The Pill

What is the pill?

The Pill is one of the most effective forms of birth control. It contains two synthetic female hormones (estrogen and progesterone), which prevent pregnancy by inhibiting the monthly release of the egg from the ovaries. Oral contraceptives are almost 100% effective when taken correctly. The mini-pill contains only one hormone, progesterone, and has an efficacy rate of 97%.


Why the pill?

The Pill is probably the easiest birth control method to use. There are two pill-taking programs: the 21-day regimen and the 28-day regimen. With the 21-day regimen, you take one pill each day for three weeks and then for one week you do not take any pills. The cycle is then repeated. With the

28-day regimen, you take 21 pills first, then seven placebos which contain no active drug. Most women prefer the 28-day regimen because they find it easier to remember to take a pill every day of the year. So just pop it and forget it. What could be easier?


Are there any side effects?

As with most forms of medication, the pill is not without its share of :

Irregular bleeding the first few months
Spotting between periods
Increased appetite
Depression or moodiness
Headaches and/or dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Scant or missed periods
Weight change
High blood pressure
Breast tenderness

These side effects, though annoying, will not damage your health. Further, they are usually temporary and disappear within three months. If they persist longer, consult your gynecologist.

What are the advantages of the Pill?

It is convenient to use.
Unlike a condom, the pill does not interrupt sex.
Periods are usually lighter and shorter.
Periods get regulated and occur every 28 days.
As it prevents ovulation, in addition to its contraceptive action it also   eliminates mid-cycle pain which some women experience with ovulation.
The pill does not decrease a woman's chances of getting pregnant once she's off the pill and wants to conceive.
Did you know that there are many health benefits to the pill? These benefits include a reduced incidence of benign ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and most importantly, endometrial and ovarian cancer.

And disadvantages?

In addition to its side effects, the Pill has a few disadvantages:
They do not protect a woman from getting sexually transmitted diseases. If there is a danger of contracting an STD, always use a condom.
Some antibiotics can interfere with the way birth control pills work in your body, so if you are on any prescribed medication, inform your gynecologist.
You need to be extremely particular about not missing your pills. If you are the scatty-brain type, it's best to skip this method of birth control.
Though serious problems related to the use of birth control pills are very rare, the chances of developing blood clots, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes or liver tumors are slightly greater in women who take birth control pills.

However, you should NOT take the pill if…

You suffer from a history of blood clots, heart related problems like angina or kidney failure.
You have a history of breast cancer or other estrogen-dependent cancers of the reproductive organs.
You are in the acute stages of hepatitis.
You are a heavy smoker above the age of 35.
You start getting migraines after getting on the pill.
You have high blood pressure or diabetes.
You are about to undergo some major surgery.
You are breast-feeding.
You are above the age of 50.

Get to Know Your Liver

The liver is one of our most vital organs and, next to our skin, the largest. Optimal function is essential to dealing with the abundance of toxins that are processed through the liver.

If our liver is not healthy, these toxins can cause it to become sluggish. This can lead to various health problems such as toxicity, high cholesterol, poor digestion of foods, fatigue, blood sugar problems, hormone imbalance, headaches, allergies, sensitivities, and poor skin.

The liver plays a role in a number of important functions in the body, including making cholesterol, bile, blood proteins, and clotting proteins. It is also involved in blood cleansing, production and breakdown of hormones, regulation of blood sugar, and detoxification.

Detoxification–Liver’s Primary Role
The liver’s main role is detoxification, using two methods.

Phase one liver detoxification eliminates toxins through a complex group of enzymes that break down toxins into nontoxic substances, ensuring they can be removed through the kidneys or via the bile.
Phase two liver detoxification involves a process called “conjugation,” where toxic substances are “bound” to other substances in the body (such as glutathione, amino acids, methionine, sulphur, acetyl coenzyme A, and glucuronic acid). Once bound, these substances can be safely eliminated through the kidneys or via the bile.


Cleanse Your Liver
When cleansing the liver, use supportive herbs as well as herbs that stimulate the liver’s production of bile. Used as a vehicle to carry toxins into the small intestine, bile is absorbed by fibre and removed through the colon. Herbs that increase bile include artichoke leaf, dandelion root, and Eclipta alba. It is essential, when performing a liver cleanse, to ensure your bowels are moving at least once per day, otherwise you may reabsorb the toxins.

A liver cleanse should also include antioxidants (such as alpha lipoic acid, green tea leaf, and selenium), as they are good not only for the liver, but also for the entire body. Cleansing the liver can help you to achieve healthy liver function, a necessity for optimal health.

Liver Helpers
Herbs and amino acids that help to support and enhance liver function:
Glutathione is essential for phase two detoxification. Alpha lipoic acid stimulates glutathione production, while L-methionine and N-acetyl-cysteine are amino acid precursors to glutathione.

Milk thistle seed includes the extract silymarin, which prevents depletion of glutathione, and has been shown to increase glutathione levels by up to 35 percent. It has also been shown to be effective for various liver diseases including cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, fatty infiltration of the liver, and inflammation of the bile duct.

L-taurine is important for detoxing drugs, food additives, and toxins from intestinal bacteria. It is also required to eliminate steroid hormones (estrogen) and thyroid hormones so they do not overload the body.

Top 12 Good Health Tips for Men

1) Don't smoke. Smoking is estimated to kill 400,000 Americans every single year. That's the equivalent death toll of three jumbo jet crashes every single day! Choosing not to smoke is, without a doubt, the single most important health decision you can make.

BE FIT AND STRONG

2) Control your weight. This is not as easy a No. 2 choice for me as was No. 1. That's because the connection between obesity and actual illnesses or deaths is often more indirect than is the case with smoking. But I have come to accept the estimates of the Surgeon General's Office that obesity is responsible for approximately 350,000 deaths every year, and that if American men continue to stop smoking in large numbers, it may even replace smoking as the No. 1 cause of death for men.

3) Drink alcohol in moderation. This message can be taken in both positive and negative terms. Truly moderate drinking (one to two standard size drinks per day) does reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, the No. 1 cause of death in our country. However, excessive drinking is a major cause of both physical disease and social tragedy. Approximately 10 percent of people who start drinking socially will become alcoholics. The decision to drink even socially should not be taken lightly.

4) Exercise regularly. This health practice has enormous physical and emotional benefits. Besides reducing the risk for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis, regular exercise can be helpful in raising our general mood and reducing the risk for depression.

5) Have regular cholesterol and blood pressure tests. Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure can be described as "silent killers," since they can cause extensive damage to our heart and arteries without producing any telltale symptoms until it is often too late. Therefore, the only way to find out if you have a potential problem is to get tested.

6) Have regular colonoscopy and prostate serum antigen testing. I strongly believe in the value of both of these tests in detecting two common and potentially lethal diseases — colon and prostate cancer — when they are still curable. There are not many cancers that we can either prevent of detect early enough to make a difference, but these are two.