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If you've thought about dieting at least once any time in the past couple of years, there's a good chance that the diet you went on was one of the many low carb diets that are available now days. Although the very first of these low carb diets, the Atkins diet program has been about for at least 30 years, the craze for low carb diets has only taken off very recently.

I'm guessing that you've dieted at least once any time in the past few years, there's a good bet that the diet you went on was one of the various low carb diets that are about of late. Although the very first of these low carb diets, the Atkins low carb diet has been everywhere for at least 30 years, the movement for low carb diets has only taken off very recently.

What you need to ask is if you're thinking of taking a crack at one of these low carb diets as if the Atkins diet is so trendy at the present, and really gives support to help you in minimising your weight, why didn't it increase in popularity long before this?

After all it has been around for as long as 30 years. That's a lengthy time for a diet to be around without anybody noticing it until the later stages of those 30 years. And if these low carb diets are as good for you as all these books and practitioners of the diets will tell you, then why is there so much disapproval to these diets from health specialists and medical sources?

These are queries that only you can retort if you want to find out the truth, but if all you want to do is lose selected weight then these low carb diets are ideal for you. The only thing you won't truly know for real is what sort of long term effects these low carb diets will have on your system. Sure you'll bring down the weight and lose the fat off your frame, but at what cost?

And the Atkins diet isn't the only low carb diet that you will uncover. There's the ever fashionable Zone diet, the South Beach Diet, the Hollywood diet, the Stillman diet, and a multitude of other low carb diets. These diets are all similar in that they promote a high fat, high protein, and low carb intake. Each diet has its own variations and quirks and which one you try is dependent on what you've heard, or read, about these low carb diets.

For the persistent fanatical dieter these low carb diets may be just what they demand, since regardless of any drawbacks that it might have they do work, and they do help you to lose weight. If you're going on a diet, and it doesn't matter overly much which diet it is, you should always be sensible and diet sensibly too.

Losing a few calories swiftly won't help you in the long term. If you keep to the direction of these low carb diets though, your dieting troubles shouldn't be all that many and you might even find that you've left them all behind.

What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis. They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.Many people with diabetes live healthy and full lives. By following your doctor's instructions and eating right, you can too. Here are the things you'll need to do to keep your diabetes in check: Test your blood sugar Keep track of your blood sugar levels and talk to your doctor about ways to keep your levels on target. Many women report that their blood sugar levels go up or down around their period.Random blood sugar (glucose).

Should I be tested for diabetes?
If you're at least 45-years-old, you should get tested for diabetes, and then you should be tested again every 3 years. If you're 45 or older and overweight (Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) you may want to get tested more often. If you're younger than 45, overweight, and have one or more of the risk factors listed in "Am I at Risk for Diabetes?" you should get tested now. Ask your doctor for a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test.About 20 million Americans have diabetes, about half of whom are women.

What are the types of diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get.

Can Diabetes be prevented?
A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also appears to be associated with obesity.

What is diabetes?
Normally the body strictly controls the level of sugar in the blood. Most of the food we eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) and then used by the body. In diabetes the body can no longer regulate the level of sugar in the blood and can not use the glucose properly. Click here for more information.Almost one third of all people with diabetes don't know they have it. The symptoms seem so harmless, like symptoms of just getting older. This article goes into the different types of diabetes and some of the common symptoms of each to help you understandRandom blood sugar (glucose). This is not very accurate but is most convenient for the patient. Diabetes can only be diagnosed if the blood sugar is very high (above 15 mmol/L is diagnostic) Fasting glucose.

Who gets diabetes?
About 20 million Americans have diabetes, about half of whom are women. As many as one third do not know they have diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs at about the same rate in men and women, but it is more common in Whites than in minorities. Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, mainly in people who are overweight. It is more common in African Americans, Hispanic Americans/Latinos, and American Indians.For type 1 diabetes, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body's immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that both genetic factors and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. In type 2 diabetes, although the exact cause is unknown, there is a prominent link with obesity (being overweight).

Nonprescription medications are adequate for most acne. If you can begin getting in the routine overall skin care, over the counter solutions do an adequate job of getting rid of your acne immediately.

Let me explain the differences in some of the over the counter solutions.

Resorcinol is well known OTC medication and is enough in many cases, especially when used in conjunction with other compounds such as sulfur. It functions by breaking down hardened skin, leading to better removal from the follicle and the area outside. That also produces less chances of clogging, a better factor in acne formation.

Use separate from astringents such as alcohol.

One of the most widely used - and most effective - treatments possible for mild acne, benzyl peroxide is used daily by millions. It works by helping combat the bacteria that is partly responsible for acne in the first place: Propionibacterium acnes. It also helps to take away dead skin cells from the area. If those don't go up to the surface where they can be wiped away or washed off, they can grow, causing a greater chance of getting acne.

Benzyl Peroxide has been in use for decades so the good and bad are well known. One possible side effect is excessively dry skin. It can also bleach fabric, and so should be used with care when treating acne while changing outfits.

The risk of side effects can be minimized by using the proper amount. If a 2.5% concentration is working, don't assume that 10% is better, or will work faster. Higher dosage only increases the odds of side effects without any compensating value.

Commonly sold in the form of pads, salicylic acid helps break down blackheads and whiteheads. It slows down the process of shedding dead skin cells inside the follicle, that will help delay build up. Helps stop bacteria accumulation in the sebum inside the pore, because it removes shedding dead skin cells. Also, it will be harmless and beneficial for you to use salicylic acid, because it is the active ingredient in aspirin.

Now you know a little bit more about getting clear skin and keeping it that way. Make sure that you don't combine any of these treatments, unless your dermatologist has asked you to. Read the instructions carefully on whatever product you are trying. If you find that after a couple of weeks your acne continues, or even gets worse, return to your dermatologist. They may suggest a stronger treatment, like a prescription medication.

A salmon run is one of nature's more awesome sights. If your heart has the tiniest bit of compassion, it will be fanned to a fire for these determined fish wanting nothing more than to return home.

As they fight their way upstream--not even accepting waterfalls as barriers-skin changing to the color signaling that death will be their only rest on this last run-a part of you will be moved to cheer them on-for the whole of their existence is now dedicated to spawning the eggs that will ensure the future of their species.

But pity will swell in another part of you. Bad as it is that these valiant creatures must fight their way upstream, flesh dying even as they struggle--they are seen as a windfall of good fortune by all manner of vultures and hunters. From birds to bears to humans, all seek to increase their lot at the expense of the salmon caught up in their heroic battle.

As I watched this mixed drama, I was struck with a profound awareness of its similarity to the plight of today's dieters.

The dieter too seeks just to go home-the home of their perfect weight. They also do so to give birth-the rebirth of dignity and respect. The dieter seeks the simple ability to walk the streets free of the stares and glares of condescending people. To be able to look in the mirror and see not failure reflected back, but rather one of Nature's most amazing miracles. The dieter longs to be able to sit in a moment of quietude, where the mind is not nagging and whispering "failure" . . . "loser".

More than 90% of these struggling dieters fail to reach the blissful fields of home. The stream they fight against is filled with personal monsters. From undesirable hand-me-downs of heredity to the dark psychological demons that lurk in the shadows to commercial chemical pirates who scheme to win by tampering with our food. From aging and slowing metabolisms, weary from the passing of time to war torn metabolisms, bruised and damaged from previous battles upstream in search for home.

And like the salmon, as dieters by the millions fight their way towards home, they too are the targets of hunters and vultures. Profit seeking drug companies, marketers, TV hucksters, members from a multitude of professions--all waving signs marked "This is the Way Home!"

This is where the salmon and the dieter part ways. The salmon at least knows where home is, the dieter does not. And there is no shortage of ruthless, money-focused minds that will gladly capitalize on this fact.

The irony and the stuff that makes heroes is this: dieters know the risks. Many have lost battles in the past. Yet, the urge to find home, to find peace at last, calls to the dieters very soul. And once more, thought fearful and hesitant, the dieter once more sets out into the wilderness--armed only with courage and hope.

My hat is off to all you dieters out there. For you are all truly unsung heroes. It is my sincerest wish that you one day find home and the sweet peace for which you yearn.

The changing colour of our hair is the most obvious sign of aging. As we get older our hair begins to produce less melanin, the same melanin that gives our skin its colour. This causes our hair to become grey. Grey hair can appear at any age. It's not always a sign of aging, it's caused by a reduction of pigment (grey hair) or a complete loss of pigment (white hair), and the reason it happens is not fully understood.

Age also has an effect on our hair in other ways. As we get older our hair is prone to getting drier, and so needs more moisture than ever before. Older hair also loses some of its elasticity and the texture alters. A number of women will notice that their hair becomes thinner and lacks life, for others it seems dry and coarse. This occurs because as we age, the size of the hair follicles diminish and hair growth slows. Consequently there is not so much new growth to replace what we lose.

Sebum (oil produced naturally by our skin) diminishes as our body ages, and so our hair, therefore, loses its natural shine and smoothness. Plus, during the menopause our making of keratin slows. This protein fibre is vital to keeping our hair healthy and strong. For all you guys, there is the subject of going bald, thinning hair and coarse hair, especially the facial hair. Opt for the right type of hair colour to disguise your grey hair, but don't go more than a couple of shades darker or lighter than your own hair colour. If you use a dark colour it can accentuate a dull complexion.

Lowlights or highlights can conceal any grey you want to disguise by merging them into the rest of your head of hair. The same with hair colourants, stay away from going more than a couple of shades lighter than your own hair colour. That way you will not end up appearing older than you really are. Grey hair can appear yellow or greenish on many people. If you fancy keeping your grey hair, opt for using a hair shampoo and conditioner that is made especially for grey hair. To counteract the yellow colour and leave your hair shiny and good-looking, why not use a greying shampoo that has a violet base colour, instead of your everyday shampoo.

Moisturizing (conditioning) is a must for older hair. Use a weekly deep conditioning treatment - recommended for aging hair. This will help to maintain the moisture levels in your hair. With aging your hair loses its elasticity and this makes it harder to style, so try using a protein treatment at least once a month to help your hair along. For men and women, thinning hair can be given a more voluminous appearance by using volumizing products such as conditioners and mousses.

There are, and always will be, the sub culture hard core of trainees who pump iron solely to strut their stuff and maybe enter and try to win contests, adding more trophies to their cabinets at home. However for all of these categories, like it or not, whether competitive or not, all are openly or covertly influenced by physique contests and of course rising standards of accepted muscular perfection.

Physique contests DECIDE and DICTATE bodybuilding and bodybuilders hopes and inspirations. Physique fashions, muscles a la mode, like a pebble in a pond radiate outwards and reach all who train with weights. If the winner of Mr O. or Mr U. is big and bulky, or cut to shreds, vascular or hyper pumped, then that is the bench mark for all gym rats who train for muscle by lifting weights.

So we have seen just why such contests are so important to set high standards in the bodybuilding world so now let's have a look at the judges themselves and the criteria they employ to reach the necessary goals required to keep the ball rolling.

Who for example 'polices' the judges? How do they judge? What qualifications should a physique judge have, for example should a pre-judging eye sight test be compulsory. I ask this because I am NOT joking, when I say I once sat behind a judge who actually kept turning around to me and asking me to confirm the number on the contestants trunks.

Apart from sight problems though, there are still problems with international judges who may be suffering from jet lag which has lead to some extremely controversial decisions being made in the past. Fortunately there are very sophisticated scoring systems now in place which help the prevention of individual judges making stupid decisions.

Most modern day sports are backed up by professional refs or judges and our sport is no different. They certainly show no favoritism and only show absolute dedication. The financial rewards are not that high either but that is not the reason for doing what they do anyway. The judges are just guys who have spent most of their lives in the sport and just want to carry on being part of it even though they can't compete any more. Even though some bad decisions are made you can't criticize anybody whose only wish is to give back what they can to a sport that they have just lived for.

The role played by the judges though is one that can influence greatly the personal goals set by competitors. Some comments made in the past make the picture quite clear, for example Russ Warner a famous photographer said that judges can either send you home a hero or cast you into a pit and Rick Wayne a legendary Weider writer once said that Judges were like a sect and that nothing of a competitor's life could influence them.

These though are only a couple of personal decisions. Charisma and reputation always play an important part in our human subconscious minds and subsequently the decisions we have to make. Beauty certainly is "in the eye of the beholder." Although we are talking about doctors, lawyers, teachers and practicing and retired bodybuilders, judges are just human beings and therefore have to be open to criticism regarding their own qualifications and decisions. (Coming Soon Part 3)