catch the office cold and the last to recover from it. And then there are a number of chronic health conditions are either caused or made worse by stress, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, migraine headaches, and heart disease. Some research suggests that stress can even cause cancer - or push the body over that critical hurdle where our immune system is just no longer strong enough to fight it off.

There are also slightly less obvious conditions, less obvious at least to the outside observer: depression, fibromyalgia, insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and adrenal burnout.

They all have in common that they’ll sap your energy and make it very difficult to get much work done. Come performance review, you’ll have some explaining to do. And if anything, that’ll make your stress-levels even worse.

Can you see where this is heading? Stress may hurt your body, but it will also hurt your career if you don’t manage to get on top of it. Ratcheting down your stress levels has got to be a top priority, because it may not only cost you your health but your job as well. And then, what will you do for health insurance?

And if you recognize yourself or someone you care about in this article, you are invited to get Elisabeth Kuhn’s FREE report with seven stress-busting strategies

If you want Elisabeth’s full-sized version instead, with lots more strategies (including an introduction to EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique), just go to http://www.InstantStressReliefStrategies.com for instant stress relief.

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Should You Talk to Your Spouse About Being Unhappy in the Bedroom?
By H R Miller
Are you happy with the level of intimacy that you have in your relationship? If so you probably have considered talking to your partner but never got around to it because of fear.

Let me first say that it is very important to talk to your partner and let them know you are unhappy in the bedroom. If you are not satisfied sexually that can have a negative impact on your relationship. Communication is one of the most important parts of any relationship. If you cannot talk to your partner about your sexually wants and needs how do you expect the relationship to continue to grow?

As stated before communication is extremely important. It is vital that you tell your partner how you feel. The only way your sex life will have a chance of getting better is if you express yourself.

You should also note that if you aren’t happy in the bedroom it’s a good chance your partner might not be happy in the bedroom as well. That’s why it is so important to communicate. When you discuss sex with your partner ask them their wants and needs as well. Don’t just focus on your own wants and needs. Remember this about the both of you not just you.

Although it can be a great thing to talk to your partner about your sex life I do realize it can be a very hard thing to do as well. For most couples sex is a very uncomfortable subject to talk about. Add in the fact that you are expressing dissatisfaction that can make it even more uncomfortable. Don’t be surprised if your partner becomes a little defensive or even angry.

When you are ready to talk to your partner be sure to use your best judgment. Don’t criticize your partner. That is a big no no. Doing so will not get you the desired results. Instead, be very gentle in your approach. Say how you feel and then listen to them and how they feel. Listening is probably the most important part of all.

Remember, there is a good and bad side to approaching your partner about your unhappiness in the bedroom. But, the end result is a lot of the times well worth the discomfort. Just remember to approach your partner in a gentle manner. Don’t be overbearing. Keep in mind that it’s not what you say but how you say it.

For more articles, tips and information on ways you can improve your sex life visit Have Better Sex Now.

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7 Diet Secrets of the Stars

Celebrities always look fabulous. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence. The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances. Their livelihood largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.

So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn’t want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:

40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes

30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products

30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils

It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.

2. Kate Hudson
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.

3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.

5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.

6. Claudia Schiffer
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.

7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.

Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.

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Related Sleep Disorder Sites

http://noall1.com/sleepdisorder
http://noall1.com/snoring

Natural Sleep Aids - Music to Help You Sleep
By William B. Johnson
When you’re ready to go to sleep, you want your body to be ready to go to sleep, too. Insomnia rears its ugly head when your body says, “Not yet, you idiot! I’m way too tense to sleep now.” Whether your sleep disorder is caused by personality clashes at work, a fight you just had with your spouse or sleep partner, or the mounting stack of bills that lay on your desk unpaid, it you’re too stressed to sleep, then you’re just plain too stressed!

There are any number of sleep aids available to help you get your body in the mood for sleep. Over-the-counter drugs, prescription medications, and assorted treatments and therapy are available for you to choose from. One of the natural sleep aids highly worth consideration is music to help you sleep.

Underlying Theory

If you’re tense, muscles tight, jaw clenched in anger, or fingers clenched in worry, then you’re in no condition to lie down and drift off peacefully to sleep. And you probably know it, too. Anything you can do to calm down and relax; anything you can do to set aside your worries and distractions; anything, in short, which calms your mind, body, and spirit will help you achieve the levels of sleep that rejuvenate your body and restore your mind.

You should take note, too, that using music as a natural sleep aid will not leave you with a dangerous addiction to either over-the-counter or prescription medications. And if you find yourself addicted to 45 minutes of music before bed, you probably won’t even think of it as an addiction — just a pleasant interlude the precedes your pleasant night of rest.

Why Music?

Well, for one thing, you probably have music on hand which has a personal, calming, happy memory for you. Jazz, rock, country, or bagpipes, if it has a calming effect on you, then it may be just the thing to listen to before bed.

Research has shown that your sense of relaxation and calmness can be significantly increased through the use of relaxing music for 45 minutes or so before you go to bed. Children tend to do best with gentle, lulling music. Adults, on the other hand, differ widely in terms of what music stimulates and what music calms them. The secret in using music to help you sleep seems to lie in seeking to find just which arrangements work best for you.

Alternatively, you may find it most relaxing to spend some of your pre-bedtime minutes creating music rather than listening to it. You may find yourself composing gentle, relaxing melodies that calm you down. Or, helpful for some, you may find that creating highly stimulating — even angry — sounds will help you release the emotions troubling you and keeping you awake.

In addition to helping you get to sleep faster, music before bedtime has also been shown to result in a better quality of sleep — deeper REM sleep and, consequently, a greater sense of feeling completely restored when rising the next morning.

Bill Johnson, webmaster of http://www.insomnia-answers.com, researches and writes numerous articles on the topic of natural sleep aids

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Is There a Difference Between Generic and the Name Brand Drug?

Generic drugs are not much different from their name brand successor. The drugs are carefully regulated in exactly the same way so that they can contain the same amount of active ingredient as well as be suitable in the way they are produced. They need to be just like the original.

The generic drug must be proven to be bioequivalent to the branded alternative i.e. releases the same amount of active ingredient over the same amount of time.

The differences are going to be in the presentation of the drug like a brand name drug may produce pills that have a nicer color or taste. However the generic version will usually contain a little more of the active ingredient.

There is little difference to the patient between the name brand and the generic. Both have to get through the same regulators and pass the same tests. Generics have a few advantages over the name brand pricier drugs.

The name brand is often the first of it’s type to be made and this is why the company spends a lot of money on making, testing and patenting the new drug and this is why they are more costly.

Generic drugs will have a patent once that has expired or in some cases are different enough from the original but still do the same type of job.

Generic drugs have a smaller manufacture and costs are usually less expensive so that we are able to afford them easier. This means that they are going to be more available to those in other countries.

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How to Live 100 Years
By Tim Barlass
Would you like to live to the ripe old age of 100? Most of us would or, perhaps just be happy to be able to stretch our life span by a few more years.

But despite all of today’s modern medicines, clinical diagnosis and scanning techniques, many will notch up little more than the Biblical three score and ten.

Perhaps, then, the reason that so many can’t manage to achieve a full century - like Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, George Burns and Bob Hope - is because of the lifestyles we lead. Our bodies are deprived of sunshine, our food is highly processed and we often over-indulge in food and drink and under-indulge in exercise.

But this is nothing new - the great debate about living healthily has been going on since time immemorial. One little book produced in the early 1900s entitled ‘How to Live 100 Years’ was recently discovered by qualified nutritionist Elizabeth Harfleet when she was sorting out her great aunt Lillie’s possessions.

Aunt Lillie had always carried the book about with her and made notes in it and, amazingly, she managed to live to the age of 103. One picture in the family album shows her on her hundredth birthday in front of a cake and with the local town mayor stood proudly next to her.

The book, priced one shilling (equivalent to 5p today), provided a fascinating variety of cures and remedies, some of which are still relevant today.

Of the common cold it says ’soak the feet in hot mustard and water, as hot as can be borne. Wipe them dry and retire to bed. Drink freely of an infusion of elderflowers and peppermint.’

For those troubled by freckles the book suggests ‘a paste of mustard and lemon juice applied to the face four nights in succession and washed off in the morning. Alternatively try half a teacup of rain water and two teaspoonfuls of powdered borax and wash the skin twice a day.’

For those suffering from PMT the book states: ‘Ladies who have used the following assert they have never found anything equal to it. Grated horse radish, half a teacupful, good gin, one pint. Half to a tablespoonful three times a day.

Others remedies include:

Sciatica: The Oil of Wintergreen has proved most effective. Dose - five or six drops on sugar before each meal and before retiring at night. It has recently been discovered that Spirits of Turpentine will relieve sciatica in its worst form but should be used cautiously.

Measles: Keep the child in bed on a light diet and get one packet of saffron and half an ounce of hyssop. Infuse with one pint of boiling water, sweeten with honey or black treacle and give one dessert spoonful every two hours.

Jaundice: Fringe Tree Bark is the most effective in this complaint. After taking this a few days, a gentleman writes: ‘In a few days my appetite began to improve and my skin very rapidly cleared and in some ten days my jaundice was gone.’

Boils, bunions and carbuncles: treat with slippery elm.

Nose bleeds: This is an alarming symptom but not always dangerous. A good remedy is simply to raise the person’s arms.

Nervous headaches: Apply hot water to the temples and back of the neck.

Elizabeth Harfleet, 46, who is a qualified nutritionist and lives in Manchester, England, said: I was only a girl when great aunt Lillie was alive, although I do remember going to her hundredth birthday party.

“You have to remember that in her youth there was no National Health Service and it would have cost money to get the doctor. She was surrounded by nature so it isn’t surprising that she turned to natural cures.”

She added: “You can’t argue with the fact that she lived to 103, particularly given that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in a time when very little was known about the disease.”

Aunt Lillie did, however enjoy the occasional treat - right up to the end of her life she would ask staff at her nursing home to take up a slice of apple pie and cheese to her room at midnight. That, at least, seems to prove the theory: a little of what you fancy does you good.

Tim Barlass is a publisher of forgotten titles that would otherwise be unavailable. You can learn more about this book at http://howtolive100years.com

He has also published ‘Somme - The Diary of a Very Unimportant Officer’ available at http://grandfathersgreatwar.com

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