The same problems with nutrition that exist for fast food consumption for anyone are magnified for pregnant women.

Weight gain, gestational diabetes, swelling and high blood pressure are significant risks for women who are pregnant. These risks are worse for both young (under 20) pregnant women and women who are over 35, though all pregnant women experience these risks, which could be deadly. They are also all connected to whatever you eat.

Eating Fast foods while pregnant can complicate pregnancy. The big risk that many people don’t recognize is too much sodium and salt. Most fast food meats are soaked and/or injected with salt before cooking. The sodium load can be very dangerous for pregnant women regardless of age. Here are some places to look.

1. Fast foods and convenience foods are typically loaded with salt.
2. Many “diet” foods may have a lot of salt. The weight gain might be a bit alarming, but it’s not the time to diet.
3. Cured meats like bacon and sausage also tend to have a lot of salt.
4. Many salad dressings you buy both in restaurants and at the grocery may have a lot of salt.
5. Many sauces in restaurants and in packaged and convenience foods may be loaded with salt.
6. Some fast food SALADS may contain a large amount of salt even before you add salad dressing.

Additionally, fast foods and convenience foods also tend to have lots of fat, sugar and strange chemicals that won’t do anything good for you or your baby.

It’s safer to prepare everything you eat at home with basic food ingredients. Go easy on fats, salt, and sugar to give you and your baby the best in food and the good nutrition essential for the best outcomes we all want.

Check with your doctor for food lists and guidelines about healthy eating. Take your prescribed vitamins and stay out of fast food places. Many local Health Departments can give you good data on dietary guidelines for pregnancy, too, as well as food assistance for eligible women. You might want to check out my post on fertility and the environment. While it’s focus is on increasing fertility, many of the points apply for women already pregnant.

Regarding fertility and the environment or maybe I should say infertility and the environment, there are 4 easily available issues in the environment that could affect on your fertility.

1.     Pesticides have 2 ways that they might lower your fertility. Some are nerve toxins that sometimes kill pests quickly. Some of these chemicals use a delivery system that imitates estrogen in the natural world. Bugs and vermin become infertile and do not multiply as fast. Both types can have unpredictable effects on people who come into contact with them. This type of chemical can have impacts on both female and male fertility in humans, too. Pesticides and fertility don’t mix.

2.     Herbicides are used to control weeds in crops and can be absorbed through foods and direct contact with the toxins themselves. While these chemicals have been deemed safe by the FDA, they can still impact human health and fertility and also can be fatal to humans who are exposed to large quantities. Herbicides and fertility aren’t in any way meant to mix.

3.     Hormones, especially estrogen that is given to farm animals to make them gain weight more quickly, also makes humans gain weight and may also have negative effects on both male and female fertility. Overweight mothers have more problems with becoming pregnant, gestation and delivery. Overweight men also experience lower fertility and libido because of overexposure to estrogen in foods.

4.     Other environmental chemicals and toxins also have detrimental effects on fertility that have not been investigated by either the FDA or the EPA because of opposition from large businesses. One is a chemical that is in many plastics commonly called BPH, which adversely effects fertility in both men and women and plugs itself into estrogen receptors in the human body.

Other risks also exist in our lives. We are giving you a list so you don’t get taken by surprise…maybe. If you have been unwise…and who hasn’t…make sure you have some candid conversations with your doctor and that you get better at taking care of yourself. We are just going to give you the facts without getting into morality or a lecture on religion.

This is just about guarding your fertility and in particular, the effects from the environment on your fertility. If you do a good job of guarding fertility, you probably won’t find yourself one day trying to increase your fertility.

1.       People become sexually active as teens without really being aware of the risks. These days as many as a quarter of teens have active STD’s. They are not thinking. They are just doing and they are not getting medical care. It’s worse than nursery schools as a germ exchange.

2.       Try to avoid being exposed to chemicals and pesticides. Both men and women’s fertility are at risk from exposure to environmental hazards. For women, these chemicals can seriously affect getting pregnant. Even if you don’t want to get pregnant, I would avoid them as they could very well be a cause of cancer.

3.       Drugs may cause problems, too. Some designer drugs destroy your body from the inside, out, and certainly could be one of the causes of infertility.

4.       Animals that are fed hormones (estrogen) to increase weight and increase milk production are having two effects on fertility. They are making lots of PEOPLE fat, too. Additionally men are getting unhealthy amounts of a feminine hormone. It’s not great for sperm production. Does your son have breasts?

5.       Women who want to have a family are frequently not told during their sex educations that the more partners they have the more they may risk damage to their fertility. It’s especially risky for women because they have what is called an “open system” that is designed to take in sperm and carry a pregnancy. This open system also makes most STD’s more dangerous to women than to the closed systems men have, though they can become quite ill or even infertile, too.

6.       Find out what your blood type is as soon as you can. It matters in child bearing, especially if a woman is Rh. Negative, as in O- or all the other negative blood types. One miscarriage could spell disaster if you have a fetus that is a different blood type. A woman might never have a child in this scenario if she fails to get a shot to prevent her from producing antibodies against her next baby, resulting in miscarriage.

7.       One of the most common causes of infertility in women is pelvic inflammatory disease, usually caused by STD’s, though something like a burst appendix or intestinal blockage could also cause it.

8.       Nutrition is also important to people who wish to have a family. Ask anyone who breeds and raises livestock. You want to start healthy and stay healthy during gestation and birth. The right diet can have a huge effect on getting pregnant. Learn more at diet and getting pregnant.

9.       Obesity causes many problems in pregnancy and delivery. Heavy women are more likely to have problems with high blood pressure, diabetes, and even fertility and hormones. It’s a problem for men, too.

10. Being either too young or too old causes problems and carries risks of which people may be unaware.

11. Poor quality diets cause problems, too. It’s one of the complications that very young mothers frequently have. Only one of their problems is that they are not fully grown and they cannot give birth without medical intervention in the form of c-sections

Basically what we are trying to say is to be aware of the possible relationship between fertility and the environment if you really want children some day. So pay close attention to what’s in your environment that might effect fertility so as to guard your fertility whether you are trying to get pregnant or may want or may want to have children in the future. Guarding your fertility is key in today’s toxin laced world.

The kidney dialysis side effects in the elderly can be very mild or they can be quite severe depending on the situation. The side effects depend on the condition of the patient and whether they are following the appropriate diet or not. The side effects usually aren’t that severe if the patient carefully follows all of their doctor’s advice and orders.

One of the most common dialysis side effects is infection. Dialysis requires a tube called a catheter which is inserted internally and externally to allow the dialysis solution to go in and out of the body. The process of draining, filling and dwelling the solution must be done with utmost care as bacteria can enter the body, and there is a risk of infection both inside and outside of the body. The exchange can be done up to four or five times a day, so this increases the chance of infection. When handling the catheter, sterile gloves should be worn and hand washing should be done regularly. The exchange should also be done in a clean area. Also, an antibiotic solution should be applied to the catheter before inserting.

Hernia is another one of the kidney dialysis side effects in the elderly. The internal muscle walls hold the organs in place. With the insertion of a catheter, these walls may weaken. The pressure from the dialysis solution can further push these muscles and cause a turn, causing the organs to come out through the opening. In the case of hernia, the patients should take care to not exert themselves. Bloating and weight gain is another of the dialysis side effects in older people. The fluid solution can cause bloating and weight gain. Some patients may have trouble eating because of the dialysis solution causing a bloating feeling.

To lessen the  side effects from dialysis, the patient should be made to follow the proper diet and fluid restrictions as instructed by their health care professional. All handling of the catheter and fluid bags should also be done in a sanitary manner. As long proper care is done, most dialysis side effects can be avoided.

It’s the way of love and relationships.

One of the most difficult things for us to do is to reach an understanding and a balance in our lives that also allows us to maintain long-term relationships.

You might find some less than satisfying comfort with another lover, but still feel disappointed and unhappy and guilty, too. Before you choose this deal breaker, do something more productive.

In terms of romance it’s worth the effort to learn to resolve relationship conflicts and move on with a better understanding of each others’ needs and wishes.

There are several strategies that can help you win through to this kind of intimate understanding for solving relationship issues.

1.      Figure out what the problem really is. I know this is tough relationship advice but you have to be really honest with YOURSELF. It’s one of the most difficult things any of us must learn.

2.      Tell your love what you view as a problem and why. Just say it. Don’t ask them to guess. If you wait for that one, some lawyer will probably be making money from your issues shortly.

3.      Stick to the current issue and try not to get real emotional. What happened yesterday or last year is over.

4.      Say how you feel with openness and honesty. It might help to take a walk together. Don’t say, “We have to talk”, if you don’t plan to speak calmly and openly.

5.      You may learn things you don’t know. It may or may not surprise you, but listen and pay attention. Listening is a critical element in love and relationships.

We all have rights to our feelings. Many times couples will discover that they are already closer in their concerns than they expect. You may be cranky because of exhaustion or worry. Your lover may also have the same problem.

At least some of the time the real issue in your conflict is something that is happening in your life that is outside of your central relationship, but that is impacting your life negatively. Think of illness or unemployment. Another relationship issue might be financial worries. Money problems in a relationship is one of the most common issues in a relationship.

You may be feeling neglected when your partner is just trying to make an employer feel they are indispensable.

All of these may make you dissatisfied and unhappy. Make changes if you can. You don’t have to do what you have been doing if it’s not making you both happy.

Freedom and passion together involve making your life what you want it to be, which is critical for successful relationships. Go for it!

Communication in a relationship is very important. The best couples always communicate better and more positively than the bad ones do. A listening attitude always helps. Also, communications with a woman is critical to understanding women.

For better communication in a relationship it’s always a good thing to simply come out with whatever it is that you want from the other person or what you want your life to be to feel fulfilled. But women want to talk things out of their system and men don’t want to listen until they are done talking. Men tend to be more pragmatic and goal oriented.

Guess what? You don’t have to solve the problem necessarily. Here’s a hint. Let them talk and listen.

How can you do this?

It’s not so difficult. Here are some ideas, ones we have used ourselves to help make a better relationship.

1.      Think about what you want in your life and write it down. You make lists for other things. Why not for this, too? Any couple can do this. You have to understand your own heart before you can communicate how you feel and what you want.

2.      Compare lists. How well do your lists match up? Compatibility doesn’t require that you be identical, just that you can adapt to each other and with each other. Knowledge is power in relationships just as it is in anything else.

3.      Give each other some respect and personal freedom. Many of us are pleasantly surprised to find that being with someone offers us more personal freedom than we expected.

4.      Remember things always change. Be ready to adapt to change. Do it together or you will end up being torn apart. Changing conditions in life are the norm. Be ready to adjust and support each other both emotionally and materially.

5.      Is the initial excitement you felt together fading? Get it back by making more love time for each other.

Remember, you have to understand yourself before you can communicate your needs and wants to someone else. Analyze your own heart and seek the wishes of your lover with openness and true interest. While many of our posts don’t specify that they include relationship advice for men but check them out. Most include advice for men in a relationship.

Men are sometimes surprised when a woman is displeased. They may be unaware there is a problem and then…boom…she loses her temper. One good way to deal with this problem is to ask her…and frequently, too, something simple like, “How was your day?”

That way she feels you care even if you don’t know whatever is bothering her or even that she has a problem. You avoid coming across as clueless or selfish or oblivious…even if you are.

Men tend to think of love in terms of working for the family. They talk about and resent “the old ball and chain” these responsibilities entail.

In many cases their presence and their attention would mean more to both their wives and their families. The problem is they are not at home enough to find out that their families miss them and would like to spend more time with them. Think less about work and more about what you and they want from life. Review your priorities today.

Many women work really hard, too, basically about 16 hours a day. Often they don’t get much appreciation for it, either. Every one of us…men or women both…likes to be respected and appreciated. The problem is that an exhausted woman is typically resentful and cranky. Offer her a sexual overture and your hand may come back a bleeding stump.

It’s also interesting to consider that some things women are working so hard to do…things they feel they HAVE to do…are not things that are deal breakers in their relationship.

For example we know a couple currently living happily. She loves to cook and he loves to eat. Neither of them likes to keep house. Either they pay someone to clean or they settle for a home that is a bit messy. It’s been working for them for many years.

They had to talk it over to reach this conclusion. They did and it worked. Communicating with her, including really listening can go a long way to understanding women or at least understanding her. Simple relationship advice that can really help you better understand her or as some men might say, figure her out.

Some couples can’t get along at all. They fight a lot and don’t bother with treating each other with any level of courtesy. It’s too sad and something that shouldn’t happen.

Besides the fact that it makes people very unhappy, it’s also very stressful and hard on everyone involved, both mentally and physically.

My husband has awful memories from his childhood. His parents fought constantly and he has blocked his memories of their life and his life with them.

He grew up determined to be different from them and determined to have different…and better…relationships. He only had to look as far as his grandmother to see what kind of person he wanted to emulate.

Here are five things we do every day to make our life together better and happier.

1.      Treat each other with courtesy. No one is exempt from this rule. Attention and kindness begins at home. Loving someone requires paying attention to the need for loving-kindness. Give them a hug when you leave or come back home and a welcoming smile. Offer small special gift like cooking their favorite food on the weekend or filling up their gas tank. It’s not that complicated. Think of the way a pet welcomes you home. Humans should be able to handle that. A loving touch warms all hearts.

2.      Stop with the insults. If you don’t like what they are wearing, buy them something new. Being mean to your lover is not going to give either of you what you want.

3.      Help each other move on through life’s disappointments. We all have them, but how you handle them together can make your life better and more satisfying. Home is where we are supposed to support each other emotionally. Here is a bit of relationship advice. When (not if) life throws crap at you, don’t let it screw up your relationship. Relationships should be bigger than daily life issues.

4.      Exercise together. If you don’t have time, change things so you do have time. Good lovers are healthy and strong. It’s also great for helping to put life’s problems into perspective as well as a good prescription for depression.

5.      I have said this before but it’s still great advice. Your bedroom is for intimacy. It’s for making love, being together and sleeping. It’s not the place to surf the net, pay bills, fold laundry or whatever. Intimacy is fun. Get more of it and keep that room sacred.

Couples can and usually do grow and change. You can grow and change together…or not. Stop snapping at each other, immediately. It’s certainly more fun and more emotionally rewarding to work together at building good healthy relationships. We find being and living happily together very exciting and rewarding. You can, too. One of my favorite things my husband does for me is slipping into the kitchen and giving me a hug from behind as I stand at the counter doing food prep. We really get into that rather R rated snuggle. Kitchens are SO sexy!

During the years I worked as a social worker I saw the Social Security Administration do some truly amazingly hard-hearted things to people with disabilities.

They routinely denied social security disability claims for people with serious health problems including one man with terminal lung cancer who was undeniably dying. In fact he did die just a few weeks after they denied him disability. He was out sick from work for a considerable time before the doctors knew what his problem was, had no medical coverage and never worked another day after his diagnosis.
Of course he would not have been eligible for Medicaid payments for medical care until he had been on disability for 2 years after he had been approved for a check. He did not live long enough to reapply or to get any help. Medical insurance companies often play this game, too. It’s cheaper for them if people just die before they have to do anything.
Other people who have applied for SS disability have had similar experiences.

One strategy for getting a better outcome is to reapply and keep reapplying until you get the approval you need.
Another is to ask for a hearing when you get the denial of your application. The advantage with this strategy is that your 2-year clock for medical coverage starts with the initial application if you are eventually approved.

The test for Social Security Disability is that a recipient must be totally disabled and unable to work at all. If you are in a wheelchair but feel able to answer the phone at a place of business you may not be eligible for disability.

Their list of rules is very long and constantly growing, but your own persistence can help you get what you need.

The big complication is that it’s difficult to muster that kind of persistence when you are ill.

Families and friends may be a resource for you if you lack the ability to handle this problem yourself. The workers at Social Security are generally unhelpful probably based on what their bosses require of them. You will need to be pretty pushy and demanding. Having to ask for a hearing is somewhere in the paper work they give you, but they probably will not offer if you don’t demand it. Be ready to demand what you need or get someone to help you through all the difficulties. They make it hard for you on purpose so maybe you will give up. The key is to NOT give up. If you ever hear anyone say “I’ve been turned down for Social Security Disability“, tell them to keep trying. Persistence often pays off.

It reminded me of the advice we got from an old doctor when we were first married.

He suggested that one way to prevent yeast infections is for the woman involved to never wear panty hose or tight pants that contribute to the problem. He recommended stockings held up with a garter belt instead. You could also wear thigh high stockings that hold up without a garter, too. He also recommended that pants not be too tight and to change and shower frequently, especially in hot weather and after exercise. Loose clothing at home without underwear is good, too.

So for many years I have worn stockings with dresses and with evening wear, too. I usually wear them without panties, too.

I don’t get yeast infections thanks to his excellent advice and my husband thinks they are really sexy, too. Since I no longer get yeast infections we are always in the mood for romance and healthy enough for it. It’s amazing that a Doctor’s solution for a recurring yeast infection could result in much more fun in the bedroom.

The economy impacts relationships a LOT more than people think it does. For many of us it can be deadly to our love lives as well as our financial lives.

The first of the two relationship killers for people is that they spend so little time together,

People work all the time.

They are rarely at home together. Proximity, being physically together, matters to romance. It matters a lot

People need to spend time together to have a relationship.

And it’s not just a problem with romantic relationships either. It’s impossible to have relationships of any kind if you can’t spend any time with people you love.

Work, the struggle to make a living is interfering with all kinds of relationships including romantic relationships.

I once interviewed a man who wanted a romantic relationship badly. He told me that he had very little time to meet someone or maintain a relationship if he had one, because he was at work nearly all the time.

I suggested he spend a bit more time finding someone to love or alternatively loving someone at work.

He replied he could not do either because he was afraid of damaging his career, which was of paramount importance to him.

He worked for a large corporation. They really like to fire people, regardless of how good they are because they hate to pay people retirement. He really believed he could beat the odds and have a great career if he just kept working nearly every minute he was awake.

I never heard how things turned out for him, but I fear he’s still alone and lonely.

But there is another big risk to relationships that people struggle with every day.

It’s one of the biggest relationship killers, financial problems. And it may be related to not having a job at all, ironically.

Anger, frustration and fear swamp relationships when people don’t have enough income to pay the bills. It adds an enormous amount of relationship stress.

It is my personal opinion that financial problems are relationship breakers. And it’s not extravagance that’s the real issue. The idea that people are irresponsible or extravagant is only really true in a few cases.

Bankruptcies happen most often for 3 reasons. One is illness, and one is job loss.

But the other one is divorce. And it might be and often is related to the first 2 reasons for bankruptcy,

1. Illness and the bills that come with it or
2. Job loss.

People can’t handle the feelings of being out of control, the fear turns to anger and they take it out on the people they are supposed to love.

But it’s important that people recognize that they can take steps to insure successful relationships by getting control of their own career.

1. Get work that means you don’t have to worry much about layoffs.
2. Make sure you live below your means and have savings that will get you through bad times.
3. Spend all the time you can together, maybe even working together.
4. Look for self-employment opportunities.
5. Don’t commute. Work at home or live at work.

All these things will give you both the time and the income to have a relationship that you can nurture and passionately enjoy.