CREATING POSITIVITY

Why do we find it so hard to create positive circumstances, a positive future in our life?

One reason is we all have the tendency to spend most of our time in the past, reliving and replaying our memories. Look back on your average day and you may find that more than 3/4ths of your time is spent in the past (a lot of times without you realizing it). Not only do we try to relive the past, but we also attempt to change it! We attempt the impossible and, in so doing, we live in very small cycles where tomorrow tends to turn out similar to yesterday, and then we wonder why we do not have the power to change our lives. It feels like we do not have the will-power, we do not have the ability to change the circumstances in our lives, our destiny. 

The past cannot be relived; it cannot be changed. The past is like a cupboard of old files.  When you arrive at work every day, do you step into such a cupboard and spend the day there searching the old files on which nothing was to be done?  The past is a great resource for learning and sometimes, a resource for useful information, but it is not a place to live.  We can build on the old, but we cannot rewrite it. 

The future is the result of what we think, feel and do today. If today is the same as yesterday (because of constantly thinking about yesterday) then tomorrow will look and feel like yesterday and in this way we feel we are stuck in a web and we get frustrated.

We need to let go of the past if we want the future to shape up positively, different from yesterday, which is negative at times!

The past is past. Drop it and keep dropping it.

There are two eternities that can really break you down. Yesterday & Tomorrow. One is gone and the other doesn’t exist…So…My Dear Friends…Please do not forget to live yourself too…otherwise when you realize that you have forgotten to live running after the material world, it will be too late…so..Live Today...Live happily…enjoy the GOD gifted beautiful life. 

male vs female at atm

MALE VS. FEMALE AT THE ATM MACHINE

A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:male vs

Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles.

Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.

After months of careful research, "MALE & FEMALE"procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender.'

MALE PROCEDURE:

1. Drive up to the cash machine.

2. Put down your car window.

3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.

4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.

5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.

6. Put window up.

7. Drive off.

*******************************

FEMALE PROCEDURE:

1. Drive up to cash machine.

2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.

3. Set parking brake, put the window down.

4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.

5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.

6. Attempt to insert card into machine.

7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.

8. Insert card.

9. Re-insert card the right way.

10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.

11. Enter PIN.

12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.

13. Enter amount of cash required.

14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.

15. Retrieve cash and receipt.

16.. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.

17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of check book.

8. Re-check makeup.

19. Drive forward 2 feet.

20. Reverse back to cash machine.

21. Retrieve card.

22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!

23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.

24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.

25. Re-dial person on cell phone.

26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.

27. Release Parking Brake.

                                                    *****

-- 

Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his own image

HOW TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL

Learning how to lower cholesterol naturally is simple. And these 7 steps to lower cholesterol naturally have a much higher rate of success than the "prevention medications" usually prescribed to lower cholesterol.
Actually, you can probably lower cholesterol better by regularly petting your cat than taking cholesterol drugs. And you'll avoid all these side effects.

• Tiredness and irritability,
• Muscle pain and weakness,
• Loss of memory and mental clarity,
• Liver inflammation, damage and abnormalities,
• Depletion of vitally important heart protection nutrients,
• And long term use can even lead to congestive heart failure.

Plus, "prevention medications" used to artificially lower cholesterol (un-naturally) only decrease heart attack death risk by less than 1%.
How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
These are the 7 steps you can take to lower cholesterol naturally. And if you follow all of them, you can count on a very high success ratio.

1. Eat a healthy cholesterol lowering diet.Some fats help lower cholesterol, while others can raise it. So get your fats right. Reduce overall fat intake, avoid trans fats, limit saturated fats and replace "bad" fats with "good" fats, such as olive oil and those found in whole grains and omega 3 fish.High fiber foodsalso help lower cholesterol naturally. They decrease "bad" LDL and increase "good" HDL cholesterol.


2. Do regular healthy physical activity.At least 30 minutes of exercise a day has been shown to decrease total cholesterol and improve "good" HDL cholesterol levels, while lack ofregular physical activitycan raise "bad" LDL cholesterol levels as well as lead to weight gain.


3. Reach and maintain a healthy weight.Being overweight can decrease "good" HDL levels and increase "bad" LDL and total cholesterol levels. Learn the healthiest weight to aim for by calculating yourBMI here.


4. Eliminate sweets and refined foods.Few realize that eating sweets and other high glycemic foods increase triglycerides and cholesterol production. These foods are also addictive. Once you eliminate them, you'll find that fruits, vegetables and whole grains actually taste sweet.


5. Cut out caffeine and alcohol drink water.Both caffeine and alcohol have been shown to elevate cholesterol. So it's best to switch to pure water immidiately.


6. Don't smoke or use tobacco in any form.Smoking damages blood vessels, contributes to hardening of the arteries and is a major health risk for heart disease, stroke and other degenerative diseases.


7. Practice good healthy stress management.Just like cholesterol, a certain amount of stress is healthy such as with exercise. But the link between excess stress and high cholesterol production is well established. So take time to relax, let go, meditate, enjoy yourself or do whatever it takes to keep your stress level under control. Source: unknown

WHEN MARRAIGE GOES WRONG BY KIRAN BEDI

I am a 30-year-old woman born and brought up in a middle-class family in a village in Delhi. Despite living in such a conservative society, my parents allowed me and my sister to study as much as we liked and both of us managed to complete our post graduation. We wanted to work, but then my parents started getting pressurised by societal norms to marry us off. As it is, according to them, we had overgrown the age of marriage and finding a suitable match within our caste was getting difficult.
   My parents finally found out about two boys living nearby. They were not very educated, they also had a rural background. But they were working and were settled. Initially, my parents were worried that the boys’ parents would feel that it wouldn’t be right to get their sons married off to girls better qualified than them. But when they didn’t seem to mind our qualifications, my parents also agreed to the alliances. The boy chosen for me was almost 10 years older to me, but they had agreed to my sister marrying the younger brother only if the elder one got married.
   Thus, both of us got married to the two brothers. We also felt that since we would be staying together, it would be alright. Their mother and two unmarried sisters were living in the village. Two other sisters were married and settled. Initially, everything went fine. At times, there would be the odd arguments over our qualifications, inefficiencies in managing household chores, etc. But these arguments became quite frequent when I conceived. My in-laws expected my parents to support my delivery, even more so when they found out that I was carrying a girl child.
   When my daughter was born, my husband did not pay a single penny towards my medical expenses. My parents had to support me both, financially and emotionally. My husband went to live with his mother in the village around that time. Some tussle had also started between my younger sister and her husband by then, again over small issues. One trait was common to both the brothers: Both of them expected gifts and financial help from my parents on every small occasion.
   Both the brothers never let us sisters have any say in the family matters. Whenever we suggested something, they’d taunt us, saying we were showing off our qualification. My younger sister also gave birth to two daughters in a span of three years. After that, the torture became all the more frequent and now, brutal. The brothers would neither allow us to work or give money to run the house or provide for our children. We were very embarrassed to take help from our parents, but then we did not have any option. A boy was finally born to me after six years. I thought that my husband’s behaviour would now change, or at least, soften. But no such thing happened. He started going out to meet his mother too often. I started doubting him and had a feeling that he was going around with someone else, and hence was not interested in me.
   Then one day, I found a copy of a ration card in his pocket where he had mentioned he was the head of the family. But there was someone else’s name written as his wife and two other children’s name were also mentioned.
   I asked him about this, but he got away by saying that it was a fake and that he had got it made a long time ago – before we got married. I did not know whether to believe him or not anymore.
   Both me and my sister’s situation grew from bad to worse when my father retired. Now we could just not expect any financial help from our parents. Our husbands were never there when the children fell ill or when the time
for school admissions came. They were not bothered with even providing us two square meals a day. Both of us sisters now take up some part time work which could be done from home to manage the household.
   Our husbands do not come to meet us anymore and it has been more than five months since we saw them. We had no alternative but to seek help from Navjyoti family counselling centre at Karala. The counsellor there called both the brothers for a meeting. My husband did not come, but my sister’s husband did come and in turn, falsely accused us of betraying them. It seems that they are not willing to stay with us anymore. The counsellor is still trying to explore ways of arriving at a mutual reconciliation and we are waiting for that.
Education is of no use if one cannot protect one’s rights
Women need to know the definition of domestic violence to be able to seek legal help (The column recounts the experiences of the women who’ve come to Navjyoti Counselling 

what man want from woman

...And search for true love and are not sex-mad. Yes, that is what a survey has revealed

They’re stereotyped as immature, insensitive and sex-obsessed, but deep down inside, a majority of men pine for true love, aren’t scared of commitment, and say real men can cry, a new survey has shown.
   The ‘Great Male Survey’ by a website shatters the myth some women have of the knuckle dragging opposite sex, said James Bassil, the website’s editor-in-chief. The poll of 70,000 men with an average age of 28 debunked many of the standard stereotypes to show that the modern man is driven by a sense of values, loyalty and family.
   The survey found that 77 per cent of respondents look for girlfriends
with ‘wife potential’ while 75 per cent believe they have a soul mate and 69 per cent would never cheat on their partner. “These survey results will be surprising to many women, most of whom have a completely different perspective of what the average man thinks and feels,” a New York daily quoted Bassil, as saying.
   “The idea that young guys only want to be single and jump from girlfriend to girlfriend is not true at all,” he added. The online survey, conducted over a five-week period, found that six out of 10 men were fed up with inaccurate commercial descriptions of them. Bassil said the images of men on television and in advertisements had not changed or been challenged for decades whereas the image of women in the media was always changing as their roles in the home and the workplace altered.
   “In TV sitcoms and in adverts, young men are portrayed as immature boys who are always trying to get around their wives or girlfriends finding out about their bad behavior. This is just not the case,” he said. The survey found that 56 per cent of men believed that being a good father or husband made them “manly”. It also found that 75 per cent admitted to crying over a woman while 57 per cent of men cook at home and enjoy doing it. ANI
  
ARE YOU A REAL MAN?

So, you thought real men just look good and swagger around? No, the survey reveals...

77 per cent of men look for girls who are potential wives

75 per cent believe in soul mates

75 per cent admitted to crying over a woman

69 per cent said they would never cheat on their partner 57 per cent enjoy cooking at home 56 per cent of men believed that being a good father or husband made them ‘manly’ 

origin of word fuck, kan gha ru, ok

      
In ancient England, people could not have sex

without consent from the King.

When people wanted to have a child,

they had to solicit permission to the monarchy,

in turn they would supply a plaque to

hang on their door when they had sexual relations. 

The plaque read ..

“ Fornication Under  Consent of the King”  (F.U.C.K.). 

This is the origin of the word.

 

      

When the English settlers landed in Australia,

they noticed a strange animal that jumped

extremely high and far.

They asked the aboriginal people using

body language and signs trying to ask

them about this animal.

They responded with “Kan Ghu Ru”. 

The English then adopted the word kangaroo.

What the aboriginal people were really trying to say was

“we don’t understand you”, “Kan Ghu Ru”.




      

During historic civil wars,

when troops returned without any casualties,

a writing was put up so all can see,

which read ‘0 Killed’. 

From here we get the expression O.K.,

which means all is good. 

PROUD TO BE SINGLE

 

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

Absolutely Beautiful..!

This is the most beautiful advice I have ever received in an email ... Please don't close or delete this one before reading!  An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.' 1. Pray 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.  5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.  9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.  13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.  16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19. Get organized so everything has its place.  20.. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray. 24. Make friends with Godly people.  25.. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you GOD ..' 27. Laugh.  28. Laugh some more! 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).  31.. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). 32. Sit on your ego. 33. Talk less; listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

FIRST THING EVERY MORNING.

First Thing Every Morning If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,400—with no balance carried from day to day—what would you do? Well, you do have such a bank...time. Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off as "lost" whatever you have failed to use toward good purposes. It carries over no balances and allows no overdrafts. You can't hoard it, save it, store it, loan it or invest it. You can only use it—time.  Here's a story that drives the point home.

Arthur Berry was described by Time as "the slickest second-story man in the East," truly one of the most famous jewel thieves of all times. In his years of crime, he committed as many as 150 burglaries and stole jewels valued between $5 and $10 million. He seldom robbed from anyone not listed in the Social Register and often did his work in a tuxedo. On an occasion or two, when caught in the act of a crime by a victim, he charmed his way out of being reported to the police.

Like most people who engage in a life of crime, he was eventually caught, convicted and served 25 years in prison for his crimes. Following his release, he worked as a counterman in a roadside restaurant on the East Coast for $50 a week. 

A newspaper reporter found him and interviewed him about his life. After telling about the thrilling episodes of his life he came to the conclusion of the interview saying, "I am not good at morals. But early in my life I was intelligent and clever, and I got along well with people. I think I could have made something of my life, but I didn't. So when you write the story of my life, when you tell people about all the burglaries, don't leave out the biggest one of all... Don't just tell them I robbed Jesse Livermore, the Wall Street baron or the cousin of the king of England. You tell them Arthur Berry robbed Arthur Berry." 

Here are six terrific truths about time: 

First : Nobody can manage time. But you can manage those things that take up your time.

Second : Time is expensive. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of our day is spent on those things or those people that only bring us two percent of our results.

Third : Time is perishable. It cannot be saved for later use.

Fourth : Time is measurable. Everybody has the same amount of time...pauper or king. It is not how much time you have; it is how much you use.

Fifth : Time is irreplaceable. We never make back time once it is gone.

Sixth : Time is a priority. You have enough time for anything in the world, so long as it ranks high enough among your priorities.

Hridaynath Thaker

PROSTATE CARE

Your Prostate Gland

The prostate is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system.  Its main function is to store and secrete a clear fluid that constitutes up to one-third of the volume of semen. 

• A healthy prostate is slightly larger than a walnut.
• It is situated in front of the rectum, just below the bladder where urine is stored, and surrounds the tube (urethra) that carries urine from the body.
• The gland functions as part of the male reproductive system by producing the white fluid that contains semen.
• The prostate also contains smooth muscle that helps expel semen during ejaculation; thus, prostate problems can lead to impotence.

The prostate gland has four distinct glandular regions:

1. The Peripheral Zone (PZ) - The sub-capsular portion of the posterior aspect of the prostate gland which surrounds the distal urethra and comprises up to 70% of the normal prostate gland in young men.  It is from this portion of the gland that more than 70% of prostatic cancers originate.

2. The Central Zone (CZ) - This zone constitutes approximately 25% of the normal prostate gland and surrounds the ejaculatory ducts.  Central zone tumors account for more than 25% of all prostate cancers.

3. The Transition Zone (TZ) - This zone is responsible for 5% of the prostate volume and very rarely is associated with carcinoma.  The transition zone surrounds the proximal urethra and is the region of the prostate gland which grows throughout your lifetime.  It is involved in benign prostatic enlargement.

4. The Anterior Fibro-muscular zone - This zone accounts for approximately 5% of the prostatic weight, is usually devoid of glandular components, and composed only, as its name suggests, of muscle and fibrous tissue.
Prostate Disorders

Three types of disorders can occur in the prostate gland: inflammation or infection (prostatitis), enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia - BPH), and cancer.

Normal	Inflamed	Enlarged

1) Prostatitis is a clinical term used to describe a wide spectrum of disorders ranging from bacterial infection to chronic pain syndromes.  It is not contagious (generally not spread through sexual contact):

• Acute Bacterial Prostatitis is the least common but easiest to diagnose and treat.  It is caused by bacteria and comes suddenly with chills and fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, and burning or painful urination.  Additional indications are excessive white blood cells and bacteria in the urine.
• Chronic (Nonbacterial) Prostatitis (chronic pelvic pain syndrome) is the most common, but least understood, form of prostatitis.  Found in men of any age from the late teens on, the symptoms go away and then return without warning, and may be inflammatory or non-inflammatory.  In the inflammatory form, urine, semen, and other fluids from the prostate show no evidence of a known infecting organism, but do contain the kinds of cells the body usually produces to fight infection.  In the non-inflammatory form, no evidence of inflammation, including infection-fighting cells, is present.
• Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis is the diagnosis when there are no symptoms, but the patient has infection-fighting cells in the semen.  It is often found when a doctor is looking for causes of infertility or is testing for prostate cancer.

2) BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is the second common problem that can occur in the prostate.  "Benign" means "not cancerous" and  "hyperplasia" means "too much growth."  As men age, the prostate gland slowly enlarges.  The gland tends to expand in an area that doesn't expand with it, causing pressure on the urethra, which can lead to urinary problems.  The urge to urinate frequently, a weak urine flow, breaks in urine stream, and dribbling are all symptoms of an enlarged prostate.  At its worst, BPH can lead to a weak bladder, bladder or kidney infections, complete blockage in the flow of urine, and kidney failure.  

Since the prostate has propensity to grow once manhood is reached, BPH is the most common prostate problem for men older than 50.  The American Urological Association assesses that by age 60, more than half of American men will have BPH.  By age 70, almost all men have some prostate enlargement.  By age 85, about 90 percent of men have BPH but only 30 percent will exhibit symptoms!

3) Prostate Cancer is one of the most common cancers in American men.  There are no warning signs of symptoms of early prostate cancer.  Once a malignant tumor causes the prostate gland to swell significantly, or once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, the following symptoms may be present:

• A frequent need to urinate, especially at night
• Difficulty starting or stopping the urinary stream
• A weak or interrupted urinary stream
• A painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen

Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include:

• Dull, incessant deep pain or stiffness in the pelvis, lower back, ribs or upper thighs; arthritic pain in the bones of those areas
• Loss of weight and appetite
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting

There are 4 stages of Prostate Cancer:

• T1 - Tumor is microscopic and confined to prostate but is undetectable by a digital rectal exam (DRE) or by ultrasound.  Usually discovered by PSA tests or biopsies.
• T2 - Tumor is confined to prostate and can be detected by DRE or ultrasound.
• T3 / T4 - In stage T3, the cancer has spread to tissue adjacent to the prostate or to the seminal vesicles.  In stage T4, tumors have spread to organs near the prostate, such as the bladder.
• N+ / M+ - Cancer has spread to pelvic lymph nodes (N+) or to lymph nodes, organs, or bones distant from the prostate (M+).

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men.  It is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer, and accounts for 9% of cancer-related deaths in men.  The American Cancer Society estimates that during 2009, about 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.  30% of prostate cancers occur in men under age 65.  About 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only 1 man in 35 will die of it.  More than 2 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.

Prostate Disorder Symptoms
Different prostate problems sometimes have similar symptoms.  For example, one man with prostatitis and another with BPH may both have a frequent, urgent need to urinate.  A man with BPH may have trouble beginning a stream of urine; another may have to urinate frequently at night.  Or, a man in the early stages of prostate cancer may have no symptoms at all.

Common symptoms of prostate disorders are:

• Sensation of not emptying your bladder completely after you have finished urinating.
• Frequent urination (consistently in intervals of less than 2 hours and / or multiple times during the night).
• Interrupted urination (you have to stop and start several times during urination).
• Difficulty in postponing urination.
• Weak or limited urinary stream.
• Pushing and straining required to begin urination.
• A burning pain during urination.
• Pain in lower back, in the area between the testicles and anus, in the lower belly or upper thighs, or above the pubic area.  Pain may be worse during bowel movement.
• Reduced ability to gain and hold erections, weak ejaculation, and dissatisfaction with sexual performance.
• Some pain during or after ejaculation.
• Pain in the tip of your penis.
• Fever and chills.
• Loss of appetite.

One prostate problem does not lead to another.  For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase the chance for prostate cancer.  It is true that some men with prostate cancer also have BPH, but the two conditions are not automatically linked.  Most men with BPH do not develop prostate cancer.  But because the early symptoms for both conditions could be the same, a doctor would need to evaluate them.  It is also possible to have more than one condition at a time.  This confusing array of potential scenarios makes a case for all men, especially after age 45, to have a thorough medical exam that includes the PSA test and DRE every year. 

Diagnostic Tests
The PSA blood test determines whether you have cancer of the prostate.  The test measures how much of a protein essential to human reproduction, PSA (prostate-specific antigen), is in your blood.  PSA turns your gelatinous pre-semen into a liquid, thus supporting ejaculation.  If your PSA is below 4, most doctors agree that you needn't be tested again for a year.  During annual tests, remember that it is normal for your reading to go up by a few tenths of a point every year.  In general, only a drastic increase in PSA (an increase of at least 0.75 points or 20 percent) is considered a reason to worry.  This test is recommended on an annual basis for all men over 50 (and for men above 45 if there is a family history of prostate problems).

A digital rectal examination (DRE) is a quick and safe screening technique in which a doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the size and shape of the prostate.  The prostate should feel soft, smooth, and even.  The doctor checks for lumps or hard, irregular areas of the prostate that may indicate the presence of prostate cancer. The entire prostate cannot be felt during a DRE, but most of it can be examined, including the area where most prostate cancers are found.

Western Medicine
Western medicine relies on aggressive and costly prescription drugs and prohibitively-expensive surgery to deal with problems related to prostate and reproductive disorders.  These methods generally address only the symptoms of prostate disorder and not the underlying causes.  As soon as you stop using the drugs, the problem returns!  And these prescription drugs often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. 

While prostatitis caused by infection can be treated with antibiotics, there are no drugs for treating chronic pelvic pain syndrome.  Its symptoms are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. 

FDA-approved drugs only relieve the symptoms of BPH - they do not cure it.  The 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, Proscar (Finasteride) and Avodart (Dutasteride), work by blocking an enzyme that acts on the male hormone, testosterone, to boost organ growth.  When the enzyme is blocked, growth slows down and the gland may shrink.  This treatment may not produce a positive effect until after six to 12 months of treatment.  It also works best for advanced cases of prostate enlargement. 

Alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers, which work by blocking adrenergic nerve receptors in the lower urinary tract, basically help relax the smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck to relieve pressure and to improve urine flow.  These drugs, which do not shrink the size of the prostate, include: Cardura (Doxazosin), Flomax (Tamsulosin), Hytrin (Terazosin), and Uroxatral (Alfuzosin).  For many men, these alpha-blockers can improve urine flow and can reduce symptoms within days.  But since the underlying cause is not addressed, symptoms will return once you stop using the drugs.

The combined side effects of Alpha-Blockers and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors include breast tenderness and enlargement, decreased sex drive, difficulty getting an erection, dizziness, fainting, headache, heart failure, increased ejaculatory dysfunction, lightheadedness, nasal congestion, retrograde ejaculation (ejaculation back into the bladder), sudden drop in blood pressure, tiredness, and upper respiratory tract infection.

Surgical options include Transurethral Needle Ablation (TUNA), Transurethral Vaporization (TUVP), Laser Surgery, Transurethral Resection (TURP), Transurethral Incision (TUIP) and Open Prostatectomy.  All of these procedures often require patients to wear a catheter for 3 to 4 days after surgery and carry some risk of incontinence, impotence, infection, and complications. 

An alternative treatment that has become popular is saw palmetto which is used by millions of men in the United States to treat BPH.  Saw palmetto, however, was recently found to have no effect in reducing the frequent urge to urinate or other annoying symptoms of an enlarged prostate.  Published in the Feb. 9, 2006, New England Journal of Medicine, a yearlong study found that the plant extract was no more effective than inactive pills (placebos) in easing symptoms of BPH.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available.  Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago.  Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.

India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda.  Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of physical rigors."  Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations for enhancing the capabilities and vigor of the your reproductive and urogenital system while strengthening the body and overall well-being.

India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help men address their prostate health concerns through safe, natural means.

Recommendations
You can optimize your long-term prostate health by:

1) Providing Phytonutrient Nourishment - Years of stressful living caused damage to your body.  To help address this, Ayurstate releases hundreds of phytonutrientsthat act at the molecular level to promote Prostate Health.

2) Increasing Soy Intake - Researchers believe that the increasing estrogen-to-testosterone ratio brought on by aging is one of the factors that adversely affects the size of the prostate gland.  2 ounces or more of soy in your daily diet will help decrease estrogen levels and restore proper estrogen-to-testosterone ratio that becomes skewed as men get into their 60s and beyond.  Good sources of soy include tofu (soybean curd), miso, tempeh, roasted soy nuts, and soy flour or powder.

3) Increasing Selenium Intake - Selenium is essential for good prostate health.  Selenium-rich foods include wheat germ, tuna, herring and other seafood and shellfish, beef liver and kidney, eggs, sunflower and sesame seeds, cashews, Brazil nuts, mushrooms, garlic, onions, and kelp.

4) Increasing Zinc Intake - 15 mg of zinc are needed daily for healthy prostate function.  Pumpkin seed in the shell, oysters, beans, and nuts are excellent sources of zinc.

5) Minimizing Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol depletes both zinc and vitamin B6 (which is necessary for zinc absorption).

6) Eating Healthy - Eat lots of fruits and vegetables to get the necessary antioxidants in your diet.  Avoid saturated fats, sugars and processed foods.  High-fat foods like meats and dairy products can elevate testosterone level which stimulates prostate cell growth and enlargement.

7) Supplementing Diet - Take a daily multivitamin supplement which includes at least the following for supporting prostate health - Vitamin A (25,000 IU), Vitamin E (1,200 IU), and Lycopene (10 mg). 

8) Improving Circulation - Perform Kegel exercises to improve blood flow to the prostate and urogenital tissues.  Kegel exercises are done by pulling up all the muscles around the scrotum and anus, holding, and releasing.  10 repetitions of this movement, 5-6 times daily will maximize blood flow to your prostate gland.

9) Adopting Healthy Lifestyle - Get sufficient rest and exercise regularly.  Regular exercise has been shown to strengthen the immune system and improve digestion, circulation, and the removal of waste matter from the body.  Exercise also prevents obesity, which is a risk factor for many diseases, including cancer.  Regular exercise may also reduce the risk of prostate gland enlargement.