Ripped Female Abs: Easy Ways to Get Ripped Abs

There is 'No Doubt' about the incredibility of Gwen Stefani's, ripped abs! The singer, fashion designer and a par excellence artist has surely put in lot to get her sleek and svelte figure. There are no free lunches and hence there are no shortcuts to cut loose all the flab. Workouts and strict control on the dietary intake is what it takes to get the 'die for' abdominal muscular built. Making compromises for fitness is acceptable, but with fitness is a complete 'no-no'. Sheer dedication and a commitment is what it take to get the firm stomach you always wanted. If you want to get abs for a particular event or an occasion, now is the time you'd want to start.

Mental Make Up
Do not confuse this with the face make up. It is complete opposite of that. Mental make up means making up your mind. Strengthening and making it ready for the change will go a long way in accomplishing this exercise. They say, thinking of an idea is half the battle won, but now doing the actual will win you the title of a true winner!

Losing Weight
Losing weight is the foremost criteria for getting a flat tummy. Getting rid of all that flab is the first thing on the list. Remove all the junk food items and high in fat content items such as cream, fried items, cakes, sweets, chocolates, milk and rice from your house. Replace it with fresh vegetables, fruits and juices. This will not only reduce the intake of fats, but improve your skin, hair and health as well.

Generosity of Genetics
Once you made the aforementioned changes in your kitchen, sit down and analyze the family medical history. Find out the cases of obesity, anemia, and other health related issues in your family. This will give you a fair view of where your temperament of genes is headed. Some people have a tendency to put on weight, despite eating less. If you are one of those, then you'd have to make a few more sacrifices. But a healthy sacrifice is better than the sacrifice of health.

Enough is Not Enough
Of course, exercising is a must! There are no two ways about it! But, that's not all. Crunches and sit-ups are recommended exercise that must be added to your daily exercise routine. For those of you who feel that doing only abs exercise is not working, there is no reason to quit. Try working out with the exercise ball. Get a workout regime planned from your gym instructor. And the end of it remember, that following the regime religiously is going to fetch you the coveted result.

To put it clearly, getting perfectly toned abs is easy once you build up your will power and maintain it. After all it is true that, if there's a will there's a way!

Stomach Ulcer Symptoms

A peptic ulcer is an open sore or lesion that develops in the duodenum or the lining of the stomach. The open sores that form in the duodenum are called duodenal ulcers, whereas the ones that develop in the lining of the stomach are called gastric ulcers. Gastric ulcers, which are commonly called stomach ulcers, form when a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori damages the mucous layer of the stomach. This causes the lining of the stomach to get exposed and come directly in contact with the stomach acid and pepsin, which is an enzyme that helps to break down proteins in food. Exposure to stomach acid and pepsin can erode the stomach lining, thereby causing ulcers.

The human body has its own mechanism to protect the stomach from the effects of the stomach acid. This mechanism is called gastric mucosal barrier. The epithelial cells of stomach mucosa produce bicarbonate ions that neutralize the gastric juices. Prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances, also stimulate the production of mucus and bicarbonate. Stomach ulcers are likely to develop whenever the gastric mucosal barrier is broken. While infection due to Helicobacter pylori bacteria often causes ulceration, there could be other contributory factors behind the development of ulcers.

Early Symptoms of Stomach Ulcers

Since the symptoms of gastric ulcers are very similar to the symptoms of a majority of digestive ailments, there's often a delay in treatment, which in turn, causes the person's condition to deteriorate further. Thus, having a basic understanding of the causes and symptoms of stomach ulcers will help to rule out a misdiagnosis and the subsequent delay in the treatment.

If the symptoms are diagnosed early, this condition can be cured within a short span of time. On the contrary, turning a blind eye to the early symptoms can worsen the situation, and cause a lot of pain and discomfort to the individual. An affected individual is likely to experience the following symptoms:

Dull, aching pain
Burning sensation
Bloating
Belching
Sudden loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Weakness
Sour taste in the mouth
Heartburn
Weight loss

The burning sensation and pain that the affected individual experiences, usually occurs right after a meal. The duration for which the pain is felt could range from minutes to hours.

Complications

At times, symptoms of a serious nature may start surfacing in the later stages due to the extensive damage caused to the stomach lining. These symptoms include:

Excruciating pain in the stomach
Vomiting blood of a dark brown color
Blood in stool

These symptoms could be a sign of complications such as bleeding, perforation, or obstruction of the contents of the stomach by the ulcer. Medical assistance must be sought as soon as the aforementioned symptoms begin to appear. Even at this point of time, the symptoms can be alleviated, provided medical help is sought immediately.

The following tests are usually conducted to diagnose this condition:

Barium swallow
Upper endoscopy
Gastric tissue biopsy
Gastrin test
C14 breath test

Risk Factors

Those who have a family history of stomach ulcers are definitely susceptible, but there are other factors that may put a person at a risk for developing this condition. The risk factors include:

Smoking
Excessive consumption of alcohol
Prolonged use of NSAIDs or corticosteroids
Poor dietary habits
Liver, kidney or lung problems

Treatment

Antibiotics are prescribed when the ulcers form due to an infection by Helicobacter pylori. The dosage will vary, depending on the severity of the infection.

At the same time, the doctor will also prescribe medication to reduce the production of stomach acid so as to ensure speedy recovery. Proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 blockers refers to the class of drugs that decrease the production of stomach acid.

Sucralfate refers to a cytoprotective agent that forms a barrier or coating over the ulcer, thereby speeding up the healing process.

Treatment will continue for two to three weeks. However, it will take a couple of months for the person to get cured completely. In severe cases, when there's bleeding or perforation in the stomach wall, surgery may be recommended.

Precautionary Measures

Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol.

Do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Refrain from consuming spicy food. Many people believe that stomach ulcers are caused as a result of eating spicy food, which is not at all true. Spicy food can aggravate an already existing ulcer though.

Helicobacter pylori bacteria could spread due to consumption of contaminated food and water, so take the necessary precautionary measures.

Don't resort to self-medication. If you opt for a wrong drug, you will just end up worsening your condition. While antacids are effective in providing relief from pain by raising the level of pH in the stomach, you need to understand that this relief is temporary. So, don't take antacids unless recommended by a doctor. Do contact your doctor if you have been experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms. Follow the guidelines regarding the frequency and dosage of the drug. This will surely pave the way for a speedy recovery.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.

Potassium Chloride Side-effects

Potassium chloride is an important mineral required by the body for various reasons. It is therefore important for you to maintain an optimum level in the body. In case the potassium chloride level in the body is found to be low, the doctor would prescribe medicines to make it regain the optimal level. However, there are certain side effects which you need to be careful about before starting the medication.

Understanding KCl

Potassium chloride (KCI) is a chemical compound which is made up of potassium and chlorine and is mostly used in the production of fertilizers for plants. In the human body, this natural salt's most important function is to keep the heart beating. A balanced diet, provides the body with sufficient amount of it. Hypokalemia, a common disease caused due to low levels of Potassium in the body, is treated with tablets. This medicine can be taken orally or at times, can also be injected. Kaon CI, Micro-K, K-Dur and Klor-Con are a few major brands which manufacture controlled potassium releasing tablets. Like all medicines, there are a few side effects of potassium chloride tablets as well.

Precautions

Before starting with the medication, one needs to inform his doctor in case of any of the following:

• Any kidney disease or a kidney failure
• Any large tissue injury like a severe burn or cut
• Heart diseases or high blood pressure problems
• A stomach or intestine blockage
• Severe diarrhea or constipation
• Adrenal gland problems like Addison's disease
• Severe dehydration
• Allergies to any medicines or if you are on any medication currently

The doctor may alter the dose a little bit or even ask you to undergo certain tests for safety purposes in case you have any of the above mentioned problems. Although the possibility of potassium chloride side effects cannot be completely eliminated even after the tests, there are chances that the precautionary tests ensures that these medicines cause minimum discomfort.

Side Effects

There is no need to be overly worried as there are chances that one may not even be affected by any of these. In around 80% of cases, it has been observed that the patients do not suffer from any problems. The possible side effects include:

• Pain in the legs
• Weakness of the muscles
• Uneven heartbeat
• Anxiety, confusion or a feeling of dizziness
• Constant diarrhea or pain in the stomach
• Excessive vomiting
• Dark or blackish stools
• Tingling on your hands or feet
• Dizziness and nausea

In case you suffer form any of these problems after taking the tablets, kindly consult a doctor immediately. Of these possible side-effects, mild nausea, gas problems, mild diarrhea and vomiting are less serious and do not require medical attention generally, as they disappear in some time.

Take the medicines as prescribed by the doctor and also read the instructions on the label properly before taking the medicines. Normally, these medicines have to be taken after meals with a glass of water without chewing them. These medicines may react with certain medicines in the body, to form an excess amount of potassium which can also lead to cardiac arrest. That is the reason why one needs to inform the doctor about any ongoing medication before starting the course. The doctor could also advise for periodic tests so as to monitor the effectiveness of these medicines.

These side effects mentioned in this article are not exhaustive. So in case you suffer from any other health abnormalities after taking the medicines, kindly consult your doctor as he knows best.

Nervousness Cure

Stress can be defined as a condition characterized by mental, physical or emotional tension. It is a response to a stimulus, which may be internal or external. Not getting the train or bus on time to commute to work, waiting in line at the supermarket, worrying about not achieving the target at work, etc. can cause one to become stressed. The stimulus for stress is different for different people. Nervousness on the other hand can be defined as the state of mind characterized by distress, apprehension and uneasiness. It is a sense of dread, fear and anxiety. Nervousness can emerge by negative expectations or thoughts and is a condition emanating in response to stress. One may experience anxiety all the time and not understand the reason behind it. Abnormal levels of some neurotransmitters in the brain can conduce to generalized nervousness.

Causes of nervousness can be traced to genetics or even environmental conditions. Children with anxious parents are inclined to be anxious people when they become adults. However, the root cause of nervousness is one's own thinking pattern. The symptoms of nervousness comprise sweaty hands, tense muscles, anxiety attacks, dry mouth, vomiting and irregular heartbeat. Anxiety is a common phenomenon and we all have our share of anxiety bouts. Just before a test or public speaking assignment, we have all kinds of animal species flouncing in our tummies. Nervousness becomes harmful when it begins to take the form of sleep disorders, depression, relationship problems, high blood pressure, etc. Chronically nervous people are likely to suffer from respiratory illness, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, etc.

Remedies for Nervousness

• Some medical professionals say that resorting to medication is the best way to handle chronic nervousness. However, medication often conduces to harmful side effects and even aggravate nervousness. Some of the natural remedies are as follows:
• An effective option for a natural cure for nervousness is exercise. Exercise stimulates the body to release natural mood-boosting and pain killing chemicals called endorphins. Regular exercise conduces to decreased negative emotional reactions, to the situations causing nervousness earlier.
• Taking a one-hour warm bath (the longer the better) accompanied with vigorous rubbing and topping it with a cool bath or spray, helps reduce bouts of nervousness. Gentle massage after the bath is also a very good cure. One should even try adding half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of ginger to lukewarm water, in the bathtub and have a bath. The effects are soothing!
• Getting the body system cleaned out helps bowel movements, thereby, resulting in good health. One can make use of herbal laxatives and cleansers to clear the system.
• Dunk an orange in a pot of boiling water and inhale the vapor or else one can even inhale the fragrance of an orange while peeling it. One can also drink a cup of orange juice with 2 tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of nutmeg added to it.
• Consuming a mixture of two grated onions and two cups of celery is believed to reduce the feeling of restlessness. This combination can be added to salads or in different food dishes and consumed. Having the almond-nutmeg paste at bedtime is also beneficial. Just soak 8-10 almonds in water overnight and peel them in the morning. Prepare a paste by adding some water. Add a pinch of ginger and a teaspoon of nutmeg and have the paste before sleeping. It is an effective cure for nervousness.
• It is also believed that drinking two cups of tea a day with one tablespoon of honey, will bring relief to people with shaking hands and finger control problem.
• Another cure for nervousness is to drink chamomile, catnip, horsetail, peach leaf, hops, spearmint and peppermint tea. Placing a drop of primrose oil on the tongue will also help.
• Smearing rosemary oil on the forehead is also believed to reduce nervousness. One can even prepare a rosemary decoction, by adding dried rosemary to boiling water and allowing it to steep for 15 minutes. Drain it and sip when cool.

Besides the above mentioned cure for nervousness, there are various therapies like meditation, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming for nervousness cure. However, the most effective way to cope with nervousness, is by spending time in prayer. Giving one's burden and anxious thoughts into the Creator's hands and trusting God, is the best way to handle nervousness. Besides, prayer has no side effects!