Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Calculate Weight Watchers Points


The Weight Watchers weight loss program is focused majorly on counting your daily points consumed. All available foods have corresponding points, meaning you select those you enjoy eating as long as you meet your Weight Watchers points target daily. By doing so, you won’t have to follow overly strict diets. Just count the points every day, and you are on a path to a slimmer and healthier you.

Each food you eat and each activity you do has a corresponding Weight Watchers point value that is added to your daily point goal. The following guidelines will help you calculate factors that influence your Weight Watchers Points daily target:

• Your weight plays a vital role in computing your point’s target. When your weight changes, you need to re-calculate the points you need to reach daily. Less calories for less weight every day. You need to get your weight in pounds then add your weight’s first 2 numbers. The result will be your base points. If, for example you weigh 110 lbs, you will have base points of 11 to start.



• Your height also counts on deriving how many Weight Watchers daily points target you require. If you measure less than 5 feet, you add zero points, between 5.0? to 5.9?, you are entitled to add 1 point to your daily point’s target and if you are 5.10? and above, you can add 2 points to your list.

• Being male or female matters a lot when targeting your body’s needed calories. As men in general have faster metabolism than women, and thus require higher Weight Watchers points to target every day. Females need to add 2 Weight Watchers points while male get 8 points to start with.

• Metabolism slows with age and this makes your present age very important in calculating your points. The older you are the fewer calories required and lesser Weight Watchers points to achieve. Below are the age brackets and their corresponding points:

- 17-26 years old = 4 points

- 27-37 years old = 3 points

- 38-47 years old = 2 points

- 48-57 years old = 1 point

- 58 years old and over = 0 points

• When you exercise each day, your body will require more calories depending on the specific exercise, and how long you spend exercising. Your calorie intake points will increase parallel to quantity of physical activity you have daily. If you have long walks daily, you may add 4 points; doing some physical work allows you to add 6 points to your daily target.

• Nursing mothers need more calories daily, so if you are breast feeding its imperative you take more calories to supply your nursing needs. When nursing, add 12 points instead of 2 on your points under the gender category.

Weight Watchers program is uniquely designed depending on personal traits and information you possess. For instance, it makes perfect sense for a heavier person to have a higher point target because heavier individuals need more energy than those who weigh less.

A reward of 35 points every week you successfully reach your points target is truly fun! You may or may not use them immediately though. Always ensure you eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables plus 6 glasses of water and 2 servings of dairy every day. This constitutes a complete diet and makes losing weight much easier.

It’s essential to observe your weight accurately and regularly as it greatly affects your daily point target to achieve. When your weight reduces, it also reduces your daily point target total. When you take physical activity daily like long walks or exercising, it is very helpful both in weight loss and health wise. In addition, it will let you add more points to your daily points target too. This means you can eat more food because you engage in physical activity! This is actually referred to as “bonus points” for the Weight Watchers.

Holistic health gift ideas

A gift that keeps in perspective enthusiasm for encouraging good health and self care – a holistic health gift – is not only saying that you thought of that person, but that you care deeply about that person’s overall well being – body, mind and soul.

A holistic health gift needn’t be a basket of health supplements! There are some wonderful, truly creative ways to give from a selection of holistic health ideas. Here are some ideas for those wonderful people on your gift recipient list this year:

For the gentlemen on your list:

*maybe your fellow enjoys a good drop of the old vino – what not try an selection of wine? If he is going to enjoy a drink, it might as well be one that is good for him, and good for the environment. Also consider putting some healthy snacks together for him – try some ideas from the Healthy Snack Store to add some goodies together with the wine into a lovely gift basket.

*Does your gent enjoy reading? Get him a subscription to a health magazine such as Health – he can get inspired to really take care of himself.

*Get him a gift voucher to a masseuse, or if he is your partner, put a token into a gift basket along with the organic wine and snacks. It will be sure to make his day.

For the young adults:

*teenagers will benefit from skin care that is gentle yet effective – try a gift pack of something such as Jurlique – high quality skin care that is grown on Jurlique’s own farm, ensuring a high quality source of natural ingredients that carries right through to the product.

For the small people in your life:

*children will benefit from toys that stimulate, excite and develop the senses. For some sensory delight – try having a look at some of these toys. Sensory toys aren’t just good for children with special needs, but help to develop all children’s sensory systems and help with general growth and development. They also encourage creativity and imaginative play.

For the lovely ladies:

*What lady wouldn’t delight on opening on Christmas morning a basket full of thoughtfully put together indulgences? A wonderful gift idea is basket full of a range of organically grown exotic fruits (including some exciting taste sensations such as dragonfruit otherwise known as pitaya).

*Get a gift certificate for a local holistic health store so your special gift recipient can stock up on some pantry ingredients for some healthy recipes. Write some recipes up in a folder for things such as spelt bread and home made salad dressing, or a recipe from some home made muesli.

*For the lady who is a coffee or tea enthusiast, put together a gift of organic fair trade coffee, and some home made healthy biscuits.

*To allow the lovely lady to indulge and have some time out, put in a babysitting voucher in a basket for her (if she has children) and pop in a cd of soothing music or of a tranquil soundtrack such as birdsong or rainforest. Pop in some essential oils for her to add to a bath, and some scented candles made of hemp and soy.

Holistic health is not just about taking health supplements – a holistic lifestyle involves caring for the mind, body and soul in ways that are sustainable and environmentally sound, and in being a wise user of resources – such as purchasing items from fair trade sources, locally grown and organic, products that are carbon neutral and that have been re-used or repurposed. Holistic health gifts aren’t just about giving a gift to a person that will be good for him or her, but by considering holistic gifts, you are also caring for the planet, the person and for the local community.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Spermatocele Symptoms and Treatments

Spermatocele is a cyst that develops in the area known as the epididymis which is located in relation to the upper pole of the testis. Epididymis is the area which collects the sperms produced by the testis and transports it to the vas difference to be part of the seminal fluid. Thus, a Spermatocele which develop in the epididymis will contain certain amount of spermatozoa but would contain mostly of a milky or colorless fluid. A Spermatocele will usually be about 1 cm in diameter or less and will be detected as an incidental finding or as a result of routine testicular self examination. But, in any event, the incidence of Spermatocele would be more in the age group 40 to 60 although it can occur at any age group.

How does a Spermatocele develop?

It is not clear from the literature how a Spermatocele is formed although the experts are of the opinion that blockage, surgery, trauma, infections and certain inherited conditions will increase the likelihood of a person developing the same.

What are the symptoms of a Spermatocele?

In most instances, a Spermatocele would not cause any symptoms at all and it will not lead to any complications as well. But, in certain instances, a person may complain of pain in the affected testis or more specifically in the region of the epididymis. The pain can be more in the event of touching the cyst than at rest.

If the Spermatocele enlarges to a significant level, there is a possibility of it giving rise to a discomfort or heavy feeling in the affected side.

At times, it is possible for the Spermatocele to give rise to compression effects and this can give rise to swelling in the vicinity.

What are the treatment options available for Spermatocele?

In most instances, as described before, there may not be a reason to intervene as the Spermatocele will be symptomless. But, if it gives rise to pain, over the counter analgesics can do the job in relieving the discomfort. But, if the Spermatocele continues to give problems and if it enlarges beyond its usual size, the discomfort as well as its effect over associated structures would be more and therefore would require a surgical intervention.

When performing the surgery, a surgeon would make a small incision in the scrotum under local or general anesthesia and the Spermatocele will be separated from the rest of the epididymis and would be either drained out or surgically excised. Although this procedure can be performed with minimal complications, there is a risk of damaging the sperm carrying passage which can lead to sterility or else recurrence of the same.