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Saturday, February 5, 2011

How To Use Shiatsu for PMS

Premenstrual syndrome is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms experienced by 90 percent of women during the weeks prior to menstruation. Shiatsu eases the aches, pains and general fatigue associated with PMS by stimulating movement in the body to promote the circulation of energy and blood, thereby alleviating the stagnation of fluids in the tissues and joints associated with PMS.


    Using Shiatsu to Treat Backache and PMS

  1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat and slightly wider than your hips, and hands placed palms down under the curve of your lower back.

  2. Press with your feet to roll your pelvis and massage your spine. Your lower back should move away from the floor when you inhale and flatten against the floor when you exhale.


  3. Relieve lower back tension by making a fist and using your knuckles to press the points along your lower spine and along the ridge of your hipbones. Let the weight of your body guide the depth of pressure.


    Using Shiatsu on Your Feet for Symptoms of PMS

  4. Sit comfortably with your left ankle across your right knee.

  5. Use your middle finger to apply gentle pressure and movement to the point on top of your foot where the bones between your first and second toe merge. This promotes circulation of blood, releases cramping, and calms the nervous system.

  6. Ease water retention by pressing the area on your heel between the inner anklebone and the Achilles tendon.

  7. Get a quick "pick-me-up" if you suffer from premenstrual fatigue by stimulating the point in the center of the sole of your foot where the arch meets the ball.


  8. Quell cravings for sweets and prevent depression by applying simultaneous pressure with your middle finger to the top of your foot where the bones between your second and third toe meet, and with the pad of your thumb to the point on the inner border of your foot just before the joint of your big toe.

People today are more career-driven. But, they have also become fonder of going to parties and bars to relax and to deal with their stress problems. As a result, not much attention and effort is given to having a healthy lifestyle. Junk food, beer, fast foods, and even irregular eating habits being parts of everyday lifestyles have made indigestion a common occurrence among people. Indigestion is characterized by at least one symptom relating to a pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen. It may be a feeling of eating too much after a meal. This unhealthy part in their lifestyles has worsened people’s digestive systems. However, not many people actually take it seriously as they think it is just a minor problem. What other people do not realize is that they can do something about it on their own. More importantly, they could even do it inside their own bedrooms in just a few minutes. Shiatsu is a therapy from Japan in which finger pressure is used to improve illnesses, circulation, stress reduction and other numerous relaxing health effects. This therapy can be used to remedy an upset stomach or indigestion. It will only take a few minutes and it is actually easy to do. Just read the instruction below to find out more about it.

  • Use middle finger. Apply pressure using the middle finger. Locate the lowest rib and massage the area below its tip gently. This will decrease stagnation and bloating. Press both areas about one inch away beside the belly button. This shall promote stimulation for the intestinal peristalsis to improve bowel function as well as digestion.

  • Work on the hips. Place both hands on the hips. The thumb must be on your spine. Start applying pressure to promote stimulation of bowel movement as well as relief for stomachache and indigestion.

  • Use the middle finger’s pad. Start applying pressure to your foot’s top point. This is the point where the second toe and the big toe merge. This shall help in regulating and promoting energy flow.


Remember that this is not a replacement for treatments prescribed by your doctor. If the condition continues, see your doctor. This is recommended for simple cases of indigestion. If you have heartburn or chronic indigestion, consult with your physician immediately to rule out possibilities of ulcer and other serious conditions. There may be no scientific evidence that shiatsu is 100% effective in treating diseases, but this therapy has been proven to give calming and relaxing effects for its users. To further maximize the use of Shiatsu on indigestion, you may consult with experts to help you perform the therapy more effectively. It is also advisable to consult a physician first just to be sure that it would really beneficial for you. Check on other therapy website to know more about Shiatsu. Also, there is no better cure than prevention. It would be beneficial for you if you make efforts to improve your lifestyle. Watch what you eat and make some efforts to give yourself a healthy lifestyle. Do some exercise and have your regular check-ups.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

How To Treat Night Sweats in Men

Night sweats are a common problem for both men and women, however night sweats in men are sometimes overlooked. While a doctor should diagnose your night sweats and possible causes, here are some simple ways to treat night sweats that are not caused by disease.


Obviously, some cases of night sweats can be caused by simply being too hot while sleeping. Try dressing in thinner or less pajamas, taking a blanket off of the bed and turning down the thermostat in the bedroom.


Some men are simply heavy sweaters. During the day they take extra precaution to keep themselves dry like using antiperspirant or body powder. Try taking these same steps at night to end uncomfortable night sweats.


Do not exercise during the evening hours. Exercise raises the body temperatures for hours and can cause men to overheat while sleeping.


If you have a bedtime snack, avoid spicy food. Spicy or hot foods can make some people sweat.


Drink more water. Men with night sweats need to take in more water than usual to replenish what was lost during sweating, but also to cool down the body's core temperature. Drinking cold or even room temperature water will help to cool down the body internally.


Sweating is natural; however, night sweats in men can seem to be very disturbing. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night in a wet bed. This condition can really be a problem and so needs to be given attention right at hand. Though there can be different causes of night sweats in men, there are effective things that can be done to treat this problem. If you want to get rid of this, check out the following tips to treat this condition. However, take note that the tips below will help only for the condition of sweating in men that are not disease-related.



Dress appropriately when going to bed. The most common cause of night sweats but most commonly ignored is the hot temperature at night. If this is the main reason of your problem, the best solution is to dress in thinner clothes at night. It is also a good idea to get rid of the blanket and even turn the thermostat to a lower level than usual.


Use antiperspirants at night, too. Are you a heavy sweater? If yes, you are surely using antiperspirants or body powders during the day for you to combat your problem. Try doing the same things before you sleep so you can get rid of this very uncomfortable sweating situation at night.


Exercise during the day, preferably early in the morning. As much as possible, avoid exercising when the evening light hits in. If you engage your body in an exercise, your body temperature will increase for several hours. If you do this before sleeping, your body temperature can overheat while you are in bed and will cause you to sweat a lot.


Avoid hot or spicy foods for dinner or for bedtime snack. It is a fact that hot and spicy foods can make people sweat. Hence, it is not recommended that you take this kind of foods when you are about to go to bed.


Drink a lot of water to cool down your body temperature. Water is essential for men who experience night sweating. This is simply because water can replenish all that is lost when sweating. Also, cold water can be of help to bring down the body temperature inside and so will prevent more sweating to come.


Keep your mind and body relaxed before bedtime. In some cases, anxiety and stress can contribute a lot to night sweats. Hence, it is best to relax prior to going to bed such as listening to music, taking a cool shower, or reading.


Consult a professional if your night sweat is severe. There are some cases of sweating that can be associated to infection, fever, and other medical conditions. If this is your problem, consult your doctor immediately. You will be given the proper medication to improve your body function and so as to treat your night sweating problems.


Getting night sweats is not anymore a huge concern these days. This is true because of the fact that there are a lot of things you can easily do to combat this condition. More often than not, if you have mild problems, a simple change in your lifestyle can help you defeat night sweat. On the other hand, if you have more serious sweating problems, the advancement of medicine today can put an end to it right away

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

How To Use Hops and Grains to Brew Beer

Brewing is both an art and a science that people have been perfecting for over a thousand years in the quest for the perfect beer. Home brewing variables play a part, but the main ingredients-hops and barley-determine the taste when you brew beer


ecognize that sugars (grain) and bitters (hops) combine to make the distinct taste of beer. Find both ingredients at home brewing supply houses like The Home Brew Store or Homebrew Heaven.




  1. Make certain that you use malted barley. Malting allows the barley to germinate partly. This prepares the starches to turn into maltose (sugars). After drying, the barley seeds are used to brew beer.


  2. Mash the barley to release the malted sugars. The mashing process means soaking the seeds in hot water. Specialty malts like some roasted malts for darker beers like porters and stouts should be steeped in hot water instead of mashed.


  3. Boil the malted barley, adding hops for bittering or balancing the taste. These cone-like flowers of a vine come in different varieties and act as a natural preservative.


  4. Time the adding of the hops depending on the variety of the hops. High alpha hops like Columbus are often added 39 minutes before the end of the boil. Adding hops at the end of the oil to steep during cooling is another method.


  5. Add the brew with yeast to the fermenter. Some brewers also add hops to the fermenter after the bubbling has slowed. This is called dry hopping and increases the hop aroma to the final product.


  6. Measure hops according to the bittering potential in Alpha Acid Units (AAUs) and International Bittering Units (IBUs). Typical U.S. beers have 10 to 14 IBUs.

Beer has been one of the most favored alcoholic drinks that people all over the world enjoy. It has a very distinct bitter taste and is best enjoyed ice cold. It is made through the process called brewing and for some people they enjoy making their own beer at home.

Making beer right in your own home is easy. As long as you have the ingredients and materials then you can start brewing beer at home. The key ingredients for brewing beer are barley and hops and once you have these two then you can get started.

Here is a simple and easy step-by-step process of making your own beer using hops and grains.

  • Choose your hops and grains. When you go to a local home brewery store, you’ll see a lot of different grains that you could choose from. If you are only starting to learn how to make beer at home, it is best to use malted barley. Most beers often contain 50% malted barley for it to germinate in the water. Once you’ve become more familiar with beer making, you can try adding different grains like oats, wheat, rye and others. Hops on the other hand have different levels of bitterness potency. The bitterness of the hops that you will buy and amount that you will put in the beer will affect its taste.
  • Soak the barley in hot water and then mash it. It is important to soak the seeds of the barley in hot water for you to be able to release the malted sugar of the seeds. Mash the seeds thoroughly to be able to extract all the malted sugar of the seeds.
  • Boil the water with the malted barley. In a big pot, put the malted barley and a good amount of water in it. Allow it to boil to infuse the flavor of the malted barley in the water.
  • Add the hops. The hops are cone-like flowers and these will serve as your preservatives for the beer. It is important to add the hops at the right time to achieve the perfect bitterness of the beer. It is best to put the hops 40 minutes before the end. Avoid adding too much hops as this will affect the bitterness of the beer. Estimate the amount of hops that you will put in by using the Alpha Acid Units (AAUs) and International Bittering Units (IBUs) to measure the bitterness of the hops. Most beers only use 10-15 IBUs. Place the
  • Put the brew in the fermenter that has yeast. Before pouring the brew in the fermenter, place a strainer in the opening then pour the brew in. This will strain any unwanted particles while you allow your beer to ferment. Shake the fermenter well for it to have some oxygen inside. Let it stay there for 2 weeks then transfer it to another fermenter to have a clearer beer.

Beer has become an international beverage. People all over the world drink it and enjoy it. If you want to create your own beer flavor then try brewing beer at home using barley and hops. Who knows, you might be able to create the next big flavor in beers.