Changes in a Woman's Life

WOMAN is the epitome of everything that is magnificent and beautiful. Unfortunately, this persona is only skin deep. A woman goes through several physical and mental changes in her life.

Her body goes through changes that can affect her family life, her social life, her feelings about herself and how she functions at work. Complicated? Not really...

The beginning: For the first 15 years - from birth to childhood to adolescence - she is careless, free and wide-eyed with what the world has to offer her. She discovers womanhood when she comes of age. She will be more self-conscious and curious with the changes happening to her body. Life will be a voyage of exciting adventures. Every experience is new and fresh.

Pre-Menopause: Pre-menopause refers to the entirety of her reproductive life, from menstruation to menopause. Physical changes begin to accelerate in this stage which is immediately prior to menopause. She is most likely to experience visible physical changes due to the descent in hormone production.

Perimenopause: Perimenopause means "about the time of menopause". It concerns the two to eight years when hormone levels are changing. The most common indications of perimenopause are irregular menstrual cycles, anxiety and lack of energy or irritability caused by hormonal fluctuations. Women usually start perimenopause between the ages of 39 and 51 but this differs with every woman.

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Yoghurt Drink - Yakult

OVER the years, scientists and nutritionists in Japan have diligently researched and developed all kinds of 'health' foods for the increasingly health-conscious Japanese people.

But a problem arose - how are the Japanese people to distinguish the real McCoy, the genuine health food, from the so many food products in the market which are not.

The Japanese government had established in 1991 a regulatory framework called Foods for Specified Health Uses (Foshu).

No longer can any food product make unsubstantiated health claims.

The regulatory framework acts as a health food labelling system and only products certified by it can claim certain health benefits.

Any food product carrying the Foshu label defines it as food that carries "active constituents which affect the physiological function and biological activities of the body".

More importantly, a certified product has to be that if consumed as part of one's daily diet, can provide the specified health benefit that it claims.

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The Role of Probiotics

WHAT are probiotics and how can they help you? The definition of probiotics has been deliberated by experts from around the world.

A generally used classification, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (UN), is that probiotics are "live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host."

Do not equate probiotics to prebiotics - food ingredients that are non-digestible, and selectively stimulate the growth or action of beneficial microorganisms already in people's colons. When probiotics and prebiotics are mixed together, they form a symbiotic.

Probiotics are now readily available in various foods and dietary supplements such as capsules, tablets and in powder form.

Some common foods containing probiotics are yogurt, milk, miso, and certain soya beverages. In probiotic foods and supplements, the bacteria may have been present originally or added during preparation.

A majority of probiotics consists of friendly bacteria that are similar to those naturally found in our intestines.

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We have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

WHY are we afraid? Why do we dwell on worst-case scenarios and react to minor mishaps as though they are a matter of life and death?

Fear is an instinctive response when our survival is threatened or our belief systems challenged. Healthy fear is an important part of our defence mechanism which keeps us on our toes and alert to danger. But fear, if left unchecked, can grow into a neurotic anxiety that can be paralysing as it leaves us in a state of worry, panic and non-specific tension.

Constant fear undermines relationships, increases stress levels and causes unfavourable physical signs such as insomnia, exhaustion, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness.

We are routinely altered by fear during the course of a normal day - from simply feeling nervous about a new experience to repeatedly rethinking a critical comment. Like a chameleon, fear takes on disguises in the form of jealousy, anger, sadness, irritation and doubt.

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How to Overcome Obesity

OBESITY rate is up all over the world. It is a condition brought about by excess body weight in the form of fat. There are various categories of obesity.

A morbidly obese person is at least 45Kg overweight and has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or above.

Obesity is found as the cause of several ailments and is responsible for lowering life expectancy. Studies have shown that obesity brings many health risks, including high blood pressure, heart disease, Type II diabetes, liver disease, stroke, sleep disorders, and even cancers.

It can also affect one physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

Several factors are responsible for obesity. Decrease in exercise is one of the reason for this. Due to a fast-paced lifestyle and busy schedule, it has become difficult for most people to take time out for extra activities and exercise.

Only in rare cases, is obesity caused by medical conditions such as hormonal problems. Basically obesity begins at home. It doesn't happen overnight and it usually starts with what you eat.

Prevention is the key to any health-related issues. Below are some steps on how to overcome obesity.

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Controlling Diabetes

PEOPLE with Type 2 diabetes have a treatment option - a drug called Sitagliptin.

Sitagliptin belongs to the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 group of drugs (DPP-4) which is used to enhance the body's own ability to lower blood sugar (glucose) when it is elevated.

It comes in the form of tablets and is taken once a day, alone or in combination with other drugs. "Type 2 diabetes is a highly prevalent and serious chronic condition, a growing epidemic with clear un-met medical needs," said senior consultant endocrinologist Prof Datuk Dr Mafauzy Mohamed. "It is one of the most significant diseases affecting the modern age, and is the fifth leading cause of death globally."

Reports show that more than 98 per cent of the nearly 1.2 million Malaysians with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, more than half are unaware that they have the disease. Patients with diabetes can develop heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, vascular or neurological problems that can lead to amputations, and they can suffer increased mortality.

"People with Type 2 diabetes need to be proactive in taking measures to control the disease because it can lead to other health complications," said Dr Mafauzy.

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Google+

ITS more than a year now since Google has unveiled Google+, that rivals Facebook. The service that began rolling out on June 28, 2011, which has set record as the fastest-growing social network in history, with 20 million users just within a month. The project is the culmination of a year-long project led by Vic Gundotra, Google's senior vice president of social to make Google competitive by combining all its social services in one place.

Google+ is very easy to use has many interesting features. Among the new terms introduced in Google+ are: Circles, Hangouts, Huddles and Sparks. The notification system is similar to how Facebook handles notifications, complete with a red number that increases with each additional notice.

Circles seems to redefine the way we "friend" on social networking sites.

It allows you to filter your friends, co-workers, neighbours and family into different categories or circles.

With the Circles feature, your boss and co-workers are not in the same friend pile as your college frat buddies. You are able to easily share content with certain people and not others, and it does this almost automatically. Circles also give you the ability to choose what content you share with which friends.

In the near future, Google+ will also be launched as a Desktop and mobile application for different operating systems such as Android and iOS to attract new users by providing them eases of accessibility and connectivity.

Although Google+ has many aspects similar to Facebook, there are also a number of novel features. Here are a few tips to help you start networking with Google+.

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