LOOK OUT…PMS!

There is nothing worse than being a woman going through PMS…or being WITH a woman going through PMS! LOL!!!

PMS affects 70 to 90 percent of menstruating women. It is more than just the humorous “mood swing” joked about. PMS has serious symptoms including headaches, back pain, swollen and tender breasts, increased anxiety, bloating, acne breakouts, fatigue, food cravings, and more.

Things that Make PMS Worse

• Caffeine
• Salt
• Artificial sweeteners
• Processed foods
• Hydrogenated fats

Helps for PMS

• A veggie based diet…especially dark green ones.
• Exercise
• For cramps try, Aleve.
• Massage
• B vitamins
• Get your daily dose of iron
• Drink  Cranberry juice
• Calcium supplements

There are no set cures for the PMS curse. However, we can, as women, fight them PMS monster the best we can!

Copyright © The Complete Woman Magazine, All Rights Reserved

Improving your Memory by Taking Proper Care of your Brain

We all know that the best way to a healthy body is diet and exercise. However, do we ever take the time to exercise our brains? Do we eat for a healthy brain? probably not, for most of us.

As busy women, we rarely take time to eat properly and exercise our bodies, so what can we do to improve our Brain Health?

Let’s begin with Brain Diet:

You always hear me say…DRINK MORE WATER! Well, I am saying it again. Drink it up, ladies!

Also, the following nutrients may be helpful for brain health.

- Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These “good fats” can be found in fish, including: tuna, salmon, and mackerel. They can also be found in certain nuts and oils.

- Choline. This is the main nutrient required in the production of acetocholine, the most essential chemical in retaining memory. You can find it in fish (especially anchovies), eggs, soy, and some types of nuts.

- DMAE. This is easily absorbed into the brain and also aids in the production of acetylcholine. It can be found in sardines and anchovies, but most people prefer taking a supplement. Be sure to take it in the morning, as it can cause insomnia.

- B & C Vitamins. Getting enough of the B vitamins and vitamin C are very important for the proper brain function. B vitamins have been shown to raise scores on IQ tests.

- Pyroglutamate. This is an essential amino acid that can be used to improve memory, concentration, coordination, and reaction time. It is found in dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables.

- Phosphatidylserine. This chemical has not only been shown to improve resistance to stress.

- Glutamine. Another important amino acid for brain function. Along with the improved brain function, glutamine is an energy booster can help you break your addictions to stimulants.

Getting just a couple of these nutrients into your body can help you feel better, and improve your memory.

Now, onto Exercising the Brain:

How do you exercise your brain?

Simply put…USE IT!

- Do a Crossword Puzzle. You can also try solving other puzzles that require using your language skills. These help you remember things by making you regularly access simple memories.

- Number Puzzles. Go to a book store or go online and find Sudoku puzzles. These are number puzzles that are becoming increasingly popular. They help exercise your brain’s deductive reasoning skills. Plus, they’re fun and incredibly addictive.

- Learn Something New. The capacity of your brain is only determined by how much you want to put in it. Try learning a new skill or how to play a musical instrument. Learning a skill and continue to use it will keep your memory accessing skills limber.

- Expand your Vocabulary. Learn a new word every day. Your brain will be learning something new every day, and you will speak more intelligently!

- Let go of Speed Dial. Memorize those phone numbers. Yeah, technology is great…but when do we USE our brains?

- Exercise. Take care of your body. Try exercising at least 3 times a week. Even if you only get to walk. Do some type of exercise.

Keep in mind, exercising your mind has been shown to ward off Alzheimer’s. So if you want to keep your mind sharp, be sure to eat right, get enough rest, and exercise regularly.

Women’s Health: Cervical Smears

By: Peter Lenkefi

All women at some point in their life will have to have a cervical smear as a part of a health checkup. But do you know exactly what a cervical smear is, and how it can affect, diagnose or treat women’s ailments? Read on for more information about this common procedure.

Women’s Health: What is a Cervical Smear?

A cervical smear is a test used on women to tell if there are any changes in the health of the cervix. This is helpful to diagnose the early stages of cancer.

The cervix is located at the end of the uterus, and connects to the top of the vagina. There is a central canal that connects the vagina to the inside of the uterus, and it measures approximately 3cm square.

Women’s Health: Why Have a Cervical Smear?

The main reason to have a cervical smear is to monitor the health of the cervix, and to lower the number of women who contract cervical cancer. The smear is targeted to detect early strains of potentially cancerous cells. If caught in time, women’s health may not suffer terribly, and the growth of the cancer may not progress further. However, a cervical smear is just a screening process; it won’t detect all forms of cancer, all of the time.

Women’s Health: Who Needs a Cervical Smear?

Women who are sexually active, or who are 18 or older (whatever comes first) should take their health in their own hands and have regular cervical smears until the age of 70. A regular smear would be every three years for most women, depending on their health and the results of the last smear. Also, women who are not healthy should have annual smears, such as those with HIV.

Women who have had a hysterectomy who have had abnormal pap smears in the past should get themselves checked every year by a health practitioner; there is still a risk of abnormal cell growth at the top of the vaginal canal.

Women’s Health: How is a Cervical Smear Done?

A cervical smear is only taken when women are in good health, and are not bleeding. Any blood that appears during the testing can skew the results unnecessarily.

The procedure is performed with women on their backs, and their legs held up in the air by a health practitioner or stirrups. A speculum is placed inside the vagina, so that the health practitioner can view women’s cervix closely. Then a brush-like instrument is placed over the cervix, and cells are wiped onto the brush, and then placed onto a glass slide for diagnosis.

Women’s cervical smears can be done by a health practitioner, such as a doctor or nurse. The procedure usually only takes a couple of minutes, at the most, and isn’t painful, although it may be a bit uncomfortable.

For more more information about women’s health click here.

Women Should Drink Water!

By: Lara Velez

Water Facts:

• 70% of the earth…that’s right two thirds of the earth is made up of water.
• Only 3% of it can be used as drinking water!
• Most of the water on earth is permanently frozen or salty.
• Water is the only substance that is found naturally on earth in three forms: liquid, gas, solid.
• If all the earth’s water were fit into a gallon jug, the water available for us to drink would only be about a tablespoon!

Women Should Drink Water for Better Health

Water is one of the healthiest things a woman can put into her body. We cannot live without it. A woman’s body is about 55% water. Water moves nutrients and oxygen through the blood stream. Water has no calories. Drinking more water can help a woman retain less water! Water helps your skin stay healthy and glowing. Water can even help a woman with weight loss!

Unfortunately, most women hardly ever drink pure…plain…no frills WATER. We cover it up with sodas, teas, coffees, and all sorts of unhealthy substitutes. When we dehydrate our bodies by not drinking enough PURE water, it can lead to to excess body fat, poor muscle tone, a decrease in digestive efficiency, and muscle pain.

A woman, well anyone, should be drinking half of our body weight in ounces of PURE water every day. Example: If a woman weighs 180lbs she should be drinking 90oz of water a day!

Sound like a lot of water? Well, if you fill a 20oz bottle of water up before bed, and calculate how many of them you need to drink the next day, then divide that throughout your day, you will find success on your journey to drinking more water.

Application: Drink 1 bottle of water as soon as you wake up…BEFORE you even think about that cup of java! Then drink another bottle of water during your morning routines. Drink water before and after all meals. Drink water when you feel hungry between meals, instead of a fattening snack. Drink water every chance you get!

Soon you will be well on your way to better skin, better sleep, and better health! All because of pure fresh water!

Copyright © Lara Velez

About the Author: Lara Velez is a published writer, web publisher, business owner, wife and Mother of two. You can find some of her work at: http://homebusinessresourcedirectory.com

Escape the #1 Killer of Women

By: Mellanie True Hills

February is Heart Month. If you’re wondering why we’re focused on a man’s disease, think again: heart disease is our worst enemy, the #1 killer of women. Here are the answers to some questions I’m frequently asked by women.

Why should women be concerned about heart disease? Isn’t breast cancer our #1 concern?

To dispel that myth, here are some significant heart disease and stroke facts for the US, though the numbers for the rest of the world are similarly shocking.

These numbers come from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the US government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH).

1. Contrary to widespread belief, heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and stroke is #3, together taking nearly 1,400 women per day. That’s over half a million women every year.

2. Each year, 1.2 million Americans have a heart attack.

3. One out of every two women can expect to have heart disease and to die from it.

4. Forty per cent of all women’s deaths today are attributed to heart disease and stroke.

5. Women account for more than sixty per cent of stroke deaths.

6. Heart disease kills more women than men, and has each year for the past 20 years.

7. Heart disease and stroke kill ten times as many women as breast cancer, and more than all cancers combined. Cancer survival rates are increasing, but many of those cancer survivors will die from heart disease.

8. Women have different heart attack symptoms from men, and they’re more subtle. Many women, and their doctors, don’t know this.

9. Many women don’t know that they have a heart problem until AFTER they have had a heart attack, making death the first symptom for many women.

10. Men are much more likely than women to survive heart attacks, and to get more aggressive treatment for their heart disease. As a result, 38% of women who have heart attacks die within one year.

11. In addition to being the number three killer, stroke is the number one cause of long-term disability, with survivors experiencing memory loss, vision problems, and paralysis. Almost five million Americans are stroke survivors, with almost thirty per cent of them permanently disabled.

Excerpted from “A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life”, Copyright 2005, Mellanie True Hills

How would I know if I was having a heart attack? Would I have chest pains?

For most men, yes; for most women, no. Women have different heart attack symptoms from men. Where men typically have crushing chest pain and profuse sweating, women tend to have more subtle symptoms, such as shortness of breath, tiredness or fatigue, nausea or mild indigestion, and/or pain in the left shoulder or arm. These symptoms are easily mistaken for other things, so if you have these symptoms, please check with your doctor.

The good news is that heart disease can be prevented, if you just know how. There’s a complete program for preventing heart disease in “A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life“.

We must stamp out this insidious killer of women, so please spread the word among all the women you know. Call 1-888-MY-HEART to receive your free “Go Red for Women” red dress pin from the American Heart Association, and wear it with pride throughout February and all year long. Anytime you see that red dress pin, or anything red, please use that as a reminder to take care of yourself and your health – they’re both precious.

About the Author: Mellanie True Hills, the Health & Productivity Revitalizer, is a women’s health expert who speaks and coaches individuals and organizations in creating healthy productivity. She is the author of A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life: The HEART Program for Health and Longevity. Find out more at http://www.mellaniehills.com

Copyright 2005, 2006 by Mellanie True Hills. All rights reserved.

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