The Truth About Weight Loss Marketing

Weight loss, diets and ?carbs? are common household topics. There is always a new pill or product that really is supposed to work. Whether it?s for burning fat or removing cellulite. The truth is, manufacturers are feeding on the false hopes of so many people who would do anything to lose weight and in the quickest amount of time.

Here are three red flags about weight loss marketing that the consumer should know.

1)There is no such thing as a magic pill.

There is no pill or supplement that can make you stronger, bigger or leaner. When you see models or actors in ads promoting a supplement, we need to realize that they do not look that way because of the pill they are advocating. The truth is most of these models have a genetic edge; an unhealthy exercise routine, rigid eating habits and may have had cosmetic surgery. They are promoting that supplement because they have a financial agreement to do so. Also if you look closely, you can also see in tiny print at the bottom of any magazine or television ad the words: ?These results are not typical. Must be combined with an exercise and nutrition program?. So, if a claim seems too good to be true, it probably is.

2)If a diet states that some foods are good or bad for you.

The truth is there is no such thing as a good food or a bad food. What?s really important is the quantity of that food and how often you consume it. Any diet or supplement that speaks of an energy fuel as bad is missing the boat on healthy nutrition. A proper balance is necessary not negating entire food groups to fit the newest ?diet plan?. These ?diet plans? are temporary fixes that cannot be sustained for long term and come at a costly price to your body, especially your metabolism and endocrine system. If you play around with the homeostasis of your body, you will be disappointed with the outcome. The body?s main objective is survival. Yo-yo dieting will bring you further and further away from successful weight loss. We need to wonder, if any of these diets actually worked, why is there a new one every few months? If they worked so well, why haven?t they been used towards the cure for obesity?

3)Where did we hear about the latest weight loss craze?

One thing most people do not realize is the lack of regulation in the fitness industry. There is no committee, agency or administration filtering out the inaccurate information; making the majority of what you read misleading. Most articles in local papers or current fitness magazines are feeding on the quick fix mentality and an individual?s unrealistic goals. The truth is the public is continually misinformed on how to actually lose weight and keep it off. This puts the credibility of studies and conclusions in question. There are certain steps to making a source reliable for health and fitness information. First, the studies should be published in scientific peer-reviewed journals (case studies and testimonials are not objective and science-based proof). The studies need to breplicated by an outside source. That means, by someone not linked and with no financial backing to the original study. Most often this does not happen. So many times you will see a blurb on a single study, done by Dr. X (a doctor?s name improves credibility to most people) recommending a plan or pill. This study often has many loopholes in its methods and has never been replicated for proof of credibility. Did you know that as of today, Atkins has not published one single study in a scientific peer reviewed journal? This ?diet? has been around for over twenty-five years. Do you think they?ve had enough time to do it? Then why haven?t they? The point is not to believe everything that you see or read. The credibility of the research is so important.

Keep these red flags in mind next time you pick up the latest fitness magazine or see a commercial for the next fat burning craze. Manufacturers will continue to offer products and ?fat burning? solutions to the majority of society that is struggling with their weight. It?s up to you to be skeptical of their claims and look for their credibility.

Teri Mosey is an Exercise Physiologist for Peak Performance Fitness (http://www.peakptfit.com)and an Instructor for Health and Fitness certifications. She is also a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM), Health and Fitness Instructor (ACSM) and Resistance Training Specialist (RTS).

No Fuss WeightLoss

To lose weight and keep it off you need an easy to follow no fuss plan. You need a plan that is simple and sensible. You need a plan that you can use everyday to get slim and healthy.

You need a plan that builds on your success day-by-day. A plan that keeps you inspired and motivated by seeing results?fast! If you don?t see and feel results fast it?s far to easy to be tempted by the next fast food drive through or the next vending machine. Far to easy.

You need a plan that works for you, a plan that blends in to your lifestyle. A plan that you can live with. Forever. That?s the real secret to permanent weight-loss.

Most people go on train wreck diets. They follow the latest fads. They start the diet, lose some weight, then go off of it and gain all the weight back. Sometimes even more. That?s called yo-yo- dieting--up and down and back up. You don?t want to do that, it?s bad for your health.

Permanent weight loss requires changes in your lifestyle. Changes in your behaviors. You can?t expect to lose weight by doing the same things like overeating and not exercising.

You can?t expect to lose weight and keep it off by ignoring good nutrition and eating foods that are bad for you. Junk food leads to a junked body. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke and arthritis are just a few of the health problems associated with obesity.

When I say ?junk food? I don?t mean just fast food, donuts, or candy, I mean all the foods that don?t seem so bad but are full of sugar, starches and fats. Foods like fruit juice are full of sugar. You?re better off to eat the fruit and drink some water. Foods like pasta, rice and french fries are full of empty calories and cause an insulin response that puts your body into fat storage mode.

Permanent weight loss requires you to be informed about what foods have good nutritional value and what ones don?t. You don?t need to take a college nutrition course but you do need to know some basic ?nutrition 101? principles.

To be successful with your weight loss and management you need to know the difference between proteins, fats and carbohydrates. You need to know how much protein you should be eating, how much carbohydrates and what kinds of fats.

You need to know the effects of sugar on your body. Most mothers think they?re doing a good thing by giving their children apple juice instead of soda.

Being confused and uniformed leads to weight problems. Weight problems for yourself and maybe even your family. Young children have no control over the foods they eat. Food is either fed to them or placed before them when They?re old enough to eat. Sure they can refuse to eat, but it?s usually not the cookies and cakes but the carrots and broccoli.

Children can be taught early on to eat healthy or to eat unhealthy. If parents recognized this fact and were aware of the habits they were passing on through modeling lifestyle behaviors the obesity epidemic could probably be reversed in a few years. And I?m sure the rates of drinking and smoking in young people would go down as well.

I can hear some well meaning mothers or grandparents saying, ?well they have to have some treats some of the times?. Maybe on an occasional birthday. But when the children are older and as people become more educated about the causes of obesity there?s going to be some serious finger pointing.

Remember when the Marlboro Man was cool? Remember when everyone smoked, even pregnant women? Things have changed haven?t they? The social stigma attached to smoking will be dwarfed by the stigma that is becoming attached to obesity. And the difference between smoking and obesity is you can?t hide the fact that you?re fat.

What about portion control? We?ve become a super-sized nation because of super-sized portions. When it comes to restaurants we rate them good or bad according to how much food is on the plate.

At home, people are too busy these days to weigh, measure and count food units. You need simple ways to eyeball serving sizes for portion control.

A simple, easy to follow, no fuss plan is the answer to your weight problem. Why complicate things and cause yourself more stress?

For more information about a no fuss plan visit http://www.automaticweightlossplan.com

This article may be re-published as long as the authors bio and the links remain intact.

Sheri Graber understands the pain and frustration of being overweight. After struggling for years with the emotional stress of having a weight problem she has lost 87 pounds and kept it off for 4 years. She writes and speaks about obesity and weight loss to help others experience their own weight loss success. She is the author of Automatic Weight-Loss Plan: Program Yourself Slim the Simple Simon Way. http://www.automaticweightlossplan.com

How to Survive Free Radical Damage

Let's face it ...

You've probably heard about free radicals before and you might have just assumed it was a bunch of B.S. But have you ever wondered exactly what are free radials, what can cause them and how you can combat the effects?

If you've heard about them but were curious as the natural of them, you'll be interested in this article.

What Are Free Radicals?:

An atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron and is therefore unstable and highly reactive. In animal tissues, free radicals can damage cells and are believed to accelerate the progression of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related diseases.

What Can Cause Them?:

External Factors -

* Smoking
* Food (ingested substances, preparation, pesticides)
* Pollutants in the air (chemicals in the area)
* Radiation
* Excessive amounts of sunlight
* Alcohol
* Drugs

Internal Factors -

* Immune system
* Stress
* Energy production (exercise)
* Many other chemical reactions in the body
* Body's own out of control production (just as damaging as external factors)

What Diseases Are Linked To Them?:

* Cancer
* Arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis.
* Heart disease.
* Cerebrovascular disease.
* Stroke.
* Emphysema (Cross et al 1987).
* Diabetes mellitus (Sato et al 1979).
* Rheumatoid arthritis (Cross et al 1987, Greenwald & Moy 1979, 1980, Halliwell 1981, 1989, Del Maestro et al 1982, Fligiel et al 1984).
* Osteoporosis (Hooper 1989, Stringer et al 1989).
* Ulcers.
* Sunburn.
* Cataracts (Niwa & Hansen, 1989, Yagi 1977).
* Crohn's disease (Niwa & Hansen 1989).
* Behcet's disease
* Aging
* Senility

Benefits of Free Radicals:

* Essential role in the human body's defense
* Virus and bacteria are showered with a type of toxic shower when the body intentionally produces free radicals as part of its immune defense systems to destroy invaders

Antioxidant Free Radical Prevention Methods:

* Natural enzymes
* Nutrients (vitamins A, C, E primary antioxidants)
* Self-Repair

What You Can Do To Prevent Free Radical Damage:

* Vitamin and mineral supplementation
* Steer clear of heavy processed foods
* Diet high in fruits and vegetables

Antioxidant Foods:

* Artichokes
* Bilberries
* Black beans
* Blackberries
* Black plums
* Blueberries
* Cauliflower
* Cranberries
* Gala apples
* Granny Smith apples
* Pecans
* Peppers
* Pinto beans
* Plums
* Prunes
* Raspberries
* Red beans
* Red Delicious apples
* Red kidney beans
* Russet potatoes
* Strawberries
* Sweet cherries
* Tomatoes
* Wild blueberries

Summary:

It seems like free radicals are discussed a lot when it comes to exercising only because the more you exercise, the more free radicals you will have because of energy production. That's not entirely a bad thing. The name free radical sounds very negative but it's there for a purpose as well, primary as a defense system. Of course, it can go out of control as well.

Monitoring the levels of free radicals is difficult to measure.

Vitamins A, C and E are the primary nutrients to prevent free radical damage.

Most will recommend a diet high in fruits and vegetables to obtain natural antioxidant sources but vitamin supplementation is also recommended. There's enough evidence to suggest that food processing today has taken out some of the nutritional values. True or not, if you eat correctly AND supplement responsibly, you should be covered per the recommendations.

Marathon runners or high altitude running may require more Vitamin E 10-14 days before a run because of the extra long term stress and energy production.

If you stick to a good basic diet with fruits and vegetables and take a good vitamin supplement, you should be well protected against excess free radical damage without interfering with the body's own ability to defend itself.

Copyright 2006 Marc David

You will learn the nutrition fundamentals necessary to avoid excessive oxidation and free radical damage in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

Vegetable Protein Has One Definite Advantage Over Meat Protein

While it?s still controversial which one is better, most recent study shows one definite advantage of vegetable protein over meat protein is that plant protein can help lower blood pressure. Those who consume a lot of vegetable protein have lower blood pressure.

Researchers at Imperial College London did a survey on nearly 4700 people from the UK, the US, Japan and China. They found that the more vegetable protein the subjects said they had, the lower their blood pressure.

The report published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine suggested vegetarians tend to be lighter than non-vegetarians, and that the amino acids and magnesium found in plant protein may play roles in lowering blood pressure.

Since the study shows plant protein has at least one definite benefits that meat protein lacks, it is highly recommended we add some amounts of vegetable protein in our diet for overall better health. Good sources of vegetable protein include whole grains such as corn, wheat, oats, milo, barley, soya products such as tofu, soya milk, nuts and seeds like peas, beans, peanuts, almonds, pipe nuts etc. A well balanced diet including certain amounts of plant protein is definitely better than a diet that gets dietary protein from meat only.

Interested in more information about healthy diet food? Then drop by http://helthydietfood.info.

Eight Week Fitness Plan

An eight week fitness plan would be great right now. Well Spring is here in Calgary and the weather is getting better by the day so I thought it would be a nice day to give a little primer on how to start getting ready for Summer fun, fitness and other activities.

First of all I hope that you were spending time throughout the Winter getting or staying in shape although for many people there was no chance of that as there are still some roadblocks for many. As you probably already know I ride a bike almost year round and am fortunate enough to have an elliptical trainer and stationary bike at home for when the temperatures drop really really low. I have a set of weights at home but did not lift them more than a couple of times through the winter.

OK, so let?s say you are now in crappy shape, then you will truly need an eight week fitness plan. There is a light at the end of the next few weeks and we should all be aware that you can get out there and improve your fitness in just a few weeks if you plan it properly. The first step is to plan what you want over the next eight weeks. there is a sample slimming plan at bodybuilding.com but I would like to just look at an eight week fitness plan of better cardio instead that will make you feel better in the shorter term. I found this list from Runners World:

Week 1: Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.

Week 2: Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.

Week 3: Run three mins walk one mins. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.

Week 4: Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times. Do three times a week.

Week 5: Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.

Week 6: Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.

Week 7: Run 15 mins, walk one min, Run fifteen mins. Do three times a week

Week 8: Run 30 mins continuously.

In the past I have always puched myself too hard and this is something that you should be very aware of. Our brains are hard wired to think that our bodies are hardier than they really are. In starting this running schedule you should be aware of your bodies limitations and healing needs. Try to stretch really well after you are warmed up or after your workout and then make sure that a few hours after your workout that you slowly stretch to try and get rid of that lactic acid buildup and loosen up you recovering muscles.

I never run often myself because my knees seem to go after just a few weeks, not sure if this is caused by pushing to hard to fast or if it just from bad knees in the first place.

I try to make sure that my favored method of exercise, biking is always recommended as well. Here is a plan for that. All you have to do is follow the above plan by thinking about the intensity that you are riding. Casual riding can be thought of as 10% of your max and riding hard uphil could be thought of as 100% intensity. Always be aware of your intensity for a biking training session and also look at how the different gearing as well as road / path / dirt conditions will affect your ride.

After this eight week fitness plan you will feel like you are indeed in great shape and will then probably want to get started with some more sports or activities. Start to day and by the middle of May you will be good for anything that summer throws at you.

Bill Nadraszky is a fitness fanatic and runs several websites. For more fitness tips you can visit his fitness tips weblog.

An Egghead May Just OutShine You!

Bet you thought raw eggs should be used for breakfast or a souffl?. Think twice! This very important item can be used as part of your beauty routine and not just for your meals. This valuable food product can be used as a conditioner for your hair to give you an overall amazing shine! Here are a couple of recipes for conditioner and shampoos. Just one word of wisdom: Remember to rinse with cool or tepid water, so you don?t cook the egg into your hair. Use this conditioner before you shampoo. Simply mix the yolk of one egg with 2 teaspoons of castor oil, massage it into your hair, then rinse thoroughly.

Castor oil is a very interesting product. Did you know that the castor plant can grow as large as a small tree? Another recipe to be used as a conditioner before shampooing is as follows. Simply whisk two raw eggs together, work them into your hair and allow your hair to dry. You can then shampoo the eggs out by using vinegar and a water rinse. What a great way to soften your hair nicely! You can repeat this procedure once a month if you like.

Try mixing one egg yolk with a quarter cup of yogurt and a little lemon rind. Work this into your hair, then rinse thoroughly. You will be amazed at what plain yogurt can do not only for your hair but also as a beauty staple. Another neat thing to try is mash a small avocado combined with an egg yolk, which can be used as a moisturizer for your hair. Apply to your hair thoroughly, do something for 15 minutes while the ingredients go to work, then rinse it out well. Now shampoo and follow with your conditioner.

Now here's another couple of good recipes for natural conditioners after shampooing. Beat two egg yolks well with two tablespoons of water and then rinse after 15 minutes. For a remarkable sheen to your hair, try using a whole egg whisked together with a little lemon juice. This great concoction is remarkably thorough when it comes to removing previous product buildup. As another thought, try using one raw egg with your shampoo for added benefits. There you have it, some neat hair care tips. Your hair will love you for it!

By Terry Price- Remember to visit- http://www.laser-hair-removal-discount.com/index.html -for other fun articles and information on hair care and hair removal.

Going to the Beach? Lose Up to 20 lbs. In Just 2 Weeks

Do not eat anything beyond 3 hours before bed time. This is probably the most important factor in quick and in long term weight loss. And that includes all foods. Water may be an exception. Although, you shouldn?t drink too much water either, during this time. It will make you get up in the middle of the night for a visit to the washroom which will increase the chances of going for a snack. Remember, your defenses are down when you?re half asleep.

Cut down on starchy carbohydrates and eat only whole grain bread and pasta and brown rice. Avoid potatoes or cut down to very small portions. Eat yams instead of potatoes. Yams are much lower in starch; they have a low glycemic index and are much less filling.

Never combine two starches in a meal. For example, if you?re eating rice, do not eat pasta, bread or potatoes. Fill up on fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and salad at the expense of starch and protein. Do not use any creamy salad dressings. Instead, add olive oil (not too much), apple cider vinegar, oregano and basil to your salads. You?ll notice that vinegar replaces the need for salt.

Salt must be reduced because it retains water. And a lot of the bulk in an overweight person is simply water. Water is the first thing that comes off when people begin dieting. This article, however, as you have probably realized, is not really about dieting. It?s about making certain changes ? replacing old habits with better ones.

Avoid eating deep fried products in restaurants such as, fried chicken, French fries and donuts (yes, they are deep fried). Avoid dessert completely. If you must eat dessert decrease your meal portion and have fresh fruit only for dessert - which brings us to the next point.

You must cut down on the total amount of food you eat. Remember, it still comes down to input and output. One method I use to lose weight is decrease the size of my meals to half and add an extra meal. In other words, if you have 3 meals a day each containing 1000, the total is 3000 calories. If you cut the 3 meals in half (500 calories) and add another meal (500 calories), the total becomes 2000 calories. In this example we have reduced the day?s consumption by 1000 calories. Just like that. And it?s not hard to figure out how to reduce meal portions. Simply visualize you regular meal portion and reduce it by half.

Avoid junk food snacks like candy bars, chips and so on (you know what I mean). If you feel like something sweet, have a fresh fruit or a non fat yogurt with fruit. When you want something not sweet, try crunchy fresh vegetables or unsalted walnuts and almonds.

As you may have noticed, what we?re doing is:

- Cutting down on total calories and choosing foods lower in fat and calories.

- Increasing high fiber foods (fruits and vegetables,) that fill you up while containing almost no calories.

- In addition, these fresh foods along with walnuts and almonds have 2 great benefits. One is they contain very powerful antioxidants that help fight against heart disease and cancer. The other thing is, foods like walnuts and wild greens, for example, increase a certain food ratio (the n6:n3 ratio) which has shown - in certain cultures - to extend life and reduce body weight. For more information on this, visit the site which contains the downloadable e-book I have written at http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm.

- Decreasing starchy carbohydrates (your body turns excess carbohydrates into fat).

- Avoiding late night snacks which just end up getting stored as body fat, as the body does not burn many calories at rest.

- Avoiding junk food which is extremely high in fat and calories, high in salt and various unhealthy chemicals.

The final thing we need to include is something that most of us dread - daily exercise. ?Did you have to include this? The food stuff part is hard enough.??you say.

I know, I?m sorry ? but you want to lose weight very fast don?t you? Well then you have to exercise and not just 3 or 4 times a week (that?s the weight loss maintenance level). To lose weight quickly or even for the long term, for that matter, you must exercise 6 to 7 times a week. Your workouts should last at least one hour. Your exercise intensity target should be between 65%-85% of your maximum heart rate. In other words train at a moderately vigorous level.

If you?re already exercising, increase it to the above level; if not get clearance from your doctor first and then increase your intensity gradually to that level. To find out the best way to lose weight with exercise go to my Blog and look for the title: ?Do You Lose More Weight When Exercising On An Empty Stomach?? At http://topweightlosssite.blogspot.com

Depending on certain factors such as body fat percentage (BMI) and level of metabolism a person could lose from 10 to even 20 pounds in just the first week by following this program.

Good luck, good health and enjoy the beach!

References:

www.exrx.net, ?Aerobic Exercise Guidelines for Specific Goals?, retrieved 17 May 2006 from http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/AerobicGoals.html.

John Tiniakos helps make weight loss easier through proven weight loss methods using information and analysis from the worlds leading scientists. To subscribe to his blog or his free monthly newsletter that includes valuable, up to date tips on diet, weight loss and health and to receive 2 free reports visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com. For more information on his latest ebook ?Nulife Natural Weight Loss Program? visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm

ADHD in Adults

For many years, ADHD was thought to be a child disorder, and more specifically a disorder only found in young boys. But with medical technology and research evolving, it has been found that many children with ADD do not grow out of it when they become adults. Although some of the hyperactivity tends to decrease, the core symptoms of the disorder do not disappear. Hyperactivity can turn into impulsivity in adulthood, which can potentially be very destructive.

92 percent of adults diagnosed with ADHD who were treated after age 18 wish they had been diagnosed sooner, according to research done by Harris Interactive surveys. Research also indicated that 90 percent of teachers felt that late diagnosis affected both academic and social development in students.

Families of people with ADD believe that getting an accurate diagnosis is very important, but that conflicting information prevents this from happening in many cases. Media from drug companies such as the one pushing the popular ADD drug Strattera contribute to this misinformation. Internet links that supposedly indicate ADD also contribute to misinformation. ADD is not something you can diagnose just by taking a simple quiz or survey. It must be diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist, and even these visits should involve some type of formal testing for the disorder.

Before recently, many adults with ADHD were called unmotivated or lazy. One thing to keep in mind is that just because you have some of the symptoms does mean you have the disorder. It is the severity of the symptoms and the history of them in the individual that is the tell tale sign. What you need to keep in mind is that a disorder by definition is something that gets in the way. So, if you have symptoms that get in the way of every day life, please go get tested and determine what the problem is so that you can get the help you need.

For a diagnosis in adulthood, the symptoms of disorganization, distractibility, impulsivity and lack of long-term planning must have started sometime in childhood. It is hopeful that you would be diagnosed in childhood to head off as many of the problems as possible.

Adults with ADHD can definitely have a successful life, and the disorder has a range of effects on their progress in adulthood. Some individuals with ADHD will have trouble finishing college, some won't. Some will have trouble finding a job or career they enjoy, some won't. It depends on many factors: how severe the disorder is, how supportive the individual's family is, whether secondary disorders mask ADD, etc, etc. Some individuals may have ADD and the field they chose to go into supports their creativity and ideas. Some will have no idea what they want to do and only are concerned with the moment. The bottom line is that if you think you have ADD and it is affecting the quality of your life; see a professional to further investigate your hunches. Medication and counseling can have a huge affect on the quality of your life.

If you even have the smallest idea, go get checked. This disorder is not something to put off treatment to and your quality of life will be much better the sooner you have an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Don't discount counseling and other therapis. Science has come to understand more about these types of disorders in the past few years and will continue to progress with more and better medications.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith's own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

Cardiovascular Training From the Heart!

Cardiovascular training, or aerobics, requires a different approach than other body parts. At the ?heart? of cardiovascular training is one basic premise: if you elevate your heart rate to 65-80 percent of your maximum and keep it there for a period of at least 12 minutes it will stimulate the production of fat-burning enzymes. It will also strengthen your heart and increase the capacity of your lungs to re-oxygenate your blood more efficiently. The idea here is not to work yourself to a frenzy and go beyond your target heart rate, but to stay within that magic training range of 65-80 percent of maximum for a minimum of 12 minutes and, optimally, for 20 to 30 minutes.

Smart Tip: Training for longer periods will certainly hasten your improvement, but not on a 1-to-1, linear basis. Research has shown that the first 12 minutes of aerobic exercise produce a more lasting training effect than the second 12 minutes. So unless you?re already in pretty good condition, it?s probably better to do your 12 minutes more frequently (say 4-6 times per week) than it is to train for longer periods of 30 minutes or more but less frequently.

Many people believe that the primary purpose of aerobic exercise is to burn off excess calories while they?re doing the exercise. However, that is not exactly true. Think about it, most aerobic activity can only burn off several hundred calories even if you exercised for an entire hour. Eat a hamburger with fries and you're already playing catch up. And you?ve just had lunch! The real purpose of aerobics is to stimulate the growth of the body?s natural fat-burning enzymes long term so you burn more and more calories all the time, not just when you?re exercising. Increase the size of the fireplace and you can burn more logs in it. The same principle applies to the calorie burning potential of your body.

Okay, so the key is to elevate your heart rate. But how do you do it? Walking, jogging, running, cycling, rowing, jumping rope, running in place, and aerobic dancing are all fine. As long as your heart rate is elevated into your training range and remains there for 12 minutes minimum, any of these activities will do a pretty good job. However, SmartGYM's cardio program has an edge. Not only can you walk, jog, or run against SmartGYM?s formidable Power Band resistance system, but you can also perform upper body strength training exercises at the same time. And since you?re able to engage more muscle groups simultaneously, you get results faster.

Heart Rate and the Training Range...

To determine your training range, simply calculate the lower limit at 65% of your Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate and the upper limit at 80% of your Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate. Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate = 220 minus your age. If you?re 45 years old, for example, your lower limit is 220 - 45 x 0.65 = 114. Similarly, your upper limit is 220 - 45 x 0.80 = 140. If you elevate your heart rate to between 114 and 140 beats per minute continuously for at least 12 minutes, you?ll get the desired training effect on your heart.

Smart Tip: It takes a few minutes of exercise to elevate your heart rate into your training range. This time does not count toward your 12 minutes.

Take Your Pulse!

Check your pulse by resting your index and middle fingers lightly against the carotid artery on either side of your neck underneath the curve of the jawbone. Count the beats for 6 seconds and multiply by 10 to calculate your heart beats per minute. Or, for a rough estimate, you can use the ?talk test.? If you?re gasping and panting so much that you are unable to talk, then you?re probably exercising too hard and are beyond your training range.

Consistency is the key. If you do your 12 minutes 2-4 times a week, within a few weeks time you?ll begin to notice that you feel more energetic, you won?t tire as easily, and your body will start to burn calories more efficiently and begin to lose some of its fat stores (providing you eat a sensible low fat diet!).

http://www.affordablehomegym.com
Gym systems that provide cardio, strength and flexibility at great savings!

Bird Flu Symptoms

Human flu symptoms are:

fever
cough
sore throat
muscle aches
conjunctivitis

Cases of bird flu are more likely to cause breathing problems and pneumonia, and can be fatal.

Are there treatments?

Current antiviral medications for the human influenza virus are effective.

Has anyone died?
Avian Influenza has a relatively high mortality rate compared to human influenza

Hong Kong 1997 - 18 people were infected and 6 people died.
Hong Kong 2003 - in a family that had visited southern China, there were two cases of the disease and one death.
Far East 2004 - up to 10 deaths have been linked to this latest outbreak of the disease in a number of Asian countries

What is a pandemic?
Defined by Dictionary.com a pandemic is:

Widespread, general. Medicine. Epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population: pandemic influenza. Are Pandemics Common?

On average mass epidemics occur every 20-30 years. It has been over 40 years since the last one.

If the Avian Influenza Virus mutates to a strand that is easily transmitted to humans it could kill millions.

In order for it to become a pandemic strain, it would have to adapt to become highly infectious to humans by injecting itself into a human virus.

Can it be Controlled?
By changing traditional farming practices in Asia where animals and humans chares unsanitory quarters the likelihood of a spread would decrease.

Other facts:
Over the last year, the virus has killed 32 vietnamese, 12 Thais, and one Cambodian.

The virus also has been found in other animals such as tigers and cats.

What is bird flu

Adult Seborrheic Eczema

In previous articles we covered the infant version of seborrheic eczema. This article is dedicated to the other version of this eczema and that is adult seborrheic eczema. This type of eczema will usually affect the people that are between mid twenties and forty year s of age. Adult seborrheic eczema is often confused for dandruff because the scalp is a common place for it to begin to show signs. The thing is that this type of eczema will begin to creep down the head and on to the torso.

The major signs of adult seborrheic eczema are the skin becoming a bright shade of pink and flaky texture. According to some scientists this type of eczema is caused by some sort of yeast and can usually be treated with and eliminated by anti fungal creams. We are not doctors so make sure that you see your doctor or dermatologist to make a true diagnosis and offering of treatment.

This is a pretty common type of eczema so there is no real cause for alarm. Do what your doctor tells you and you will be able to lead a perfectly normal life with adult seborrheic eczema. There are lots of people that have this type of eczema and you would never even know it unless they told you. You can be one of those people that do not have to tell anyone but your doctor. It can be our secret.

For more information about Adult Seborrheic Eczema or Eczema in general, check out our Excema resources.

Can Insomnia Lead To Depression?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder which can be subdivided into three areas. It is characterized by any of the following:

a) light, interrupted sleep that one is still tired upon waking up

b) not being able to sleep, even if fatigued,

c) lack of sleeping hours.

Insomnia can be classified into three types based on the length of time it affects an individual.

Transient insomnia lasts less than a week. It is due to changes in living or working conditions. Then there is Short-term insomnia, or acute transient insomnia, which lasts for less than three weeks and has similar origin as transient insomnia.

Finally there is, chronic insomnia which may be classified as primary or secondary:

1) Primary chronic insomnia - not caused by any physical or mental condition. 2) Secondary chronic insomnia ? due to physical and mental problems, such as depressive illness, or emotional and psychiatric illness.

Insomnia is symptomatic of underlying disease or imbalance, Knowing the cause of insomnia is very important before deciding on a course of action such as medication.

Depressive illness is the most common cause of chronic insomnia, more so in the elderly. One study indicates that depressed elderly patients, if suffering from insomnia, have a tendency to be depressed for over a year.

Another study shows that even if an elderly patient suffers from insomnia, without any prior depressive illness, they have a high risk of being depressed and is usually seen in women. Insomnia can affect ones' lifestyle in a negative way. Worrying, then causes depression.

Symptoms of depression are characterized by sadness or misery. Many people have experienced some temporary feelings like this at one time. Clinical depression is a mood disorder indicated by feelings of sadness, anger or frustration. Such symptoms can affect daily life for an extended period of time.

Another interesting point you may not be aware of is that some medications used for symptoms of depression can cause insomnia. This is because these medications change the quantity of mood chemicals to make the patient more positive again but at times, these make the patient anxious also.

Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft are known as serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is an important monoamine neurotransmitter that plays a large role in depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders. Some serotonin is converted by the pineal gland, the pea-sized gland at the center of the brain, into melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleeping and waking cycles.

In addition to the prescribed medications to treat insomnia, a patient may also practice the following procedures to combat insomnia.

* Control exposure to caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

These three substances are known to disrupt one's normal sleeping patterns. * Maintain regular sleeping time and waking time.

This would help in maintaining the circadian rhythm thus minimizing the effects of fatigue caused by insomnia.

* Regular exercise is good for the body but this shouldn't be done late in the afternoon or early in the evening.

This is because exercise tends to start-up the body. If the body has gained more energy by the end of the day, this can prevent one from being able to sleep at night.

* Go to be only when about to sleep. Reading or watching TV in bed is discouraged or to be avoided.

When the mind is conditioned that the bed is for sleeping, once one goes to bed, he or she can readily get some sleep.

* Eat meals regularly.

Meal intake affects biological activities due to increased blood blow to the stomach.

These pointers may be helpful in managing conditions associated with insomnia. Still, some situations require sleep-promoting medications prescribed by a medical specialist.

For more related information visit: http://www.DepressionSymptomsTreatment.com - a site that offers advice for avoiding, coping with depression. Get professional knowledge on dealing with symptoms, drug side effects and improving your life!

How to Zone Out in the Dental Chair

Several weeks ago I decided to have a routine dental check-up, maybe get a filling done or some teeth cleaning. One hour later I had one filling on the left side of my jaw and the beginning of root canal therapy on the other!

And so the therapy began.

My next appointment was the following week for more root canal and the week after that also. Not only that my newly filled tooth was now even more painful than before so more work on my filling ensued (as well as more root canal). To cut a long story short I then chose to have a crown in place of a filling that may, or not, have lasted very long.

By now I was helping myself to their filtered coffee and newspaper on arrival.

So today, as I again sat in the dental chair I was prepared. I made sure I was sufficiently relaxed, centred and in the present moment before I turned up.

What did I do? I meditated before my appointment and then meditated through my appointment!

As the shrill piercing sound of the drill reverberated through my head and my face sprayed with water, I simply drifted away to somewhere else ? somewhere peaceful. The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay ? I?d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.

And then it was all over!

The next time you visit your dentist, it really pays to zone out during your procedure (if possible even before you get there) - especially if you?re nervous about any dental procedure at all like I am. 7 Steps to help you Zone out 1. Get a meditation session in before you arrive for your appointment. If you?re not sure how to meditate, do some slow, deep breathing exercises. I generally take around 4 to 5 slow deep breaths, focusing on the outward breath.

2.Be in the present moment. This is when you?re not thinking anything about the future ? even 3 minutes into the future! Nor are you thinking about the past ? not even 3 minutes ago. The present moment is now whilst you?re sitting in the dental chair, staring at the ceiling becoming aware of and concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing.

3.Once the procedure starts close your eyes and take your mind within. Focus straight ahead ? wherever you perceive straight ahead to be once you have your eyes closed ? and think of nothing ? just blank ? the void ? staring at the colours and patterns you can see as you sit in the chair with your eyes closed.

4.If you?re about to receive an injection ? as the needle goes in, breathe into that area and continue to concentrate fully on your slow breathing until the injection is over.

5.Once that?s over, resume staring into the blank void that is the inside of your eyelids!

6.If you find it challenging to think nothing, focus on a visual image that makes you feel really, really good about yourself then have a look around and see where you are.

7.Whenever you sense you?re starting to again focus on the drilling or whatever else is happening in your mouth, breathe in slowly and deeply focusing on the rhythm of your breathing and allow every single muscle you become aware of, to deflate and relax.

Meditation is a great ?self help? tool and when applied during a visit to your dentist ? it makes the experience if not enjoyable, at least bearable!

Michaela Scherr

Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer, and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.

Michaela is the author of several e-books and publisher of a monthly newsletter called From My Desk; an engaging, inspirational, and often humorous newsletter which offers 'real life' tips aimed towards achieving a more peaceful, spiritual and fulfilled 'real' life.

Visit Michaela at http://www.michaelascherr.com.

Married to David, Michaela has two children and a grandchild and currently lives in Brisbane Australia.

Some Vitamin Supplements to Enhance Your Ironman Training Diet

There are a host of choices for supplementing your Ironman diet. I'll give you descriptions of a few that I found helpful to my Ironman training and racing. I won't delve too deeply into the world of vitamins. This is an area best left to the experts. As I said earlier, if I have not used a product or diet or anything else concerning Ironman training, I won't recommend it. Here are a few of the supplements I had good success with.

I always made a point of including the anti-oxidants vitamin C, Vitamin E and Selenium to my list of vitamins. Actually I would buy the vitamin C with Selenium added. Their main function was to act as a deterent to the forming of free radicals in your body when you eat unsaturated fats.

It seemed that every few years, Ironman Canada featured a really cold swim. It doesn't bother a lot of people, but I had quite a hard time with it. Being super low in body fat has its disadvantages. I came across the vitamin supplement pantothenic Acid that plays an important role in energy production. I also discovered that pantothenic acid is a key antioxidant for athletes who compete in extreme conditions, especially cold water. I added it to my vitamin choices and never had problems with cold water again. If the location of your first Ironman is in a part of the world where warm water is no guarantee, I would highly recommend using it. Otherwise it probably isn't a necessary choice for you. If you do purchase it, what you ask for is calcium pentathonate, the calcium salt of pantothenic acid.

I also noticed an improvement in energy levels when I used branch chain amino acids. Amino acids, the molecules that make up every protein in our foods and bodies and can also function as anti-oxidants. I believe this vitamin supplement would be valuable to almost anyone doing the intense training demanded to prepare properly for an Ironman Triathlon. It also compensates if your diet is a bit lacking in protein. I was on such a high carb diet, that this choice was ideal for me.

My all-time favorite for a supplement is L'carnatine. I could take this one and three weeks later be five pounds lighter. I also notice a marked impovement in my energy level and recovery from training. Every Ironman hopeful should give this a try. Its very expensive, but well worth it. If you can find it, I would use it. I believe its available over the counter in the U.S.

So there you have it. Thats the vitamin package I use leading up to an Ironman. It took years of hit and miss to finally come up with this combination. All the doses except for Vitamin C and Selenium were 500 mgs. I would take more (1000) vitamin C with 50 mgs of Selenium added.

I also had a lot of success with algae products and its something I would certainly look into.

Regardless, anyone doing the demanding training needed to impove their Ironman chances should seriously consider vitamin supplements.

NOTE: Don't fall into this trap.......If something works really well for you, don't assume that more will be even better. Stay with the amount that seemed to make a difference.

Training for Ironman competition over a 20 year period gave me the opportunity to try many vitamin supplement combinations. My hope is that you find this information useful in preparing for your first ironman triathlon.

The name of my website is Ironstruck.

My address---http://www.triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com

What You Need To Know About Pubic Hair Removal

These days, there is much controversy surrounding the subject of pubic hair. In particular, the buzz is mostly about whether or not the hair in this very private area should or should not be removed. If the decision to remove pubic hair is made, just how much should actually be removed? Is a trim sufficient? Should the bikini line be free of unsightly, coarse black curls? Or should a woman jump on the bandwagon and go for the much-hyped Brazilian wax?

It seems that waxing is by far the pubic hair removal treatment method of choice for most. Waxing is relatively inexpensive, and in most cases, is only temporarily uncomfortable, mostly during the time of the actual procedure. When it's over, the skin in the pubic area is soft and stubble-free.

Waxing is not a permanent hair removal treatment. With this process, the hairs are simply pulled out of the hair shafts. Hair will grow back in a few weeks, which means that the waxing process will have to be repeated for as long as the effect is desired. However, some people claim that the hair that does grow back does diminish over time and that these hairs grow back with a different texture: they're finer and not as course as they once were. Because it is possible that repeated plucking of the hairs out of their shafts may ultimately damage the actual hair follicle, the point from which the hair grows, future hair growth can be affected.

Another benefit of waxing is that it enables a person to better control the location of the pubic area that is to be hair-free. It's a quick process, and one that a person can do on his or her own, if desired. However, there are plenty of people who will perform this hair removal technique for you, if you're willing to share this very personal encounter! Many waxing products are available but be sure you read the label before purchasing. You want a waxing product that is safe to use in this area.

Sugaring is a technique that is similar to waxing. But instead of using wax, which can be messy and difficult to clean up, a sugar-based organic mixture is used instead. Generally mixed with honey and lemon, the sugary paste concept has been around for centuries. The paste is applied to the skin, and as it hardens, it traps the pubic hairs. Once it has paste hardened, it is pulled very quickly from the skin, removing the hair as it goes.

Waxing or sugaring generally won't cause skin irritation like shaving and chemical-based depilatories often do. And these methods are far less expensive than laser treatments and electrolysis.

Andrea Strachan has been in the beauty business for 25 Years. For more information about pubic hair removal visit http://www.permanent-hair-removal-tips.com. For info about the latest Sedu hair styles click here.

Just Say "No" To Traditional Cardio!

You?ve celebrated the New Year, made your resolutions and are now gearing up to attain your latest goals. You?re full of vim and vigor. This time you?re really going to lose those 10 pounds. OK, make that 20 - but this time you?re going to do it right and hit it hard.

To legitimize your effort, some of you might join a gym or hire a personal trainer, others may sign up with a ?boot camp? or seek out the latest hip-hop trend. But after reading some articles and soaking up the advice of the ?celebrity trainers,? most of you will actually decide to go it alone. After all, as long as you go ?cardio.? you might as well go it alone, right? So this time you?re ready to run for your life! Uh-oh.

While the current buzz claims that the more cardiovascular exercises you do, the faster you?ll lose those unwanted pounds, for some of you, aerobic-based fitness programs can actually backfire.

The main reason that cardio workouts are promoted as a panacea for fat loss is because of their calorie burning ability. But before you ?run for the gold? there are a few basic facts that you should take to heart.

1. Cardiovascular exercise generally involves a highly repetitive movement pattern. In running, for example, one foot after the other hits the pavement or the track or the treadmill with relentless consistency. But according to Newton?s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So for every step you strike against the pavement, the pavement strikes you back! Your joints will absorb each blow and if they?re not strong and balanced, chronic and painful injuries are guaranteed. Then if you mask those injuries with painkillers, rather than address them with corrective exercise and lifestyle modifications, you might as well run yourself straight to the nearest hospital. Surgery will surely be scheduled soon!

2. Cardiovascular exercise is catabolic (tissue destructive) by nature. According to the latest research, while short bursts of cardio activity can help you in your fight against fat, prolonged cardio activity can actually weaken your immune system and cause your muscle to waste away. Did you ever compare the physiques of the sprinter with that of the long-distance runner? Lean, powerful, beautiful vs. sickly, starving, emaciated. Did you ever wonder why? Tissue destructive?

Does that mean that you can never attain a leaner and healthier look on your own? Of course not. It means that you can?t do it by running your heart out for 40 minutes every day after work. You can run but you can?t hide from the proven rules of proper exercise.

Consider the following:

1. Address your diet first.
2. Start simple. Walking is an extremely power tool.
3. Incorporate a resistance training program into your schedule. Resistance training is anabolic (tissue building) by nature and will also help to increase your metabolism.
4. Always keep your body guessing by alternating your cardio activities.
5. Consider Interval Training (short bursts of cardio followed by low intensity cardio for recovery) but only after your body is strong enough to handle it.

Now you?re ready to make it a happy and, particularly, healthy New Year. This time you?re ready to hit it smart. Then you can hit it hard.

Aram Ovsepian is a certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist & Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. He is available for phone consultations

Oily Skin Care Can Treat Acneprone Shiny Oily Skin

Oily skin is not only shiny, dull-colored, and coarse, it is also acne-prone, which means that a host of more serious problems can develop: blackheads, whiteheads, enlarged pores, redness, and potential scarring. If your skin is oily or you have combination skin, take control with oily skin care before the trouble escalates. We all want to have beautiful, clear skin.

Causes of Oily Skin

The cause of oily skin is not fully understood, but it is very likely that hereditary and lifestyle choices play a part. As well, those pesky hormone imbalances that occur most often in the teen years and also at menopause are a big part of the problem. Since the skin is the largest organ on the body, it also reflects the state of our general physical and emotional health, and problems on either front will have a negative impact on the skin. Pregnancy and birth control pills, which alter hormonal activity, also affect the oiliness of the skin, as will diet, humidity, and the use of cosmetics.

Skin oil is produced by the sebaceous glands, which are more active in the nose area than anywhere else on the face, and the nose area is also the site of larger pores. If you have combination skin, it means the skin on your face is generally dry or normal, but excessively oily around the nose, often extending down to the chin and up into the forehead. Sebaceous glands are also more active on the chest, back, and upper arms than on other parts of the body. The amount of oil generated by these glands is out of your control and oily skin care simply means coping with the amount of oil produced and the problems it can cause.

Oil is important for moisturizing the skin, and you can take comfort from knowing that oily skin delays wrinkling, age spots, and fine lines, and sebaceous glands become less active as we age. In the meantime, the problem remains that oil clogs the pores of the skin, and the effects are, naturally, the production of blackheads and pimples, as well as enlarged pores and redness. Oily skin care treatments involve taking steps to keep pores from getting clogged and blemishes from appearing.

The Best Diet for Oily Skin

The treatment for oily skin should start internally. This means, take care of your physical and mental health and your skin will benefit. Eat balanced meals, and make sure that you receive the necessary nutrition for good health each day. Forget the starvation diets and the food fads. Normal weight and good health are served best by diets that include daily servings of all the food groups. The B vitamins are especially important for skin health and are found in wheat germ, egg yolk, Brewer?s yeast, organ meats, nuts and beans. A lack of vitamin B2 will actually cause oily skin. Reduce the amount of fat, oil, and sugar in your diet, and you will be repaid with fewer skin problems, but that is because your general health will improve. Sebaceous glands operate independent of diet.

Because food grown in nutrient-depleted soil can be depleted of essential vitamins and minerals, it is important to add a supplement or two to your diet. Start with a multivitamin suitable for your age and sex, and then add some extra vitamin A (so that you are consuming about 10,000 IU daily) and the vitamin B complex. Primrose oil (500 milligrams) and flaxseed oil (1,000 milligrams) are both very beneficial for the skin.

Drink lots of water to help flush toxins out of your body with the help of your kidneys and liver rather than leaving it to your skin to bring toxins to the surface and eliminate them through perspiration. Lots of water is generally defined as eight glasses a day, and this amount also serves to hydrate your skin properly.

Since stress aggravates skin problems, it is wise to reduce your stress level through meditation or relaxation techniques.

Rosacea, a chronic skin disorder that looks a great deal like acne, will improve if you follow these same health recommendations, and an anti aging diet includes all these elements as well.

Tips for Caring for Oily Skin

Keep oily skin very clean so that pores do not become clogged and cause breakouts. On the other hand, you can have too much of a good thing here, and skin must not be treated too harshly nor washed too often. Chose a mild cleanser that promises to clean without drying, and wash with lukewarm, not hot, water. You can try a mild medicated soap or an antibacterial cleansing lotion. If your skin become dry and taut, it means the outer layer has shrunk and the oil will not be able to flow freely and more pores will clog. Aim for washing your face two or three times a day, and, between cleansings, wipe away excess oil with either an antibacterial astringent or one containing acetone, which dissolves oil. Using a clay or mud mask once a week is another good way to cleanse your skin and combat the oil production. Be gentle. A facial sauna with lemongrass, licorice root, and rosebuds is good for oily skin, but use caution if you have acne. Saunas, like high humidity, can intensify breakouts.

Moisturizers for oily skin might contain antiseptic or simply be oil-free.

Noncomedogenic moisturizers do not clog pores, and nonacnegenic moisturizers do not irritate pores. Look for the chemical benzyl peroxide, which helps reduce the amount of oil your glands produce and is a useful ingredient in lotions and creams designed for oily skin. Make sure all makeup as well as all moisturizers, cleansing lotions, astringents, and sunscreens are chosen with oily skin in mind, and are water-based rather than oil-based products.

Effective treatment for oily skin involves cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting your skin with products created to provide oily skin solutions. Although there are no natural cures for oily skin, you can certainly manage the problem and keep it from worsening. The Internet is the perfect place to search and find information about products and diet supplements needed to provide the best oily skin care possible. The Internet offers the opportunity to shop, compare costs, and order whatever you need online from the privacy of your home. Most online merchants offer discount pricing to attract customers which helps save you money. You don?t have to put up with oily skin problems; relief is just a few clicks away.

About the Author
Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing information and advice to online shoppers who are in the market for anti aging options, acne treatments, and general skin care.

Carb Blockers Are They Worth the Money? Do They Work?

As we all know, there is a tremendous amount of pressure put on by society to look good. One may try to eat right and exercise to the best of their ability, but it?s still not providing the desired results until one day, when you come across somethings online called carb blockers and fat blockers. What do they do? Are they worth buying? If I were the person?s conscience, then I?d politely scream, ?No!?

Carb blocker products are actually formulated from white kidney beans or wheat germ and claim to help inhibit a digestive enzyme called alpha amylase. It is claimed that as much as 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrates can be prevented from being absorbed from the usage of these pills. Sounds great, right? However, when these products first hit the market in the 80?s, consumers quickly began to realize the side effects of these pills, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating. To make matters even worse, these pills were not cheap. And after numerous studies conducted by the FDA, it was concluded that they were actually ineffective and really were responsible for reported side effects. So, they were removed from the market.

Unfortunately, these products are now experiencing somewhat of a revival, but they remain just as ineffective and expensive. Today, the pills will typically cost $20 to $25 for a package of 120 capsules. Although it may not seem like a lot, just remember that it is ultimately money thrown down the drain. There have been studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic that have stated that the bean and wheat germ extracts found in carb blockers do actually slow carbohydrate ingestion, but only at dosages far higher than what is sold to the public. It took 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of the white kidney bean and 4,000 milligrams of wheat germ to produce the desired effect. At most, the average carb blocking product only provides 500 or so milligrams. Not nearly enough to have any sort of desired effect.

As for fat blockers, they are even more detrimental to your health and, in my opinion, even dangerous. Their active ingredient is one called chitosan, which shares some similarities with dietary fiber but is actually derived from shellfish. Like fiber, the chitosan is passed rather quickly through the digestive tract as it allegedly absorbs as much as 10 times its weight in fat. This of course is all eliminated as waste. Luckily, Dr. Judy Stern, cofounder of the American Obesity Association and professor at the University of California looked into chitosan and arrived at the conclusion that chitosan actually has no fat binding abilities but did seem to have an effect on raising the ?good? HDL cholesterol levels.

My main concern is that if there is a fat binding capability of chitosan or any other concoction that could be coming our way in the near future that it needs to be avoided. This is largely because of the fact that only certain vitamins can be dissolved in fat and are otherwise rendered useless. Vitamins such as E,A,D, K, and F are all fat soluble vitamins that are crucial to cardiovascular and orthopedic health.

Furthermore, any fat binding substance would also rid the body of the heart friendly omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In the meantime, more research needs to be done in order to reach an ultimate conclusion about the nature and effectiveness of these products, Personally speaking, replacing fat blockers and carb blockers with a well-managed diet and bouts of regular exercise would prove to be the best ?carb blocking? and ?fat blocking? prescription once could ever ask for. It takes patience and determination which not everyone is willing to invest, but pills like these should definitely not be the answer.

Learn more about carb blockers and find out which is the best way to achieve permanent weight loss at PhenForum.com, the place to learn about Phentermine online and safe weight loss methods! Join our support group and meet a weight loss buddy for maximum weight loss.

Winter Weight Loss

You can feel spring in the air here in New York City (the actual first day is March 21st). It?s a little warmer; the sun is shining a little brighter. Our bodies, generally, are very sensitive to the change of the seasons no matter where we live. As we move from winter to spring we can begin to really feel the need to ?shed the winter weight??whether it is a few pounds or more?our bodies want to change. We want to feel lighter. Every body is different and, as I always say, there isn?t one way of eating that serves everyone, but here are three general steps that will help you ?lighten up? for spring.

You are what you DRINK.

For energy sake?let?s focus on water : ) For those of you who find drinking water difficult (you don?t like it, it taste ?blah?, you don?t like going to the bathroom all the time?) just keep this in mind: your body wants to let go of any excess weight and toxins that it?s been holding over the winter, but it needs help! Drinking water is the MOST effective way to do this. Once you get started, you might even begin to crave water. This is how much your body actually needs it.

Try this: first thing when you wake up, drink a glass of water ? even before you eat. It?s probably the easiest glass you will drink all day. Put it next to your bed the night before if you need to and drink it first thing when you get up. Just like you wash your face ? give your organs a good cleansing. They will thank you by raising your metabolism!

If you really get all ?yuck!? about the taste of water, try adding a slice of lemon or lime to your water (or even experiment with other fruits/veggies such as oranges, cucumbers, but no sugar or sweetener!). **Note: You are not getting the same benefits from drinking anything else throughout the day?ahem, like, soda, tea, juice...

Your breakfast sets the stage for the day.

Eat breakfast. Do it. I know it is hard for some, but breakfast really is ?the most important meal of the day?. It?s the fuel for your daily ride (would you drive cross- country on an empty tank?) AND a key ingredient to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again. Enough said.

Think about easy, high quality choices for the start of your day. You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, a non-sugar yogurt or some high- fiber, low starch fruit around. If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it. It?s a built in morning cleanse and spring is the best time of year to do this.

Make sure you RE-FUEL throughout the day.

We are all so busy.

If breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating EnergyRich? food, more often. This will also help you curb those winter simple-carb cravings. (You know, those moments when you are ravenous at night and devour some chips or go for anything in the snack machine at about 3-4PM) Be creative. Think about small portions of lean-protein as a snack or small container of raw veggies, also great for a spring cleanse.

It does take a little planning to make some healthy food choices and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals, but maybe not as much as you think. Try one day this week of bringing some EnergyRich? food with you, see if there?s a difference and perhaps you will even feel a little lighter.

Heather Dominick, ?The Energy Expert? is an energy and nutrition specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather?s primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your free chapter of the famed e-Book Get EnergyRICH?, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

Flax Seed Weight Loss and Muscle Builder

Flaxseed has been known throughout time to be a natural treatment for a variety of disorders. Flaxseed has been part of the diet for thousands of years and is considered the world?s oldest grain. It can be traced back to the burial chambers of 3000 BC in Babylonia. Several uses and cultivation of flaxseed were inscribed in these chambers. Theophrastus, an early Greek philosopher, recommended flaxseed to treat chronic cough. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about the use of flaxseed to help constipation all the way back in 700 BC. There are two types of cultivated flax. One type of flax is grown just for the seed. The other type of cultivated flax is grown for fiber.

Several modern medical studies has shown that the ingestion of one spoonful of flaxseed (whole or oil) can be linked to lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer, reduce risk of heart attack, and can act to reverse the aging process.

Flaxseed oil is extracted from flax seeds. Flaxseed oil has several industrial uses and is called linseed oil in paints, varnishes, and linoleum. The eatable form of flaxseed oil is high in protein, potassium, and beta-carotene. It has omega-3 fatty acids, and linoleic acids. There is a great deal of scientific data that suggests that flaxseed oils help to fight against constipation and IBS, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and heart attack.

LL Cool J and Hillary Swank were both introduced to flaxseed by physical trainers to help build pounds of muscles while maintaining lean and athletic bodies. Flaxseed oil is thick and has a rich nutty taste to it. However, it will lose many of its ingredients if cooked so it is suggested to be used in salad and sandwich dressings. It can be used as a substitute for other less vitamin rich oils. Additionally, flaxseed can be eaten whole the same way peanuts or walnuts are. Whole flaxseed is great in stir fry or Chinese food. Flaxseed oil must be kept cold and stored away from the sun because it can spoil easily and is sensitive to heat.

FlaxSeedPro is a great provider of 100% pure organic golden flaxseed.

flaxseed info

What You Should Know About Your Weight And Cholesterol

My midsection is not what it use to be! The weight has creeped in with time.

Did you know that if you carry excess baggage in your midsection, the risks are greater than if the extra pounds settle on your hips?

You actually place a strain on your heart and body when you're heavier than you should be.

When a person without heart disease is first diagnosed with elevated blood cholesterol, doctors often prescribe a program of diet, exercise, and weight loss to bring levels down.

The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines suggest at least a six-month program of reduced dietary saturated fat and cholesterol, together with physical activity and weight control, as the primary treatment before resorting to drug therapy.

Many people respond well to this and end up sufficiently reducing blood cholesterol levels. Study data reinforce these benefits.

For example, a 1998 Columbia University study examined 103 male and female patients of diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds and found that reducing dietary saturated fat directly affected blood cholesterol. For every 1 percent drop in saturated fat, the study showed a 1 percent lowering of LDL in patients.

You should start by maintaining a healthy diet...set a date to start an exercise regiment and stick to it.

Never go on a crash diet or fall for one of those... lose 10lbs in 3 days.

It's not worth the risk to your health.

Set an appointment to see your medical professional to discuss your plans and get a check up.

The good news is that losing as little as 5%-10% of your body weight can reduce your risk of heart disease, by lowering your cholesterol levels and blood pressure and improving blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.

High cholesterol can be a problem for anyone...large or small!

The key is cutting down on those saturated fats and replacing them with good ones.

The decisions you fail to make today, will determine your health tomorrow!

Michael Flowers is editor of http://www.you-and-your-cholesterol.com

B Complex Vitamins and Their Importance in Health and Disease

There are a large variety of vitamins in the B group, the more important being B1 or thiamine, B2 or riboflavin, B3 or niacin or nicotinic acid, B6 or pyridoxine, B9 or folic acid, B12 and B5, or pantothenic acid. B vitamins are synergistic. They are more potent together than when used seperately.

Thiamine

Known as anti-beberi, anti-neuritic and anti-ageing vitamin, thiamine plays an important role in the normal functioning of the nervous system, the regulation of carbohydrates and good digestion. It protects heart muscle, stimulates brain action and helps prevent constipation. It has a mild diuretic effect. Valuable sources of this vitamin are wheat germ, yeast, the outer layer of whole grains, cereals, pulses,nuts, peas, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, milk, egg, banana, and apple. The deficiency of thiamine can cause serious impairment of the digestive system and chronic constipation, loss of weight, diabetes, mental depression, nervous exhaustion, and weakness of the heart.

The recommended daily allowance for this vitamin is about two milligrams for adults and 1.2 mg. for children. The need for this vitamin increases during illness, stress and surgery as well as during pregnancy and lactation. When taken in a large quantity, say upto 50 mg., it is beneficial in the treatment of digestive disorders, neuritis and other nervous troubles as well as mental depression. For best results, all other vitamins of B group should be administered simultaneously. Prolonged ingestion of large doses of any one of the isolated B complex vitamins may result in high urinary losses of other B-vitamins and lead to deficiencies of these vitamins.

Riboflavin

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin, also known as vitamin G, is essential for growth and general health as also for healthy eyes, skin, nails and hair. It helps eliminate sore mouth, lips and tongue. It also functions with other substances to metabolis carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The main sources of this vitamin are green leafy vegetables, milk, cheese, wheat germ, egg, almonds, sunflower, seeds, citrus fruits and tomatoes. Its deficiency can cause a burning sensation in the legs, lips and tongue, oily skin, premature wrinkles on face and arm and eczema.

The recommended daily allowance for this vitamin is 1.6 to 2.6 mg. for adults and 0.6 to one mg for children. Its use in larger quantities, say from 25 to 50 mg. is beneficial in the treatment of nutritional cataracts and other eye ailments, digestive disturbances, nervous depression, general debility, and certain types of high blood pressure.

Niacin

Vitamin B3 or niacin or nicotinic acid is essential for proper circulation, healthy functioning of the nervous system and proper protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It is essential for synthesis of sex hormones, cartisone, thyroxin and insulin. It is contained in liver, fish, poultry, peanut, whole wheat,green leafy vegetables, dates, figs, prunes and tomato. A deficiency can lead to skin eruptions, frequent stools, mental depression, insomnia, chronic headaches, digestives disorders and anaemia.

The recommended daily allowance is 12 to 20 mg. for adults and 4.8 to 12 mg. for children. Large doses of this vitamin say upto 100 mg. with each meal, preferably together with other B group vitamins, affords relief in case of migraine and high blood pressure caused by nervousness, high cholesterol, and arteriosclerosis.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

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Grreen Power

It?s green, it?s valuable, and it can vastly improve your quality of living.

One more hint: It?s not money.

No, this stuff actually does grow on trees.

It?s called Vitamin K and although you don?t hear about it as often as the standard A-through-E vitamins, researchers are discovering more and more of its invaluable functions.

Vitamin K will provide you with health rather than wealth, but there?s no mistaking that it?s loaded with benefits. Aside from its many already proven functions, researchers now believe that Vitamin K prevents osteoporosis, the disease that weakens the bones, a function that until now seemed primarily in calcium?s hands.

The fat-soluble vitamin is essential for many suffering health problems, particularly those experiencing birth complications or bleeding disorders. Vitamin K has been linked to growth and development of the new-born and has also aided those with intestinal malfunctions and those who suffer frequent nosebleeds and excessive bleeding.

Everybody needs Vitamin K in his or her system. Deficiency in this vitamin will effect the development process of infants, leading to problems like Hemorrhagic disease, which is characterized by abnormal bleeding through the intestines or umbilical cord.

In adults, these deficiencies lead to severe blood clotting, particularly in the stomach, and can lead to considerable intestinal complications.

Vitamin K is most commonly found in green leaf-like sources like spinach, green tea, cabbage, turnip greens, and brussels sprouts. Others like alfalfa, soybeans, cheddar cheese, oats, and cauliflower are also rich on the vitamin. So if you?re a big salad eater, chances are that you?re getting a very healthy dose of Vitamin K.

But overdoses in Vitamin K, which are extremely rare, have been linked to brain damage in infants and liver malfunctions in adults.

Aside from the aforementioned natural sources, Vitamin K is also available in tablets and should be taken with meals or an hour after completion of a meal.

Apollo Supplements.com - http://www.apollosupplements.com - Health & Fitness Supplements/Nutrition ? 40% - 70% off. Find a huge selection of Health & fitness supplements & nutritionals at Apollo Supplements. We carry all major name brands including AST, EAS, Optimum, Muscletech, and many more.

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ADD As An Adult What's It Like?

Attention Deficit Disorder is often difficult to diagnose in adulthood as it sometimes masked by relationship problems, mood disorders, substance abuse, employment issues, or other psychological disorders. It was previously believed that children and adolescents would grow out of ADD, but it has just been acknowledged in the last few decades that it persists into adulthood. Actually, 67% of children with ADD will continue to exhibit signs well into adulthood. ADD is very difficult to diagnose in adults and sometimes only occurs after a child of the adult is diagnosed and the genetic link is made.

How is Attention Deficit Disorder exhibited in adults? Actually, in much the same ways as in children. Adults with ADD often have difficulty in completing assignments, fail to pay close attention to details, fidget, are inattentive, are unorganized, and talk excessively. Unfortunately, adult ADD is often commingled with lack of self-control, poor memory, anxiety, depression, mood swings, employment issues, chronic lateness, and difficulties regulating motivation, emotions and arousal. Like their child counterparts, these behaviors cause an inability to function in every day activities, which can especially cause a problem in employment situations.

Adults that have grown up being undiagnosed as having ADD often suffer from low self-esteem and feel like they are stupid, lazy, or even crazy. Diagnosing them as adults may lay to rest lifelong perception issues they may have had with themselves and may allow them to improve on self-esteem, as well as work skills and performance. It is believed that these reasons could actually be the basis for the depression and other psychological issues they have as adults.

Treatment for adults often includes medication, education, behavior skill building to better cope with their disorder, and counselling. Stimulant medication, as with children, may be the first stage in treatment. However, this is not a cure and should be coupled with behavior modification to reach full potential. Counseling may very well be an important aspect of treatment, as ongoing psychologically issues have been present. Likewise, just being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder may cause reason to seek counseling in order to come to terms with the diagnosis.

The important thing for an adult to remember when they have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder is that there is help available and treatment is easily attainable. They should find comfort in understanding the root of their behavior and actions and knowing help is available.

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn?s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now and read more of her articles.

Big "Buts" Sabotage Weight Loss Health and Fitness (Part 11 of 12)

?Yeah, But I?m a Vegetarian.?

When someone proclaims that she or he is a vegetarian, the meaning of which is vague at best, or a vegan, who supposedly eats no animal products whatsoever including dairy products and eggs, she often thinks that that label is an automatic ticket to good health, and there is no need to make any more changes.

Once we think that we know everything there is to know about good health and we have incorporated what we know into our own lives, then it is easy to sit smugly back and stop trying to build on our knowledge and continue to upgrade our eating and lifestyle habits.

We are all human beings, and we can always improve, especially since we have been raised in a food culture that constantly tempts us to eat very appealing, yet unhealthy foods.

Vegetarians and vegans are no different. There is always room for improvement and sometimes more than they think. They may have made the conscious decision to not eat meat of any kind?beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, fish?but they often continue to eat foods that are not good for them.

You can eat Twinkies and drink Coke every day and call yourself a vegetarian. You can eat refined, white pasta with heavily olive-oiled meatless sauce three times a week and fool yourself into thinking that you are eating better than most because the sauce is meatless.

It doesn?t matter what you call yourself.

What matters to your health and your life is that you fill up on nutrient-dense, calorie-low, fiber-filled plant foods?primarily whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with raw, unsalted nuts and seeds, and unrefined, whole grains and beans.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Ingredients in Natural Skin Care Products

Natural skin care products clean and nourish the skin without clogging the pores. Chemicals, dyes and other artificial ingredients in skin care and cosmetic products are irritating to the skin. Even worse, some are toxic and a few are known carcinogens. A few to avoid:

oArtificial fragrances: these are often listed only as fragrance on the label. They are irritating, especially if you have sensitive skin. Rashes, headaches or dizziness can result from artificial fragrances.
oArtificial colors: stay away from these and look for natural colorings. Artificial colors generally have a FD&C followed by the color and number. Some of these are carcinogenic and all are irritating to the skin.
oDiazolindinyl Urea is a preservative. This chemical is known to be toxic. Many people experience contact dermatitis from this and other chemical preservatives.
oMethyl Paraben and Propyl Paraben are preservatives that are used to extend the shelf life of a variety of beauty products. These very common chemicals are known to cause allergic reactions.
oPropylene Glycol is a synthetic vegetable glycerin that is known to cause allergic reactions in many people.
oStearalkonium Chloride is found in skin creams and can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Always read the labels on skin care and other beauty products. It can be difficult to decipher the labels, but gets easier over time. In general, the more chemical sounding ingredients you see on a label, the worse the product is for your skin. Look for natural ingredients in all your beauty products. Here are some good ingredients to look for:

Alfalfa extract is a natural cleanser. It contains vitamins A, B, C, D and E. You will often find it in skin cleansers and moisturizers.

Almond oil is high in fatty acids. This ingredient is excellent for dry skin. It soothes and moisturizes dry and sensitive skin.

Aloe soothes and hydrates the skin. It is used in skin and hair care products. Aloe is often used in products intended to relieve sunburn.

Ascorbic Acid contains vitamin C. This antioxidant is an excellent skin nutrient. It is often found in creams and moisturizers.

Biotin is a member of the vitamin B group. This ingredient is excellent for treating dry skin. Biotin is found in a variety of skin care products and is used in dandruff shampoos.

Carotene is an antioxidant that is often used in cosmetics and skin care products. It is derived from red and orange plants and vegetables.

Citric Acid comes from the extracts of all citrus fruits. It is effective for neutralizing the pH of the skin. Citric acid is used in a wide variety of skin and hair care products.

Elastin is a protein that is found in human skin. Elastin softens the skin and helps retain moisture.

Evening Primrose Oil is rich in fatty acids. It is excellent for nourishing dry skin.

Grape Seed Extract is a powerful antioxidant. This ingredient can be found in many cleansers and moisturizers.

Kaolin is white clay that is found in China. It is a main ingredient in porcelain. Kaolin is excellent for deep cleaning facial masks.

Kelp is also known as seaweed. It is rich in iodine and antioxidant vitamins. This ingredient is great for soothing and toning the skin.

Menthol has a soothing effect and is great for oily skin. It is often used in cleansers and astringents.

Mint is also good for oily skin. It is found in astringents and cleansers used for oily skin or acne treatment.

Mistletoe is a soothing ingredient that is often used for sensitive skin. This ingredient has a soothing affect on skin that has been irritated by other products.

Olive Oil Castile is a mild soap that is often used in facial cleansers. It is a rich emollient that works well on dry skin.

Oatmeal is a natural exfoliant. It is often used in natural facial masks. You can use finely ground oatmeal at home to soothe the skin and even out skin tone.

Papaya is great for sensitive skin. It is often used in natural cleansers, moisturizers and soothing facial masks.

Tea Tree Oil is a cleansing ingredient. It is also good for neutralizing the pH and is often found in both facial cleansers and moisturizers.

Zinc is a great ingredient for use as an acne treatment. This mineral is found in a variety of skin care products.

Using cosmetics and beauty products that contain natural ingredients is a great way to care for your skin. A variety of these ingredients are used in place of chemicals. Look for products that contain these ingredients and are made for your skin type. These are especially good to use after a chemical peel or other treatments for acne or wrinkles.

Esthetician?s Choice is a medical grade peel that is now available for home use. It is perfect for unclogging your pores after years of using chemically based skin care and make up products. It can be used to treat acne, wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, skin discoloration and acne scarring. You will see the results immediately. For more information or to order Esthetician?s Choice visit www.bestskinpeel.com.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com.

Herbal Acne Remedies

Remember the angst ridden acne years of your youth? Or perhaps you are still a youth. By youth, I mean either adolescent or teenaged. So many people today suffer from teenage and adult acne. The effect acne has on your self esteem can be devastating, especially at a young age, when appearance seems so important, and people can be cruel. The new herbal acne remedies are now changing that scenario for many teenagers, and is also helping many people suffering with acne into adulthood to permanently clear acne.

There are some excellent, and fairly new herbal acne remedies that actually clear acne through precise combinations of herbal compounds and pure, natural ingredients. These herbal acne pills have been used as very successful, and often times permanent, remedies to clear acne on both adults and adolescents.

How do herbal acne pills work? These natural remedies actually work by correcting the hormonal and chemical imbalances in the body that lead to acne flareups, persistent acne, and the more severe form, cystic acne. People suffering from cystic acne can really benefit from an herbal acne pill, since they are designed to treat acne at it's source, from the inside of the body, rather than topically. Cystic acne sufferers really tend to have hormonal issues, which acne pills address by calming, soothing and balancing.

Some of the common ingredients in these complexion-clearing acne pills are actually known in herbal communities for their skin soothing and calming properties, and have commonly been used to treat various skin disorders in the past. Natural acne pills actually blend several of these ingredients together in precise combinations to effectively clear acne permanently, or with very little follow up treatment.

Let's look at some of the common skin clearing and therapeutic herbs and compounds that are found in an acne pill. First, vitamin E is a common ingredient. Vitamin E has been used as a skin soothing and repairing agent for decades. Vitamin E actually will help smooth rough skin when taken in the proper dosages, and actually helps facilitate the clearing of acne in combination with other ingredients.

A second common ingredient in the acne pill is aloe vera. Aloe vera actually has many of the same skin soothing properties and advantages as vitamin E. I'm sure you've used aloe vera at least a couple times to treat sunburn or irritated skin. Aloe vera seemed to be a staple in everyone's home growing up for it's skin repairing benefits.

Two more ingredients you may find in these natural preparations are alpha lipoic acid and collagen, both of which are actually beneficial for both aging skin and skin suffering from disorders such as acne or acne rosacea. Alpha lipoic acid is gaining a lot of recognition in recent years, especially with the publication and advocation of popular cosmetic dermatologist Nicholas Perricone in his book The Perricone Prescription and other popular follow up books on how to stop and reverse the aging process of the skin.

Other skin cleansing, purifying and balancing ingredients botanicals found in the acne pill are chamomile, rosemary, rose essential oil, and horsetail, all traditionally used to clear, tone and purify the skin for the most blemish-free complexion possible, even back as far as the early 1800's.

The bottom line is, I highly recommend investing in either a natural acne system that combines topical treatment with an oral acne pill or just investing in a natural acne remedy that is high in purity standards and has a good track record of customer satisfaction. These treatments have proven to be just as effective as many of the often long-term and sometimes harmful treatments dermatologists prescribe. Not only that, you can order them from the comfort of your own home, and don't need to be burdened by dermatologist visits, or repetitive costs. It is truly one of the best investments you can make in your skin!

Visit Herbal Acne Remedies for more information on effective alternatives to medical acne treatments. Danna Schneider is the webmaster of Herbal Acne Treatments.

Asbestos Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral found in the ground and mined all over the world. It is so small it can only be identified under a microscope. In the past, asbestos was added to various products such as insulation to increase fire resistant properties. Asbestos exposure, especially of an extended duration, has been linked to mesothelioma and other health problems, including lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects cells in the lining of the chest and abdomen. The tissues in these areas are called the mesothelium, and they produce a lubricating fluid that allows the organs to move easily and without irritation or injury in the torso cavity.

Asbestos fibers attach themselves to the lining of the lungs or other parts of the respiratory tract and remain there indefinitely. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is airborne. The fibers are small and light and can stay afloat for a long time and can travel great distances from their source. Since asbestos fibers are microscopic and airborne, people can breathe in asbestos fibers for many years without realizing it. Workers in environments in which construction materials, especially insulation, are handled are at greatest risk. Starting in the 1940s, workers, unaware of the danger, regularly handled and were exposed to large amounts of asbestos, often for long durations. Trades that involved especially high levels of exposure included asbestos production related fields like mining, milling, asbestos tile manufacture, and the manufacture of products that used asbestos. Other industries with high levels of possible exposure included shipbuilding, construction, car repair, and any form of demolition. Today, worker?s exposure to asbestos has been reduced due to government regulations. Still, however, demolition workers are at risk when they disturb antiquated materials that contain asbestos in older structures. It can take anywhere from 10 to 40 years for symptoms of an asbestos related disease to surface.

Critics have charged that asbestos manufacturers knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure many years before alerting the public of potential health risks. Despite the dangers associated with asbestos, the substance can still be found in thousands of products today. Because of its airborne mobility, its microscopic size and harmful properties, professional assistance is required to remove asbestos. There are professional abatement services that will remove asbestos from homes or other buildings. Asbestos is most harmful when the structure containing it is disturbed, releasing asbestos fibers into the air.

Some observers contend that asbestos product liability lawsuits have resulted in over $100 billion in claims and bankrupted over 100 companies.

Wayne Walker is president of CapTran, the leader in litigation financial services. http://www.captran.com

? 2005 Capital Transaction Group Inc

Prevention of Gum Disease

Gum disease is one of the main causes of the loss of the teeth in adults. Gum disease does not just affect the oral health. Gum disease is also known to be linked with heart disease and heart attacks. The American Dental Association acknowledged that the toxins in the mouth which are associated with gum disease may eventually lead to heart problems or disease like artery blockage and heart attacks.

Gum disease is the inflammation of the gums surrounding the teeth and regular visits or check ups by your dentist is the best prevention of gum disease. The American Dental Association stated that maintaining proper oral hygiene is the best ways of prevention of gum disease (e.g. gingivitis, periodontitis) and other dental disorders or problems. Maintaining a good oral hygiene take effort, this is why most people have gum disease because they do not pay sufficient attention to oral care or have poor oral hygiene. Listed below are some of the best means in the prevention of gum disease:

* Brushing and flossing the teeth carefully and frequently prevents any plaque and tartar build up in the teeth. Tartar is one of the main causes of gum disease. The prevention of plaque build up is the same as prevention of gum disease. Flossing your teeth on a daily basis also is the best means of protection of gum disease because flossing is the only way to remove plaque in between the teeth that is out of reach by a toothbrush. Also, using toothpaste with fluoride give additional protection against tooth decay.

* Using mouthwash. Rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash give additional protection against plaque. Hydrogen Peroxide based mouthwash are advisable. If you already have a gum disease avoid using alcohol based mouthwash because alcohol based mouthwash may worsen the condition of the gum disease.

* Chewing gums are good for assisting the oral irrigation between and around the teeth. Chewing gums are good for cleaning and removing particles.

* Regular visit to the dentist for regular check ups is also one of the best means of prevention of gum disease. Dental check ups serves to monitor an individual?s oral hygiene and the individual?s level of the bone around the teeth. Dental check ups also helps identify the early stages of gum diseases, and monitors the progress of the treatment of the gum disease.

Prevention is the always the best cure for any kinds of problems or disease. Proper oral hygiene like brushing at least twice a day, flossing daily is a good way of preventing gum disease. Make it a habit to visit your dentist to have regular dental cleanings and dental check ups. Visit your dentist at leas once every six months.

Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Bad Breath Blog. Visit now to find out all you wanted to know about Bad Breath, Gum Disease and other dental problems.