Peptic Ulcer Disease: It's process and prevention

By Katie A. Price

When you have peptic ulcer disease, the linings of your stomach called mucus layers are disrupted due to the increased acidity in the stomach. A peptic ulcer disease can show no symptoms in the beginning when the condition is not yet grave or the disruptions are not yet deep. Peptic ulcer disease is said to be idiopathic but a lot of experts would associate it to many predisposing factors. Helicobacter Pylori, a bacterium found in the stomach is also believed to contribute to the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease.

Peptic ulcer disease occurs when there is a significant increase in the amount of acid in the stomach. This acid is specifically hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid, if excessive in amount, will cause an irritability in the mucus layers that lines the stomach. When the mucous layer can no longer tolerate the excessive amounts of acid in the stomach, the protective layer will be destroyed causing ulcerations in the stomach lining.

A person with peptic ulcer disease will experience a sharp gnawing pain in the epigastric area of the abdomen. This pain is experienced every after eating and is not relieved by food intake, when it is gastric in origin. There are a lot of predisposing factors for the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease, and one of them is stress.

A person who is stressed or is facing a stressful situation has increased gastric motility. Gastric motility is the movement of foods from one part of the stomach to another. Gastric motility is required in the process of digestion. With increased gastric motility, the parietal cells of the intestine release hydrochloric acid that helps in the breakdown of food for the nutrient to be supplied in the bloodstream. Therefore, stress contributes to the increased amount of hydrochloric acid within the stomach.

Alcoholics and chain smokers can't escape peptic ulcer disease because they have a greater risk for developing it. Alcohol is known to be an irritant. This component causes increased irritability in the protective layers of the stomach aside from the increased hydrochloric acid. Alcohol is also a potent vasoconstrictor that causes increased blood pressure and blood flow to the stomach causing increased gastric motility. This in turn causes additional secretion of hydrochloric acid that will add to the stomach's irritability.

For those who are fond of drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages, chances of developing peptic ulcer disease is also very common. This happens because caffeine is a stimulant. Being a stimulant, it causes activation of the parasympathetic nervous system that in turn causes increased gastric motility.

Nausea and vomiting are the first signs and symptoms that a person with peptic ulcer disease experiences. As the diseases progresses, this can lead to gnawing pain felt in the epigastric region. If the disease is left untreated, complications that are likely to occur include perforated and bleeding ulcers. Bleeding will be evident in vomit and stools. Gastric cancer can also occur as a serious complication.

In order to prevent the chances of developing peptic ulcer disease, a person should take necessary precautions and some lifestyle modifications. If a peptic ulcer becomes progressive, it can lead to bleeding ulcers. These ulcers could cause internal hemorrhage which is very harmful if no prompt medical attention is given. Peptic ulcers can also lead to serious illnesses such as gastric cancer. - 17268

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How to Eat a Pomegranate; Three Different Ways

By Edgar Darren

Florida, Arizona and California are a few of the US states that grow pomegranate. They are of course more common in their native south asian countries like India, Iraq, Pakistan, Afganistan, and Turkey where the summers are very hot but the winters are cooler but not icy.

The skin on this red colored fruit is a little tough and not easy to peel. The best way to peel it is to cut the top of first, slice the skin into 4 different sections, like you would do if you were cutting up an apple or orange. Soak the fruit in a bowl of water for a few minutes to soften it up. Then break the fruit apart in the bowl of water. The tasty fruit inside, the arils, will sink to the bottom and the white rind and separators will float to the top.

Simply strain it from that point, then you can start to eat it. You can eat the seeds as well as the fruit surrounding it, (the entire arils) but most people just eat the fruit off the seeds.

If you want to use the seeds later, you can dry them, then grind them up for seasoning. You can also use them whole in desert dishes, soups, and stews. Others enjoy the fruit heated up and topped with a little sugar, sour cream or yogurt. You can also put the seeds into your favorite Jello, pudding or mixed fruit dish.

If you don't like the first method of how to eat a pomegranate, you can use the fan method instead. In this method the fruit is divided into halves. The halves are sectioned, but not all the way through. Turning the halves upside down over a bowl, you can push the back of the fruit and pull on the sides dropping the seeds into the bowl underneath, or you can simply tap on the back (top) with a kitchen utensil and the fruit should just fall out. Discard the rind and white parts again, and you are ready to eat.

Historically, people used to just pull them off the tree, poke holes in the rind, peel it back and tear large pieces of the fruit apart. Once they had a big enough chunk, they would just pull the seeds out with their fingers and eat them. You can use this method in your kitchen too, and even scoop the seeds out with a spoon for more ease. Be warned though, the juice is a very dark pigment and can stain anything that it touches, including your skin and clothes! - 17268

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Need More Energy? Forget Coffee, Make Fresh Green Juice Instead!

By Joanna Verdan

Most people agree that no other food is more enzyme-rich and nutrient-rich than freshly made vegetable juice. For our bodies, it is the most easily digestable form of nutrition available. That is why it is unfortunate that, when most people think of vegetable juice, they picture a bottle of V-8 or a can of tomatoe juice. However, vegetable juices can be really delicious and even the biggest skeptics can be converted, when they start to experience the health benefits.

Do you feel constantly hungry and craving junk food? Are you always tired and feeling down? A glass of freshly made juice can probably help. If you don't have a juicer, then go and get yourself one - it's a good investment in your health. Then get some fruits and vegetables (see the recipe below for a shopping list), make some fresh juice, and drink to your health! Do this twice a day for exceptional results, every day for great results, three times a week for noticeable results, or even just once a week for improvement!

Fresh vegetable and fruit juice has all nutrients that your body needs in a form that can be instantly digested and absorbed. Its also great for your health. If you search the Internet, you'll find thousands of stories about people who healed themselves of various ailments, lost weight and improved their well-being by drinking freshly made juices.

Recipe for a Delicious Green Cocktail

There are many recipes that you can find on the Internet and in books on the subject. Here is one versatile recipe for a Green Juice Cocktail, that is often recommended as you browse through various resources:

Simple version:

1 head romaine lettuce or 3 stalks of celery

5-6 leaves of kale (or other greens, e.g., 1 cup of spinach)

1 or 2 apples or pears

1 whole lemon (with peel)

Optional ingredients " choose what you like or have in your kitchen:

1 cucumber

1/4 to 1/2 ripe papaya (1/2 results in a sweeter juice)

1/2 cup of of parsley (or cilantro)

1 cup of fennel

You may add some beets or carrots too, but then of course it will no longer be green juice... Some people like to add a small piece of garlic or ginger.

Drink it every morning or afternoon to jumpstart your energy!

For most benefits, it is best to drink your juice on an empty stomach.

The Benefits of Juicing: Vegetable and Fruit Juice Advantage

So why juice the vegetables instead of eating them? What's the benefit of juicing them?

Well, first of all, a juicer separates the juice from the fiber of the fruits and vegetables making them easier to absorb, leaving you with organic water with all the important nutrients: vitamins, minerals, and enzymes from the plants. And second, just consider having to chop and then chew all the above ingredients - it sure does take a while!

Of course, having fiber is important too, but because it is removed from the juice, your body will not have to waste energy on digestion. The nutrients will go straight into the cells to do their work. So, whenever you are experiencing low energy or any health issues - make yourself some fresh juice! - 17268

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For more information about juicing and juicers, visit Juicer Recipes and Juicing Advice site.

Core Stability Exercises -- How To Get Solid Fast

By Erik Helms

Core strengthening exercises are one of the best foundations for good health, and will make your workout program much safer.

Every day, our daily activities are filled with all kinds of abuses to our back. We twist, turn, bend, pick up things incorrectly. Most of us spend almost all day sitting for our jobs. In order for our core muscles to adequately support our back and internal organs, they have to be in pretty good shape. As soon as we start to get lax in our efforts to stay in shape, our back begins to "talk" to us. Bending over becomes a chore, we hurt all the time, and life becomes more and more miserable.

And in the weightroom, if we ever get there, we are at risk for straining the low back with every move we make.

OK, then, what are some really good core strengthening exercises to do?

* Pilates. Anything Pilates. Pilates workouts are designed around core strengthening exercises, and getting started with regular Pilates sessions will, in a short time, have you feeling really good and solid. Pilates has a "girl workout" reputation, but guys, take it from a man who knows; you can get a very strong core here!

* The Farmer's Walk. This is really a whole body exercise, but your core will work real hard, as will your back, legs, arms and hands. Just go pick up two very heavy dumbbells, and carry them over to the other side of the room and back again. Maybe another time. Your core will work overtime to keep you balanced and stable.

* The Wood Chopper. Grab a medicine ball. Hold it over your head and off to one side. Now swing it down and over toward your opposite foot, like you were chopping wood. Then swing it back on the same line. Repeat several times, and switch sides. Be sure to engage your hips and legs to keep your back fairly straight. That makes it harder.

* Saxon Bends. These are tough. Take that ball again, or a weight plate if you need more weight, and hold it over your head. Now bend over to one side, without bending your back from front to back. You're just going side to side. When you've gone as far over as you can, head on over to the other side. Back to center again is one.

You can use these exercises as either a great warmup or cooldown (sort of) for your regular weight training routine. Or, why not devote a whole workout to core strengthening exercises from time to time; the change will do you good. - 17268

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Eryk Helms is dedicated to living a healthy and fit lifestyle, and helping others to do so as well. His core stabilityening Exercises site has lots of great resources for increasing core stability, and for a limited time you can get a free copy of "Perfect Posture In 30 Days" by visiting http://www.squidoo.com/core-strengthening-exercises.

Fastest way to get a six pack: GOALS

By Max Burn

Have you ever heard the words I want to get a 6 pack now but I don't think I can? Have you ever said these words to yourself? Don't worry you're not alone. Many get up the nerve to join a gym or go back to the one that they've had a membership to. Some learn how to eat properly, plan their meals, and actually eat the perfect diet to achieve their 6 pack abs. But most of them will find themselves looking back on past weeks wondering how they came up short and why they couldn't stick to the plan they were initially so invested in. The vast majority of dieters never see the 6 pack abs they dream of because they overlook on vital component, their goals.

According to Tom Venuto, the biggest mistake you can make when trying to attain six pack abs is fail to make written goals. Over the course of your lifetime you mind develops habits and a body image that it try's to maintain at all costs. When we go on our quest for six pack abs and change our diet and exercise program our mind and body does everything it can to go back to the way things were. In order to get your mind wrapped around the idea that you're looking fit and trim instead of fat is to make those new fitness behaviors into habits. Tom says the only way to do that is to create written goals and look at them frequently throughout the day.

You must write your goals as if you've already been successful in achieving them. For example, you're goal is to eat a lean protein and green vegetables 5 times per day. The wrong way to write this goal:

1. Whenever possible I"m going to eat some lean protein and maybe some green veggies.

2. In order to eat 5 balanced meals per day, I won't eat pizza, Mexican food, soda, or cake.

3. I plan to eat 5 balanced meals per day. Whenever i go out with friends I'll make good decisions on what I eat.

The first goal is not a definite goal. There is too much room for interpretation and the words "whenever possible" can be interpreted as "never possible" especially if you're a busy person. The second goal is ineffective because our brains can't process what Tom Venuto calls deletion. Our minds will leave out words like "won't" or "avoid". So a sentence like "I will avoid eating Mexican food" will be interpreted by our brain as "I will eat Mexican food".

An effective way to write the above goal: I have achieved the body of my dreams and am proud of attaining a lean 10% body fat and wash board abs. I have achieved this by eating 5 meals per day consisting of a lean protein like fish or chicken and dark green vegetables like broccoli or spinach.

This goal is properly written because it's specific, written with emotion, and written as if you've already been successful in attaining the body of your dreams. This goal will help your brain accept the new dietary and exercise behaviors and soon see them as habits that come naturally. Soon your mind will see you as the lean and fit individual that you're striving to become not the out of shape one that you're leaving behind. So if you want to get a 6 pack and keep them forever, write your goals down and look at them all the time! - 17268

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Diet For IBS

By Sam Hughson

Is There A Suitable Diet For IBS?

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is actually a very common disorder that affects the intestines. People with IBS may experience a variety of symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, gas and cramping. Bowel habits can vary from constipation to diarrhea or both. Eating a fiber rich diet can help alleviate the symptoms of IBS, however you should be careful to introduce more fiber to your diet slowly to avoid making some of your IBS symptoms worse.

A high fiber-low fat diet is suitable for those suffering from IBS, since this type of diet would help in stopping constipation. Try to include between 20 and 35 grams of fiber in your diet for IBS each day.

Good sources of fiber include grains, particularly cereals, bran, fruit, vegetables and whole-grain breads. Soluble fibers, like those found in oats, peas and beans may help both diarrhea and constipation.

When doing your search for the right diet for IBS, be sure to check the food labels, especially when purchasing items such as breads and cereals made with whole-grain or whole-wheat

You can introduce fiber into meat dishes by adding pinto beans, bran, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and oatmeal.

When purchasing ready to eat cereals you will want to check the fiber content. Look for cereals that offer at least 5 grams per serving.

It is important to include plenty of fluids in your diet for IBS. It is recommended that you have at least 8 glasses of liquid per day. Good choices are water, fruit juices and decaffeinated drinks.

If you begin to experience IBS symptoms be sure to make a note of the type of food you have eaten so that you can try eliminating it from your diet. Many people that suffer with IBS keep a food diary, which helps to keep their diet for IBS on track.

Other ideas to help you with your IBS is to try and eat smaller meals more often, instead of eating larger meals. Try and eat your food more slowly to give yourself time to digest it well. It is also a good idea to avoid alcohol as well as drinks that contain caffeine since these are both known to make any IBS symptoms worse.

Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to find a suitable diet for IBS. - 17268

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Are you suffering from irritable bowel syndrome? Visit IBS Symptoms for tips on dealing with IBS by following a suitable IBS diet.

6 Tips Help You Learn How to Build Muscle Faster With Ease

By Allen Brian

When people suiting a muscle mass body, majority of people are impatient and can't wait to achieve their goal faster. A lot of people are dying for the secrets of how to build muscle faster, here is some thing for you and you will get results within weeks.

The first thing you should know in muscle building is not overtraining yourself. Logically, it seems as if working harder, doing more reps, lifting more weights will make you see results far faster, but this is incorrect.

If you want to build muscle faster, instead of overtrain your body, there are several right methods out there for you to choose from. Damaging and straining muscles can cause you to miss out on weeks or months of working out because the muscle will have to recover. You can- build muscle when you-e lying on your back!

While doing weight lifting working out, remember not to lift over 70 to 80 % of your maximum strength. The damaged muscle will repair itself. And the more muscle damaged, the more muscle will be added when it repairs. And 70 to 80% is the good muscle damage point for this purpose. Finishing workout exercise within one hour is what we called fast muscle building. It cause accumulated lactic acid in body and hurts your muscle building process.

Aerobics No More

Aerobics are nothing good in building mass muscle. But they are good for cardio. In reality, muscle building will be interfered by aerobics.

More Fish and Meat

Eat plenty of fish and red meats that are lean. Salmon is good. Salmon have loads of Oemga-3. The proteins in red lean meats will help your muscle growth faster.

Get More Rest

Have a full day rest after a day of weight lifting. Which mean no continuous workout for 2 days. You also can train certain part of muscle in day 1 and train totally different part of muscle in day 2. The main purpose is letting muscle rest and repair itself. Sleeping is also important for your health as well as muscle repair itself. As we mention before, our body will add more muscles after the muscle repairs itself.

Proper hydration is also needed for building muscles. Proper hydration means enough water in your cell for carrying nutrition and riding of body waste, regulating body temperature and protecting your joints. These are tips that you should try out for having healthy body and good working out.

Plenty of Protein

Adding lean red meat, chicken, salmon, tuna and eggs to your meal plan are helpful for building muscles faster. In muscle building process, eat lean meats are important. Some protein sources like red meat and salmon have fats. They can boost your testosterone levels and help your muscle growth and increase muscle strength.

Visit Your Doctor

For the proper rest of muscles, you need to talk to your doctor regularly. Your doctor will give you many tips on staying as healthy as possible.

Take Plenty of Sleep

Sleeping is important for building muscle faster. You should sleep as least 8 hours a day. The reason is that plenty of sleeping will successfully relax and build your muscle mass. If you have any chance for sleeping, sleep as much as you can for more muscle mass growth. - 17268

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Muscle Building Supplements Facts

By Allen Brian

How can you define which body building supplement is the best? While choosing the supplements for maximizing your muscle building working out. It would be a confusing work, since so many supplements on the market claim that they are the best. Picking the "right" or "best" muscle building supplements to achieve the best results are what we talking about here.

Protein is the number 1 muscle building supplement and is recommended by many bodybuilding experts for muscle building. Protein helps to transfer all the required bodybuilding enzymes to the place they should be. Boosting your energy level is another job of protein. It will help you to have intense working out.

While execute your muscle building program, whey protein is one of the supplement you should not skip. Intaking correct dosages and correct amounts of whey protein can bring your the best results.

For muscle building, you can also consider creatine supplement. Fighting fatigue and for better working outs are two main benefits of creatine supplement. Creatine is a kind of nutrient already in your body. But intake creatine from supplement will bring you the better results in your body building process.

When you are doing exercises in your muscle building workout, your muscle will be at a stage of stress. Nitric oxide is a chemical made by your body to fight with this pressure or stress. Nitric oxide needs to be filled again with muscle building supplement while performing particularly stressful exercises. Nitric oxide would also have some side effects with sexual health; so if you think this is the best body building supplement for you, by all means, choose it.

Achieving the best outcome of working out, you can also check out another bodybuilding supplement - glutamine. Glutamine helps to transfer the bodybuilding nutrients to muscle and make it growth faster and bigger.

It is up to you to choose what kind of muscle building supplement to use. Set up a realistic goal and pick one supplement that can accomplish your desired goals. Muscle building supplements work differently and lead to different results. Picking the right one can help you achieve more effective working outs.

While selecting supplements, do some research and choose one with proven results. The companies usually exaggerate the efficiency of supplements and provide supplements that can't do anything at all. Users' reviews are vital for you before making any purchase. Supplement is an important part of muscle building program. Select the right one can enhance your training exercises and generate results you want. - 17268

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Want to build body in the right way? Bodybuilding Decoded can help you. Signup for muscle building newsletter also check out the honest muscle building program review Combat the Fat Reviews

Burning Belly Fat, You Will Need More Than Ab Machines

By Ricardo d Argence

Have you seen one of those TV commercials for machines for the abs? It's always a fit man or woman that is demonstrating the machine. Because the infomercial is psychologically placing the idea in your head that if you buy the machine and use it, you will look like the people demonstrating the machine, they won't show a full figured person working the machine. All the testimonials will end with people swearing by the product and talking about how the product has changed their life.

I don't doubt that these people lost weight using ab machines. Ab machines do burn calories, but I will wager to say the ab machine wasn't the only part of their workout. They probably engaged in other routines like running and cardiovascular exercises. More than likely, they also changed their eating habits.

Ab machines will build muscle in the abdominal area, and they are great for burning calories. But this doesn't mean that you can eat anything you want, as much as you want, anytime you want.

It's true that ab equipment can cause muscle to amass in the midsection, yet a poor diet will lead to fat deposits over these muscles! Think of a Sumo wrestler: great muscles, completely covered with fat. They adhere to disciplined workout and diet habits to burn off the fat deposits on the muscle.

A critical part of losing the belly is exercise and mental attitude. Appropriate nutrition is one more aspect that is equally vital.

Avoid eating food just prior to sleeping because fat accumulates in the body, while you are dozing. It's a proven fact that eating a big breakfast and a reasonable lunch and supper will help keep your waistline slender. Mostly because after they are finished eating in the morning they will burn more calories throughout the day.

Food items that contain a lot of calories and that you should avoid include anything fried, along with carbonated drinks, and sweets. You can replace lots of unhealthy snacks with vegetables. Simultaneously you will be having more energy and consuming less calories.

I want to stress that it is perfectly okay to work the abdominal muscles with the ab machines. I just want people to also have realistic expectations. You should know that ab machines alone cannot and will not trim your waistline, but all the major muscles of the body should be given a work out every now and then. You need a good balance of proper exercise and diet to burn belly fat. - 17268

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