Why Pelvic Floor Exercises Benefit Men as Well as Women

By A Doherty

The benefits of pelvic floor exercises for women, particularly after childbirth, are well established. However these simple exercises are also very valuable for men following prostatectomy (the removal of the prostate due to a diagnosis of cancer). During the first few weeks after a prostatectomy, almost all patients experience some urinary incontinence.

This is because removing the prostate disturbs the area between the bladder and urethra, which carries urine out of the body. During surgery, the bladder is pulled down to join the urethra and in so doing, restoring continuity. The bladder neck muscle (internal sphincter) is sometimes also weakened during surgery.

Consequently, before surgery men had three layers holding back urine - the internal sphincter muscle, the prostate lobes and an external sphincter muscle. After surgery, there is only one layer - the external sphincter.

This means that the single barrier needs to work very well. Therefore, pelvic floor exercises which strengthen these muscles can be very effective in the recovery of continence. A study following men through the first year after prostatectomy found pelvic floor exercises are effective in terms of reducing incontinence.*

The type of incontinence experienced by men in the first three months after a prostatectomy is typically mild leaking. But this can be very distressing for patients as they recover from surgery and want to return to normal life. Even when incontinence is mild, men are understandably uncomfortable about having to wear pads to work, for example.

At the Birmingham Prostate Clinic, we encourage our patients to do pelvic floor exercises and provide them with the support they need to ensure they are doing the exercises correctly.

Pelvic floor exercises are an unusual concept to most men, as they are far more closely associated with women. However we find that the majority of our patients are keen to do anything they can to improve their continence. Pelvic floor exercises are a valuable means of patients doing something themselves to aid their recovery.

We emphasise little and often. In many cases, patients expect results too quickly. We make the comparison with improving your muscle tone in the gym. You will not get results immediately, nor will you develop a 'six pack' if you pop down once a week. Improving bladder function through pelvic floor exercises, like muscle tone, requires effective practice, consistency and long term commitment.

By three months post surgery, 70 per cent of patients are continent. This is defined as no longer needing continence pads. Once patients have reached a year post surgery, only four per cent of patients are significantly incontinent. Among this group of patients who continue to experience incontinence after one year, many are older men and some will have had continence problems before surgery.

It is difficult to quantify exactly to what extent the recovery of continence is due to bulking up the muscles through pelvic floor exercises and how much is due to the natural healing process.

During surgery, the bladder is exposed and there will be some swelling after surgery and the bladder wall is left thickened. The bladder is unable to hold much urine and as soon as it begins to fill, the man feels the urge to urinate. This problem will improve with healing and time.

In conclusion, it is difficult to quantify exactly the role of pelvic floor exercises in the recovery of continence. Recovery varies from patient, influenced by individual factors. But we do believe that pelvic floors are beneficial in terms of improving muscle tone and therefore reducing incontinence. We also recognise the benefits for the patient of being able to do something himself in order to aid recovery.

*Pelvic floor re-education reduced incontinence 1 year after radical prostatectomy Van Kampen M, De Weerdt W, Van Poppel H, et al.Effect of pelvic-floor re-education on duration and degree of incontinence after radical prostatectomy: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2000 Jan 8;355::98-102[Medline] http://ebn.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/3/4/122

Alan Doherty is a Consultant Urologist and Medical Director of The Birmingham Prostate Clinic. A centre of excellence for Prostate Cancer Treatment

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How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week

People who lose weight and keep it off succeed by adapting a healthy lifestyle, not by dieting. You must enforce healthy eating habits that will continue to be part of your life forever. Weight loss isn’t something you can do for a few weeks or month. It’s a life-long commitment.

Here are twenty-five tips that will help you adapt a slow and steady weight loss plan that you keep help you lose weight and stay healthy.

1. Start with achievable goals

2. Don’t expect to drop excess weight quickly. Research shows that people who lose weight slowly are more successful than others who experience quick weight loss.

3. A realistic weight loss goal is two pounds a week.

4. Don’t look for miraculous weight loss. If you lose weight quickly your will probably gain it back.

5. Slowly change your eating habits and lifestyle.

6. Weigh yourself once a week maximum. Hoping on the scales everyday will drive you to distraction and will become obsessive. It actually takes as much as two weeks for any weight loss to occur.

7. Eat smaller portions and replace three meals a day with five smaller ones. This helps to control blood sugar and it’s easier to burn calories from small, light meals.

8. Mix carbohydrates, protein and fruit for a healthy meal.

9. When enjoying your favorite snack, read the nutrition chart and measure the recommended amount into a bowl. Never eat snacks such as chips, out of a bag. This leads to over-eating.

10. Prepare measured snacks ahead of time. That way you can just go to the cupboard and get a small bag. Never go back for seconds.

11. Drink flavored no-calorie water instead of soda, or add lemon juice or avocado juice to water for a refreshing, thirst quenching drink.

12. Don’t use food for comfort or de-stressing.

13. Leave the table immediately after you’ve finished eating. Avoid desserts or have a cup of low fat yogurt.

14. When you are home and craving an extra rich treat, tie on your walking shoes and go for a walk. By the time you get home the craving most probably will have passed.

15. Walk for at least 30 minutes a day. This can be broken into two, five minute increments, if desired.

16. Park your car at the outside edge of the parking lot, where it’s much easier to get a parking space, and then walk to the store. This will help you get in your minimum daily requirement of walking.

17. Wear a pedometer and walk between 5,000 and 10,000 steps per day. This will help you lose weight more quickly while doing so in a healthy manner.

18. Eat a bowl of broth based soup, such as minestrone or vegetable, before eating your meal. This will take the edge off your hunger and you will eat less. Do not eat cream soups, as they are much higher in calories.

19. Reward yourself once a week with a small treat. This helps you to avoid binging and brings weight loss success.

20. Learn to love yourself as you are. Beauty is in the heart and soul. Remind yourself that you are beautiful.

21. Never eat anything after 8 pm.

22. Write down everything you eat. This helps you keep tabs on your food intake. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up.

23. Keep food off the table. Place single servings on plates and put them at the place settings. You’re more apt to take seconds if the food is within easy reach.

24. Eat vegetables first. Vegetables have lots of fiber, which helps make you feel full before you get to the carbohydrates and fat.

25. Put your fork down between mouthfuls of food. Chew thoroughly and swallow before picking up your fork for the next bite. This allows you to savor your food and it helps you to eat slower, which improves digestion.


Please take the time to visit my blog http://weightlossprograms-1.blogspot.com to learn more about weight loss programs.

How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week

by John C White

Want to lose 10 pounds in a week? Want the weight loss to be more than just water weight? Would you like for it to be healthy as well? Then follow the tips below and you'll be well on your way to losing those pounds.

Select your Food

To burn away that weight, you need to eat food that has a high thermic effect, i.e. fat burning foods. This consist of low-glycemic carbohydrates such as lentils, apples and adequate servings of leans meat.

You want to do away with any type of process food: white breads, bleached rice and potato chips. You also need to cut out all soda's and that includes diet sodas. Even though they don't have calories, they don't help your digestive process like water does. In fact, they can leave you feeling hungry even though you just ate.

Also, you want to eat only lean meats such as chicken or turkey breast and tuna. Stay away from so-called lean beef. Even the leanest cut of beef has significant fat when compared to chicken or turkey.

Prepared all your meals before hand.

This is the secret of the plan to get you body burning calories like a furnace. You're going to eat 12 meals a day. Why 12? When you eat, the stored fat on your body is used as the energy source to consume, digest and process your food. This is know as the thermic effect of food.

By eating 12 meals a day, you body has to constantly work to process the food and thus you're constantly burning fat.

And make sure that you prepare all your meals well in advance. If you don't, then this is the part that can break you. Foregoing this step by telling yourself that you'll prepare them before you're ready to eat will probably lead to you not completing the plan.

Why? Because you're a busy person. When you're at work, you have deadlines to meet, tasks that should have been finished yesterday and a demanding boss. And if your work requires you to travel during the day, how are you going to be able to prepare every meal before you eat?

So you see it's critical that you prepare all your meal at least the day before. And if you have the time, prepare your meals for the whole week. Just having to pack and go saves a lot of time.

Use plastic sandwich bags to store them. Because the meals are so small you'll have no problem putting enough food in them to eat. Once prepared, place the meals that you're going to eat the next day in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer.

And buy yourself a small plastic container to heat the food in. When you're ready to eat, just unzip the sandwich bag, drop it in the container, set the microwave and then eat.

If you're really busy, forget the microwave and eat it cold. It may not be as appetizing, but since you want to lose those 10 pounds, it beats skipping a meal. Plus, since the food is cold, your body will have to warm it up before it can be processed, which means more fat calories burned.

Make a schedule and stick to it.

Now that you have your food prepared, you need to make a schedule when to eat. This means writing it down. Even though I'm sure you have a great mind, let's not rely on it to keep you on track. The more structured you become at eating, the better your chances for success. Just remember the saying, "Chance favors the well prepared" or something like that. You get the picture.;

Remember, for one week you're turning your body into a super-charged fat burning furnace. The key to making this plan work for you is to prepare.

And keep this in mind. Your best ally in losing weight begins with knowledge. So keep learning so you can keep losing. :)


Check out this free listing of fat burning foods at www.How-To-Burn-Fat.com and be certain to check out information on some of the hottest selling diet plans.

How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week

by John C White

Want to lose 10 pounds in a week? Want the weight loss to be more than just water weight? Would you like for it to be healthy as well? Then follow the tips below and you'll be well on your way to losing those pounds.

Select your Food

To burn away that weight, you need to eat food that has a high thermic effect, i.e. fat burning foods. This consist of low-glycemic carbohydrates such as lentils, apples and adequate servings of leans meat.

You want to do away with any type of process food: white breads, bleached rice and potato chips. You also need to cut out all soda's and that includes diet sodas. Even though they don't have calories, they don't help your digestive process like water does. In fact, they can leave you feeling hungry even though you just ate.

Also, you want to eat only lean meats such as chicken or turkey breast and tuna. Stay away from so-called lean beef. Even the leanest cut of beef has significant fat when compared to chicken or turkey.

Prepared all your meals before hand.

This is the secret of the plan to get you body burning calories like a furnace. You're going to eat 12 meals a day. Why 12? When you eat, the stored fat on your body is used as the energy source to consume, digest and process your food. This is know as the thermic effect of food.

By eating 12 meals a day, you body has to constantly work to process the food and thus you're constantly burning fat.

And make sure that you prepare all your meals well in advance. If you don't, then this is the part that can break you. Foregoing this step by telling yourself that you'll prepare them before you're ready to eat will probably lead to you not completing the plan.

Why? Because you're a busy person. When you're at work, you have deadlines to meet, tasks that should have been finished yesterday and a demanding boss. And if your work requires you to travel during the day, how are you going to be able to prepare every meal before you eat?

So you see it's critical that you prepare all your meal at least the day before. And if you have the time, prepare your meals for the whole week. Just having to pack and go saves a lot of time.

Use plastic sandwich bags to store them. Because the meals are so small you'll have no problem putting enough food in them to eat. Once prepared, place the meals that you're going to eat the next day in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer.

And buy yourself a small plastic container to heat the food in. When you're ready to eat, just unzip the sandwich bag, drop it in the container, set the microwave and then eat.

If you're really busy, forget the microwave and eat it cold. It may not be as appetizing, but since you want to lose those 10 pounds, it beats skipping a meal. Plus, since the food is cold, your body will have to warm it up before it can be processed, which means more fat calories burned.

Make a schedule and stick to it.

Now that you have your food prepared, you need to make a schedule when to eat. This means writing it down. Even though I'm sure you have a great mind, let's not rely on it to keep you on track. The more structured you become at eating, the better your chances for success. Just remember the saying, "Chance favors the well prepared" or something like that. You get the picture.;

Remember, for one week you're turning your body into a super-charged fat burning furnace. The key to making this plan work for you is to prepare.

And keep this in mind. Your best ally in losing weight begins with knowledge. So keep learning so you can keep losing. :)


Check out this free listing of fat burning foods at www.How-To-Burn-Fat.com and be certain to check out information on some of the hottest selling diet plans.

Personalize Your Nutrition

by Dr. James P. Urban

Caution!!! This Article contains information that could quite possibly change your life...that is, if you are willing to be open to what I am about to share with you. Just imagine for yourself, a nutritional program (measurement of food ingredients) that removes all of the guess work. Finally, a scientifically proven way to create endless energy, lose weight, avoid any unnecessary illnesses and just simply feel good!

Let me explain! Over the last year or so, I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to a colleague and now good friend of mine - Dr. Greg Tefft. Dr. Tefft is the founder of, "Personalized Nutritional Consultants" and is one of the world's leading experts in personalized nutrition. Dr. Tefft helped to develop a system of nutritional testing based on over 60 years of orthomolecular medical research with the help of a data base of over 7 million clinical testings. The specific food ingredient testing measures each individuals exact biochemical makeup and reveals precisely what excesses, deficiencies and toxicities are present in your body, right now. With this information, a program, based on years of research, has been developed to correct these imbalances and bring you back to your best state of health so that you can feel your best.

Sounds great huh!!! Believe me when I say, I have yet to find a nutritional system that supports the body like the one Dr. Tefft utilizes for his clients...many times more specific than the typical one-size-fits-all type of diet or supplement program commonly used by a majority of our population!

Are you intrigued yet?

I have always considered problematic diet, supplements and lifestyle to be one of the main underlying issues that brings ill-health to a majority of our population. Unfortunately, our current system of health does not recognize this as a priority. Sadly, the motivation, I feel, is more monetarily related. Certainly, more money can be made from a sick society rather than a healthy one.

Let me share with you the experience that I've had by personalizing my nutrition program.

At the time I had met Dr. Tefft, I had been eating a strict raw food diet for a little over a year. My diet was truly raw...raw milk, raw eggs, raw honey, raw juiced vegetables and yes, even raw meats (organically grown and free range, of course). Not to take anything away from this diet. There are certainly many benefits to eating raw foods. One of course is the benefit of live enzymes. I for one encourage a diet rich in live, organic raw foods. I don't debate this! Certainly, more people could benefit from a diet high in raw foods. The problem, I found was, which foods, raw or cooked, did my body truly require - or not!

Now hang on! There is more to this.

Dr. Tefft and I wanted to see the kinds of results I was having with my raw food diet...put the science to the test!!! Now mind you, I have tried many different diets (diet, by the way, is what you eat, without knowing much about what’s in what you eat) besides a raw food diet. I would say that during the past 20 years, I have tried - vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, low carb, high carb, high fat, low fat...you name it! I'll try just about anything if it brings me consistently noticeable results in how I feel...very few diets have done this for me.

Ok, let's get back to the test. The test kit that was sent to me by Dr. Tefft required a sample of hair from the back of my scalp...not an easy thing for someone who chooses to go bald. Around the time of testing, I just plan on taking about 3 weeks to grow a sufficient amount of hair for the lab to test. For those of you concerned about your thinning hair, the lab really does not require a huge amount of hair to be cut away from the scalp. Just enough to tip a small paper scale that is sent to you with the hair analysis kit!

Ok, back to the test!

About 2 weeks after I sent my hair in to be analyzed by the lab, I received my results. The report contained about 15 pages sent in an email...more information than I imagined! Fortunately for me, I was scheduled to have a 1 hour call with Dr. Tefft to review and interpret the results of my lab test - By the way, anyone who signs up for a hair analysis with Dr. Tefft can expect to have their results reviewed and interpreted by him...much the same as I did. This is only a bonus for now for those that sign up with him. I've been told, due to the huge demands on his time now, this won't be lasting much longer and the phone consultations will be in groups. Soon, private consultations will necessarily be fee based arrangement. For those of you who would like to know, instead of guess about how to feel good, please contact me to find out how to sign up for a test and phone consultation with Dr. Tefft.

Let me say this about, "why a hair analysis?" Hair analysis is the most comprehensive method for measuring mineral imbalances that are the basis for over 223 degenerative diseases that modern society suffers from. It pin-points and identifies an individual's specific state of health. Because hair grows slowly, it doesn't create inconsistent fluctuations in the testing data. Meaning, what you might eat during the day will not affect the overall test results compared to that of blood. Hair provides you with long term information about the body...typically a 6-8 week period of crucial information. Also, through hair analysis, the emphasis is focused on treating the patient's cause of illness rather than focusing on a symptom...this is where it becomes literally "life-altering".

Ok, about my results!

The information that I received from the results of my test have given me great insight into what types of foods work well for me, and which one’s don't! Before starting my raw food diet, I was considered a "fast metabolizer". After being on a raw food diet for nearly over a year, I became a "slow metabolizer". This may seem insignificant to most people but this clearly explained some of the symptoms I was experiencing while on this diet - i.e. fatigue. Raw foods are excellent but the question remains - which raw foods are best for you? There were other things that Dr. Tefft and I discussed...much more detailed. The point is, I continue to receive more vital information with subsequent re-testing and the lab tells me exactly how to stay on track. Just so you should know, I am back to being a fast metabolizer with way more energy than I had previously. Also, the supplements that are recommended from the lab after each testing help me to properly utilize the foods that I am currently taking in. It’s just that easy.

I find that just eating 3 square meals a day, following the recommended food groups and taking a multiple vitamin is just guesswork. Keep in mind, most of the foods that are eaten by the general population are processed and refined and saturated with significant amounts of harmful chemicals. It's obvious that a more exact science is needed to help us individualize a program that is right for each of us. Let's face it, we no longer all come from the same tribe or location. Our individual biochemical make-ups are not all the same.

Do yourself a favor! Stop guessing and have a hair analysis test done. Have it reveal your innermost uniqueness. Learn which food ingredients and supplements are right and wrong for your body. Then determine what can be done about it. This takes away the guess work and leaves you with the science of feeling good. I know that you will be just as happy as I am to benefit from this amazing technology.

Here's how you can get started:

Contact me at jurban (at) NaturalHealingTools.com. I'll help you get signed up.

http://www.naturalhealingtools.com/

3 Tips To Lose Belly Fat You Can Start Today

By Ian Henman

There are a lot of weight loss plans floating around the Internet. The sad thing is a lot of them don't work, they promise over night results but that isn't what happens. I want to share with you 3 tips to lose belly fat that you can implement starting today.

These aren't secret tips to lose belly fat they're common sense, although in today weight loss crazy world a lot of common sense seems to be forgotten.

1.) Cut empty calories: There's no doubt in my mind everyone can cut some empty calories from their daily intake. Whether it be cream in your coffee, or the snack you have at break change it up for something with more fiber and less calories and it will make a difference. The key here is consistency, don't just do it today, but do it tomorrow and every day there after.

2.) Eat bran for breakfast: Bran is low in calories, high in fiber and fills us up. In reality bran is really a secret weapon to belly fat loss. Fiber makes up feel fuller for longer, and being low in calories means our body has less to burn off. Make this change and you'll find you won't be as hungry every morning come coffee break time at the office.

3.) Swap carbs for vegetables at dinner: Most North Americans enjoy their carbohydrates, whether it be breads, potatoes, or rice we love them all. At dinner time try cutting back your normal serving of rice or potatoes and add more vegetables to your plate. Vegetables are higher in fiber and generally less calories then most carbohydrates. This will server the same purpose as the second tip, help us feel full while taking in less calories.

Work these three tips to lose belly fat into your daily routine and you will start to see a difference.

Before you start any diet make sure you understand how to lose stomach fat by visiting http://www.stopbellyfat.com a popular website for people trying to lose weight with a natural belly fat diet.

10 Reasons For Heart Rate Monitor Training

By Brandon Johnsonn

Measuring your normal resting heart rate is simple enough: Wake up, take your pulse, and you're done. But, what about tracking your active heart rate while you're exercising. Depending on what type of movements you're performing and how many hands you have, it may not be as easy to simply track your pulse while watching a clock.

That's where heart rate monitors come in, and below are 10 reasons you should use one.

10 Reasons for Heart Rate Monitor Training

1. Though no method or device is 100 percent accurate all the time, a good heart rate monitor will provide consistent and reliable results.



2. You don't have to stop mid-workout to use the traditional "count the pulses" method. Just glance at your monitor and the information is right there.



3. You can train in different "zones" and intensities, without having to estimate if you're staying on track.



4. Seeing your heart rate can provide motivation and make you feel like you are really working hard.



5. It will alert you if your mind wanders to the nearby TV or radio and remind you to pick it back up!



6. By keeping you "in the know," a monitor will allow you to get in and out of the gym with more efficient, well-defined workouts.



7. If you see your BPM's (beats per minute) are higher than they should be for too long, you can slow down to prevent over-working yourself and causing any damage.



8. The results allow you to increase or decrease your performance with each workout by accurate and tangible increments.



9. At the end of your workout, most monitors show you your stats for the day: average heart rate, elapsed time, calories burned, etc.



10. Using a heart rate monitor makes your workouts more fun!

If you're not completely sold on the idea just yet, at least borrow one from a friend to try out. Then, if you do decide to buy one, be sure to get a quality product, because many of the cheaper brands and models are virtually useless.

After you've done your heart rate monitor training for the day, come check out other pulse-pounding tips and advice at http://www.fitbuff.com