Health & Fitness Articles

Strength Training With Weider Fitness Equipment

If you are looking for an all-in-one strength training workout, Weider fitness equipment may be the answer that you have been searching for. Whether you do not have a lot of room for multiple pieces of strength training equipment or simply prefer the convenience of an all-in-one unit, there is a simple solution. Many strength training experts prefer to work out in the comfort of their own home and wish to avoid spending money on a gym membership. These are just a few of the r…

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strength training

If you are looking for an all-in-one strength training workout, Weider fitness equipment may be the answer that you have been searching for. Whether you do not have a lot of room for multiple pieces of strength training equipment or simply prefer the convenience of an all-in-one unit, there is a simple solution. Many strength training experts prefer to work out in the comfort of their own home and wish to avoid spending money on a gym membership. These are just a few of the reasons that Weider strength training fitness equipment is gaining in popularity.

The Advantage by Weider is a unique product. Offering over 65 club-quality exercises is not the only quality this strength training equipment promises, but this Weider fitness product also guarantees to tone up your muscles in 6 weeks or less.

The Weider fitness equipment strength trainer is a separate unit, which is designed to increase muscle and improve the overall tone of the entire body. This 16.6 strength trainer offers an upper-body station, butterfly arms, pull-up station, high and low pulleys, 225 lbs. of weights. The entire unit is designed on a sturdy steel frame. The Weider Pro 3750 strength trainer features two full-body workout stations, which are combined into one single machine. It offers 212 lbs. of resistance and aids in building muscles throughout every part of the body. Weider offers a variety of strength training units, each of which features many of the same characteristics, but may differ slightly in resistance or other option.

If your ultimate goal is strength training, the Weider fitness equipment that you may want to consider using is called a strength station. This strength training unit allows you to work on the abdominal muscles, chest, back, triceps and arms. It features a vertical knee raise station, dip station and a pull-up and push-up station .

In addition to the aforementioned strength training units, Weider fitness equipment includes a wide variety of weight benches and weights, exercise mats and other accessories. Among the more affordable units offered by Weider fitness equipment are a step machine, a genuine leather jump rope, latex resistance bands and a sit-up bar. The sit-up bar is especially interesting because it is used as a stand alone product that attaches to any standard door while providing the user with secure foot support needed for doing sit-ups.

The contents of this strength training article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used as, professional medical advice or recommendations. Before beginning any training or fitness routine, you should consult a licensed physician to learn what risks, if any, exist. He/she will be able to recommend a quality strength training exercise regimen, which will be personalized to fit your needs.

Hair Loss Solutions…Bonafide Cures or Bald Face Lies?

Although hair loss may not seem as important a health concern as cancer or heart disease, it can be very traumatic for those persons who experience it. By becoming knowledgeable about hair loss and its causes, and by seeking the services of a qualified professional, hair loss can many times be remedied, or at least controlled. This article explores the world of hair loss.

Keywords:
unique content,free content,hair loss,hair loss solutions,Rogaine

PART 1

Very much a highlighted news topic, the stem cell research controversy continues. Reasons for the “need” of research include possible help for persons with terminal cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury…and hair loss.

Hair loss is an important subject for the many men and women who experience it. The careless remarks and gratuitous jokes about baldness made by people with full heads of hair only add to their humiliation. Some people even experience anger that their hairline threatens to become as receded as the waters of the Red Sea for the Hebrews so many years ago.

Countless people wonder whether or not there really exists a cure for hair loss. Before we answer that question, we should first answer the questions, “What is hair loss?” and “What causes it?”

What is Hair Loss?

The term “Alopecia,” more commonly known as “baldness,” includes various disorders that involve the lack of hair where it would normally grow; especially when it involves the head. The most common form of baldness is a progressive hair-thinning condition that occurs in some adults.

Each piece of hair has a follicle located at the end of the hair shaft. Follicles act as the hair’s incubator;” it is where the hair is produced. Each strand of hair has a matrix, located at the base of the follicle. Cells in this area produce keratin, a tough protein that makes up the hair shaft, and melanin. Melanin stains the keratin, giving hair its color.

The activity of each follicle is dependant on surrounding follicles. Healthy hair follicles continuously grow. About 85% of the hair follicles on a healthy scalp are actively growing at the same time, and hair loss is not a problem.

Each strand of hair continues to grow for about 4 years, before going into a dormant period of about 4 months. On an average, only about 15% of the total amount of hair follicles on a healthy scalp is dormant at any one time. It is when a higher percentage of hair follicles stop growing at one time that hair loss becomes a problem.

What Happens During Hair Loss

Follicles are nourished by a network of capillaries, bringing nutrients to the base of the follicle. The amount of blood available to the scalp and to the follicles is determined by the health of the capillaries in the scalp, as well as the arteries in the neck and temple.

Problems develop when hair follicles do not receive proper nourishment. For instance, some women experience noticeable hair thinning after menopause, after the production of estrogen slows down or stops. Hair loss in women is usually more diffuse then in men. Women seldom have bold spots; a large area of the head may show sparse hair growth instead. Only about 15% of women are afflicted by such a high degree of hair loss that it becomes obvious.

In men the hormone DHT can harm hair follicles, making them shrink, or cause them to prematurely enter into the resting stage of the hair cycle. When this happens the result is often the characteristic U-shaped pattern of hair loss at the top of the head.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Predisposition can be one factor as to why one person begins losing their hair as they age, while another person does not. Various other disorders, such as obesity, allergies, and diabetes can also be attributed to predisposition. Sometimes hair loss can be the result of side effects caused by certain prescription drugs. Of course, these factors can often be countered.

Where you may not be able to reverse predisposition, you can sometimes contain it. By changing lifestyle, maintaining a customized healthcare regimen, and eating a well-balanced diet, many such factors can be alleviated or turned around.

More about Hair Loss

When it comes counteracting or slowing down the process of hair loss, products such as Rogaine, Dutasteride, and Propecia can help. Scalp exercises and massages using special preparations can also help.

Telogen Effluvium (TE) is a type of hair loss more common in women then men. It is characterized by high numbers of hairs that enter into the resting stage of the hair cycle, all at one time. This usually causes profuse shedding, as opposed to bald patches. This can be an overwhelming experience for women, especially those who once had luxuriant hair.

TE can be brought on by prolonged emotional or physical stress, severe illness, post-pregnancy hormone changes, or crash dieting. Once the triggering factor has been removed, TE hair loss usually stops. Hair can grow back in even without treatment, usually in 6 months to a year.

With proper treatment, hair growth can be accelerated. Some professionals recommend bringing the level of iron stored in the body up to 70 or 80 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter). The range of iron normally stored in a woman’s body might be between 12 – 50; the lower end not high enough to speed hair growth.

Rogaine can also be used for a few months to start the TE recovery process; once hair does begin to grow back in, Rogaine use can stop.

As mentioned earlier, crash dieting can trigger TE in both men and women. As a matter of fact, diets of less than 1,200 calories a day can trigger sudden hair loss. This is especially true of diets low in protein. When the body lacks proper protein it “borrows” by shifting healthy hairs into dormancy to conserve protein.

Although hair loss resulting from inadequate diets is most often temporary, it can result in permanent loss of hair in persons genetically predetermined towards hair loss. Also, extreme weight loss in men can increase the production of androgens – male sex hormones that kill hair follicles. Once hair follicles are destroyed, there can be no re-growth of hair.

In part-2 we of this article we discuss effective treatments for hair loss and where to go for help. Visit Writers Write Now for part 2, “What can be done about Hair Loss.”

©2006 Lori S. Anton
Writers Write Now

Eczema – Instigator The Itch

Eczema and the beheaded pimple.

Keywords:
Eczema,itch symptom,scaly skin,skin eruption,eczema skin disorder,specks of blood,open wound,infections,eptopic eczema,scratching,sore scabby,

Skin irritation skin disorder skin ailment, call it what you like but eczema is an eruption of the skin causing pain and suffering to millions worldwide. Eczema comes in many different forms. One of the most common is the type suffered by babies and children called atopic eczema.
Eczema is a skin complaint which can maliciously cover the whole body. Dry patches of scaly crusted scabby like clusters mounded in a clump or red pimply like sores are just a few to mention of how eczema displays its self on the skin (not in all cases) severity of this nature most definitely needs medical attention and the reason is because if unattended the sufferer gets to prolong their agony by scratching. After an attack on the skin with fingernails expect the infected area to become wet after the oozing clear fluid which sometimes consists of specks of blood settles around the open pierced skin

A skin complaint like eczema can flare up at any time through a number of reasons. As the years pass us by our skin starts to thin and becomes drier thus contributing to vulnerability of eczema affecting us in the ripe old years. Then we have allergies developed from exposure to things we find that does not agree with the skin hence allergic reactions.

The instigator behind why the scratching takes place is the distressing symptom (The Itch) a patient does more harm than good by scrawbing away at the flesh seeking contentment in easing the itch. Damage done by scratching can result in an open wound prone to infection.

Some types of eczema can be surrounded by a redness which changes colour e.g. from bright red to barely showing at all. Because eczema is normally dry and scaly it prevents and reduces the quality of the skin and its performance in doing what nature intended and that being is to protect against heat cold and all forms of bacterial infections.

Medical treatment is advisable in every type of eczema whether it mild or severe. Hospital admissions have been imminent in some cases where the human body has been ravished by this complaint or where infection has set in after a fingernail beheads a pimply spot.
The largest organ weighing in at approx four kilograms is the skin. A great many people are unaware and intend to ignore the skin and its needs. The skin like any other part of the body needs attention. The hair is nourished with conditioner the teeth with toothpaste so why not the skin. This coverage of about two square metres covering the human body has to stand up to appalling weather conditions/bumps/knocks and itching.

Remember the skin is your border line with the environment which is not in the very best of health at the moment. So while environmental friendly activists fight a good cause to stamp out pollution then please protect the skin.
Medication for eczema should be prescribed by your doctor because what you think may be eczema may just not be.

A Moving Experience

Ah, the joys of sending your child out to his or her own apartment. This scenario will be a humorous reminder to a few of you.

Keywords:
humor, moving, teens

I’ve found a cool apartment! Okay, okay…so it’s not perfect. Just a few bugs. I mean literally! First expense? An exterminator! Is it worth the cash? Well, I can’t afford a more expensive place, so a one-time (please!) cash outlay should be okay. Maybe just a can of “Raid?”

I need a way to move my stuff. Daddy, can I borrow your truck? You don’t have one? Why not? Do you want one? I’ll help you pick it out! Well, it was just a suggestion. No need to get all bent out of shape! I guess I’d better call the truck rental places. What do you mean…$200…PLUS mileage? AND Gas? Good grief!

While I’m on the phone I’ll call the utility and phone companies. Yes, I know I haven’t used your services before. No, I don’t have a credit card; this is my first place. You want what? A $100 deposit? For EACH? Holy cow…do you people have a license to steal?

Daddy, I need $500 for moving expenses! I used all my money for the first and last months rent AND the damage deposit. Well, how was I to know this was going to be so expensive? Sell something? Daaaaad…I NEED my TV!

Boy, this place is pretty empty. Maybe I should buy a couch and a chair. Nah…I have my bed. That’ll be good enough. I don’t need a table; I’ll just use this box.

Renters Insurance? I don’t think so! What do I have to insure?

Just got my first phone call! I’d love to come to your party! Daddy, I need a car. Because it’s too far to walk to work, that’s why. Umm, Daddy…there’s car insurance too! Thanks, Dad…you’re the best! And gas? I didn’t think so…

Time for dinner. Let’s look in these boxes. Oh, No! No dishes or pans. No FOOD!

Uhhh, Mom?

Controlling The Urge For Comfort Foods

Eating ‘comfort’ foods to calm your stress levels may not exactly be a new technique, but a recent study has shown that the use of comfort foods has steadily risen over the past two years. The study was conducted by the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index and revealed that customer satisfaction ratings for manufacturers of traditional so-called comfort foods were up. These foods included some of the most popular candy companies; like Hershey and Mars…

Keywords:
Weight Loss, Lose Weight, Diet, Diet Support

Eating ‘comfort’ foods to calm your stress levels may not exactly be a new technique, but a recent study has shown that the use of comfort foods has steadily risen over the past two years. The study was conducted by the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index and revealed that customer satisfaction ratings for manufacturers of traditional so-called comfort foods were up. These foods included some of the most popular candy companies; like Hershey and Mars. So, what has caused the consumption of comfort foods to rise? The study concluded that concerns about the war in Iraq, personal safety, the economy and other events have significantly contributed to the increase in use of food as a way to relieve stress.

While indulging in cookies, candy and other calorie laden foods may make you feel somewhat better about stressful events and news; ultimately it will nothing for your health. There might not be much you can do to control the stressful events surrounding you; but fortunately there are several techniques you can utilize to control comfort eating.

One of the best ways you can control comfort eating is to practice a little patience. If you can wait at least 15 minutes before indulging in traditional comfort foods, there is a very good chance that you can avoid eating them at all.

Another good way to limit the amount of comfort foods you consume is to keep a food diary. Make a point to diligently write down all the foods you eat each day—even those that are just a few of this and a handful of that. Seeing what you have eaten in writing is a great way to keep you on the right track.

Most people indulge in comfort foods while chatting on the phone, watching TV or surfing the net. Try making an agreement with yourself that you will only eat while seated at the table and you will improve your ability to withstand the urge to comfort snack.

The buddy system is also a fantastic way to take control of the desire to delve into comfort foods. If you happen to have a friend that also faces the same temptations; this provides an advantage for both of you. Whenever you are feeling stressed and are tempted to grab your favorite snack; opt to phone or visit your buddy instead.

Many people who feel the temptation to indulge in comfort foods due to stress find that redirecting their attention helps tremendously. One way to do this is to place the amount of money that your comfort food would cost into a jar and saving it for something special. You will be surprised not only at the amount of money you will save, but at how well you will be able to avoid comfort food and feel better about yourself.

Finally; whenever all else fails, remove yourself from temptation by doing away with the junk food in your home and office. Replace them with foods that are healthy for you; so that even if you can’t resist the urge to snack while stressed at least you will be filling your body with something good for you.

Eat Your Carbs, They’re Good For You!

You may think after all of the talk lately about carb reduction that you need to avoid eating carbohydrates. But the exact opposite is the case. The kinds of carbohydrates you get from fruits and vegetables are a necessary basis of your daily diet. Instead of helping you “pack on the pounds,” they actually help you to burn fat. They are also a major source of fuel for your body, especially your muscles, brain and nervous system.

Carbs occur in two types: simple and complex…

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low carb diets, info low carb diet, dietary guidelines, diet and health, how to diet properly

You may think after all of the talk lately about carb reduction that you need to avoid eating carbohydrates. But the exact opposite is the case. The kinds of carbohydrates you get from fruits and vegetables are a necessary basis of your daily diet. Instead of helping you “pack on the pounds,” they actually help you to burn fat. They are also a major source of fuel for your body, especially your muscles, brain and nervous system.

Carbs occur in two types: simple and complex. They are broken down into glucose, or blood sugar, which is metabolized by your body for energy. Glucose not immediately used by you is stored in your muscles as glycogen, but if your body has an excess of glycogen, it is converted into fat. However, because carbs prime your metabolism, you need them in order to burn fat. This is one of the major reasons you must not starve yourself and eat too few carbs. You must eat a good intake of complex carbs, such as those found in fruits and veggies.

Simple carbs, such as those found in candies and sweets, and also fruit, are turned into glucose quickly. These are the kind which can add to your weight problem. Complex carbs, such as those found in brown rice, veggies, legumes (peas, beans and lentils), and whole grains breads and cereals are digested and thus used at a much slower rate, giving your body time to prime its metabolism.

There are four calories in each and every gram of carbohydrate. Nutritionists say that 50% of your diet should consist of complex carbs. Simple carbs are high in calories but low in vitamins and minerals. These are the so-called “empty calories” that you find in sodas, deserts and other such sweets, and to some extent in fruits — especially fruit juices and fruit juice drinks. You should be getting your major carb intake from whole fruits, whole grains and vegetables.

Good high carb veggies are peas, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, spinach, squash, succotash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and turnips. Succotash, sweet potatoes and green cooked peas are the highest in carbs. You need several servings per day of complex carb foods such as these to maintain your energy levels and keep you from getting those “sluggish” feelings that make you feel sick and tired.

By eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day, you will be boosting your health through better carb consumption. The National Cancer Institute recommends that you have fruit juice — or better yet fresh fruit – every day for breakfast. You should have a fresh fruit or vegetable snack every day. You need to stock up on dried, frozen and canned fruits and veggies. You must make these foods visible and easy to access throughout your daily routine. And you have to “sample the delicious spectrum” when it comes to the many different colors and varieties of fruits and vegetables.

You will get your “five a day” if you eat one cup of dark, leafy greens, one half cup of red tomatoes, one half cup of yellow peppers, six ounces of orange juice and one half cup of blueberries. This is only one example of how you can consume “five a day” of fruits and vegetables to keep your complex carb ratio up. Please notice this includes only one serving of fruit juice. Various nutrition experts state that you should eat whole, fresh fruits more often than drinking fruit juice, which keeps those simple sugars from adding to your weight problem.

This is because simple sugars are more concentrated in fruit juices than in whole fruits. You should eat at least two cups of fruit a day, in a variety of fresh choices, such as one small banana, one large orange and one quarter cup of fresh or canned apricots or peaches. Also, eating fresh fruit adds more fiber to your diet and helps flush toxins from your system better than only drinking fruit juice does.

You should also eat plenty of dark, leafy green veggies, which are among the best foods for you. Eat broccoli and kale, as well as mustard greens and spinach. Also, you should eat “orange” veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash. For peas and beans, among the best are pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils. Foods such as these are extremely healthy, low in fat, and terrific for raising your energy levels.

Eating fruits and veggies will also greater lower your risk for cancer. Researchers at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University have made “top ten” lists of the best antioxidant (anti-cancer) fruits and vegetables. Here are some of the most antioxidant members of the fruit and vegetable families of foods:

1) Fruits: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes and cherries

2) Veggies: kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers, onions, corn and eggplant

While the average American seldom gets as much as two servings of these good foods per day, nutrition experts say that five to seven servings a day need to become a staple of the ordinary American diet. You can easily sneak these into your family’s eating patterns. Try serving raw veggies at every meal, and take advantage of packaged, prepared veggies. Put veggies into your breakfast and lunch, and start each family dinner with a mixed green salad. Serve a salad entrйe dish once per week, fill your spaghetti sauce with vegetables, and begin ordering a weekly pizza – with an extra serving of healthy vegetables.

If we were to eat more veggies and fewer processed foods, we as a country would lose weight, clean out our clogged arteries, balance our blood sugar and shut down a large number of hospitals in the process. This would roughly solve America’s growing health and obesity problems – in a nutshell.

Shampoo Killed My Beautiful Hair

We buy these hair products. We try these salon treatments. But of course, none that is similar to those shampoo commercials ever happens to us. None ever will. But then we keep buying these products. We keep trying more salon treatments. Until we fail again.

Keywords:
hair care,shampoo,hair,beauty,health

Hair is everybody’s crowning glory.

The previous paragraph is the sole reason as to why beauty salons and shampoo companies have become the “in thing” in the business world. They earn money by caressing vanity, the very grain that is inherent in human nature. They awe us by parading beautiful girls with long, shiny hair. They instill in us the drama, the magic, the beautiful-girl-stories of finding fame and romance by sporting soft and shiny locks.

We buy these hair products. We try these salon treatments. But of course, none that is similar to those shampoo commercials ever happens to us. None ever will. But then we keep buying these products. We keep trying more salon treatments. Until we fail again.

It is sad that we end up forever victims of what we believe as the “great solution.” We don’t know that what we religiously follow at the back of shampoo bottles is not really a beauty secret, but actually a deceitful commercial script to bring more business for shampoo companies. In reality, constant usage of shampoo actually diminishes the strength and the shine of the hair. But because we have so much faith, we never put the blame on these products. Instead, we use more, buy more, hope even firmer that in the long run, we still will achieve the shampoo-model-type-hair.

The rationale for this is simple. Overwashing the hair rids the natural oil from the scalp, therepy prodding the latter to produce more oil to compensate. This results dandruff and grease. Also there are residues from hair creams and shampoos that accumulates in the hair, making it more difficult to wash.

In an article by Natalie in stretcher. com, she gave tips on how to maintain a less-costly but healthy hair:

1. When you wash your hair, lather once, not twice (like all shampoo instructions suggest!). Wash your hair and scalp thoroughly, and then rinse.. Your hair might not feel “squeaky clean,” but it will be as clean as with two lathers.
2. When possible, leave your hair without washing an extra day. Try not to wash your hair every day. Your hair will become less oily over time.
3.Brush your hair and scalp every day (your grandmother was right). This will stimulate your scalp, distribute protective oils throughout your hair, and combat dandruff.
4. Unless you’ve had your hair colored or permed in the last month, do not condition the hair at your scalp. This will discourage greasiness, and it will also save you money!
5. If you want a fresh feeling but don’t want to shampoo, just run hot water over your hair in the shower. This will rinse away some of the dirt and even out your hair, so that it will look clean without having to shampoo.

There we go. There are actually more less-costly but more effective fixes that we can think of than depending on instant treatments. It is never wrong to look for easier alternatives, but hey, a beautiful mane is a treasure unworthy of being gambled. Let’s play it slow and sure. Beauty, after all, is not an overnight thing.

Other articles from the same author:
A-Z Guide for a Healthy Beauty

Dogs of War: Psychology In “Metal Gear Solid”

The “Metal Gear Solid” is considered one of the best games ever developed by the industry. The extensive cast of characters all exhibit engaging personalities, with some of them having more than a touch of mental instability. However, there are a few characters who have personalities and quirks that stand out more than the rest.

Keywords:
mental health, depression, social anxiety, performance anxiety, fear and anxiety, anxiety disorder, status anxiety, side effect

Compared to the early releases, new video games have improved in terms of plot and character development. The psychology and personalities of the characters – hero, villain, and recurring figure alike are now just as important as how the game plays.

However, like in the early days of comic books before Stan Lee’s “Spider-Man,” video game characters tend to be flat caricatures of real people, with flaws like social anxiety, fragile mental health, and depression being traits reserved for antagonists. Yet, even in such a climate, there are still maverick character designers who have made heroes that are difficult to fit into the traditional definition of the “hero” role. Among the best examples of such games is Hideo Kojima’s “Metal Gear Solid” series.

Being a game that both embraces the psychology of war and carries a strong pacifist undercurrent, there is a complexity in the cast of characters that is necessary. To an extent, all of the characters have some form of mental health disorder, which is appropriate for a game that relies heavily on the personalities of its characters. While some might initially see them as extreme responses to their situations, Kojima has gone to great lengths to present his characters as possibilities present when war meets psychology. The characters of the MGS series can be taken to represent the various effects of war on a person’s mental health, whether they are soldiers, commanders, or bystanders. He shows this through their personalities and the conversations that they have with the protagonist, making them more than just an obstacle to overcome to complete the game.

Among the most long-standing favorites of Kojima’s multitude of antagonists is the woman known only as Sniper Wolf. She may appear perfectly sane at first glance, but some have analyzed her personality as a potential consequence of growing up in a war zone. The experience of living in war-torn Iraq has left scars that damaged her mental health and emotional development . For children who were born and raised in a war zone, the typical response is to find a way out of the chaos and destruction. For Sniper Wolf, even after her rescue, her mental health was so marked by her experiences that the only real way she could overcome her prolonged trauma was to become part of it. Yet, perhaps due to some sort of anxiety disorder, she also longed to distance herself from it. As a soldier, she became part of the very thing that terrorized her as a child. As a sniper, she perhaps relieved her fear and anxiety as a child by distancing herself from the front lines, taking lives from behind the scope of her rifle. This theme of a person becoming part of what scarred them in their youth is repeated in the “Beauty and the Beast” military unit in the upcoming finale of the MGS series, albeit with a more literal interpretation.

Liquid Snake, one of the series’ primary antagonists, also exhibits a number of psychological disorders. His initial goal appeared to have been little more than the “world conquest” standard, but as the plot progresses, it is revealed to be much deeper. As the genetically-altered “twin brother” to the protagonist, Solid Snake, Liquid exhibits signs of sibling-caused status anxiety. Altered to be the inferior of the two brothers, Liquid pushed himself to perform in every aspect of his military life to prove that his inferior genetics were not going to define him. His status anxiety also pushed him to lead an insurrection of soldiers in an attempt to outdo his father and form a utopia for soldiers. His murderous competition with his brother is also driven by status anxiety, as he subconsciously desires to kill his brother to prove that he is better than both his brother and his father. This desire to outdo both his brother and father is a consistent factor in his appearances in the series. He also exhibits a slight Messiah complex in his desire to fulfill his father’s dream, as he expanded the plan to not only create a haven for soldiers, but also to destroy the governments that would use and discard them.

The problem of status anxiety also manifests slightly in the goals of Big Boss, Liquid and Solid Snake’s “father.” A man deemed to be the “perfect soldier,” his genetic material was used to create his “sons,” even as he had one of them modified to be inferior to the other. As a solider, he quickly realized that the time would come when men like him would no longer be needed and would be discarded by the governments they served like obsolete trash. His own status anxiety, combined with his disillusionment at how the US government betrayed his mentor to save their reputation, forged the idea of a soldier’s utopia in his mind. It was during his second attempt to establish such a utopia – which he termed “Outer Heaven” – that he was slain in battle by Solid Snake, his genetic son. His adamant refusal to be referred to by his codename of “Big Boss” also reflects his status anxiety towards the events that earned him the name. He resents the fact that he was awarded that codename because he killed his mentor, “The Boss,” for a government that discarded and abandoned her – despite her loyal service – simply because it was politically convenient to do so. The bitter irony of the name has not escaped him.

However, perhaps the most psychologically compelling case among the MGS series cast would be the chief protagonist himself, Solid Snake. According to records spread throughout the games, Snake exhibited signs of social anxiety at an early age. Trained to be the perfect killer and the ultimate stealth soldier, he was raised to dislike emotional attachments and view closeness with other people as a potential weakness. This social anxiety was reinforced by his second major mission, where he had to kill both his best friend and his father to fulfill his mission objectives. The fight with Gray Fox, his best friend, was also an instance where he showed performance anxiety, being extremely unwilling to fight a man he considered his friend and combat superior. His traces of status anxiety also plays a role in his character, though not in the way most would expect. He views himself not as the hero the people around him believe he is, but simply as “an old killer, hired to do some wet work.” He constantly seems to wish to prove that he is more than just the soldier he believes himself to be, but inevitably cannot distance himself from the battlefield. His conflicted status anxiety sometimes plays out subtly, as he no longer wishes to engage in fighting and just live out his life in isolation. However, he understands that he is a soldier and he will always be a soldier, with his only home being the chaos of a battlefield.

A common trait among the front line soldier characters of the MGS series is their inability to feel grief over loss. The explanation was that, as they were exposed more and more to the horrors of war, they began to lose the ability to grieve over lost comrades and family. This has been portrayed as a side effect of the horrors of war upon a soldier’s mental health, particularly in the cases of Big Boss and Solid Snake, who both had to endure the trauma of killing someone that they were emotionally attached to.

The X Factor: How Fast Can It Ruin Your Life?

The insidious metabolic disorder Syndrome X can ruin your life for sure, maybe even kill you, especially if ignored. It can lead to much more serious problems like hypertension, high triglycerides, diabetes, and even heart disease. The good news is that it can also be prevented by exercise, a change in diet and weight loss.

Keywords:

It was absolutely embarrassing! I couldn’t stay awake. After eating a normal breakfast lunch or dinner I was out like a light. No I am not talking about the Thanksgiving turkey tryptophan thing that is the brunt of so many jokes-this was not funny at all.

I tried to cope with this for over a year until one day driving in town on a busy street in broad daylight- I fell asleep at the wheel. That was bad enough but as it happened my fiancйe was with me to witness the event. Fortunately the worst that happened was I scared the hell out of both of us. That did it- I had to get some help.

I went to see a health practitioner who knew immediately what I had-Syndrome X.
I still remember going home to see what else I could find out about Syndrome X besides the take home literature which was very scant. It was not a common term for sure. There just wasn’t much information out there in 1995.

In a nutshell this ominous sounding term refers to a group of symptoms centered on insulin resistance. Without making it too confusing I’ll try to explain.

After a meal someone with Syndrome X will have elevated glucose in the blood which signals the pancreas to make more insulin. This forces the blood sugar down, which can lead to food cravings, which can lead to – you guessed it- OBESITY and a host of other serious problems like hypertension, high triglycerides, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

Syndrome X interferes with the body’s ability to burn food. Muscle cells become more resistant to insulin thus reducing the ability to absorb nutrients which in turn causes the pancreas to produce more insulin. Got it? Let me try again.

If you have Syndrome X your body’s metabolism is screwed up (not a medical term). It causes you to have food cravings notably for sweets (sugar) and bread and pasta (white flour) to a point of almost being addictive. Can you see where this is headed?

Some think that Syndrome X is actually caused by eating too many high carb foods like bread, pasta and sweets. As many as 75 million Americans have Syndrome X in one degree or another. Sure is a good thing I wasn’t a snackaholic, chocaholic, or addicted to pasta and bread.

Is it any coincidence at all that the prevalence of Syndrome X, pre-diabetes, and obesity in all age groups-especially children-has something to do with the much more serious problems of diabetes, hypertension, higher triglycerides, and CHD?

That’s the bad news! The good news is that the more serious problems can all be prevented. Weight loss of up to 15 % of your current weight will have an impact on lowering your blood pressure and raising your HDL or good cholesterol. A diet low in refined carbs such as soda, high fructose corn syrup, sugar and white flour bread and pasta will help with weight loss and getting your triglycerides down. And of course exercise-even a 30 minute walk a day can do wonders.

So be good to yourself, your spouse and children; lose the weight, exercise, and change your diet. If you don’t the evil downward spiral of Syndrome X will ruin your life for