Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

Does Smoking REALLY Relax the Mind?

Smoking is one thing that people have a hard time kicking. A lot of smokers would love to find out how to kick the habit, something that is hard to avoid once it is started. There have been offered alternatives like chewing gum, candies, or placing the mind into something else. While some may have resorted to such, the rate of smokers existing in the world today is still overpowering and growing as each day passes.

Quitting Smoking

Smoking is a known vice where people simply take satisfaction in blowing of some inhaled fumes of tobacco. These fumes are acclaimed to be able to relax the tense body and mind but there has been no actual medical proof that smoking does actually relax the pressured person today. Many would say that is psychological in nature but overall, many have been drawn more towards believing that it indeed does soothe the battered mind today.

[tags]smoking, tobacco, cigar, cigarettes, cancer[/tags]

Originally posted on March 12, 2007 @ 11:28 pm

Why People Contract Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

People would encounter times when they would suddenly feel uneasy, experience sudden attacks of fever or even feel weak without explanation. Initially, people would consider it a mild attack of possible diseases such as fever or flu. But in some cases, they would not react to the standard paracetamols or aspirins making people wonder what could possibly be wrong.

Laboratory Examinations

One good way to see is to check the urine of people. Difference in color such as hazy or turbid may be an indication of Urinary Tract Infection. UTI can be confirmed through proper Urinalysis examinations from laboratory examinations. UTI is usually developed when a person would try to hold the usual discharge or from consuming certain liquids that are not pure water.

The best therapy is through drinking water regularly. Water cleanses the system and forces the body to discharge body fluids through urinary discharges. UTI may not be serious at first, but taking it for granted may lead to severe cases and treatment in the long run.

[tags]UTI, therapy, laboratory, examinations[/tags]

Originally posted on March 14, 2007 @ 10:30 pm

Time Management Issues and Commitment


When one first decides to get back on the health track, everything seems so positive and one feels so optimistic about being able to do it. The excitement is palpable, you make a plan and you intend to follow it to the dot. Yet as time goes by, other things crop up, other priorities get in the way. I am no exception to this, shall we say, phenomenon.

I suppose it is part of life. At a certain point, you just seem unable to sort through the muddle of daily life. When I first visited my trainer weeks ago, I was brimming with enthusiasm. We decided on settling for at least twice a week of workout sessions. Now, barely a month later, I am struggling to balance all the things I need to do. My workload is such that I have to be up early and go back home late at night. I planned on working out before going to work but more often than not, I end up on my desk instead of the gym. So far, the most I�ve worked out is once a week.

When I think about it, I can see that it boils down to two things � how I manage my time and my level of commitment. Yet as of now, I have no clear cut solution in front of me. I still want to continue and achieve my health goals. Yet it seems as if I cannot manage to do everything that I want to. Got any ideas for me?

Originally posted on December 23, 2006 @ 1:52 am

Male Sweat Confirmed To Affect Female Hormones

male-sweat2.jpg
It has been a theory for some time that one’s pheromones affect the way we attract someone of the opposite sex. Presumably, one’s scent calls our prospective mate to us. Until recently this has mainly been theory.

A study conducted by the University of California Berkley has shown that a hormone found in male sweat increases production of cortisol in women. Claire Wyart, one of the researchers of the Berkley Olfactory Research program, who also lead this particular study said that while most people don’t believe that pheromones exist because humans do not exhibit behavior that can be stereotyped they have been able to show that the male chemical signal, androstadienone, definitely causes hormonal, physiological and psychological changes in women.

The study had 21 women sniff from various vials – some containing the hormone androstadienone while others contained yeast. Their bodies reactions were measured afterwards. The results showed that those ladies who sniffed the hormone reported an improvement in their mood and sexual arousal was significantly higher. Their cortisol levels were also found to have increased within 15 minutes of exposure to the hormone and remained elevated for at least an hour.

Originally posted on February 8, 2007 @ 11:34 am