Many diabetics are searching for a natural supplement that they can add to their diet that can help improve their quality of life, and naturally help to produce their own body’s insulin. While diet and exercise, and an overall healthy lifestyle, can help dramatically improve a diabetic’s quality of life and health, there are other ways they can help their body stimulate it’s own production of the necessary and vital hormone insulin.

What is diabetes, how is it caused, and how can people help to reduce the symptoms of diabetes by stabilizing their blood sugar naturally?

Diabetes is a specific health condition where the level of glucose in the blood is too high. Insulin, a hormone vital to the general health and movement of the human body, is necessary for glucose to enter the cells and become useful there as a hormonal stabilizer, and controller of necessary bodily functions.

Diabetes results when the beta cells in the pancreas either fail to produce insulin or produce too little or where the cells are unable to respond properly to insulin. Ignoring diabetes can prove very life threatening.

If diabetes goes untreated, it can lead to consequences ranging from high blood pressure and cholesterol, to impotence, blindness, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and amputation of the legs or feet due to failed circulation in the extreme, and, ultimately, death.

Why a Natural Supplement to Control Diabetes?

Natural supplements for diabetes work in a couple of ways. There are actually several ingredients found in nature, that when combined in the proper amounts and dosages, really have a positive impact on natural insulin production.

Prescription medications that are traditionally used to control diabetes and stabilize blood sugar have some rather unsavory side effects such as diarrhea, liver damage and hypoglycemia.

There are no known side effects to natural remedies used to stimulate the body’s own natural insulin production. Many people also just feel better knowing they are using a 100% natural product rather than putting foreign substances in their body to produce the correct amounts of insulin in order that their bodies and vital organs may function properly.

Many of the ingredients found in nature that help the body to stabilize and maintain healthy blood sugar levels also have a positive effect on other areas severely affected by blood sugar irregularities, such as eyesight and weight control.

You can see more information on the Natural Diabetic Control Supplements. Danna Schneider is the webmaster of Herbal-Therapeutics.com Natural Remedies

MODELS OF IAD

Clinical research on behavioral addictions has focused on compulsive gambling (8), overeating (11), and compulsive sexual behavior (12). Similar addiction models have been applied to technological overuse (24), computer dependency (25) and obsessive video game playing. These theories include psychodynamic and personality explanations, socio-cultural explanations, behavioral explanations, and biomedical explanations (26). Not all explain any addiction perfectly and some are better than others at explaining Internet addiction.

Diathesis-stress model

A dispositional model or diathesis-stress model of addiction might help in understanding IAD. Certain people, due to a variety of factors, may be predisposed (diathesis) to developing an addiction to something, be it alcohol, heroin, gambling, sex, shopping, or on-line computer services. If the right stressor, or combination of stressors, affects the person at a critical time, the person may be more inclined to develop an addiction.

Behavioral explanations

These explanations are based on B.F. Skinner’s studies on operant conditioning (27). The person performs a behavior and gets either rewarded or punished for the behavior. Behaviour that is rewarded is reinforced and the person intends to indulge in that behaviour more frequently. This again becomes reinforcing, and the cycle continues.

Biomedical explanations

According to this perspective, this would make someone susceptible to addiction (27). There is definitive research that shows that some drugs act to fill in the synaptic gaps of the neurons in the brain, fooling the brain into sending out faulty information. This, it is thought, is one reason for the “high” one gets from engaging in activities such as running, drug use, and gambling. This might apply to Internet addiction, since many opportunities on the Internet are fun and exciting.

What To Do If Addicted To The ‘Net?

Dealing with Internet Addiction is no different than dealing with any other type of addiction. All people who are addicted (to anything) have some degree of denial. Without denial, most addictions would not have become established in the first place. First, acknowledge the problem instead of denying when pointed by others around you or yourself. Don’t panic if established.

Second, just because there is a debate about the validity of this diagnostic category amongst professionals doesn’t mean there isn’t help for it. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Addiction should never be viewed as a problem in and of itself. Addictions are much better viewed as a symptom of other underlying problems and deficiencies. One must look beyond the addiction itself and deal with underlying deficiencies in coping and life management skills that have given rise to it. If you have a life problem, or are grappling with a disorder such as depression, seek professional treatment for it. Once you admit and address the problem, other pieces of your life will fall back into place. Psychologists have studied compulsive behaviors and their treatments for years now, and nearly any well-trained mental health professional will be able to help you learn to slowly curve the time spent online, and address the problems or concerns in your life that may have contributed to your online overuse, or were caused by it.

It’s not the technology that is important or addicting — it’s the behavior. And behaviors are easily treatable by traditional cognitive-behavior techniques in psychotherapy (28).

Once you take on the challenge of dealing with any addiction, you will need to marshal your ability to successfully deal with temptation. If you don’t have a sense that you have this power to succeed, you can use your addiction as an opportunity to discover that you really do have this important capability.

REFERENCES

1. Brady K. Dropouts rise a net result of computers. The Buffalo Evening News, 1996.
2. Murphey B. Computer addictions entangle students. The APA Monitor, 1996.
3. Robert Half International, Inc. Misuse of the Internet may hamper productivity. Report from an internal study conducted by a private marketing research group, 1996.
4. Quittner J. Divorce Internet style. Time, 1997: 72.
5.Rachlin, H. Why do people gamble and keep gambling despite heavy losses? Psychological Science, 1990: 294-297.
6.Walker, M. B. Some problems with the concept of “gambling addiction”: should theories of addiction be generalized to include excessive gambling? Journal of Gambling Behavior, 1989: 179-200.
7. Griffiths, M. The cognitive psychology of gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 1990: 31-42.
8. Mobila, P. Gambling as a rational addiction. Journal of Gambling Studies, 1993: 121-151.
9. Walters, G. D. Addiction and identity: exploring the possibility of a relationship. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 1996: 9-17.
10. Lacey, H. J. Self-damaging and addictive behavior in bulimia nervosa: a catchment area study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1993: 190-194.
11. Lesieur, H. R., & Blume, S. B. Pathological gambling, eating disorders, and the psychoactive substance use disorders. Comorbidity of Addictive and Psychiatric Disorders, 1993: 89-102.
12. Goodman, A. Diagnosis and treatment of sexual addiction. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 1993: 225-251.
13. Griffiths, M. Technological addictions. Clinical Psychology Forum, 1995: 14-19.
14. Griffiths, M. Amusement machine playing in childhood and adolescence: a comparative analysis of video game and fruit machines. Journal of Adolescence: 1991: 53-73.
15. Griffiths, M. Pinball wizard: the case of a pinball machine addict. Psychological Reports, 1992: 161-162.
16. Keepers, C. A. Pathological preoccupation with video games. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1990: 49-50.
17. Soper, B. W. Junk-time junkies: an emerging addiction among students. School Counselor, 1983: 40-43.
18. Goldberg I. From Internet Addiction Disorder, Available at
http://www.urz.uni-heidelberg.de/Netzdienste/anleitung/wwwtips/8/addict.html. Accessed June 2, 2005.
19. Graphics, Visualization, and Usability Center. Online Access, March Issue, 1995: 51-52.
20. Grohol JM. Internet Addiction guide. From Dr. Grohol’s Psych Central - Internet Addiction and Online Addiction, February, 1999. Available at http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/. Accessed June2, 2005.
21. Harmon A, Researchers Find Sad, Lonely World In Cyberspace. From The New York Times Company, August, 1998. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/08/biztech/articles/30depression.html. Accessed May 28, 2005.
22. Griffiths, M. Technological addictions. Clinical Psychology Forum. 1996:161-162.
23. Shotton, M. The costs and benefits of “computer addiction.” Behavior and Information Technology, 1991: 219-230.
24. Ferris JR. Internet Addiction Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Consequences. From Psychology Virginia Tech. Available at http://www.chem.vt.edu/chem-dept/dessy/honors/papers/ferris.html. Accessed May 25, 2005.
25. Sue, D, Sue, D & Sue, S. Understanding Abnormal Behavior, 1994. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
26. Orman MC. What To Do If You Are (Or Fear That You May Become) Addicted To The ‘Net, From Internet Addiction Survey, 1996. Available at http://www.stresscure.com/hrn/iaddict.html. Accessed May 28, 2005.

About the Author

Ms. Aditi Singh, M.A. (Psychology), M. Phil. (Medical & Social Psychology) is a Ph. D. Scholar at Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, India. She is an editor of www.mind.in and a contributor to www.psyplexus.com .

My family run an animal sanctuary in Birmingham, England. Even though we love what we do, we feel that some people need to realise that a pet should be a long term commitment. They should not be seen as just a bit of fun which they can then get rid of when they get bored.

Many people arrive at the animal sanctuary with their pets, which are mainly dogs, with many excuses as to why they are no longer able to look after or care for them. I am sure many of their reasons are valid but am also aware that many others are just an excuse to offload them.

The excuses they give are varied:

I have recently divorced from my husband and can no longer afford to keep this dog as a pet

The dog has started to bite my children

The dog is too difficult to handle and is destroying my furniture

We have recently moved into a flat. One of their rules is that no animals can live in these flats

The dog barks to much and it is upsetting the neighbours

Our other animals do not like the dog

The dog is affecting my health

I am too ill to look after my dog

It is not our role to question these reasons but what we then need to do is to find another suitable home for the dogs. This is easier said than done as we need to ensure that the new owners will be able to care for them, for hopefully the duration of their life.

We also keep many of the dogs as our own pets, especially the ones which nobody else seems to want. One such dog is called Cassie. She is full of life and has been ill treated it seems when she was a puppy. Half of her left ear is missing and she is seemingly quite afraid of men.

Cassie is need of a huge amount of care and attention. She can be too lively at times which is possibly why three people who attempted to re-home her, have bought her back. She is not aggressive in any way but does tend to jump up at people.

What we did with Cassie and what we will continue to do, is to give her lots of love but also a little bit of training of what is good and what is not acceptable. It takes a long time, but she is now able to understand that the jumping is not wanted and that she needs to chill out at times.

Cassie is turning into a wonderful dog to have around the house and now feels for the first time as part of a family.

With a little more patience most other dogs can turn out this way. This is why we want more people to take more responsibility and to give their animals more of a chance to settle into their homes, and to get used to a new set of rules.

Having animals as pets can be very rewarding, nearly as rewarding as having a child. A dog however will rarely answer you back.

If you are having problems with your animals you can always phone up animal sanctuaries for advice and to hear about possible solutions. The people who work there are animal lovers and will help you as much as they can.

If you are unable to continue looking after the pet, the sanctuary should be able to take them off you.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

stuttering

guide to playing poker

quit smoking tips

Are your precious photos safe?

Are you backing up your precious photos? our computers and removable storage media are full with experiences and precious moments. However electronic media is not safe. Hard disks crash and removable media fails.

Disasters can happen. Digital photo albums are vulnerable and if not backed up you lose thousands of photos and a lifetime of moments in just one hard disk crash.

What are backups? backups are just copies of our files that are put in a safe place. Example of such copies can be photos put on a DVD and placed at a friend’s house. The DVD could of course be placed in your own house but that would be less safe since in case of a disaster in your house you might lose both your computer and the backups.

A few years ago backups were hard to make. You practically had to be a computer guru to figure our those backup software. Today however backup was made easy using a number of software solution and online service. Below you can find two main options for backing up your photo albums: burning them to a DVD/CD or using an online backup service.

Backing up to a DVD/CD

Backing up to a DVD/CD is done by using a DVD/CD writer drive and software that can burn files on such media. Usually using such solutions requires more technical know-how. Backing up to a DVD/CD is a cheap solution. You can buy such writer drives and software for probably under a $100 and each DVD/CD media should cost in the cents. One such software that has been around for a while and used by many is from Roxio.

When backing up your photo albums to a DVD/CD please make sure that you put the DVD/CD in a safe place a good option would be somewhere out of your home maybe a family member, a neighbor you can trust or a friend. Another thing to remember with DVD/CD backup is that when you take new photos you should remember to refresh your backups. Ususally unless your photo album is very big the easiest way to do that is just to burn again you complete collection.

Backing up to an online backup service

As any other service backup found its way to the Internet too. A number of sites provide backup services today for everything from digital photo albums to your word documents. Those services usually charge a monthly fee in the $10 to $20 but some provide a more limited service for free. The idea behind the service is simple: instead of backing up to a DVD/CD you just upload your photos to a site and create copy there. The site stores the backups for you in a safe place far away from your computer. If a disaster happens and you need your files you can simple download them back from the site or ask them to send you a DVD/CD with the files (not all provide the latter option). A broadband connection is needed in order to use this option.

There are many advantages to using an online backup service. First they are usually very easy to use. Some provide software that you download and install on your computer. You then point to the folder where your photos reside and the software takes it from there. It will make sure new files are uploaded to the backup service and that your backup is always fresh.

Examples of sites that provide such service are: Streamload that starts with a basic FREE 10GB space (approx 10,000 photos at 2 megapixels) and Xdrive that starts from 5GB for $10 a month.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing