Aussie Chemist Info

Here is a quick introduction on how acne forms.

Acne is caused by the over production of hormones in the body that control the production of sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are glands under the skin that produce oil called sebum. Hormones tell these sebaceous glands to over produce oil or sebum. These glands are part of a unit that includes the sebaceous gland, a hair follicle and a shaft that leads to the pores of the skin. When too much oil is produced it rises to the shaft. If the pores in the skin get clogged, then a bacteria will start to feed off the oil in the shaft and start an infection. This infection in the clogged shaft causes a pimple. The pimple usually has a white head because white blood cells which defend the body against infection are present inside the pimple.

Most acne treatments involve either lowering the hormone in the body, attacking the bacteria or unclogging the pores. These three areas can be extremely effective in controlling the incidence of acne and facial blemishes. If you think you have acne, consult with your pharmacist or doctor for proper treatment.

While gardening is usually thought of as a way to grow beautiful plants, obtain tasty fruits and vegetables, and relieve stress few gardeners have ever considered the amounts of exercise you can get while gardening.

Just think about all the various facets of preparing a garden. There are holes to be dug, bags and pots to be carried, and weeds to be pulled. Doing all of these things help to work out almost every group of muscles in your body.

Before you go out into your garden, you should always stretch out. Even if your goal isn’t to work out and get exercise, it’s still a good idea. Often gardeners spend long periods of time hunched over or bent over. This can be bad for your back. So not only should you stretch out before hand, but you should always take frequent breaks if you’re spending long amounts of time in these positions.

Weeding and pruning are some of the best workouts a gardener can get. With the constant crouching and standing, the legs get a great workout. If your weeds are particularly resistant, your arms will become particularly toned just from the effort required to remove them from the ground.

One of the most obvious ways to get exercise is in the transporting and lifting of bags and pots. Between the nursery and your house, you will have to move the bags multiple times (to the checkout, to your car, to your garden, and then spreading them out accordingly). As long as you remember to lift with your legs and not your back, transporting bags and pots can give you a fairly big workout, even though you probably don’t make those purchases very often.

Mowing your grass can also be a great exercise. If you’ve got an older mower that isn’t self propelled, just the act of pushing it through the grass will give you more of a workout than going to the gym for a few hours. During the course of mowing the grass, you use your chest, arms, back, and shoulder to keep the mower ahead of you. Your thighs and butt also get worked a lot to propel the mower. Not only do you get an all around muscle work out, but it can improve your heart’s health. It’s good for you as a cardiovascular activity, as well as a great way to lose weight due to the increased heart rate and heavy breathing.

If you plan on using gardening as a way to get in shape or lose some weight, you can hardly go wrong. Just be sure to stretch out, drink plenty of water, wear a hat and apply sunscreen. As long as you take steps to prevent the few negative effects such as pulled muscles, dehydration and sunburn, I think you’ll have a great time and end up being a healthier person because of it.

Here are some of the many reasons exercise is great for lowering your stress and anxiety.

* Exercise improves your mood. Aerobic exercise produces chemicals that make you feel happier and more ready to face the day. It also increases blood flow to the brain; furthering this happy, energetic feeling.
* Exercise gives you more energy. Stress makes you feel run down and tired during the day. If you exercise in the morning, you’ll get a great energy boost to keep you going in the late morning and afternoon. You may feel fatigued during the first few weeks of exercise. Be persistent and the energy will come.
* Exercise helps you sleep. There is nothing that reduces stress more than a good night’s sleep. Sleep not only recharges your tense, achy muscles; it also refreshes your mind and allows you to process information from the day. Getting more, higher quality sleep on a regular basis will help you cope with the stresses of everyday life. Just remember to do aerobic activity well before bedtime.

Herbs for Andropause
Male menopause is when a man of middle age experiences a decrease in testosterone levels. This decrease can lead to things such as depression, hot flashes and other similar symptoms that menopausal women will experience, with the exception that men will retain their fertility.

There has not been a lot of scientific and medical research put into male menopause. Some people, even doctors, rarely even acknowledge that it exists. Testosterone replacement therapy is one option; however there are also herbal remedies available which some men have found relief from using.

Some popular male menopause herbs are at,

• raspberry leaf
• black cohosh
• wild yam
• damiana
• saw palmetto
• ginseng
• licorice and shizandra

Men who want to try this treatment option can either take the herbs in tea, capsules or as a tincture, depending on where it is purchased from.

Male menopause herbs can assist in alleviating symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and depression.

It is not recommended to take the herbs for long periods of time. Two to three months is a good time frame, with a break in between.

Male menopause herbs are good alternative for men who are not confident in going through testosterone replacement therapy. Consider it as a serious relief option if you are going through male menopause.

New research, shows that eating chocolate could prevent cancer, heart disease and also fights tooth decay. Researchers believe that most of the bad effects of eating chocolate are either overstated or just lies. For example, chocolate has not been proven to cause cavities or tooth decay.

A study carried out by researchers at Osaka University in Japan found that parts of the cocoa bean, the main ingredient of chocolate, prevent mouth bacteria and tooth decay.

So the good news is that chocolate is good for you, and the best news is that it tastes great.

The facts of sex after menopause are:
• Loss of sexual desire is not experienced by the majority of menopausal women.
• Loss of sexual desire is not associated with decreased levels of estrogen.

If you are experiencing decreased sexual desire after menopause, talk to your doctor to determine what type of treatment he can prescribe that is safe and effective. More importantly, talk to your partner in an honest and open manner so that he or she is aware of your feelings. Perhaps there are alternatives you can both use to arouse the sexual desire in each other.

Male menopause is called Andropause, it includes annoying physical symptoms and the increased risk of serious problems.

Male menopause usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 55. It is caused by a drop in testosterone; the male hormone. All men experience a drop in hormone levels as they age; however not all men experience the same rate of decrease and few have symptoms that are severe enough to seek treatment.

Common symptoms of male menopause include:

* Fatigue and general loss of energy
* Decreased sex drive
* Loss of physical abilities (decreased strength and muscle mass)
* Change in mood and disposition
* Increased body fat in the upper body and midsection

With male menopause the symptoms come one slowly and there isn’t one surefire indicator to show onset. That’s why it’s important to be able to recognize the symptoms so treatment can be started as soon as possible.

Male menopause not only presents with annoying symptoms, it also comes with an increased risk for developing serious health problems. Men with decreased testosterone levels are at an increased risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Severe male menopause can be treated through hormone replacement therapy. Replacing lost testosterone can cause a remarkable improvement in the symptoms of many men and has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease as well; however, it is not for everyone. You should not have this therapy if you have had breast or prostate cancer. Your doctor may also not want you to use testosterone replacement therapy if you have liver, heart, or kidney disease, edema, an enlarged prostate, or diabetes. You may also not be able to have this therapy if you wish to have children, have had an allergic reaction to certain medications, or if you are on certain medications. Your doctor should discuss your medical history with you and determine if you might benefit from this treatment.

While male menopause is a very common problem in men, it has gone unnoticed in the general public for a long time. If you have these symptoms, you should seek treatment and see if their may be help for you.

There are things you can do to prevent memory loss, and they are:
* Eat blueberries. They have been known to increase memory function
* Work on jumbles or crossword puzzles in your daily newspaper
* Play scrabble or upwords with your family
* Use meditation to rid your mind of unnecessary thoughts
* Get lost of rest and relaxation and at least 8 hours of sleep a night
* Eat a balanced diet with lots of leafy green vegetables and fruits
* Exercise as often as you can
* Continue learning things, read books and magazines
* Try not to stress over things you cannot control
* Try to keep organized and focused; get rid of the clutter in your mind
* Start your day on a happy note and a smile
* Don’t dwell on things which bring you down
* Listen to soothing music, sounds of the sea or nature

The best way to prevent memory loss is to stay active in mind and body, exercise your mind as well as your body daily.

Menopause is a natural event, and menopause symptoms normally occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55.

Menopause is the transition period in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, your body produces less oestrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, and eventually stops altogether.

The many and different symptoms you feel during menopause are caused by changes in the oestrogen and progesterone levels that your body produces. As a woman’s ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these hormones and the body responds accordingly. Not every woman has the same menopause symptoms or severity of symptoms

In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it tapers off. During this time, your menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 to 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely.

A slow decrease of oestrogen generally allows your body to slowly adjust to the hormonal changes. When estrogen drops suddenly, as is seen when the ovaries are surgically removed, symptoms can be more severe.

The symptoms of menopause may include any of the following:

• Breast tenderness

• Chronic fatigue

• Cold or tingling hands and feet

• Craving sweets, caffeine, carbohydrates

• Depression, anxiety

• Dizziness, lightheadedness

• Dry, thin, or wrinkly skin

• Endometriosis

• Facial hair growth

• Fibrocystic breasts

• Hair loss, thinning hair

• Headaches, migraines

• Heart palpitations

• Heavy or light periods

• Hot flashes

• Incontinence

• Irregular periods

• Irritability, inability to handle stress

• Lack of concentration, foggy, fuzzy thinking

• Leg cramps

• Low metabolism

• Lower sex drive, loss of sex drive

• Menstrual cramping

• Morning sluggishness

• Mood swings

• Memory lapses

• Night sweats

• Osteoporosis

• PMS

• Ringing, buzzing in ears

• Sleep disturbances, insomnia

• Spotting, light bleeding

• Symptoms of hypothyroidism with normal T3 and T4

• Unstable blood sugar

• Urinary tract infections

• Uterine Fibroids

• Vaginal dryness

• Water retention

• Weight gain, especially around the hips, waist and stomach

• Yeast infections

• Aching Joints and Muscles

• Allergy symptoms

In addition, the long-term effects of menopause include, osteoporosis and changes in cholesterol levels and greater risk of heart disease

It is important to remember that menopause is a natural process, and does not require treatment unless any of the menopause symptoms, are particularly unbearable or annoying.

It is possible to relieve menopause symptoms by taking hormone replacement therapy or by taking alternative natural medications. However before taking any medications to alleviate menopause symptoms, discuss the options with your doctor or pharmacist and weigh the risks against any possible benefits.

For more information about menopause visit Menopause information online, a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources about female and male menopause.

There a number of different specific hair vitamins and minerals that can play a major role in helping a person have a healthy head of hair. If a person does not have sufficient hair vitamins then the deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness in the most severe cases. The fact is that the state of a person’s hair reflects the overall condition of their body.

Some of the most important hair vitamins that a person needs to have healthy hair include B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid. It is not just hair vitamins that are necessary for healthy hair there are a number of minerals that are essential as well, including magnesium, sulphur, silica and zinc.

The most essential hair vitamin is Vitamin A, but the best form of this is beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene in the body into Vitamin A that can then be used to promote healthy hair. Of course, Vitamin A is not just a hair vitamin, it is also needed for a number of other functions including normal growth of bones, skin, nails and the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres.

Of course, it is not just hair vitamins and minerals that are needed to ensure that a person has healthy, strong hair. There are a number of researchers who have found that there are direct links between the overall health of a person and the condition of their hair. If a person is under a lot of stress or suffers from a lack of sleep then their hair is also likely to suffer and it is likely that their diet will not provide enough hair vitamins to counter these effects. Hair vitamin and mineral supplements can be the solution to weak and damaged hair.