2013年7月14日星期日

Benefits of an IUD

The Answer To Easy Birth ControlBirth control has come a long way since it was approved for use as a contraceptive in 1960. If you're still searching for an effective, stress-free birth control method, you may be missing out on all the options. Here are the benefits of an IUD.

happy woman in park

Short for intrauterine device, an IUD is a small plastic T-shaped device that is placed within the uterus by a medical professional. It includes an attached string so you know it's there, and it's easily removed by your doctor if you change your mind. Though used by less than six percent of the population, according to the National Survey of Family Growth, the IUD birth control method has advantages that many women don't know. Here are seven benefits of an IUD.

It's affordable

Worldwide, IUDs are one of the most affordable forms of birth control for long-term pregnancy prevention. Your out-of-pocket costs will vary depending on your provider and insurance coverage, but the American Pregnancy Association estimates that most women pay between $175.00 to $400.00. Compared to the out-of-pocket expenses you'll accrue using other birth control, an IUD is generally more affordable because it stays in place for five to 10 years, depending on the brand you select.

No waiting

Unlike many birth control methods, you don't need to wait until a certain point in your menstrual cycle to start using an IUD, and you don't have to wait for it to become effective. It can be implanted immediately after abortion or childbirth, and has no impact on breastfeeding.

Insertion is easy

Insertion is done in the medical provider's office using a speculum, and takes just a few minutes. You may feel some cramping or dizziness afterwards, but for the most part, you can return to normal activities, including intercourse and tampon usage, whenever you wish.

No worries

There are two types of IUD options to choose from, based on your body and needs. A copper IUD releases a small amount of copper into the uterus to prevent sperm from traveling and fertilizing, and can be left in place for up to 10 years. A hormonal IUD releases progestin into the body, will stay in place for five years and acts by thickening cervical mucus so that sperm cannot travel to the cervix.

It's reversible

If you decide you are ready to get pregnant, simply schedule an appointment with your medical provider to have the IUD removed.

It does its job

According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, fewer than one out of 100 women using an IUD get pregnant during the first year of use.

You won't feel a thing

Unlike some birth control methods, you and your partner won't feel the IUD during intercourse. If you're concerned it's not there, you can always check for the presence of the string to ease your mind.

Expert tip

According to Planned Parenthood, the ParaGard IUD can be used as emergency birth control -- if inserted within five days after unprotected intercourse.

More reading

All about IUD birth control
What's the right birth control option for me?
Common birth control misconceptions

相关的主题文章:

2013年7月10日星期三

Tips for relaxed hosting

Put Your Feet Up!Did you ever have a party and forget to have fun? Entertaining should be a time to enjoy your friends and family -- and you just can't do that if you're freaking out about matching stemware and overcooked prime rib. Home entertaining expert Cheryl Najafi, author of You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On! shares her tips on stress-free entertaining.

Relaxed party host chatting with friend

Say yes to the guests

When your guests ask if they can bring anything, your immediate reaction might be to decline their offer. Resist that urge, and get your guests involved. "If you are hosting a potluck dinner, ask your guests what DISH they want to bring – and what TASK they will do that evening," says Cheryl Najafi of CherylStyle. She suggests assigning tasks like setting the table or being in charge of the flowers. "These assignments will allow the host to actually enjoy the gathering."

5 Party tips for stress-free entertaining >>Get eclectic

Stop striving for perfection, and go for eclectic style. "No need to stress about buying new or matchy- match dinnerware," says Najafi. "Try re-purposing your grandma's china with your everyday dishes." A trip to the thrift store will score you all the extra plates and serving dishes you need. Embracing imperfection takes away the pressure of having everything "just so."

Holiday entertaining made easy >>Choose a signature drink

Instead of worrying about mixing up drinks at the bar, choose one signature cocktail. Fill a pitcher or drink dispenser with your selected drink, and set out glasses or plastic cups for guests to help themselves. Have the recipe available for guests who are smitten with your signature spirit.

Festive cocktail recipes for the holidays >>Keep it simple

If you're hosting a sit-down dinner, keep the menu simple with easy to prepare, make-ahead dishes. Or for truly stress-free entertaining, go with the trend of serving mini tapas-style food. Make it an all appetizer menu, offering a variety of bite-sized nibbles and letting guests serve themselves.

Outsource

Be realistic about what you can do yourself and where you could use some help. "Embrace your best, and resource the rest," says Najafi. "Prepare only what you enjoy preparing and outsource the rest!" If you want to serve milkshakes, nobody has to know that you ran out to the local hamburger stand, ordered some extra large shakes and divvied them up into mini shot glasses in the kitchen.

How to host a holiday open house party >>Watch: How to host a big party

Hosting a party for more than 20 people? CherylStyle interviews event planner Joy Johnson about what it takes to plan a big party. Hint: don't forget to let the neighbors know you're expecting a crowd!

More entertaining ideas

How to make a great appetizer menu
Party-size snack recipes
Best party dip recipes

2013年7月5日星期五

Homemade sweet and sour bar mix

Daily Flavor

No more store-bought

Keep a jar of this homemade sweet and sour bar mix in the refrigerator, and you'll never have to buy another preservative-laden bottle again.

sweet and sour mix

When it's this easy to make sweet and sour mix, you'll always be ready for a bright and citrusy happy hour.

Homemade sweet and sour bar mix recipe

Yields about 4 cups

Ingredients:1-1/2 cups water1-1/2 cups sugar1 cup fresh lemon juice1 cup fresh lime juiceDirections:
    In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add sugar and let boil until dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon and lime juices.Let cool and store covered in the refrigerator. Mixture will keep for about a week.
More Daily Flavor

Spicy blood orange and whiskey cocktail
Strawberry beer sorbet
Lemon beer loaf cake

2013年7月3日星期三

Women's health These little changes reap big benefits

Woman eating healthy saladBaby steps to better health

It's tempting to make huge health changes — a complete diet overhaul or abandoning a whole category of foods. But sometimes it's the little things — like trading the chips for a salad at lunch — that make the biggest difference. It's true: Little changes can have big results in your health. The key is to be consistent in your changes and stick with them.

For New Year's, you vow to drop all your bad eating habits and start a new regimen of the healthiest eating imaginable. And it works... for a few days, at least. Next thing you know it, it's Lent and you vow to give up your biggest guilty pleasures. And it works... for 40 days, at least.

"It's important to remember that living a healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination."

But real change? The kind that reaps those big benefits and leaves you looking fit and perky? That takes time — and baby steps.

That saying that Rome wasn't built in a day applies to your body and habits in the most exacting way. You can't suddenly make a huge shift in a day. It has to happen deliberately and gradually — like building a coliseum.

Avoid failure

No one sets out to change with a plan to fail, but if you make your expectations and time frame too ambitious, that could be the ultimate effect. "Behavior change takes time. Moving toward a healthier lifestyle is all about replacing old habits with new, healthy habits. Focusing on too many changes at one time is likely to lead to failure," says Heather Mangieri, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, the owner and nutrition consultant for Nutrition CheckUp, LLC. She's also spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Instead, focus in on one change at a time, no matter how tiny.

"When we focus on small changes, one at a time, they are much more likely to stick. Over time, all of the small changes lead us to a healthier life. It's important to remember that living a healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination," says Mangieri.

Making a dent in your weight

When researchers at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab launched the National Mindless Eating Challenge (NMEC), they found that if participants kept to their little eating changes for at least 25 days in a month, then they saw their weight decline. "Of the 504 participants who completed at least one follow-up survey, more than two thirds (42 percent) either lost weight or maintained their weight (27 percent). Weight loss was highest among people who made changes consistently," reports Medical News Today. The study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

What's your change?

Ready to make small changes to work toward your goals? Try these:

Drink two glasses of water as soon as you wake up.Trade one of your usual junk food snacks for fruit or veggies.Skip soda. Drink water instead.Indulge — in moderation.Eat off of smaller plates.Start your dinner with a salad.Don't eat after a certain time of day or evening.Our editor on how healthy habits changed her beauty routine:

More on health

Say “Om” and meditate for heart health
Best apps for monitoring your heart health
4 Heart health tips

2013年6月26日星期三

Gluten-free Thanksgiving menu

4 Wheat-Free Recipes
For Your HolidayThanksgiving is a holiday surrounded by luscious food, like mac and cheese, stuffing, green bean casserole and turkey slathered in gravy. However, these dishes only sound mouthwatering to those not suffering with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. To them, these dishes sound like a trip to the ER! This Thanksgiving, celebrate by serving food everyone can eat with this decadent, gluten-free menu!

Brown butter braised chicken breasts

Loaded baked potato soup, butternut squash risotto, brown butter braised chicken, and cheesecake baked apples will make everyone happy this Thanksgiving. Plus, by replacing plain mashed potatoes with soup and turkey with chicken, you're adding some variety and flair to a normally boring (and overdone) menu. After an hour of stuffing yourself with these delicious gluten-free recipes, you won't even remember or miss the gluten!

Brown butter braised chicken breasts recipe

Recipe adapted from Hello Fresh

Brown butter braised chicken breasts

Serves 4

Ingredients:2 large chicken breasts, cut in half1 cup lentils4 slices bacon1 small onion6 cloves garlic, peeled1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced4 tablespoons butter, divided1 chicken stock cube3 cups waterSalt and pepperDirections: 
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Liberally coat chicken with salt and pepper.Heat one tablespoon of butter in a nonstick pan. Heat butter until browned. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Place chicken and garlic cloves in the pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until fully cooked.While chicken bakes, boil chicken cube and two cups of water in a small pot. Once broth cube has dissolved, add lentils. Boil lentils for 10 minutes, covered. Add one more cup of water, reduce heat to medium, and heat another 10 minutes, or until lentils are softened.Finely chop the onions and bacon. In the same pan as before, heat two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, bacon and mushrooms and cook until fragrant and brown. Add half of the lentils to the pan and garnish with salt and pepper.Once chicken has baked, place into the pan with the mushrooms and bacon. Heat until chicken is golden brown on each side. Garnish with additional salt and pepper. Serve with roasted garlic cloves.
Loaded baked potato soup recipe

Loaded baked potato soup

Serves about 4

Ingredients: 4 medium potatoes, baked and peeled2 cans (28 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth1/2 medium red onion, chopped4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurtDash of salt and pepper1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese3 slices pork bacon, cooked and crumbled2 tablespoons red onion choppedDirections: 
    Quarter the potatoes and place in the body of a food processor. Add broth and cover; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a saucepan over medium-high heat.Stir in Greek yogurt, salt and pepper. Add onions and cover on low heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes. Serve with bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese.
Butternut squash risotto recipe

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Butternut squash risotto

Serves about 6

Ingredients:About 1 pound butternut squash, diced1 tablespoon olive oil1 cup Arborio riceAbout 1/3 cup dry white wine (we used Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay)1/2 large onion, finely chopped1 garlic clove, minced3-1/4 cups gluten-free chicken broth1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basilLiberal dashes of salt and pepper1 tablespoon butter1/4 cup Parmesan cheeseDirections: 
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place butternut squash in a 3-quart deep baking dish. Cover with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, stir the mixture around to ensure the pieces evenly cook, and bake another 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.Pour slightly cooled squash into the body of an eight-cup food processor (or do two batches). Add about one-quarter cup of broth and pulse on low until creamy and smooth. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Measure one and one-third cups of puree (what you need for this recipe) and save the rest for a later date.Heat remaining broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add butternut squash puree and whisk lightly to mix up. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until a slight boil.Meanwhile, heat tablespoon butter in a large pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until fragrant, about two minutes. Add in garlic and cook another two minutes. Pour in rice, rosemary and oregano. Cook about one minute. Add wine and cook until it's fully absorbed, about five minutes. Gradually add in butternut squash/broth mixture, a large spoonful at a time, waiting until each batch as fully absorbed before you add in more.After the last spoonful of broth has been added, cook risotto an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the rice is soft and creamy. Add remaining butter and remove from heat. Once butter has melted, add in Parmesan cheese and additional salt and pepper to taste.Serve with a garnish of rosemary and a dash more freshly grated Parmesan.
Cheesecake baked apples recipe

Cheesecake baked apples

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

6 medium apples

For the filling

8 ounces cream cheese1/4 cup brown sugar1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract1 egg3/4 tablespoon cinnamon or apple pie spice1/4 cup chopped applesCaramel for drizzle (use this recipe)

Directions: 

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Cut the top off each apple. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the apples until you're left with about a one-half to three-quarters-inch thick shell. Keep apple insides. Place apples in a greased baking dish.To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and egg together with a handheld mixer until creamy. Add in cinnamon and apples, stir to combine.Carefully fill each apple about two-thirds of the way full with cheesecake filling. Bake apples for about 25 minutes, or until insides are almost set and apples are beginning to soften. Place in the fridge to chill for at least three hours. One chilled, serve with caramel and enjoy!
More gluten-free holiday recipes

Gluten-free party recipes
Gluten-free Christmas treats
Gluten-free holiday desserts

2013年6月19日星期三

Meizitang botanical Slimming is effective. Natural Authentic Meizitang Diet Pills, Free Side Effects, No Rebound


Free information on the website Tips to differentiate a secure casino

additionally, a cup of coffee should be able to build blood glucose movement that many give to food items yearnings. for now, java is going to quell hunger. despite the fact that, over the years most of the people find now this cocktail fuels increased appetite. provided drop extra pounds primary advantages of most of these cups, model's energy level will be somewhat elevated. leading to a general enchancment at morale and as well vigor. a clear advantage of a fantastic advantage a marked improvement in subconscious health and furthermore an growth through the top of the line your current those people lifestyle.

Chilies develop the capsaicin that is a great deal useful in burning up the extra calorie consumption for twenty additional units of time. researches have designed on our moreover evaluations shows that others who have been to get the chilies had a small rank to set stomach or colon cancers. the other to ice cold might be pepper.

We have to glance at the history of short term installment loan called for. Truvia is truly made due to the fact "nature's fat-Free sweetener, they claim ensure that it is herbal making utilization of natural procedure. those natural organic material used by everyday life everything they eat producers is considered to be 100 per pure very good quality with other best sources. thus some will find conundrums on colors so preference, however current articles can in a big way simply by sources and. because of validated that the green coffee bean draw out provided by life-time foods are pure without the salt as well as binders,

that is why it is more and harder for treats institutions to showcase their products. but nonetheless,but nevertheless,on the contrary food is barbeque maintaining remedies in selling. which means, if you can to create a helpful ad style chances are you will not have trouble gaining ones own site visitors,

Before embarking to accomplish this slim ( Schlank ) whole usually craved along with, you'll have a clear demarcation at heart the middle slimming ( Abnehmen ) plus body wrap weight loss the well chance. not surprisingly,since an ideal intent being leaving low fat is sign on robust, and natural. people producing out of place courses as though completing technological drugs, bankrupt themselves are sure to see causes the growing process, however the longer time frame, some unnatural tricks instantly take its toll on the body as well as,while influence more damage within imaginary,