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C-section: What Are The Risks And Benefits?

Doctors are reporting that more and more women are discussing having a scheduled cesarean section instead of a vaginal delivery. Even where there is no clear medical reason to perform the surgery, it seems many expectant mothers have reasons for wanting a C-section. In many cases, women who are busy with careers or traveling feel that scheduling a time for their baby’s birth is a convenient option. In other instances, women might fear the pain and duration of childbirth, or their inability to control the variables. And of course, there are medical reasons some might opt for a cesarean section.

In spite of medical advances, many experts still caution against performing this procedure. They advise doctors to proceed only when medically necessary. Increasingly, the idea that having a cesarean delivery is a risk-free and easy way to have a baby carries with it misinformation that may be harmful. The perception that the procedure is like getting a tooth extracted is simply untrue. A C-section is major abdominal surgery. As such, it carries with it the risks associated with other surgeries.

These risks include:

  • Infection
  • Hemorrhage
  • Reaction to Anesthesia
  • Blood clots
  • Injury to other organs
  • Risk of complication in future pregnancies

The risks to the baby include:

  • Possible breathing problems
  • Possibility of surgical injury

Additionally, even the most carefully planned surgery generally requires a longer hospital visit and a longer recovery time. It may also require the use of pain medications that can interfere with breastfeeding plans.

A vaginal birth is also not without its own risks. Labor and childbirth is an arduous process that takes a toll on the human body. According to John Mitchinson, Author of The Book Of General Ignorance, “During labor, the uterus exerts a downward force of 400 Newtons, which is one hundred times as strong as gravity and equivalent to the power in a fully extended modern longbow.” If that seems like a lot of force, ask any woman who has done it.

Some of the risks associated with the natural birth process are the same as with a C-section. There is still the risk of hemorrhage, reactions to anesthesia (if an epidural is used), and infection.

A few other risks include:

  • Perineal Tearing
  • Damage to the pelvic floor
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Nerve damage and painful intercourse (only temporary)

how-to-naturally-deliver-baby

The risks to the baby include:

  • Shoulder dislocation
  • Birth injuries due to forceps and vacuum-assisted births
  • Oxygen deprivation if the umbilical cord becomes tangled

But we know there are also plenty benefits to having a vaginal birth as well:

A vaginal birth increases the natural rush of oxytocin to the body, resulting in a naturally euphoric process of bonding. This process is chemically sidestepped during a surgical delivery. Recovery time for a natural birth is usually shorter. But in cases where the risks of a vaginal birth can cause harm or danger, a C-section is an option that has been successfully performed for many years. One benefit is that a C-section can help to lessen the trauma on a body that is weakened by other conditions. It can also or prevent unnecessary complications.

A recent trend in c section birthing is the so-called gentle c section. Undergoing this method may help mothers to feel they are participating more by connecting more consciously to the natural birthing process. Additionally, it may help facilitate better bonding and c section recovery.

Hospitals that offer the planned procedure typically focus on modifying the process by:

  • Propping you up slightly to allow viewing the birth through a clear plastic drape
  • Placing the newborn on your chest immediately after delivery for direct skin-to-skin contact.
  • Using less sedation leaving you more alert to care for your baby.

The human body is an amazing and resilient machine, and with medical intervention, risks of both methods can be minimized by proper planning and a knowledgeable medical staff. The most important thing to remember is that a woman’s body is deeply intuitive and will always know what to do. In spite of the best-laid birth plans, the body may have its own notions, and ultimately the process will be led by instinct and the miraculous insight it holds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9EGLdxAiw

References:
https://www.babycenter.com/0_gentle-c-section_10404484.bc
https://www.livescience.com/45681-vaginal-birth-vs-c-section.html
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/some-benefits-to-c-sections-researchers-say#2

How Intermittent Fasting Is Perfect For Women Who Want To Lose Weight Fast

For a long time, skipping meals was considered a bad way to lose weight. Research showed that skipping meals can slow metabolism, which is counter-productive to weight loss. Despite this, intermittent fasting is a form of dieting that is slowly gaining popularity, especially among girls, and seems to be helping women shed those stubborn, unsightly pounds. It can be harder for girls to lose weight than guys. A promising diet that works and makes it easier to lose weight is something girls dream of.

Intermittent fasting is a type of diet where the dieter restricts their calorie intake for two or more days each week. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t eat at all on the restrictive days; they simply cap their caloric intake to around 500 or 600 calories.

Research has yet to prove why this type of fasting seems to work, but results have shown that, on average, intermittent fasting weight loss is greater than weight loss from diets that restrict calories every day of the week. The simplicity of fasting is also appealing because people don’t have to try as hard to eat right.

Intermittent Fasting Plans

Intermittent fasting isn’t just picking two days to restrict calories. There is an actual method to the madness. Here are a few of the more popular methods:

  1. The 16/8 Method
    This intermittent fasting plan is where the dieter doesn’t eat for 16 hours per day, then eats during a window of 8 hours per day. The easiest way to do this is to skip breakfast and not eat in the evenings, but this is only a suggestion. The window can be set at any time that is comfortable for the dieter. For older women, it is suggested to change this method to 15/9 or even 14/10 because short fasting spans seem to be better for young women’s metabolism. The dieter can drink beverages during the fasting time, as long as they don’t have any calories.
  2. The 5/2 Method
    This method involves eating a normal amount of calories for five days a week and consuming a restricted amount of calories two days a week. For girls, it is recommended to keep their calorie cap at 500 during restrictive days. The days shouldn’t be back to back; they should be spaced out (for example, Monday and Thursday).
  3. The Eat-Stop-Eat Method
    This method can be one of the more difficult methods. It involves picking two days per week to stop eating for an entire 24-hour window. The eat-stop-eat method takes serious self-discipline. Many people end up falling short of the 24-hour window. Non-caloric beverages are allowed during the 24 hours, so this can make it easier to follow through.
  4. The Warrior Method
    The warrior method is where the dieter only eats a very small amount of healthy, low-calorie foods during the day (fruits and vegetables), then eats a very large meal at night. They can only eat one large meal. This method can be slightly difficult to follow, but not as difficult as the eat-stop-eat method.
fasting

Related: Science Explains What Fasting Does to Your Body

Intermittent Fasting Can Help Women Lose Weight Fast

Intermittent fasting weight loss can occur rapidly when a woman first begins dieting. This is especially true for females who are extremely overweight and have at least 30 pounds to lose. The reason that this works so well is simple: girls are eating fewer calories when on an intermittent fasting plan. The key to ensuring that the plan works is to not overeat (or under-eat) on days or windows of regular eating.

In essence, the fasting plans work just like a diet where you cut calories each day. The biggest difference with intermittent fasting plans is that these plans make it easier to cut the calories (even if they can be hard to follow through, such as in the eat-stop-eat method). The dieter doesn’t have to count calories, figure out which food is good and which is bad, or figure out anything for that matter. They simply eat regularly and then don’t eat. Simplicity is what makes this diet method effective.

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REFERENCES:
HTTPS://WWW.WOMENSHEALTHMAG.COM/WEIGHT-LOSS/A19981798/INTERMITTENT-FASTING/
HTTPS://WWW.HEALTHLINE.COM/NUTRITION/6-WAYS-TO-DO-INTERMITTENT-FASTING#SECTION5
HTTPS://WWW.HEALTHLINE.COM/NUTRITION/INTERMITTENT-FASTING-AND-WEIGHT-LOSS

8 Drinks Models Swear By To Lose Weight Fast

The summer is in its heat. You want to go outside and feel confident in your own skin. One of the most effective and pleasant ways to lose weight is by consuming drinks to lose weight. It keeps you hydrated, satiated, and gets you burning fat in no time.

The homemade drinks to lose weight that you can prepare have natural ingredients packed with vital nutrients. These help your body rebuild itself in the most optimal way. Detoxing the body with them is the key step to losing unwanted fat and improving vitality.

8 Drinks to Lose Weight That Models Swear By

Here are the drinks to lose weight that models swear by. While it is their profession to be skinny, you can use their secrets to be the best slender version of your beautiful self. Choose one to your taste and preference or alternate between them.

Peppermint Tea

Some of the best drinks to lose weight come in the form of tea. Prepare it light or heavy, hot or cold, and drink tea all year round. Peppermint, in particular, has some magical qualities when it comes to weight loss. The magical qualities are contained in its scent.

Even breathing peppermint leads to weight loss, according to research. The smell of peppermint suppresses appetite sensors in the brain and leads to less hunger. Drinking it has additional power. Brew it with hot water, and drink it hot or cold.

White Tea

White tea is a type on its own – just like green and black tea. It is a naturally dried tea with no chemicals used in the process. The tea has many antioxidants, and some of them are three times more than the ones found in green tea.

The antioxidants found in this tea increase the burning of fat cells and prevent the formation of new ones.

Green Smoothie

Sometimes your best bet in weight loss is a simple green smoothie. Green leafy vegetables are notorious for their detoxifying properties. Detoxing the body is the main route to go for stable weight loss. The low-calorie content of these plants and their fiber keep you satiated, nourished, and clean.

Out of all the homemade drinks for losing weight, smoothies are best taken in the morning on an empty stomach to charge you for the whole day. Add a green leafy vegetable, an apple, lime, lemon, or green superfood in different combinations to achieve a taste that suits you.

A Spicy Juice

Juices brought from the store commonly have preservatives, artificial flavors, and too much sugar inside. Making your own juice at home guarantees its quality.

Adding spices like ginger have a metabolism-boosting effect. Raw ginger added in a juice also has this effect. Mix 3 cups of baby spinach, 1 cucumber, 3/4 of a pineapple, and 1 tbsp of ginger root.

Citrus Flavor

Citrus fruits are great for cleaning and refreshing the body. For this smoothie, you will need 1/2 cup of grapefruit, 1/2 cup of pomegranate, and 1 teaspoon of natural honey. Add them all in a blender and mix.

Lemonade

A lemonade prepared right is a gut-cleansing remedy that can set you on the right path to weight loss. Try different lemonade versions of homemade drinks to lose weight and see which one you like by adding different ingredients. A sample recipe is using 1 inch of ginger root, 1/2 lime, and 1 cup of cold water. Add all into a blender to make this flavored water recipe.

Weight-loss Coffee

Some drinks to lose weight could come close to your daily routine. If you are a coffee lover, here is a slight variation for extra benefits.

Use a teaspoon of instant coffee, 1 teaspoon of grounded flaxseed, 1/2 teaspoon of grated dark chocolate, and a hot cup of water. Add all the ingredients, and stir well.

Drinks to lose weight

Fenugreek Drink

While fenugreek is typically considered an ingredient for cooking, it actually makes some of the best drinks to lose weight. Fenugreek improves the metabolism of lipids and glucose while increasing insulin sensitivity.

Use 2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds, 1/2 cup of cucumber, 1/2 cup of water, and a pinch of natural salt. Soak the fenugreek seeds overnight in the water. The next day, strain the seeds, and blend the water together with the cucumber and salt.

Final Thoughts

Using natural and raw ingredients for your juices will give your body the necessary tools to keep itself satiated and free of cravings. Use these drinks to lose weight along with adopting other dietary and lifestyle improvements to see best results. There are many variations of drinks that you can choose from and explore with imagination and fun. Most importantly – keep it cool, enjoy the process, and the results may surprise you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG-G9_LOkLA

10 Instapot Vegan Recipes The Whole Family Will Love

Ove the past year, the InstaPot has gained quite a bit of popularity for the easy cooking options for everyone. Even vegan cooking is starting to enjoy the perks of the InstaPot to aid in the waiting process of soaking and cooking that comes with many vegan recipes. Luckily, there many recipes that can be fixed in the InstaPot, making it quite the staple in the vegan’s household.

In this article, we will take a little time to look over 10 of the best vegan recipes, as well as a few vegan breakfast recipes, that can be fixed in the InstaPot to help you save time and energy when trying to cook. These vegan recipes are simple and delicious, to provide new experiences to the vegan table.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew Moroccan Style

With a simple mixture of either rice or cauliflower rice, lentils, and sweet potatoes, this hearty stew is easy to cook in the InstaPot. With the Moroccan flair, you get the warmth and fragrant addition to the stew that makes it twice as tasty as before. Plus, it is entirely vegan, making it a great easy meal to fix when you need a little spice.

Vegan Beefless Stew

While it doesn’t look like it is missing any beef, this beefless stew is full of the hearty goodness of a beef stew, but it is one of the best vegan recipes for stew without the beef. It includes delicious items like carrots, potatoes, celery, and mushrooms, giving it plenty of texture for a hearty meal. To give it a little more flavor, you can add just a bit of fresh rosemary to the top of the stew. It is also legume and grain-free.

Rice Pudding with Chai Spice

One of the best vegan breakfast recipes that can double as a dessert recipe is this tasty Chai spice rice pudding. It has the delicious warm tones that come straight from the Chai spice. You get a good mix of caffeine to help you wake up. The creamy dessert feels like an indulgent, but it is gluten-free and dairy-free as well.

Homemade Refried Beans

You could always buy the beans in a can, but the homemade version is full of delicious ingredients for a tastier take on this option. This vegan option has everything you need for the InstaPot version of the refried beans, and it even includes a recipe for a grain-free tortilla that is both vegan and gluten-free. You can enjoy these beans with vegan taco meat.

Vegan Orange Spice Cake

It doesn’t matter if you are cooking for the holidays or any other occasion, this vegan dessert will have your mouth watering. This cake is moist and delicious even though it is egg-free and dairy-free. The bonus is that you can make it right in your InstaPot to give it that moisture it needs. This cake is sweet, but not overly sweet for that perfect slice of heaven after a meal.

Cranberry and Pear Cake

For a vegan cake recipe that is easy to make in the InstaPot, this cranberry and pear cake is ideal. This cake is great for those that aren’t very skilled at baking, and since it has the fruit mixture, it has all the sweetness you need in a cake without the refined sugar. That’s right; it is refined sugar-free, making it a great healthy and vegan option.

Apples and Steel Cut Oatmeal

Cooking steel cut oatmeal can be time-consuming, which is why many choose to do it in their InstaPot. This breakfast option makes this oatmeal simple and fact, taking only three minutes to cook. Add in some tasty flavorings and top with some apple chunks to get a healthy and tasty breakfast option that doesn’t take all morning to prepare.

vegan recipes

Vegetable Soup Italian Farmhouse Style

A nutritious soup is not the same without this Italian flair. It is full of delicious veggies, which is perfect addition to your vegan recipes. This is a light meal as well, and it only takes a little time to make in your InstaPot. The rich flavors blend well together to give you a good option that is easy on the digestive system but still has an incredible flavor.

Classic Beet Soup

Full of flavor, this beet soup has a vibrant color that packs veggies right in the mix. You can add beans if you want, or add some coconut yogurt to the top in the place of normal sour cream. This is a great hearty option for colder nights, and it is sure to bring some warmth to your table.

Cheesy-Sauce without the Cheese

Who doesn’t love a vegetable-made copycat cheese sauce? This has the same creamy and rich texture as a cheese sauce, but it is entirely made of vegetables, making it one of the most exciting vegan recipes. It only takes five minutes in your InstaPot, and it tastes great with rice, pasta, or veggies.

Conclusion

Your InstaPot can be an easy way to fix meals, even if you are a vegan household. Many of the vegan recipes here are easy and quick, giving you a delicious meal that won’t take up most of your day. The best part is that each meal provides a healthy spin on a vegan classic. Perfect for putting on your table.

How to Find Happiness In Your Life: Best Happiness Quotes To Inspire You

Quotes about happiness can help us focus on the good aspects of life. Having a lighthearted, grateful attitude can make life’s challenges easier to endure. When you are searching for fulfillment, these happiness quotes will help you focus your energy on what is most important to you.

Use these happiness quotes to cheer yourself up when you are feeling down. Let them guide you to a place where you are looking forward to the future and not dwelling on the past. True happiness quotes will illuminate the dark parts of your life and set you free from constant worrying. These quotes on happiness can help you focus on what is most important in life.

8 Happiness Quotes to Inspire You

1. “Once in a while, amidst all your bad days, you’ll have a good day. A great day even. Make sure you remember those days. Keep them safely in your pockets, maybe even a jar on your desk because you need to know that there are and will be better days. You need to remember how on those days you felt warm inside, like you’ve just drunk a hot cup of tea; like a small fire was ignited inside of you. Hold on to that warmth. And never let it go.”

– Unknown

2. “You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape it one day, and how awesome it’ll be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.”

– John Green

3. “An amazing thing happens when you get honest with yourself and start doing what you love. Your life literally slows down. You stop wishing for the weekend. You stop merely looking forward to special events. Begin to live in each moment and you start feeling like a human being. You just ride the wave that is life, with this feeling of contentment and joy. You move fluidly, steadily, calm and grateful. A veil is lifted, and a whole new perspective is born.”

– Unknown

4. “Don’t rush and never settle. If it’s meant to be, it will be.”

– Unknown

5. “Everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. … How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”

– Helena Bonham Carter

And a Few More …

6. “The decision to be positive is not one that disregards or belittles sadness that exists. It is rather a conscious choice to focus on the good and to cultivate happiness – genuine happiness. Happiness is not a limited resource. When we devote our energy and time to trivial matters and choose to stress over things that ultimately are insignificant, from that point, we perpetuate our own sadness and lose sight of the things that really make us happy and rationalize our way out of doing amazing things.”

happiness quotes

– Christopher Aiff

7. “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for.”

– Dead Poets Society

8. “For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. Someone [who] bases his/her happiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.”

– Andy Rooney

Final Thoughts

These quotes on happiness will help you to see the positive in your life every day. Even when things are difficult, you can hang onto the promise of future happiness. Often, happiness means letting go of the things we can’t control. Quotes about happiness can give you something to hold onto. These happiness quotes are selected to uplift your mood and to make you smile. Spread these happiness quotes to your friends and family if they need a lift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzxYzkDQeEc

References:
https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/101-inspirational-quotes-to-inspire-you-in-2018.html
https://livelifehappy.com/live-life-quotes/

10 Best Romantic Love Quotes For All The Lovers

Nearly every artist has written a quote about love that has stood the test of time. Like love itself, love quotes are eternal. Just as love inspires us, it has inspired countless writers, poets, artists, and musicians. When you survey the world’s great artworks, you’ll see that love has led to the most heartfelt, passionate outpourings of these artists’ souls, giving the world some of the best love quotes you will ever read.

Love Quotes are Everywhere

Love is everywhere. Nobody gets tired of singing, writing, or talking about it. From the cheerful rhymes of a “silly love song” to great, classic novels, you’ll find love quotes everywhere. Songs, books, and poems are sources of the world’s best love quotes, handed down from one generation to the next.

emotional intimacy

The Wings of Love

What is it about love? It’s at the core of our existence and the most important emotion we feel. Love lets us put away our selfishness and focus fully on others. When you love, you want to share your joy and happiness with the whole world, and love sets you free to do that. Love, not Red Bull, gives you wings.

We’ve gathered 10 of the greatest quotes about love from some of the most romantic writers to put pen to paper. When feeling romantic, these love quotes will give you a new way to express your feelings. When you’re feeling low, these quotes about love will remind you that love is still there for you. Wrap yourself in these beautiful words and enjoy.

10 Greatest Love Quotes

“If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
‘Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you.”
— Jim Croce, Time in a Bottle

“I will return. I will find you. Love you. Marry you. And live without shame.”
— Ian McEwen, Atonement

“Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn’t know this either, but love don’t make things nice. It ruins everything. [Love] breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.”
— Ronny Cammareri, Moonstruck

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the look, or the words which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”
— Jane AustenPride and Prejudice

“O I have been dilatory and dumb;
I should have made my way straight to you long ago;
… should have blabbed nothing but you, I should have chanted nothing but you.
I will leave all, and come and make the hymns of you.”
— Walt Whitman, To You

“Oh to be in love
And never get out again.”
— Kate Bush, To Be in Love

love quotes

And a few more love quotes…

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
— Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

“I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow.”
— Cyndi Lauper, True Colors

“I want to tell you again, I love you. Our love has been the thread through the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire walker, the only real thing in this strange life of mine that I could ever trust.”
— Clare Abshire, The Time Traveler’s Wife

“Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;
Give me my Romeo; and when I shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night.”
— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Final Thoughts on Love Quotes

If these love quotes have made you feel warm and lovey-dovey, that’s a good thing. Now go and whisper those special words to your special someone. You can never give or receive enough love; the best love quotes are the ones you share.

Has it been a while since you told your loved one how you feel? Now you have all the words you need to express your love.

What are your favorite quotes about love? Keep adding to your list, and you’ll never run out of ways to say those three little words.

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