Increased Role of females in Today's Society

Women are taking a stand and reclaiming their historical virtues because it is our primal nature. This

intrinsic nature is instinctual survival. We all want to continue our human race and survive. This is a part of who we are. It may be automatic or unconscious, but the sooner we recognize it, the better off we will be. Women have a great capacity to connect with nature and to a Divine source. Those with a deep inner knowing are capable of surrendering to higher wisdom. We all have the human capacity to make conscious choices and to utilize self-knowledge.By acknowledging the pain and uniting with others in a group or through one on one conversation, women can heal the pain. Another way women can heal is through identifying with a powerful feminine archetype. The story of the Goddess Inanna emphasizes empowerment. As a feminine aspect of cosmic and human powers, the Goddess Inanna is dual in character and manifests the full gamut of human potential. In one sense she is Mother Earth, her concern and caring for others is marked by her rescue and tender care of the hulluppu-tree. She manifests Gods gifts for mankind and stands strong and confident in an effort to do this. In another sense, she represents the capacity in every human being to triumph over difficult times and continually achieve fuller expressions of Divine glory.
When I mention the feminine, I am not referring only to women-I am referring to both men and women. Women and men both

contain feminine and masculine energy. These two energies exist simultaneously within each human being. However, very few of us utilize our inner feminine nurturing nature. Inanna represents a woman who contains a balance of masculine and feminine aspects. She is strong and empowered. She takes action. Moreover, Inanna's myth tells us she is willing to rescue the tree and has patience to nurture the tree. In our modern world, we need to move forward and acknowledge the Divine feminine. We must recognize this Divinity within ourselves. Very much like Mother Teresa is revered for her feminine qualities of nurturing and caring, women too should be valued for their innate skills of loving and leading their families.Women will begin to lead the way in their family's health and in their family's set of values. If a woman is healthy in mind, body and spirit, she boasts a healthy family. If a woman is unhealthy, however, the family is subject to shadow aspects that easily trickle from generation to generation. If the family household is of mind, body and spirit, the children pick up on this and it sets the stage for their perceived values. A man who criticizes his wife in front of his children leads his family to believe this is normal and continues creating turmoil. On the other hand, a man who is raised by an empowered female will naturally generate a balanced family.The only way women will make a difference in the trajectory of our human race is to stand up for what they know is true in their hearts. Furthermore, they can reunite with their primal, innate instincts. Women can honor the magnificence of their feminine cycles and embrace the continuous change in their bodies. Women should not be ashamed of their menstrual cycle or try to stop it through birth control injections. This is their womanhood. Feminine virtues should be perceived as a gift; a blessing for the creation of human life. This insight will help us stay better connected with the whole of our human  nature.

In today's world, women are looking for a strong female archetype to identify with. Women are being called to get in touch with their feminine principles and take responsibility. Women are being called to unite and bring light to their inner feminine energy. As the modern woman awakens, she will find it helpful to identify with a legendary story that signifies women's confidence, strength and feminine virtue.
Women have a great capacity to take on major change but we must prepare and empower ourselves to do this. This will manifest as a healthy balance of masculine/feminine equality. Now more than ever it is vital that women bond and come together to implement a universal shift in consciousness. How do we do this? How do women overcome the pain of thousands of years of mistreatment and degradation. The only way is through awareness and a willingness to heal.
By acknowledging the pain and uniting with others in a group or through one on one conversation, women can heal the pain. Another way women can heal is through identifying with a powerful feminine archetype. The story of the Goddess Inanna emphasizes empowerment. As a feminine aspect of cosmic and human powers, the Goddess Inanna is dual in character and manifests the full gamut of human potential. In one sense she is Mother Earth, her concern and caring for others is marked by her rescue and tender care of the hulluppu-tree. She manifests Gods gifts for mankind and stands strong and confident in an effort to do this. In another sense, she represents the capacity in every human being to triumph over difficult times and continually achieve fuller expressions of Divine glory.
Women are taking a stand and reclaiming their historical virtues because it is our primal nature. This intrinsic nature is instinctual survival. We all want to continue our human race and survive. This is a part of who we are. It may be automatic or unconscious, but the sooner we recognize it, the better off we will be. Women have a great capacity to connect with nature and to a Divine source. Those with a deep inner knowing are capable of surrendering to higher wisdom. We all have the human capacity to make conscious choices and to utilize self-knowledge. In Inanna's story, she is a young woman who braves the forceful flood waters of the Euphrates River and saves the "tree of life." Our own modern-day "tree of life" is hanging by a thread. Many people are beginning to recognize this based on the current uprisings in the Middle East and the recent natural catastrophes-namely Japan.
What if we had some way of preventing this from occurring? What would this look like? This could look like the beginning of Inanna's story when she brings the ragged cedar tree to her holy garden. As a recourse, this signifies a need to start connecting with humanities inner feminine nature.
When I mention the feminine, I am not referring only to women-I am referring to both men and women. Women and men both contain feminine and masculine energy. These two energies exist simultaneously within each human being. However, very few of us utilize our inner feminine nurturing nature. Inanna represents a woman who contains a balance of masculine and feminine aspects. She is strong and empowered. She takes action. Moreover, Inanna's myth tells us she is willing to rescue the tree and has patience to nurture the tree. In our modern world, we need to move forward and acknowledge the Divine feminine. We must recognize this Divinity within ourselves. Very much like Mother Teresa is revered for her feminine qualities of nurturing and caring, women too should be valued for their innate skills of loving and leading their families.
Women are beginning to recognize their inner feminine qualities and there is a recent trend of women valuing the importance of self-care. Mothers who care for their families are coming of age to realize that it is okay to take some time for themselves. The influx of women taking yoga classes or yoga teacher training has significantly increased. True yoga allows one to go inward and meditate on the inner feminine energies. The next step for women's evolution is to honor their own inner truth.
Women will begin to lead the way in their family's health and in their family's set of values. If a woman is healthy in mind, body and spirit, she boasts a healthy family. If a woman is unhealthy, however, the family is subject to shadow aspects that easily trickle from generation to generation. If the family household is of mind, body and spirit, the children pick up on this and it sets the stage for their perceived values. A man who criticizes his wife in front of his children leads his family to believe this is normal and continues creating turmoil. On the other hand, a man who is raised by an empowered female will naturally generate a balanced family.
The only way women will make a difference in the trajectory of our human race is to stand up for what they know is true in their hearts. Furthermore, they can reunite with their primal, innate instincts. Women can honor the magnificence of their feminine cycles and embrace the continuous change in their bodies. Women should not be ashamed of their menstrual cycle or try to stop it through birth control injections. This is their womanhood. Feminine virtues should be perceived as a gift; a blessing for the creation of human life. This insight will help us stay better connected with the whole of our human nature.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6381170

How Your Hormones are making your age?

Hormones are responsible for pretty much every process that happens in our body. From around 40 years old, many of our hormones decline. This is because we are programmed to die after we have raised our offspring to be old enough to have offspring themselves. Well guess what, we are now living twice as long as that. So what can we do about our declining hormones? Because if we do nothing, we are going to get old. Can we stop it? Yes we can to some degree and that's worth doing surely. The first step is to understand how they work and what they do for us. Then find yourself a good Anti-ageing Medicine practitioner who will test your hormones and correct any imbalances to help slow down your ageing.

Thyroid hormone is a big one. It controls the metabolic rate of all your cells, maintains blood pressure, regulates tissue growth and regulates heat. If you are always cold, get your thyroid hormone checked. Declining thyroid hormone leads to fuzzy brain, weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol and poor blood pressure regulation. It is very easy to treat so get your thyroid function checked so it doesn't accelerate your ageing.

Another hormone that affects ageing is Estrogen. Estrogen is known as the youth hormone as it keeps the skin looking youthful. It enhances collagen production and other components of the dermis as well as maintaining epidermal thickness. The decline of estrogen and progesterone is why women seem to age rapidly after menopause.

After menopause, we lose bone density. This is because Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin decline and these are the hormones that keep the calcium in your bones. These effects can be prevented by taking calcium, vitamin D and calcitriol but again discuss with your doctor. You can even have your bone density checked periodically. Weight bearing exercise also helps keep the calcium in your bones. Bone density decline doesn't just happen to old people. I've seen many nasty fractures on women in their 50s from mechanisms of injury that would not have caused a fracture in a younger woman. And the last thing you want is to be laid up with any sort of fracture. You may be unable to work, unable to exercise, unable to get around, unable to drive. Maybe for months. That inertia could lead to other health problems and so on. Seriously, look after your bones.

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Hormones are responsible for pretty much every process that happens in our body. From around 40 years old, many of our hormones decline. This is because we are programmed to die after we have raised our offspring to be old enough to have offspring themselves. Well guess what, we are now living twice as long as that. So what can we do about our declining hormones? Because if we do nothing, we are going to get old. Can we stop it? Yes we can to some degree and that's worth doing surely. I'm all for it. The first step is to understand how they work and what they do for us. Then find yourself a good Anti-ageing Medicine practitioner who will test your hormones and correct any imbalances to help slow down your ageing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are responsible for pretty much every process that happens in our body. From around 40 years old, many of our hormones decline. This is because we are programmed to die after we have raised our offspring to be old enough to have offspring themselves. Well guess what, we are now living twice as long as that. So what can we do about our declining hormones? Because if we do nothing, we are going to get old. Can we stop it? Yes we can to some degree and that's worth doing surely. I'm all for it. The first step is to understand how they work and what they do for us. Then find yourself a good Anti-ageing Medicine practitioner who will test your hormones and correct any imbalances to help slow down your ageing.
Thyroid hormone is a big one. It controls the metabolic rate of all your cells, maintains blood pressure, regulates tissue growth and regulates heat. If you are always cold, get your thyroid hormone checked. Declining thyroid hormone leads to fuzzy brain, weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol and poor blood pressure regulation. It is very easy to treat so get your thyroid function checked so it doesn't accelerate your ageing. Correcting hypothyroidism will make you feel so alive and energetic, you'll wonder how you put up with it for so long. It's worth looking into.
Another hormone that affects ageing is Estrogen. Estrogen is known as the youth hormone as it keeps the skin looking youthful. It enhances collagen production and other components of the dermis as well as maintaining epidermal thickness. The decline of estrogen and progesterone is why women seem to age rapidly after menopause. Replacement of these hormones is simple (heard of HRT?). However, some people may have risk factors that need to be discussed with a doctor. If you have ever had cancer of your female bits, or if that cancer is in your family, you may not be suitable for HRT.
After menopause, we lose bone density. This is because Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin decline and these are the hormones that keep the calcium in your bones. These effects can be prevented by taking calcium, vitamin D and calcitriol but again discuss with your doctor. You can even have your bone density checked periodically. Weight bearing exercise also helps keep the calcium in your bones. Bone density decline doesn't just happen to old people. I've seen many nasty fractures on women in their 50s from mechanisms of injury that would not have caused a fracture in a younger woman. And the last thing you want is to be laid up with any sort of fracture. You may be unable to work, unable to exercise, unable to get around, unable to drive. Maybe for months. That inertia could lead to other health problems and so on. Seriously, look after your bones.
Two hormones that wreak havoc on your body over time are Adrenaline and Noradrenaline. These guys are deadly but paradoxically they are supposed to save us from a life threatening situation. They help us in "fight or flight" situations but hey we don't actually have those very often in our modern lives. They increase our heart rate and blood pressure and divert blood flow away from non-vital organs (bowel, stomach, liver etc) towards the vital organs (brain, heart and lungs) and also to our skeletal muscles. They also increase blood glucose levels. This ensures that when it comes time to stand and fight or run for your life, we have oxygen and energy in all the right places (our legs, arms, heart, lungs and brain). This is called a Stress Response and it is great for a life threatening situations but how many of those have you had lately? (OK so every time you drive on the freeway... ).
So you know how everyone is always going on about how stress is bad for you? This is why. We have so many stressors in our daily lives that our brain perceives that we are being threatened and turns on the Stress Response. The result is constantly circulating adrenaline and noradrenaline leading to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and an overworked heart - a recipe for disaster. Diabetes. Heart attacks. Strokes. The absolute pits. What to do about this. Well that's all about de-stressing, an entire other subject and again there is more than enough information out there without me adding to it. I just hope that if you actually understand how stress kills you, it will not just be some random concept but a solid piece of information that will inspire you to manage your stress.
Had enough of hormones? Me too. But there is one more that must be mentioned because lack of it is also a killer and will take 20/30/40 years off your life and it will be a miserable decline. Did you guess? Yes its Insulin. Poor old insulin gets a bad rap but in reality it's not insulin's fault. Its only purpose in life it to usher glucose into the cells. All cells need glucose. It is the fuel for our bodies and all metabolic processes depend on it. But if we don't have enough insulin, or our cells are resistant to insulin, glucose can't get into our cells and it just kicks around in our blood stream where is does a lot of damage.
Glucose is a big molecule and our blood vessels don't like too many big molecules. It is bad for the inside layer or endothelium. We need our blood vessels to be in good condition so they can provide oxygen and energy to all the tissues of our body. If our small blood vessels get damaged they just pack up and die (bad. think of all those tiny blood vessels in your eyes, in your skin) and if our big blood vessels get damaged, they develop plaques on the inside. If these plaques rupture, they can block the blood vessel. Or our own platelets may rush to the scene to repair the damage from the plaque and do more harm by forming a clot which makes the blockage much worse. Heart attack. Stroke. So one of the results of too much glucose in the blood is damaged blood vessels throughout our body. This happens gradually so we don't even notice until the damage is done. And something bad happens.
The other result of too much glucose is glycation. Glycation is when the glucose reacts with the amino acids in our proteins (we are made of proteins) which damages them. This is very evident in the skin of a poorly controlled diabetic, The glycation breaks down the proteins in the dermis making the skin sag and wrinkle. To much glucose can damage every tissue in our body.
So why does this happen? Either no insulin (Type I diabetes) or not enough insulin and the insulin we do have loses its ability to let the glucose into the cells (Type II diabetes). It is Type II diabetes that usually starts in middle age and leads to untold decay and disease.
So why can't the insulin get to the cells to let the glucose in? This is called insulin resistance and is caused by two things. Excess weight and not enough physical activity (Doh!). I know. I know. You hate this part. But if you have excess adipose tissue (fat) especially around the belly, complex interactions in fat tissue draw immune cells to the area and trigger low-level chronic inflammation. It is thought that this inflammation can contribute to the development of insulin resistance.
But the good news is, when you exercise, your muscles need lots of glucose so insulin and glucose happily work together to supply the demand. This makes your cells more receptive to insulin. And that receptiveness becomes a normal thing. If you never exercise, your cells forget how to interact with insulin to let the glucose in and you get insulin resistance. And Type II diabetes.
There are many other hormones which will decline as you age. Of note are melatonin, the sleep hormone. Cortisol, which increases your energy levels and improves stress resistance. Then there's DHEA. This hormone is the fountain of youth.
Some hormones can be replaced artificially and some can't. Some are very expensive, like DHEA. Whereas Thyroxine and Melatonin are quite cheap. Do some research. Find out more about your hormones. Visit your doctor with at least some foundation of knowledge and watch them struggling not to roll their eyes!
Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are responsible for pretty much every process that happens in our body. From around 40 years old, many of our hormones decline. This is because we are programmed to die after we have raised our offspring to be old enough to have offspring themselves. Well guess what, we are now living twice as long as that. So what can we do about our declining hormones? Because if we do nothing, we are going to get old. Can we stop it? Yes we can to some degree and that's worth doing surely. I'm all for it. The first step is to understand how they work and what they do for us. Then find yourself a good Anti-ageing Medicine practitioner who will test your hormones and correct any imbalances to help slow down your ageing.
Thyroid hormone is a big one. It controls the metabolic rate of all your cells, maintains blood pressure, regulates tissue growth and regulates heat. If you are always cold, get your thyroid hormone checked. Declining thyroid hormone leads to fuzzy brain, weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol and poor blood pressure regulation. It is very easy to treat so get your thyroid function checked so it doesn't accelerate your ageing. Correcting hypothyroidism will make you feel so alive and energetic, you'll wonder how you put up with it for so long. It's worth looking into.
Another hormone that affects ageing is Estrogen. Estrogen is known as the youth hormone as it keeps the skin looking youthful. It enhances collagen production and other components of the dermis as well as maintaining epidermal thickness. The decline of estrogen and progesterone is why women seem to age rapidly after menopause. Replacement of these hormones is simple (heard of HRT?). However, some people may have risk factors that need to be discussed with a doctor. If you have ever had cancer of your female bits, or if that cancer is in your family, you may not be suitable for HRT.
After menopause, we lose bone density. This is because Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin decline and these are the hormones that keep the calcium in your bones. These effects can be prevented by taking calcium, vitamin D and calcitriol but again discuss with your doctor. You can even have your bone density checked periodically. Weight bearing exercise also helps keep the calcium in your bones. Bone density decline doesn't just happen to old people. I've seen many nasty fractures on women in their 50s from mechanisms of injury that would not have caused a fracture in a younger woman. And the last thing you want is to be laid up with any sort of fracture. You may be unable to work, unable to exercise, unable to get around, unable to drive. Maybe for months. That inertia could lead to other health problems and so on. Seriously, look after your bones.
Two hormones that wreak havoc on your body over time are Adrenaline and Noradrenaline. These guys are deadly but paradoxically they are supposed to save us from a life threatening situation. They help us in "fight or flight" situations but hey we don't actually have those very often in our modern lives. They increase our heart rate and blood pressure and divert blood flow away from non-vital organs (bowel, stomach, liver etc) towards the vital organs (brain, heart and lungs) and also to our skeletal muscles. They also increase blood glucose levels. This ensures that when it comes time to stand and fight or run for your life, we have oxygen and energy in all the right places (our legs, arms, heart, lungs and brain). This is called a Stress Response and it is great for a life threatening situations but how many of those have you had lately? (OK so every time you drive on the freeway... ).
So you know how everyone is always going on about how stress is bad for you? This is why. We have so many stressors in our daily lives that our brain perceives that we are being threatened and turns on the Stress Response. The result is constantly circulating adrenaline and noradrenaline leading to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and an overworked heart - a recipe for disaster. Diabetes. Heart attacks. Strokes. The absolute pits. What to do about this. Well that's all about de-stressing, an entire other subject and again there is more than enough information out there without me adding to it. I just hope that if you actually understand how stress kills you, it will not just be some random concept but a solid piece of information that will inspire you to manage your stress.
Had enough of hormones? Me too. But there is one more that must be mentioned because lack of it is also a killer and will take 20/30/40 years off your life and it will be a miserable decline. Did you guess? Yes its Insulin. Poor old insulin gets a bad rap but in reality it's not insulin's fault. Its only purpose in life it to usher glucose into the cells. All cells need glucose. It is the fuel for our bodies and all metabolic processes depend on it. But if we don't have enough insulin, or our cells are resistant to insulin, glucose can't get into our cells and it just kicks around in our blood stream where is does a lot of damage.
Glucose is a big molecule and our blood vessels don't like too many big molecules. It is bad for the inside layer or endothelium. We need our blood vessels to be in good condition so they can provide oxygen and energy to all the tissues of our body. If our small blood vessels get damaged they just pack up and die (bad. think of all those tiny blood vessels in your eyes, in your skin) and if our big blood vessels get damaged, they develop plaques on the inside. If these plaques rupture, they can block the blood vessel. Or our own platelets may rush to the scene to repair the damage from the plaque and do more harm by forming a clot which makes the blockage much worse. Heart attack. Stroke. So one of the results of too much glucose in the blood is damaged blood vessels throughout our body. This happens gradually so we don't even notice until the damage is done. And something bad happens.
The other result of too much glucose is glycation. Glycation is when the glucose reacts with the amino acids in our proteins (we are made of proteins) which damages them. This is very evident in the skin of a poorly controlled diabetic, The glycation breaks down the proteins in the dermis making the skin sag and wrinkle. To much glucose can damage every tissue in our body.
So why does this happen? Either no insulin (Type I diabetes) or not enough insulin and the insulin we do have loses its ability to let the glucose into the cells (Type II diabetes). It is Type II diabetes that usually starts in middle age and leads to untold decay and disease.
So why can't the insulin get to the cells to let the glucose in? This is called insulin resistance and is caused by two things. Excess weight and not enough physical activity (Doh!). I know. I know. You hate this part. But if you have excess adipose tissue (fat) especially around the belly, complex interactions in fat tissue draw immune cells to the area and trigger low-level chronic inflammation. It is thought that this inflammation can contribute to the development of insulin resistance.
But the good news is, when you exercise, your muscles need lots of glucose so insulin and glucose happily work together to supply the demand. This makes your cells more receptive to insulin. And that receptiveness becomes a normal thing. If you never exercise, your cells forget how to interact with insulin to let the glucose in and you get insulin resistance. And Type II diabetes.
There are many other hormones which will decline as you age. Of note are melatonin, the sleep hormone. Cortisol, which increases your energy levels and improves stress resistance. Then there's DHEA. This hormone is the fountain of youth.
Some hormones can be replaced artificially and some can't. Some are very expensive, like DHEA. Whereas Thyroxine and Melatonin are quite cheap. Do some research. Find out more about your hormones. Visit your doctor with at least some foundation of knowledge and watch them struggling not to roll their eyes!
Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Hormones are responsible for pretty much every process that happens in our body. From around 40 years old, many of our hormones decline. This is because we are programmed to die after we have raised our offspring to be old enough to have offspring themselves. Well guess what, we are now living twice as long as that. So what can we do about our declining hormones? Because if we do nothing, we are going to get old. Can we stop it? Yes we can to some degree and that's worth doing surely. I'm all for it. The first step is to understand how they work and what they do for us. Then find yourself a good Anti-ageing Medicine practitioner who will test your hormones and correct any imbalances to help slow down your ageing.
Thyroid hormone is a big one. It controls the metabolic rate of all your cells, maintains blood pressure, regulates tissue growth and regulates heat. If you are always cold, get your thyroid hormone checked. Declining thyroid hormone leads to fuzzy brain, weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol and poor blood pressure regulation. It is very easy to treat so get your thyroid function checked so it doesn't accelerate your ageing. Correcting hypothyroidism will make you feel so alive and energetic, you'll wonder how you put up with it for so long. It's worth looking into.
Another hormone that affects ageing is Estrogen. Estrogen is known as the youth hormone as it keeps the skin looking youthful. It enhances collagen production and other components of the dermis as well as maintaining epidermal thickness. The decline of estrogen and progesterone is why women seem to age rapidly after menopause. Replacement of these hormones is simple (heard of HRT?). However, some people may have risk factors that need to be discussed with a doctor. If you have ever had cancer of your female bits, or if that cancer is in your family, you may not be suitable for HRT.
After menopause, we lose bone density. This is because Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin decline and these are the hormones that keep the calcium in your bones. These effects can be prevented by taking calcium, vitamin D and calcitriol but again discuss with your doctor. You can even have your bone density checked periodically. Weight bearing exercise also helps keep the calcium in your bones. Bone density decline doesn't just happen to old people. I've seen many nasty fractures on women in their 50s from mechanisms of injury that would not have caused a fracture in a younger woman. And the last thing you want is to be laid up with any sort of fracture. You may be unable to work, unable to exercise, unable to get around, unable to drive. Maybe for months. That inertia could lead to other health problems and so on. Seriously, look after your bones.
Two hormones that wreak havoc on your body over time are Adrenaline and Noradrenaline. These guys are deadly but paradoxically they are supposed to save us from a life threatening situation. They help us in "fight or flight" situations but hey we don't actually have those very often in our modern lives. They increase our heart rate and blood pressure and divert blood flow away from non-vital organs (bowel, stomach, liver etc) towards the vital organs (brain, heart and lungs) and also to our skeletal muscles. They also increase blood glucose levels. This ensures that when it comes time to stand and fight or run for your life, we have oxygen and energy in all the right places (our legs, arms, heart, lungs and brain). This is called a Stress Response and it is great for a life threatening situations but how many of those have you had lately? (OK so every time you drive on the freeway... ).
So you know how everyone is always going on about how stress is bad for you? This is why. We have so many stressors in our daily lives that our brain perceives that we are being threatened and turns on the Stress Response. The result is constantly circulating adrenaline and noradrenaline leading to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and an overworked heart - a recipe for disaster. Diabetes. Heart attacks. Strokes. The absolute pits. What to do about this. Well that's all about de-stressing, an entire other subject and again there is more than enough information out there without me adding to it. I just hope that if you actually understand how stress kills you, it will not just be some random concept but a solid piece of information that will inspire you to manage your stress.
Had enough of hormones? Me too. But there is one more that must be mentioned because lack of it is also a killer and will take 20/30/40 years off your life and it will be a miserable decline. Did you guess? Yes its Insulin. Poor old insulin gets a bad rap but in reality it's not insulin's fault. Its only purpose in life it to usher glucose into the cells. All cells need glucose. It is the fuel for our bodies and all metabolic processes depend on it. But if we don't have enough insulin, or our cells are resistant to insulin, glucose can't get into our cells and it just kicks around in our blood stream where is does a lot of damage.
Glucose is a big molecule and our blood vessels don't like too many big molecules. It is bad for the inside layer or endothelium. We need our blood vessels to be in good condition so they can provide oxygen and energy to all the tissues of our body. If our small blood vessels get damaged they just pack up and die (bad. think of all those tiny blood vessels in your eyes, in your skin) and if our big blood vessels get damaged, they develop plaques on the inside. If these plaques rupture, they can block the blood vessel. Or our own platelets may rush to the scene to repair the damage from the plaque and do more harm by forming a clot which makes the blockage much worse. Heart attack. Stroke. So one of the results of too much glucose in the blood is damaged blood vessels throughout our body. This happens gradually so we don't even notice until the damage is done. And something bad happens.
The other result of too much glucose is glycation. Glycation is when the glucose reacts with the amino acids in our proteins (we are made of proteins) which damages them. This is very evident in the skin of a poorly controlled diabetic, The glycation breaks down the proteins in the dermis making the skin sag and wrinkle. To much glucose can damage every tissue in our body.
So why does this happen? Either no insulin (Type I diabetes) or not enough insulin and the insulin we do have loses its ability to let the glucose into the cells (Type II diabetes). It is Type II diabetes that usually starts in middle age and leads to untold decay and disease.
So why can't the insulin get to the cells to let the glucose in? This is called insulin resistance and is caused by two things. Excess weight and not enough physical activity (Doh!). I know. I know. You hate this part. But if you have excess adipose tissue (fat) especially around the belly, complex interactions in fat tissue draw immune cells to the area and trigger low-level chronic inflammation. It is thought that this inflammation can contribute to the development of insulin resistance.
But the good news is, when you exercise, your muscles need lots of glucose so insulin and glucose happily work together to supply the demand. This makes your cells more receptive to insulin. And that receptiveness becomes a normal thing. If you never exercise, your cells forget how to interact with insulin to let the glucose in and you get insulin resistance. And Type II diabetes.
There are many other hormones which will decline as you age. Of note are melatonin, the sleep hormone. Cortisol, which increases your energy levels and improves stress resistance. Then there's DHEA. This hormone is the fountain of youth.
Some hormones can be replaced artificially and some can't. Some are very expensive, like DHEA. Whereas Thyroxine and Melatonin are quite cheap. Do some research. Find out more about your hormones. Visit your doctor with at least some foundation of knowledge and watch them struggling not to roll their eyes!
Hormones are essential for life. They make absolutely everything happen in our bodies. So it's no surprise that when they begin their decline in our fifties, our lives can unravel. Most of us are still working and looking after a family. The kids may have gone but the parents seem to be replacing them. We still have so much to do. A mortgage to pay off. People who need us. Possibly a career in full swing. We need our body to perform. There's no time for illness. Poor sleep. Poor concentration. Lethargy. Broken bones. It is worth finding out about your hormones. Your GP or an anti-ageing medicine practitioner can investigate the important ones and recommend ways you can support your endocrine system. Look into it. Squeeze every drop you can out of that body of yours. Out of that life of yours. You still have a long road ahead. It will be much more enjoyable if the car is purring.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9723672

Did You Tell Her??

The pain of a broken relationship can drive you into another’s arms. But what happens if you go back? What about their feelings?

Did you tell her you
came to me with broken wings?
Did you tell her you
were heartbroken n told me things?
Did you tell her that I
tended to that broken mind n heart?
Did you tell her that I
listened to you and opened my heart?
Did you tell her you
learned to laugh, learned to love again?
Did you tell her you
learned to see the colors of life  again?
Did you tell her that I
brushed the cobwebs away,
Did you tell her that I
made you smile, come what may?
Did you tell her that you
now healed and sealed, went right back
Did you tell her that you
left me hurt n broken, in my lil shack?
Did you tell her that I
still cry myself to sleep
Did you tell her that I
now have a lifetime to weep?

Do Not Insult Your Existence

Nothing exists in this universe without cause and purpose. Your existence has also certain cause and purpose. We confuse in our life at this time and space because we are not sure about the cause and purpose of our existence. Without understanding the cause and purpose of our existence, we cannot do much in our life despite having immense skill and talent. We put hard work, but still, happiness and satisfaction are out of our reach. The simple reason of our restlessness in our life is that we are not aware of the cause and purpose of our existence.
We are nothing more than a part of the crowd. In the crowd, no one can maintain the uniqueness of his own existence. You do what crowd does, you talk what crowd talks, you walk on the path which has been designed by the crowd for you. You do it because you have never tried yourself to understand your cause and purpose of your existence.
You are getting disappointment in your life, you are stressed and tensed in your life, it means, you are doing something against your nature. You are doing something against your nature because you do not understand your cause and purpose of your existence.
In this case, you will always struggle and suffer in your life, no matter, what you have and what you do not have.
Distress, unhappiness or disappointments are not the nature of human. It is happening, because you are made for something, and you are doing something else.
Do not run behind the crowd, and not to care about what people would say about you, rather invest your time in finding the cause and purpose of your existence, and do what you are made for. When you do what you are made for, you will live your life quite comfortable and natural, if not, no one can save you from perpetual stress and tensions.

Your existence is crucial and for a special purpose, do not insult it in living distress and unhappiness of any kind.

Is It safe to Practice Yoga during Menses???

Menstrual periods is the period which happens to every normal lady in a month.and only they know how they feel during this time. This feeling varies from person to person. Menstruation is the time when women feel different. Some women feel totally normal and fully energetic while others feel a lot of mood swing, a lot of pain, irritability etc.
Yoga should be avoided or can be followed during menstrual periods is always a controversial issue. Some say that there is no side-effect of practising yoga at this time and it should be continued while others say that it can be dangerous during the menstrual period and should be avoided.
The answer to the question whether it is safe to practice yoga during menstrual periods totally depends on women, those who feel totally fit and fine during menstrual periods can practice yoga while some women start getting wrong emotions and weird thoughts, they should not practice at this time. Overall, it depends on you if you feel comfortable then go for it but does not push your body to do anything.
Even those who feel totally comfortable, even they should not push their body to something difficult. They should do their yoga asana at half the frequency with which they normally do. Some of the asanas are totally safe to be practiced during menstrual periods but keeping in mind that do not push your body to do anything if your body cannot do it especially in this sensitive time.
Although it is advisable to avoid asana during first two days of menstrual periods but if you are used to yoga then you can continue it as well. You can easily practice pranayama, yoga Nidra or meditation.
These yoga asanas are totally safe during menstrual periods. You can practice any of this asana that do not include must strain to the body but must remember that do not push your body to anything.
Many of you used to go to the yoga class. But during menstrual periods you should avoid going to the class as in the class all are given equal counting and you need to do the yoga practices. You are not allowed to force your body to do anything but in the class, you can force yourself to match yourself with others. So, try to do easy yoga practice and at home with proper calmness and slowly.