I have to cute cute my caffeine and can’t drink the diet Dr Pepper. What are some other caffeines free drinks that taste good. I just tried A&W diet root beer. Its not bad, but I can’t do that this whole pregnancy lol.

And yes I know I need to drink more milk and water, and I do. I also started drinking vitamin water and Gatorade. I just like to enjoy a soda once a day.

Caffeine free Dr. Pepper and Caffeine free Coke are very close

Popular Methods

When it comes to relieving constipation, we are a society expecting quick fixes. We want it out and now, right? It’s no surprise we spend about 900 million dollars on laxatives each year. Laxatives, though, should be a last resort for many reasons. Since they are available without a prescription we tend to think of them as safe. Unfortunately, they can become habit-forming quickly and they are harmful to your body in the long-term.

Types of Laxatives:

• Bulk laxatives - This is the best type of laxative to relieve constipation for prolonged use. Though usually taking a few days to start working, they can provide some relief. Remember to drink plenty of water. Bulk laxatives include: psyllium husk (available through health food stores), bran, ispaghula husk, and sterculia.
• Stimulant laxatives - These laxatives aim at increasing bowel contractions but can cause stomach cramps as a side effect. These are taken at night to have a morning bowel movement, as they are supposed to work within 6-12 hours. Senna is an example of a stimulant laxative. Although they work to relieve constipation, experts believe the contractions cause weakening of the digestive muscles which will eventually make the problem worse. Since these laxatives cause contractions, they are not safe for pregnant women. Glycerol suppositories are included in this group. Although they are inserted into the rectum, they still act as a stimulant.
• Osmotic laxatives - These go to work at relieving constipation by helping the bowel retain water and by softening the stool. Epsom salts and Milk of Magnesia are osmotic laxatives.
• Lactulose - This medication comes in crystals or liquid form. A type of sugar that isn’t digested by the body, Lactulose acts like a fiber and osmotic laxative combined. This type takes up to 3 days to work and may cause cramping and profuse gas.

There are other medications that act as stool softeners, which basically coat the bowel so water doesn’t get absorbed from the stool. Since the body naturally removes water from the colon, it isn’t suitable as a long-term solution for relieving constipation.

Natural Methods - Fiber In, Fiber Out

Adding fiber to your diet is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, relatively free of constipation. If you think fiber means just eating more bran, think again. You can also add fiber to your diet via fruits (with the skin), green vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. Nuts and grains are also important because they are a good source of essential fatty acids (especially flaxseed or flax oil) which are wonderful options to relieve constipation naturally.

Adding fiber to your diet may make you feel like a gas-filled balloon at first. If your body has been used to eating white flour, heavy starches, fatty meats, and other low fiber foods, it may take some time to get used to it. Don’t give up after one short week. Remember, it probably took years of eating a low fiber diet to make constipation an issue in your intestines. Give fiber a chance! After 14-21 days of including more fiber in your diet, you’ll start to wonder why you didn’t make it a priority before.

Forming new habits really means you’re getting rid of the old one. If relieving constipation is your goal, you’ll want to stay away from the constipation culprits like: white flour, fried foods, sweets, carbonated drinks, alcohol, refined sugars, and cheese.

Maintain Your Flora

No, we’re not talking about your vegetable garden. Good bacterial flora is essential for proper digestion. In fact, if you took all the bacteria in your digestive system and put them all together you’d have a mass the size and weight of a brick. When we abuse laxatives and enemas, we can create havoc on the good bacteria we need to avoid diarrhea and help relieve constipation.

Eating yogurt with live cultures is one way to maintain your flora population. Be sure to read the label of your yogurt container. It should say it contains “live and active cultures.” If you’d rather not take their word for it, check the ingredients for Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophius.

Refrain From the Strain

With some people, constipation stems from issues with muscle coordination. They seem to contract the anus muscles when they should be relaxing them. There are certain biofeedback methods available for people who suffer with this problem. The treatment is used on those suffering from severe constipation linked directly to this muscle contraction issue.

Weekly Cleansing

Most of the waste matter produced from the food we eat gets passed out within a 72-hour period. Sometimes, up to 30% of that waste can sit in the colon for a week or more. Since retaining waste is not good for the body or health, a weekly cleansing of the colon will go a long way at relieving constipation. Oxy-Powder® is a safe way to clean out any waste that may be loitering in your colon and using it once a week will help improve bowel function. Remember the following: Avoid chemical laxatives. True, they can work for a while but along with those results come the weakened bowels, potentially unsafe contractions, and other nasty side effects. Add fiber to you diet. Fiber bulks up your stool and helps it retain water, which makes it easier to move along. There are many tasty and nutritious sources of fiber from which you can choose, so don’t fear that you’ll have to eat twigs or acorns or something. Keep a good quantity of bacteria on hand. Especially while undertaking a thorough colon cleansing program, replenish your flora with healthful and yummy yogurt. Relax and go. Don’t strain or try to force out impacted waste. You can end up tearing tissue and hurting yourself in the process. Cleanse naturally. Leave the chemicals in your garage where they belong and try a supplement especially suited for the job, one that just helps clean your colon so it can work its best again. Follow these guidelines to help relieve constipation and you can feel great again!

—–

The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/relieving-constipation-the-natural-methods-89966.html

Did you ever wonder why you’re always getting a cold or the flu but your friend never gets one? Well the answer may be in the foods you’re eating. It’s no secret that the foods that you put into your body have a direct impact on your overall health and your immune system. If you’re not feeding your immune system the proper nutrients, then you’re not giving it the ammunition it needs to fight off colds and flu. Here are some great foods you should eat, not only during cold and flu season but all the time for overall health as well as some things you can do if you feel cold coming on.

Drinking plenty of water is something that you should get in the habit of doing all the time but especially during cold and flu season because if your bodies dehydrated that makes it easier for germs to take hold. Try to make sure that you drink a good healthy water like distilled water as tap water can be filled with chlorine and fluoride - neither of which are good for you to ingest. Bottled water is a good choice, however, it may not be as “clean” as you are led to believe.

If your gastrointestinal tract isn’t functioning properly then intestinal bugs and flu will have an easier time of taking up residence. Try to fortify yourself by eating a cup of yogurt that has active cultures or by taking a probiotic to build up the good bacteria in your digestive system.

Garlic is great eat all the time in as many health benefits but I find it is an excellent way to ward off a cold when you first get that initial feeling of a scratchy throat. Garlic produces a chemical called allicin which has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and you can get the most benefit out of it by eating it raw because once you cook it these properties diminish. What I like to do is crush up a clove of garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes ( letting it sit is important as this will give the allicin time to activate and you can eat it when it’s at it’s most powerful), then I make some toast out of my favorite whole wheat bread spread some butter and the crushed garlic and eat up! Usually if I do this right at the very beginning of the cold I’ll wake up the next day feeling fine.

Oranges or another potent weapon that you can use to fight colds with due to the high content of vitamin C. Eating just one orange day can give you the entire recommended daily amount of this important vitamin. in addition to these vitamins, or ranges contain flavinoids which help keep your cells strong and healthy and also help out in the regeneration process. It’s a good idea to buy a juicer, and then juiced up a few oranges during the day if you feel cold coming on. Of course, organic oranges are best.

Of course, the best way to ward off colds and flu is to keep your body healthy by eating a well-balanced diet that is packed with fresh fruits and vegetable as well as lean meats and whole grains. Not only will this help ward off colds but it can also help your body fight against more serious diseases and give you the energy you need to feel great all day every day.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/ward-off-the-common-cold-with-these-super-foods-91943.html

There are several diets out there, but I can't keep track of which is the healthiest. My brother is doing the Atkins friendly-low carb diet and I am terribly worried about him. His diet includes high calorie and high fat foods and he has little physical fitness. Is this low carb diet actually healthy?

Do you have any suggestions I can give him?
Or maybe I am wrong and the Atkins diet is healthy, please let me know what you think.

Thanks!

The healthiest diet to follow is one with lean meats (not high fat) plenty of vegetables and lean meats. Atkins is actually really good at giving you a heart attack and most doctors won't recommend it. Carbohydrates give your body necessary fuel. Fats are also necessary, but the healthiest places to find them are in olive oil and fish oils. Fatty ground beef, for example, is not the healthiest meat choice you could make. Get a good variety of lots of healthy, non-processed foods in your diet to make sure you're getting all of the nutrients necessary for life.

Anywhere from 1800-2000 calories a day is healthiest for women, around 2000 a day is healthiest for men. Regular exercise is a must.

http://z.hubpages.com/u/48470_f520.jpg

Food high in fiber is found in fruits, vegetables and grains. It is the complex fiber structure that gives produce and grains their shape and keeps them from falling apart. Fiber is a subclass of carbohydrates. It consists mostly of cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose and pectin.

In the stomach fiber bonds are broken apart so nutrients and fiber particles and strands can do their magic in your stomach, small intestine, colon, and anus. Once food high in fiber is completely digested in the small intestine, fiber moves into the colon to complete its cycle in your body. If you have eaten enough fiber during a meal, your stools will have a certain shape, size, color and consistency and chances are you will not have constipation.

If you have not been eating food high in fiber, especially for many years, then mostly likely you will be struggling with having regular bowel movements.

Eating the right amount of fiber is not only necessary for keeping free of constipation but it is tied to your overall health. In the past, no one knew much about fiber. It was thought that it had no value as it entered and exited the body. But now, we know that if you don’t eat food high in fiber you will live a short and painful death. Here are some of diseases that are related to not eating enough fiber.

Heart disease

Diabetes

Appendicitis

Breast cancer

Colitis

Prostate cancer

Gastrointestinal disorders

Hemorrhoids

Hiatus hernia

Ulcers

High cholesterol

High blood pressure

All types of colon diseases

These are only a few diseases that you could develop. Do you see any of the diseases in this list that people come down with as they age? Did they eat enough fiber today? Will you eat enough fiber in the future? I hope so.

How should you eat fiber?

A general rule is to eat fruits and vegetables every day. Eat fruits in the morning to assist in purging out fecal matter that has accumulated in your colon and removing urine that your kidney has created by cleansing your blood during the night.

By eating fruits for breakfast you help remove toxins out of your colon by promoting a bowel movement. The fiber in fruits helps to clean your colon walls of tacky matter that accumulates there. This tacky matter is created when you don’t eat enough fiber and your stools are mushy and sticky.

When you eat lunch or dinner, always eat vegetables with these meals. Vegetables are needed when you eat meat which does not have fiber. Vegetables are needed when you eat processed food that has no fiber. Always eat vegetables when eating bread since processed bread has no fiber. When bread is eaten without vegetables, fecal matter, chime, in the colon is hard to move and is sticky. It is this sticky matter that clings to your colon walls, which prevents your colon from being strong, flexible, healthy, and non-toxic.

Always chose to eat food high in fiber everyday. This is a necessity. You were built to thrive on fruits and vegetables. Without them you commit yourself to a life of pain and disease. And it all starts in the colon with constipation.

Rudy Silva
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/you-need-food-high-in-fiber-for-constipation-relief-135700.html

Inevitably, in the life of every pet owner, there are unexpected behavioral problems here and there that need dealing with. It pays to be understanding and patient with your cat, as many times the issue is fully fixable and just a matter of understanding pet behavior. Here are some of the most common problems owners report having with their cats, and suggestions on how to handle them.

Soiling outside the litter box.

This is something that many cats will do when the litter box is not kept clean. Like us, they want to relieve themselves in a clean environment. If you have a multiple cat household like I do, buy more than one litter box, use scoopable cat litter and strain it frequently to keep it clean as possible. I have one robotic cat box that automatically cleans a few minutes after one of the cats leaves it. It does a great job but it must be kept clean or it will malfunction. The bottom line is, keep the litter box clean.

Wherever the cat has soiled outside the box, make sure the area is cleaned thoroughly with appropriate cleaner. You can buy cat repellant sprays at the pet store, those work pretty well. If you don’t have any, spray the fully cleaned area with potent perfume, cats usually hate perfume and will avoid the area totally to avoid the smell.

Throwing up on the carpet.

If you think your cat is sick, ask the doctor by phone if the symptoms are worth bringing in kitty for a checkup. Cats barf, it happens. They get hairballs from cleaning themselves, or they eat too fast and hurl it back up afterwards. If I see blood in the vomit, that is when I know to call the vet and bring kitty in, especially if he isn’t eating. Don’t delay if that happens. But for everyday barfing up hairballs or overeating, those I prevent as much as I can through their diet. I buy dry food that is for “Sensitive systems” or “Hairball management”. Ask a vet other tips on supplementing kitty’s nutrition so he won’t feel the need to hurl so much. Surely there are more ways to prevent this, but watching my cats’ diets has cut down on their needing to vomit, considerably.

You bring home a new cat, and the new cat doesn’t like it.

Cats are territorial, and it takes some adjustment for everyone when a new pet is added in. Cats naturally react with hissing, maybe growling and swatting one another when really mad. I introduced a new cat into my household a year ago and he instantly got along with one of my cats but hates the other one. But, they have learned to tolerate eachother, and I bet when I’m not looking they may actually be buddies deep down. How I acclimated them to eachother is, at first I used a cat pheramone spray called Feliway in the room, which is a natural calming medium for some cats. It calmed my more hyper cat down somewhat. Also, a spray bottle filled with water works great if they swat at or get nasty with eachother. One good squirt of water, and cats will scatter. Basically, you are re-training them to live with eachother. By rewarding good behavior and quickly, calmly responding to unwanted behavior, they learn to mellow out and co-exist. After 30 plus years of cat ownership, I know all cats can get along eventually. I grew up with cats and we always listened to hissing and mayhem when introducing new ones. If they get really nasty, put one in the bathroom, and let them sniff eachother under the door. Gradually put the two cats together more and more until they are more tolerant of one another. Even now in my household, there is a hiss here or there, or a swat, but nothing catastrophic. Make sure to pet both cats when you bring a new cat in, so the they both see that you “approve” of them. Be patient and don’t lose your temper, as anger will make everything worse, not better. Don’t stir fear into the picture, stay calm and let them go through their meowfest until they calm down. They will, trust me.

Kitty likes to sharpen his claws on your couch and other things he shouldn’t touch.

Buy a scratching post, and a cardboard cat scratcher (found in pet stores). Put dried catnip on the scratching post to attract the kitty and he’ll be climbing all over it in no time. The cardboard cat scratcher comes already infused with catnip, and absolutely no cat will refuse that thing when they smell it. Put your fingers on the post as they are looking at it, and pretend to scratch. I know, it sounds dumb, but it works. Cats mimic their mothers when they show them to hunt, so they can mimic you, the human parent, as you “scratch” at the post. Praise them profusely when they do what you do and start to scratch. If you can afford it, get a kitty condo or cat tree. There are some great ones on online auctions, brand new. I bought a huge one for half of what it would cost at the pet store chains, online. It was easy to put together, and my cats live on it. If you get one, again, put catnip on it to show them how interesting it is. My cats live on theirs. It keeps them off the couch, and gives them something to watch birds from (I put mine next to a large window).

Your cat likes to jump up on tops of things he shouldn’t, such as shelves or the tv.

If the space is small, get a semi-tacky thick roll of painters’ tape (it’s sticky but not overly so) or double sided sticky tape. Put strips of it on top of the items you know he will jump on. When he jumps up on it, believe me, he will not want to do it again. My one cat loved jumping on top of my stereo speakers, but when I did this, he stopped doing it forever after one encounter with the tape. The idea is to make the environment unpleasant to the kitty, and that should do the trick quickly. For larger spaces like a chair seat, buy a Purr Pad at the pet store, which gives a mild shock when kitty jumps on the area. It comes in different sizes and doesn’t hurt the kitty, just shows him that the place he jumped on isn’t for him. Or, tape some balloons on the surface of a place the kitty wants to frequent. One claw touching those balloons and he won’t be wanting to go there again.

These are some tips my family and I have used for years to train our cats. Some cats are more mischevious than others, but that is part of their charm. Cats are a joy to watch, just watch a kitten play, it is fun to see such unbridled energy and excitement. Just show them what behaviors you expect of them, since they won’t know until you guide their way. Do it with love, and patience. And they will reward you with unconditional love for life.

Carolyn McFann
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/common-cat-mishaps-and-how-to-deal-with-them-without-going-crazy-126022.html

Now that you’ve made the choice to lose weight, prepare your mind, your environment, and your kitchen to lose weight fast.

Your mind is your best tool weight loss tool. Just don’t try to lose weight, believe you can lose weight. Picture yourself thin. Every time you weigh yourself see your ideal weight showing up on the scale. If you have photos of yourself at your ideal weight keep them where you can glance at them often. Focus on that photo and see yourself now as you were then. Think about how comfortable your clothes will fit. How much more energy you’ll have. If it helps, think about how much more attractive your significant other will find you at your ideal weight. When you reach for a snack, tell yourself you’re satisfied with what you’ve already eaten. Focus on the thin you inside and soon it will be a reality.

Keep a diary of the food you eat for the few days before you start a new eating regime. Most of us don’t realize just how much food we eat in a day. We have a tendency to ‘forget’ the extra cream cheese with the bagel, bag of chips with lunch, mid afternoon frozen yogurt break and bedtime snack of chocolate cookies. Being aware of how much and what you eat means you can make healthful changes. If you hit a diet plateau, get out your food diary again and start keeping track. The knowledge that you will be writing down every mouthful will motivate you to stick with your routine.

A food diary serves another purpose as well. If you make a note of what you’re doing and how you’re feeling when you’re eating, or want to eat, you may realize there are certain situations that are triggers. When you know what triggers eating you can prepare for it, either by avoiding the situation, or if that’s not possible, having a healthy snack ready to munch. Sometimes just the fact you realize that a situation has the potential for diet sabotage can help you avoid the eating response.

Plan to diet. Make sure your scale works properly. Clean out the cupboards and fridge of foods that are too tempting. Schedule your menu for the week, or at least for several days in advance. Include healthy snacks as part of your menu. Stock up on bottled flavored waters that are low or no sodium and no calories. Make a list of what you’ll need at the grocery store and shop right after you’ve eaten. Hungry shoppers buy more than satisfied shoppers. Stick with your list. Don’t go back to the grocery store until your next set of menus are ready to go.

Set a goal for your weight loss and interim targets. Be realistic if you want to lose ten pounds it will probably take you two months. Plan to lose two pounds every week. If you’re a little short one week, you can add more exercise or cut back on calories a bit the next week. Stock up on fruits and veggies and prepare them in advance. Clean, peel and chop and stash in zip lock bags so you can just grab and go. If you have to eat out, plan in advance what you will order. No bread or butter on the table. Stick with steamed vegetables, salad with dressing on the side, and broiled chicken or fish. If you just have to have that yummy sauce, ask for it on the side. You’ll eat less.

Consider enlisting your family in your weight loss program. Most of us are a bit overweight. If you need to lose a few pounds the odds are so does your significant other. Dieting together can be more successful than dieting alone, but don’t turn it into a competition.

If others in your family are at their perfect weight or just don’t see the need to lose weight, they may not understand the need for less food, less fat, or streamlined meals. Prepare your meal and add an extra dish or two for them, that you don’t particularly care for. Another alternative is to prepare a regular meal and you eat half of what you usually would eat.

Snacks and junk food can be a dieter’s downfall. Buy your family their favorite can’t-live-without-snacks. Keep those snacks in their rooms, laundry room, or their closets. Out of your sight is out of your mouth. Make it clear when those snacks are gone there won’t be anymore until the next shopping trip.

Dee Power
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/tips-to-prepare-yourself-to-lose-weight-fast-499719.html

im going to new zeland for a ten day snow-boarding holiday with my school, and i need to know what diet and exercise changes i will need to make before entering this high altitude environment.
Thanks.

When you're at high altitude, there is less oxygen and results to the heart working harder. While it is good for endurance, it could also make you sick. In this case, you have to drink more water and stay away from alcohol. You also need to minimize on the salt and eat regular carbs. One thing to remember when you're still starting your exercise in high altitude is to work slowly. You need to be sure your body gets used to the amount of oxygen before you push it to the limit.

A strong immune system is vital for a long, healthy, and active life. A strong immune system is important to good health. You can help your immune system remain strong by following these easy tips.

The immune system is built around white bloodcells, amino acids and specialized organs. Its is designed to eliminate and destroy virus, toxins, dead cells, and mutated cells like cancer cells.

Release Toxins

Clean the natural exits that clean toxins from your body. This includes the bowels and the skin. Drink pure water to increase the urine is clear. This will require five pints of water a day. You should also have a bowl movement every day.

Clean the sweat from your body. Sweating a couple times a week will expedite cleaning toxins from the body, but only if the sweat is cleaned away. If sweat is not cleaned away, or the skin pours are blocked, then toxins are trapped in the fat muscles under the skin.

Clean the Blood

There are several foods that help clean the blood. The blood is the heart of the immune system. While 70 per cent of your immune system is in your bowels, the blood is responsible for white blood cell creation and cleaning away toxins.

Season Changes

Herbs and tonics are often prescribed during a season change to help adapt to the new climate. By planning ahead you can reduce the frequency and severity of catching the common cold and flu. Herbs that help are astragalus, ganoderma and cordyceps.

Use herb supplements. Natural products have different levels of the compounds that help the immune system, and they may include toxins.

Garlic has a good reputation, but most people will never eat enough to help. Ginger, onions, and citric fruits are good. The most important habit should be eating a well balanced diet that includes different colors of fruits and vegetables.

Keep in mind that while these herbs are effective individually, they should be prescribed in the content of an herbal formula to enhance synergistic action and minimize possible side-effects.

Reduce Sugar Intake

Only 8 tbsp. of sugar, or one can of soda, will reduce the body’s ability to create white blood cells and kill germs by 40 percent. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar begins within thirty minutes and may last for five hours.

Alcohol

Alcohol harms the body’s immune system in two ways. First, it deprives the body of immune- boosting nutrients. Second, it can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs.

Three or more drinks damage to the immune system.

Cut Fat

Obesity may lead to a depressed immune system effecting the white blood cell’s ability to multiply, produce antibodies, and rush to the site of an infection.

Emotions

A recent experiment in the New England Journal of Medicine (Cohen ‘91) confirmed that this is a correlation between emotions and the immune system. The researcher gave almost 400 people a psychological stress questionnaire designed to measure helplessness and negative emotions.

He then gave them nose drops containing cold virus. The chances of getting cold symptoms turned out be amazingly predictable from the test scores.

So, if you want to be healthy, watch your diet, stay away from alcohol an sugar, and find something to smile about.

Ethan Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/boosting-the-immune-system-127628.html