To taste more of life, taste less beef. Add this to the three main unhealthy behaviors of overeating, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. If you had any doubts whatsoever about the unhealthy impacts of eating red meat, it is time to dump them. Far too many people are addicted to red and processed meat; it is a deadly lifestyle addiction.

Thinking otherwise is delusional.

A very large ten-year study of 322,263 men and 223,390 women ages 50 to 71 conducted by the National Cancer Institute has provided disturbing data. By keeping track of the timing and causes of deaths and correlating them with a number of lifestyle factors it was possible to conclude that eating high levels of red meat is harmful, regardless of other lifestyle factors.

The study found that red meat consumption ranged from a low of less than an ounce a day, on average, to a high of four ounces a day, and processed meat consumption ranged from as little as once a week to an average of one and a half ounces a day. The increased risk of death from any cause ranged from about 20 percent to 30 percent. In fact, those who consumed only about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed. All this translates during a ten year period to preventable deaths of one million men and perhaps half a million women in the US. All it takes to live longer is eating much less red and processed meats, including pork.

Think about that. About 150,000 people dying each year because of excessive consumption of red and processed meats,more than three times as many deaths from automobile accidents. It is also more than deaths from stroke, twice the deaths from diabetes, and more than twice those from influenza/pneumonia yearly.

If you want to avoid dying prematurely because of excessive eating of red meat, with unhealthy levels of bad fat,then it was advised that people should eat a hamburger only once or twice a week instead of every day, a small steak once a week instead of every other day, and a hot dog every month and a half instead of once a week. Better yet, replace red and processed meats with fish and poultry to live longer, according to the study. It also found that people eating the most fruits and vegetables lived longer.

The new findings are consistent with a number of earlier studies.

In one study, men who consumed two servings of fatty fish a week were found to have a 50 percent lower risk of cardiac deaths. In another one, women who ate fish and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least once a week cut their coronary risk by more than 20 percent.

A European study found that those who ate the least fish had a 40 percent greater risk of developing colon cancer than those who ate more than 1.75 ounces of fish a day.

For men concerned about prostate cancer, a study found that a diet high in red meat was linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer and those who consumed at least three servings of fish a week had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who rarely ate fish.

For women concerned about ovarian cancer, a study randomly assigned more than 19,500 women to a low-fat diet, and found after eight years a 40 percent reduced risk of ovarian cancer among them, when compared with 29,000 women who ate their regular diets.

The new results support the recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund to reduce red and processed meat intake to decrease cancer incidence.

The best advice for dealing with red and processed meats is to think of eating them as special occasion treats or celebrations rather then a regular part of your diet. Just as so many millions of people learned to give up cigarettes, even more must learn to break their red meat habit and addiction. In these tough economic times minimizing red meat consumption also makes financial sense, especially if it is combined with regular physical activity. Both practices can help prevent the need for prescription medicines.

Americans are spending over $70 billion yearly on prescription drugs to lower cholesterol, reduce weight, manage diabetes, and treat cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure. Are hamburgers, steaks and hot dogs worth their health costs? The price of meat is much higher than it first appears.

The best regular source of protein is fish, which has healthy omega oils, followed by low fat poultry. As to children, if parents really love them, then they will make sure that they do not develop the habit of eating red and processed meats all the time, either at home or in restaurants and school. Protection through prevention demands this.

The lesson for all of us can fit on a bumper sticker: RED MEAT KILLS.

Tuesday March, 17, 2009, the pontiff on board the plane headed for a five-day pastoral trip to Africa told reporters;

“The (HIV/AIDS) problem cannot be overcome by distributing condoms. It only increases the problem.”

It’s been only a few hours since the Pope talked to reporters and I already have so many forward emails from people from all walks of life and from all over the world.  Some say the media has distorted the pontiff’s words, and other’s are outraged that the Pope had the audacity to say something like that.

The Pope is not saying anything different from what many Africans have been saying since the AIDS epidemic broke out.  Nobody’s has been listening but hopefully the world will start to listen to what Africans are saying with their deafening silence on HIV/AIDS and paying for with their lives.

“Abstinence education remains the best strategy, especially for the risk group aged 15-25 years. The concept has worked well for Uganda and can work for other African countries”.

“Just as we were offered the magic bullet in the early 1940s, we are now being offered the condom for safe sex…. I feel that condoms have a role to play as a means of protection, especially in couples who are HIV-positive, but they cannot become the main means of stemming the tide of AIDS.”

“No one eats candy still wrapped in plastic” is what some young Africans reluctant to use condoms say. Others feel that condoms say “I do not trust you” or even “I do not trust myself”.  Suggesting the use of a condom in an already established relationship is just as another way of either confessing that one has been cheating or accusing a partner of cheating. 

In fact there are Africans who believe that using a condom during sex does not constitute to having sex at all. “We used a condom” or “it’s not like it was skin to skin” are some of the excuses some partners use to show that they were not “completely” unfaithful.  The rationale here is that condoms are largely “the lesser of two evils.”

Then there are young African men and women who believe that “going in live” (sex without a condom) is a badge of bravery.  Where being “white” was for many decades of colonial oppression promoted and continues to be promoted as a “good” thing; a mark of higher intelligence, moral superiority, status and privilege, and being “black” and African as “bad”; a sign of diminished intellectual capacity, hereditaty immoral-ness, a position of disadvantage and a curse, these young people are rebelling [a little too late, I have to add] by choosing the ‘bad’ option as a matter of principle. If good white people wear condoms during sex then bad black people will “go in live” as a badge of bravery and honour to their African identity.  Not wearing a condom during sex in their twisted thinking means that they are not afraid of what white people are afraid of.  They’re therefore braver and more courageous.  They are B-a-a-a-d.

It’s good to be proud of our “African sexual prowess” [reality or myth... believe whatever makes you sleep at night], but there is a point at which you must ask yourself, “Is it really worthy it?”

“Creative suffering” sounds brave and courageous but have we Africans ever stopped to think what’ll happen if all the brave and honourable Africans died for no apparent good reason other than proving to “white” people that we are tougher and “badder”?  Our people have a saying: “even a crocodile’s back can be cracked by a whip made out of its own skin?”

We’re whipping our own backs to death when even some of our governments still refuse to admit HIV/AIDs is a threat and continue to foot-drag on treatment programmes. Some of us to this day and time still believe that AIDS is a Western plot maliciously cooked up in science labs to try to keep Africans from being sexually active, stop reproduction and eventually come and take over our rich resources and lands. Though fewer than before, some Africans still call AIDS “America’s Intention to Discourage Sex”. All these “conspiracy” theories are causing so much paranoia — and resistance to the use of condoms.

So yes, I fully understand that Africans want to retain some sense of sacredness around sex. And I agree that sex is best “organic” (happens naturally and effortlessly and with all it’s beauty, sense of otherness, surprise, reverence, magic and mystery of life and the infinite world). 

I also understand that with our “poverty”, it’s not realistic to tell someone in the heat of the moment, “you must use a condom” and expect him to run to the nearest drug store and come back panting with a packet of condoms in hand.  I can see that working perfectly well in the West especially with good branding and marketing tactics.  They have the money to spend on condoms!

I’ve worked with many doctors to gather accurate information to help women over thirty plan their families and avoid the fears and complications that often accompany attempts to either have children now, or determine when the best time is. Let me share with you these tips for women over thirty:

First, a woman over thirty does not necessarily have ovulation every month. Let me remind you what ovulation is. It is the process of an egg ready for fertilization leaving the ovary follicle for the abdominal cavity. The ovulation cycle may last from 5 to 8 days, while ovicells are being formed.

The problem is that the estrogen level in a woman’s body, at this period of her life, is not enough to produce a full ovulation process. Nature offers many similar situations. For instance, an apple tree can break into blossom, but does not necessarily produce apples.
Second, many women erroneously presume that as long as they have regular menstrual cycles, there is going to be no problem conceiving a child. Actually, regular monthly menstrual cycles do not necessarily mean a woman has regular ovulation cycles. Ovulation cycles vary with age – as a result of disease, or because of a wide variety of other reasons. Ovulation cycles, normally stable for any woman, may vary for two or three months after an abortion, or for a year after giving birth to a child. After a woman becomes forty, her body starts getting ready for her pre-menopausal period. So, ovulation may take place at any moment of a menstrual cycle or several times during a cycle. Some women get pregnant even while having a period.
Third, If you do not have an ovulation cycle for more than ten months, and if your pre-menopausal time is far away, you should see a doctor, as the absence may be caused by hormonal disorders in your body, and medical advice is indispensable. If the reason for hormonal imbalance is discovered in time and gotten rid of, ovulation can be restored.
Fourth, You should know that if you take the Pill for a long time, your ability to get pregnant may seriously decrease after you are thirty. In this situation, if you wish to have a baby, it may take your body some time to restore its hormonal balance. Don’t get excited or be nervous about it…because restoration of the ovulation cycle may take from 2 to 10 months. Human bodies differ! Nobody can tell you how much time your own body will need in order to restore its ovulation cycle. Just relax, wait and see. Watch your diet, do physical exercises, assure reasonable rest and get ready for a healthy pregnancy.

Futher Reading : How to know if You are pregnant

Signs and Symptoms

A lump that appears in the breast that feels at variance with the surrounding breast tissue is typically the first symptom or indication of the presence of breast cancer.

The prestigious Merck Manual has indicated that, in the vast majority of breast cancer cases, it is the woman herself who first discovers the presence of a lump. The first medical indication of breast cancer, as stated in the reviews of the American Cancer Society, is usually discovered when the patient is subjected to a mammogram upon the advice of her doctor. Another indicator of breast cancer is the presence of hardened tissue found in the lymph nodes located under the armpits or in the region of the collarbone.

Alterations in the size or shape of the breast, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or discharge from a nipple may be regarded as alternative indications of the presence of breast cancer. The incidence of pain is not a reliable determinant for the presence of the cancer. Such an observation may in fact be more indicative of other breast related issues such as mastodynia.

An appearance that can resemble skin inflammation is caused when breast cancer cells attack the small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Such a characterisation is known as inflammatory breast cancer. The onset of pain and swelling, the presence of warmth and redness all across the breast, together with a skin texture which has the appearance of the outer skin of an orange, are all initial characteristics associated with inflammatory breast cancer.

Paget’s disease of the breast is yet another, somewhat complex, symptom. This syndrome, which refers to the association of several clinically recognizable features, presents skin changes which are synonymous with eczema, such as redness and mild flaking of the nipple skin. The presence of a tingling sensation, of itching, increased sensitivity, burning, and pain are all characteristics associated with the advance of Paget’s syndrome. Another symptom may involve a discharge from the nipple. It has been found that a good proportion of women diagnosed with Paget’s also experienced a lump in the breast.

There are times when breast cancer occurs as a metastatic disease. As such, it represents a cancer that has spread beyond the original source and into neighbouring areas. This type of breast cancer will give rise to symptoms that depend on where the metastasis is situated. The bone, liver, lung and brain are where Metastasis is most commonly found.

An occult breast cancer can sometimes manifest itself in the form of unexplained weight loss. Another symptom could present itself in the form of fevers or chills. Further determinants of metastatic breast cancer can take the form of bone or joint pains, as well as jaundice or possibly even neurological indications. It must be remembered that some of these symptoms are non specific, and as such may be applicable to many other illnesses.

In this respect, therefore, it has been found that many symptoms of breast disorder do not actually turn out to represent an underlying presence of breast cancer. To establish this notion, benign breast diseases, such as mastitis and fibroadenoma of the breast, are more common causes of breast disorder symptoms.

Since there is a distinct possibility of acquiring an underlying breast cancer at almost any age, then the appearance of a new symptom should be taken seriously by both patients and their doctors.

There is a reason why one gets ovarian cancer because the rate is rising and its specific factors are our modern day living which is responsible. Pinpointing the reasons is the key to solving the problem. 100 years ago ovarian cancer was unheard of; today it’s a common disease. It has been described as a silent killer because there are very few symptoms and by time it is diagnosed it is well advanced.

While our orthodox medical system does have its share of successes with some leukaemia’s and lymphomas, unfortunately the most common cancers including ovarian cancer are as resistance to their treatments today as they were 40 to 50 years ago.

With this information in mind, when my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001 our approach in overcoming the disease was to apply a strict natural diet. She was operated on within a week of diagnoses and was given a total hysterectomy. Unfortunately by this time the cancer had spread to her surrounding organs and we were informed that nothing more could be done.

Prior to this we had both been great advocates of the Gerson diet so it was with this diet that we turned to, starting it as soon as she was able to eat again. She regained her appetite very quickly and the cancer never advanced any further. 2 years later she was declared totally cancer free and today, 7 years on she is still in good health, her cancer long gone.

What most people fail to realize is that the human body possesses a superb system of natural defences against all diseases including cancer and when one applies this strict natural therapy the body has the ability to heal and regulate itself.

It is said that the causative factors of ovarian cancer are acrylamides in food which are produced by baked, fried or roasting food, or by the use of talcum powder, especially when it’s applied around the genital area but I’m sure those factors didn’t apply in our case.

You may be told that your ovarian cancer is genetic and has been caused by a change in your genes, but those changes will probably have been brought about by one’s lifestyle, the toxic environment and bad diets. Our diets today have a huge impact on why there is now so much cancer.

Healing of cancer is quicker and more effective if the person takes central responsibility for his or her own health and has an active involvement in the healing process. The appropriate diet and lifestyle changes are your first line of defence.

If you have found this article helpful, Please use the comment section below to tell us what you feel.

Great health is not about getting on the latest dietary fad train, whether it comes from Hollywood, Brazil, USA or South Africa. Lasting health is more about forming a healthy eating habit that will last a lifetime. Yes, eating healthy is a habit. You must make healthy eating a long-term, lifelong habit for you to feel and see lasting results. What is a habit? The lexicon defines a “habit” as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary”. A habit is a “customary practice or use.” The word “custom” is a synonym for “habit”.

From this definition, we can derive four truths about a habit.

1.    A habit takes effort. It does not just happen. It is “acquired”. You have to earn a habit.

2.    A habit takes action. It is “behavior”, not just thought or words. You form a habit by doing.

3.     A habit requires consistency on your part. It is a “pattern regularly followed”. You don’t have a habit if you do something for only a week, month, or if you keep skimping and skipping. You have to stick to it all the time.

4.    A habit will never become completely effortless. Notice that the habit becomes “almost involuntary”, but not totally so. You will always have to put in some effort, even after you have formed the habit. Though it becomes almost second nature, it never gets to the point of reflex action like bobbing your eye or breathing in and out.

The Law of Habit Formation: Twenty Times = Habit

Do you know how long it takes for a repeated action to become a habit? According to the experts, if you do something for 21 consecutive times it becomes a habit.

Are you ready to make healthy eating your habit? On your calendar, start with the next morning’s date and mark each of the next 21 days with the letters “EH” for Eat Healthy. Start eating healthy on your start date, and you continue eating healthy for every meal for the next 21 days.

Assuming you eat breakfast, lunch and supper/dinner each day for 21 days, it will take 63 (21 x 3) incidents of healthy meals for you to qualify as a healthy eater by habit. And this one habit will do more for your quality of life than some of the many useless or harmful habits we have formed like watching two hours of television each day.

Basic Menu for 21 Days (Sample to Get You Started)

Breakfast

• Supplements: natural multivitamins (preferably liquid), flax seed oil, fish oil gel tablet, pro-biotic
• Food: whole grain cereal, whole grain bread, whole grain waffle, or whole grain pancake
• Drink: filtered water; 100% fruit juice (limeade or lime juice, Concord grape juice, or orange juice); green tea, black tea or both.

Lunch

• Food: whole grain organic rice or pasta with stew, whole grain sandwich, Subway with whole grain or wheat bread, mixed vegetables, nuts, fruits
• Drink: filtered water; 100% fruit juice; green tea, black tea or both

Supper or Dinner

• Food: whole grain bread with natural honey; mixed vegetables; whole grain rice or pasta with stew, fruits
• Drink: filtered water; 100% fruit juice

If you want to snack in between breakfast, lunch or supper, snack on water, fruits, and nuts, instead of eating junk sweets for snacks.

Begin your healthy eating habit today, and in just 21 days, you will reach your goal. You can do it. How do I know? I’ve been living the healthy eating habit for more than 11 years now

If you have recently had a baby, or ever had a baby for that matter, you know that pregnancy puts your body through many changes. One of those changes is, unfortunately, weight gain. While some women easily shed pounds by chasing around their toddlers and trying to care for a newborn, others find it hardly that simple and need a little more help. It IS possible to lose pregnancy weight fast in a healthy way. Guess what else, it’s even possible to keep it off for good! Whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding, it’s especially important that you maintain a healthy postpartum lifestyle. Eating right and getting a sufficient amount of rest and excercise is essential in getting your body to bounce back into shape.

For this very reason, you need to be weary of any kind of crash diets, or anything that is going to eliminate imporant food groups from your diet. In fact, any diet that eliminates food groups from your diet is something you want to steer clear of. If it is something you cannot follow for the rest of your life, it’s probably not a good idea.

To get into the habit of eating right, and eating enough if you are breastfeeding, you need to learn what foods to look for and how to prepare them in a healthy way. Anyone can go buy fresh corn at the grocery store, but once you slather it in a heap of butter and salt, it isn’t quite as healthy as it was to begin with. Learning how to prepare your food so that it is healthy AND delicious is extremely important. Remember, food is fuel. Now, that is not to say that you cannot enjoy a brownie every now and again!

Aside from eating right, getting exercise after you have had a baby is also important in being able to lose pregnancy weight fast. You don’t even have to go to the gym to get excercise. In fact, I recommend putting the new baby in a stroller and going for a power walk around the neighborhood. Afterwards, you can choose a couple extra exercises to do depending on what day it is. For example, on Monday you could focus on abs, Wednesday would be legs, and Friday you would work out your upper body. This way you aren’t cramming it all into one day and exhausting yourself but still getting in strength training as well as cardio.

Last but not least, surround yourself with other people trying to lose weight. It would be really difficult to lose pregnancy weight fast if you are doing it alone right? Having the right resources and support around you is going to make or break your weight loss success. Wether you join a local weight loss group or follow an online pregnancy weight loss forum, make sure that you are around others to share your success and keep each other motivated!

Don’t be a fence sitter. Get up, get moving, and make the changes you want to see! With the right attitude and the right resources, you CAN and WILL lose pregnancy weight fast! This IS your year!

Further Reading: 10 Things that will make you more beautiful

How do you feel about all these? Comment on it, lets know your mind.

What is pubic hair good for?  Scientists are still not sure about the function of pubic hair on our bodies. Some of the supposed uses of pubic hair include:

1. Pheromones are being disperse by the pubic hair to attract the opposite sex.
2. Pubic hair protects the genitals against friction during sexual intercourse.
3. Hair in the pubic region helps to keep the genitals warm.
4. Prevents dirt from entering the genitals.

People have been obsessed with the removal of pubic hair throughout the ages for vanity, comfort, hygiene, religious and sexual reasons. With the growing popularity of the bare look since the nineties, many men and women feel pressured to conform to this trend in order to fit in. You have to decide based on your personal preferences and beliefs on whether you want to remove pubic hair or not. Whatever your reason, it is imperative that you understand the pros and cons of the common pubic hair removal methods to choose the method that suits you best.
How Do People Remove Their Pubic Hair?

1.  Shaving - People typically use the razor blades that they use on other parts of their bodies to shave their pubic hair. Men typically use their electric beard shavers or razor blades while women use their leg shavers. As a result, most people get annoying side effects such as ingrown hairs, itching and pubic pimples. If only they bothered to purchase a real pubic hair shaver.

2.  Waxing - This method isn’t for everyone. It hurts a lot and you have to expose your private parts to a stranger at a salon. The good thing is it tends to last longer than shaving. Alternatively, you may purchase home waxing kits to do it yourself in the privacy and comfort of your own home for a fraction of the cost of visiting a professional.

3.  Depilatories - These come in the form of creams, gels, lotions and roll-ons. The chemicals in the depilatories break down hair so that you may clean them away easily. However, very few products are designed specifically for the pubic region. Applying depilatories on skin that it was not specifically made for may cause skin irritation.

4.  Trimming - This is more for people who just want to reduce the length of their pubic hair. The most basic tool is to simply use a pair of scissors to trim your pubic hair to your desired length. It is kind of dangerous to use a sharp tool near your intimate parts. If that worries you, there are specialized tools available to trim your pubic hair without the risk of cutting nicked.

5.  Permanent Removal - Electrolysis and laser treatments are 2 of the common permanent hair removal solutions. Electrolysis is a very long and exhausting process because each hair follicle has to be disabled individually. Laser treatments on the other hand are more convenient because it uses a light beam to disable an area of hair on your body. These treatments require multiple sessions to completely eradicate hair from your pubic region and they will cost a minimum of $500 or more.