Pregnancy – How exciting can it get? Every woman awaits the precious phase in her life for the arrival of her new bundles of joy. However, this bundle of joy doesn’t come to you free of minor discomforts. And, one among the list of discomforts is urinary incontinence. Urinary Incontinence in women is a common problem during and after pregnancy.

Reasons for Urinary Incontinence

For those new to this terminology, urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary discharge of urine owing to reduced control on the urinary bladder. Urinary incontinence may result from a variety of reasons but the most common of all is stress. This primarily occurs due to increased pressure on the bladder especially when a woman is pregnant. During such a stressful situation, the bladder sphincter muscle does not function properly causing minor leaks.

Another common reason for urinary incontinence in pregnant women is a result of an overactive bladder. During the pregnancy phase, some women may experience uncontrollable spasms on their bladder. This contraction in the bladder ends up affecting the muscles surrounding the urethra (passage of urine from bladder to outlet). Subsequently, these muscles which are meant to prevent involuntary passage of urine are eventually overridden.

After pregnancy, the child birth is likely to weaken the muscles of the pelvic floor. This might result in an overactive bladder. Also, other conditions that have occurred during child birth might also contribute to urinary incontinence. Some of these are:

• A cut made to the pelvic floor muscles during a caesarian delivery
• Damage to the nerves that control the bladder
• Any movement to the urethra and bladder during pregnancy or child birth

Coping with Urinary Incontinence

There are ways to overcome urinary incontinence. Kegel are extremely effective in overcoming urinary incontinence.

Do not cut down on the fluids. Instead be careful about what you drink. If you are of the opinion that reduced fluid intake can reduce incontinence, you are mistaken. Reduced intakes can increase the acidic nature of urine and in turn irritate your bladder.

Coffee, tea and carbonated drinks tend to cause a lot of irritation to your bladder. Hence, avoid them. In their place, you can consume a lot of water, green tea and decaffeinated drinks. Consume much of your fluids during the day. Avoid fluid intake at least 2-3 hours before bed time to decrease night voiding and incontinence.

There are supplements that help to boost your immunity and strengthen your urinary system. Try natural supplement as they are proven to be most effective and do not cause any side effects. Natural supplement can be purchased online or at any local health store.

Next time you are embarrassed about the problem, just remember that urinary incontinence in women can dealt easily with exercise, diet and supplements. So, start now and gain total control!

Manic depression, also known as bipolar depression or disorder, is the worst type of depression that an individual can suffer from. It refers to the sudden change in a person’s mood between the two poles of mania (high energy) and depression (low energy). It is a disorder of the brain that interferes with a person’s ability to function owing to drastic swing of mood and energy of the individual.

Manic Depression

During the so-called manic state, an individual experiences sudden bursts of heightened energy, euphoric mood, extreme irritability and aggressive behavior. For instance, you may end up picking up the waiter at the restaurant for a minor fault which you might otherwise not bother about. Or, you may end up picking on your spouse for calling in a few minutes later than you had expected. To be precise, you are at a zero tolerance level.

During the state of depression, you may end up with an extremely depressive state of mind. You are in a tumultuous state of mind where thoughts of guilt, anxiety, pessimism, sadness and isolation keeps racing through. You experience a feeling of worthlessness and being unloved.

In women, mood swings are usually common as part of a pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). This need not be taken seriously. However, in the opinion of therapists, if these mood swings persists for more than a week, the individual can be diagnosed as suffering from manic depression.

And, the good news to all those suffering from manic depression, is that it is treatable. There are quite a number of natural alternatives to treat manic depression. In extreme cases, you could also consult a cognitive behavior therapist or a psychiatrist. And, this might not be a one time affair. You may have to visit your therapist on a periodic basis to assess your true condition because these are the personnel who will be able to help you to find the reason for your behavior.  Depending on this, they may suggest appropriate treatment to provide a complete cure.

Manic depression is a serious problem.  However, remember that, there are people who have touched the doors of extremity and have returned successfully to lead a normal life. So, do not lose hope and with willingness you will be able to wrestle the depression out of your life.

We are living in the age of fast foods. Most of us don’t get that little time to eat our breakfast or chew our food. Quite naturally, we end up with all kinds of stomach related problems starting with acidity to acute gastric ulcer. However, if we are ready to make a few changes to our diet and lifestyle, we could maintain a healthy digestive system for the rest of our lives. Here are ten simple ways to a healthy digestive system.

1. Drink about 8 – 10 glasses of water every day. Water helps to loosen stools and prevent constipation.
2. Don’t skip your breakfast. It is the first major meal that you have for the day. Include a breakfast that is rich in fiber. Wholegrain cereal or porridge have high fiber content and boosts energy.
3. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. They help in cleansing the body. There are also herbal supplements available online that help to promote digestive health.
4. Try getting into the habit of eating in small quantities at frequent intervals. This produces less strain on the digestive system. If you are in the habit of eating large portions, the stomach produces large quantities of digestive acids. So, even if you eat less the same quantity of acids are produced. This can eventually lead to acidity. The same thing happens when you skip a meal. The digestive acids are produced and since there is no food to digest, it again leads to acidity.
5. Did you know that most of the digestive process takes place in your mouth with the help of the salivary gland? This is why it is important to chew your food.
6. Make it a habit to go to bed about three hours after you have had the final meal for the day. This will reduce the risk of indigestion, heartburn and reflux.
7. Avoid caffeine. Excess intake of caffeine causes acidity in your stomach.
8. Do not exercise immediately after a meal. Your heart needs to pump blood for digestion as well as for exercise. So, if you exercise after eating, your heart might not be able to meet the demands of your stomach and the digestion process might be compromised. However, you could take a walk after eating.
9. Avoid or reduce the intake of saturated fats such as butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fats increase the chances of bowel cancer.
10. Avoid smoking. It affects the digestive system and results in peptic ulcer, gall stones, heart burns and crohn’s disease.

Follow these ten simple ways to a healthy digestive system. This can help you avoid your digestive problems and lead a healthy life.

Last month I was admitted to the hospital for three days. Though it was just a common ear infection, the pain was way too excruciating. The pain radiated from my ears and spread all over my head making it all the more a nightmarish experience. I was diagnosed with a middle ear infection or Ottis Media as it is called in medical terms. That’s when I learnt all about middle ear infection.

So, what is exactly a middle ear infection? The middle ear is a small space behind the ear drum. When you contract an infection in this region, you can end up with pus cells or fluid. This eventually causes a throbbing pain with your ears swelling beyond recognition. Now, let us see all about middle ear infection.

Causes of Middle Ear Infection

Now, let us see what exactly causes a middle ear infection?  Middle ear infections can be caused by either bacteria or viruses. Statistics show that 85% of cases of middle ear infections are caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), nontypable Hemophilus influenzae and Moraxella. Viruses account for the remaining 15%.

If you’ve ever wondered as to how do these bacteria get into your ears, here are a few ways that it can happen:

1. It is important to you clean your hands with soap when you exit the wash room. In the event that you don’t clean you hands and end up touching your ears, there starts the problem. Especially, the bacteria Streptococcus is believed to thrive well in wash rooms and places of less hygiene.
2. Are you an avid music listener? If so, you will be shocked to hear this. Having your headsets on for an hour or so will result in the bacteria in your ears growing in numbers by more than 700 times.
3. If you are in the habit of using cotton ear buds or swabs to clean your ears, be a little cautious the next time around. You might unknowingly introduce any bacteria on the surface of these ear buds directly into your middle ears. It is always advisable to store these ear swabs in a hygienic place free from dirt and infection.

Precautionary Steps to Avoid Infection

Now, that we know as to the causes of middle ear infection let us exercise a little additional caution to protect our ears. Here is a list of precautions that you can take to avoid the middle ear infection:

1. Always wash your hands from time to time. Doctors strongly believe that with clean hands, you can prevent a whole lot of infections, including those pertaining to the ears.
2. The use of cotton swabs is strictly not recommended by doctors. You can end up compromising on the safety of your ears and eventually your hearing ability.
3. Even in the event of the slightest of pain experienced in your ears, visit your doctor immediately. Acute and advanced middle ear infections can cause perforations in your ear drum and may cause permanent hearing loss.
4. You could also use ear health supplements to boost the immune system of the ear and avoid infections. There are natural supplements with herbal ingredients available online which helps in promoting the overall ear health.

Now that you know all about middle ear infections, take all precautions to avoid the infection and enjoy the gift of hearing.

Diabetes Mellitus or more commonly known as Diabetes is a result of high blood sugar level in the body. It might be caused by decrease in the level of the hormone called insulin. This is referred to as Type I diabetes and can be treated through insulin injections. Sometimes, even when insulin is produced at normal levels, your body might stop responding to it. This results in type II diabetes.  There is no complete cure for diabetes. However, there are natural ways to control diabetes and prevent the blood sugar level from rising high.

Natural Remedies for Diabetes

Healthy food and regular exercise can help you maintain normal blood sugar level. Here are a few tips to control your blood sugar level.

Diet

1. Include fiber rich vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, cucumber, radish, chilly, cauliflower and bitter melon in your diet.
2. Avoid fruit juices and eat small servings of whole fruits instead. Juices are not recommended because the fiber content of the fruit is lost and you might be tempted to add sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruits such as Jamun, apple, strawberries, pears, avocados, guavas and papaya are good for diabetics. However, avoid fruits like banana, dates, mango and sapodilla that have high sugar content. Dry fruits are also not good for diabetics.

Natural Remedies

1. Cinnamon can help to reduce glucose level. Add up to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of water and boil it for about ten minutes on a low flame. Drink this regularly for excellent results.
2. Powder fenugreek seeds and eat about 30 gm of the powder twice daily. However, it is not recommended for pregnant women.
3. Herbs such as holy basil, gurmar, bael and Pterocarpus Marsupium help in controlling the diabetes. If you are not familiar with these herbs, you could purchase natural supplements that are available online or at your local health store.
4. Grind or powder a bunch of holy basil and neem leaves and mix them with water. Consume the mixture in empty stomach for best results.
5. Grind Indian Gooseberry and bitter melon in water and consume the juice to control the glucose level in the body.
6. Exercise or walk every day. There are also special yoga asanas to control diabetes.

These  natural ways to control diabetes will keep the blood sugar in your body at normal level and help you lead a healthy life.

The period of pregnancy is a time of great excitement and expectations in the life of a woman. This is the time she busily awaits the arrival of her little one. Though primarily a happy phase, this period is quite often riddled with instances of morning sickness and fatigue. Let us see how to combat your pregnancy fatigue and enjoy every bit of this wonderful time.

Fighting the Pregnancy Fatigue

Fatigue, which is a common symptom during the first and third trimesters, can be easily managed. Here are a few simple ways to manage your pregnancy fatigue:

1. Whenever you experience fatigue during pregnancy, consult your health care provider immediately. Tiredness can be caused by anaemia (low count of iron in your blood), thyroid related issues or even gestational diabetes.
2. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can also cause fatigue. There are natural supplements available online that can promote digestion and control nausea and vomiting. However, choose a supplement that is 100% safe for you as well as your baby. In case of doubts, you could take your doctor’s opinion before starting a supplement.
3. Include exercises as part of your daily activity. Pranayama and other yoga asanas can prove to be beneficial to you in more than one way. In the first place, they help relieve a lot of pressure off your back. Also, yoga helps improve blood circulation in your body and boosts the production of endorphins, which in turn can increase your overall energy level.
4. Use essential oils such as tea tree, geranium, clary sage, bergmot, rosewood, or lavender in your bath.
5. Follow a healthy diet with large portions of fruits and vegetables preferably in the form of fresh salads. Fruits and vegetables, when taken raw, require just a few hours to be digested and eventually produce energy. On the other hand, it might take a day for your system to digest meat. The key to combating fatigue during pregnancy is to eat small portions of healthy diet, say about 6 or 7 times in a day, at regular intervals rather than 3 large meals a day.
6. Ask for help when necessary. You can either have your partner, a friend or someone in the family to run quick errands for you. Any additional work can bring down your energy levels drastically.
7. It is quite natural to have mood swings during this phase. Don’t let any form of disturbances in the external environment trouble you within. Indulge in your hobbies that will keep you happy and occupied.

To summarize, you can combat your pregnancy fatigue by eating foods that produce quick energy and avoiding activities that can drain you easily. Remember that half your energy is being used by the little one inside you.  After all, your well being is of prime importance to the life that is growing within you.

There are several physical changes that take place in a woman’s body during and after pregnancy. One of the most visible changes is the stretch marks. During pregnancy, the abdomen stretches in order to accommodate the baby growing inside. As a result, stretch marks appear as the abdomen expands. After your delivery, these marks are just left behind even if you manage to shrink those extra folds in your abdomen through exercises. The good news though is that there are simple natural home remedies to remove stretch marks.

Although, pregnancy is the most common reason behind these marks, it also occurs in men and women when in there is a sudden increase in weight or due to hormonal changes. They usually appear in abdomen, thighs, buttocks, breasts and hips.

Home Remedies for Stretch Marks

Here are some simple yet effective home remedies for stretch mark removal:

1. Vitamin E oil helps to remove stretch marks and improves the skin. Just rub the area with Vitamin E oil every day. There are also various stretch mark removal creams with Vitamin E available online. Also, include Vitamin E rich food such as almonds, broccoli, papaya, spinach and parsley in your diet.
2. Aloe Vera can also help remove them. Add a bit of lemon juice with the Aloe Vera pulp and apply it on the stretch marks.
3. Vitamin A present in apricot scrub helps to eliminate the marks. Just pound dry apricot kernel and mix it with water to make your own apricot scrub. Apply it on the stretch marks regularly until they disappear.
4. Applying peanut butter, cocoa butter or shea butter helps to get rid of the stretch marks.
5. Massaging the affected area with castor oil, almond oil, flax seed oil, jojobo oil, avocado oil or olive oil regularly can help in removing them.
6. Eat a healthy diet and drink a lot of water. Your diet should be high in Vitamin A rich foods such as fish and carrot, Vitamin E rich nuts and milk, Vitamin C rich kakadu plum and rose hip and Zinc foods such as wheat and celery. Avoid caffeinated drinks and soda.

There are also natural supplements helps to remove stretch marks. These supplements can be taken orally to treat you from inside or it could be a massage oil or cream to treat the marks externally.  These supplements are available online or can be ordered from a local health store.

Apart from following these natural home remedies to remove stretch marks, exercise regularly. A healthy lifestyle is the secret behind a happy living.

Pregnancy and childbirth are the most exciting phases in any woman’s life. Nevertheless, it is also a time when your body and mind undergoes physical and emotional exertions. From pregnancy until childbirth, you might have gone through nausea, cramps, labor pain, incontinence, bleeding, and perineum pain. And, after delivery, you seldom get your much deserved break as you are busy taking care of your new born. So, along with physical exertion, sleeplessness in having to feed the baby through the day and night, stress to get back to your former shape, fatigue and hormonal changes begin to take a toll on your emotional health too. Hence, it is necessary to recover your health after childbirth. Only then would you have the energy to take good care of your child.

Useful Tips to Help your Recover your Health

Here are some useful tips that can help your recovery your health post-delivery:

1. Diet plays an important role in recovering the health. Choose a diet that is rich in nutrition and fiber. Fresh fruits such as oranges, green vegetable such as broccoli and cabbage are highly recommended.
2. Do not even think about diet or reducing weight for at least 3 or 4 months after delivery. Remember, as long as your baby is breast-feeding, all the necessary nutrients for the baby go through your diet.
3. Constipation is a common problem post delivery.  Hence, apart from fiber rich diet, drink a lot of water. It also helps to keep your body hydrated.
4. If you had a significant blood loss during delivery, you might develop anemia. Hence, increase the intake of food rich in iron such as lean red meats, soy beans, lentils, greens and spinach.
5. Due to weight changes, your bone density could decrease when you lose weight. This can affect your bones and lead to problems such as arthritis. Hence, include calcium rich food such as broccoli, almonds, figs, yogurt and milk in your diet.
6. Try natural supplements that are rich in nutrition. These supplements can be purchased online or in a health store. However, only opt for a natural product that does not cause any side effect, as you need to be extremely careful about your diet as long as you are breast feeding. If you are still worried about side-effects, you could get your doctor’s approval before starting the supplement.
7. Keep your perineum clean to avoid any infection. If you have pain or irritation, wash the area with cold water.
8. Depression is another common problem after delivery. It can happen due to fatigue and lack of sleep. Do not hesitate to get help your family and friends. If not, hire a nurse for a few hours. A few hours of sleep or even spending some time shopping can help you relax and overcome depression.
9. Whether you had a normal delivery or a C-section, you need to begin exercising within a few days of childbirth, after getting your doctor’s approval. Start with gentle exercises.  You could also try walking or swimming. They help in tightening and toning your organs which had expanded to accommodate your baby during pregnancy. Apart from helping to reduce weight and tone your body, exercising help with your sex life as well.
10. Incontinence is a common problem during and after pregnancy. Perform Kegel exercises that help in overcoming this problem.

Follow all these steps meticulously to recover your health after childbirth.  And, you would be able to enjoy and cherish every moment of your motherhood.

A person’s sex drive commonly referred as libido, does not stay the same at all times. As he ages, his libido tends to come down. In case of women, libido tends to reduce during and after menopause. Although, medicines that promise to enhance libido are quite famous a lot of us do not know about natural foods that can enhance libido. Yes, it is possible to increase libido through your everyday diet.

The level of testosterone in men and testosterone, estrogen and progesterone in women determines a person’s sex drive. By including natural food that can increase the production of these hormones, libido can be enhanced. Also, some of these supplements increases the blood circulation to the genitals and thereby enhance libido.

Natural Sources to Increase Libido

Any substance that increases libido is known as aphrodisiacs. Here is a list of natural aphrodisiacs that you can include in your diet to enhance your sex drive:

1. Fruits such as banana, strawberry, peach, avocado and mango help in inducing libido. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are considered to be very effective.
2. Add vegetable such as carrot, ginger, garlic and other green vegetable in your diet.
3. Dry fruits such as almond, peanuts and pine nuts have sex inducing properties.
4. The ingredients in dark chocolate and the smell of vanilla can increase the sex drive in women.
5. Herbs such as Basil, Ginko biloba, Horny Goat weed, Ginseng, Tongkat Ali and Kudzu Root help in improving a person’s sexual response. If you are unable to find these herbs in your neighborhood, you could shop online for natural supplement that contains these herbs.
6. Soya beans, oatmeal, oysters, celery, egg and cheese are natural libido enhancers.
7. Omega 3 fatty acids play a vital role in stimulating libido. Fishes such as tuna and salmon are good source of Omega 3. Flaxseed oil is a vegetarian source of the fatty acid.

While aphrodisiacs can help to increase sexual drive in a person, you need to remember that it will work only if he has a desire for sex. In addition to natural foods that can enhance libido, love for your partner is another key factor in enhancing libido and maintaining a happy relationship.

Constipation is one of the most common digestive problems. During constipation, the bowel movement becomes difficult and painful. In extreme cases, it also results in bowel obstruction. If untreated, the excess stress on the digestive tract could lead to numerous health issues. Due to poor digestion, it becomes difficult to eliminate the toxins and they mix up in the blood stream affecting the entire body. So, constipation should not be taken lightly. Although, drugs can help you cure constipation, prolonged use of medications could increase your dependency on them forever. And, when you take these drugs for years, it might result in kidney failure, kidney stones, damage of gastrointestinal tract and a host of other serious health concerns. Hence, it is always better to opt for natural home remedies to cure constipation.

Natural Home Remedies

Here are a few natural remedies to get rid of your constipation problem. These methods are completely safe and can be easily tried at home.

1. One of the most common reasons for constipation is low fluid intake. Hence, start by drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water every day.
2. Another common reason for constipation is low intake of fibre content. So, increase the intake of fibre rich fruits and vegetables such as papaya, guava, greens, carrot and broccoli. Avoid eating high protein, dairy and wheat based products while you are constipated.
3. Aloe Vera is an excellent natural laxative. You could consume it in the form of aloe vera gel or aloe vera juice to cure constipation.
4. Lime juice mixed with hot water taken a couple of times in a day can relieve you off constipation.
5. Figs and dates are also effective. Soak figs or dates overnight and eat them in the morning.
6. Powdered flax seed or linseed taken over a course of 5-6 days can help.
7. Mix an equal quantity of orange juice and olive oil. A glass of this mixture is an effective natural laxative.
8. Mix a tablespoon of castor oil to a glass of warm water and drink it on an empty stomach. You could also follow it with a glass of black tea for faster results.
9. Apple cider vinegar is another natural product that helps to cure constipation . It has a host of other health benefits too.
10. You could also try natural supplements that are available online or at your local health store.

Apart from trying these natural home remedies to cure constipation, try to exercise, walk or practice yoga for at least half-hour every day. This will work your abdominal muscles and help in bowel movement. In addition to curing your health woes, these methods can help you lead a  happy and healthy life.