Showing posts with label health tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health tips. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Health & Fitness Tips

The 4 Minute Workout


101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthWhat if you can flood your body with a fat burning hormone that lasts for 48 hours and works while you sleep?  What would you be willing to pay?  Well the price is not expensive.  In fact, you cannot even purchase this hormone...well, maybe you can, but the health risks are way to high and not worth it.  But you an pay the price in a different way.

 Let me introduce the "4 minute workout."  Yes...I did say 4 minutes.  With the current understanding of how your body burns fat this is all you need!  The key to this 4 minutes is HIGH INTENSITY... Yes, I am talking about a WIND SUCKING WORKOUT.  Are you willing to pay that price?  Here is how to get it done.  Pick and exercise to get your heartrate up fast and is difficult to perform for 30 seconds.  You will do 8 sets of 30 seconds WIND SUCKING sprints.  You can catch your breathe for about 2 minutes in between sets which makes the workout about 20 total minutes. 

Now you say thats it?  Well guess what?  It sounds easier than it is.  The best exercise to do this is on a treadmill where you can change the speed and incline to make it a tough 30 seconds.  A few other exercises that work well for this are the following:
                                                                                          
  • Jump Squats                                                   
  • Burpees
  • Squat thrusts
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Jump Split Squats

Keep in mind for some simply doing jumping jacks, jumping rope or stepping up on an exercise stair machine will be high enough intensity.  You only need to do this workout 3 days per week.  Give it a try and watch the lbs. melt away.  For optimum results eliminate all WHITE REFINED products such as pasta, bagels, white bread, and white rice.  These foods will have a negative effect on the hormonal response you are creating with the HIGH INTENSITY training.  High Protein foods are best and as many raw veggies as you like.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Weekly Health Update

Courtesy of:
Advanced Wellness
www.newjerseypainmanagement.net
www.advanced-wellness.net
(732) 719-8148


101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthMental Attitude: Social Class And Depression Treatment.  Current treatments for depression don't help working-class and poor patients as much as they help middle-class patients improve their ability to function at work. Depression has a profound impact on an individual's productivity. That's particularly true for those in lower social classes and with low levels of education.
Psychiatric Services, Nov 2010

Health Alert: Kicking It All!  The American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout took place on November 18. Cigarette sales have declined for decades, but smokeless tobacco sales have grown 7% annually over the last four years. Using smokeless tobacco products is not a safe way to quit or safer than smoking. The use of these products just shifts the risk of cancer to the mouth, head, and neck. Use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco is the leading cause of cancers of the head and neck, which can result in partial or full removal of the lip, tongue, cheek, and portions of the throat, including the voice box. Smokeless tobacco users run the same risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and addiction as cigarette users, but an even greater risk of oral cancer.
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, November 2010

Diet: Red Meat And Cancer Risk.  A possible link between red meat and esophageal cancer; and a link between DiMelQx and cancer in the stomach close to the esophageal opening was found. DiMelQx is a compound, a type of heterocyclic amine (HCA) found in red meat after it is cooked at high temperature. Those who eat red and processed meats have a 79% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.
American Journal of Gastroenterology, October 2010

Exercise: Flat Abs?  Here are a few exercises and tips to help flatten your abs. Improve Your Posture. Slouch and your stomach pooches. For better posture while standing, align your ears over your shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over knees, and knees over ankles. Keep the fronts of the shoulders open like a shirt on a hanger, instead of a shirt on a peg and draw your navel to your spine. Try the Canoe Twist. Sit upright, interlace your fingers over your stomach to create a solid grip. Exhale, and sweep the interlocked hands, arms, shoulders, and chest to the left, as if "rowing a canoe." Inhale and return to the starting position. Exhale and perform the movement to the right. Alternate for 20 repetitions.
WebMD Feature: Tips for Flat Abs

Chiropractic: Happy Backs!  This is a satisfaction survey of chiropractic care within a military hospital, from a Canadian Armed Forces Pilot Project. Chronic low back pain accounted for most presentations to the chiropractic clinic. The majority of military personnel (94.2%) and referring physicians (80.0%) expressed satisfaction with chiropractic services.
Military Medicine, June 2006

Wellness/Prevention: Tea And Your Heart. Drinking three cups of tea per day was associated with a decrease of 11% in the incidence of myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001

"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying."
~ Michael Jordan

Saturday, July 31, 2010

WEEKLY HEALTH UPDATE

Courtesy of:
Advanced Wellness in Marlboro, New Jersey
(732)984-9597



101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthMental Attitude: Too much stress may lead to major depression! Chronic stress leads to elevated hormones such as cortisol, the "stress hormone," and reduced serotonin and dopamine levels. At proper levels, these hormones regulate sleep, appetite, energy and sex drive, and allow expression of normal moods and emotions. When the stress response fails to shut off and bring these hormones to normal levels, it can lead to depression in susceptible people.
Karen Bruno, June 2010


Health Alert: Alarming Hours For Physicians! Resident physicians averaging five or fewer hours of sleep per night were 1.5 times more likely to commit errors. Hours for resident physicians must be limited to 16 consecutive hours and 80 hours per week, with at least one 24-hour off-duty period per 7-day period, without averaging. Everyone becomes impaired after sufficient lack of sleep. Sleep loss impairs brain function, concentration and coordination, and increases the risk of error. 24 hours without sleep slows average reaction time 100%, leading to impairment similar to alcohol intoxication.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine, June 2010

Diet: Brown Rice vs. White Rice. 70% of rice eaten in the US is white. Two or more servings of brown rice weekly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11%. Five or more servings of white rice weekly increases the risk by 17%. Replacing white rice with brown rice lowers the risk by 16% overall. Replacing white rice with whole grains (barley and wheat) reduces the risk by 36%.
Archives of Internal Medicine, June 2010


Exercise: Stretching Exercises At Your Desk For Your Upper Body. Sit up tall in your chair, or stand up. Stretch your arms overhead and interlock your fingers. Turn the palms to the ceiling as you lift your chin up, tilt your head back and gaze up at the ceiling, too. Inhale, exhale, release.

Chiropractic: Revitalize With Chiropractic. Chiropractic allows for proper blood flow throughout your body, which in turn delivers nutrients to all your cells. As cells slough off and die (think skin cells), new ones constantly replace them. This is good news as 10-50 trillion cells are replaced in your body every day.
Gray’s Anatomy

Wellness/Prevention: Good News For Tea Drinkers! Consumption of the equivalent of 2.5 cups (or more) of tea per day was associated with a 60% drop in rectal cancer risk, as compared to women who drank less than 1.2 cups of tea per day. Women who drank 1.2-2.5 cups of tea per day had a 52% reduction in the risk of rectal cancer.
Epidemiology, July 2003


Quote: “I am always doing what I can’t do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Monday, July 19, 2010

WEEKLY HEALTH UPDATE: Dr. Joseph Cilea

Courtesy of:
Advanced Wellness in Marlboro, New Jersey
(732)984-9597

101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthMental Attitude: Alcohol and Depression. One third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem. In many cases, depression may be the first to occur. Children who are depressed are more prone to develop alcohol problems once they reach adolescence. Teens who've had an episode of major depression are twice as likely start drinking alcohol than those who have not had an episode of major depression. Depression may be a particularly significant trigger for alcohol use in women as women are more than twice as likely to start drinking heavily if they have a history of depression.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Health Alert: Calcium And Risk Of Osteoporosis And Hypertension In Postmenopausal Women. Postmenopausal women who have a low calcium intake show a higher risk of developing both osteoporosis and hypertension than those who consume higher levels of calcium.
European League Against Rheumatism, June 2010



Diet: Mayonnaise Alternatives. A 1/4 cup serving of Mayonnaise can include up 360 calories and 40 grams of fat. Try using a lower-calorie condiment instead (mustard, BBQ sauce, salsa chili or taco sauce) or switch to a light mayonnaise (35 calories and 3.5 grams of fat per tablespoon) or pare down the portion of real mayonnaise to a couple of teaspoons (60 calories and 6.7 grams of fat). Elaine Magee, MPH, RD Exercise: Ride Your Bike! Exercise is important for older adults. It keeps you strong, burns calories, helps maintain a lower weight, improves flexibility, contributes to balance and maintains bone strength. The best exercise builds lean muscle and promotes endurance, flexibility and maintains stability. Exercise declines with age, yet cyclists show a smaller decline than those involved in gym activities. Cycling is safe, with fewer risks of more strenuous exercises.
To Your Health, July 2009

Chiropractic: Circulate Your Blood! Your body has 60,000 miles of blood vessels! Adjustments help maintain your flexibility and joint mobility, which in turn allows for better blood flow. Blood flow is important as it delivers vital nutrients (oxygen, water and food) to all of your cells.


Wellness/Prevention: Tea's Role In Oral Health. Flavonoids in tea may inhibit the plaque-forming ability of oral bacteria and the fluoride in tea may support healthy tooth enamel. In a study, hamsters were fed water with Black Tea extract developed up to 63.7% fewer dental caries (also known as tooth decay or cavity) than hamsters fed just water.
Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, 2000
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2003

Quote: “Holding on to anger is like holding on to a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” ~ Buddha

Thursday, July 15, 2010

WEEKLY HEALTH UPDATE: Dr. Joseph Cilea

Courtesy of:
Advanced Wellness in Marlboro, New Jersey
(732)984-9597

101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthMental Attitude: Multivitamins Can Add Sparkle. Non-elderly adults who took multivitamins and minerals had significantly improved mental health, reduced subjective stress and increased 'vigor', with a strong trend towards an overall improvement in mood. According to David Kennedy, PhD of Northumbria University, "There is a wealth of evidence that suggests a relationship between micro-nutrients and psychological functioning. Vitamin C, for example, is the brain's most prevalent antioxidant and is found at its greatest concentrations in neuron-rich areas."
Northumbria University, May 2010

Health Alert: Got Health Insurance? Many non-elderly adults in the US lack health insurance. 20% of men ages 18-64 (21.2 million) are uninsured, compared with 17.2 million women in the same age group. Those most likely to lack health insurance are younger, unmarried men. Men are less likely to have health insurance than women at every age range. Married men lack health insurance in greater numbers than married women before the age of 65, with 18.4% of married men from the age of 26-34 lacking insurance.
Center for Economic and Policy Research, Institute for Women's Policy Research, June 2010


Diet: Cheese Found To Improve The Immune Response Of The Elderly. Cheese can help preserve and enhance the immune system of the elderly persons by acting as a carrier of probiotic bacteria. Daily intake of probiotic cheese can slow the age-related deterioration of the immune system known as immunosenescene. This deterioration means the body is unable to kill tumor cells and reduces the immune response to infections. Infectious diseases, chronic inflammation disorders and cancer are hallmarks of immunosenescene.
FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, May 2010


Exercise: Stretching Exercises At Your Desk For The Shoulders And Upper Back. Extend one arm out straight in front of you. Grab the elbow of the outstretched arm and pull it across your chest, stretching your shoulder and upper back muscles. Hold. Release. Stretch out the other arm in front of you -- repeat.


Chiropractic: How Important Is An Adjustment? “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine” 
~ Dr. Roger Sperry (Nobel Prize, Brain Research, 1981)



Wellness/Prevention: The Fear Of Falling. One in four people over age 70 suffer from gait disturbance. Gait disturbance is defined as unsteadiness during walking that is worse than the normal slowing of old age. Fear is often a precipitating or aggravating factor. A vicious cycle often arises in which fear of falling leads to avoidance of movement. This can result in reduced fitness, lower confidence in one's own balance, increased fear, and increased danger of a fall. Depression and a markedly impaired quality of life can result.
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, May 2010


Quote: "No Illness which can be treated by diet should be treated by any other means."
~ Moses Maimonides (1135-1204)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

WEEKLY HEALTH UPDATE

Courtesy of:
Advanced Wellness in Marlboro, New Jersey
(732)984-9597

101 Great Ways to Improve Your HealthMental Attitude: Exercise May Ward Off Anger. Before and after 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling, male participants viewed a slideshow known to evoke anger mixed with images designed to induce fear, pleasantness or no emotions. After exercising, watching the pictures didn't make the men more angry, while after rest, the pictures did so. An exercise class or weight lifting can take your mind off things. The distraction offered by exercise can have a calming effect, as well.
Michael R. Bracko, EdD

Health Alert: Are School Wellness Policies Implemented? The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires all school districts have a Wellness Policy if they participate in federally funded school meal programs. Part of the Wellness Policy should include nutrition education activities. 58% of the teachers thought they did not have adequate classroom time to include nutrition competencies. 64% thought they had the skills to incorporate the wellness policy, but only 30% are including nutrition competencies into their lesson plans.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, July/August 2010

Diet: Special Delivery. Eating high-fiber foods ensures timely digestion and elimination of wastes (whereas overconsumption of animal fats and low-fiber foods leads to colonic inactivity and constipation). Foods high in saturated fat also can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, reducing the ability of blood to move through the body and potentially causing a blockage - leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Peter W. Crownfield, To Your Health

Exercise:  Stretching Exercises At Your Desk For Your Back And Shoulders (The "Leg Hug"). Sit on the edge of your chair. Put your feet together, flat on the floor. Lean over, chest to knees, letting your arms dangle loosely to the floor. Release your neck. Now bring your hands behind your legs, right hand grasping left wrist, forearm, left hand grasping the right. Feel the stretch in your back, shoulders and neck. Hold. Release your hands to the floor again. Repeat three times or as often as it feels good.

Chiropractic:  Brain Energy Output. 90% of the energy output of the brain is used in relating the physical body to gravity. Only 10% has to do with thinking, metabolism and healing, so when you have forward head posture your brain will rob energy from your thinking, metabolism and immune function to deal with abnormal gravity/posture relationships and processing.
Dr. Roger Sperry (Nobel Prize, Brain Research, 1981)

Wellness/Prevention: Keep Breathing! How important is oxygen and lung capacity? The surface area of a human lung is equal to a tennis court. Unfortunately, without exercising your lungs (slow deep breathing -- 5 to 10 deep breaths every hour and exercise), your lung capacity will shrink as you age.

Quote: “Oh, the powers of nature! She knows what we need.” ~ Benvenuto Cellini

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Today's Health Issues

101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health
Mental Attitude: Brain Scans Of Healthy Women Reveal Fear Of Getting Fat. Using MRI technology on healthy women, researchers observed viewing images of overweight females activates an area in the female brain that processes identity and self-reflection. "These women have no history of eating disorders and project an attitude that they don't care about body image," said Mark Allen, a BYU neuroscientist. "Yet under the surface is an anxiety about getting fat and the centrality of body image to self."
Personality and Individual Differences, May 2010

Health Alert: Lawsuit Fears, Peer Pressure Drives Higher Costs, More Tests! 25% of heart doctors order more tests than necessary, driving up costs. However, most report the extra tests are not for their own financial gain or to meet patient's expectations. 24% said they recommended a test because they were worried about malpractice lawsuits. 27% said they did it because they thought their colleagues would.
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, April 2010


Diet: Diet Alone Unlikely To Lead To Significant Weight Loss. Reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss. This is due to a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's metabolism in response to a reduction in calories. Diet and exercise must be combined to achieve this goal. American Journal of Physiology, April 2010

Exercise: Back Stretching Exercises at Your Desk. Stretch your back with a "big hug". Hug your body, placing the right hand on your left shoulder and the left hand on your right shoulder. Breathe in and out, releasing the area between your shoulder blades. Do this several times during your day. Angela Smith, MD

Chiropractic: It is about your nervous system? There are more nerve cells in the human brain than there are stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to increase nerve flow to vital organs.

Wellness/Prevention: Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attacks. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoke is responsible for one in ten adult deaths. Many countries have introduced policies restricting where people can smoke, leading to fewer hospital admissions for cardiac events.
The Cochrane Library, April 2010

Quote: "It is true that I am carrying out various methods of treatment recommended by doctors and dentists in the hope of dying in the remote future in perfect health." ~ George Santayana

Monday, March 8, 2010

Childhood Obesity and Healthy Eating

Eat your vegetables, don’t drink too much soda, get some exercise.  We all know what we should be doing, but few of us actually stick to what we know.  In fact, it is rare that you will find a family that sticks to a healthy diet, limits the amount of time in front of the computer or TV and encourages regular exercise.  Childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic in the Unites States.

According to data from CDC and NHANES surveys from 1976-1980 and 2003-2006, obesity rates in children from 2-5 years old has risen from 5.0% to 12.4%, 6-11 years old from 6.5%-17.0% and in children from 12-19 years old from 5.0%-17.6%!  This drastic raise in obesity rates is increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol) and Type 2 (Adult onset) Diabetes in children. 

Several factors are contributing to the increase in these obesity rates.  First of all, there is a drastic imbalance between the amount of calories consumed and calories burned on a daily basis.  High caloric foods such as fast foods and those which are processed have little nutritional value and are unable to be broken down easily by the body.  Foods and drinks with high sugar content are easily converted to fat.  Also, most children lead a sedentary lifestyle.  One study found that children between the ages of 8-18 years old spend a little over 3 hours per day watching T.V., DVD’s, playing video games or spending time on the computer.

Environmental and behavioral factors are also contributing to the obesity rates in children.  Young children are easily influenced at home, in school and their community.  It is essential that as parents, you give your children the proper guidance and healthy eating habits.  Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids.  Children like the predictability of a family meal and parents like the time spent with their children.  This is also a great way to introduce health eating habits.  Children who are raised in families that have regular meals together have been shown to be more likely to eat more fruits, vegetables and grains, are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods and are even less likely to use alcohol and smoke.

Whether you have a toddler or a teen, here are five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage healthy eating habits:
1)Have regular family meals.
2)Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks
3)Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
4)Avoid battles over food.
5)Involve the kids in the process

By making some simple changes in your family eating habits, you are greatly reducing the risk of poor health for your children, now and in the future.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Should my children see a Chiropractor?

It is all too often that I am adjusting a child and another nearby patient says to me “I had no idea that you can adjust children, why do they need chiropractic care?”. Well, in my opinion, all children should be adjusted! Many spinal problems that affect adults began as early as birth. Even “natural” child birth places significant stress on the spinal column and developing nervous system. Theses stresses on the nervous system have often been traced to be directly related to common infantile disorders such as colic, nursing difficulties, chronic ear infections, sleep disturbances and allergic reactions. As the infant grows, learning to hold their head upright, sitting, crawling and walking, all pose an opportunity in spinal development where minor trauma may adversely affect spinal alignment and the nervous system.

As your children grow up, they learn new skills such as riding a bike, playing sports and interactive video games, all of which carry the possibility of causing mild spinal misalignments (subluxations). If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Because the nervous system controls and coordinates the function of all systems: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal and immune system; any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference.

Through a thorough case history and examination, chiropractors are able to determine if subluxations are present. Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit your child’s size and weight. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. In fact, most parents tell me that their children look forward to their next visit and really enjoy the treatment! They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.

So, like I said at the beginning of this article, it is imperative to have all children checked for spinal misalignment. Many of you reading this article have experienced the power of chiropractic care, not just for pain relief, but for when you have been sick or run down, suffering from allergies or asthma. Give your children every advantage that you can to allow them to grow up as health and happy as possible.

Pediatric Chiropractics

As the weather warms up, it comes time to dust off that catcher’s mitt, clean those soccer cleats and get out the bathing suits. There is a sense of excitement in the air. One that can only be described as Spring and Summer. During this time of year, many families will spend countless hours at the baseball diamond, soccer field, swimming pool and even the playground. But, did you know that this is also a time of the year when many new injuries can occur in your children?

In the United States, about 30 million children and teens participate in some form of organized sports, and about 3 million injuries occur each year, which cause some loss of time and participation. Almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related injuries. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains. Obviously, some sports are more dangerous than others. For example, contact sports such as football can be expected to result in a higher number of injuries than a non-contact sport such as swimming. However, all types of sports have a potential for injury, whether from the trauma of contact with other players or from overuse or misuse of a body part. Did you know that most organized sports-related injuries (about 60 percent) occur during practice and not the actual game? Also, children who are less developed than a more mature child of the same age and weight are more at risk for injury. Hormones even have an affect of injury rate in children. Before puberty, boys and girls carry approximately the risk of sports related injuries. However, during and after puberty, boys are at a greater risk.

In preparation for this exciting time of year, parents must take precautions to reduce the risk of traumatic and overuse injuries in their children. Everyone knows that proper warm ups, stretching and cool downs are essential. But, did you know that dehydration is a major cause of muscle injury. Sports and other vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration. Sodium depletion has also been associated with muscle injury. Loss of sodium, the most abundant chemical constituent of body fluids outside the cell, is usually a function of dehydration. To reduce the risk of injury due to dehydration, follow these simple rules.

1)No soda! Sugar will increase the rate of dehydration.
2)Drink 4-6 8oz glasses of water per day minimum.
3)Mix your favorite sports drink 50/50 with water to replace electrolytes including sodium.

Another simple step that you can take to help reduce the risk of injury is to have your child check by a qualified pediatric chiropractor. Probably more than any other health profession, chiropractic’s approach to health closely relates to the needs of the athlete. Most sports involve body contact, fast starts and stops and positioning that places an unusual amount of strain on the structural system. Pediatric chiropractors give special attention to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Chiropractic is a natural health care method that stresses the importance of keeping all the systems of the body functioning efficiently so the player enjoys peak performance, minimum risk of injury and fast recovery. Many world class and Olympic athletes, as well as most professional sports teams, have retained sports chiropractors to provide care to enhance their performance.

Call our office today to set up a consultation with Dr. Beck to assess and correct the possible risk of injuries that your children may face this sports season. Dr. Beck is a board certified diplomat in clinical chiropractic pediatrics.

Friday, October 9, 2009

What is wellness?

I am often confused by the term wellness. What is it? Is it going to a spa for a massage? Is it eating a plate of veggies? The reality is there is no perfect definition. I think the best way to explain wellness is "any activity or habit you do to better help one acheive a higher state of health." For example going to the gym regularly is a wellness habit. Doing this on a regular basis will certainly help you maintain an active life. The point is wellness is an action word. One must actively participate if they are looking to acheive a higher state of wellness. My top 3 wellness acts.
1. Exercise regularly. It can simply be a 20 minute walk but make sure you move your body daily!
2. Eliminate ALL refined carbs including white flour and white sugar.
3. Reduce your stress by emptying your plate. Learn to say no. Much of our stress is self inflicted. Don't commit to so much.

That's it for now. See you next time.

Dr. Cilea

www.advanced-wellness.net