Before you buy a breast pump read this...

Most of the obstetrician and gynecologist promote the use of breast pump to encourage women to continue breast feeding. A breast pump can be godsend for nursing mom. By extracting milk so you can store it in bottles for later feedings, it lets you leave your baby for more than two or three hours between nursings. This offers obvious advantages to working mom. But even if you don't work, pumping frees you to go out for the evening or long afternoon.

There are two main types of breast pumps, manual and mechanical. The manual pumps are very affordable and comfortable. The advantages manual pumps have on other mechanical or electicity operated ones are portability, no dependency on electricity, easy, convenient, comfortable and its capacity to pump more milk faster than electric pump.

Breast pump is a valuable tool to help women continue breast feed longer, thereby providing their baby with best possible nutrition. A breast pump provide mothers their independence, more so if they are working women. Proper planning will certainly help women to incorporate breast feeding into their daily life without compromising on independence and nutrition to the new born baby.

Get Rid of Excess Fat

Aim for healthy weight - NHLBI recommendations

If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Losing this weight helps to prevent and control these diseases. The NHLBI guidelines provide you with a new approach for the measurement of overweight and obesity and a set of steps for safe and effective weight loss.

Weight loss to lower elevated blood pressure in overweight and obese persons with high blood pressure.

Weight loss to lower elevated levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, and to raise low levels of HDL-cholesterol in overweight and obese persons with dyslipidemia.

Weight loss to lower elevated blood glucose levels in overweight and obese persons with type 2 diabetes.

Use the BMI to assess overweight and obesity. Body weight alone can be used to follow weight loss, and to determine the effectiveness of therapy.

The BMI to classify overweight and obesity and to estimate relative risk of disease compared to normal weight.

The waist circumference should be used to assess abdominal fat content.

The initial goal of weight loss therapy should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from baseline. With success, and if warranted, further weight loss can be attempted.

Weight loss should be about 1 to 2 pounds per week for a period of 6 months, with the subsequent strategy based on the amount of weight lost.

Low calorie diets (LCD) for weight loss in overweight and obese persons. Reducing fat as part of an LCD is a practical way to reduce calories.

Reducing dietary fat alone without reducing calories is not sufficient for weight loss. However, reducing dietary fat, along with reducing dietary carbohydrates, can help reduce calories.

A diet that is individually planned to help create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 kcal/day should be an intregal part of any program aimed at achieving a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Physical activity should be part of a comprehensive weight loss therapy and weight control program because it:1. modestly contributes to weight loss in overweight and obese adults,
2. may decrease abdominal fat,
3. increases cardiorespiratory fitness, and
4. may help with maintenance of weight loss.


Physical activity should be an integral part of weight loss therapy and weight maintenance. Initially, moderate levels of physical activity for 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, should be encouraged. All adults should set a long-term goal to accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

The combination of a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity is recommended since it produces weight loss that may also result in decreases in abdominal fat and increases in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Behavior therapy is a useful adjunct when incorporated into treatment for weight loss and weight maintenance.

Weight loss and weight maintenance therapy should employ the combination of LCD’s, increased physical activity, and behavior therapy. After successful weight loss, the likelihood of weight loss maintenance is enhanced by a program consisting of dietary therapy, physical activity, and behavior therapy which should be continued indefinitely. Drug therapy can also be used. However, drug safety and efficacy beyond 1 year of total treatment have not been established.

A weight maintenance program should be a priority after the initial 6 months of weight loss therapy.

Top 30 Health & Fitness Tips

A garlic a day: Garlic is the mother of all cures. Researchers in Liverpool have found that 5ml of garlic extract lower levels of a disease-causing chemical by up to 48 per cent.

Eat wholegrain foods: Make sure you have whole-grain bread, rice or pasta at least four times a week and you will reduce the chance of having cancer by 40 per cent.

Take care of your skin: Always wear sun-screen lotion during summers. It is advisable to use winter care creams to overcome the harsh and cold winds. The best cure is to smile through and your skin will shine with an extra dash. It's no big secret!
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Eat plenty of fish: Fish is the recommended diet for a longer healthier life. Studies have found that those who regularly ate fish were up to one-third less likely to get heart diesease than those who ate it less than once a month.

Try Tea: Tea is always good. Being a heavy tea-drinker can never have nagative effects. The protective effects of tea increase with the amount drunk, and people who are regular tea drinkers are the least likely to die of a heart attack.

Stop smoking: Do not smoke your health away. Nicotine pathces, gums or inhalers might work for some individuals, or other methods, from hypnosis to acupuncture. More you are to smoke, more likely your are to develop cancer or heart disease.

Walk for Health: There is nothing better than walking. Walking a mile everyday, or taking reasonable exercise three times a week, promises to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as strengthens bones and keeps them strong.
Buy a blood pressure instrument to monitor your B.P. before and after the walk.

Never sleep over a backache: It is never advisable to sleep over a backache. Research shows that people who take to their beds with backache take the longest time to recover. Those who avoid bed-rest and continue normal activities as much as possible have less pain.

Water spells health: Water flushes out the toxins. A good amount of liquid intake helps the entire system and of course is best for curing skin ailments. The average man needs 2.9 litres, or about 12 cups of water, a day and woman needs about 2.2 litres.

Stop bad breath: You can prevent that unfriendly odour. It is caused by oral bacteria. A toungue scraper may help, but dental care may be needed. Mouth rinses are effective, as are flossing and brushing teeth twice a day.

Slow down on the junk: Research shows that eating too many high-fat-food contributes to high blood-cholestrol levels, which can cause hardening of the arteries, coronory heart disease and stroke.

Cut back on salt: Health Organisation recommend no more than five grams a day. Too much salt can lead to stroke and heart problems.

Drink wine: Research suggests that the equivalent of a couple of glasses of wine a day may be good for health. It can also help you keep a good mental frame.

Spouse can matter: A man in poor health in his 50s is six times more likely to be affected if married to a woman who is also in poor health.

Eat right for better teeth: Your pearly whites can gleam. Eat apples, oranges, celery, carrots and high fiber green.

Make love: There is no better medicine than to have sex. people who have sex at least twice a week get protective boost from their immune systems. Of course it relaxes the mind.
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Crash diets don't work: The so called new-age diets do not add to health prospects. There is no easy way to lose weight so the best way is to do it over a period of time.

Coffee is good: Researchers have found that two to four cups of coffee daily can lower the risk of colon cancer by 25 per cent.

Being overweight is dangerous: Loose the extra kilos. Over weight people cut 20 weeks of their life for every excess kilogram, according to new research.
Keeping a personal weight machine at home really helps. Buy one now!

Supplement with selenium: Research has shown that people who took a daily supplement of selenium had a 37 per cent reduction in cancers.

Lower you cholesterol: Work on reducing your cholestrol. This can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke even when your level is not high. Exercise to reduce weight.

Asprin is a wonder drug: Asprin can actually do wonders. It helps to reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease and cancers, including of the colon, oesophagus, stomach, rectum, prostrate. cent.

Change your job: If the workplace is what bothers you. Simply quit! Consider becoming a salesperson. Salespeople are least likely to have a work-related illness.

Socialising is good: Meeting friends and relatives is recommended. Weekly socialising improves the memory, concentration and problem solving skills.

Learn to relax: Unwind, take up a hobby and start socialising. This fights stress and depression.

Fruits and vegetables help: Have at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, especially tomatoes, red grapes.

Sing to stay healthy: Singing is good for the mind and body. it is relaxing, improves breathing and muscle tone.

Vitamins are vital: A multivit a day keeps the tablet away, but be sure it contains at least 200 meg of folic acid.

Sleep well: There is nothing like a good sleep. Sleep primes the immune system. Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night.

Or just hum...: Humming helps. Daily humming is a good way to increase ventilation in the sinuses.

All about Blood Pressure

What Is High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure rises and falls during the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension. Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers — the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high blood pressure, another term for hypertension.

What is systolic blood pressure?

Systolic pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart beats. It is shown as the top number in a blood pressure reading. High blood pressure is 140 and higher for systolic pressure. Diastolic pressure does not need to be high for you to have high blood pressure. When that happens, the condition is called “isolated systolic hypertension,” or ISH.

What is diastolic blood pressure?

Diastolic pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats. It’s shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
The diastolic blood pressure has been and remains, especially for younger people, an important hypertension number. The higher the diastolic blood pressure the greater the risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. As people become older, the diastolic pressure will begin to decrease and the systolic blood pressure begins to rise and becomes more important. A rise in systolic blood pressure will also increase the chance for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. Your physician will use both the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure to determine your blood pressure category and appropriate prevention and treatment activities.

Why Is High Blood Pressure Important?

High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard. It also makes the walls of the arteries hard. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first- and third-leading causes of death for Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems, such as heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

The causes of high blood pressure vary. Causes may include narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should. Any of these conditions will cause increased pressure against the artery walls. High blood pressure might also be caused by another medical problem. Most of the time, the cause is not known. Although high blood pressure usually cannot be cured, in most cases it can be prevented and controlled.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to be tested for it. Using the familiar blood pressure cuff, your doctor or nurse can easily tell if your blood pressure is high.

How Is Blood Pressure Tested?

Having your blood pressure tested is quick and easy. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and recorded as two numbers systolic pressure “over” diastolic pressure. For example, the doctor or nurse might say “130 over 80” as a blood pressure reading.
Both numbers in a blood pressure reading are important. As we grow older, systolic blood pressure is especially important.
To test your blood pressure, your doctor will use a familiar device with a long name. It is called a sphygmomanometer (pronounced sfig’-mo-ma-nom-e-ter), and may look something like this.

Effect of High blood Pressure on Your Body
Brain: High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke. Very high pressure can cause a break in a weakened blood vessel, which then bleeds in the brain. This can cause a stroke. If a blood clot blocks one of the narrowed arteries, it can also cause a stroke.

Eyes: High blood pressure can eventually cause blood vessels in the eye to burst or bleed. Vision may become blurred or otherwise impaired and can result in blindness.

Arteries: As people get older, arteries throughout the body “harden,” especially those in the heart, brain, and kidneys. High blood pressure is associated with these “stiffer” arteries. This, in turn, causes the heart and kidneys to work harder.

Kidneys: The kidneys act as filters to rid the body of wastes. Over time, high blood pressure can narrow and thicken the blood vessels of the kidneys. The kidneys filter less fluid, and waste builds up in the blood. The kidneys may fail altogether. When this happens, medical treatment (dialysis) or a kidney transplant may be needed.

Heart Attack: High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack. The arteries bring oxygen-carrying blood to the heart muscle. If the heart cannot get enough oxygen, chest pain, also known as “angina,” can occur. If the flow of blood is blocked, a heart attack results.

Congestive Heart Failure: High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF is a serious condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply the body’s needs.

Tips for having your Blood Pressure Taken
› Don’t drink coffee or smoke cigarettes 30 minutes before having your blood pressure measured.
› Before the test, sit for five minutes with your back supported and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arm on a table at the level of your heart.
› Wear short sleeves so your arm is exposed.
› Go to the bathroom prior to the reading. A full bladder can change your blood pressure reading.
› Get two readings, taken at least two minutes apart, and average the results.
› Ask the doctor or nurse to tell you the blood pressure reading in numbers.
› What device can I use to take my own blood pressure?
› Tests at home can be done with the familiar blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope, or with an electronic monitor, such as a digital readout monitor. Also, be sure that the person who will use the device reads the instructions before taking blood pressure readings. Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can help you check the device and teach you how to use it. You also may ask for their help in choosing the right one for you. Blood pressure devices can be bought at various places, such as discount chain stores and pharmacies.