The Billings or mucus inspection method was named after John and Evelyn Billings - two Australian doctors who developed the method in 1953. It is based on the examination of the vaginal and cervical mucus which change as hormone levels vary during the course of the woman's menstrual cycle.

Each morning, the woman is obliged to inspect the mucus for changes that may indicate fertility. This is likely to occur if her cervical mucus is thin, clear and profuse which normally happens four days before ovulation. After menstruation, in the absence of mucus or days after it becomes thick and sticky, it is safe to have sex.

"To detect these changes, the vaginal area is blotted each morning with a facial tissue and then the mucus is tested between the thumb and forefinger. After the menstrual period, there will be several days with no mucus discharge. This is followed by several days of a thick, sticky, yellow or white discharge. There will be one or two days when the mucus becomes transparent and very slippery, with the consistency of raw egg whites. The mucus will form a string between the thumb and forefinger. This is when ovulation occurs," according to the editors of Consumer Guide's "Family Health & Medical Guide."

"After ovulation, the mucus again becomes thick and sticky or there may be no mucus at all. The fertile period begins with the thick, sticky, yellow or white discharge and continues until about three days after the phase when the mucus has the consistency of egg whites. Intercourse should be avoided during this time. In other words, the safe period is from three days after the slippery mucus stage to about three days after the end of the menstrual period," said Consumer Guide.

The muco-thermal or sympto-thermal method is a combination of the temperature method and the mucus inspection method. It relies on the observation of the basal body temperature and the cervical mucus which undergo changes during ovulation. Couples should avoid sex for 10 to 14 days during ovulation.

What are the advantages of natural family planning (NFP) methods? They are safe, inexpensive, have no physical side effects, acceptable to religious groups that do not allow other contraceptives and help women gain a better understanding of their bodies.

On the downside, the failure rate of NFP methods can go as high as 20 percent, especially for beginners. Couples should abstain from sex until the time that the woman is familiar with her mucus pattern. This may take at least a month which is bad for those who don't have the discipline to avoid intercourse that long.

What's more, the woman must keep an accurate record of her cycle to prevent pregnancy. This makes women with irregular menstrual cycles or those who go on months without menstruating poor candidates for NFP.

However, even in women with regular cycles, the strict observation of the cervical mucus and basal body temperature is not always reliable. This is because factors such as stress, illness and the use of certain drugs (particularly antihistamines) can delay ovulation or alter the appearance of the mucus. This reduces the effectiveness of NFP techniques.

"A vaginal infection or semen can change the color and consistency of cervical mucus and make interpretation difficult, especially for beginners. And infection, jet lag and stress can cause temperature fluctuations. It's all so complicated that experts urge couples considering a 'natural' method to take classes or get individual training to learn the subtleties crucial to success," concluded Deborah Franklin in Health Guide magazine. (Next: Getting to know the pill.)

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It has been said that life is very unpredictable and there is a lot of truth to that saying. There are people who are very healthy, fall sick suddenly and then discover that they got a critical illness. There are people who are very careful in everything they do, including on the road, but, got knock by other careless driver and ended up lying in hospital for months. These cases happen every now and then and we all know what follows next: the huge medical fee.

Are you prepared for it?

All along, people think health guide insurance as an option; you can live with or without it. Well, the truth is, you can't ignore it, it is very important to have health insurance, especially with the high rising medical cost in recent years. If you don't have any health insurance coverage, when the times comes where you need to receive medical attention or services, you will have to pay the entire fee from your own pocket and that can be a huge financial burden. If it is a serious illness, that can means several thousand dollars and are you prepare for it or in simple terms, do you have the financial ability to pay for it?

Again, some people think that they are health and strong and won't get any illness easily. That's a very risky thought because really, nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. There is too much uncertainty about life, that's why people said life is unpredictable.

What is health insurance and how it helps you?

The purpose of health insurance is to protect and cover you financially when it comes to medical fee. The way it works is similar to other insurance like the life or auto insurance: you pay a sum of money to the insurance company monthly or yearly and they will help to pay your medical cost at a predetermined principal sum up to a limit.

Usually, the first thing that comes to one's mind when he or she falls sick is the concern about the medical cost. Now, if you have a health insurance policy, you can be assured that there is something you can fall back on. You just need to concentrate to recover from your illness and don't have to worry about how much you have incurred on your medical fee as majority of the cost will be covered by the insurance company.

Having a health insurance policy is very crucial as nobody knows when one will fall sick. Preparing yourself for the uncertainty will be very beneficial.

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Massachusetts law restricts health insurance companies from denying Mass Health Insurance to someone due to health conditions or terminating them from a program for illness. We know that many people can't afford to pay for their health insurance and so they can end up defaulting on their hospital care bills. In the end it is the tax payers who pay the bill. That is why the new Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law restricts companies from denying coverage to someone due to health conditions or terminating them from a program for illness.

Because of the Massachusetts health care reform law people are going online to find mass health insurance plans. Now that the penalty for not having health insurance is so high, people are looking to find a mass health policy. With all the options for the different mass healthcare plans comparing insurance quotes can be a big pain.

Looking for dental coverage in your health care plan? You will need to budget for the additional cost that adding dental and vision coverage. You may want to check out the extra cost for Vision since your vision coverage may be a good buy in the long run. Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Mass health care program offers 80% coverage on one eye exam every two years which may be just what you are looking for.

As a woman you may be concerned about how well a mass health insurance plan will cover you for your baby or future family needs. This is a major concern for you when you are comparing plans since you want to be sure that you get the maximum amount of coverage that you need that best fits your budget and your future family plans. Read the fine print of your quotes and be sure that you talk to the agent so you can clearly understand what is covered and not covered.

Age is also an important factor in deciding on a full coverage health plan. For example, in what ways does health insurance coverage for children vary from that of adults under different plans? Often, plans have restrictions and price differences in relation to age. This can greatly impact your coverage under a program as an older person

As a Massachusetts resident you would be advised to secure expert assistance in selecting your mass health medical coverage plans. The expert online agents that will give you an online quote are insurance experts in the Mass Health State Law. The companies that they represent have to abide by the laws of the state and will have plans that meet the state requirements.

So what does Guarantee Issue means? This means that Massachusetts Insurance companies can not deny coverage to any individual or charge higher premiums on the basis of their current health. Mass Health Insurance companies do not have the right to raise insurance premiums based on an individual's age or if their health guide has declined nor can they cancel you for this reason. Do you need your insurance quote, now? You can chose from MMass Health Approved Insurance Providers like: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fallon, Midwest National, Harvard Pilgrim, Mega, and Tufts.

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The teeth begin to appear when a child is six or seven months old, and at two and a half years it should have all twenty temporary teeth. When the child reaches the age of six, the permanent teeth begin to appear. The teeth of small children should be cared for and kept clean. They should last until the time comes for the permanent teeth to take their place.

It will be observed that the time of shedding begins when a child health guide is about six years of age and continues until the eleventh year. It will also be observed that the eruption of the first permanent incisors coincides with the eruption of the first permanent molars, taking place immediately after the shedding of the first deciduous teeth at the age of 6 or 7 years.

Parents who are not aware of this coincidence are likely to consider the first permanent molars to be deciduous. This misapprehension may lead them to neglect these molars in case of decay, thinking that they like the deciduous teeth will be replaced soon with new ones. Such a mistake will result in permanent loss, for if cavities are not filled, these molars will be lost with no hope of replacement. This will lead to malalignment of the remaining teeth on that side and will interfere with mastication (grinding) of food for the rest of the individual life.

The work of the teeth is to masticate food; that is, grind it into fine particles, mix it with saliva and so begin its digestion. The teeth also aid in speaking; for when they are lost certain syllables cannot be pronounced clearly. The use of the teeth is important and their condition has an important bearing upon health guide.

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Unless you have been completely out of touch, you have probably heard all the hubbub about the dangers of asbestos. So, what is the big deal?

A Quick Guide to Asbestos and Health Issues

Asbestos is a fibrous material that is highly resistant to burning. It has a long history. While it was first used on a large scale commercial basis at the turn of the twentieth century, it has actually been around much longer. In fact, the ancient Egyptians were known for using it burial clothes.

Common modern applications used to include building materials, products and automobile brake pads, which all required a fire resistant element. Asbestos is still used today, but on a fairly small scope. The reason has everything to do with health guide. Asbestos in and of itself is not harmful to people. What is harmful, however, is asbestos dust.

Asbestos dust is a vicious thing. Due to the chemical makeup of the material, the dust is like a cloud of fine glass particles. While they will not damage your skin, they do great damage to the lungs. Making matters worse, asbestos dust is so fine that it is easily raised from asbestos material like ceiling tiles and walls. Once in the air, it is all but invisible. Prolonged exposure, such as when working on or in a building with asbestos materials, can result in massive amounts of the toxic dust entering the lungs.

Once asbestos dust is in your lungs, you cannot expel it by coughing. That doesn’t mean the body does not try. Asbestosis is scarring of the lungs from acid created by the body in an effort to get the asbestos dust out. If this process is allowed to occur for 10 to 20 years, the lungs may stop functioning because of excess scarring. If that sounds bad, it only gets worse. Asbestos dust can lead to terminal cancer in the form of mesothelioma. [What is Mesothelioma?]

Asbestos is an excellent fire resistant material that saves us from burning while killing us in a much slower manner. Since 1989, it has been banned in the United States in all but a few commercial areas.

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Health products are the rave these days. They are advertised all over the internet, newspapers, TV, magazines, they're everywhere!

So I thought to do some reading about these 'health products'. We generally associate health product with loosing weight. Food supplements, diet pills and energy drinks or at the most multi-vitamin tablets are what health guide products mean to the average consumer. But there also herbal products, made of more natural substances, which have now entered the marketing and are claiming attention. These don't, if genuine, claim to work miracles on your body within 24 hours. Herbal remedies like cumin-seed tea are also effective if taken according to instructions. The point of a health product is to regulate your metabolism and homeostasis that is allowing fat build-up in your body. For example the linings of your stomach may have lost its ability to absorb nutrients fully. But how do we know that the health product we are buying is really healthy? Here are a few tell-tale signs and pits to avoid:

1. Don't buy everything you see on TV: even the best chemically tested medicines contain literature which warns of side effects. Some people develop allergy to aspirin. So how is safe to order health medicine you've never heard about before, right of a TV or internet advertisement.

2. Listen to your intuition: If it claims to do unnatural things like 'reduce 50kg in 24 hours', you're in for a scam. If you're lucky, it won't do anything to you. At the most, just to make a few extra sales, the medicine may cause sudden weight-loss with subsequent complications later. The medicine may end up concentrating on a certain body part, thereby, causing disproportion in your figure. Another undesirable scenario maybe the loss of weight due to loss of muscle mass or body water, both very dangerous for your health.

3. Check with the FDA (Federal Drug Authority, USA): check the FDA's official website for a list of approved Health Products. There may be a delay in the approval of some excellent product by the FDA, but this is due to their meticulous checking procedure. But better safe than sorry. The products approved by them, on the other hand, are safe to use.

4. Consult a Doctor: if it's a good product, your dietician or physician should have an idea about it. Or more simply they may be able to recommend one. Best to ask them, rather risk your health to hear-say.

While taking Health Products, be careful;

1. Try herbal: if you have a medical of having allergic reaction to medicines, try herbal health care products. But even these with the consultation of your dietician. And remember doesn't mean there are bits of leaves and sunflower seeds in it. There are still chemical reactions involved, just less so, with more concentration on creating harmonious mixtures.

2. Don't shy away from exercise: don't expect to burn fat, unless you actually set it on fire:. The best health product can't substitute the walk in the morning or jog in the evening. Don't just become dependant on medicine to do the trick for you. On its own. Hit the tread-mill. Like Mr. T said 'no pain, no gain'.

3. Don't challenge your health product to a duel: just because the medicine is helping to digest all the fats you normally take in, don't go nuclear on it, by increasing the fat in-take.

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In looking for a government sponsored dental insurance, you have to consider two basic facts. One, that most federal dental insurance plan is for those employed by the federal governments only. Second, there are also government sponsored dental insurance purposely designed for the residents of the state and can availed only by the low income group.

If you are an employee of the federal government, there are many options open to you with regards to your family's dental insurance plan. There is really no need for you to research on these plans, as you will be provided with the needed handouts related to these governments' dental insurance offers to federal employees.

All you have to do is find the right option for you from the pamphlet and apply for such coverage. Actually, as a federal employee, you are in a better position for dental insurance coverage as all that you have to do is choose if what options is most suited to your family's dental insurance need. This is one advantage of being in the government employ.

If you are working as a contractual employee of an agency and receiving a very low pay, you can still avail of these federally funded dental insurance plan which are free for those with lowest income and partially free for those with a slightly higher income. These government sponsored dental insurance plan are given to the residents of the state that are living in or near poverty levels.

Every year, your state allocates a budget for these governmental support and have it bided to insurance companies. Those residents that would like to apply for these government supported dental insurance coverage plans has to submit proof of their annual earnings to qualify for these dental insurance plans.

For federal employees, it is suggested that if they would want a more comprehensive federal insurance plan with a good coverage on dental care, they can browse the website of their state and study what other options are available for them that can give them more coverage when it comes to their dental insurance need. In fact, in this site, they can also see their own plan, the total amount of their coverage and its status.

On the other hand, if you are out of work or working with a very low pay, you can always seek the help of your city or municipal government for federal dental insurance. If you have the time you can go to an internet shop and search the net for your state or city website. Here, you will come to learn the many free government assisted dental insurance coverage plans and the needed requirements if you want to apply for one.

Usually, the needed information that you have to furnish your city dental health guide office when you apply for federal dental insurance plan will be your yearly income and the number of children that you have. You have to be aware that if you fall on the lowest income level, you can have the chance of being afforded a totally free dental insurance for your family. With this information, you can now apply for federally assisted dental insurance plan for your family.

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