BMI's Health & Wellness Mastermind Group

Seeking 3 leaders for business expansion in the wellness industry

2011-07-10T19:49:00.000-04:00

My team and I are seeking 3 key associates to work closely with, part time, to share the best healthy fruit beverage we've ever tasted while improving life of others one at a time. Who do you know that might be the right leader to help us replicate elsewhere the system that has allowed our team to create 14 millionaires in California? Details in our VIP video tour: http://www.MillionaireMindTeam.com/mentor/media.html

Halloween book for children

2009-10-12T16:44:00.000-04:00

Parents and Grandparents add to the fun this year with tales to delight the young that they haven't heard. Exciting, suspenseful but not terrifying. No nightmares. Read to those who cannot read and they will love you for it. Buy Campfire Tales or Spooky Yarns for Halloween by Betty Locke
www.kidsstillread.com

F.R.E.E. Fortune 500 business videos

2009-06-17T22:26:00.001-04:00

For some 20-years, CEO Space has been the home to entrepreneurs from around the globe; entrepreneurs who have the desire to create successful business ventures, or advance where they are in business.

The CEO Space environment is one of cooperation.

What you are getting here, are video segments from previous forums. If you are like most other people, you will learn a wealth of information from the faculty.

Go to http://www.millionairemindteam.com/ceospace_videos.html and enjoy!

Stephan

How to gain confidence free tips

2009-04-29T14:47:00.000-04:00

by Stephen Hill

1. DRUNK!

At the age of sixteen I was invited out for the evening on a Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. This for most people would be something to look forward to, for me it was something to dread. Socialising and ordering drinks for somebody who has a stutter is bad enough, but I regularly seemed to bare the brunt of the evening's jokes about me height, weight and occasionally my bald patch. Even though my friend's were not doing this to be cruel, I was very paranoid about myself at that age and this banter would hurt.

I had often been out for evenings where I drank alcohol, however up to this point had never been drunk. On this particular night the drink flowed and before long I found myself a little worse for ware. The results of which would later change my life.

I found myself talking to lots of different people, some of which I did not know, even girls! My whole character and personality started to change, I was telling jokes and when someone made a comment about my weight for example, I laughed and even came back with a derogatory comment about him, joining in the banter and seemingly enjoying it.

My attitude changed, for example instead of thinking that a certain girl might not want me because of my weight, stutter or height, I thought to myself, she will want me, I'm a good person and could make her laugh. My whole outlook was far more positive and my confidence was buzzing. It was a superb and very enjoyable night.

The next morning I awoke not feeling the best with a bad hangover. One of the highlights of the previous night was that I had been given a phone number from one of the girls I had met. I told her that I would phone her to arrange a date, however I was now sober, back to my normal self and no did not have the confidence to ring. This girl thinks I am fluent, how would she react if I stutter, I wondered.

I went to bed most disappointed with myself but started to analyse the differences between when I had been drunk to when I was sober. The conclusion was obvious, when drunk I can talk, I don't care about my weight, lack of height etc. When sober I have a lack of confidence and am paranoid about certain aspects about my person. I knew that I could not be drunk 24/7 and that what I needed to do was to become a harder person, less paranoid etc. I had to be mentally drunk all of the time without being physically drunk. I knew this would be hard to achieve but in the future possibly when I was older would be a must.

This attitude is hard to achieve, however using some of the following methods became a reality for me a number of years later.

2. YOU HAVE TO START TO LIKE YOURSELF!

At the age of twenty-two I decided to as already stated deal with and try to overcome some of the issues in my life. I started to read various books, like mind over matter and positive thinking type books.

In one such book it had a line which read:

"You need to start to like yourself"

I put the book down and starting to think and realised that I didn't actually like myself. I hated being overweight, shorter than average, having a bald patch and especially having a speech impediment.

I carried on reading and it went on to say:

"There are various things about one's self which even though we don't like we are unable to change, therefore we have to accept them. Other aspects we can change therefore we have to work extremely hard with determination to eradicate them.

Once again I put the book down and thought about this. Firstly my height, am I ever going to grow any taller? The answer is no, there is nothing I can do to increase my height at the age of twenty-two therefore I have to accept it. From reading more of the book later I realised that I was being over-sensitive about this and some of my other issues. There are a lot of people out there a lot worse off than I am. Does my current height hurt me in anyway or affect my life in any major negative way, again the answer is no.

Secondly, the bald area on my head. As with the above hair is not going to start growing in that area of my scalp, I have had the bald patch since birth and therefore have to accept the fact and even try to like it.

Then there is my weight. This is something that I could change, therefore I have to work hard to lose the weight. I have to accept certain sacrifices; such as to eat less fatty foods and be disciplined to reach my target weight, however long it might take.

Finally there is my speech impediment. I had had a stutter since the age of four and for me this was the most important of all of my issues. I was not sure if I would be able to achieve fluency, however in my mind believed I could. If I can talk when I am drunk I should be able to talk when I am fluent. I was not going to accept having a stutter for the rest of my life until I had worked hard to eradicate it. Work hard I did and eventually I overcome this major issue in my life.

I advise people that the above were my own personal issues and that each individual has to identify there own. It is then a case of accepting the issues which can not be changed and working hard to overcome the ones that can.

3. ATTITUDE

I was somebody who wanted to be like by everybody. If anybody criticised me or called me names, I would easily be offended and my confidence would drop. As an example from the age of about seventeen I would go out with my friends most Friday and Saturday nights to public houses and sometimes to a night club. I remember one Saturday morning, aged about eighteen, waking up feeling quite ill, very hung over. I had consumed far too much alcohol on the previous evening. I looked in my wallet and had also spent far too much money. I decided that I would stay in on the Saturday night, just for a change. During the afternoon I had a phone call from a friend called Phil. He asked me where we going that night. After telling him that I was not going out, he called me boring on numerous occasions, offering to lend me money, saying that I had changed etc. I didn't want him to think of me in this way however stuck to my guns, eventually he put the phone down on me in a mood. Within a few minutes another friend phoned asking why I was not going out, also calling me various names including boring. I ended up going out.

At this age I did not have enough respect for myself, I was too concerned what people thought of me and was easily persuaded into doing things and going places that I in didn't want to.

After reading some of the books as mentioned above I realised this and asked myself a question:

"Am I boring"

I have lots of interests, theatre, cinema, eating out, chess, football, snooker, golf, horse racing, tennis, music to name a few. By this age I was becoming bored of going out drinking alcohol. I decided to be strong and stated to my friends that I was now only going out drinking once a month. Originally, every Friday and Saturday night people would phone asking me if I was going out, if I declined I was criticised, your so boring for example. My new found attitude, though hard at first to adopt and follow through meant that I didn't really care and I certainly didn't bow to pressure.

One particular friend, Phil, was particularly verbally aggressive and demanding, calling me different names. He was seemingly in shock that someone was standing up to him. On one afternoon I fought back and said to him:

"Whatever you say, whatever you call me, I am not going out tonight, however I will go out with you on Tuesday night if you want to"

He agreed to this so I asked him if he wanted a game of snooker, or golf, or a trip to the cinema or theatre. He thought all of these options were "boring". I mentioned other interests of mine such as chess, again all of the options I mentioned he didn't find interesting. I said to him:

"OK, where would you like to go?" "What about the pub for a few beers?"

I laughed at Phil and said:

"I'm sorry mate you're the one who is boring not me".

I then put the phone down on him for a change.

My attitude was beginning to change for the better. I was becoming harder and stronger mentally. A few years later I met my present fiancee and I soon realised I was a long way off the level I wanted to be. Her name is Sharron and a couple of weeks after we had met she invited me to a night out with some of her friends who she said wanted to meet me. I knew I had to go even though in reality it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was worried what her friends might think of me etc. I did attend and managed to cope, however I was very quiet, felt uncomfortable throughout the evening and felt very nervous. I was glad to get back to the safety of my own home! A couple of weeks later I was invited to meet her parents and immediately I had the same feelings as above and the night passed in a similar way with me having a distinct lack of confidence etc.

About a month later Sharron agreed to accompany me to a wedding in Birmingham where I was born. On this day she would meet most of my friends and family for the first time. As we were driving on the motorway I thought she must be a bit nervous. I asked her if she was OK and if she was slightly nervous. She replied:

"What have I got to be nervous about?" "Well your meeting my family and friends later. Are you not concerned what they will think of you?" "Steve, I don't care what they think of me. It's what you think that counts and I know you like me!"

This was not a front she was putting on. Suddenly I realised how far I was away from the attitude to life and attitude to people I wanted to have. Sharron has helped me to reach that level. Being around positive people at this stage was very beneficial to me.

Stephen Hill helps people to gain confidence. He has a website at:

http://www.gain-confidence.co.uk

http://www.dementia-symptom.co.uk

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

Do you have a millionaire mind?

2009-04-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

DO YOU HAVE A MILLIONAIRE MIND?

Ask yourself 5 simple questions:

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Your Money Blueprint is the level of success you?ve subconsciously set for yourself. And unless you change it, there's a good chance you?re destined to be disappointed with money for the rest of your life ? in turbulent times and good times.

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A nutritional approach to treating migraine

2009-02-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

by Joy Healey

If you, or someone you love, is a migraine sufferer, you'll know the devastating effect this agonising affliction can have on the whole family - not just the sufferer. Perhaps you've tried most of the conventional ways to banish migraine from your life. Unfortunately only a third of sufferers are fully satisfied with conventional management. The side-effects of certain drugs can be as worrying as the problems they aim to treat. Many people are looking for drug-free solutions, and nutritional therapy has much to offer.

To treat migraine, identify the problem and eliminate it - but that is often easier said than done. Being a one-time sufferer myself, I made migraine the focus of my 3-year nutrition consultancy training course. Obviously there are too many possible causes to describe in detail in a short article such as this, but here's a brief over-view of the factors a nutritional approach to migraine will consider.

There is little doubt that food intolerance is a major cause of migraine and many studies have demonstrated that detecting and removing the offending food(s) can improve or even eliminate symptoms in many sufferers. A study in the Lancet found that 93% of sufferers found an improvement on eliminating allergenic foods from their diet. But often it's not the 'usual suspects' that cause the problems. There are several ways to do the necessary detective work. For a free article on food intolerance testing, visit the website below.

But food intolerance isn't at the bottom of all migraines. Other dietary adjustments can make a world of difference to reducing migraines - AND improving your general health and well-being. Improving your diet means far more than just eating '5-a-day', important though that is! For instance, it's vital to maintain a steady blood sugar level, eat regular, light meals that include protein but are low in simple carbohydrates (such as sugary and refined foods). Eat extra amounts of almonds, fennel, watercress, and fresh pineapple. Reduce salt intake and avoid acid forming foods (meat, dairy, cereals, grain and bread). Avoid fried and fatty foods. Acid / alkaline imbalance in your diet can cause problems - put simply, acid-forming foods are protein based, while alkaline-forming foods are plant based. Nutrient deficiencies can be problematical - there's a whole host of research into the role of different B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium in migraine prevention. For instance, calcium and magnesium in the correct balance help regulate muscle tone and nerve transmissions. As the brain is largely composed of fatty material, you'll need to be sure that your diet contains plenty of essential fats - while minimising intake of 'bad' fats.

A less well-known nutrient has also been found effective in helping migraine sufferers. CoQ10 is a naturally occurring substance similar in structure to vitamin K. It is not a vitamin because, subject to the availability of all necessary nutrients, it can be made in the body; but as so often occurs, production declines with age! Its main functions in are in energy production and as an antioxidant. In migraine it's thought to help by improving blood circulation to the brain. Research by Dr Rozen at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation published in the International Headache Society's journal (March 2002) found that after three months taking CoQ10, 61% of patients had a greater than 50% reduction in the number of days with migraine - a significant reduction. The fact that patients in the study had no problems using it, together with other beneficial effects of the nutrient, makes CoQ10 a very appealing agent for migraine prevention. Natural sources of CoQ10 include beef, chicken, ham, pork, salmon, sardines, mackerel, egg, spinach, sesame seeds and walnuts; but no food can provide anything close to the dose used in the trial so supplementation would be necessary.

When considering circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain ginkgo or vitamin B3 are also useful nutrients to look at. If taking supplements try to use hypo-allergenic and chelated forms. Exercise and deep breathing will also improve blood circulation.

But even if your diet is top-notch, unless you're correctly digesting and absorbing your food, you won't benefit from the nutrients it contains. 'Leaky gut' is a subject that links to food intolerances, mentioned earlier. You may not expect to need hydrochloric acid in your body, but it's essential for protein digestion! Check and supplement where appropriate.

Many sufferers notice that stress or strong emotions trigger their migraines. What is less well-known is that there are dietary changes you can make that can lessen the impact, even when you can't do anything about your hectic life-style. For instance, vitamin B5 is important in a nutritional approach to stress management and vitamin C aids anti-stress hormone production

Other non-food triggers include lack of exercise, excess or lack of sleep, liver malfunction, weather changes, caffeine withdrawal, certain drugs, dental problems, flashing or glaring lights or exposure to cigarette smoke. Physiotherapy may also be helpful in certain cases.

Could toxic metals be slowly poisoning you? A Hair Mineral Analysis is a simple and cost-effective way to assess your levels of lead, aluminium, mercury and cadmium - as well as checking that you have adequate levels of such essential nutrients as magnesium, chromium, zinc - and just as importantly, that the balance between minerals is correct. Read more about Hair Mineral Analysis on the website below.

Less dramatically, could simple constipation be causing a problem? If your bowel functions are poor, waste material cannot be eliminated and circulates for too long within your system. It's vital to maintain a good balance between the 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in your intestine.

Hormonal health is important too, especially for women. The Pill may cause B6 deficiency resulting in migraines; some migraines result from oestrogen fluctuations - these often decrease after the menopause. Foods containing phyto-oestrogens (citrus fruits, apples, cherries, plums, oats, rice, wheat, carrots, potatoes, parsley and fennel) can have a hormone-balancing effect. Consideration of hormonal health leads onto looking at liver health. Good liver function is necessary to remove spent hormones.

Homocysteine also has a profound effect on blood vessels and in research, compared to controls, migraine sufferers were twice as likely to have a tendency to over-produce homocysteine. The migraine link has yet to be proven, but as there's overwhelming research showing that high homocysteine is linked to strokes and heart-attacks, and as it can be simply and effectively lowered by nutritional means, it makes sense to maintain low levels.

Many sufferers are not aware that misuse of over-the-counter painkillers may increase headaches, especially those that contain caffeine. If any prescribed medications contain caffeine, discuss changing them with your GP. Do not stop or change any prescribed medicine without contacting your GP.

This brief article has only been able to provide a taster of the factors that could be contributing to migraines. More information on migraine, hair mineral analysis and food intolerance testing is available at the website below.

About the Author
Joy Healey is a nutritionist who qualified after studying for three years at the prestigious London Institute For Optimum Nutrition, founded by Patrick Holford, one of the world's leading authorities on health and nutrition.

For more information visit http://www.migrainerelief.co.uk

What are the benefits of Kiwi?

2008-12-07T16:36:00.000-05:00

Kiwi, is it from down under?

The kiwifruit is a fruit with a very interesting history and whose recent rise in popularity reflects a combination of an appreciation for its taste, nutritional value, unique appearance and, surprisingly, its changing name.

Native to China, kiwifruits were originally known as Yang Tao. They were brought to New Zealand from China by missionaries in the early 20th century with the first commercial plantings occurring several decades later. In 1960, they were renamed Chinese Gooseberries.

In 1961, Chinese Gooseberries made their first appearance at a restaurant in the United States and were subsequently "discovered" by an American produce distributor who felt that the U.S. market would be very receptive to this uniquely exotic fruit. She initiated the import of these fruits into the United States in 1962, but to meet what was felt to be burgeoning demand, changed its name from Chinese Gooseberry to kiwifruit, in honor of the native bird of New Zealand, the kiwi, whose brown fuzzy coat resembled the skin of this unique fruit. Currently, Italy, New Zealand, Chile, France, Japan and the United States are among the leading commercial producers of kiwifruit.

Health Benefits

Kiwifruit can offer a great deal more than an exotic tropical flair in your fruit salad. These emerald delights contain numerous phytonutrients as well as well known vitamins and minerals that promote your health.

Kiwi's Phytonutrients Protect DNA

In the world of phytonutrient research, kiwifruit has fascinated researchers for its ability to protect DNA in the nucleus of human cells from oxygen-related damage. Researchers are not yet certain which compounds in kiwi give it this protective antioxidant capacity, but they are sure that this healing property is not limited to those nutrients most commonly associated with kiwi fruit, including its vitamin C or beta-carotene content. Since kiwi contains a variety of flavonoids and carotenoids that have demonstrated antioxidant activity, these phytonutrients in kiwi may be responsible for this DNA protection.

The protective properties of kiwi have been demonstrated in a study with 6- and 7-year-old children in northern and central Italy. The more kiwi or citrus fruit these children consumed, the less likely they were to have respiratory-related health problems including wheezing, shortness of breath, or night coughing. These same antioxidant protective properties may have been involved in providing protection for these children.

Premier Antioxidant Protection

Kiwifruit emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of vitamin C. This nutrient is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, neutralizing free radicals that can cause damage to cells and lead to problems such as inflammation and cancer. In fact, adequate intake of vitamin C has been shown to be helpful in reducing the severity of conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma, and for preventing conditions such as colon cancer, atherosclerosis, and diabetic heart disease. And since vitamin C is necessary for the healthy function of the immune system, it may be useful for preventing recurrent ear infections in people who suffer from them. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Kiwifruit is also a good source of two of the most important fat-soluble antioxidants, vitamin E and vitamin A. Vitamin A is provided in the form of beta-carotene. This combination of both fat- and water-soluble antioxidants makes kiwi able to provide free radical protection on all fronts.

Fiber for Blood Sugar Control Plus Cardiovascular and Colon Health

Our food ranking system also qualified kiwifruit as a very good source of dietary fiber. The fiber in kiwifruit has also been shown to be useful for a number of conditions. Researchers have found that diets that contain plenty of fiber can reduce high cholesterol levels, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Fiber is also good for binding and removing toxins from the colon, which is helpful for preventing colon cancer. In addition, fiber-rich foods, like kiwifruit, are good for keeping the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients under control. Kiwifruit also passed our food ranking test as a good source of the minerals potassium, magnesium, copper and phosphorous.

Protection against Asthma

Eating vitamin C-rich fruit such as kiwi may confer a significant protective effect against respiratory symptoms associated with asthma such as wheezing.

A study published in the April 2004 issue of Thorax that followed 18,737 children aged 6-7 years living in Central and Northern Italy found that those eating the most citrus and kiwi fruit (5-7 servings per week) had 44% less incidence of wheezing compared to children eating the least (less than once a week). Shortness of breath was reduced by 32%, severe wheeze by 41%, night time cough by 27%, chronic cough by 25%, and runny nose by 28%. Children who had asthma when the study began appeared to benefit the most, and protective effects were evident even among children who ate fruit only once or twice a week. (May 6, 2004)

Protection against Macular Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the June 2004 issue of the Archives of Opthamology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved 77,562 women and 40,866 men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARM, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARM, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but kiwi fruit can help you reach this goal. Slice kiwi over your morning cereal, lunch time yogurt or green salads. For a more elegant meal, decorate any fish dish or fruit salad with kiwi slices.(July 10, 2004)

A Blood Thinning Alternative to Aspirin

Enjoying just a couple of kiwi fruit each day can significantly lower your risk for blood clots and reduce the amount of fats (triglycerides) in your blood, making kiwi a delicious blood-thinning alternative to aspirin for protecting cardiovascular health.

Aspirin (and other NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen) can cause inflammation, ulcers and bleeding in the intestinal tract so severe that each year around 100,000 people are hospitalized and between 10,000 and 20,000 die from NSAID-related complications.

Unlike NSAIDs, the effects of regular kiwi consumption are all beneficial. Kiwi fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, and polyphenols, and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and copper, all of which may function individually or in concert to protect the blood vessels and heart. In this study, human volunteers who ate 2 to 3 kiwi fruit per day for 28 days reduced their platelet aggregation response (potential for blood clot formation) by 18% compared to controls eating no kiwi. In addition, kiwi eaters' triglycerides (blood fats) dropped by 15% compared to controls. (October 21, 2004)

Description

The kiwifruit is a little fruit holding great surprises. Inside of this small, oval-shaped fruit featuring brown fuzzy skin resides a brilliant, semi-translucent emerald green flesh speckled with a few concentrically arranged white veins and small black seeds. Its flesh is almost creamy in consistency with an invigorating taste reminiscent of a mixture of strawberries and bananas, yet with its own unique sweet flavor.

Learn More About Monavie

Discover How To Turn The US Subprime Mortgage Crisis Into A Wealth Building Machine!

2008-11-30T22:31:00.000-05:00

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The causes of communication difficulties

2008-11-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

by Stephen Hill

When a person has a stutter or a parent realises that their child is developing a stutter they often want to find out the cause. So what causes a stutter?

The answer is many things can trigger someone starting to stutter. These are some of them: It can be a traumatic event It can run in the family People may copy a friend at school who has a stutter and then it sticks An over aggressive relative

Last year I had a female client who told me how she had developed a stutter. She was fluent until the age of twenty four. At this age she became pregnant for the first time, she was very happy and excited about the prospects about becoming a mother.

She was apprehensive about the birth and her friends had been winding her up telling her how painful the experience is. She knew that they were only teasing and tried to keep relaxed.

The day of the birth arrived and unfortunately the delivery was particulary hard and she was extremely shocked about how bad it actually was. After the birth of the baby, who was a healthy boy she developed the stutter.

Not all people who stutter have it from an early age, another one of my clients was fluent until the age of nineteen. At this age he had a car crash and this was the trigger to him starting to stutter.

Stephen Hill

About the Author
Stephen Hill helps people who stutter to achieve fluency. He has a website at:

http://www.stuttering-help.co.uk

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

http://www.debt-specialist.co.uk

What are the benefits of Lychee?

2008-11-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

A lychee is a rare sub tropical fruit originating in South China where the lychee is very important in their culture and is famed as "the King of Fruits".

The lychee fruit is about 1 to 1½ inches in size, oval to rounded heart shaped and the bumpy skin is red in color. Once you peel the skin off, the crisp juicy flesh of a lychee fruit is white or pinkish, translucent and glossy like the consistency of a grape, but the taste is sweeter. Lychees have a sub acid sweet taste and have a wonderful freshness to them that is hard to describe. Lychee fruit is high in the antioxidant Vitamin C and the essential mineral Potassium.

Lychee trees are beautiful hardwoods that grow 20 to 40 feet tall in a primarily dome shaped habit of growth with dense, evergreen leaves. Lychee trees are popular landscape trees in South Florida and other areas of the southern U.S. and container, atrium or greenhouse growing of lychee trees is becoming popular throughout the rest of he country. Lychee trees are grown commercially in the US for the highly sought after fruit in primarily South and Coastal Central Florida where it is warm and there is some winter chilling, but little or no risk of hard freezes.

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Disability in communication

2008-10-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

by Stephen Hill

There are many types of disablity. Would people class stuttering as a disability?

I think most people would probably say no, however I disagree. People who stutter have to struggle their way through life at times. I am somebody who had a stutter for eighteen years. I am going to now explain one of the situations that I found difficult and how my mind or what I would call my demons would be saying to me.

This is when trying to meet and approach people of the opposite sex. Lets say I am in a bar and I see a woman/girl who catches my eye. I think to myself, who don't you go and talk to her and make a move etc? My demons are always talking to me, and are basically saying "She won't want to know you.

You have a stutter and when you start talking she will hear it. Do you really think she will want to date somebody who has a stutter? Even if she is interested, you then have to possibly meet her friends and family.

How will they find you and treat you, when they realise you have a stutter?" These demons would make me think twice and more often than not I would not even bother going over and talking to the person. I would therefore let the demons win.

This is one example of thousands where the stutter handicaps your ability to live a normal life. This is why I believe stuttering is a disability. Stephen Hill

About the Author
Stephen Hill runs a speech centre in Birmingham called The How To Stop Stammering Centre. He has websites at:

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

http://www.panic-attack-symptom.co.uk

http://www.impotence-male.co.uk

What are the benefits of Nashi Pears?

2008-10-08T16:40:00.001-04:00

So what does Nashi mean?

Nashi pears (Pyrus pyrifolia and P. ussuriensis) are juicy round pears, shaped like apples. Because of the resemblance, some people call them "apple pears." They originated in East Asia where they are a popular fruit, eaten as a thirst quencher. Nash, is a generic word for pears and European pears are called Yonashi. The fruit are harvested in fall and nashi may be used as an autumn kigo (or season word) in writing haiku.

Once reserved as a food to be served only to the wealthy and to Chinese nobles, Nashi pears have been grown, cultivated, and eaten for centuries. Little is known about their origin... it's estimated that they began appearing at least 3,000 years ago in China.

Some varieties spread westward, and those ended up looking and tasting more like the pears with which most people are familiar. The varieties that spread eastward, however, took on more of an apple-like shape and a crisper quality, and those became the Nashi pears we know today. They were first introduced to Americans on the West Coast by Chinese migrant workers during the 1850s. Even today, this region - California and Oregon, in particular - remains the largest Nashi pear producing region of our country. At first, trees were grown from seeds found in the fruit, and their quality was widely varied. It wasn't until the early 1900s, when pomologists began mastering crossing techniques, that reliable, high-quality Asian pears were grown in the U.S. In the 1980s, there was a sudden increase in demand for Asian pears brought on by the increasing population of immigrant Americans in the U.S. and Canada.

Health Benefits

Nashi pears are a great source of dietary fiber, and they're also very high in potassium and other essential minerals. They contain nearly 10% of the USRDA for Vitamin C, and a high concentration of folates, which make up the Vitamin B complex group. These vitamins are essential for metabolic activity and red blood cell production.

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What are the benefits of Prunes?

2008-09-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

Not just for grandma anymore!

By definition, a prune is a dried plum. All prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes. Prune plum varieties can be dried without fermenting while still containing the pits. This is not true of all varieties of plums. The California prune is an offshoot of La Petite d'Agen, a prune plum native of Southwest France. Traditionally the fruit was harvested and sun dried. Today, most of the prunes out on the market are dried through natural gas heated dehydrators. The typical modern process is to harvest the fruit, wash and dehydrate. The fruit is then graded for size and sorted. The fruit is then stored in wooden bins until further processed. Fruit at this stage is referred to in the prune industry as "Natural Condition Fruit".

How did they come to be?

It is believed that the ancient peoples of the Middle East were the first to dry plums to make prunes. Prunes have been prepared for centuries in France, and the prunes from the region around Agen are still considered by many to be the best in the world. The original prune graft stock was brought to California in 1856 by Louis Pellier a French nurseryman who came to California in 1848 in search of gold. By 1900 prune orchards covered approximately 90,000 acres. Today, there are more than 75,000 "high production" acres concentrated in the Sacramento, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and San Joaquin Valleys. These acres produce approximately 99% of the United States production and an average of 70% of the world supply. Today the D'Agen prune coming from California is known as the California French Prune.

Nutrition Facts

Concentrated goodness! Did you know that just 3 medium prunes make up a single serving* of healthy goodness. How good? Prunes are a great source of fiber, which has been documents to possibly reduce the risk of certain cancers. Prunes are also good sources of Vitamin A - important for healthy skin and hair and proper bone development; Potassium - a necessary electrolyte; Iron - for health red blood cells; Vitamin C - important for development of bones, muscles, blood vessels, teeth and helps in the adsorption of iron. Foods that contribute small amounts of Vitamin C, like prunes, can add up when eaten often; Folic Acid - necessary for metabolism regulation, helps protect against heart disease and stroke. Especially important for seniors who usually have reduced blood folic acid levels; Phytochemicals - Scientists are now just discovering the amazing healing powers naturally occurring in many different plant foods. Prunes are especially high in antioxidant activity - chemicals that protect against cellular damage and are believed to protect the body by quenching up free radicals and thus protecting against heart disease, cancer, eye disorders like cataracts and macular degeneration, and other chronic health problems.

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Homemade Beef Jerky

2008-09-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

by Raymond Torres

Even though our forefathers didn't know it, lean fresh meat jerky is low in cholesterol and fat and very high in protein, making jerky a nutritious and wholesome snack. Jerky is an excellent energy food when camping, biking, skiing, or anytime you want a light snack.

3 lbs. meat (not ground meat)
2/3 cups Worcestershire Sauce
2/3 cups Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. smoke flavoring
2 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large (gallon size) plastic zipper bag. Add sliced meat (cut about ¼ inch) and refrigerate, mixing and turning about every hour. You should marinade it over night.

When you're ready to begin drying, place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven. Drain meat in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel (the drier the meat now, the better). Set oven at about 150 degrees and place the meat strips on the ovenracks. Leave the oven door open to allow the moisture to escape.

The drying time may vary due to ovens and the size of the meat. The meat should be firm and dry, and not spongy at all. But if the jerky is so dry that it snaps in two easily, than it's over dried.

About the Author
Ray Torres is an IT consultant by day and a gourmet aficionado by nigth, and founder of Great Free Online Recipes.com "A celebration of cooking and great food!"

Take Care of Your Body This Flu Season!

2008-09-09T13:50:00.000-04:00

by John Neyman, Jr.

To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any source of advertising and you're bombarded with the latest diet schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other cleaver technique.

It's no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35 billion dollars every year on an assortment of weight loss products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest generation in our Nation's history.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain. Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and yes...even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to obesity.

Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:

- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That's up approximately 8 percent from overweight estimates obtained in a 1988 report.

- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost 9 million are overweight. That's triple what the rate was in 1980!

- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly 59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, compared with 23 percent in 1994.

(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of 25.0 - 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered obese.)

Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around moving from one "seated" position to another: whether it's television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.

At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted entertainment...

And all those simple calorie burning activities that were once a normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You know the ones I'm talking about...activities like climbing stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to the bus stop!

Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet. We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before.

Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970's compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of our "produce" choices.

- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970s.

- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.

- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers.

The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food. We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions mean better value.

And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here's one more: Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the opposite!

Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become a permanent part of your life!

Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of your life where change may be required, and then take action. Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo them...so be patient!

About the Author
Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr. is a Pastor, Author, and Relationship coach. You may contact him at drjohnneyman@gmail.com or visit his website at http://avian-birdflu.com/

What Are The Causes of Migraine Headaches ?

2008-09-08T13:49:00.000-04:00

by Wendy Brungardt

As advanced as science is, and with all the remedies on the market, nobody yet has been able to determine the exact cause of migraine headaches. Many researchers favor the theory that migraine sufferers have a nervous system that is more sensitive to stimuli that trigger this particular kind of pain.

Sudden changes in your body, or the environment around you, sets off changes in brain activity that causes inflamed blood vessels and nerves around the brain.

The pattern of migraine headaches that one person experiences, may be nothing like the next person's, which makes it difficult to pinpoint causes. One way to help your doctor determine what your personal triggers are, is to keep a headache diary.

When you feel a migraine coming on, write down what you were doing at the time, what you had been doing immediately prior to that, and what you have eaten that day.

Some of the most common triggers of migraine headaches include:

* Emotional stress * Lack of sleep or too much sleep * Food containing caffeine * Food containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) * Glare from lights or computer screens * Strong odors * Environmental facts such as high altitude, time zone changes and weather * Hunger * Hormonal changes in women

People who experience migraine headache on a regular basis, may find that other family members do, as well. And while there is no proof of migraines "running in the family", it's possible that some people do inherit a sensitivity to certain triggers.

About the Author
For many years, Wendy suffered regular migraines. Finally she decided to find out everything she could about these unpleasant headaches. Now she's written a series of articles to share her findings with other sufferers.

What are the benefits of Pears?

2008-08-28T16:42:00.000-04:00

A Pear Like No Other

Pears offer a good source of vitamin C, folate, and dietary fiber. One medium-sized Pear contains less than 100 calories. Most of the vitamin C in Pears is in the skin, so they should be eaten unpeeled. Providing some iron and potassium, Pears contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps control cholesterol levels, and cellulose, an insoluble fiber that promotes normal bowel function.

Pear are packed not only with flavor, but fiber.

Protection from Free Radicals

Our food ranking system also qualified pears as a good source of vitamin C and copper. Both of these nutrients can be thought of as antioxidant nutrients that help protect cells in the body from oxygen-related damage due to free radicals. Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant in all water-soluble areas of the body, and in addition to its antioxidant activity, is critical for good immune function. Vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, directly kills many bacteria and viruses, and regenerates Vitamin E (an antioxidant that protects fat-soluble areas of the body) after it has been inactivated by disarming free radicals. Copper helps protect the body from free radical damage as a necessary component of superoxide dismutase (SOD), a copper-dependent enzyme that eliminates superoxide radicals. Superoxide radicals are a type of free radical generated during normal metabolism, as well as when white blood cells attack invading bacteria and viruses. If not eliminated quickly, superoxide radicals damage cell membranes. Treat your tastebuds to a delectable, juicy pear, and you'll be treating your body to 8.9% of the daily value for vitamin C along with 7.6% of the daily value for copper.

Pears Promote Cardiovascular and Colon Health

Pear's fiber does a lot more than help prevent constipation and ensure regularity. Fiber has been shown in a number of studies to lower high cholesterol levels, good news to people at risk for atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Fiber in the colon binds to bile salts and carries them out of the body. Since bile salts are made from cholesterol, the body must break down more cholesterol to make more bile, a substance which is also necessary for digestion. The end result is a lowering of cholesterol levels. Fiber also binds to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon, preventing them from damaging colon cells. This may be one reason why diets high in fiber-rich foods, such as pears, are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Additionally, the fact that low dietary intake of copper seems to also associated with risk factors for colon cancer (increased fecal free radical production and fecal water alkaline phosphatase activity) serves as yet another reason in support of why this delicious fruit may be very beneficial for colonic health.

A Hypo-Allergenic Fruit

Although not well-documented in scientific research, pears are often recommended by healthcare practitioners as a hypoallergenic fruit that is less likely to produce an adverse response than other fruits. Particularly in the introduction of first fruits to infants, pear is often recommended as a safe way to start. Our food ranking system also determined pears to provide small amounts of the nutrients vitamin B2, vitamin E and potassium.

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Rubs to Cook With

2008-08-14T13:40:00.001-04:00

by Phyllis Wasserman

Here are five rubs for meat and poultry that you can use. They have little or no calories and they don't use any oil.

French Tarragon

Combine 1 medium shallot, minced 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons dried tarragon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Pat onto 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of meat, poultry or fish and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before grilling or broiling.

Dijon-Fennel

Combine 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed 1 clove garlic, pressed 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Pat onto 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meat, poultry, or fish, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling or broiling.

Spicy Peppercorn

Crush together 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 2 tablespoons fennel seeds 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon salt with a mortar and pestle

Pat onto 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meat, poultry, or fish and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before grilling or broiling.

Brazilian Combo

Combine 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pat onto 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meat, poultry, or fish and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling or broiling.

Coffee and Spice

Combine 2 teaspoons instant-coffee granules 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pat onto 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meat, poultry or fish and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling or broiling.

About the Author
Published author and accomplished gourmet cook with 4 websites www.phyllisrecipes.com www.medicineestore.com www.earlybirdspecials.info www.happypettips.com

What are the benefits of Pomegranate?

2008-08-08T16:43:00.001-04:00

Nature Grenade

Pomegranate fruit is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In this country it is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.

The pomegranate is one of the oldest fruits as well as richest in history and folklore. Once you get past the multitude of seeds, its juice is tangy, sweet, rich and flavorful. This juice becomes the base for sauces and flavorings for drinks, savory dishes, and sweets, while the whole seeds are a simple delight eaten fresh or used as a colorful accent as a garnish. The fruit is about the size of an orange. The rind color can range from yellow-orange to deep reddish-purple.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of pomegranate juice are becoming more widely known. Because of this, in turn, there is currently a great deal of research being conducted on it.

The current info on pomegranate juice is that it is very beneficial for us becauseof the antioxidants it contains.

As you may know, antioxidants can neutralize free radical damage. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that can damage our body's cellular materials, which, in turn, may be linked to major degenerative illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, or even aging itself.

What else can account for the health benefits of pomegranate juice? Well, it contains a broad range of healthy substances. For example, pomegranates contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins. These compounds are believed to fight disease.

We may soon seen pomegranate supplement extracts manufactured and sold because the extract is being studied for posssible anti-cancer properties.

Extra Information

Every pomegranate is composed of exactly 840 seeds, each surrounded by a sac of sweet-tart juice contained by a thin skin. The seeds are compacted in a layer resembling honeycomb around the core. The layers of seeds are separated by paper-thin white membranes which are bitter to the tongue. The inner membranes and rind are not generally eaten due to high tannic acid content, but they are useful as a skin wash.

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Quick Bread Mix (With Recipes for Pancakes, Biscuits and Muffins)

2008-07-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

by LeAnn R. Ralph

Quick Bread Mix (with recipes for pancakes, biscuits and muffins) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 cups flour 1/3 cup baking powder 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon salt 2 cups vegetable shortening

Cut the shortening into the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Continue working the mixture until it resembles finely ground meal.

Quick Bread Mix can be stored in an airtight container for 6 weeks.

Pancakes ~~~~~~~~

2 cups of Quick Bread Mix 1 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons sugar 2 eggs

If the pancake mix seems too thin, add a little more Quick Bread Mix. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more milk.

Drop Biscuits ~~~~~~~~~~~

2 cups of Quick Bread Mix 1/2 cup milk

Mix thoroughly and then drop onto a greased baking sheet by spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Muffins ~~~~~~

3 cups of Quick Bread Mix 1 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar

Blend all ingredients just until the Quick Bread Mix is moistened. Drop by spoonfuls into greased muffin tins or muffin tins lined with cupcake papers. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: to make blueberry muffins add 1 cup of blueberries; to make apple muffins, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup of chopped apples.

About the Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" (trade paperback; September 2005); "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (trade paperback; September 2004); and "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" (trade paperback; August 2003). http://ruralroute2.com

Meringue Made Simple

2008-07-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

by Shauna Hanus

Using meringue to top a fruit pie is an easy and elegant way to serve these delicious pies. Lemon meringue is the most popular meringue type pie but you can try orange or lemon cream as a new twist.

Meringue can be a bit fickle if you are trying it for the first time. Here are five easy to follow steps that will help you make perfect meringue.

* Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Using a clean dry bowl to catch the egg whites crack the eggs on the counter and begin transferring the egg yolk from one side of the egg shell to the other. This process does two things. By cracking the eggs on the counter you prevent any egg shell from falling into the egg whites. Second when you transfer the egg yolk back and forth from shell to shell the egg white separates out into the clean bowl.

Be very careful not to allow even the smallest amount of egg yolk to enter into the egg whites. The yolk is where the fat is contained and fat will ruin meringue.

* Beat the egg whites on low to form soft white peaks. Be sure not to beat the egg whites too quickly in the beginning or they will run and flatten out.

* Mix in the dry ingredients. Salt, sugar, cornstarch and cream of tartar. Slowly add a teaspoon at a time, the dry ingredients. Just in case you have ever wondered cream of tartar prevents air bubbles from forming that would cause the meringue to loose volume.

* Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. At this stage you can add in vanilla for improved flavor.

* When you are finished you should have stiff and glossy egg whites ready to top your favorite fruit pie.

Ingredients list:

6 Eggs
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Cornstarch
¼ tsp Cream of Tartar
Vanilla to taste

About the Author
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

An Angel of an Ice Cream Cake

2008-07-14T13:36:00.000-04:00

by Shauna Hanus

Ice Cream cakes are always something special. They are a perfect blend of rich and creamy ice cream with moist cake and smooth frosting. These dessert delights are easy to make when you utilize store bought ingredients and a bit of imagination.

First things first write out your shopping list. You will need;

1. Angel Food Cake 2. Your Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream 3. Frozen Whipped Topping 4. Fresh fruit or chocolate as garnish

When you bring home all your ingredients place the cake and the ice cream in the freezer for about one hour. Allow the frozen whipped topping to thaw on the counter and slice the fresh fruit or chocolate into decorative piceces to garnish the top of the cake.

After about an hour remove the ice cream and allow it to thaw for about 20 minutes. Then remove the cake from the freezer and cut into three horizontal layers.

Mix the ice cream with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and creamy then frost between the layers of cake with your favorite flavor of ice cream. Once the cake is assembled frost the outside with the thawed frozen whipped topping. You can then garnish the cake with fruit or chocolate.

Place the cake back into the freezer until ready to serve.

About the Author
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

What are the benefits of Passion Fruits?

2008-07-12T16:41:00.000-04:00

The Passion of Monavie

It is said that the Passion Fruit was named by the 16th century Spanish Catholic Missionaries in the Amazon region of Brazil. They called it "flor passionis" (passion flower) or "flor de las cinco llagas" (flower of the five wounds) after its purple flower which they believed resembled the five wounds of Christ.

An egg-shaped tropical fruit that is also called a purple granadilla, the passion fruit has a brittle, wrinkled purple-brown rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds, something like a pomegranate (granadilla means "little pomegranate" in Spanish). The seeds are edible so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Passion fruit is more commonly sieved and its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces.

Native to Brazil, passion fruits are grown in Hawaii, Florida, and California. These crops, along with imports from New Zealand, keep passion fruit on the market all year. Choose large, heavy fruits. If the skin is not deeply wrinkled, keep the fruit at room temperature until it is; the leathery rind, however, will not soften much. Ripe passion fruit can be refrigerated for a few days.

Nutritional Information

Passion fruit is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as potassium and iron. One passion fruit has only 16 calories. When eaten with the seeds, a serving is an excellent source of fiber.

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How to Be Creative When you are Cooking

2008-07-07T13:36:00.000-04:00

by Shauna Hanus

Have you ever been in the kitchen ready to eat and realized you don't have your favorite sauce or dip for dinner. This happened to me recently when my family was sitting down to beer battered Walleye from a recent fishing trip. We had no tartar sauce. So I opened the regenerator and selected mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon and dill pickle relish. I then mixed the four together and sprinkled in a little fish rub from the pantry. We had instant tartar sauce and really tasty fish.

When you are in your kitchen don't be afraid to experiment a bit. Try a homemade barbeque sauce if you are out of your favorite bottled variety. Mix ketchup, and dry mustard with molasses and a dash or two of pepper. If it is a salad you desire here is a quick and easy oriental chicken salad.

Toss some lettuce into a bowl next chop leftover chicken into bite size pieces and sprinkle on top of the lettuce. Whisk together in a separate bowl sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, a spoon full of Hoisin sauce and a dash of oyster sauce. Pour over the salad and toss. If you have any fresh veggies on hand toss those in as well.

Finally a dessert quick substitution. When you want hot fudge sundaes and are out of fudge sauce try melting chocolate cake frosting. Pour the warmed cake frosting over ice cream and you have quick and easy hot fudge sundaes. If you really like to mix things up try melting a different flavor of cake frosting. Little children enjoy using confetti cake frosting, this way they have sauce for the ice cream with sprinkles built in.

About the Author
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

How to Start Your Day with the Best Espresso

2008-07-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

by George Anderson

Starting the day with well made espresso can make the difference between a nice and successful day or a boring and sleepy one. While making a good espresso is not a form of art, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to make your espressos even better than before. If you are using a super automatic espresso machine, you should try to adjust the settings for fine grinding. The trick is not to go for the lowest grinding number because you want the grinder to still keep slightly larger pieces of coffee, which will add more flavor.

An effective way of making espresso is with a pump espresso machine. Here is what you should do: grind the coffee so that it becomes fine (but not too fine) and in the meantime your machine should reach the optimal temperature. After ensuring that your filter is as clean as possible, put in one tablespoon of coffee for each cup. The trick is to push the coffee evenly and not to apply too much pressure, as the espresso might become to strong. On the other hand, if you do not apply enough pressure it will be weak. The final result should be a creamy and dense espresso. Sprinkle granulated sugar instead of pouring sugar straight in, so that the creamy surface remains intact.

How about some great tasting Italian cappuccino? If you keep your coffee fresh and you wrap it each time after use, you will get a better tasting cappuccino. After opening your coffee bag and using it partially, use plastic foil and tape to seal it as best as you can. Store it in the refrigerator for best results. Let's get back to our cappuccino: use a single espresso portion but make sure it has enough concentration and will be strong enough to really influence the taste. The next move is to use about a third of a cup of frothy milk and mix it all in.

Making the perfect espresso is a combination of a few elements that we will have a look at below. The espresso machine, for example, should heat water to temperatures of around 190' F (about 90' C). It should also have a pressure of about 9 or 10 atmospheres. An adjustable grinder is another important piece in the process. You should extract around 7 grams of coffee for each espresso cup - not more, not less! In general, the extraction time should be somewhere around 20 seconds. Last but not least, the blend of the coffee is also essential. Here, personal taste rules, so use whatever coffee styles you enjoy the most. In general, however, blends of coffee coming from the same categories provide a more harmonious and balanced taste.

About the Author
George Anderson has seen how the right understanding combined with the perfect espresso maker can get your day off to a great start.

Want to know what the real secret to wealth is?

2008-03-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

Stephan Bourget Realty presents.... 3 unforgettable days !

Dear %firstname_fix%,

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others seem destined for a life of financial struggle?

Do you think the difference is in their education, intelligence or skills?

The surprising answer is: None of the above!

The truth is, your level of wealth has everything to do with your "financial blueprint."

You can learn about your blueprint and how to permanently change it in one fun-filled weekend of intense learning and self-discovery.

T. Harv Eker, author of the #1 NY Times bestseller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind™, has created a weekend seminar that has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.

In his book, Harv teaches how to identify your financial blueprint, which determines your relationship with money and level of success. Often your success is limited by what your blueprint is set for, much like a thermostat limits the temperature in a room. Unfortunately, many of us have our thermostats set on low due to the conditioning we received as children. It's no one's fault; simply the way it is for so many of us.

But--and this is big--you can learn to reset your blueprint for a higher level of success.

Do you remember the first time you tried riding a bike? It was hard, but after lots of practice and maybe a bit of falling down, you suddenly found your balance and began riding with ease. Well, that feeling of suddenly being able to ride is exactly how I feel about money since attending Harv's program. And I know you'll feel the same way after you've attended the Millionaire Mind Intensive and learned the critical tools of financial management I learned there.

And the best part? The Millionaire Mind Intensive is complimentary! Your only investment is a $97 materials fee and the purchase of The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.

You have absolutely nothing to lose because the book is a great read and the seminar materials are worth hundreds of dollars in CDs, DVDs and learning materials.

I guarantee you'll have a great time and learn a lot about yourself. That's why I'm encouraging you to do whatever it takes to be at this event.

In this profound seminar you will learn:

The hidden cause of almost all financial problems
How your childhood conditioning is affecting you financially--today
How to reset your financial blueprint for automatic success
How to train your mind to work for you, instead of against you

Just say: Yes, I Want a Millionaire Mind!

There are currently events scheduled in cities all over North America including...New York ... Calgary ... Los Angeles... plus 9 more cities! To register, click on below link using code-ticket reference # 175581.

The one happening in Quebec is on May 23rd 2008 at the Palais des Congres, 201 Av Viger in Montreal, QC. Reserve early to insure seat availability !

Also, Visit the link below to get the most recent list of upcoming events in your city and reserve your seat:

http://www.MillionaireMind.com/a/?wid=175581&page=preview/mme

Take advantage of this opportunity to transform your financial mindset. I did and it's made an amazing difference in my life!

To your freedom !

Stephan Bourget

Stephan Bourget Realty inc.

http://www.ipurchaseyourhouse .com

Your doorway to financial freedom through Real Estate!

P.S. If you can't attend one of the events you can participate in a Millionaire Mind TeleSeminar. The next one is coming very soon and you have two times to choose from - 4 pm Pacific time (7 pm Eastern) or 7 pm Pacific time (10 pm Eastern). Visit this link to check for dates and reserve your space on one of these calls right now! http://www.MillionaireMind.com/a/?wid=175581&page=preview/tele

Do You The Best Treatment For Migraine Headaches ?

2007-12-02T13:47:00.000-05:00

by Wendy Brungardt

There are two types of treatments for patients with migraine headaches. The first is prophylactic, or medication that is used regularly in response to patients who have three or more migraines a month that do not respond to the second type of treatment.

Abortive treatment is usually medication that suppresses the pain of the migraine, which does not recur at that time.

The drugs used in prophylactic treatment include:

* Beta-blockers: a drug that affects the heart rate, reducing pressure in the blood vessels of the brain * Anti-seizure drugs used in treating neurological episodes * Calcium channel blockers: restrict artery dilation * Tricyclic anti-depressants: stop re-absorption of seratonin

Abortive treatments may involve:

* Serotonin receptors * Ergot derivatives * Analgesics

Analgesics are the first line of defense, and should be taken as soon as a patient feels the onset of a migraine headache. The type used can vary from aspirin/acetaminophen, to medications that also use ibuprofen, and other over the counter drugs.

These are most effective for those who have three or fewer migraines a month, as well as for anyone who suffers "breakthrough" headaches that occur even though you are on prophylactic treatment.

Overuse of analgesics however, can result in what is known as "rebound" headaches, where the constant intake of chemicals can suppress the body's natural pain coping mechanisms.

The choice of treatment should be made on the advice of a physician who can suggest the appropriate drug, according to the nature of the headaches you have. But remember that not all drugs work for all people, and not all people can take every drug. Make sure you are aware of side-effects, and that your doctor knows what other medications you may be on.

About the Author
For many years, Wendy suffered regular migraines. Finally she decided to find out everything she could about these unpleasant headaches. Now she's written a series of articles to share her findings with other sufferers.

Choosing a Catering Service

2007-10-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

by M Johnsona

It can be overwhelming when you begin to plan any large event. How can you feed so many people? It will be a nightmare. Luckily there are people who will happily feed your crowd. Some will also happily take all your money and deliver less then desirable results.

Word of mouth is the best way to find a good caterer. Start with your friends and family, look up someone who recently got married. Find out if they had a good caterer. If that doesn't work you can ask at your company, someone may be able to give you recommendations. You can also ask some related businesses ie. florists, DJ's or the equipment rental shop. Your scheduled venue may also be able to recommend someone good.

Ask anyone who has been to a catered event recently.

Next hit the phone book or internet for local caterers and check them out. Give them a call and ask some questions to get a feel for the company. Narrow down the results and then ask a few of them for estimates.

Compare the estimates and make sure they are detailed enough to give you a good idea of the total expense. You will want to discuss what exactly you want and an initial budget number. Just like mechanics, they will spend it all if you let them.

There are several types of meals you may want to consider:

Luncheons - simple food with a limited selection

Gourmet - More specialized/custom food options with creativity and a choice of cocktail, buffet or table service. More catering staff.

Full Service - Planning, decor, food and services with additional catering staff.

Your contact with the service will typically be through your caterer consultant. Be sure they listen to your ideas and know exactly what you expect for your money.

Once your event is booked you often will be entitled to a tasting of the scheduled menu. It is meant to be a final step before the event goes on. Not all caterers will offer this, it is expensive and will be figured into your bill.

Be sure and listen to your caterer, they do this full time and have a lot of experience with catering large events. They can assist you in putting on a great event. It is not all about the food, but excellent food service can really make your event something to remember.

About the author: M Johnsona operates the www.cateringtipscentral.com website

Your source for Catering Tips online.

Mayo Clinic: Exercise combats depression and anxiety

2007-09-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

by Stella Parker

This excellent article from MayoClinic.com shows the growing recognition that exercise should be a component of any anti depression and anti anxiety treatment program. The Mayo Clinic article cites the following: "there's substantial evidence that exercise can enhance mood and reduce symptoms of depression" AND "One of the physiological mechanisms that may be at work is an increase in levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. In addition, exercise may boost feel-good endorphins, release tension in muscles, diminish sleep abnormalities, reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and even increase body temperature, which has calming effects." It's likely that no one single biological or psychological factor associated with physical activity is responsible for improving depression and anxiety. Just as mental disorders often have many different causes, exercise acts in many different ways. "There's plenty of evidence to suggest that exercise is important for emotional well-being and is helpful in reducing symptoms of depression," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says. "It's true that less is known about how exercise affects mood. But there's no reason to wait until the direct, indirect and interactive influences of physical activity on mental health are fully understood. You can start taking advantage of the benefits of physical activity now." Some people have the idea that being physically active is supposed to be easy and natural," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says. "Some think of it as just having enough willpower. But that really oversimplifies it and can make us feel like failures. You can't just rely on willpower. Identify your strengths and skills and apply those to exercise. Change isn't simple, but taking a series of simple steps in the right direction can be very effective. Just figure out what is the very first step for you." Please consider exercise as one the weapons to fight depression. Unlike some of the pharma treatments, the side effects of an active exercise program are all huge positives.

About the Author
For information on stability ball exercises and medicine ball workouts, please visit http://www.getfitsource.com

The Heart Effect: Startling New Information About How Music Affects Your Health

2007-08-21T13:32:00.000-04:00

by Art Turner

Twenty-four young, healthy test subjects lay quietly in a university lab, listening to carefully chosen music through headphones, as doctors and technicians hovered around them meticulously measuring their vital signs. The study concluded quickly and the subjects returned to their normal everyday lives. But as the researchers began sifting through the data, something new and interesting began to emerge.

We've known for some time that music is a powerful relaxation tool. Music can decrease anxiety levels, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and change stress hormone levels. It affects your respiration, reduces muscle tension, increases endorphin levels, and boosts your immune system. The effect of music is so powerful, hospitals around the world use music to reduce stress in patients waiting for surgery.

Now there's fresh evidence on the power of music to affect our health. Researchers at Italy's University of Pavia recently confirmed that music changes your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. But as they analyzed their data, they found something new, something no one had expected to find.

Dr. Bernardi and his colleagues were interested in expanding the use of music to reduce stress in medical patients. Here's how their experiment worked: the docs recorded the vital signs of 24 test volunteers (12 musicians and 12 non-musicians) for five minutes. Then the volunteers listened to six different styles of music in random order. Random two-minute pauses were inserted in each piece of music.

Here's what they found: fast musical tempos increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Slow tempos reduced them. Pretty standard stuff. But then the shocker: the style of music and the volunteers' personal musical preferences made no difference at all. The only thing that mattered was the tempo.

It didn't matter if the music was classical, rap, techno, romantic or an Indian raga. Only one thing made a difference to their cardiovascular systems--whether the music was fast or slow. This means that the music you hear, whether you've chosen it or not, whether you like it or not, is going to affect your health.

There's more: during the silent pauses between musical selections, the test subjects' vital signs returned to normal, in some cases stabilizing at healthier levels than before the music. The researchers say this suggests that listening to any kind of music--fast or slow--could benefit your heart.

Finally, the study found that musicians were more sensitive to the effect than non-musicians. Musicians may have learned to breathe in time to the music, to become more alert during fast passages, and to relax when the music slows down. Whatever the reason, a good prescription for helping maintain your cardiovascular health could be to take music lessons.

About the Author
Art Turner is a musician and the creator of Relaxation Emporium. Want to conduct your own experiment? Head over to http://www.relaxationemporium.com/music.html. Join our mailing list & get immediate access to two free song downloads--one slow (60 beats per minute) and one faster (100 beats per minute). Find out how your body responds to the beat!

Why Do My Feet Hurt So Much When I Run?

2007-08-07T13:29:00.000-04:00

by Willie Jones

If you are a seasoned runner you know the importance of a good running shoe. It can make the difference between a great running experience, or potential injury.

The problem is not being informed. Most people do not know that there is a proper shoe for your foot type. Knowing your foot type before you hit the stores can make a world of difference whether you want to do brisk walking, jogging or marathons.

How do you determine your foot type? It's really quite simple. Get a piece of dark paper and then soak your feet and step on the paper. Look closely at the imprint. There are generally three types of feet.

1) If your imprint covers most of the feet (not much arch at all) then you have flat feet. You are among the 60% of the population in America with flat feet.

2) If you show a wide arch and narrow line of your outer foot then you have high arches. You are among the 30% of the population of in America.

3) If your imprint has a medium arch then congratulations. You are among the 10% of the population in America with the ideal foot.

Regardless of what foot type you have, there are running shoes that are right for you. As many as 56% of the 30 million runners in America, have injuries from improper shoe selection. So you can see that you do have to do your homework to protect yourself.

With all the pressure one gets from TV adds or what is popular to wear now, you really need to put the health aspect first. Most likely you will be able to find a shoe that is right for your foot type and still have style.

To determine the shoe to buy, here are some guidelines:

1) For the flat-footed person, you will want to buy a shoe that is rigid and stable. This will prevent your ankles from bending inward or outward and it will protect you.

2) If you have high arches, you will want to look for a very cushioned shoe. High arched feet don't absorb shock very well so you'll want that cushion to help in absorbing the shock for you.

3) For the medium arch or ideal foot, you want the combination of both stability and cushioning for your feet.

When you try on a shoe it should be snug but not tight and there should be approximately a 1/2-inch between your longest toe and the front of your running shoe. Tip: Shop for your shoes late afternoon when your feet are a little more spread. If it is not comfortable when you are in the store, imagine what it will be like when you are out on a run. So test them well while you're there.

In summary, those shoes you bought that were such a bargain may be cause for concern in the future, so pick wisely and may your running experience be smooth and wonderful. Your feet will be most grateful.

About the Author
Willie Jones - http://www.onlyrunningshoes.com - Willie is an author/researcher and artist who has dedicated herself to helping people find the resources, books, news and information on health and wellness. Only Running Shoes

What Is Your Hair Type?

2007-07-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

by Willie Jones

Everyday you see people with all color and style of hair. But did you know that you have a hair type? Yes! Not all hair has been created the same.

Lets start with the basic structure of hair:

1) Hair grows from the follicle, which is long and bulbous. If you were to pull out a strand of hair you would see the bulge at the tip of the hair. The cells at the base of the follicle divide rapidly and is where you get your hair growth.

2) Each strand of hair consists of three layers, the first being the innermost layer called the medulla. This is only present though in thick hair though.

3) The middle layer is known as the cortex. This layer provides the strength, color and texture of your hair.

4) The outer most layer is called the cuticle and this is what protects the cortex. It is completely colorless.

5) The entire strand of hair is made up of a protein called keratin. And that is hair!

There are 2 basic kinds of hair:

1) Terminal hair is the hair that grows thick and long and is found on the head, armpits, pubic hair face and chest. (Face and chest on men)

2) Vellus hair is soft short hair that you will find over the rest of your body.

The type of hair you have seems to have to do with geography.

1) If you are of Asian descent, then the hair strands are round and thicker than all other types of hair. With the exception of the red head who has the thickest hair of all.

2) If you are of European descent with blonde or dark hair, then your hair strands are thinner. The strands are round to oval shaped.

3) If you are of African descent, then the hair strands are flat and that is the reason for the frizziness and curl.

It's interesting to see when you get a mix of Asian genes with African genes or Caucasian with African. I am a white girl with blonde, curly frizzy hair. My parents came from Holland where there is a high concentration of people with African descent. So it's not hard to see where I got my hair type, which I personally love. It's a Hair Factor

So you can now figure out why your hair is the way it is. You just need to do a bit of research into your family tree and there you'll have it.

Enjoy!

About the Author
Willie Jones - http://www.hairfactor.com - Willie is an author/researcher and artist who has dedicated herself to helping people find the resources, books, news and information on health and wellness. Thanks for reading this far and come see us at Hair Factor

What is mesothelioma

2007-07-11T13:57:00.000-04:00

by Andrew Mills

"Mesothelioma" is the term used to describe a cancerous tumor that involves the mesothelial cells of an organ. Mesothelial cells are cells that form a protective lining over the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. The pleura is a thin membrane found between the lungs and the chest cavity. It provides a lubricated surface so that the lungs do not rub and chafe against the chest walls. What causes it? Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are related to inhaling of asbestos fibers. There are about 3,000 cases per year (mostly men over the age of 40) and there will be about 300,000 cases before 2030. Mesothelioma usually spreads rapidly through the mesothelial cells to the heart and abdominal organs. The life span is typically 24 months after diagnosis, but it depends on what stage the cancer is detected, the health of the patient and other factors. Although asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, it has a latency period after exposure that could last 15 to 50 years. This means that someone who worked in a factory with asbestos 40 years ago could be developing mesothelioma now. Anyone who knows they were exposed to loose asbestos fibers should be tested regularly for mesothelioma.

Diagnosis The onset of mesothelioma is usually very slow. The first symptom is a constant pain in the chest. This pain is later accompanies by difficulty breathing due to an accumulation of fluid in the chest. Other symptoms include coughing, fever and weight loss. Mesothelioma can be diagnosed by your doctor with a chest CT-scan.

Prognosis (the outcome) Mesothelioma advances in 4 stages: Stage I - the tumor is limited to the area of the lining of the lung and usually limited to only one side of the chest. Stage II - the tumor extends to other organs within the chest cavity, such as the heart or lymph nodes in the chest. Stage III - the tumor expands to the other side of the chest or it spreads into the abdominal organs. The lymph nodes outside the chest are affected. Stage IV -the cancer spreads to different parts of the body far outside the chest area (liver, brain, bone, etc...).

Mesothelioma is an extremely deadly disease. The average survival time is about one year from date of diagnosis. About 20% of patients who find their cancer early and treat it aggressively will reach the five-year mark. for more information and articles about mesothelioma go to http://www.mesothelioma-health.net

All Rights Reserved. 2004-2005. http://www.Mesothelioma-health.net

What are the benefits of Purple Grapes?

2007-07-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

Health Benefits

Grapes contain beneficial compounds called flavonoids, which are phytochemicals that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine; the stronger the color, the higher the concentration of flavonoids.

These flavonoid compounds include quercitin, as well as a second flavonoid-type compound (falling into the chemical category of stilbenes)called resveratrol. Both compounds appear to decrease the risk of heart disease by:

* Reducing platelet clumping and harmful blood clots
* Protecting LDL cholesterol from the free radical damage that initiates LDL's artery-damaging actions

Grapes and products made from grapes, such as wine and grape juice, may protect the French from their high-fat diets. Diets high in saturated fats like butter and lard, and lifestyle habits like smoking are risk factors for heart disease. Yet, French people with these habits have a lower risk of heart attack than Americans do. One clue that may help explain this "French paradox" is their frequent consumption of grapes and red wines.

Protection Against Heart Disease

In a study in which blood samples were drawn from 20 healthy volunteers both before and after they drank grape juice, researchers found several beneficial effects from their juice consumption.

First, an increase occured in levels of nitric oxide, a compound produced in the body that helps reduce the formation of clots in blood vessels. Second, a decrease occured in platelet aggregation, or blood clotting, by red blood cells. Lastly, researchers saw an increase in levels of alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant compound that is a member of the same family to which vitamin E belongs, and this increase was accompanied by a 50% increase in plasma antioxidant activity.

These findings confirmed the benefits found in an earlier study, where researchers found not only an increase in blood antioxidant activity, but also discovered that grape juice protected LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which turns LDL into an artery-damaging molecule. (Although LDL is often called the "bad" form of cholesterol, it is actually benign and only becomes harmful after it is damaged by free radicals or "oxidized.") Additionally, investigators have found that phenolic compounds in grape skins inhibit protein tyrosine kinases, a group of enzymes that play a key role in cell regulation. Compounds that inhibit these enzymes also suppress the production of a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict, thus reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart. This protein, called endothelin-1, is thought to be a key contributing agent in the development of heart disease.

A study published in the December 2003 issue of Hypertension sheds new insight on the mechanisms of action through which resveratrol inhibits endothelin-1 (ET-1). Resveratrol appears to work at the genetic level, preventing the strain-induced expression of a gene that directs the production of the potent blood vessel constrictor ET-1. Normally, ET-1 is synthesized by endothelial cells (the cells comprising the lining of blood vessel walls) in response to free radicals formed as a result of strain or stress. Resveratrol prevents the expression of ET-1, at least in part, by significantly lessening free radical formation, thus preventing the production of the agents that, in turn, activate the signaling pathways that control the creation of ET-1. (January 2, 2004)

Resveratrol helps keep the heart muscle flexible and healthy

In addition to resveratrol and saponins, grapes contain yet another compound called pterostilbene (pronounced TARE-oh-STILL-bean), a powerful antioxidant which is already known to fight cancer and may also help lower cholesterol.

Learn More About Monavie

Top 10 Benefits of Strength Training for Women

2007-06-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

by Lynn VanDyke

Copyright 2005 strength-training-woman.com

"Women are finally warming up to free weights, and it is a beautiful thing!" states Lynn VanDyke, owner of http://strength-training-woman.com. It's true that women are recognizing strength training as a major player in the battle against fat loss. Here are the top 10 benefits women receive from strength training:

1) Increased Metabolic Rate- adding muscle increases our metabolism naturally.

2) Increasing and Restoring Bone Density- prevent and fight osteoporosis by building strong bones.

3) Increased Lean Muscle Mass- each pound of lean muscle mass burns 35-50 calories per day.

4) Injury Prevention- a solid foundation strengthens our bones, ligaments, and tendons.

5) Improved Balance- strong leg and core muscles help stabilize us.

6) Decreased Risk of Coronary Disease- strength training can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

7) Aids Rehabilitation and Recovery- the best way to strengthen and recover from an injury is to slowly build your strength around the injured area.

8) Enhanced Performance in Sports, Exercise and Life In General- climbing stairs, carrying the kids, or walking with your spouse becomes more enjoyable.

9) Aging Gracefully- strong muscles build a strong body. Strength training and fitness can help keep aging bodies in well-working condition.

10) Feeling Better and Looking Better- strength training reduces overall body fat, it tones our muscles and it builds confidence.

These top 10 benefits all come for free when you begin a proper strength training routine. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new fitness program.

About the Author
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of http://strength-training-woman.com/31-no-holds-barred-answers.html. Her newest ebook has been rated the #1 Fitness ebook on the net by the No Limits subscribers.

You Don't Have to Strain for Cardio Fitness Gains

2007-06-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

by Rita Jenkins

Copyright 2005 Daily News Central

Quantity may beat quality when it comes to exercise and heart health. Adults who engage in mild exercise -- such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising moderately for 125-200 minutes over the course of a week -- can improve their aerobic fitness significantly and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in Chest.

"The classic exercise regimen has a component of intensity up to 80 percent of someone's maximum for health benefits," says lead author Brian D. Duscha of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

"Our study demonstrates that you can exercise at an intensity much less than that and still achieve fitness benefits," he notes.

"People find exercise 'hard' and few people want to exercise at an intensity higher than they have to. Walking briskly for 12 miles a week per week is realistic and does not require anyone to incorporate a hardcore training regimen. Increasing your mileage or intensity will give you even greater health benefits," Duscha says.

Improved Oxygen Consumption

A Duke Medical Center research team examined the effects of different exercise training regimens on 133 patients aged 40 to 65 years. All were sedentary, overweight nonsmokers who had abnormal levels of fat in their blood.

The participants were divided into four exercise groups:

- high-amount/high-intensity (HAHI), the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2 (maximum oxygen consumption);

- low-amount/high-intensity (LAHI), the equivalent of jogging/walking up an inclined treadmill approximately 12 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2;

- low-amount/moderate intensity (LAMI), the equivalent of walking approximately 12 miles per week at 40 to 55 percent peak Vo2; and

- a control group of nonexercising patients.

All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing twice at baseline and after seven to nine months of exercise training.

All exercise groups significantly improved their absolute and relative peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion (TTE) compared to baselines scores.

Increasing Intensity May Help Too

Although the HAHI group showed the greatest improvements in peak Vo2 overall, increasing exercise intensity from 40 to 55 percent to 65 to 80 percent (at a controlled amount of 12 miles/week) did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption. However, increasing the amount of exercise did produce improvements.

An increase in exercise amount also demonstrated a graded increase in TTE between groups, although data were not statistically significant.

"Although our results did point toward amount being more important, it is very likely fitness levels can be improved by increasing either amount or intensity," says Duscha.

"This is illustrated by the tiered effect the exercise dose had on fitness improvements across our groups. We believe with more people in the study, increasing intensity would also have been significant," he explains.

Losing Weight Not Essential

Body mass index (BMI) was reduced in the LAHI and HAHI, groups but remained unchanged in the LAMI group. All exercise groups lost an average of 2.87 pounds after exercise. Baseline characteristics of age, BMI, weight, peak and relative Vo2, and TTE were not different between the groups.

"A second very important message is that subjects enjoyed fitness benefits in the absence of weight loss. Many people exercise with the purpose of losing weight. When they do not lose weight, they do not think the exercise is benefiting them and they stop exercising," notes Duscha.

"The truth is, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness and reduce your risk for heart disease by exercising without losing weight. Even if individuals do not lose weight, it is likely that they will lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass while reducing other risk factors," he points out.

12 Miles a Week

Adherence to exercise requires motivation and making exercise a priority, the researchers stress. They advise those who are beginning an exercise regimen to start slowly, choose an enjoyable activity, and make exercise a social activity. Individuals with medical problems should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.

"If you distill our results down, the public health message is: You only need to walk briskly for 12 miles per week or for approximately 125 to 200 minutes per week to improve your health. This sheds more light on the question, 'What is the minimum amount of exercise I need to do to get a health benefit?'" says Duscha.

"Regular exercise is an important part of a well-balanced lifestyle," adds Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "Physicians and other healthcare providers should encourage their patients to engage in regular exercise in order to obtain pulmonary and cardiovascular benefits."

About the Author
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com

Over-The-Counter Acne Treatment

2007-06-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

by Jessica Davis

There are many types of over-the-counter treatments for acne. Most people, when first faced with an acne condition, usually go to the local pharmacy and buy an over-the-counter medication on the basis of recommendations from their friends or perhaps even television ads. It's always a good idea, however, to consult with a doctor before using any kind of over-the-counter medication. Even though acne is a fairly benign condition, a doctor can advise on the best course of treatment and also offers suggestions based on your particular kind of acne.

Because of the large number of products available for treating acne, it can be difficult to decide which one to try. Depending on advice from your friends is not too reliable, because what works for one person may not work for another. It's best if you have some background knowledge about the active ingredients in various acne medications, so you can make a better informed choice about which medication to try.

One of the most popular ingredients in acne treatments is benzoyl peroxide. It is found in gels and ointments and works by combating the bacteria which causes pimples. It is also useful for removing dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface of the skin. It is these dead skin cells which combine with sebum to create blackheads and whiteheads.

Benzoyl peroxide has been proven to be safe and effective in combating lesions. It can be used after acne has cleared up to keep the skin free from acne causing bacteria. The only side effect associated with this ingredient is dry skin, and this can be avoided by decreasing the frequency that it is applied on the skin. It can also bleach hair and clothing, so care must be taken when applying it.

Another popular ingredient in acne medications is salicylic acid. This prevents acne by clearing up dead skin cells which are accumulating too quickly and clogging the pores. Products which contain salicylic acid should continue to be used after the skin has cleared up to prevent future outbreaks of acne. The only side effects associated with salicylic acid are dry, irritated skin.

Other ingredients you may see in acne medications include resorcinol and sulphur. Resorcinol causes the top layer of skin to peel -- including the dead skin cells which clog the pores. It is often combined with sulphur. It is not known how sulphur affects acne conditions, but it has been used effectively for more than 50 years. Sulphur is often combined with other ingredients besides resorcinol like salicylate acid and benzoyl peroxide. It is not usually used by itself because of its strong, unpleasant odor.

Of all these ingredients used for combating acne, benzoyl peroxide is probably the most versatile. It can be used in cleansing liquids or bars, as well as lotion, cream, and gels which are applied directly on the skin. The cleansing products are usually used once or twice a day, while the creams and lotions can be used as needed. They should be applied on the skin around the acne as well as the pimples themselves for most effectiveness. You must avoid getting benzoyl peroxide in the eyes, mouth or nose as it will cause irritation or inflammation.

About the Author
Jessica is a Dermatologist in the Orlando area. You can read her blog online at http://www.acneblogonline.com.

The Many Faces Of Herpes

2007-06-09T13:24:00.000-04:00

by Herman Smithe

Genital herpes is not the only kind of herpes that exist today. There are other forms like cold sores and these can be painful and embarrassing as well not to mention the fact that they are a harder form of herpes to hide. Did you know that there are over 80 different forms of the herpes virus? It is a good thing that only 8 of them affect humans. The most common forms of herpes can affect both the mouth and genital areas, they do not stick to one localized area.

Genital herpes is the most well known form of herpes and it affects millions of Americans today and each and every year at least 1 million more herpes cases are reported. You can get this type of herpes through any sort of skin to skin touching and it is something that both men and women can get. The symptoms of genital herpes are rashes, bumps or even blisters. When you are having a genital herpes outbreak you are much more contagious than when you are not although herpes can still be spread when there are no symptoms felt or seen.

You can also catch herpes through oral to genital contact, not just genital to genital. Herpes is a virus and just like a cold it can be easily spread from one person to another. Some of those who get herpes cold sores only get these painful blisters once while others get them throughout their entire lives. If you have ever had a cold sore then you have herpes and you always will, there is nothing that can be done to get rid of this herpes virus.

You can get herpes through any sort of contact and sexual contact is the most common way to transfer this virus. Any kind of sexual contact including genital, oral and even anal sexual contact will put you at risk.

About the Author
Herman Smithe is the owner of The Herpes Info Site (http://www.herpesinfosite.com). His site contains information and resources for people with Herpes.

What are the benefits of White Grapes?

2007-06-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

A little more on grapes

In addition to being a tasty nutritional food, grapes can provide wonderful therapeutic benefits. Grapes are rich in phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A and C. They contain polyphenol, a heart protective chemical. Grapes provide a source of carbohydrate with added benefit of being sodium free. Grapes are fat-, sodium-, and cholesterol-free, and are a good source of vitamin C. Grapes also contain phytonutrients that are thought to prevent heart disease, inhibit tumor growth, and prevent cell damage from everyday wear and tear. About 85 calories are in 1 1/2 cups. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer.

See purple grapes for more information.

Learn More About Monavie

What are the benefits of Bananas?

2007-05-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

The banana is a nutritious fruit. The best source potassium you can find, but there are many other benefits to eating this fruit.

The banana, the comedian's friend. For as long as there has been comedy, the old banana peel gag has been around. The average person consumes up to 27 pounds of bananas per year. Their benefits are long reaching and help to restore balance to your system.

As we all know, the banana is one of nature's best sources of potassium. Potassium is known to significantly lower the risk of high blood pressure and related diseases like heart attack and strokes. Bananas are believed to prevent dangerous low-density lipoprotein from oxidizing, which causes it to stick to the walls of the arteries. This accumulation can contribute to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a major contributor to heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Even one serving of a potassium rich food, such as bananas, can lower your risk of stroke by up to 40%.

New research is indicating that bananas are helpful in ulcer treatment. They seem to act as a natural antacid. First, they stimulate the stomach's production of protective mucus which helps to prevent harsh acids from touching the tender stomach lining, causing an ulcer. Second, the protease inhibitor found in bananas appears to kill the harmful bacteria that help to cause ulcers.

Bananas also contain electrolytes, which are essential for maintaining fluid levels and preventing dehydration. 30% of your DV of vitamin B6 is provided by one banana. B6 keeps your nervous system in top working condition and boosting immunity. Folate is also in bananas, which is needed for proper tissue growth, and can protect against birth defects, heart disease, and cancer.

Learn More About Monavie

How Exercise Can Help You Sleep Better...

2007-05-06T13:24:00.000-04:00

by George Lesco

The amount of physical activity that you expend during the day is a key ingredient to helping you sleep restfully at night.

The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are able to relax fully at night and fall asleep easily.

With regular exercise your sleep quality is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep becomes smoother and more regular.

Keeping up your physical activity during the day may also be help you deal with the stress and worry in your life.

Studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel both emotionally and physically by changes in our brain chemistry that occur from regular exercise.

Try to increase your physical daily activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so that you are not restless at night.

Our bodies require a certain amount of physical activity in order to function in a healthy manner.

It is important to note that you should not be exercising three to four hours before bed.

The ideal time for you to exercise is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to expend your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.

Attempt to exercise at least three to four times a week for a continuous period of 20 to 30 minutes. This can include something as simple as walking or something as strenuous as running.

The goal is to increase your heart rate and strengthen your lung capacity. Adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will improve your overall health and benefit you emotionally. This is can help promote a natural remedy for your sleeplessness.

Besides walking and running there are many physical activities that you can add to your life to increase your activity level. Aerobic exercises seem to work best to battle sleeplessness.

Your goal is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood. There are many types of aerobic activities to choose from. These include running, biking, using a treadmill, jumping rope, and dancing.

Some non-aerobic activities may be beneficial to you as you attempt to solve your insomnia problem. The following activities are relaxing and have other healing properties:

- Yoga has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, particularly the brain. Yoga uses breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase blood circulation to the brain centre, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. Regular practice of yoga will relax you as well as relieve stress and tension.

- Tai Chi is a form of breathing and movement that was developed by ancient Chinese monks. The movements involved in Tai Chi are precise and slow, which is ideal if you have joint pain or are unable to participate in high impact aerobic exercises. Studies have shown that Tai Chi may help people with insomnia by promoting relaxation.

If you find that you have no time to exercise on a regular basis try sneaking extra moments of activity into your daily schedule. Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.

Try parking your car around the corner and walking that extra block to your appointment. There are many small ways that you can incorporate some added activity into your life. Your goal is to have a healthy, well balanced life...

About the Author
The above article is an excerpt from the report "Simple Sleeping Secrets". Discover Why Almost Everyone is Dead Wrong About Sleeping Disorders - Including How to Sleep Like a Baby Every Night For the Rest of Your Life - Without Using Expensive or Dangerous Drugs. Visit http://www.SimpleSleepingSecrets.com today...

Your Body Building Workout Routine Not Working For You Anymore?

2007-04-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

by Tony Farrell

When you come up with your Body Building Workout Routine, you generally stick with that routine for quite some time. You'll find that, at first, your body building workout routine is great and you seem to be getting a lot out of it. Therefore progress is being made.

When it comes to bodybuilding - No. I got that wrong, when it comes to any form of fitness the progress slows down. As you increase your muscle size, fitness level or body tone, you seem to get to a stage where progress is minimal. And sometimes at a standstill.

You may think to yourself...

"This is a useless body building workout routine. I feel downhearted. Maybe it's time to pack it in"

All I can say to you is... DON'T.

The problem is that initial gains from a starting a workout routine are tremendous. But you can only go so far. You can't keep progressing at super giant leaps, as you did at the start. So whether you're body building, increasing fitness aerobically or seeking out overall body tone... don't despair. Keep at it.

Having said all that, there is a solution. Yep, there sure is. And it's pretty simple too.

You see, the body gets used to doing things. It adapts to change. So when you initially began your body building workout routine, you made significant progress for two reasons:

1. You may not have been fit in the first place. Therefore at this point, your body building workout routine would have had a major impact at first.

2. Your body adapts to your routine. It becomes used to the exercises that you perform. Therefore making them less effective.

The Solution - Change your body building workout routine.

That's the solution. Pretty simple, huh.

See, when a new exercise is introduced to you workout routine, your body building progress increases. Why?

Because the body hasn't learned to adapt to your new exercise yet, Therefore making that new part of your workout more effective. This results in an increase in strength and size, or fitness and overall body tone, depending on your goals in the first place.

That's all there is to it. Change the exercise.

But wait --

Don't change the whole workout routine if it's not necessary. The reason is that out of the whole regime, there may still be some exercises that you feel produce the results you require. If this is the case, don't change that exercise if it's working. The only change, in that case, is to increase the challenge of that exercise. Maybe increase the weight being used.

Only change an exercise if you reckon that you're not making any progress on. Work a new exercise into your body building workout routine. Check the results and keep it there if it continues to work.

Eventually all your exercises will change, and not just once. This will be a continuous process. Months later, the exercise that didn't work back then, may work now.

Essentially, keep the initial exercises for about five to eight weeks. At that stage if your progress is good, keep on doing that routine. After a while, if you haven't already, your progress will reduce.

At that stage, change the appropriate exercises where you feel that progress is diminishing. Keep a constant eye on your body building workout routine. And keep adapting and changing, adapting and changing, regularly.

About the Author
Tony Farrell makes it easier for you to achieve your muscle and fitness goals. Learn the essential 3 keys to paving the way to your goals. Get your free mini-course now. http://www.think-and-grow-muscle-and-fitness.com

What are the benefits of Wolfberry?

2007-04-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

Wolfberry’s value to human health was explored in China thousands of years ago. It has been cited by several ancient Chinese Medica since the Tang Dynasty (1000-1400 A. D) for its multiple health benefits, such as: nourishing the Yin (Yin-Yang theory is the fundamental theory of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Yin represents the material part of the body and Yang represents the energy and function of the body), strengthening the eyes, liver and kidney and nourishing the blood. Wolfberry fruits are used in many herbal formulas to maintain overall health when suffering from chronic conditions, such as weariness of the loins and legs, dizziness and ringing in the ear, visual degeneration, headaches, insomnia, chronic liver diseases, diabetes, tuberculosis, and hypertension. Ancient people used wolfberry fruit to make tea, soup, stew and wine or chewed them like raisins. Scientists in modern China have extensively studied wolfberry fruits, their nutrients and their medical benefits. They have further substantiated the ancient medical applications such as: maintain healthy immune system (including specific and non-specific immune response), improving eye conditions, support healthy liver function, maintain healthy blood pressure and blood sugar. Wolfberry is also an excellent herb for anti-oxidant and anti-aging.

Natural Multi-Nutrients:

Wolfberry (a member of Solanacea family) is a wild bush found in the north west of China. Because of its nutrient value and pleasant taste, Chinese people have been growing this magic herb for hundreds of years. Wolfberry can tolerate temperatures from -27°C to 39°C. It blooms between April and October and harvest is from June to October depending on the weather and growing areas. When ready for harvest, the fruit turns red, is nearly oblong in shape and juicy. Fullness, redness and sweat taste demonstrates the best quality of the fruit. The main active component of the fruit is the Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharide (LBP)1. The amount of LBP may vary depending upon the type of wolfberry; the better the wolfberry, the higher percentage of LBP2. Wolfberry contains 19 types of amino acids and 21 trace minerals. It has more beta-carotene than carrots and nearly as much Vitamin C as oranges and protein as bee pollen. In 1983, the Ministry of the Public Health of China approved Wolfberry to be marketed as a natural food or botanical medicine3

Learn More About the Juice from the Amazon

Perk Up in the Afternoon

2007-04-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

This is a sample of the wealth of information found in our MVP Club House. Access is power.

Perk Up in the Afternoon
Author: Kate Sage
Publication: Mar 2003 Natural Health Vol: 33 , Issue: 2

I nearly fall asleep at my desk every day at 3 p.m. Aside from drinking coffee, what can I do to stay wide-awake?

Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., replies: First consider whether you're getting enough rest. Inadequate sleep at night causes most daytime drowsiness. Signs you're not getting enough include oversleeping on the weekends or on vacation. Sleep requirements vary, but most people need at least seven hours of shut eye a night (some people need substantially more or less). If you're not sure how much you need, go to bed an hour earlier for a week and see if that helps your daytime grogginess.

A heavy or starchy lunch can also cause you to drowse in the afternoon. Digesting heavy foods drains energy, and starchy foods cause the brain to release mildly sedating chemicals. My own family jokes that two bagels are as good as Valium for sedative purposes. To stay alert, try eating a light, protein-rich lunch, like a bean salad or a tofu stir-fry.

If you know that you get sleepy around 3 p.m., take a fast-paced walk around the block at 2:45 (ask your supervisor if you can trade a 15-minute afternoon break for a shorter lunch hour).

Lastly, consider doing a yoga pose if you have a private space in the office. I'm a big fan of yoga, and certain mild back-bending poses can be quite energizing. If you don't have back or knee problems, try this modified camel pose: Kneel on a carpeted floor (put a blanket under you if the surface is too hard) facing a wall so that your knees, thighs, and pelvis touch the wall. Move your knees and feet hip-width apart and put the balls of your feet on the ground with your heels up (so the tops of your feet face the wall). Keeping your pelvis, thighs, and knees in contact with the wall, bend back and hold your left foot with your left hand and your right foot with your right hand. Don't twist. (If this is too easy, lay the tops of your feet on the floor so that your soles face the ceiling. You can let your head fall back if you want to. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute, and then gently straighten up without twisting. You use the wall to remind you to keep your knees and hips in the same plane; once you've learned to do that you can do this pose without a wall.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

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Check this video

2007-04-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Doctors Rate New Salad Entrées Hyped by Chains

2007-04-06T18:42:00.000-04:00

This is a sample of the wealth of information found in our MVP Club House. Access is power.

Doctors Rate New Salad Entrées Hyped by Chains
Author: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Publication: May 2003

Offering a salad entrée is the latest marketing push for fast-food and quick-serve chains, but according to a new analysis by the nutrition experts at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), many fast-food salads are not any more healthful than a greasy burger. For example, McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with dressing has a hefty 51 grams of fat and 660 calories while a Big Mac has 34 grams of fat and 590 calories. Surprisingly, this salad entrée also has just as much cholesterol, 85 milligrams, as the Big Mac.

All six of McDonald’s entrée salads are packed with fat and cholesterol, mainly from chicken and cheese, earning them all the lowest rating of one star. Other artery-clogging salads include Wendy’s Chicken BLT and Subway’s Meatball Salad. Two salads out of the 34 rated by PCRM earned five stars: Au Bon Pain’s Garden Salad and Subway’s Veggie Delite.

“We did not expect these new salad entrée to be so loaded with fat and cholesterol,” says Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D., the clinical research coordinator at PCRM. “Americans thinking about getting in shape and heading to the beach this summer should steer clear of the heavily hyped ‘salads’ that are smothered with chicken, cheese and other fatty foods. Real salads with plenty of fresh veggies and chickpeas or beans for protein are best for heart health and slimming.”

The two top-rated salads earned five stars for meeting all of the criteria for healthfulness:
One star for = 13 g fat
One star for = 4.5 g saturated fat
One star for = 50 mg of cholesterol
One star for = 3 g of fiber
One star for = 1,000 mg of sodium

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

Reprinted with permission from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

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A Remedy For Seasonal Allergies

2007-03-21T13:29:00.000-04:00

by Mark Dodd

Are you one of the millions that suffer from allergies? Are you looking for information on allergy remedies? If you are a chronic victim of the distressing effects of allergies then it's high time you found an effective allergy remedy. There are several allergy remedy medications available on the market.

In order to effectively treat your allergies, you need to find the allergy remedy most aligned with your symptoms and needs. You have several avenues to choose from when searching for an allergy remedy. These avenues include: home remedies, allergy medication, environmental modifications, and a consultation with an Allergist.

Let's start with home remedies. Home allergy remedies were used before allergy medications surfaced on the medical scene. Be wary of many home remedies. Many of these remedies are based on "old wives tales".

However, there are some steps you can take at home that do work. For example, if you have an allergy to pollen you can minimize its effects by washing your clothing and hair when come home. Make sure to do this before you go to bed, so that you won't spread any of the pollen onto your bedding.

Allergy medications are a wonderful allergy remedy. You can use over the counter antihistamine pills, lotions, and ointments. If you have a chronic allergy you can consult your physician for a stronger prescription allergy remedy. Nasal sprays are also a great tool against allergies. They act as a direct allergy remedy to your nasal passageways.

There are a few environmental modifications you can make as an allergy remedy. Wash bedding in hot water to remove dust mites. Use mattress and pillow covers to fight against dust mites. Keep your home clean and carpets vacuumed.

If you have severe allergies that can't be managed with basic allergy remedies then head to your physician or allergist. They can take you through a series of allergy testing and provide the best treatment options for your situation. This may involve removing the allergy culprit from your environment, food plate, or clothing drawer. They can provide prescription allergy medication to knock your allergy out cold.

About the Author
Mark is an avid researcher who often researches medical conditions. He can be found online at http://www.allergyblogonline.com.

Can't Lose Weight? Syndrome X May Be the Culprit

2007-03-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

by Dan Farrell

Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting

"I've put on 40 pounds in one year!" "It doesn't matter how much I workout, I can't lose weight." "My doctor must think I'm eating pizzas in the closet."

With nearly 4 million Americans weighing in at over 300 pounds, is it any wonder the above cries are heard each and every day by countless frustrated people who can't lose weight? One such cause for the ever increasing need to buy larger pants is a disease known as Syndrome X.

Syndrome X is also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance. It is a very common disease; however it is widely overlooked by many medical professionals. One statistic reveals 1 in 3 people suffer from it.

This syndrome is a precursor to developing Diabetes Type 2. Sufferers have a high level of insulin. Their bodies are unable to process all the insulin that is being made from their diet. As a result, they become insulin resistant.

Think of it like this: You knock on someone's door because you want to come in. If they don't answer, what normally happens? You knock again, right? Sometimes you may even knock a third time, trying to gain entry. Insulin works in the same manner. The pancreas produces insulin (knock). Some foods cause the body to produce even higher levels of insulin (knock again). Once you become insulin resistant, develop Syndrome X, the body is unable to properly process the glucose, therefore the pancreas tries to make up for it by producing even more insulin. It thinks "no one is home" and just keeps making more.

The main purpose of glucose is to be used as fuel for the cells in the body to produce energy. Unprocessed glucose translates into fat. If the body keeps making it and it's not being processed, where does it go? Hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks, that's where!

In addition to hypertension and heart disease, elevated insulin may be associated with weight gain and difficulty with weight loss, other blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia, and some menstrual related imbalances.

Genetics is partially responsible for causing this disease. More likely though is lifestyle. In many cases years of high starch, processed foods, simple sugars, lack of exercise, smoking, and increased stress may be the culprit for Metabolic Syndrome X.

Now what? For starters, start exercising today. Increase water intake and totally omit starches, sugars, processed foods from your diet. Limit or omit caffeine. Try to maintain at least one third of your daily food intake to vegetables. Ask your doctor to test your sugar levels. Change what you're eating and get walking and you'll be amazed at the pounds start to fall off. The fatigue and fuzziness will start to disappear and in turn you'll feel much better.

About the Author
The Weight Loss Primer Report shows you how to start losing weight through a Total Body Exercise Workout Program with detailed animations. http://www.4maximumhealth.com

Program Yourself to Prosperity

2007-02-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Written by: Christopher Howard

One moment he had been struggling to sell eight cars; the next he changed his focus to doubling his sales and, as a result, he opened himself up to new possibilities and phenomenal results. The problem that people face in life is that they often accept the reality that they’ve been handed by families, friends, co-workers, society, the media, and so on. The reality that you accept is made up of a matrix of interacting belief systems that can either be useful to you or disempower you. Financial beliefs that can disempower you include convictions such as "It’s hard to make money," "You have to be born into wealth," or "You have to work for years to make real money as a sales professional." If you accept these kinds of realities, it can absolutely prevent you from reaching your full potential.

Before it was discovered that the world was round, it was a well-known "fact" that it was flat, and for all intents and purposes, it was. No one would think to sail around it, because it couldn’t be done, but the whole world changed when a few individuals changed their thinking. Your financial world is exactly the same. Both poverty and wealth exist, yet some people experience one and not the other. What differentiates those who have massive amounts of wealth from those who are completely broke is their thoughts, which determine their focus. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of the book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, we take in approximately two million bits of information per second through our sensory channels. If we were instantaneously aware of all that was happening around us, we would go insane from sensory overload. Therefore, the human nervous system deletes, distorts, and generalizes all of the information into manageable chunk sizes. Out of two million bits of information per second, you only process five to nine chunks. This means that, out of everything that is happening, you experience only a minute amount.

You can compare your experience of reality to surfing the Internet. Consider for a moment the amount of information available on the Web, a tremendous amount. Yet if you type into your search engine the word "poverty," your computer will ignore everything else and sort specifically for anything that meets your search word. In life, it’s the same way: you get what you look for. Think of your focus as being like a flashlight. If you were standing in a dark room with wealth in one corner and poverty in the other, your experience in life would be based upon where you’re pointing your flashlight at any given time. Do you have the flashlight of your focus on wealth, or on poverty?

In his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, author Robert Kiyosaki states that if you want to become rich, the only thing you need to do is to increase your financial vocabulary. This is true because, in order to increase your financial vocabulary, you have to shift your focus. You will have to begin reading different types of magazines, holding different types of conversations, and so on. Philosopher Ludwig Von Witkenstein once said, "Whereof one cannot speak, one cannot think." People who have wealth and abundance in their lives speak and think differently than those who don’t. The flashlight of their focus is on a different corner of the room.

When you change your focus, you can change your external finances—sometimes even instantaneously. A woman who was searching for answers recently explained to me that she really wanted to go into the school system and teach children how to live up to their full potential. But she told me in the same breath that she had no money at all to follow through on her grand
ideas.

I explained to her that ours is a totally abundant universe. There’s more than 13 trillion dollars circulating around the planet every day, just looking for someone to take care of it. I told her that there were plenty of people who wanted to give her money to support her project. About four weeks after later, I received a call from her. She was extremely excited, and explained to me that she had really taken what I said to heart. She had gone out and found tens of thousands of dollars available to her in grant money to fund her project. Her finances changed instantly the moment she changed her focus.

So the question becomes, "What are some of the things that I can do to change my focus and immediately take charge of my financial destiny?"

One of the first things you can do is to raise the level of importance of money in your life. Many people have the limiting belief that money isn’t important, or a belief that if you focus on money, you are somehow a bad person. These beliefs do nothing but hold you back. There are many wonderful people who do a lot of good for the planet, and who realize the importance of money as a tool for ameliorating their lives and the lives of others. In fact, the more you make, the more you can give back.

When people used to think the world was flat, the old maps of the world showed the "boundary conditions" — the edges of the world — and written all around those boundaries were the words "There Be Dragons." Or the maps would depict people falling off their ships and tumbling over the edge of the world. There weren’t really dragons there, and there weren’t really places where you might fall off the edge of the world. These weren’t the boundaries of the world, but they might as well have been, because they were boundary conditions of people’s thinking at the time.

Consider the beliefs that prevent you from focusing on wealth to be just like the boundary conditions of people’s thinking in Columbus’ time. Now I have a question for you: How satisfying will your life be ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, when you get out into the future and you’ve allowed your beliefs to keep you from living the life you deserve? Maybe now is the time to get some new beliefs about money, convictions that will empower you, such as the belief clearly held by John D. Rockefeller, who once said, "I believe that the power to make money is a gift from God."

When Columbus first set sail, he left knowing that the world was different than all of those around him believed it to be. He was absolutely convinced that he would find a faster route to the riches and spices of the Orient. These beliefs and convictions were the first step to success beyond even his own expectations.

How do you raise the level of importance of money in your life? Decide. Decide that money is important. It’s so important that you’re willing to do everything you can to learn about it: how to manage it, how to invest it, and how to multiply it. Before long, you’ll find yourself holding different conversations with people, reading different types of magazines, and spending your time in ways that enable you to increase your financial intelligence. When you shift your focus, it will be as if you’ve typed the word "wealth" into your search engine. Your experience of life will actually change, and new possibilities will present themselves to you.

A few weeks ago, my fiancée and I decided to purchase a new car, and we got our minds set on a make and model that we saw for the first time just a few days prior to making the decision. We had never noticed that make and model of car before, but the moment we made the decision to purchase it, we began to see the same type of car all over the place. Did the cars appear in circulation once we started looking for them, or were they always there and we just hadn’t noticed before?

Your financial world works in exactly the same way. Financial opportunities only present themselves once you’ve conditioned yourself to look for them. The difference between those who have massive amounts of wealth and those who live in poverty is what they are looking for. Because we often accept the reality we’ve been handed, we end up getting exactly what we expect out of life. This principle is especially true in the area of finances. If you want to make more money, then all you really need to do is change your thinking.

Christopher Howard is an internationally acclaimed expert in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Ericksonian Hypnosis. You can find out about his keynote speeches and seminars here. The information provided in this article is an example of the transformational ideas and tools you will learn in Chris Howard’s "Breakthrough to Success" weekend seminar. Register today!

Is your IRA earning you 8-10% interest?

2007-02-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

Hey,

Is your IRA earning 8-10% interest?

Are you tired of earning those puny interest rates that they pay at the bank?

Does the volatility of the stock market keep you up at night?

Do you want to earn high interest rates, but don’t want the extra hassle?

You see, you could earn up to 12% on your money. It's secured, guaranteed, and passive.

As you may know, aside Internet marketing and business, I do invest in real estate, and as I explain on my site at
http://www.IPurchaseYourHouse.com/privatelenders.html, I often use private lenders to fund properties that I buy. In exchange, I offer a very generous interest rate, much more than what you're getting from your bank or IRA. The additional benefit is that it is secured by a mortgage. I also accept small loans -- so you don't need a lot of cash to participate and benefit from my lending program.

Anyway, you'll find more details on my site at http://www.IPurchaseYourHouse.com/privatelenders.html if you have an interest to be kept informed about private lending opprtunities when they happen.

Also, I currently have such an opportunity available, whose details are in a document you'll get once you opt in my notification list. Further details on the property and the program are also included in that document.

Please note that you'll need Acrobat Reader to read the file. It can be downloaded for f.r.e.e at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Wishing you the best in your endeavors,

Stephan Bourget, investor

Earn 8% - 10% On Your Money
Secured - Guaranteed - Passive
http://www.IPurchaseYourHouse.com/privatelenders.html

Beware of these sellers

2007-01-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

Hey guys and gals,

Beware of these sellers - I never got the products I ordered from them and they never dared responding to my inquiries and resolving the matter despite repetitive communications, or else they said they sent another copy which I never received neither.

I purchase a lot online without any problem 99.9% of the time, but I had a lot of pain doing business with these sellers.

Here they are:

Dan Kennedy Free Video Offer
Success Strategies Inc
mastercopywriters.com

Traffic Multiplier System
Exclamation Corporation
trafficmultipliersystem.com

MYSTERIES – The Work of Erich von Däniken
Lange Communications Pte Ltd
31A Kreta Ayer Road
Singapore 088998

10 Life Saving Tips for Surviving an Impending Avian Flu Pandemic

2007-01-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

by Julie Butler

"An influenza pandemic of even moderate impact will result in the biggest single human disaster ever - far greater than AIDS, 9/11, all wars in the 20th century and the recent tsunami combined. It has the potential to redirect world history as the Black Death redirected European history in the 14th century." -- Michael T. Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota

A new killer flu virus is on its way. Ducks and geese carrying this virus are now winging their way across the globe, spreading the disease wherever they go. Started in Asia, it has now spread to Europe. Soon it will be in North and South America.

So far it has only killed a few dozen humans. It is, after all, a virus that's passed from bird to bird. Or from bird to animals. So far it can't be transmitted from human to human. But flu viruses are crafty. They have the ability to change. This is what happened in 1918 when the Spanish Flu Pandemic swept over a war weary planet killing 50 - 100 million people - far more than were killed in the war.

This time it will be much worse. After all, we now have 4 times the number of people living on the planet. And most of them live in cities. Large, crowded cities. The five largest cities in the world have over 100 million people living in them. A killer virus that can be passed from human to human, let loose in our major cities where people are living elbow to elbow, would have a catastrophic effect.

And consider this...back in 1918 it was a much bigger world. It took weeks to get from one side of the world to the other. It took days to get from one side of the continent to the next. Today it takes hours. Last year more than 46 million international visitors came to the United States. If only one infected visitor passes on the virus to 2 others, who pass it on to 2 others, and so on, by the end of a month everyone in the US could be infected.

I don't even want to consider the implications if this idea ever occurs to muslim terrorists who are only too happy to blow themselves to bits in order to take out a few infidels.

So what can we do?

Fortunately it's not all doom and gloom. There are some very specific steps you can take to minimize the dangers and protect yourself and your loved ones.

1. Draw up a Plan. Outline the steps you and your family need to take, both pre-pandemic and during. Identify responsibilities for each family member. Make lists of supplies required. Find appropriate sources. Develop a realistic timeline. By establishing a plan now, you will avoid becoming a victim of the panic that will grip the general population, resulting in civil chaos and pandemonium.

2. Keep Informed. If and when the virus mutates so that it is being spread from human to human, it is likely to start in Southeast Asia. Pay attention to the news. When you hear that this has taken place, it's time to act. We might only have weeks before the pandemic reaches North America, but with international travel so fast and easy it could be much sooner. Sign up for free newsletter notifications at http://www.survivetheflu.com .

3. Prepare Your Child for Home Schooling. Most flu outbreaks get their start at schools. You can be certain that the schools will be closed. And if they're not, you should give very serious thought to keeping your children at home.

4. Minimize Contact with Others. The H5N1 avian flu virus can be transmitted for two days before a person is showing any symptoms and for a week after symptoms have disappeared. You never know who isn't and who might be infected. If possible you should stay home. Every time you go into an area where there are people you are at risk.

5. Wash Your Hands Often. Sneeze particles can travel across a room at 600 miles per hour. If the person sneezing has the flu, everything in that room is covered with flu virus. And when you touch anything, the virus is transmitted to your hand. Eventually it will be transmitted to your mouth. Your only protection is to wash your hands, well and often. Each washing should involve vigorous scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds.

6. Stock up on Food & Water. Supermarkets only have enough food for about a week or less. It's critical that you stock up on enough food to last you for the duration which could be 3-4 months.

7. Buy Enough Anti-Viral Medication for Every Member of your Family. Currently there are two drugs that can help mitigate the effects of the avian flu virus. One is called oseltamivir, or Tamiflu. It comes in a tablet form. The other is zanamivir, or Relenza, which is inhaled. You will need a prescription for either of these drugs. They should be taken within 2 days of the onset of symptoms and taken twice a day for 5 days. These drugs are in very short supply, especially Tamiflu which is considered the drug of first choice. You should attempt to secure enough for your family as soon as possible, since once a pandemic hits they will be impossible to obtain. Currently you should be able to buy them at your drug store, or you can order them online.

8. Stock up on Face Masks. You will need to wear these when you absolutely have to come into close contact with others. It's likely that any public businesses or government offices that remain open will make it mandatory that you wear a mask before entering. Make sure that your mask has a rating of N100. The more common N95 masks will not give you enough protection.

There is one mask -- the NanoMask® -- which not only blocks the H5N1 virus, but kills it as well.

9. Exercise. According to the American Council on Exercise, research has shown that moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) brings about measurable changes in the immune system, sending white blood cells zipping around the body to find intruders and kill them. But after a few hours, the immune system returns to normal so it's best to exercise regularly.

10. Spread the Word. Regardless of how much coverage the avian threat is receiving in the media, most people are reluctant to act. Perhaps if they don't acknowledge the danger they think it will somehow go away. Or maybe they think the government will look after the situation.

Desperate, panic stricken people are arguably even more dangerous than the virus. The more people surrounding you who are prepared for the pandemic, the safer you will be. You'll be secure in the knowledge that your neighbors won't be eyeing your resources. So please spread the word. And don't give up, even though you may feel like the voice in the wilderness. Eventually, if they hear it often enough, some people will take notice. And then they will also spread the word. And in this way we'll all be a little safer.

"Up to one billion people could die around the whole world in six months.... We are half a step away from a worldwide pandemic catastrophe." Dmitry K. Lvov, Director, D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Whether or not it will happen this year, and whether or not it will be as catastrophic as many virologists are predicting, one thing is clear: There WILL be a pandemic of unimaginable proportions some time soon.

We can either bury our heads in the sand and hope it won't happen, or we can begin taking immediate steps to ensure that in a worst case scenario, we've given ourselves and our loved ones the best possible chance for survival.

About the Author
A mother of 4, living in central British Columbia, Julie Butler became curious about Avian Flu on a recent trip to California, where residents are required to report dead birds to authorities. Her website at http://www.survivetheflu.com provides updated information and timely tips for dealing with the deadly H5N1 virus.

The Seven Day Life-Changing Happiness Challenge!

2006-11-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

by Lance Beggs

You are about to discover a simple technique for creating massive changes in your quality of life.

Do you want to be happier? This technique can help.

Do you want more time to spend with your family or friends, or even just time to relax by yourself? Then this seven day challenge is perfect for you.

And best of all, it's really easy to do.

What is it?

For the next seven days, turn off the news!

Do not watch any news on the television.

Do not listen to any news on the radio.

Do not read the newspaper.

And do not have a news headline website as your browser's home page.

Seven days! No news!

Can you do it?

Reducing exposure to the negativity of the news has produced massive changes in my life. It can and will do the same for you. However, please don't take my word for it. Try it for just seven days and see for yourself.

The time will pass very quickly, so what have you got to lose? Worst case, you'll miss a bit of news. Best case, you'll be happier and more excited about your life. So, let's give it a go!

Why does this work? Simply because one of the fundamental laws of nature is that our thoughts produce our reality. If we focus our attention on the negatives in life, we will give power to the negativity, and it will grow.

If we remove that negativity from our lives and focus on the positives, we will tend to create more positives.

The news is extremely negative. And the fact is that exposing yourself to most of this negativity adds NO value at all to your life.

Simply put, turning off the news shields you from the onslaught of negativity and leaves you with time to fill your life with positives.

So what you do with the extra time you now have available?

No, do not just watch other TV!

You want to replace this time with positive experiences which add value to your life.

Spend some time alone considering your life. Find out who you are. Find your life's purpose, or your higher calling. Set some major goals for your future. Where would you like to go? Who would you like to go there with? What would you like to do for a living, if there were no limitations?

Spend some time with the people who are important in your life- your family and friends.

Consider getting back to nature. Take some time out for a relaxing walk in a park. Or sit at the beach and watch the waves. Relax!

This is not just hiding from reality, and living in a fantasy land. I don't expect you to forever hide from what's going on in the world, especially in your local community. Just cut out all exposure to the negativity for seven days and then consider whether you feel happier and more excited about life.

Once you're aware of this alternative, happier way of living, you can then find a balance between being aware of current affairs, and your need to maintain separation from those issues.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained by worrying about what's going on elsewhere, especially when it's outside of your sphere of influence. When you understand that, you can then choose what you listen to or watch on TV. You will regain control.

If there is something that you need to know, trust me, someone will tell you anyway.

And you will have more time available to experience a positive and friendly world.

If you like the improvement this brings to your quality of life, then perhaps you could consider this is just a start. Why not also eliminate other TV which adds no value to your life.

Seven days, no news! The results will be life-changing.

It's easy to do. However it's also easy to not-do. Which will you choose?

Even if there's only the smallest chance of this working, wouldn't it be worth trying?

I know you can do it. Go for it!

Lance Beggs.

Copyright Lance Beggs. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author
Lance Beggs is the author of "How to be Happy Now". His mission is to help others live a life of meaning, love and happiness! Subscribe to his FREE ezine at http://www.HowToBeHappyNow.com

The Best Way To Avoid The Dangers of Bird Flu

2006-11-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

by Alfred Jones

Look After Your Health. The threat of a Bird Flu Pandemic. The threat to the world from Bird Flu is more serious now, than it was when I wrote my first article on the subject in May, 2005. entitled "Will Avian Flu Become Pandemic" since then it has spread to numerous other countries, but thankfully at this stage it has not, as yet, mutated to a strain that can transfer from Human to Human.

It is so easy for this virus to mutate, it can happen as simply as a person catching Bird Flu from poultry or birds, when that person, has already caught one of the more common strains of Influenza. This could enable the Bird Flu virus to then cause a pandemic outbreak of this deadly disease throughout the world.

History of the Bird Flu and its Spread. It first started in South Korea at a chicken farm in 2003, a couple of months or so later, it was detected in Vietnam, then an outbreak was found in chickens in Indonesia, Thailand confirms the death of a six year old boy, this was the first known death from Bird Flu. China also has problems and Malaysia has found the virus in chickens, near the Thailand border.

This year, 2005, Bird Flu has been found in ducks in the Philippines, Japan has had an outbreak in chickens, then it was also found in Russia. In October, 2005 it was discovered in Turkey and Romania, so you can see that it is spreading across the globe, slowly but surely. The very latest is that has now been dicovered in Greece.

It is spread at this stage by birds, mainly migratory birds that fly north or south from the Asian region, where they can take it to Russia and Europe, or in the other direction, south to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region.

The European Union has warned that there should not be any panic, though it has told the 25 nations that make up the Union to start stockpiling supplies of anti viral drugs. It has been confirmed in nearly all cases the strain of virus is the highly virulent and lethal H5N1.

In London, it has been confirmed that Britain is at risk and they have suggested that all people that could be vulnerable, should consider having normal Flu injections. The United States Senate, on September 29, 2005, voted to provide almost $US4 billion to purchase a stockpile of the two anti viral drugs.

Future Prospects Professor Ian Frazer of Brisbane, Australia, who with his research team, after many years of heartache, trials and tribulations, have announced that they have now perfected a vaccine that will prevent Cervical Cancer and this vaccine should be available in 2006, this is a world breakthrough and a historic discovery, he now is thinking of turning his talents to the H5N1 virus, he and many of his colleagues are convinced that it is only a matter of time before this virus will start attacking humans and cause a pandemic.

It has been estimated that the death toll throughout the world, if this pandemic should start, could be as high as 40 million people. Currently, humans are catching the virus from birds that have the infection, through their saliva or faeces, which when dry can be inhaled by humans. The authorities state emphatically that it can not be transmitted through eating poultry.

What Can You Do It is recommended by a number of authorities that you should consider having the normal human flu vaccine.

There are two drugs available that can help, but are in short supply, also quite expensive, Tamiflu and Relenza.

Take all the sensible normal precautions.

Your Immune System, this is your natural defence against all illnesses and diseases. Try to ensure that you Immune System is functioning as efficiently as possible. Make sure that what you eat and drink is natural and as nutritious as you can make it. More information is available from my website.

About the Author
Article by Alfred Jones, Information Advisor for http://www.Sugarsr4u.com The Health Secret of the Himalayas This article may be freely used by Newsletters amd Web Sites without permission as long as it is shown in its entirety.

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Migraine Headaches

2006-10-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

by Wendy Brungardt

To understand the worst type of headache, a migraine, it helps to have a basic understanding of why we experience headaches, what we can do about them, and what some of the misconceptions about headaches are.

Headaches are most often the result of biochemical changes in the brain. These changes are caused by a number of factors, including chemicals (natural to the body or from food that was eaten), stress (physical and psychological) and environmental factors like continuous noise or even the weather.

Most people experience headaches that occur, and are then conquered with either sleep, medication, or a break in the situation/stress that may have brought the headache on.

For those rare people who suffer chronic and severe headaches, the continuous pain and nausea can become debilitating to the point that they are depressed, undergo changes in behavior, and withdraw from their friends and family.

While almost all headaches have a non-life threatening origin, sudden violent headaches, or very severe headaches that recur over and over, are reason to visit your doctor, who may order tests to determine the cause and nature of the headache.

Migraine headache sufferers are often diagnosed by displaying a set of typical symptoms, where atypical symptoms may need closer examination to find the root cause.

The most important thing that consumers should know about headaches, is that while they can't be "cured", they can be coped with. Sometimes that coping mechanism can be as simple as fresh air, a walk, more sleep, or dietary changes.

Other times it may require the help of a health care professional to discover the biological or psychological influences that caused headaches to disrupt your life.

About the Author
For many years, Wendy suffered regular migraines. Finally she decided to find out everything she could about these unpleasant headaches. Now she's written a series of articles to share her findings with other sufferers.

What are the benefits of Aronia?

2006-10-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

Aronia also known as the chokeberry

Aronia juice contains very high levels of anthocyanins (source of red color) and flavonoids. Levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids are over five times greater than those found in cranberries. Aronia also has been reported to contain antioxidants, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins. It has been alleged that some of these chemicals specifically reduce the potential for cancer, stimulating circulation, protecting the urinary tract, and strengthening the heart.

Aronia (Photinia melanocarpa), is a native American bush that has been successfully exported to Eastern Europe and is commercially grown in Denmark, Poland, Russia and elsewhere. It produces white to pinkish-white flowers in April through June (depends on location) and fruits in September through November. It has glossy, pea-sized, violet-black berries harvested in late summer. They have a strong, stable, staining natural color.

Aronia juice contains very high levels of anthocyanins (source of red color) and flavonoids. Levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids are over five times greater than those found in cranberries. Aronia also has been reported to contain antioxidants, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins. It has been alleged that some of these chemicals specifically reduce the potential for cancer, stimulating circulation, protecting the urinary tract, and strengthening the heart.

Learn More About Monavie

Key Prescription Drug Addiction Statistics

2006-09-13T13:55:00.000-04:00

by Damian Sofsian

Prescription drug addiction is becoming a major problem in America. Prescription drugs are being prescribed for a wider variety of reasons and quite frequently, greatly increasing the chances that they will be misused. There are several disturbing prescription drug addiction statistics that are worth mentioning.

One sad prescription drug addiction statistic reported by the U.S. Department of Health and human services is that people 60 years old and up are the age group most likely to be addicted to prescription drugs. Furthermore, as of 2000, over 17% of people over age 60 abuse prescription drugs, many of them doing so unwittingly.

Another disturbing prescription drug statistic is that prescription drug abuse is rising fastest among people 12 to 25. Since the mid 1980's, prescription drug abuse has increased fivefold. One reason for this is that many young people believe that prescription drugs are safe alternatives to illegal drugs. Many of these people don't know that prescription drugs are addictive and can lead to serious health problems if misused. It is reported that females are more likely to abuse and become addicted to prescription drugs than males are in this age group.

While most people who are addicted to prescription drugs abuse opioids like OxyContin and Vicodin, the number of young people who abused CNS (central nervous system) depressants rose by 50% in just one year, between 1999 and 2000.

The illegal sale of prescription drugs has increased enormously in recent years. The vast increase in the availability of prescription drugs increases the numbers of addicts, because more people have access to the drugs. Modern computer technology makes it very difficult for the authorities to track down operators of websites that sell prescription drugs over the Internet without requiring a prescription.

These prescription drug addiction statistics are disheartening, but the more people are aware of the problems caused by prescription drug addiction, the more likely they are to avoid misusing them or seek help if they already have a problem.

About the Author
Prescription Drugs Addiction Info provides detailed information about prescription drug addition symptoms, treatment, statistics, and forums, as well as personal prescription drug addiction stories. Prescription Drugs Addiction Info is the sister site of Drug Testing Web.

Asthma Treatment and Medication

2006-08-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

by Daniel Lanicek

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that effects over 30 million Americans alone and researchers estimate that 10 - 15% of the world population suffers from asthma. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. The airways become irritated and narrow and constrict during an asthma attack, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of the air to and from the lungs.

Most often asthma must be treated with prescription medicine. There are two main types of medicines for the treatment of asthma. Quick relief medicines, also called relievers, give rapid, short-term relief and are taken when asthma symptoms worsen potentially leading to an asthma attacks. The effects of these medicines are felt within minutes. Long-term control medicines, also called preventers, are taken every day, usually over long periods of time, to control chronic symptoms and to prevent asthma attacks. The full effects of these medicines are felt after taking them for a few weeks. People with persistent asthma need long-term control medicines.

Some asthma drugs treat asthma by resembling two of our hormones. These two hormones are adrenaline (epinephrine in the USA) and hydrocortisone (a steroid).

Adrenaline (epinephrine) is pumped into our bloodstream when we have a sudden fright or emergency. It is the quick-acting hormone from the middle of the adrenal glands near our kidneys. It makes your pulse race, your heart thump, and readies your body for emergency action. In asthma, the medicines which resemble adrenaline quickly relieve asthma for a short time.

Hydrocortisone comes from the outer part of our adrenal glands, called the 'cortex'. It is also partly an "emergency hormone" but it works much more slowly, for much longer, and in a completely different way to adrenaline. Medicines which resemble hydrocortisone slowly allow the lining of air tubes in an asthma sufferer to become normal. As a result, your asthma becomes less severe and you are less likely to get asthma attacks. So these steroid medicines are called preventers. There are other asthma 'preventers', but the steroids are the most powerful.

Quick relief medicines are used only when needed. A type of quick relief medicine is a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator. Bronchodilators work by relaxing the muscles that have tightened around the airways. They help open up airways quickly and ease breathing. They are sometimes called "rescue" or "relief" medicines because they can stop an asthma attack very quickly. These medicines act quickly but their effects only last for a short period of time. People with asthma should take quick relief medicines when they first begin to feel asthma symptoms like coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Anyone who has asthma should always have one of these inhalers nearby in case of an attack. For severe attacks, your doctor may use steroids to treat the inflammation.

The most effective, long-term control medication for asthma is an inhaled corticosteroid. This medicine reduces the swelling of airways that makes asthma attacks more likely. Inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred treatment for controlling mild, moderate, and severe persistent asthma. They are safe when taken as directed by your doctor. Inhaled medicines go directly into your lungs where they are needed. There are many kinds of inhalers that require different techniques, and it is important to know how to use your inhaler correctly. In some cases, steroid tablets or liquid are used for short times to bring asthma under control. The tablet or liquid form may also be used to control severe asthma.

Many people with asthma need both a short-acting bronchodilator to use when asthma symptoms worsen rapidly and long-term daily asthma control medication to treat the ongoing inflammation. Over time, your doctor may need to make changes in your asthma medication. You may need to increase your dose, lower your dose, or try a combination of medications. Be sure to work with your doctor to find the best treatment for your asthma. The goal is to use the least amount of medicine necessary to control your asthma and to find the right medicine for you.

Learn more about asthma and asthma medication at http://www.asthmaexplained.com

About the Author
Creator of www.asthmaexplained.com

Natural Herbal Remedies-harmful effects and things to avoid

2006-08-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

by Michael Fortomas

Natural herbal remedies are good medicine. There is no doubt about that fact. What is so amazing about natural herbal remedies is their close association to our modern medicines. Most of our current "wonder drugs" have a botanical connection.

In recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has skyrocketed to the forefront of the medical field. A 2004 government survey concluded that more than one third of adults use alternative medicine and healing.

However, there are over 300,000 higher plant species. A good herbalist may know of one or two thousand of them. This means that even an experienced herbalist can make mistakes. Let's take a look at some of the most common problems.

Pregnant women should avoid barberry root bark, cascara sagrada, feverfew, juniper berries, mugwort, pennyroyal, pokeroot, rue, senna, southernwood, tansy, thuja and wormwood. All of those herbs can increased a risk for miscarriage. Safe herbs during pregnancy would be Manna, Butternut Bark or Root, Flax Seed, Slippery Elm and Lemon Verbena.

No matter what herb(s) you are taking, be mindful of anything unexpected. Stop taking whatever it is and consult an expert you can trust.

Make certain you have the correct diagnosis. Diagnosis is not easy and sometimes doctors make mistakes. Generally, however, a doctor is much better equipped to diagnose. Discuss any planned herbal discipline you plan to undertake with your physician.

Watch for any allergic reactions. Even though you may have never had any allergies in the past, if you are embarking on an herbal journey, watch carefully for any adverse reactions. If you experience difficulty in breathing within 30 minutes of trying a new herb, food or drug, call 911 immediately! You may be having an anaphylactic reaction which is the most severe form of allergic reaction. This condition can quickly become fatal unless treated promptly. This reaction is rare, but you need to be careful and be aware.

Watch for any interactions. Medicines often interact negatively with one another. So do herbs. Always be careful when taking more than one drug or herb or a combination of both. If you suspect an interaction consult your physician or pharmacist.

One interaction that you should be aware of is Antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. They interact badly with wine, cheese and many other foods. St. John's Wort is also an MAO inhibitor so the same food restrictions apply. If you plan on using St. John's Wort, discuss it with your physician or pharmacist.

Lastly, make certain that both your physician AND your herbalist are fully aware of all medications and/or herbal treatments you are using.

About the Author
If you are sick and tired of being over-medicated, you can take control and start a journey toward natural herbal remedies with Michael's FREE ebook "47 Herbal Remedies"
Visit http://1source-body-health.com/herbal-remedies.html

Childhood Obesity - Helping your child

2006-06-10T13:58:00.000-04:00

by Bill Herren

Childhood obesity - How can you help your overweight child?

Experts tell us that obesity is common enough in children that we could refer to it as an epidemic. If a child is obese there is a very good chance that child will grow up to be obese. This could lead to problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, poor self esteem, depression and many more problems that we hope our children will not have to deal with.

What can we do to help our children reach their ideal weight? Remember that your child did not become overweight overnight nor will they reach their ideal weight overnight. Be patient - healthy habits develop slowly over time and remember that your child is learning from you - you may need to change some of your habits as well. If you are eating healthy and leading an active life, chances are your child will too.

* Limit TV time - Put off turning on the television until 8:00 PM. Take a walk after dinner with your child * Limit the video games and look into some of the new "active" video games such as dance dance revolution or ddr. * Give positive feedback when your child exercises and makes wise food choices * Eat meals and snacks on as tight of a schedule as you can * Be aware of what your child may be eating at their friends houses * Keep only healthy foods in your house * Encourage your child to play outside on nice days * Consult with your doctor

Review your child's eating habits with your doctor. Ask your doctor if your child's eating habits are healthy and providing enough nutrition to your growing child. Try to avoid "dieting" but choose healthy eating and an active lifestyle instead.

There are many wonderful resources and books available on childhood obesity. Select the ones that encourage health and activity.

About the Author
Bill Herren is the webmaster for http://www.proweightloss.com bringing you top rated diet weight loss supplements and weight loss ebooks

I'm back from the Millionaire Mind Intensive

2006-05-29T00:42:00.000-04:00

Hello,

I'm back from the 3-Day Millionaire Mind Intensive, and let me tell you it was something! I never experienced such an intensive seminar, highly emotional with a bunch of practical individual and group exercises I also met many very interesting people from all walks of life, but with a common goal: achieving their full potential.

I made good contacts. One afternoon, I was sit aside a millionaire without knowing it. I learned about it when he came on stage in the context of an exercise. I'm planning doing business with him in the meantime I get my investor accreditation.

The most interesting is the teaching really works... Since the seminar and the work I've done on myself, opportunities knock on my door. In June, I leave for Toronto to meet some millionaires' personal investment coaches, and this fall I go to Orlando to attend the Millionaire School, a crash course in investments.

On the other hand, I come back full of energy to grow my business in Asian, Oceanian and North American markets. I've been highly encouraged to pursue my path toward full financial freedom and I've a unique opportunity to become a share holder of the company I represent by this Fall.

As you can see, I'm very enthusuatic about what I lived and the future that opens before me. I go back to the Millionaire Mind Intensive in Montreal this Fall, and maybe to the one in Toronto in June.

I lived such amazing things there that I wanted to share my experience with you. I also wanted to give you precisions in regard to the opportunity you have to access it at reduced price if you so desire.

I have till July 1st to give you tickets for the Millionaire Mind Intensive, good for two people, valid for 1 year and transferable, at the special price of about $25. After July 1st, if you want to attend the seminar, it will be $2590. It is given back in Montreal this Fall, in English plus simultaneous French translation, and in multiple other locations throughout the year.

I encourage you to take advantage of the offer. I would pay $2590 to attend the event again, but why not pay $25 and take the other $2565 to invest in some passive income investments of yours...

This about it, and let me know if you want to attend.

Remember: How you do anything is how you do everything.

Sincerest regards,

Stephan Bourget
Wellness Consultant
Millionaire Mind TeleClass
Millionaire Mind Evening
Millionaire Mind Intensive

Meditation - Transcending Your Limitations

2006-05-13T14:49:00.000-04:00

by Mark Altman

Many believe that the mind is divided into three parts: the conscious, the sub-conscious, and the super conscious. Our conscious mind is usually cluttered with distractions and noise, our sub-conscious holds suppressed past experiences, fears, and (imagined) limitations, but the super conscious is where our perfection and mastery reside.

Think back to a time in your life where everything "clicked", and you could do no wrong. It may have been for only a few minutes, but for that brief time you were invincible. Maybe you were shooting hoops, and you just couldn't miss. You felt so "on", you knew that every shot would be a "swish"... and it was. Possibly you were playing tennis, and you felt as though you could return every shot... and you did. Perhaps you were painting, and you felt like no stroke from your brush could be wrong... and the canvas turned out to be beautiful. Whether you were dancing, playing a musical instrument, programming a computer, or public speaking, I imagine that at some time in your life, you have experienced such a transcendence of your regular limitations. This state is known as "superconsciousness". If you have been to this space before, you would do anything to get there again. Unfortunately, therein lays the problem. When we try to analyze and pressure ourselves to reclaim "superconsciousness", we almost certainly fail.

One way of attaining super consciousness is through meditation. Meditation is the path to true self-awareness. Through meditation we can escape from the limitations that our conscious and sub-conscious mind subject us to.

Visit the SoundSleeping discussion page in the next few days when I will describe how you can use meditation to rise above your limitations.

In the meantime, consider the following advice: "Do not fear mistakes, there are none" - Miles Davis.

About the Author
Mark Altman is the webmaster of www.soundsleeping.com, a website containing free relaxing music, sleep-aids, stress reducing tools, relaxation advice, and an active discussion.

What are the benefits of Apricots?

2006-05-06T16:17:00.000-04:00

Don't be fooled. Although small in size and delicate in nature, apricots pack a powerful nutritional punch.

An excellent source of beta-carotene (Vitamin A), apricots also provide Vitamin C, iron, potassium, and fiber among other nutrients. Plus, apricots are versatile and mildly sweet, making them a smart choice for adding important vitamins and extra flavor to a healthy diet.

Apricots: A Fruit with Fighting Power

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene, a member of the anti-oxidant family, is believed to play a critical role in fighting disease. Apricots are a premium source of beta-carotene with just three fresh apricots containing about 30 percent of the recommended daily amount.

Vitamin A

The beta-carotene in apricots is converted to Vitamin A in the body. This nutrient helps protect the eyes and keep the skin, hair, gums and various glands healthy. It also helps build bones and teeth. Plus, research shows that Vitamin A helps to fight infection by maintaining strong immunity. For this reason, researchers are looking to apricots as a valuable source of beta-carotene's healing power. Note: beta-carotene is often called Vitamin A on food labels.

A Strong Anti-Oxidant Team

The unique mix of compounds found in apricots also makes this fruit a good choice for helping to fight heart disease. Along with beta-carotene, apricots contain the other powerful anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and lycopene. Combined, these compounds help protect against cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Learn More About Monavie

What are the benefits of Acerola?

2006-04-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

Acerola (Malphighia punicifolia L.) is a small tree or shrub that grows up to 5 m high in the dry, deciduous forest. It produces an abundance of bright red fruit 1-2 cm in diameter, with several small seeds that look similar to the European cherry. For this reason, acerola is also known as the Antilles, Barbados, Puerto Rican, or West Indian cherry tree. The mature fruits are juicy and soft with a pleasant, tart flavor. Acerola can be found growing wild and under cultivation on the sandy soils throughout northeastern Brazil. It is native to northern South America, Central America, and Jamaica. Its cousin, M. punicifolia, is present as far north as Florida and Texas.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Acerola juice is as common and popular in Brazil as orange juice is in North America. As a natural remedy in Brazil, a handful of fresh fruit is eaten for fever and dysentery. It is also used there as an anti-inflammatory, astringent, stimulant for the liver and renal systems, diuretic, and to support heart function as well as to heal wounds. It is employed as a nutritive aid for anemia, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, liver problems, rheumatism, tuberculosis, and during convalescence.

In North America, the use of acerola is mostly based on its high content of vitamin C, which has long been thought in conventional and alternative health practices as a powerful antioxidant.

PLANT CHEMICALS

Until the plant camu-camu appeared on the scene, acerola was considered the richest known source of natural vitamin C. Oranges provide 500 to 4,000 parts per million (ppm) of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, whereas acerola has been found in tests to provide ascorbic acid in a range of 16,000 to 172,000 ppm1,2 Acerola can contain up to 4.5% vitamin C, compared to 0.05% in a peeled orange. The vitamin C content of acerola varies depending on ripeness, season, climate, and locality.3 As the fruit begins to ripen, it loses a great deal of its vitamin content; for this reason, most commercially-produced acerola is harvested while still green.

Acerola also provides twice as much magnesium, pantothenic acid, and potassium as oranges. It also contains vitamin A (4,300 to 12,500 IU/100 g, compared to approximately 11,000 IU for raw carrots) and thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin in concentrations comparable to those in other fruits.

Thus far, 150 other constituents have been identified in acerola.4 In addition to ascorbic acid and the other vitamins mentioned above, acerola contains 3-methyl-3-butenol, dehydroascorbic acid, calcium, dextrose, diketogulonic acid, fructose, furfural, hexadecanoic acid, iron, limonene, l-malic acid, phosphorus, protein, and sucrose.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Acerola has not been the subject of much clinical research since it is mainly consumed as a food, rather than used as an herbal remedy. In one in vitro study, the leaves, bark, and fruit of acerola were reported to have antifungal properties. New findings show that acerola may potentiate the benefits and actions of other supplements (the cholesterol-lowering actions of soy and alfalfa, in one study).

Recent research in cosmetology indicates that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger for the skin, and acerola extracts are now appearing in skin care products that fight cellular aging. In addition to its vitamin content, acerola contains mineral salts that have shown to aid in the remineralization of tired and stressed skin, and its mucilage and proteins have skin-hydrating properties and promote capillary conditioning.

CURRENT PRACTICAL USES

In North America, acerola is used for its high content of vitamin C. Dried acerola fruit extracts can now be found in tablet form and as an ingredient in many over-the-counter multivitamin products in the United States as a natural form of vitamin C.

Traditional Remedy:In South America, acerola juice is freely consumed like most other fruit juices. Consumers in the United States should take acerola supplements based on the vitamin C content provided in the products available in the marketplace. The adult recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60-75 mg daily. Therapeutic dosages of vitamin C for colds and flu, general illnesses, and debility are 1-5 g daily.

Drug Interactions: None reported

Learn More About Monavie

Stress management - How a quick and simple exercise saved me from being driven to destruction by road rage

2006-04-22T02:03:00.000-04:00

by James Tan

Everything happened so quickly, a huge object swept past my peripheral vision. Next I heard the sound of ripping metal.

'What the...' I was shouting at the top of my voice, as the realization dawned on me and I banged on the steering wheel in anger.

I regained my composure and saw that the car had slowed down and has stopped at the side of the road.

I got out and very well know that I could explode and things would turn ugly.

You see, I was involved in an auto incident 5 years ago, and I emerged with a baseball bat to confront the owner of the other car, luckily he sped off before I had the time to do some damage.

This time, I told myself that I had to cool down. Instantly, I began doing the special breathing exercise that I had learnt.

When the other driver got off and I was walking towards her, I knew that everything would be under control. I could feel my anger disappearing and my heartbeat returning to normal.

You see, I had been practicing various methods of stress management, and felt that the quality of my life does seem to improve and I seem to have most things under control. But this incident is the ultimate litmus test. It would be the event that lends testimony to the effectiveness of my years of practice.

I'm glad to say that everything went fine and we managed to end our exchange in a civilized manner.

So what have I been practicing that has such a profound effect on controlling stress?

I have studied and practiced numerous methods and areas including: Progressive muscle relaxation, Aromatherapy oil, Power of positive thinking, Positive affirmation, Creative visualization, Meditation technique, Breathing exercise, Relaxation exercise and Relaxation music. I have also explored the concept of brain wave and its relation to stress including: Alpha brain wave, Binaural beat, Silva Mind Control and Stress Hypnosis.

However, I'm going to talk about the 'special breathing' method that had enabled me to keep my cool in almost an instant. You could also use this method to help you in times when you need to keep the pressure down, and in a hurry!

Learning to breathe properly is actually essential for stress control, as it aids in relaxing your body and mind. In fact, specific breathing methods are employed together with meditation to bring about a relaxed state of mind.

Try this exercise NOW.

Take a deep breath now.

Watch where the air goes.

See your chest expanding as you inhale and compressing during your exhale?

Good.

Let me tell you something.

You are breathing INCORRECTLY!

You must be thinking, 'What's wrong? Don't everyone breathe this way?'

Yes, most people breathe that way, and they are all wrong.

Now, why do we breathe this way?

Look at how a baby or animal breathes. You will notice that instead of the chest expanding, their stomach expands.

This is Abdominal breathing and it is the proper way to breathe, it is not taught, but naturally and instinctively observed by babies and animals.

We all used to breathe like that when we were young, but then we grew up, go through life experiencing stress, anxiety, fear, anger and tension. When that happens, our breathing quickens. To enable us to breath faster, our body learns to stop our breath at the chest level. Very soon we will automatically breathe to the chest without realizing this change in habit.

To learn abdominal breathing, begin by noticing your normal breathing, which should be quick and shallow.

Consciously slow down your breath and begin to breathe down, expanding your lower abdomen.

Then slowly exhale and consciously pull in your abdominal while forcing out all the air.

Do this for a minute or two each time, and do several sessions throughout the day.

Do this diligently, and in no time, your body will take over and you will eventually be doing abdominal breathing without realizing it.

You will begin to find that you are calmer, not easily ruffled and also have a lot more energy to see yourself through the day.

After you are sufficiently proficient in abdominal breathing, you would have built a solid base to reap the benefits of Meditation.

I'll talk to you soon.

About the Author
James Tan has dedicated his life to exploring the human mind's potential in stress management areas after suffering a fatal auto accident, which has been the turning point of his life.

His website http://www.stress-relief-and-management.com contains various tips and advices, including a newsletter 'Taming the Monkey mind' and a free 28 part ecourse of stress managing tips.

Immunity and the immune system

2006-04-16T14:06:00.000-04:00

by Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This change is due to the change in farming from the natural farming process which has developed over 1000's of years to a modern scientific farming which has changed farming into an industry. This food industry is not interested in producing good quality nutritional food for the nation but food that is easy to store and cheap to produce which in tern will maximise profit. This has changed the western diet to concise of high sugar, fat and protein which is low in vital nutrients.

Not only since the 1930's has the western diet changed but also people's lifestyles have changed. The over use of antibiotics, stress at work, lack of exercise, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, use of recreational drugs, increases in obesity and low nutritional status of food all affect the immune system and are contributing to the increase in degenerative diseases in western societies.

Since the 1930's over 3500 man-made chemicals have found their way into modern day food, this does not include hormones, pesticides and antibiotics which are in foods such as meat and grains. These chemicals are not only unnatural but stop nutrients being absorbed and used which hampers the body's action to heal itself.

In the UK today, 50,000 chemicals are released into the environment by industry and 400 million litres of herbicides and pesticides are used. We in the UK consume 83 billion cigarettes, 80 million painkillers, 26 billion alcoholic drinks and a quarter of a million tons of food chemicals. All of this adds up to a nation whose immune systems are seriously compromised.

The immune system is affected for better or for worst by the food that is consumed. Foods such as meat, sugar, salt, saturated fats, alcohol, dairy products and processed foods all have a negative affect on the immune system.

People who consume large amounts of meat are more likely suffer from cancer in later life than those who don't. Meat is high in saturated fats, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides. These all compromise the immune system.

White sugar has around 90% of its minerals and vitamins removed which when consumed makes the metabolism become inefficient, contributing to weight problems, poor energy control and unbalanced blood sugar levels.

Alcohol abuse severely compromises the immune system. Alcoholics suffer from malnutrition due to the reduction of food, impaired metabolism leading to weight loss and suffer from toxicity of the intestines. Alcohol is linked to cancer, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Regular heavy drinking can lose up to 10 years of your life expectancy by aging the liver, kidneys, heart and brain. Too much alcohol depletes the body of the minerals zinc, calcium, magnesium and also the B vitamins.?

Salt causes high blood pressure, irritates the stomach and retains fluid.

Dairy produces especially milk causes allergies and intolerances both in adults and children. Milk is also a risk factor for diabetes.

Foods that are good for the immune system are foods that are high in antioxidants such as fresh fruit and vegetables especially broccoli, watercress, carrots and peas. Eating plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and oily fish will boost your immune system. Research has shown that people who consume large amounts of fruit and vegetables have less genetic damage which is one of the precursors to cancer.

Consuming fruit and vegetables such as apples, prunes, citrus fruits, cabbage and lettuce which are high in flavonoids will also boost your immune system. Flavonoids are substances found in plants that can protect your body from disease.

Soy beans are high in isoflavones which are one of the most potent anti-carcinogens of all. Soy products are also good at preventing heart disease.

Oily fish contains Omega 3 oils which keep arteries healthy, reduces the risk of blood clots and lowers cholesterol. Fish high in Omega 3 are salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring.?

Including pre-biotic food such as leeks, Chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, oats and bananas in your diet will strengthen your gut defence system. Your lifestyle has a huge bearing on your immune system. Pollution, smoking, work stress, lack of sleep, being overweight, lack of exercise and excessive sunbathing all has a negative effect on your immune system.

Pollutants such as pollen, free radicals, household and industrial chemicals, lead, CFCs, carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke, bacteria, pesticides, chlorine, colourants and aluminium are a fact of every day life. These pollutants and toxins have a negative affect on our bodies. The liver, kidneys, skin and bowel are responsible for removing these pollutants and toxins from our bodies. If these organs are working below par due to a suppressed immune system then toxins will remain in our bodies. This will cause allergies and sensitivities and weakening the immune system further.

Stress, repressed anger, depression and chronic worries depress our immune system by reducing the ability of immune cells to form antibodies. It is a well known fact that when we are stressed we are more likely to get ill. Stress increases blood sugar and lipids which contributes to heart disease, infections and cancer.

Being overweight due to lack of exercise and excessive eating can increase the risk of hypertension and diabetes by 10%.

Sun bathing uses up anti-oxidants and can age the skin up to 10 years. Too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.

Smoking cigarettes uses up large amounts of vitamin C and other anti-oxidants, this can leave smokers vulnerable to cancer and heart disease. Smoking ages the lungs, skin, circulation, heart and can lead to early menopause and osteoporosis.?

Since the 1930's both diet and lifestyle has changed. Although there is an abundance of food, it tends to be substandard in nutritional value. The lack of nutrition in our food with the addition of stresses of modern day lifestyles is suppressing our immune systems at a time when we need it most. This combination has lead to a rise in degenerative diseases despite western societies spending billions in health care.

About the Author

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Advice for a healthier natural life

website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com

Magnesium and calcium

2006-04-11T14:05:00.000-04:00

by Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

The human body needs magnesium for the metabolism of calcium, vitamin C, sodium, potassium and phosphorous. It contains approximately 21g of magnesium. Adults require between 300 to 400 mg per day and pregnant and lactating women need a little bit more. Magnesium is vital for effective muscle and nerve functioning, it is known as the anti-stress mineral. It is used for converting blood sugar into energy.

Magnesium helps the human body in fighting depression, promotes a healthier cardiovascular system, aids in the prevention of heart attacks, brings relief from indigestion, it helps to stop calcium deposits in the kidneys and the formation of gallstones, it keeps teeth and bones healthy, it is essential for energy production and is involved as a co-factor in many enzymes in the body.

The signs of magnesium deficiency in the body are muscle spasms or tremors, nervousness, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, convulsions or fits, depression, hyperactivity, constipation, confusion, lack of appetite and calcium deposited in soft tissue. Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition where the muscles of the colon become over-tight, magnesium aids the intestine to become relax and it also improves muscle tone within the colon. This helps food to pass through the colon easier.?

Magnesium is found in apples, figs, lemons, dark green vegetables, grapefruit, seeds, corn, nuts, almonds, wheatgerm, cashew nuts, brewer's yeast, buckwheat flour, brazil nuts, peanuts, pecan nuts, cooked beans, garlic, raisins, green peas, potato skin and crab.

Aspartate, amino acid chelate, gluconate, oronate are all good quality forms of magnesium as the body can utilise them easily, magnesium oxide is cheap but unsuitable because it neutralises stomach acids. With all these forms of magnesium there is a concentration problem, a large amount is needed to deliver a small amount of magnesium which can be expensive. The organic and highly concentrated citrate and acetate are therefore the best source of magnesium.

It is best to take no more than 1000mg per day to avoid toxicity.

Diuretics, alcohol, large amounts of calcium in milk products, proteins, spinach, rhubarb, fats, wheat bran and bread will rob magnesium from the body.

Magnesium is often used alongside a therapeutic diet because it is one of the macro-minerals; we need it in large quantities like calcium, potassium and sodium to maintain a cell's electrical stability. It is responsible for the functioning of over 300 enzymes and is essential for major metabolic reactions. There are very few enzymes that can work without magnesium; it is known to help maintain healthy bones, muscles, tissue, lung airways, blood vessels and nerves. The lack of magnesium leads to cell death due to depletion of energy stores.

Between 25% and 75% of the total intake by the body of magnesium is likely to be absorbed. Calcium and magnesium both compete for absorption by the body but only a certain amount can be absorbed. To be absorbed Calcium needs vitamin D whereas magnesium does not, vitamin A can help the absorption of magnesium.

As many other macro-minerals magnesium is secreted by the kidneys. The hormone called aldosterone which comes from the adrenal cortex and is responsible for the sodium/potassium secretion affects the absorption in the kidneys. Less magnesium will be reabsorbed if a lot of calcium is also being reabsorbed.

Many people are magnesium deficient because modern agriculture methods are producing crops that have little magnesium in them. It is important that these people eat organic foods and supplement their diet with magnesium supplements.

Magnesium on its own given without calcium is a mover of toxins as it corrects the sodium/potassium balance. Magnesium is slowed down by calcium which makes its effects gentle. In most cases of calcium deficiency there is no need to give calcium supplements. It is more commonly used to slow down the quick clearing action of magnesium.

When taking a client's case history it is important to find out as much information concerning elimination, whether it is weak or strong which will indicate the amount of toxin that are being released. Magnesium without calcium should be given if elimination is strong and if elimination is weak then magnesium with calcium should be given. The ratio of twice as much magnesium as calcium is a suggested dosage. i.e. 500mg of magnesium to 250mg of calcium.

If a patient is showing acute symptoms and they are poor at eliminating toxins then the ratio is vital. If magnesium is given on it's own and the symptoms get worst then the calcium levels should be increased. This should be on a 1 to 1 ratio, for example 500mg of magnesium to 500mg of Calcium.

Some patients misuse Calcium and the only way to counter this is to reduce the magnesium dose to under 300mg without using calcium. The magnesium dose should then be gradually increased. The whole aim of this is to eliminate smoothly and efficiently without violent reactions.?

As illustrated the body needs minerals to remain in a healthy condition. Magnesium a micro-mineral is vital because it is needed in large daily amounts to regulate and balance the body. Magnesium is important because it works alongside calcium to maintain bone density, nerve and muscle impulses. The average diet is high in calcium and low in magnesium, this is due to modern farming and food refining methods. Magnesium is essential for enzymes in the body working with vitamins B1 and B6. It is involved in protein synthesis which is vital for hormone production. Its role in prostaglandin or hormone production may be the reason why it has beneficial effects on pre-menstrual problems. A lack of magnesium has negative effects on the heart, causing cramps, spasms and even heart attacks. It is for all these reasons that magnesium is seen as a vital mineral and it is therefore a good idea to include it along side a therapeutic diet.

About the Author

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Advice for a healthier natural life

website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com

Dr. Ralph Carson speaks on MonaVie

2006-04-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

Click here to read an article from Dr. Ralph Carson on MonaVie. This article provides a great introduction on the science of MonaVie.

Five Steps to Accomplish Your Goals

2006-04-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

by Christy Geiger

Do you find yourself amazed at how quickly the months pass? Do you find yourself in a small panic over all you know you have to do and how little you feel you are actually accomplishing? Join the crowd! We live in a busy world where our time, priorities and energy are constantly challenged. The reality is that there is simply not time for everything and we don't have enough energy to complete everything.

What do we do? There are 5 simple steps to create greater success by managing our time and getting things done in business and life that are important.
1. EVALUATE. What do I really want? Where am I headed? What am I doing now?
2. GET REAL. What is really important that will impact and support your long term goals the best? What is not important? What is distracting me? What is not really supporting my long term goal?
3. PLAN. What do I need to do to accomplish my goal? What are the KEY action steps? How will I do this? What schedule or strategy will keep me focused?
4. FOCUS. Who do you need to be and what structures do you need to have to accomplish this (mindset, attitude, accountability)?
5. MONITOR/EVALUATE. Am I doing little, unimportant things? Am I procrastinating? What is working/ what is not? How could I streamline what I am doing?

What happens with good intentions and goals... Plans begin as ideas in our head; we desire to have or do something. The key to the success of the idea is a plan. You know the saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Sometime our ideas will make it to paper in the form of a SMART goal and sometime not. If we do write a goal people sometimes we will create some action steps, but rarely do they take the time to thoroughly think through what actions are actually needed at each stage to accomplish the goal completely. Sometimes people will start planning and get overwhelmed at how much work it will actually take or get overwhelmed with the process and give up. Often our goals remain our dreams because we fail to carve out time to make them reality. A management tip is to create a plan from start to finish. With this plan, decide if you have the time, energy, resources and desire to bring it to completion. Next, estimate HOW LONG each task will actually take. It is common to underestimate how much time each step will take and therefore it never gets done. Remember, if you are going to add something to your schedule, you must also plan to say "No!" to something else to make time to accomplish your goal.

Step 1: EVALUATE... To create an effective plan, begin with a careful evaluation. Most people are constantly evaluating their present state without much problem. We are constantly assessing, "What do I really want right now?" We look at things around us and talk about what we would like to be different in our life. We talk about our goals, New Year's Resolutions, current intentions, etc. We often state them as fact and sincerely intend to accomplish those in our life. We see how they would make a positive difference and desire for them to happen. There is a small percentage of people who also evaluate the questions, "Where am I headed?" and "What will it take for me to get there?" Evaluation is a tool that allows you to anchor where you are now, determine where you want to go and create markers along the way to ensure you stay on course. Without a longer term vision, we tend to react to current situations, "I need to make more money, I need to lose weight, I need to get this business off the ground, etc." This leads to wandering through life without focus or purpose. Evaluate the present and then also evaluate the future and what it would take to get there.

Step 2: GET REAL... Then, get real. Does this fit in with where you are headed with your long term goals in your life? What is doing this going to get you? What is the cost (consider time, money, energy, emotional, etc.) Are you willing to pay it? If you do really want this, what is going to be important that you do? What is distracting you from making this happen?
Identify Key Result Items:
o Write exactly where you are headed and what this is going to get you.
o Identify what you will have to do and write that down.
o Identify what you will have to say "no" to and commit to 3 things you will have to stop to make this happen. Identify what this will "cost" and write down how you will "pay" for it. (This is not just financial, it may be something intangible like - COST: time with the family, PAYMENT: work later during week, but home Friday for dinner and family day all Saturday.)
o Identify 5 main distractions and how you can eliminate those.

Step 3: PLAN... Next, plan what it will take to make this happen. You already have some Key Result Items from your Get Real Exercise. Take those and add to the list other ideas of what you know you will need to do to accomplish your goal. What are specific action steps you will need to take? Stop a minute and in your mind focus on your long term goal. See it in full and complete form. What is there? What are you doing? What do you notice about yourself and your actions? Now, in your mind walk backwards what did you do to get there? For example, if part of my long term goal is to have a thriving independent business, I may visualize myself in an office with the flexibility to be remote. Part of what I would need to do is establish an office, design portable systems, have a virtual assistant, have tools and resources for office work, etc. This becomes one Key Result Area: A functional Office. Then I walk backwards and plan steps I would have taken to create this functional office. Put dates on each broken-down action step and estimate what it will take to make each step happen (time, cost, etc.). Allocate completion targets accordingly.

Step 4: FOCUS... Now that you have your plan flushed out and in place, who do you need to be to accomplish this? Going back to your vision of your completed goal, what mindset and attitude did you have throughout the project? How did you do this? What schedule or strategy kept you focused? What systems of accountability did you have in place? What kept you on track and focused? One of the most common errors people make is IF they get their plan complete, they begin work and get caught up in the rush of life again and start reacting and forget about their plan. When you created your plan you were looking at the big picture. When you are working in the trenches of life, you are limited to see what is in front of you, unless you stick to the plan. There is nothing wrong with evaluating and refining your plan as you go, but only when you are looking at it in perspective of the whole picture and not the short term moment. The story is told about the caravan crossing the Sahara desert. The desert was barren and large. Many parties got lost crossing the great plains as they could not see their destination over the horizon. A team went in and put in markers for travelers to focus on as they crossed so they would use each marker as a point of reference until they could see the city. This allows many parties to cross the treacherous desert in the most direct and efficient path. This is your plan. Plan it well, establish milestones to focus on, trust them and stay the course!

Step 5: Monitor... Step back occasionally and evaluate what you are doing. Go back to step one. How are you doing? What is working what is not? Are you on track or off course? Make adjustments to get on track, re-design what is not working to new solutions and refine the plan in area that would increase efficiency or results toward your goal. Keep your long-term goal in mind and check to make sure your short term goals are supporting the long term goals. Notice your behavior. Accomplishing big goals is hard work. Plan first and keep your eyes on the pre-set short term goal that position you to reach your bigger vision.

Bottom line... None of these strategies are rocket science. The challenge is to maintain the discipline, focus and clarity to implement these basic strategies. Evaluate your long term goal, be realistic, plan, set structures for focus and have check points to monitor. Invest your time in your plan and maintain the course once it is set. If you are serious about these goals, take action today. Insure your success by developing an accountably system for yourself. Hire a coach as your strategic partner to run with you. Find a buddy in a similar situation. Whatever it is, build environments to support your vision. Take the time to plan and design structures for success and you will see a difference! Here's to you and your success! Have fun!

About the Author
Christy Geiger is a strategic planning coach and the owner of Synergy Strategies, a business and life-coaching company that works with IBOs and professionals to implement their thousands of great ideas in ways that will maximize time, energy and effort! Through solid vision, goal and strategy planning, clients are able to maximize their personal effectiveness and accomplish their mission! Visit www.synergystrategies.com

The Most Successful Person I Know

2006-03-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

by Brad Swift

I'm going out on a limb today by writing about the most successful person that I know. It feels like going out on a limb because the person is ME, and I'm aware that to others this may sound egotistical and arrogant.

So, let me explain. First, it's taken me years, actually decades, to realize that each of us have the opportunity to choose for ourselves our definition of success. For the first 30-40 years of my life, I allowed my definition to be determined by the GREAT AMERICAN DREAM. You know the one that says you're not really a success until you have at least one huge house (2 or more is even more successful), a couple of fancy cars, take expensive vacations to luxury resorts, eat out 3-4 nights a week, etc.

But now I realize that for me success is having 'clarity of purpose,' really knowing one's true purpose in life and allowing that purpose to shape life. The level of success then isn't about how much 'stuff' you have, but how truly you are living on purpose.

And I'm so very grateful to say that I live a life of purposeful, passionate, and playful service, a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity and a life of spiritual serenity. And since I know my life better than I know anyone else's life, I can honestly say I am the most successful person I know.

And last of all, I'd like to thank the CEO of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. for making this all possible. BTW, the initials, CEO, mean the Cosmic Enlightened Officer. I'll let you figure out who I mean by that.

Until next time, here's to your being the most successful person you know as well.

©2005 Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.

About the Author
Dr. Brad Swift founded Life On Purpose Institute in 1996 with the vision of creating a World On Purpose by assisting people like yourself to clarify their life purpose & live true to it. Determine how on or off purpose your life is with the fun & insightful Self Test at: http://lifeonpurpose.com/_forms/self-test.php?source=ezart Inspire yourself with a fr.ee subscription to Purposeful Pondering Ezine: http://lifeonpurpose.com

Saving On Wedding Dresses

2006-03-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

by Terry Langford

Saving on wedding dresses is something that every bride wants to learn how to do. If you are planning to get married anytime soon then you need to get up on all of the best ways to save money on wedding dresses. And it is good to note that there are plenty ways to save on wedding dresses and most of them are easy to find online.

One of the simplest ways for you to save on wedding dresses is to get one from a family member. If your grandmother or your mother or even your sister had a great dress when she got married then you should consider asking them if you could wear one of these wedding dresses on your wedding day. Not only will this save you money on wedding dresses it will also add to the sentimentality of the entire day. You will be helping to build a tradition in this wedding dress.

There is another very handy way for you to save on wedding dresses and this is to purchase a simple wedding dress that does not have a lot of details on it. These plain types of dresses tend to be much less expensive. Oftentimes when wedding dresses are purchased the high costs are due to the expensive embroidery or the fine details like lace and or pearls and other gems. If you get one of these plain types of wedding dresses you can then add your own details to it. If you are good with a needle you can even sew on your own pearls turning your wedding dress into a work of art. This is one of the most fabulous ways to save money on wedding dresses.

These are only a couple of was to save money on wedding dresses if you would like to read some more ideas all you have to do is a search online.

About the Author
Terry Langford is the owner of Wedding Dress Central (http://www.weddingdresscentral.com) Her site is a great resource for finding wedding dresses of all sizes and budgets.

Black Hair Basics

2006-03-24T14:32:00.000-05:00

by David Riewe

The typical hair and hair follicles of those of African descent are tightly curled, thus producing hair that spirals. Black hair also typically has a larger diameter than Caucasian hair and retains less water, thus its relative "kinkiness." The many styling methods utilized on Black hair cause concern with hair loss. Black hair is very strong, fortunately so because Black hair styles cause a great deal of stress on the hair and scalp.

For example, using a hair pick to pick the hair up to a bushy style is a very damaging process due to the constant pulling causing stress on the hair shaft as well as the follicle. In fact, combing Black hair in general can create high stress on Black hair and cause breakage, which perpetuates dryness. Conrowing and braiding are methods of hairstyling that pull the hair tight, and this can cause a great deal of stress on the hair and scalp resulting in hair loss. Braiding that results in the hair being pulled very tight can cause traumatic alopecia, a hair loss that is caused by trauma to the hair and scalp. Traumatic alopecia is usually reversible with proper hair care.

Hot combs and relaxers used to straighten hair can cause a great deal of heat and chemical damage to hair and scalp, which can also cause traumatic alopecia, and over time can cause permanent hair loss. This becomes especially true when the heat or chemically processed hair is pulled tight by rollers or a hot curling iron.

Hot oil conditioners are excellent for Black hair, as hot oil treatments contain proteins and polymers vital to repairing the hair cuticles. Hot oil treatments involve heating the oil and putting it into the hair and scalp, then covering the hair with a plastic cap to allow the oil to soak in. Follow the recommendations on the treatment you are using for the amount of time you should leave the treatment on the hair. This process can heal breakages and shinier stronger hair will be the result.

Consider that hair relaxers commonly used on Black hair contain lye or similar chemicals that break down the hair shaft. Left on beyond the recommended time, these chemicals would eat right through the hair and cause it to fall out in clumps. This is why these same products are used in products like Drano® to clean clogged drains which often are clogged by hair. No-lye relaxers are very popular today, mainly because it leads people to believe that the product is not caustic. This is far from the truth. The combination of calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate are combined to form guanidine hydroxide, which could just as easily clean a sink. Repeated use of such products can cause some degree of hair loss, and if scarring occurs while using these chemicals, the hair loss can be permanent in that area of the scalp. One must ask themselves is it wise to place such caustic chemicals in the hair on a regular basis for the sake of desired appearance? The question must be answered by each individual, however the facts should be known.

There is little that can be done to alleviate this syndrome without changing the typical hairstyles of African Americans. There is a catch-22 concerning relaxing Black hair, since combing natural Black hair causes so much stress and breakage of hair, while chemicals cause so much harm to the hair and scalp as well. There are a few hair-relaxing products on the market that use chemicals and are somewhat less harsh than sodium hydroxide (lye) or its popular equivalent in "no-lye" relaxers: calcium hydroxide (quicklime) mixed with guanidine carbonate. One such product is called Natural-Laxer® and Sahara Clay® by Baka ProductsTM that has been on the market since 1990. This product is all natural and because it does not contain many of the harsh chemicals of commercial relaxers and actually contains only a finely ground plant called Daphne Gnidium and clay from Africa it is figured to be relatively safe. Of course this product does not straighten hair in most instances the same way as commercial relaxers, however it does tend to make Black hair more manageable. There is yet another product on the market that is reported to be 92-96% natural which is called Naturalaxer Kit In A Jar™ that does not require the applicant to comb through the hair during the application, which results in a lot less damage.

Of course the bottom line is once again, if you can leave your hair in its natural state then you will experience less stress and damage to the hair and thus prevent at least one cause of hair loss. There is a growing segment of the Black population that is becoming comfortable with wearing their hair in natural styles. One such style is dreadlocks. There are many rumors and myths concerning dreadlocks, as there is little proper information available concerning this style, and as with anything that is misunderstood many myths arise around it. Dreadlocks can and must be washed; otherwise they will smell badly like any other dirty hair. The best process to use to wash dreadlocks is to use a residue-free shampoo. Most commercially made shampoos leave residue and can cause hair not to lock, lending fuel to the rumor that hair had to be dirty to form dreadlocks. Clean hair actually locks much better than dirty hair, as dirt is a residue in itself that will inhibit hair from locking. For best results one should use a fragrance free, conditioner free shampoo. Dreadlocks do not react well to oily and greasy substances, yet there are many good substances that are on the market today that will assist you in forming dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks are formed through a process, not simply by not combing or brushing the hair. Generally, one should start with hair about two inches in length, and the hair should be separated into even squares of hair and twisted gently together using a bonding or gel substance. Many use natural beeswax containing no petroleum, while others use loc and twist gels specifically formulated for locks. Once the hair is separated and twisted into small locks, it is important that they are left alone and allowed to bond naturally. The length of time it will take to lock will depend on the coarseness of your hair, but one can normally expect to wait several months before locks begin to form. While the hair is locking, it will need to be washed. Here is where washing should be extended for a while if possible, so that the hair can be allowed to lock for two weeks to about a month without manipulation. When you do wash your hair, use a stocking cap or "do-rag", and low-pressure water to make sure that the newly forming locks do not come loose. It will be necessary to rinse for a much longer time than you normally do, because of the lower pressure of the water and the lack of direct manipulation of your hair with your hands. The water is good for your hair and locking process, so this is not a problem. It is also imperative as indicated before that you use a shampoo that does not contain a conditioner and leaves as little residue as possible. A little research on your

part will be necessary here; your health food store should contain a variety of natural shampoos. Have a skilled professional or a friend re-twist the hair gently, reapplying the twist gel or beeswax that you used previously. Repeat this process every two weeks to a month, the longer you are able to wait the better, and within a few months your hair will begin to lock. Again, if you have a fine grade of hair rather than a kinky grade of hair, a beautician skilled at forming locks ("locktitian") or a friend who is very familiar with the hairstyle should be consulted. Even though dreadlocks are mainly a hairstyle for Blacks, there are other races that have people that enjoy the hairstyle. In general, it tends to be a style of hair that in the long run will give the hair and scalp needed rest from the rigors of chemical and heat treatments and rigorous combing and brushing, and therefore can contribute to longer life for your hair.

About the Author
Warning: This report may be helpful to your hair! http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/hairlossprevention

Flu Dead Reveal Ghostly Secrets To Save The Living!

2006-03-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

by Arthur Craig Miller

As the dreaded bird flu spreads it's sub-microscopic virus tentacles across Asia, and makes an unwelcome European appearance in Romania and Turkey, scientists have returned to the past. They seek to unearth the hidden secrets of the dead in order to hopefully save our generation.

The Spanish Flu or Great Influenza Pandemic killed as many as 40 to 100 million people globally during 1918-1919, and then mysteriously disappeared. The greatest plague in history decimated mankind - claiming more lives than the Great War. The social effects were extreme and horrific, due to the speed of the epidemic. AIDS killed 25 million in its first 25 years, but the Flu Pandemic may have killed more in only 25 weeks, beginning in September 1918.

The sufferers were "tortured" by the virus, as it consumed their life force. Victims bled from their eyes, mouth, nose and ears. Skin, starved of oxygen turned blue, so that doctors were unable to distinguish between Europeans and Afro-Americans.

It is possible that the stresses of combat, possibly combined with the effects of chemical warfare, may have weakened soldiers' immune systems thereby increasing their vulnerability to the influenza disease and accelerating its spread. Certainly the close, confined quarters and mass movement of troop ships and vehicles returning from the war fronts, advanced the flu process. Tragically those soldiers that survived the horrors of war, then fell to an "unseen" enemy.

Now, in October 2005, scientists claim they have found that the avian flu that's emerging in the Far East shares some of the same genetic characteristics as the flu virus that caused the 1918 pandemic.

Understanding what made the Spanish flu so virulent and lethal, may lead to new vaccine targets and antiviral drugs that might protect and treat people should the avian flu H5N1 (bird influenza) become a pandemic.

Scientists are building protein-coding sequences of the 1918 virus. Samples of the virus were obtained from the lungs of victims bodies, exhumed from tombs in the UK, USA and the permafrost of Alaska.

"Using these materials, we have been able to piece together the entire genetic coding of the 1918 virus" said Study co-author Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, chief of the department of molecular pathology at the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

So as the experts search the dead for answers - and race for vaccines and cures, we living can only wait, watch and prepare as we remember the warning issued by The World Health Organization's Klaus Stohr during 2004: "There is no doubt there will be another pandemic. The number of people affected will go beyond billions because between 25 percent and 30 percent will fall ill. Pandemics occur when a completely new flu strain emerges for which humans have no immunity. An influenza pandemic will spare nobody. Every country will be affected..."

About the Author
Arthur Craig Miller is a medical writer and researcher. He became interested in the common cold and flu cure, after nearly losing his child to a near fatal lung disease. A staunch advocate of the ColdARREST™ 3 minute drug-free procedure: http://www.common-cold-cure-influenza-flu-vaccine.com/spanish-influenza.html Breaking influenza news, help and treatments - website - video - RSS/XML feeds...

Optimism - Explore The Possibility

2006-03-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

by Mark Myhre

Copyright 2005 Mark Myhre

We constantly project into the future.

We can't help it; that's part of what makes us human. Our frontal lobes - the area of the brain right behind the forehead - constantly thinks about the future. Creating, reviewing, rehearsing, and discarding various scenarios about what will happen. (And what won't happen...)

"What's gonna happen?"

"What's gonna happen?"

"What's gonna happen?"

Projecting into the future rates as normal, healthy, human behavior. If -

If we're projecting positive, healthy thoughts and feelings.

All too often, however, those projections are NOT based on positive, optimistic thoughts. Rather, they consist of quite negative ones.

According to the world's foremost expert on optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman, everyone is born optimistic. And yet, 95% of grownups are pessimists, not optimists. What goes wrong?

What turns youthful optimism into grown-up pessimism - and so often cynicism as well? The answer consists of two words - pain and shame.

As a youth, every human experiences pain and shame. It's an unavoidable part of the heritage of today's society.

Maybe the pain and shame were severe, maybe not.

A tender young seedling can be crushed (or deformed) much more easily than a full-grown tree. It doesn't take a lot of abuse - or neglect - to produce a lifetime of damage.

The nature of shame involves passing it on from one generation to the next.

The worthlessness, the 'dirtiness', the rage that I feel becomes like a hot potato and I find myself compelled to pass it on - and always to someone weaker than me.

Just like the worthlessness, the 'dirtiness', and the rage were given to me by my parents so I must pass it on to my kids.

And thus begins the warping, the twisting, the distorting, of my youthful optimism into the grown-up pessimism.

Shame involves a lot more, but you get the idea. It's not biological. It's not genetic. It's part of the heritage.

One of the end results of shame is that I become pessimistic and often times cynical as well. However, instead of calling it 'pessimism'. I call it 'intelligence'.

"It won't work. That's a stupid idea."

"It'll never fly."

"You can't do that."

"Nobody's gonna get the best of me! I'm too smart!"

I call it 'street smarts' as I really become too LAZY to do the work of evaluating. Thinking and feeling is hard work. Cynicism and judgments, however, seem to come with almost no effort at all.

Instead of exerting the effort to carefully evaluate a situation, I become blinded by my own pessimism. I become cynical of everything but my own cynicism.

(And I must never, ever, ever question my own assumptions!)

95% of the population finds itself in this boat without even realizing it. Of course, very few people label themselves as pessimistic. In fact, we like to think of ourselves as open-minded optimists.

Why the misconception? Maybe we just don't understand the value and significance of optimism. Maybe we don't see how important it really is.

The Value Of Optimism

One study stands out as perhaps the best scientific exploration of optimism -

C. Peterson, M. Seligman, and G. Vaillant, "Pessimistic Explanatory Style as a Risk Factor for Physical Illness: A Thirty-five Year Longitudinal Study", J Person Soc Psych 55 (1988): 23-7.

Three main discoveries came out of this classic paper thirty five years in the making:

1. Optimists live longer than pessimists.

2. Optimists suffer from fewer and less severe diseases.

3. Optimists are much healthier than pessimists.

Besides these obvious health benefits, optimism also implies a higher quality of life.

Quality of life - manifested as greater success, greater happiness and greater love. A life of accomplishment. A life lived full and rich. A life worth living. A life you can be proud of. A life you can sink your teeth into. These are some of the benefits of being an optimist.

Improving your optimism rates as one of the most important actions you can take to improve your life. It doesn't come automatically, though. It takes effort. It takes deliberate, conscious awareness of your thoughts and feelings. And then acting on that awareness.

Here's one starting point:

Practice your 'possibility thinking' and your 'possibility feeling'. Give yourself permission to think new thoughts and feel new feelings.

"Hey, wouldn't it be great if I got that promotion at work?"

And when the negativity creeps in -

"Get real. You know it'll never happen."

Just answer it -

"Yeah, but what if it did?"

"Well, it probably won't."

"Yeah but what if it did?"

And stick with it. You can always outlast that negative voice inside, if you want to. You can always get in the last word.

Try it with one thing in your life. Then try it with another. And along with those thoughts, always remember to feel the feelings that come along with your thoughts.

Possibility thinking and feeling. It's worth a shot. And what if it really worked? What if things changed?

How would THAT feel?

About the Author
Mark Ivar Myhre, The Emotional Healing Wizard, offers unique cutting-edge emotional healing tips, techniques and secrets that teach you how to deal with depression, stress, anxiety, and much more. ==> http://www.join-the-fun.com

Secrets Of Happy Moms

2006-03-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Lauth

Have you ever noticed how some Moms seem to be very contented and confident in their role as Mothers, and others seem chronically stressed and approaching burnout? Why are some Moms unflappable and able to keep their sense of humor, while others overreact to the slightest stressors in their day?

I'm currently observing and interviewing these happy Moms as I conduct research for an upcoming book. While all Moms are different, these women usually have several of the following traits in common.

1) They keep it simple. I know one Mom who grocery shops every two weeks and buys the exact same thing every time to prepare the same menu of 14 dinners. Why does she do this? She's picked the family's favorite meals for her menu to save herself time and arguments at the dinner table. Anyone with kids knows they like to eat the same things over and over! This Mom has decided not to reinvent the wheel twice a month. This is just one example of keeping it simple.

2) They teach their kids to be independent. This doesn't mean they leave them to their own devices all day. But a smart Mom knows that a 2 year old can put a dish in the dishwasher, a 4 year old can prepare his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a 7 year old can sweep a floor (albeit imperfectly!). Call it "outsourcing" for Moms.

3) They drop the SuperMom complex. Not sweating the small stuff seems to be a common trait of happy Moms. They learn to pick their battles. Getting buckled into a car seat? Not negotiable. Pink paisley pants with the orange plaid shirt? Fashion creativity.

Happy Moms also realize that being an awesome Mom doesn't mean being a perfect Mom. 'Nuff said.

4) They can often be overheard repeating the phrase "This too shall pass". It doesn't mean that bothersome behavior in kids should be overlooked, for discipline is a huge time saver in the end. It means that Moms realize that children are...well, uncivilized creatures, and that much uncivilized behavior will simply go away on its own as the child matures. Smart Moms are also keenly aware of their child's development and don't expect more of them than they are able to give.

5) Smart Moms take care of themselves. They don't blame the baby for their extra weight when the baby in question is potty trained! They put emphasis on good nutrition, avoiding too much by way of stimulants (caffeine, sugar), they get adequate rest, and daily exercise. They realize that you can't pour from an empty bucket.

6) They live in the moment. Happy Moms realize that the days are long but the years short. It's not that they are impervious to stress, it's that they have learned to lower their expectations and be in the moment when things get difficult. When your toddler is puking all over the house, this is not the time to reorganize the hall closet. A sick day then turns into a time to create sweet memories of hours spent reading and cuddling on the couch.

7) They don't worry about what others think. Whether it's the disapproving glare from the old lady in the checkout line, the Mother in law who is convinced you're starving the baby by breastfeeding, or the Pediatrician whose medical advice strays into parenting advice, happy Moms learn not to give too much weight to the opinions of those who don't live in their home.

8) In other words, they trust their instincts. Whether it's taking the baby to bed with them so they can get more sleep or taking a bullied child out of public school, smart Moms know that they are the expert of their own babies.

9) Happy Moms have "something else" It may be a part time home based business or a hobby like belly dancing. These Moms know that some day their babies will fly the coop, and they make sure they have a passion that will give them purpose when that happens.

About the Author
Carrie Lauth is the author of the upcoming book: "Awesome Moms: 187 Years of Mothering Wisdom". Take a sneak peak at http://www.momswisdom.com. For more great articles and resources for Moms doing things the natural way, visit http://www.natural-moms.com

Bird Flu Prevention The Natural Healthy Way

2006-02-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

by Andrew Cavanagh (AMWA)

Why are world health authorities so alarmed about about the potential spread of bird flu from Asia?

Currently avian influenza is only known to spread to humans from contact between the faeces or respiratory secretions of infected birds. The bird flu virus does not pass from human to human.

But influenza viruses survive by mutating constantly and if the bird flu virus mutates to an airborne human to human virus the consequences could be catastrophic...

In a BBC Interview UN health official David Nabaro warned the bird flu virus could mutate at any time and as a human to human virus would be likely to kill from 5 to 150 million people.

Vaccine supplies are likely to be inadequate even if an effective vaccine could be produced quickly enough for a rapidly mutating strain of avian influenza.

So what can we do to reduce our chances of catching a killer virus like the bird flu?

Fortunately the safest, most effective bird flu prevention is natural, healthy and almost ridiculously simple...

Viruses Like The Bird Flu Hitchhike!

If you travel to any international airport you'll notice the tighter security designed to reduce our risk from terrorists when we fly.

But one of the greatest threats to our health doesn't fly - it hitchhikes.

Many people think viruses like the common cold and influenza fly through the air then into your body through your mouth or nose. But most viruses don't fly into your body - they hitchhike.

When you have a flu and you sneeze, all those droplets containing the influenza virus travel through the air and land - often on items people touch frequently like doorknobs, desks or telephones

With a virus on your hands all you need to do is touch, scratch or rub your eyes or nose and the virus can enter your body. In fact, over ninety percent of respiratory viruses get into your body when you touch your eyes and nose with your fingernails...

Cleaning your hands could be the key to avoiding the common cold and influenzas like the bird flu.

If you suffer from colds and flus on a regular basis remember this saying - "Where there's soap there's hope."

Thoroughly wash and dry your hands every time you go to the toilet and any time you have hand to hand contact with people or contact with birds. Natural soap, alcohol rubs or the specially designed cleanzology soap are probably the best choices for hand washing.

And remember grandma's advice:

"Don't touch your face with your hands."

The next time you go to rub your eyes or engage in an unmentionable activity with your nostrils remember viruses don't fly into your body - they hitchhike.

Free 9 page report Bird Flu Prevention - The Natural Healthy Way Learn in depth the keys to using advanced hygiene to avoid killer viruses like the bird flu. http://birdflu.50webs.com

About the Author
Andrew Cavanagh is a professional health writer and member of the Australasian Medical Writers Association. You can read the full FREE report Bird Flu Prevention The Natural Healthy Way at http://birdflu.50webs.com

How to Protect You and Your Family from the Bird Flu Virus!

2006-02-16T14:19:00.000-05:00

by Arthur Craig Miller

Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur among birds naturally. Wild birds all over the world carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is extremely contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including ducks, turkeys, and chickens, very sick and kill them.

Bird flu viruses do not usually infect humans, but several cases of human infection with bird flu viruses have occurred since 1997.

The World health Organization (WHO) issued a prophetic warning in December 2004. It claimed that if bird flu triggered the next pandemic, the virus would likely originate in Asia. This seems to becoming a harsh reality. As of September 2005, a total of 63 people have died in Southeast Asia. 11 countries have now fallen victim, as more and more people are infected and hospitalised.

"No government, no head of state can be taken unawares," said WHO director general Lee Jong-Wook. "It is very important for all of us to be prepared..."

He advised countries should prepare for a pandemic by stockpiling antiviral drugs and positioning them in high-risk areas; intensifying efforts in vaccine development; and planning for massive economic and social disruptions.

Remember governments and wealthy commercial companies are rapidly buying supplies and stockpiling known antiviral drugs. It is prudent to start protecting your family now by ordering drugs such as Tamiflu®, as pharmaceutical companies are warning that stocks are quickly being depleted.

Studies of Oseltamivir (sold commercially as Tamiflu®, and manufactured by Roche Laboratories Inc.), show promise against H5N1 Influenza Virus - bird flu virus. The drug dramatically boosted the survival rate of infected mice.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funded this mice research in mid - 2005 and the results are published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. British researchers reported finding H5N1 flu virus in the spinal fluid of a young boy who died of influenza in Vietnam earlier in the year 2005, an indication that H5N1 is able to infect the human brain.

Symptoms of bird flu in humans have ranged from typical flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of bird flu may depend on which virus caused the infection.

Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and faeces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.

The H5N1 virus currently infecting birds in Asia that has caused human illness and death is resistant to amantadine and rimantadine, two antiviral medications commonly used for influenza. Two other antiviral medications, Oseltamavir (Tamiflu®) and Zanamavir, are proving successful in the battle to treat flu caused by the H5N1 virus. Studies and research continue.

"In 1999, The US Food and Drug Administration approved these two new drugs that are effective for the treatment of both influenza A and influenza B. These drugs, called neuraminidase inhibitors, block the normal function of the viral neuraminidase." (Source: NFID)

Tamiflu® (Roche Laboratories Inc.) and Relenza® (Glaxo Wellcome) are both drugs classified as neuraminidase inhibitors and do help protect you and your family.

The antiviral medication Tamiflu® was prescribed more often than any other during last year's (2004) flu season. It is indicated for the treatment of influenza in patients 1 year and older who have had symptoms for no more than 2 days.

It attacks the influenza virus and stops it from spreading inside your body. Tamiflu® treats flu at its source by attacking the virus that causes the flu, rather than simply masking symptoms.

This antiviral is also indicated for the prevention of influenza in adults and adolescents 13 years and older.

Make contact with your doctor and ask if Tamiflu® is right for you for the treatment or prevention of flu. These drugs can be ordered online.

Tamiflu ® - The first known antiviral known to be effective against the Avian Flu. A tablet that is taken by mouth twice a day for 5 days. Should be used within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

Relenza ® - The second known antiviral known to be effective against the Avian Flu. Inhaled as a powder twice a day for 5 days. A special device called a diskhaler is supplied with the medication.

In conclusion, the best methods for protecting you and your family, is to ensure that after taking advice from your health care provider, you become vaccinated. Purchase antiviral drugs and familiarise yourself with the new drug-free 3 minute Cold and Flu procedure, discovered by doctors after an accident with polio virus research.

Stay up to date with the excellent free information provided online by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Center For Drug Evaluation And Research); World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC).

You may link to, or use this article as content for your own website. However it is a requirement that the article is left "as is", including the author's name, bio, url and other details left intact.

About the Author
Arthur Craig Miller is a writer and researcher. He became interested in the common cold and flu cure, after nearly losing his child to a near fatal lung disease. A staunch advocate for the ColdARREST™ 3 minute drug-free procedure. He currently contributes to: http://www.common-cold-cure-influenza-flu-vaccine.com/ -- a website dedicated to investigating and exploring these most prevalent of all human diseases.

Tiny Terrors Terrorize Mankind Again! Who's Defending You?

2006-02-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

by Arthur Craig Miller

That dreaded virtually invisible army of monsters is ready to wage war on mankind again this fall. Observed only through an electron microscope, cold and flu virus troops advance - menacingly. No, not a fertile science fiction plot, but rather a medical science fact. A harsh and brutal reality that we face every year of our lives.

In an ordinary cold and flu season these ravenous, ruthless sub-microscopic invaders will claim between 250 000 to 500 000 lives across the planet, and infect billions more with myriad illnesses. Archives of Internal Medicine reports that the cost of the cold to the U.S. economy is $40 billion a year, and probably 3 times that worldwide.

Will this be an average year? We can only hope and pray, as this time the human race faces an even more ominous onslaught. The bird flu or avian influenza has engorged the ranks of this ever expanding, ever mutating virus force.

Professor Mackenzie, a member of the World Health Organisation's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network warned: " ...Such a virus is suspected to have caused the 1918-1919 influenza outbreak which killed about 40 million people - 1.5 per cent of the world's population at the time...We're closer to a flu pandemic than we have been for many years...If it happens in Beijing today, it'll be in New York tomorrow..."

So How Do You Protect You And Your Family?

The WHO and CDC work in concert to provide the flu vaccine. It makes sense to get immunized. Always consult your doctor first, as some people are at risk from the vaccine.

Stay abreast of the latest cold and flu news, and visit the WHO and CDC websites for helpful advice and guidance.

Investigate the latest antiviral drugs available. Tamiflu® has been proven effective in combating the bird flu in recent studies. This antiviral medication was prescribed more often than any other during last year's flu season.

Tamiflu ® attacks the influenza virus and stops it from spreading inside your body. It treats flu at its source by attacking the virus that causes the flu, rather than simply masking symptoms.

Build up your immune system, and research alternative methods - Echinacea, Vitamin C, Zinc, Garlic and other herbs, vitamins and supplements. Approach with caution as many of the proclaimed benefits are often unproven.

Investigate ColdARREST™, a simple 3 minute drug-free procedure. Doctor's scientific breakthrough discovery claims that it does not mask or suppress flu symptoms or cold symptoms, but actually kills the invading virus in just 3 minutes. No drugs, miracle foods, lozenges or supplements involved. Just a simple, safe, easy and inexpensive procedure that can be used safely by adults and children alike.

Practise sound health and hygiene habits, and prepare to defend and attack where necessary against these lethal and relentless invaders. At the first signs of symptoms - act fast and decisively.

Please remember that this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own physician, doctor or any other health care professional. The writer is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this article.

About the Author
Arthur Craig Miller is a writer and researcher. He became interested in the common cold and flu cure, after nearly losing his child to a near fatal lung disease. A staunch advocate for the ColdARREST™ 3 minute drug-free procedure. He currently contributes to: http://www.common-cold-cure-influenza-flu-vaccine.com -- a website dedicated to investigating and exploring these most prevalent of all human diseases.

The Next Killer Flu -- Can We Stop It?

2006-02-05T14:21:00.000-05:00

by John Hart

Flu season is just around the corner once again. But this time, it may be coming disguised as a serial killer.

There is deep concern that a new killer flu, nicknamed "Bird Flu," may mix with ordinary flu and kill millions of people. This is how Robert Webster of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis characterizes this killer flu -- and take note that Dr. Webster has been studying influenza for the past 40 years:

"This virus right from scratch is probably the worst influenza virus, in terms of being highly pathogenic, that I've ever seen or worked with."

Public health experts, including those at the World Health Organization, fear a catastrophe.

In preparation, the United States has ordered 2.3 million doses of an antiviral called "Tamiflu." 2.3 million for a country of 300 million. However, the U.S. has decided to place all of its chips on an experimental vaccine, a vaccine that is based on an early seed of bird flu, which most experts agree has already mutated into something quite different, and that means when bird flu gets here, it may not respond to any vaccine.

The most astonishing fact about this new bird flu virus is how much science doesn't know about it. The mystery remains of how people get infected. Is it by breathing the air near feces? By eating duck meat? By touching? Nobody really knows.

Meanwhile, health authorities continue to slaughter infected fowl, experiment with genetic variations, and run computer simulations on panic control. It's clear that hospitals and first responders will be completely overwhelmed, as will mortuaries.

If you aren't afraid at this point, then take a moment to read the cover essay of the October 2005 issue of National Geographic. Study those photos. Analyze those tables and charts. Then ask yourself, what are the odds that a killer virus will hit my home town, my family this flu season? Right now, WHO says the odds are 10% the killer will pick you.

About the Author
John Hart is the author of "How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic," available at http://www.urgentebooks.com, and advises readers to order the only off-the-shelf protection available to kill Bird Flu on contact: NanoMasks. Learn more at http://www.buynanomask.com

Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?

2006-02-03T14:22:00.000-05:00

by Michael Sheridan

For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes from hot non-stick surfaces can kill birds such as canaries. So just how dangerous are they to humans?

Several studies have been conducted into health concerns surrounding Teflon, the coating invented and patented by DuPont. The results have been disturbing, if somewhat inconclusive.

While the lethal effect on birds is well documented and not in dispute, much of the other evidence tends to be anecdotal at best. And some of it is downright confusing.

For example, the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is usually cited as the villain of the piece and the root cause of the illnesses that have allegedly appeared in some users. However DuPont claims Teflon doesn't contain this chemical, although it is used in the manufacturing process.

Whatever the truth of that may be, it's certainly accurate to say that there have been a number of health issues emerging in the community immediately adjacent to the DuPont factory in Parkersburg, West Virginia; more about that later.

There also seems to be some disagreement among authorities as to the temperatures at which the bird-lethal fumes are given off. These are quoted as ranging from 285°F to 475° and more.

Since both these figures are well within the smoke points of edible oils such as avocado and safflower, keeping your budgie in or near the kitchen is definitely not good for his health.

But what about your health?

Human victims have complained of flu-like symptoms, some leading to respiratory complications, after using non-stick cookware. Some reactions have been reported as "severe"".

At least one report suggests that the fumes may be cancer inducing after prolonged exposure, although none suggest that Teflon itself is harmful if swallowed.

If the fumes are harmful to humans, then there is much more to consider than just kitchen items. Some brands of light bulb, portable heaters and even Gore Tex clothing are all produced using PFOA, the same reactive agent used in the case of Teflon.

Not surprisingly, DuPont denies there is any problem; but this hasn't prevented the company from paying out millions of dollars in compensation, not only to their employees but to 50,000 people living in the vicinity of the Parkersburg factory. You have to ask yourself "why?".

Complaints have included accusations of water pollution, high infant mortality rates and a greater than normal incidence of cancer among the local population. DuPont has never admitted liability in any of these cases.

While the jury still seems to be out on the safety or otherwise of Teflon in the home, even DuPont's own experts advise caution when using non-stick items, particularly with regard to high cooking temperatures.

And this is something you can rely on: when Teflon and similar coatings are heated to a certain point, fumes are given off. These fumes will kill pet birds that inhale them. It's therefore reasonable to suppose that other forms of life may also be at risk.

You can get more information on the Teflon debate from this address http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon/es.php

For a definitive article on the effects of Teflon fumes on birds, visit this site http://www.theaviary.com/teflon.shtml

About the Author
Michael Sheridan is a recognized authority and published author on cooking matters. A former head chef, his website can be found at http://thecoolcook.com

Good Food/Bad Food What's Left to Eat

2006-01-24T14:24:00.000-05:00

by Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP

What's Good Today is Bad Tomorrow: What Can I Eat?

We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the multitude of diets being promoted today. Starting with the Atkins Diet, then the South Beach Diet, now the Hamptons Diet and more. All higher in protein, lower in carbs, but the distinction should be quality of carbs, not singling out one nutrient entirely. If you are on the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet or any other variation of a high protein/low carb diet simply adjust from eating low quality carbs like refined flour and sugar products (think if it comes in a box, it's likely low quality) to eating more whole food products like fresh vegetables and fruits - yes fruits.

Apples vs. Apple Jacks - You be the Judge

I know the traditional Atkins Diet doesn't advocate much fruit (too high sugar) but think about that for one minute. My strong belief is that an apple is a good food, a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal may not be on an equal level. One is highly processed sweetened by added white sugar and corn syrup, and one is natural, plucked from a tree and sweetened by the sun. Which would you choose? Don't shun fresh fruit for the sake of following your low carb diet to the letter.

Eliminating healthy, wholesome foods is not the best way to learn to eat better, but severely cutting back on the frequency of eating highly processed foods is. I saw a site which called it GM or MM: God Made or Man Made. If you think of those terms when you go to choose your foods, it starts to make more sense. No one says you shouldn't eat chips, or whatever strikes your fancy, but make them a treat - and eat the GM foods more often.

Common Sense Diet

Common sense will answer the question about what to eat. If you are on Atkins, South Beach or any variation of low carb diet, avoid processed foods, not natural foods. Stop using "instant" breakfast, and cook whole rolled oats for instance. Sure you might have to get up 10 minutes earlier, oh well. You're worth it!

You can still stay on a higher protein food plan, but this one minor adjustment will allow you to continue with your eating plan for a lifetime, rather than a short-time. I'd go insane if I couldn't eat my daily apple, banana or other fruit. I love fruit. I think there's a very good reason humans desire sweet foods - Vitamin C, and other nutrients, including bio-flavnoids.

Can You Be Addicted to Fruit?

I heard someone complain they were "addicted to fruit" and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in the evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we've had processed foods less than 200 years while our planet is millions of years old.

With the high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it's hard not to draw the conclusion that one causes the other. You won't hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying the products being produced by the companies that employ us. You'll never see it reported that "scientists discovered refined flour kills," even if it were proven true because it doesn't support our way of life. We need industry.

Witnessing the epidemic of food illnesses such as Mad Cow, and now Bird Flu, I can envision a society without the mass produced meat industry. It will come to pass - nothing but your local farm will be allowed to sell meat because the big farm industry cannot guarantee safety of the food supply. Meat will become much more expensive because when they can no longer mass produce it, there is nowhere for prices to go but up. So do we whine and cry and moan about our misfortune or do we start to think of meat as something to savor and enjoy like the Sunday roasts we had years ago? We never ate meat every day then - and we weren't so fat either. We simply didn't eat as much processed foods. Most of us had moms at home cooking us dinner, making our lunches and even fixing our breakfasts.

Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules the day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.

About the Author
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of http://www.OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss. http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/getnews.html

How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic

2006-01-23T14:24:00.000-05:00

by John Hart

How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic by John Hart

Most dictionaries define pandemic as "an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world."

Recently, Klaus Stohr, the coordinator of the global infuenza program at the World Health Organization predicted a bird flu pandemic that would take more lives than the Spanish Flu of 1918 wherein 20-to-40 million perished.

He wasn't the only expert who pressed the panic button.

United States Health and Human Secretary, Tommy Thompson, said "This is a bomb that could impact the world."

Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, issued a warning to physicians to be on the lookout for symptoms of the avian influenza virus known as H5N1.

Even CIDRAP, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota is alarmed. They have this statement posted on their webiste: "If the next pandemic strain is highly virulent (such as the 1918 strain) the global death toll could be dramatic."

The current fatality rate in Southeast Asia is 73%.

Now for the really bad news.

There is no vaccine available. And there won't be for months. Probably six-to-twelve months. Maybe longer. Clinical trials take time. Usually a year. Then once it's available, the vaccine must be distributed worldwide. A logistical nightmare.

So what can you do to protect yourself and your family?

Three steps. And they should be done now, while the winds of pandemic are blowing in Southeast Asia.

1. Buy a supply of oseltamivir, the only antiviral available that seems to reduce the impact of the virus. It doesn't kill it, but it does give your body time to build immunity.

2. Buy the only filter mask that will block H5N1 and kill it dead -- no that mask is not the N95 series. You'd be wasting your money on a N95. Nanomask is the one I strongly recommend.

3. Buy a supply of immunolin, the only blood protein on the market that will strengthen your immune system against horrific challenges like H5N1.

You can wait for your government to come up with a solution to protect you, or you can become proactive. My family has already taken the three steps outlined above, I hope you will too.

About the Author
Mr. Hart is the author of "H5N1 VIRUS: It's Coming, Are You Ready?" and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW). He hosts a blog titled "Pathogen Alert" that monitors H5N1 developments worldwide: http://www.urgentebooks.com/blog, where he can be reached.

Good Food / Bad Food - What's Left to Eat?

2006-01-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

by Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP

We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the multitude of diets being promoted today. Starting with the Atkins Diet followed by the South Beach Diet, both higher in protein, lower in carbs, but the distinction should be on quality of carbs, not singling out one nutrient as "bad." If you are on the Atkins Diet or South Beach Diet simply adjust from eating low quality carbs like refined flour and highly refined sugar products (comes in a box, or ready-to-eat) to eating more whole food products like fresh vegetables and fruits, yes fruits.

Apples vs. Apple Jacks - You be the Judge

I know the traditional Atkins Diet (especially in the Induction phase) doesn't advocate much fruit (too high sugar, so they say) but think about that for one minute. My strong belief is that an apple is a good food, a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal may not be on an equal level. One is highly processed, sweetened by added white sugar and corn syrup, and one is natural, plucked from a tree and sweetened by the sun. Which would you choose? Don't shun fresh fruit for the sake of following your low carb diet to the letter.

Eliminating healthy, wholesome foods is not the best way to learn to eat better, but severely cutting back on the frequency of eating highly processed foods is. I saw a site which called it GM or MM: God Made or Man Made. If you think of those terms when you go to choose your foods, it starts to make more sense. No one says you shouldn't eat chips, or whatever strikes your fancy, but make them a treat - and eat the GM foods more often.

Time for the Common Sense Diet

Common sense will answer the question about what to eat. If you are on Atkins, South Beach or any variation of low carb diet, avoid processed foods, not natural foods. Stop using "instant" breakfast, and cook whole rolled oats for instance. Sure you might have to get up 10 minutes earlier, oh well. You're worth it!

You can still stay on a higher protein food plan, but this one minor adjustment will allow you to continue with your eating plan for a lifetime, rather than a short-time. I'd go insane if I couldn't eat my daily apple, banana or other fruit. I love fruit. I think there's a very good reason humans desire sweet foods - Vitamin C, and other nutrients, including bioflavonoids.

Addicted to Fruit?

I heard someone complain they were "addicted to fruit" and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in the evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we've had processed foods less than 200 years, while our planet is millions of years old.

With the high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it's hard not to draw the conclusion that one causes the other. You won't hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying the products being produced by the companies that employ us. You'll never see it reported that "scientists discovered refined flour kills," even if it were proven true because it doesn't support our way of life. We need industry.

Witnessing the epidemic of food illnesses such as Mad Cow, and now Bird Flu, I can envision a society without the mass produced meat industry. It will come to pass - nothing but your local farm will be allowed to sell meat because the big farm industry cannot guarantee safety of the food supply. Meat will become much more expensive because when they can no longer mass produce it, there is nowhere for prices to go but up. So do we whine and cry and moan about our misfortune or do we start to think of meat as something to savor and enjoy like the Sunday roasts we had years ago? We never ate meat every day then - and we weren't so fat either. We simply didn't eat as much processed foods. Most of us had moms at home cooking us dinner, making our lunches and even fixing our breakfasts.

Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules the day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.

About the Author
Kathryn Martyn a master NLP and EFT Practitioner has developed an 8-step process for ending the emotional struggle with weight loss. She is the owner of http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com and runs a successful private practice in Vancouver, Washington.

Preparing For a Widespread Disaster

2006-01-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

by Alan Detwiler

There are at least seven global or widespread disasters that seem likely to occur at sometime in the future. A large asteroid hitting the earth is one of those seven. It is generally accepted by scientists that asteroids have struck the earth in the past causing widespread damage. It is believed that asteroids will continue to collide with the earth every now and then. Maybe every sixty million years a big one comes along that is large enough to have a global effect on survival of earth's living things. The chances of such an event happening in a particular person's lifetime are tiny. But that tiny chance is there.

It is unpleasant to consider such terrible things. But the best attitude, it seems to me, is to ignore, to a very large extent, the unpleasant feelings that the topic causes. That allows a person to consider what might be done to increase the chances of surviving a disaster. No way can a person be fully prepared. And since we cannot know just what is going to take place, it may be an exercise in futility. But you never know, simple basic preparations could bring you through some calamity.

And why not take the attitude that your efforts and interest in such preparation is something to feel good about. Those efforts can be fun and interesting. The topic certainly grabs my attention better than a Hollywood movie. By doing what I can to become prepared, I am doing something that could dramatically make my life much more pleasant should I be involved in a catastrophe. Disaster preparedness is an interesting and enjoyable hobby that could pay off big-time. Knowing that all the benefits of modern life are not necessarily a given, is a reason for enjoying them more.

The seven possible widespread or global disasters:

1). Very large volcanic eruptions. Hugh volumes of gas and dust could spread around the globe. There is some evidence that these have occurred before. Doesn't that mean that it could happen again?

2). An epidemic. There was the flu epidemic of 1918 that killed 30 million people worldwide. There was the plague that killed about one fourth of Europe's population in the Dark Ages. Viruses and germs are known to mutate and change. They may become resistant to vaccines and medications, become more deadly, and become more contagious. Viruses and other pathogens could mutate into virulent forms that could spread rapidly around the world by people using air travel.

3). Crop failures due to plant diseases, climate change, or ozone depletion.

4). Climate changes including global warming and the effects that might come with it such as extreme heat, drought, and severe storms.

5). Nuclear war.

6). Terrorist act which could bring about widespread effects. If, for instance, a nuclear device was detonated in Washington, D.C. and another wiped out Wall Street, the effects could be unpredictable and could include economic depression, anarchy, shortages of consumer goods, and war.

7). Something unexpected. A disaster could be caused by a completely unknown event. It is unreasonable to think we are smart enough to be aware of all threats that could bring catastrophe.

There are many other plausible scenarios for widespread catastrophes. These include such things as a large solar flare that shoots out radiation and charged particles toward the earth; an object such as a black hole passing close to the earth; and a technology accident such as a genetically modified organism being released into the environment.

In recent years vast quantities of methane gas have been discovered on the sea floor where the water is very deep and in places where the water is very cold. It is believed that global warming or earthquakes could cause the methane to be released perhaps suddenly and in massive quantities. Methane is explosive and could displace oxygen causing suffocation.

Below are some things you can do to be better prepared for emergencies.

Store food and water: About a gallon of water a day per person is a reasonable goal. How many days worth is anybody's guess - you have to use your own judgment about what is practical for you. Know where to get water if your standby supply runs out. Water of unknown purity should be boiled at least 3 minutes to kill any pathogens. If boiling is not possible add 16 drops or 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach per gallon and let stand at least 30 minutes. Smell the water. If it does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the process. Use bleach that contains nothing else other than water and 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Bleach is most effective for killing bacteria but is not effective against parasitic organisms.

Choose long storage food such as canned goods, dry food such as nuts, seeds, beans, and grain products in plastic or glass containers. Most dried beans will need to be soaked and cooked before eating. Examples of dried beans that can be eaten after soaking and without cooking include split peas, mung beans, lentils and black-eyed peas. Wheat and corn can also be soaked and eaten without cooking. Peanut butter and vegetable oil are good choices because they are calorie rich, long keeping and require no preparation. Canned meat provides protein and requires no cooking. A multi vitamin will help with adequate vitamin requirements.

Keeping warm: The colder the climate where you live, the more important this is if the electrical power fails or you are forced to leave your home. Have enough heavy clothing and blankets in your home to keep you warm. Have ready to go to put in your car such as in a garbage bag: at least two changes of clothing that will keep you warm, a sleeping bag or a couple of blankets, gloves, knit hat, and sturdy shoes.

First aid kit: The most important items may be soap for washing a wound, an antiseptic ointment, and bandaging.

Tools and supplies for short-term emergencies: Flashlight and batteries, candles, matches, can opener, soap, battery-powered radio and batteries, face mask for filtering the air you breath,

Tools and supplies for long term emergencies: all of the items above for short-term emergencies plus the food items listed above plus: long lasting led flashlight, wind-up flashlight, wind-up radio, unscented 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite bleach for purifying water, sturdy knife and sharpener, salt, grain grinder, food storage containers, shovel, blankets, rifle and ammunition.

Tools and supplies for your car: gallon of drinking water, blanket, extra clothes (sweatshirt, long underwear, boots, socks, gloves, hat), compass, rain gear, battery-powered radio and batteries, long storage and light-weight food, maps, siphon (20 feet plastic tubing, 1/2 inch diameter), gas can, wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, portable light. Long-term and extras: bleach for purifying water, shorts or swimsuit, tube tent (or 10 by 10 tarp, cord), ground moisture barrier, closed cell foam sleeping pad, sleeping bag, insect repellant, sunglasses, sunscreen, soap, knife, backpack, duct tape, cord (i.e., seine twine, parachute cord, masons' twine).

Have a short-term plan: Discuss with your family how everyone will get home if their usual transportation is not available. If the phone systems are operating, one person could remain at home to take and relay messages. Have a place in mind in case you need to relocate to a different geographic area. Plan how to get there and what you will take along. If you believe you are not enough prepared, decide how to become so.

Stay informed: Have at least a battery operated am/fm radio with extra batteries. A wind-up radio not requiring batteries could be used if the power is off for an extended period. Emergency alert radios might receive broadcasts in a long-term power failure where the backup generators for am/fm radio stations have run out of fuel.

If situations develop so that longer-term solutions are needed, you will need other strategies. You may have to hunt for and gather food from the wild. Very long-term collapse of the present supply chain would require that you become self-sufficient in mending and making your own clothing. You might have to construct a shelter using basic tools and basic materials. The scope of this article does not allow for discussions of what you would need to know to survive extended collapse of society into how it was a couple of hundred years ago.

If you would like to learn more about disaster preparedness and related topics some of the following links might be helpful.

American Red Cross
Terrorism Preparation Materials
Dealing with terrorism and natural disasters of less than two weeks duration. Some of that info would be helpful at the first part of a long-term disruption.
www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/terrormat.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Has a little information on nuclear radiation treatments and effects, avian flu and other diseases, the effects of hot weather on the body.
www.bt.cdc.gov/

American Red Cross
Food and Water in an Emergency
Brief guidelines for storing and using food and water for short-term emergencies.
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/foodwtr.html

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer.
An online brochure describing the heat index, heat disorders, and heat wave safety tips.
www.nws.noaa.gov/om//brochures/heat_wave.shtml

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety.
Planning to avoid problems caused by exposure to short periods of unusually cold weather.
www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp
Index of other articles at same site:
www.cdc.gov/az.do

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Update on the Spaceguard Survey and on Asteroid Apophis
Schweickart Proposes Study of Impact Risk from Apophis (MN4)
A couple of articles on issues concerning a specific asteroid that has a small possibility of striking the earth in 2036.
http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/

Investigate Magazine
Late, Great Planet Earth
Describes the effects of an asteroid hitting the earth, evidence that it has happened before, odds of it happening again, and what should be done about it.
www.investigatemagazine.com/mar3ast.htm

NewScientist.com
Climate Warning as Siberia Melts
This describes one factor that can accelerate global warming.
www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18725124.500&feedId=online-news_rss20

Toronto Globe and Mail
Civilization Could End in a Giant Methane Belch
The vast quantities of methane hydrate in ocean sediments could cause what would otherwise be a gradual increase in global temperature to become a faster and greater increase.
http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/features/fex34681.htm

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Abrupt Climate Change: Should We Be Worried?
Global warming can cause abrupt regional climate changes that cool or dry continent-size areas of the earth. Such changes could occur in as little as a decade.
www.whoi.edu/institutes/occi/currenttopics/climatechange_wef.html

Independent Digital
A Modest Proposal To Save the Planet
What can we do to head off global warming.
www.gasandoil.com/goc/features/fex42410.htm

Effects of a Global Thermonuclear-War
by Wm. Robert Johnston
www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/nuclearwar1.html

Nuclear War Survival Skills
by Cresson H. Kearny
www.oism.org/nwss/

Hoods Woods Survival.com
Eating Bugs
An article on eating insects
www.survival.com/bug.htm

Backwoods Home Magazine
www.backwoodshome.com
Mother Earth News Magazine
www.motherearthnews.com
Each of these has a few hundred articles that can be read online. Some of the articles describe how to accomplish some task contributing to self-sufficiency.

About the Author
Alan Detwiler has written several books about ways to have fun. Find them by doing a search for his name at the ebooks section of Amazon.com

His web site, www.leisureideas.com has ideas about having fun.

Morning Sickness Survival Tips

2006-01-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Lauth

"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".

I don't know about you, but as someone who suffered with prolonged, severe morning sickness (which I affectionately call morning noon and night sickness), when I hear someone say this, I just want to slug them!

If you're suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, you're not alone. Most women experience it to some degree during their first trimester. If you're one of the unfortunate few whose symptoms last longer than the typical 6-12 weeks, I empathize. I've had the same experience with all 4 of my pregnancies. I have learned a few things that helped however, and I hope you can get some relief with these tips.

1) Getting your blood sugar regulated is priority #1.

One theory about why morning sickness is worse in the morning (and for some women only occurs then) is because when you wake up from sleep, you have low blood sugar. For some pregnant woman, going 8 hours without food is just a bad idea.

You might find it helpful to eat a high protein snack before bed, and even to eat a bite each time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom. (Which in the beginning may be quite frequent!)

Personally, I found that what I did first thing in the morning was of paramount importance. I had to eat a few bites of food *while still lying down*. So I either put some food on a plate beside my bed or asked my husband bring me a snack first thing in the morning.

Don't jump out of bed. Eat your snack slowly and lie still for a few minutes afterwards. Then slowly get up and immediately go to the kitchen and eat another bite. Again, emphasize protein.

2) Avoid foods that cause rapid blood sugar shifts.

Fruit juice, sugary snacks, processed cereal (the kind that comes in a box), anything made with white flour, etc...these types of foods cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise then come crashing down, triggering nausea and vomiting. Eat protein foods and whole foods.

Meat, cheese, yogurt (be careful here- try plain yogurt with frozen berries mixed in. Most yogurt has way too much sugar in it.), eggs, nuts, nut butters, veggies, and whole grains should be your staples.

Even if eating doesn't appeal to you, coaxing yourself to eat a little bit of a protein food every 2 hours will help prevent vomiting. Don't leave the house without carrying a snack with you.

3) If drinking water makes you sicker, try these alternatives.

It's very important that you stay hydrated. You're going to need extra fluids to support the pregnancy, but many women find that drinking water makes them more nauseated. Some things to try:

Smoothies made with fruit, ice and plain yogurt or kefir. The tangy flavor of these two dairy products really hit the spot for me. They also sneak in some extra protein.

Water served VERY cold with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Carbonated water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor.

Weakly brewed iced or hot tea with lemon. The small bit of caffeine won't harm your baby. Something about the bitter tannins in tea may help ease nausea.

Citrus fruits and melons.

4) Avoid nausea triggers as much as possible.

Your nose is on hyperdrive during early pregnancy!

Stinky smells like poopy diapers, kitchen trash, even morning breath may be impossible to totally avoid, but try your best to avoid smelly situations.

Have someone else take out the trash. Have hubby change your toddler when he's home. It's the least he can do!

And don't be shy about telling someone who has bad breath, noxious perfume or cigarette smells on them that you're in a delicate condition and need some fresh air. During my pregnancies, my husband had to switch to unscented deodorant and soap, otherwise I couldn't hug him!

If cooking smells make you ill, take a break from your usual garlic and onion specialties. Don't be a martyr. Hubby will understand that you can't make his favorite sausage and peppers for a while.

Prepare meals that won't stink up the kitchen. Green main dish salads with cold, cut up chicken, steak or hard boiled eggs. Sandwiches are good too.

5) Try Aromatherapy

Put a couple of drops of lavender, mint or lemon essential oil (these oils are generally regarded as safe to use during pregnancy) on cotton balls and keep these in various locations... the kitchen, bathroom, your purse and in the car. Take a whiff when you feel sick. Put a few drops on your pillow.

6) Take it easy- but don't forget exercise

I know, I know... exercise is the last thing you want to do when you can hardly get your face out of the toilet! But if you force yourself to take even a ten minute walk outside every day, it WILL help.

But do try to take it easy, avoid stress as much as possible, and rest as much as you can. You're doing the very important job of growing a baby. Explain to your other children why you're feeling poorly and that it won't last forever. Call in favors and ask friends to come over to play with your 2 year old for an hour so you can sleep, or ask them to cook extra when they make dinner tonight and bring you a dish.

When you feel a bout of nausea coming on, try to lay down for a few minutes in a dark room with your eyes closed. Sometimes if you do this the episode will pass.

7) Focus on the positive

Sometimes when you're so miserable it's easy to forget what's making you so sick! Remember that statistically, women who experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy are more likely to carry the pregnancy to term.

One of my midwives told me that she always worries when a Mom comes in for her first prenatal feeling wonderful...the chances of her miscarrying are higher.

So rejoice in your strong hormones! Read pregnancy magazines, birth stories on the Internet, look through maternity clothing catalogs, do whatever you need to do to cheer yourself up and get yourself in the mood for a new baby.

8) More Misc. Tips

Try eating candied ginger or sipping ginger tea. I found ginger in capsules to be too harsh and they hurt terribly if they did come back up.

Brewer's yeast capsules work for some Moms.

Try sucking on lemon slices when you're feeling a wave of nausea.

Sip mint tea or chew mint gum to help dry up excessive salivating that may trigger nausea.

If you have trouble brushing your teeth due to an overactive gag reflex, switch to using baking soda for awhile. The foaming of regular toothpaste may be too much. And brush your teeth in shifts if you need to... first the top teeth, then a few minutes later the bottom teeth, then your tongue, etc.

Avoid getting overheated or chilled. Extremes in temperature can trigger vomiting.

Try Sea-Bands, available at large drug stores. They're designed for motion sickness but helps some pregnant women.

Go with your cravings, within reason. For some reason, pizza and Taco Bell always hit the spot during my pregnancies.

Clean the toilet daily, even if it's the only household chore you can do right now. Better yet, have someone else do it. And wear your hair up for awhile. If you're going to be throwing up, at least you will have your hair out of the way and a clean bowl to hug!

About the Author
Carrie Lauth, mom of 4, publishes a free newsletter for Moms doing things the natural way. Get your copy plus free subscriber goodies at: http://www.natural-moms.com/natural_mom_newsletter.html