Here is the link for Uriwell: http://www.boots.com/en/Uriwell-Personal-Toilet_1127726

Here is the link for HappyPee: http://www.boots.com/en/Happy-Pi-Kids-Toilet_1127988

Many of you already know how good Uriwell is if you are:

- Recovering at home and need to stay in bed for a while

- A [...]]]> Uriwell, the unisex, flexible, portable urinal is now available at www.boots.com. For children the HappyPee product is also available.

Here is the link for Uriwell: http://www.boots.com/en/Uriwell-Personal-Toilet_1127726

Here is the link for HappyPee: http://www.boots.com/en/Happy-Pi-Kids-Toilet_1127988

Many of you already know how good Uriwell is if you are:

- Recovering at home and need to stay in bed for a while

- A wheelchair user

- A parent of a toddler going on a journey

- Going camping or to a rock festival

The unique design of Uriwell and HappyPee allows you to use them whether you are male or female, stand. sitting our lying down. The unique lid prevents leakage of odours and liquid. And it is reusable! Simply rinse out and put away for the next time you need it.

Uriwell and HappyPee now available from www.boots.com for £14.99

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright

Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. – Emory Austin

God [...]]]> Sometimes we all need a little inspiration to help us see the true value in living. These quotes might do that.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
– Herm Albright

Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.
– Emory Austin

God gave burdens, he also gave shoulders.
– Yiddish Proverbs

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.
– Chinese Proverbs

Physical strength is measured by what we can carry; spiritual by what we can bear.
– Unknown

Forgiveness is not an occasional act: it is an attitude.
– Martin Luther King Jr.

If you can’t change your fate, change your attitude.
– Amy Tan

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.
– G. K. Chesterton

What happens to a person is less significant than what happens within him.
– Louis L. Mann

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.
– Francesca Reigler

You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live.
– Joan Baez

One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.
– Jim Rohn

The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude.
– James Truslow Adams

Never underestimate your problem or your ability to deal with it.
– Robert H. Schuller

Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths.
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.
– Bernice Johnson Reagon

Impossible situations can become possible miracles.
– Robert H. Schuller

When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment.
– Source Unknown

Be determined to handle any challenge in a way that will make you grow.
– Les Brown

Determination that just won’t quit — that’s what it takes.
– A.J Foyt

About the only thing that comes without effort is old age.
– Source Unknown

People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.
– Abigail Van Buren

Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
– Saint Thomas Acquinas

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.
– George E. Mueller

Certain defects are necessary for the existence of individuality.
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
– Marcus Valerius Martial

 Forgiveness is not a one-time-only event. It is a process.
– Rhonda Britten

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, un forgiveness, selfishness, and fears.
– Glenn Clark

 We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.
– R. C. Allen

– Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.
Jack Buck

Nearly 5000 women have completed the latest Orgasm Survey and most are not getting the orgasms they deserve!

However, women who exercise their pelvic floor report significant improvements in their sex lives and in the frequency and intensity of their vaginal orgasms. � The key finding is the unequivocal evidence that a strong pelvic floor is key to [...]]]>

Nearly 5000 women have completed the latest Orgasm Survey and most are not getting the orgasms they deserve!

However, women who exercise their pelvic floor report significant improvements in their sex lives and in the frequency and intensity of their vaginal orgasms.
�
The key finding is the unequivocal evidence that a strong pelvic floor is key to a better sex life and plays a major role in the ability to achieve orgasm.

The importance of the pelvic floor, and the use of pelvic floor training to improve orgasm, was first publicised following clinical trials nearly 60 years ago.

 ”Sexual feeling within the vagina is closely related to muscle tone, and can be improved through muscle education and resistive exercise. 78 of 123 women complaining explicitly of sexual deficits achieved orgasm following the training.”
Arnold H. Kegel. Western Journal of Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, 1952

Unfortunately, most women do not know how to exercise correctly and confidently based on the principles suggested by Arnold Kegel.

The Orgasm Survey (www.orgasmsurvey.co.uk) has been completed by nearly 5000 women who have shared their most intimate secrets. The key findings are:
�
* Only a third of women regularly achieve a vaginal orgasm during penetrative sex and only slightly more (36%) achieve a clitoral orgasm with their partner. But nearly 80% regularly achieve clitoral orgasm by self-stimulation.
�
* The G-spot is not a myth – 70% of women claim to have one
�
* 25% of women don’t think they have a G-spot and this group rarely achieve orgasm
�
* Women who claim to have a good pelvic floor have twice as many orgasms as those who don’t

* Two thirds of women do not realise that a strong pelvic floor is linked to the ability to achieve orgasm

* Only 15% of women regularly attempt pelvic floor exercises

* Over 90% of women want to be shown how to exercise their pelvic floor properly
�
* 82% of women reported a much improved sex life within 4 weeks when they were shown how to exercise the pelvic floor properly

In a specific survey completed by users of the PelvicToner™exercise device:

* 65% reported stronger sensations during sex
* 50% reported more vaginal orgasms
* 40% said their vaginal orgasms became more frequent
* 48% said their vaginal orgasms became more intense
* 61% reported that their partner commented on how much tighter their vagina was

 Why an Orgasm Survey and why is this relevant?
�
31 July 2010 is National Orgasm Day – the perfect time to build awareness of how to get a better sex life

A strong and healthy pelvic floor is essential for good health especially before, during and after pregnancy, and following the menopause, but the pelvic floor muscles are rarely exercised correctly because no one teaches the fundamental principles of effective exercise that were identified by Arnold Kegel over 60 years ago.

A weakened or stretched pelvic floor muscle is a natural consequence of childbirth, the menopause and a lack of effective, regular exercise.
�
A weak or stretched pelvic floor muscle significantly reduces intimate contact during sex leading to fears of ‘dysfunction’ and frustration and dissatisfaction in both partners.

A weak or stretched pelvic floor muscle increases the risk of stress incontinence and prolapse. Stress incontinence – the involuntary leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing and exercising – affects a third of new mums and half of all women.
�
 Demonstrating and publicising the positive link between a healthy and strong pelvic floor and better sex will:
�
* improve the general health and sexual wellbeing of millions of women,
�
* improve and rekindle millions of relationships
 

* and reduce the incidence of stress incontinence
�
The Orgasm Survey (www.orgasmsurvey.co.uk) is sponsored by SPM Ltd, manufacturers of the PelvicToner.
�
The website www.iwabo.co.uk (I want a better orgasm!) is dedicated to promoting the better orgasm and how to get one!

Bummer.

Conservative Treatment Options Luckily, there are a number of conservative treatments for urge urinary incontinence or overactive bladder. Some of the most commonly [...]]]> If you suffer from overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence, a specific form of women’s urinary incontinence, then you likely experience sudden urges to urinate but don’t have enough time to reach a bathroom.

Bummer.

Conservative Treatment Options
Luckily, there are a number of conservative treatments for urge urinary incontinence or overactive bladder. Some of the most commonly used treatments include:

- pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels
- bladder retraining
- fluid and diet management
- oral or skin patch medication

For many women with urge incontinence or overactive bladder, one or more of these treatments may greatly improve or even cure their urine leakage symptoms. But for other women, these therapies don’t quite take care of the problem.

Should You Consider Botox for Urinary Incontinence?
For those women whose symptoms of urge urinary incontinence or overactive bladder do not respond to the above therapies, another option includes Botox injection. Normally used to get rid of lines and wrinkles on the face, Botox injections can produce excellent results for women with unresolved urine leakage issues when injected “down there.”

During this procedure, which is performed under local anesthetic, Botox is injected in small doses into the bladder wall in five to thirty locations, as well as into the urinary sphincter muscle. This paralyzes the detrusor muscle, one of the bladder muscles responsible for causing the bladder to empty suddenly and on its own.

Women with overactive bladder or urge urinary incontinence may still get sudden urges to urinate, but the bladder muscles become desensitized so that there is time to reach a bathroom.

Most women report that the procedure isn’t painful. Instead, some women experience a “pinching” sensation in the abdominal area, but feel no pain after the procedure is complete.

Is Botox Right for You?
Botox injections, while not currently FDA approved, do help women with urinary incontinence. A Swiss study conducted in 2004 reported that all participants were able to hold more urine in their bladders after the injections. Plus, participants emptied their bladders on average only four times a day instead of the typical twelve times per day.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that effects of Botox injections only last for six to twelve months. After that, women have to go back to the doctor for another series of injections. Each series of injections can cost upwards about $1,000, and most insurance companies will not cover this form of treatment.

If you are considering getting Botox injections to deal with your women’s urinary incontinence, weigh the pros and cons carefully. For some women, for whom more conventional treatments offer no relief, Botox injections are an attractive option for relieving urine leakage symptoms. Just be sure to find a competent surgeon who specializes in this kind of procedure. Your local beauty salon or medical spa won’t know how to handle this procedure!

by Elizabeth Houser, M.D. and Stephanie Riley Hahn, P.T., founders of http://www.wetmatters.com

To overcome the reluctance, help your elderly parent educate themselves on the condition, know that it’s common as people grow older — and assure them that doctors [...]]]> Is your elderly parent reluctant to talk to his/her doctor about their bladder control problem? It is a common issue among people who are taking care of elderly parents. 

To overcome the reluctance, help your elderly parent educate themselves on the condition, know that it’s common as people grow older — and assure them that doctors have seen it all before! 

Information about incontinence in the elderly 

Loss of bladder control is called urinary incontinence. It can happen to anyone, but is very common in older people. At least 1 in 10 people age 65 or older has this problem. Symptoms can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. Women are more likely than men to have incontinence. 

Aging does not cause incontinence. It can occur for many reasons. For example, urinary tract infections, vaginal infection or irritation, constipation, and certain medicines can cause bladder control problems that last a short time. Sometimes incontinence lasts longer. This might be due to problems such as: 

•Weak bladder muscles

•Overactive bladder muscles

•Blockage from an enlarged prostate

•Damage to nerves that control the bladder from diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease

•Diseases such as arthritis that can make walking painful and slow

Many people with bladder control problems hide the problem from everyone, even from their doctor. There is no need to do that. In most cases urinary incontinence can be treated and controlled, if not cured. If you are having bladder control problems, don’t suffer in silence. Talk to your doctor. 

Bladder Control

The body stores urine in the bladder. During urination, muscles in the bladder contract or tighten. This forces urine out of the bladder and into a tube called the urethra that carries urine out of the body. At the same time, muscles surrounding the urethra relax and let the urine pass through. Spinal nerves control how these muscles move. Incontinence occurs if the bladder muscles contract or the muscles surrounding the urethra relax without warning. 

Diagnosis

The first step in treating a bladder control problem is to see a doctor. He or she will give your aging parent a physical exam and take their medical history. The doctor will ask about your elder’s symptoms and the medicines he/she uses. The doctor will want to know if your elderly parent has been sick recently or had surgery. Your doctor also may do a number of tests. These might include urine and blood tests and tests that measure how well your mom or dad empties the bladder. In addition, your doctor may ask you to keep a daily diary of when your parent urinates and when they leak urine. Their pattern of urinating and urine leakage may suggest which type of incontinence your elderly parent has.

Types of Incontinence

There are several different types of urinary incontinence: 

Stress incontinence happens when urine leaks during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or other body movements that put pressure on the bladder. It is the most common type of bladder control problem in younger and middle-age women. In some cases it is related to childbirth. It may also begin around the time of menopause. 

Urge incontinence happens when people can’t hold their urine long enough to get to the toilet in time. Healthy people can have urge incontinence, but it is often found in people who have diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. It is also sometimes an early sign of bladder cancer. 

Overflow incontinence happens when small amounts of urine leak from a bladder that is always full. A man can have trouble emptying his bladder if an enlarged prostate is blocking the urethra. Diabetes and spinal cord injury can also cause this type of incontinence. 

Functional incontinence happens in many older people who have normal bladder control. They just have a hard time getting to the toilet in time because of arthritis or other disorders that make moving quickly difficult. 

There are several methods that doctors suggest aging seniors and their caregivers try to control incontinence. 

Bladder Control Training

Your doctor may suggest that your aging parent try to get back control of their bladder through training. With bladder training your mom or dad can change how the bladder stores and empties urine. There are several ways to do this. 

Pelvic muscle exercises (also known as Kegel exercises) work the muscles that you use to stop urinating. Making these muscles stronger helps your elderly parent hold urine in their bladder longer. These exercises are easy to do. They can lessen or get rid of stress and urge incontinence. 

Kegel exercises. The muscles your parents needs to exercise are the pelvic floor muscles. These are the ones used to stop the flow of urine or to keep from passing gas. Often doctors suggest that your aging parent squeeze and hold these muscles for a certain count, and then relax them. Then repeat this a number of times. Your parent will probably do this several times a day. Your doctor will give you exact directions. 

Biofeedback helps your elderly become more aware of signals from their body. This may help him/her regain control over the muscles in the bladder and urethra. Biofeedback can be used to help teach pelvic muscle exercises. 

Timed voiding and bladder training also can help your aging parent control their bladder. In timed voiding, the caregiver keeps a chart of urination and leaking to determine the pattern. Once you see a pattern, help your parent to the bathroom at those times to empty the bladder before they might leak. When combined with biofeedback and pelvic muscle exercises, these methods may help your parent control urge and overflow incontinence. 

Managing incontinence 

Besides bladder control training, there are several other ways to help manage incontinence: 

Sometimes doctors suggest a small, throwaway patch; a small, tampon-like urethral plug; or a vaginal insert called a pessary for women with stress incontinence. 

A doctor can prescribe medicines to treat incontinence. Some drugs prevent unwanted bladder contractions. Some relax muscles, helping the bladder to empty more fully during urination. Others tighten muscles in the bladder and urethra to cut down leakage. These drugs can sometimes cause side effects such as dry mouth, eye problems, or urine buildup. Vaginal estrogen may be helpful in women after menopause. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and side effects of using any of these medicines for a long time. 

A doctor can inject an implant into the area around the urethra. The implant adds bulk. This helps close the urethra to reduce stress incontinence. Injections may have to be repeated after a time because your body slowly gets rid of these substances. 

Sometimes surgery can improve or cure incontinence if it is caused by a problem such as a change in the position of the bladder or blockage due to an enlarged prostate. Common surgery for stress incontinence involves pulling the bladder up and securing it. When stress incontinence is serious, the surgeon may use a wide sling. This holds up the bladder and narrows the urethra to prevent leakage.

Under a doctor’s care, incontinence can be treated and often cured. Today there are more treatments for urinary incontinence than ever before. The choice of treatment depends on the type of bladder control problem your parent has, how serious it is, and what best fits their lifestyle. As a general rule, the simplest and safest treatments should be tried first.

My [...]]]> The skin is the largest organ of the body. We all want to look and feel younger. Indeed the saying of you are what you eat is undoubtedly one of the most profound statements, but how you look after your skin on the outside is just as important as looking after yourself on the inside.

My research has led me to sharing some of the myths and best tips about your skin. We can’t make time stand still, nor can we turn back the clock, but we can prevent our skin from unnecessary damage.

Myth 1

Building up a gradul tan on a salon sunbed will protect me from burning outdoors

Fact: What ever your skin natural skin colour is, tanning is damning for the skin. It is burning. Pre-sun tanning does not protect the skin in any way. It is an illusion, slow build up burning. Imagin cooking a piece of chicke, whether it is roasted for 1 hour on a low heat or 10 ninutes on a full heat, regardless of the time you have still cooked and burned the skin, your skin is no different. Do not tan your skin using heat. Always use a sunscreen on your skin especially your face regardless what season it is. Wear your suncreen under your makeup. This will protect your skin even when the sun is not out. If you must feel you need to be tanned, go for the bronzers, there are some great creams out now which don’t turn you orange or streak or smell. I have tried many and the ones which I find best are Clarines and my latest discovery is a Swiss make called Louis Widmer. I use the sun protection factor 20 on my face which give it a natural glow and a great base for my foundation. The fake tan also give a gradual build which looks as if I have been on holiday.

Myth 2

The more money I spend on skin care the better my skin will look

No, your skin needs nourishing, protecting and hydrating every day. Eat well, rest well, don’t stay in central heated rooms for long periods, try to get fresh air as the skin needs to breathe too. Yes, skin creams will help moisturise and hydrate, but drinking plenty of water is also part of hydration. Many of the expensive creams contain all sorts of chemicals which over time can actually harm the skin. Using natural products, such as washing your face in pure oatmeal (yes the stuff you eat for breakfast), will leave your skin soft and gently exfoliated. Rinse your skin in cold water to close the pores. Why not put rose petals in water and use the rose water to cleans with. For a natural moisturising cream I genuinely believe Ginseng nourishing cream is one of the best creams to nourish, hydrate and protect. 

Myth 3

Eating chocolate causes acne

Acne is genetic and there can be many factors contributing to acne. Hormone fluctuation can cause spot erruption. As your homones fluctuate you tend to crave certain foods and during the time where your vitamin B may be a little low you would go for chocolate as milk chocolate contains small amounts riboflavin (B2) so its not the chocolate which has caused the spots its the hormone fluctuation.

Food may impact on the acne but it won’t cause it.

Myth 4

Cutting my cuticles will help my nails grow

No. The cuticle protects the nail as it is growing. Cutting the cuticle can actually cause the nail to grow deformed. Gently massage almond or peach oil into the nail and gently push the cuticle back.

Myth 5

Going for regular facials will make my skin younger

Facials can be expensive, everything in moderation. There are home treatments which are just as effective, but spoiling yourself once in a while won’t harm. But reguar facials will not make your skin physically younger but will give the illusion of a glow. 

The best way to better skin tone is exercise. Exercising gives you improved circulation and oxygen capacity, which causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate, bringing a natural healthy glow to the skin. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise. We found a fantastic exercise workout which not only helps the skin but also helps the inside of the body too. The exercise was developed by a leading gynaecologist Dr Bruce Crawford. His Pfilates kit has helped many women and men. This cross between yoga and pilates gets the blood circulating and tightening of the  muscles gives the skin a younger more defined structure. www.pfilates.com for more information.

Glastonbury, Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th June (Lunar Eclipse weekend – make sure you keep it real!)

Oxegen, Friday 9th to Sunday 11th July (Just after the Solar Eclipse so you should all have a spectacular time!)

V Festival, Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd August

Leeds/Reading, Friday 27th [...]]]> Here is a quick schedule of the Summer Festivals for you:

Glastonbury, Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th June (Lunar Eclipse weekend – make sure you keep it real!)

Oxegen, Friday 9th to Sunday 11th July (Just after the Solar Eclipse so you should all have a spectacular time!)

V Festival, Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd August

Leeds/Reading, Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August

Electric Picnic, Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th September

Happy to add any of your suggestions to the calendar. Here is to a great summer, may you all be happy!

It may suprise you to hear that Kegel exercises are based upon a key element of Kundalini yoga – the Root lock or Mulabhanda (Pronounced Moola Baun-da). 

Kegel exercises are a simple & easy routine for you to try and are recommended for all women to prevent many bladder problems. [...]]]>

Kundalini Yoga & Female Stress Incontinence

It may suprise you to hear that Kegel exercises are based upon a key element of Kundalini yoga – the Root lock or Mulabhanda (Pronounced Moola Baun-da). 

Kegel exercises are a simple & easy routine for you to try and are recommended for all women to prevent many bladder problems. They are also highly recommended when you suffer from Stress Incontinence. The basic instructions for Kegel are as follows: 

Imagine you are trying to stop wind escaping from your anus (back passage). You will have to squeeze the muscle just above the entrance to the anus. You should feel some movement in the muscle. Don’t move your buttocks or legs. 

Now imagine you are passing urine and are trying to stop the stream. You will find yourself using slightly different parts of the pelvic floor muscles to the first exercise (ones nearer the front). These are the ones to strengthen. If you are not sure that you are exercising the right muscles, put a couple of fingers into your vagina. You should feel a gentle squeeze when doing the exercises. 

For more information please see our post Female Stress Incontinence – Understanding your bladder

Now compare the above to the instructions for the Root Lock in Kunalini yoga. 

Exhale and engage the pelvic floor, drawing it upwards towards your navel. If you don’t know how to access the pelvic floor, think of it as the space between the pubic bone and the tailbone. Initially you may need to contract and hold the muscles around the anus and genitals, but really what you want is to isolate and draw up the perineum, which is between the anus and genitals.

Doing your Kegel exercises will help but you should also consider introducing a broader exercise programme into your life. Any kind of physical exercise that engages your core will help strengthen your pelvic muscles, but Pilates and yoga in particular are great inner toners. Both focus on building a firm core or root. They also use deep breathing and mindful movement to reconnect the brain to the body. Thus you will find over time a deepening improvement in your overall health & well-being.

If you are concerned about stress incontinence or any other health issue please do discuss with your doctor. You will benefit by simply talking about this problem & may find that solutions are within your easy reach.

Nevertheless, women’s urinary incontinence is becoming a very prevalent condition, as common as diabetes [...]]]> Women’s urinary incontinence is estimated to affect over 18 million women in the United States. We have to estimate that number because half the women who do have urinary incontinence never seek help, so the real numbers are hard to pin down.

Nevertheless, women’s urinary incontinence is becoming a very prevalent condition, as common as diabetes or arthritis, and it affects women of all ages, not just women of the baby boomer generation.

So why don’t more women seek help?

The Case of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
A quick look at the statistics tells a powerful story of why more women suffering from urinary incontinence don’t get help.

Women’s urinary incontinence is rarely brought up during routine doctor visits.
25% of women surveyed said they were too embarrassed to raise the issue.
68% of doctors say it is difficult to treat patients who are too embarrassed to talk about their health problem.
Urinary incontinence tops of the list “embarrassing issues” women won’t raise with their doctor.
64% surveyed felt that their urinary incontinence wasn’t enough of a problem, so they didn’t bring it up.
Only 30% of family practice doctors routinely raise the issue.

Are you starting to get the picture here? As a health condition that really needs to be addressed, urinary incontinence is stuck in the strange limbo between “Don’t ask” and “Don’t tell.”

What to Do About “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
The person with the greatest power in this limbo of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is you, of course. If you have women’s urinary incontinence, then the best way to ensure that you get the help you need is to be a strong health advocate for yourself. Make an appointment with your doctor specifically to discuss this issue. Then prepare yourself to get the most out of your appointment.

by Elizabeth Houser, M.D. and Stephanie Riley Hahn, P.T., founders of http://www.wetmatters.com