For those who are not familiar with this kind of surgery, the LAP-BAND® System procedure is the newest and only adjustable and completely reversible surgical treatment for morbid obesity in the United States. It induces weight-loss by reducing the capacity of the stomach which restricts the amount of food that can be consumed.

Dr. Richard Collier has been performing laparoscopic surgery for over seventeen years and has done thousands of procedures including laparoscopic gall-bladder removal and hernia repair, and laparoscopic colon surgery. In addition, he also performs advanced laparo-scopic procedures such as the laparo-scopic Nissen fundoplication for reflux disease.

I know this sound like too medically inclined terms but what is important is to know about how lap band surgery could help you lead a healthy lifestyle and reduce the weight that you don’t need. Of course there are factors to consider before you decide that lap band surgery is really for you.

*This post is written for richardcolliermd.com*

But if you have discount dental plan, you can save a lot on any procedure inclusive of root canal and crowning. For example, a normal root canal treatment for molar will cost $829, but with Aetna Dental Access®, you only have to pay $522 on the procedure. The annual program fee for individual is $99.95 per year while for family it will be $149.95. Of course there are many other discount dental plans such as GE Wellness Plan, Patriot Plan just to name a few.

The advantages of taking such discount dental plans compared to traditional dental insurance are varied. Majority of dental insurance plans limit the maximum amount of reimbursement usually from $1,000 to $1,500 per year. With the discount dental plan, you are free to get as much treatments as you need annually. The plan has no annual limits of saving. So if you pay for the family plan, and both your kids need braces and routine cleaning, the plan will pay for itself in no time!

Don’t wait any further, check out the best discount dental plan for you and the rest of your family, and you will be smiling out of your dentist’s office soon!

I was watching TV yesterday while doing my work when an interim advert about health for children came on. It was said that with the hectic schedule kids these day have – school, tuition, extra activities at school and additional lesson like art and music sent by the parents, they tend to have limited time to really go out and play. Playing and exercising is crucial for their mental and physical growth so we have to think of some sort of activities to let them have that luxury.

The ads suggest that kids go for yoga lesson. So I took some times to read more about yoga for kids and these are what I found:

1. The chanting and breathing will help calm down kids at school and at bedtime.
2. Children will learn self-regulation through the development of awareness.
3. Yoga sessions can provide a very special time to share energy and pleasure with family and friends.

There are actually many benefits that come through yoga practice and I am sure that a proper introduction to it will make your children like the yoga session. Plus it will be like a bonding time between you and your child, doing the pose together.

I’ve heard about cases of prolapse and leaking urine after childbirth and believe me it does scare me a lot. But reading the benefit of Kegels exercise and how easy it can be done, gives me hope that I won’t have to worry much about such problems later on in life.

If you need to know more about how to do the exercise, check out this site: Kegel exercises. Actually there are many more sites that share about this Kegel exercise so do look around for more tips and info.

Oh, BTW this Kegel exercise is also recommended during pregnancy as they say it does help during the childbirth to have a well-toned pelvic floor muscles. It also helps prevent urine leakage and hemorrhoids near the end of pregnancy term and long after you have given birth.

But for me I think it might be of this factors: (Quoted from DBSA site)

Delayed/advanced sleep phase syndrome causes some people to fall asleep and wake up later or earlier. People with these syndromes can still get enough sleep if they are able to change their schedules to accommodate it. Once they fall asleep, they sleep normally.

Aging causes chemical changes in the brain that may make older adults less able to sleep continuously and deeply. They may awaken six times as often as younger people. They are likely to be more sensitive to noise and prone to other medical conditions that keep them awake, including Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases. Decreased physical activity can also affect older adults’ ability to sleep. Older adults may go to sleep earlier, wake more often, and nap during the day.

Hormones such as progesterone can help a person sleep. So when a woman’s progesterone levels drop during menstruation and rise during ovulation, her sleep can be affected. Pregnancy or birth control pills can also disrupt normal sleep.

Now I know why my grandma keep on bugging me for waking up late. She might be irritated by looking at my peaceful looking sleeping face..haha!

I found one article relevant to finding inner peace. I try to find something common that has nothing to do with any religious belief because I would like everyone to try out the tips and understand what is actually ruining our chance to attain inner peace in life.

Quoting from the article, I would like to try this principles of living developed by the Japanese psychiatrist, Shoma Morita in the 1920s:

• Accept your feelings. Don’t fight how you are feeling or try to change it. If you are afraid, be afraid.

• Have goals but know what your purpose is for this hour, this day, this week, and this year.

• Do what needs to be done; take action. For example, don’t just think about your goal start to exercising, do it, now! While you’re exercising pay full attention to what you’re doing. Don’t think about the work you have to do at the office; concentrate on your contacting muscles and the pattern of your breathing.

Hope it will give a stronger and better inner peace feeling inside for me and for you as well.

You might be laughing thinking how silly it could be to ask how do you breathe. Well, most people never think how they actually breathe everyday, because the act of breathing is like so natural, we do it without even noticing.

But do you know that most of illnesses like asthma and fatigue in life starts with wrong way of breathing?

I found one article written by a Certified TransformBreathing™ Trainer who has overcame her own sickness by learning the correct way to breathe. Check out the article – Learning How to Breathe.

I will spend some time today to try the right method to breathe to see the difference it makes for me. I hope it could help alleviate the fatigue and bring back the energetic feeling into my life.

If you are interested to know more about the benefit of Pilates, check it out here. The page doesn’t have everything in detail but certainly it could help you see how well you could be after trying the exercise.

I have read around and find a good information on Depression.com. The information on the site is really good as it covers basic aspects on understanding, treating and living with depression. If you think somebody you love has depression problem, don’t dread as depression is treatable both through medication and therapy.

It’s important that we stand by them and help to seek the way out. Most of depression patients said that the feeling is like black gloomy feeling enveloping their heart and mind. It hurts and really wreck their body and brain function. It is also said that talk therapy is the best and effective way to combat depression.

If you are feeling down for more than 2 weeks now, you can also check this online depression screening test to see whether you should seek further treatment.

Diabetic retinopathy is actually an effect of diabetes on the retina. Not all patients with diabetes will have this disease but it is more likely to affect patients with more than 20 years of diabetes. There are different phases of this disease but the first stage is the swelling in the retina which lead to decreased vision.

If you would like to understand more and read about ways to reduce your risks of developing this disease, check out this article on diabetic retinopathy at AllAboutVision.com.

I almost gave up traveling when I had a terrible incident when I was 10. I could not even take my head off the pillow on my trip to one of the famous islands in my country. Maybe I took the wrong trip during the monsoon season when the sea was high up with the waves.

But why do we get sea sickness or Mal de Mer? If you read while on the trip it could make the sickness worse. I can’t even read while I’m traveling in a car, plane or anything else because for sure I will get motion sickness.

So if you really must go on sail but you scared that you will turn off everyone aboard with your puke on the carpet, check out this how to overcome seasickness tips.

I list it all here for others to check whether you are a computer addict too.

Ten Symptoms of Computer Addiction (by James Fearing, Ph.D.)

* A demonstrated “loss of control” when trying to stop or limit the amount of time on the computer. (Breaking promises to self or others. Promising to quit or cut down and not being able to do so)

* Being dishonest or minimizing the extent of the time you stay on the computer, or covering up or being dishonest about what activities you participate in when on the computer.

* Negative consequences experienced by the computer user or his/her friends or family as a direct result of time or activities spent on the computer.

* Participation in high risk or normally unacceptable behaviors when using the computer. Compromising your morals and values based on the opportunity to remain anonymous and protected on the computer. (a good test for this is to ask yourself if your spouse, partner or family would approve of what you were doing on the computer)

* An overdeveloped sense of importance for the computer in ones life. Defending your right to use the computer as much as desired, regardless of the fact that people in your life are feeling left out and neglected. (denial of the problem and justification; not being able to hear or feel what the other people are saying regarding your computer behavior)

* Mixed feelings of euphoria (a “rush”), combined with feelings of guilt brought on by either the inordinate amount of time spent on the computer or the abnormal behavior acted out while using the computer.

* Feelings of depression or anxiety when something or someone shortens your time or interrupts your plans to use the computer.

* Preoccupation with the computer and computer activities when you are not using the computer (thinking about the computer and its activities when doing something else; i.e. having a family dinner, working on project deadline etc.)

* Finding yourself using the computer at times when you are feeling uncomfortable, irritated, or sad about something happening in your life. ( feeling uncomfortable in your relationship, so you will self medicate and “hide out” on the computer) Using time on the computer to become externally focused outside yourself as a way to avoid facing what is happening in your life, and avoiding feeling the appropriate feelings inside yourself. (self medicating)

* Experiencing financial concerns or problems in your life as a result of money being spent on computer hardware, computer on-line charges, or any other costs associated with computers. (Spending money on computer related items which should have been allocated to other normal living expenses)

The original article could be found here at Intervention.com

I find it hard to have a balanced meals as per health requirement with my hectic schedule. Most of the time, the meal I take will not have enough vegetable and fruits in it. Even when I have fruits in my fridge, I hardly find time to grab and bite while doing my work.

Maybe it’s good to have something like 12-in-One MultiVitamin for busy people like me.

It has all the necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes, oil complex, amino acid, anti aging and the list of all the good things your body need.

Check out the list of ingredients all packed in that one soft gel.

By popping this soft-gel formula everyday, I could fuel my body right with more than 117 nutrients, 72 trace minerals and 47 fruit and vegetable concentrates.

I like the fact that it has ginkgo biloba. I need it to maintain my crystal clear memory!

Taken from an article about Fruits and Vegetables from Harvard School of Public Health,

Some basic fruit and vegetable tips:

* Try to eat more fruits and vegetables. If you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain your weight and health, aim for at least nine servings (4½ cups) a day.

* Choose a variety of different fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to get into a rut when it comes to the food you eat. Break out and try a wider variety – include dark-green, leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits.

Or if you are wondering, dried fruits do count towards the daily intake. One half cup of dried fruit is equal to one cup of fresh fruit.

Eat your green and bite your orange!

I think I need an effective plan to detox myself. I have been having a massive attack of acne for the past 2 months and yet I have been very diligent with my facial cleansing routine (or at least I thought so..haha!)

Maybe I should give it a try to Dual Action Cleanse.

This product is a two-part system that is formulated to encourage healthy bowel movements while assisting in cleansing the vital organs and lymphatic system.

Put it simply, there wouldn’t be any unhelpful waste in my bowel thus I would feel less bloated and less gas, I hope.

They also have Colon Clear Formula which will unclog my colon to stay light, clean and toxin-free inside.

But I’m more interested to try this Total Body Purifier. It will help to support my body’s organs, including filtering organs that keep me toxin-free, such as the liver and kidneys.

I wonder how soon I could see the effect of the detoxifying process.

As the website says, I should be able to notice enhanced digestion, better elimination, healthier hair, skin, and nails, along with increased energy and less bloating.

I think I’m failing the quiz.

I seem to be having good mental health but very bad in terms of activity level and nutrition.

Blame it on the computer, who can jump up and down when your mind and eyes are glued to the monitor reading all kinds of info on how to be healthy..haha!

Old ways still work its charm. It’s time that I do some real exercise on the ground! Oh, before that let me finish reading this step-by-step plan for making health goals that stick.

I know some people find it very sensitive and feel shy when discussing matters between the sheet. Well at least some still have decency to be discreet about it especially when you are discussing or somehow stumbled upon the topic with a complete stranger.

But what I’m concern about is for certain people who are having the time of their life, changing partners like changing their clothes. Don’t they ever feel scared that they might get STD and worse, HIV. I had a guy friend back when I was still working full time and he was like the playboy of the office. One day I asked him whether he used protection, and his answer was never.

I asked him what if all these years you are actually a HIV positive, won’t it bother you at all of the possibility of contracting such disease with your history of multiple partners? I think I saw blood drained from his face for a moment, haha!

If you really concern about safe sex, it’s time to consider using a condom when you are doing it. Check out all kind of brands and lubricants they have online. You don’t need to get all the supplies from any drugstore anymore. They ship all orders in plain packaging, with no reference to what is inside. So you don’t need to be red faced when the courier man deliver it right at your doorstep.

Even if you are not the changing partner type, if you are planning not to have a baby, you might as well have stocks in the drawer or in the handbags (in case you’ll be going on vacation anywhere soon).

Be safe, we don’t need any disease and unplanned pregnancy out of your rash decision.

In my country there are now a rising number of news about girls as young as 13 years old who dumped their babies because they feel ashamed and pressured for giving birth to illegitimate child.

Personally I feel that this shouldn’t be a problem if people are aware about safe sex.

It’s not easy to be parents these days, as much as being teachers and part of society.

There are many people who go against the idea of teaching all these to youngsters with reason that this will only encourage them to try it.

But for me, the more you try to hide it, the more enticing the thought would be, right?

You can’t blame teenagers for making such a haste decision in the heat of passion.

But I don’t understand how could grown up, adults, especially married and educated people who claimed that the pregnancy was unplanned and in the end become unwanted pregnancy.

Do they ever understand or heard the word plan in their life? huhuhu! Or maybe I should email them the lists of contraceptive available in the market.

At that age, we have all plans in life ahead of us, you starts a family, your career is moving up, you bought your dream house together and in the blink of a second, all changed.

I have heard about leukemia before but I never know that it has many stages.

I think what my friend had was Acute myeloid leukemia. He was diagnosed in February and after 43 days of treatment, he no longer survived.

All these while I never thought that leukemia could be a killer disease since I thought that we can always do bone marrow transplant to save the patient. I was wrong and it prompts me to search more info and make sure I know what is it that struck him.

The loss of him make me realized that in reality we have such a limited time in this world and we should cherish every moment of it to the best of our memories.

I hope my friend will be strong for the sake of the daughter and I want her to know that we will always be here if she needs us.

For those trying to conceive, check this guide on how to get pregnant fast. For those who finally feel ready to get pregnant, do you know that there are 10 things to do in the year prior to conception. Read more here.

If you are pregnant but the father to be was not too excited about it, read here for advice.