Custom vs. Premium WordPress theme

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WordPress powers some of internet’s top websites and has gained an immense fan following over the past decade. That is the reason you chose to start your website in WordPress with a free theme and no customization. Now that your website has taken off, you want to take it up a notch but cannot decide between a custom WordPress theme or a premium theme.

This article will provide you a breakdown between those choices and help you decide which one is better. Here’s the hint – the answer is a custom WordPress theme and you will understand why by the time you finish reading this article. Before we delve into the reasons why you need a custom WordPress theme and not just a premium one, let us first look at what each of these mean.

Common features between your custom and premium theme

Irrespective of the type of theme you choose, the basic functionality of your website will not change. All themes will enable you to log in, update your website, maintain security through the administrative function and in general contains all the code and feature necessary to run a bare bones website.

A theme is a “skin” that sits on top of this bare bones website that makes your site unique. Think of it as a pre-fabricated set of page templates that include visual elements. Allowing you to customize the color, font, text size and structure, a theme is what brands your website. Themes come in 3 different types and can be free, premium or custom. Free themes are just that – they are free. They have very limited options and only allow you to change the site color. Premium and custom themes are more appropriate for businesses and blogs looking to scale.

Introduction to Premium Based Themes   

Premium WordPress themes are a step above free themes in that they offer a few more customization features. These cookie-cutter themes are best used when you have limited functionality in mind for your website. Thousands of developers from across the world have devoted time to create premium WordPress themes. All you need is to download the theme from the WordPress store and customize it per your needs. Premium WordPress themes are best when you have a

·         Small website

·         Limited budget

·         Lack of development and designing skills

·         Limited need for advanced functionality

·         Need to purchase immediately

Keep in mind though that premium themes do not come with developer support in most cases. So, most developers are only interested in you till you make a sale and may not support you once you do.

The Custom Theme Difference

In case of custom WordPress theme, the theme is designed around your website and your brand identity, not the other way around.  You decide what color, font, structure and layout you want for your website and it is made to order specifically for your needs.

Do you run a data analysis blog and want integrated display for your charts? You are in luck. Custom themes can add any functionality or feature you want.  They are designed to make your site truly unique and are adapted to the style of the website owner rather than the designer. Let us now delve into why custom themes are the way to go when it comes to WordPress.

Why are Custom Themes Better?

Here are five reasons why custom themes are better than premium themes.

·         Brand Identity – By creating a theme that is uniquely suited to your goals and vision for the website, you are creating a brand identity for yourself. When you think of Facebook, think of how your mind leaps to the “Facebook blue”, that is how your readers will feel about your website with a custom theme.

·         Continuous Customer Support – Custom WordPress designers provide continuous support helping you not just install the theme for your website but also helping fix bugs and providing remote assistance when necessary.

·         Added Features and Functionality – Whether you want to add an integrated web chat or you want support for a specific tool from within your website, you can do so with custom WordPress themes. Add new features and functionalities with you theme instead of installing them as plugins.

·         Code ownership – Most custom WordPress providers will enter a contract that provides you with full ownership of the code. This means if for some reason, you are dissatisfied with their support, you can always switch companies without losing your website.

·         Avoid Feature Bloat – Custom themes are completely devoid of unwanted features that premium themes tend to have. When you create a theme to satisfy only your needs, your code tends to be less bloated with features you don’t need.

In the end, for just a little bit more money you build a truly safe and secure WordPress site that revolves around your brand identity and is instantly recognizable to your readers.

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?

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Diabetes Mellitus which is commonly called as diabetes is a serious illness that is caused by the presence of high blood sugar in the blood stream over a prolonged period. As of 2015, 30.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes and it claims to be the 7^th leading cause of death in the United States. One of the most dangerous side effects of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy which refers to nerve disorders. Whether you or your loved one has diabetic neuropathy, the first step is understanding what it is and how you can tackle it. This article seeks to do just that by informing and educating you about various aspects of diabetic neuropathy.

Types of Diabetic Neuropathies

Diabetic neuropathy has several classification systems but the most common method of classifying it is called as the Thomas method. This method distinguishes between the neuropathies depending on the group of nerves that it affects. Diabetic neuropathy is classified into four types.

·         Peripheral – This type of neuropathy affects the nerves in the peripheral part of the body such as toes, fingers and legs causing tingling, pain or even loss of sensation in the affected parts of the body.

·         Autonomic – This type of neuropathy affects the nerves that control the autonomous systems of the internal organs such as heart, lungs and sex organs. These nerves also control the functioning of the body making your heart beat and your lungs to inhale oxygen. Therefore, this type of neuropathy is extremely dangerous.

·         Proximal – This type of neuropathy affects the lumbar system that consists of the thigh, hips and buttocks regions. The pain usually occurs only in one side of the body and may eventually spread to all regions. This type is more common and often seen in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

·         Focal – This type of neuropathy is also called as mononeuropathy and causes damage to a specific group of nerves. This may include affecting nerves that control eyesight, parts of your chest or abdomen.

Signs and Symptoms

There are several symptoms of diabetic neuropathy depending on the group of nerves affected and can include any one of the following. Consult a doctor immediately should any of the following occur.

·         Bladder or urinary tract problems

·         Constipation or diarrhoea

·         Erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness in women

·         Sudden loss of weight

·         Difficulty in moving, walking or running

·         Chest or abdominal pain

It is also important to perform annual preventive check-ups periodically. Since most insurance providers now cover preventive treatments, there is no more excuse. Routine blood work will help identify the presence of high blood sugar which will enable you to catch diabetes early.

Diagnosis

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, visit your doctor regularly to have physical examinations. As part of the physical examination your doctor may do a foot exam which involves testing your sensory nerves on the foot to see if you can feel and sense touch in those parts. In addition to such preliminary examination, a doctor may perform additional tests such as electromyography or ultrasound before confirming the presence of diabetic neuropathy.

If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and you do not have regular preventive health check-ups, then it is crucial to pay attention to changes in your body. For example, if you fall and hurt yourself and you find that the wound is not healing as fast as it should, consult a doctor immediately.

Treatment

Unfortunately, diabetic neuropathy has no known cure but limited treatment methods are available to manage the underlying symptoms. The best method to treat diabetic neuropathy is to treat the underlying causal agent – diabetes mellitus. This in turn can be controlled by keeping a tight leash on the blood sugar levels. Your doctor may also prescribe pain management drugs to help deal with the pain.

Depending on the specific type of neuropathy you have your doctor may also additionally prescribe drugs that help in managing complication and restoring function for the affected nerves. For example, in case of digestive problems associated with diabetic neuropathy, most practitioners will recommend dietary changes such as eating liquid or semi-solid foods.

Alternative and non-traditional treatment techniques are also available and includes

·         Increase intake of certain food such as bell pepper and chilli which is rich in capsaicin

·         Intake of alpha-lipoic supplements that help manage the pain

·         Acupuncture has also been known to help with treatment of pain

Prevention Techniques

Although certain types of diabetes may be genetically induced, it is very much possible to prevent diabetes and thus diabetic neuropathies by following

·         Regular exercise regimen

·         Quitting smoking

·         Avoid drinking alcohol or drink only in moderation as allowed by your physician

Related Diseases

Other diseases that are related to diabetic neuropathy includes

·         hypotension or low blood sugar

·         pinched nerves on various parts of the body

·         Dizziness

·         Radiculopathy or damage to the spinal nerves

·         Carpal tunnel syndrome affecting the wrists

Coping with the disease

If you are afflicted with diabetic neuropathy, do not worry. There are several support groups out there depending on where you are located. Check on Facebook or talk to your therapist for local support group recommendations. Having a support system comprised of other patients, friends, family and relatives who offer constant encouragement is crucial to battling diabetic neuropathy. It is important to know that you can always adopt a healthy lifestyle that will prevent you from exacerbating the illness. Even though it is a lifelong tribulation, it can certainly be managed through a combination of healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise.

Final Thoughts

Do remember that there are several million people who go undiagnosed and untreated for diabetes. People who are unaware of their condition go about their normal routine and realize only too late about the lifestyle changes they need to make. So, if you have caught it early, then it is an important point in your favour. Ensure that you see a doctor right away and seek appropriate treatments. Keep your chin up and keep fighting through!

7 new trends that are shaping the health and fitness landscape

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2017 has been a tremendous year for health and wellness. Technology has pervaded the wellness landscape and provided fitness enthusiasts with all the tools they need to achieve their wellness dreams. This year has also seen the rise of several new and unusual trends that are shaping the health and fitness landscape. Here are a few fads that you may want to try out this year.

Cool yourself with cryotherapy

Cryotherapy has exploded in the fitness scene over the past couple of years with new cryoclinics opening doors all over North America. For the uninitiated, cryotherapy is a technique where users enter a cryogenic chamber and allow their bodies to be exposed to very low temperatures of around -200 to -250 Fahrenheit. You will not be allowed to wear heavy clothing either.

The point is to expose your cells to the cold in the hope that it activates receptors and releases endorphins. Don’t worry about freezing to death yet because the sauna is in a controlled environment and participants will only need to be in the chamber for one to three minutes depending on their tolerance. For a one minute session, they are pricey too with a $45 price tag attached.

Giving new life to ugly vegetables

It is no secret that a lot of food in America goes to waste every year. And most of the times, the reason for wastage is ridiculous like – the carrots are not the right shade of orange or the potatoes are not good looking. To combat this crusade against ugly vegetables, several restaurants have cropped up across the US that serve delicious food made exclusively from these ugly vegetables.

Some of the unique menu items offered include rejected carrot mustard, yesterday’s oatmeal and off-grade sweet potatoes. And what’s more – the food at these establishments are cheap selling, in some cases, for 1$ or lesser. Give these vegetable ugly ducklings the chance to become a beautiful swan. The next time you go to Whole Foods or your local market, try and pick perfectly good vegetables that are blemished and do your bit to help food waste problem in the US.

The Keto Diet

You’ve probably heard of the paleo diet but have you heard of the keto diet. This is the latest and one of the most searched wellness trends this year. The ketogenic diet or keto diet aims to provide all your body’s energy needs through high fat and no card meals. While it may have resurfaced in recent years, this is not a new trend. Doctors have long suggested the keto diet for people with Alzheimer’s and people with neurological disorders.

 Infrared Saunas

Infrared Saunas in contrast to cryogenic chambers use a type infrared heat wave to heat the body up. Unlike traditional saunas where temperatures can go up to 210 Fahrenheit, infrared saunas can do the job in as low as 120 to 140 Fahrenheit. It is like sitting inside a microwave except that instead of microwaves, the heat wave used is infrared. This technique is extensively used in hospitals in incubation machinery. The benefits of this type of sauna include relaxed muscles and joints and a pleasant relaxation.

Health and Wellness Utopia

What started with health and wellness retreat has now grown into health and wellness tourism with several boutique agencies cropping up across the US. These “travel agents” will help you plan a travel across the world whether it is for a spiritual journey or to rejuvenate your body.

Boutique Group Training

Whether you are a CrossFit, SoulCycle or PureBarre enthusiast, these boutique training groups have cropped up all over the country and are the new fad in fitness. Besides providing much needed motivation through group workouts, these trainings also specialize in specific techniques that will help spruce up your fitness routine.

Wellness at Work

What was once work and play has now become workplay. A few years ago, offices started opening gyms but now a whole new trend of working out while you are working has emerged. And employers are supporting this trend more than ever! Employers have begun to realize that a healthy employee is more productive and have started creating programs that reward working out and losing weight.

3 weight training exercises that you need to do today for the perfect killer body

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Whether you are looking to lose weight or looking to build up muscle, weight training is the way to go. While cardio burns more calories per minute, weight training is demonstrably better at burning fat. Doing excessive cardio might negatively affect your muscle mass while weight training almost always targets your fat tissue and will help you fit into those skinny jeans better.

While weight training typically targets a specific part of the body, to get that symmetrical look and to build muscle mass, it is necessary to do exercises that target the entire body. Following are 3 weight training exercises that target the upper arms and thighs and will help you get into shape faster than any cardio exercise and just in time for the swim season!

Tone Your Thighs with Barbell Squat

The quintessential squat is the go-to exercise that targets almost the entire lower half of your body. You can take it up a notch with the Barbell Squat that targets the Quads and the Sartorius muscle simultaneously.

·         Target Areas: Outer and Inner Thighs

·         How to do it: Place barbell across the shoulders and stand with your feet apart. The feet should be slightly wider than shoulder distance and turned outwards at a small degree. Then bend with your knees and hips and lower yourself as much as possible towards the floor. Lift yourself back up with knees in the same position. That is one rep.

·         Suggested Reps & Sets: For beginners, 2 sets of 10 reps each and for advanced lifters, 4 sets of 15 reps each.

·         Pro Tip: Beginners often make the mistake of placing the barbell across their necks instead of shoulder resulting in injury.

Go Sleeveless with this Bicep Curl

The bicep curl is one of the easiest exercises that can be done using dumbbells and provides noticeable results in as little as a week.

·         Target Areas: Upper Arms (Bicep Muscle)

·         How to do it: Choose a weight that you can lift comfortably and stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold a weight in each hand and slowly bend your elbows to bring the weights toward your shoulder. Lower your arms slowly back to the starting position. Feel the weight course through your upper arms. That is one rep.

·         Suggested Reps & Sets: For beginners, 2 sets of 15 reps each and for advanced lifters, 4 sets of 20 reps each. Weights can be between 3-8 lbs for beginners and 8-12 lbs for advanced lifters.

·         Pro Tip: Beginners often make the mistake of lowering their hands too fast. It is important to remember that the curl is only complete when the hand is lowered slowly. Doing it quickly will not only decrease the benefits of the exercise but may also result in injury

Slim down your arm jiggle with this Overhead Tricep Extension

One of the most frustrating experience for women is the difficult to get rid of arm jiggle under and behind the arm. With this overhead triceps extension, get rid of it as quickly as you gain it!

·         Target Areas: Back of the arm (Triceps)

·         How to do it: Choose a weight that you can lift comfortably and sit upright on a chair or bench with one dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arm upwards towards the ceiling and keep them close to your head. Bend only your elbows and bring the dumbbell behind your head until you can feel it on your back. Straighten your arms slowly and bring it back upwards towards the ceiling.  That is one rep.

·         Suggested Reps & Sets: Being with 1 set of 10 reps each and as you begin gaining strength move up to 4 sets of 10 reps each. Weights can be between 2-5 lbs for beginners and 8-12 lbs for advanced lifters.

·         Pro Tip: When lowering the weight behind the back, do not rely on gravity to do the job. The trick is to perform the movement in a controlled manner. You should feel the pressure in your triceps as you dip the dumbbell behind you.

Three High Intensity Interval Training Regimens to Shred Fat

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High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT has exploded in the fitness business in recent years. It is particularly useful for young professional who are crunched for time and need a quick and efficient way to perform workouts. HIIT is a form of exercise where you alternate between fast paced high intensity workouts with periods of rest.

Most HIIT training regimens don’t last more than 30 minutes at a time and have been proven to continue burning calories even after the workout has ended. Imagine that! You are literally burning calories as you are sitting, showering or driving your car.

Before we get down to the actual techniques, it is important to understand a few key terms that will be useful as you start upping your regimen.

·         Intensity: This determines the percentage of your energy you are using to perform the training. Ideally during HIIT training, you should be exercising at roughly 90% intensity. For example, if you are a car, intensity is the speed of the car and you should be working out at your maximum speed.

·         Interval Time: This refers to the period of rest between two workouts or two sets. Ideally, the ratio between the workout and the rest period is 1:1 which means for every one minute of intense workout, you take one minute of rest. Advanced users can do workouts at 1:0.5 while beginners may perform at a ratio of 1:2.

·         Sets: This refers to the number of workouts within a HIIT regimen. As mentioned above each period of workout or set will be separated by an interval time. Usually, HIIT training has no defined number of sets per exercise. You are required to do as much as possible for as long as it is possible for you to exercise.

The following three HIIT regimens are recommended during the cutting phase of your body. So, if you are looking to build muscle mass these are not the right techniques for you.

The Tabata Regimen

Named after the Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, this regimen is designed for all out activity for a few seconds followed by a period of rest and then repeating the sequence for at least four minutes or until you can keep doing it.

·         How To: Get on a traditional gym cycle and increase the resistance until it is just a little above your exercise threshold. Make sure to set a timer and cycle as fast as you can.

·         Workout Time: 20 seconds per set

·         Interval Time:  10 seconds of rest

·         Sets: 8 sets or until 4 minutes for beginners.

The Gibala Regimen

Canadian professor and researcher Michael Gibala is the man after whom this exercise regimen has been named. This regimen is designed for those who may have lead a sedentary lifestyle and are trying to ease their way back into a healthy lifestyle. And best of all, it doesn’t have a defined exercise. You can choose to perform whichever cardio exercise (running, biking, swimming etc.,) you want

·         How To: Before commencing this regimen, take care to warm up for at least three minutes. This may consist of stretching exercise to allow your body to acclimatize to the intensive workout. Then choose any cardio workout you like and start doing it.

·         Workout Time: 60 seconds of workout operating at your maximum intensity

·         Interval Time:  75 seconds of rest

·         Sets: 10 to 12 repetitions

The Zuniga Regimen

Named after Jorge Zuniga, this regimen has been found to have the highest VO2 consumption. Which means that the oxygen intake and metabolism is the highest with this regimen.

·         How To: This exercise is best done on an exercise bicycle that is set to most comfortable resistance. When you are ready start pedalling the bike as fast as possible.

·         Workout Time: 30 seconds of maximum intensity

·         Interval Time:  30 seconds of rest

·         Sets: 5-10 repetitions

Remember several studies have irrevocably demonstrated that those who are active tend to stay healthy and alive longer. The only reason most people do not adopt a healthy lifestyle is because they are short of time. With High Intensity Interval Training regimens above that is no longer the case and you can achieve great fitness in a small amount of time.