Tuesday, 5 October 2010

The Tremendous Cost Of A Smoking Habit

By Anderson Slempski

The tremendous cost of a smoking habit can be counted in
monetary terms, but also mounts up in loss of health, loss
of life, and human suffering. Compared to these results of
smoking, the price of a pack a day is trivial.

The word tremendous is an apt one, for this harmful practice
has shattering consequences. To begin with, the price of
cigarettes has gone up about as fast as the economy has gone
down. Throwing money away on something so bad for you makes
no sense at all, but then that is the sad reality of an
addiction.

The smokers puts their money down for fragrant white tickets
to the high risk seats, where they can play the odds with
congestive heart disease, heart attack, stroke, emphysema,
and cancer. Like all those with a compulsive gambling
problem, the fact that the odds are stacked against them
means nothing compared to the satisfaction of the next
smoke.

Besides cigarettes, there are other tobacco products that
carry just as much risk. Young athletes who start chewing
tobacco for fun become addicted, and find that they can't
stop when they are old enough to understand the dangers. One
day they may face losing the lower part of their face to
mouth cancer. The pleasure of savoring cigar smoke by
holding it in the mouth can result in gum disease, can
damage the tongue, destroy the sense of taste and smell, and
cause mouth cancer.

Even before the final bill comes due, smokers have paid the
price in health. They are too short of breath to enjoy the
exercise they should have, they can't climb stairs or take a
good deep breath of fresh air, they can't work or play very
long without needing a break, and they get irritable and
nervous if they go too long without their 'fix'.

Others who may not smoke themselves can be exposed to
harmful second hand smoke. The dangers of this have led to
recent legislation that makes most restaurants and public
places smoke free areas. Children especially suffer the ill
effects of their parents smoking in the home or the family
car. Another hazard for children is the bad example that
their parents are setting for them.

Finally, think about the people left alone after the death
of their lifelong partner, dead of the effects of smoking.
Or the kids growing up without a parent, the baby injured in
the womb, the brilliant actor or musician or scientist or
doctor who cannot live to do all they could have done for
the rest of us. What waste of human potential. What a cost
to all when medical facilities are overfilled with those who
traded health for an addiction to nicotine.

A consequence of this addiction is the painful attempts to
stop. Not only does the stopping period cause physical
symptoms, the mental strain is so bad that many people
simply cannot do it. In desperation, they buy the patch and
chew the gum, eat too much, yell at the kids or kick the
dog, bum cigarettes off their friends while promising to
never buy another pack, get hypnotized, and then often give
up and let the monkey climb back on. Ask them, and they will
tell you the attempt was true misery.

Money, quality of life, health, and longevity - all of these
are some of the tremendous cost of a smoking habit.

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Saturday, 2 October 2010

The Best Food Sources Of Vitamin D

By Andrew Desjardins

The health advantages of vitamin D are well known. Vitamin D
is crucial in supporting the absorption and depositing of
calcium into our bones, ensuring that bone density and
strength is enhanced, to a large degree preventing diseases
of the bone. Are foods with vitamin D the most important
source of vitamin D?

The most important supply of vitamin D is our own bodies. It
is the only vitamin that is actually synthesized by our
bodies, but it needs sunlight to trigger the synthesizing
process - that is why it is sometimes called the sunshine
vitamin. In some geographic areas people can actually
experience a deficiency in vitamin D because a lack of
sunlight exposure. As a matter of fact, this lack of
sunshine, and the resulting lack of vitamin D, has been
linked to various diseases, including depression.
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Foods with vitamin D are one way of supplementing our
bodies' vitamin D requirements.

There are actually not very many foods with natural vitamin
D sources in significant amounts. There are foods that have
been fortified with vitamin D, and these are a valuable
source, although in itself will probably not be sufficient.

The following are known as foods with vitamin D:

Mushrooms (especially Shiitake & Button): Probably the only
source of dietary vitamin D suitable for vegans, these
mushrooms have surprising amounts of vitamin D. They are
also rich in the B vitamins. If you purchase the dried
versions, make sure that you buy those that have been dried
in sunlight.

Mackerel, Salmon, Herring, Tuna, Sardines: - in fact, most
fatty fish that are also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are
good sources of vitamin D. A portion of mackerel can
actually supply up to 90% of your required daily intake.
Sardines in particular are excellent sources of dietary
vitamin D.

Cod Liver oil: Cod liver oil was one of the first sources of
vitamin D used medicinally for children with rickets. It is
very rich in Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids; one
tablespoon of oil a day is sufficient. Research has shown
that cod liver oil prevents osteoporosis as well.

Eggs: Although only containing small amounts, eggs are
another food source for the vitamin.

Liver and liver products are also foods with vitamin D.

Fortified foods with vitamin D: Milk is generally fortified
with vitamin D in the usa, with 98% of the milk supply
containing significant amounts of the vitamin. Read food
labels before making purchasing decisions, as orange juice,
pastries and margarine are routinely fortified as well.

Supplementing your vitamin D intake with vitamin supplements.

It is very important to have sufficient amounts of calcium
and magnesium along with vitamin D supplements.

The health advantages of Vitamin D are incontrovertible.
Most people should get enough of the vitamin with sunlight
synthesis and in their diets. Interestingly vitamin D is
stored in the fat cells for up to sixty days, so strictly
speaking you do not need to ingest vitamin D on a daily
basis. There are excellent reasons to make sure that you
have sufficient vitamin D levels in your system. Look after
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Friday, 24 September 2010

Want To Build Muscle? Focus On The Right Muscle Building Diet

By Robert Harvard

When most people begin muscle building, they typically focus
on the exercises necessary to build muscle and reduce
body fat. However, the bodybuilding diet is the most
important aspect of the entire process. Without a proper
diet, those muscles you've worked so hard to build will be
covered over with a layer of fat, which goes against
everything a bodybuilder tries to do.

A bodybuilding diet isn't difficult to keep up, it just
takes a little discipline and know how. With a few tips and
a lot of self control, you could be well on your way to the
physique you've only dreamed about.

Split Up Your Meals

As we grew up, our parents usually taught us to eat three
meals a day. Those meals were to contain the four food
groups and they were generally large enough to keep us
satiated until the next meal came around. However, the more
you eat in one sitting, the more your body has to work to
digest it. Health experts now tell us to split up our meals
into four to six smaller meals, eaten throughout the day.
This, too, is what the bodybuilding diet entails. By
splitting up your meals into four to six smaller, more
manageable, meals each day, our metabolisms speed up,
enabling us to burn more fat than ever before.

Stay Away From Processed Food

When you begin your bodybuilding diet, you want to refrain
from anything that uses processed flour. Experienced
bodybuilders will tell you to stay to the outside perimeter
of the supermarket, where the dairy, meat, fruit, veggies
and bread are located. They will tell you to stay away from
the inside aisles of the supermarket, where all the chips,
and other processed foods are located. The simplest way to
keep to your bodybuilding diet is to tell yourself to keep
it natural. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and stay
away from anything laden with sugar; as this will turn into
fat in the long run.

Water, Water, Water

It can't be said enough. When beginning any bodybuilding
diet, you can't refrain from drinking lots of water. Water
flushes the fat and toxins from our body and also helps us
in fighting disease and illness. After all, we are seventy
percent water so we need to drink plenty of water if we hope
to stay healthy. A good rule is to drink a glass of water
before each meal, during each meal and once between meals.
This will keep you plenty hydrated and that's important,
especially when it comes to your bodybuilding diet.

If you stick to the above tips and work hard, you could
become a bodybuilder in no time. Remember, being a
bodybuilder doesn't just mean having big muscles, it also
means having low body fat. While working out will give you
the muscles you want, it's the bodybuilding diet that will
strip you of that fat so that those muscles, and all your
hard work, will finally be revealed.

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Monday, 20 September 2010

Some Super Diet Shake Recipes To Lose Weight

Nothing can be quite as delicious and satisfying as a great diet shake.
Here are five tried-and-true diet shake recipes. Give them a whirl
in your blender:

Strawberry-Orange-Banana Diet Shake Recipes
• Some orange juice – about 2 cups or so
• Some sliced bananas – 1 or 2
• Some strawberries -- a cup or so
• Some ice – about a cup
• A container of strawberry-banana low fat yogurt

Mandarin-Mango Diet Shake Recipes
• Some mandarin orange pieces – 2 cans or so
• Some cut up mangoes – 2 mangos is about right
• Some ice – about a cup
• Protein supplements from the nutrition store—follow the label directions
• A container of mango-flavored low fat yogurt


Berry Berry Special Diet Shake Recipes
• Some cranberry juice – about half a cup
• Some apple juice -- about half a cup
• Some strawberries
• Some blueberries
• Some raspberries
• A banana
• A container of strawberry or blueberry low fat yogurt


Banana-Chocolate-Vanilla Diet Shake Recipes
• A cut up frozen banana
• A teaspoon of vanilla
• A cup of skim milk
• A teaspoonful of Splenda
• A teaspoonful of cocoa powder
• A container of low fat yogurt—plain or vanilla

Coffee-Mocha Diet Shake Recipes

• One teaspoon instant coffee
• One teaspoon cocoa powder
• One teaspoon of Splenda
• Ice
• A container of vanilla or plain low fat yogurt
• A powder protein supplement if you like

Regardless of which of the diet shake recipes you are making, the procedure is the same. Just pop all the ingredients into your blender and turn it on. Run the blender until the shake is the desired consistency, pour into a beautiful glass, and enjoy your homemade, healthy, nutrient-dense, diet shake recipes. Not only will it help with your weight loss; it taste delicious.Enjoy!

P.S. Anybody have any other healthy shake ideas out there? Please feel
free to share them, thanks.

Thursday, 16 September 2010

What's Your Excuse For Not Eating More Fruits & Vegetables?

By David Butler

Everyone is aware of the fact that fruits and veggies are
excellent for the body, due to their abundance of fiber and
disease-fighting nutrients. Mom said we should eat plenty of
them every day and we knew she was right, but did we pay any
attention?

An unpleasant visual to call up is us driving with one
finger on the steering wheel as we cram greasy French fries
and hamburgers in our mouth while washing it all down with a
chocolate shake. Although, we may not be making that pit
stop every day, we still make bad choices for convenience
like grabbing a bag of chips instead of an apple or banana.
The fruit is just as fast, but so much better for us.

If it's simple you want, why not try some watermelon,
grapes, or a cantaloupe? Fruit only needs a quick wash and
it's ready to snack on. Another example might be veggies
such as carrots or celery soaked in a light dressing.
Research has shown that we don't eat enough of the
low-calorie, wholesome broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and so
we are overweight and disease-prone. Nutritional experts
hope to wake us up to healthy eating and inspire us with
five-a-day campaigns that remind us that we should be eating
at least five servings daily of vegetables and fruits.

In the beginning, five servings per day appears like a lot.
Fruit at breakfast is a practical idea to work in one extra
serving of fruit to start the day. Fruit on cereals,
waffles, or pancakes is another idea. Apples or bananas make
great portable snacks.

Veggies are very easy to get in during the day. It's easy
and smart to have a salad for lunch. When you have lunch or
dinner out, order a sandwich made with lettuce, tomatoes and
sprouts. You can add vegetables to baked goods, or use them
as ingredients in stews and soups, and with sauces for meat.


Do you like peanut butter? Add some celery with it. Kids
especially love this snack. Toss some raisins on top as
well! Cheese and celery make a nice snack too. Sometimes
kids are reluctant to try new fruits and vegetables. But
keep giving them different kinds to try. A lot of well
meaning parents will tell their children that they must
first clean their plate of vegetables before they can even
think about dessert. The problem here is the psychology this
creates. You're basically communicating the idea that
vegetables are something unpleasant to 'get through' so you
can move onto the sweet stuff in live. Think about how
different everyone's health would be if we didn't see our
vegetables in this manner.

Carrots after you finish all of your pudding!? Juice is
another simple way to increase your fruit and vegetable
consumption. The downside of juice is that it lacks fiber.
You don't get that benefit of vegetables and fruits when you
drink them. It also kills your appetite. How many times have
you seen a child drink a large cup of juice and then refuse
to eat, claiming they aren't hungry? Juices also often have
more calories than the fruit they come from.

The benefits to your health of fruits and vegetables are
obvious. Research has shown us that people who consume the
recommended servings of fruits and vegetables a day have
about half the chance of contracting 14 different types of
adult cancers than those who don't. By eating more
fruits and vegetables you can lower the risk of heart
attack, stroke, and adult blindness.

This is information that everybody should know;
nevertheless, we can come up with millions of excuses for
not eating properly. One excuse that people use is that it
costs a lot to eat healthy, and other people say that it
just takes too much time to prepare healthy foods. What
excuse keeps you from eating the way you know you should?


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Monday, 13 September 2010

The Prevention And Treatment Of Swimmer's Ear Infections

By Sophia Baker

Otitis externa is the medical term for swimmer's ear, and
occurs when an infection develops in the outer ear and the
ear canal skin. The difference between swimmer's ear and an
inner ear infection (otitis media) is that congestion, a
runny nose, and other cold symptoms will generally be
present when a person has an inner ear infection. When water
becomes lodged in the ear canal following bathing,
showering, or swimming, swimmer's ear can occur. When water
begins to irritate the canal within your ear, an infection
can develop because of fungal or bacterial growth.

Although never contagious, such an infection is much like
those that happen after a bite or laceration of the skin.
Over-the-counter ear drops may be purchased to lessen the
possibility of contracting swimmer's ear, or you may make
the drops yourself by combining like amounts of rubbing
alcohol and white vinegar. As soon as you have finished
swimming, simply put five to ten drops in both ears,
allowing the drops to remain several minutes inside the ear
before emptying them out on to a Kleenex.

The alcohol portion of the treatment immediately removes
moisture, and the vinegar destroys any harmful toxins. This
is to be used as a preventative measure and not as a
treatment for infections. Other measures to take to reduce
the risk of swimmer's ear include drying ears thoroughly
when water has gotten into them, staying out of polluted
water when swimming, and keeping foreign objects out of the
ear canal.

Some signs of swimmer's ear are itching in or around the
ear; hearing difficulties; discomfort in the ear if you
press on certain parts of the ear, like the flap covering
the ear canal or when you pull on the ear; and discomfort in
the area on your face surrounding the ear. Discomfort in
just one ear can also indicate that you have swimmer's ear.

A discharge that's yellowish-green in color may also emerge
from the ear canal. It's very important to see a doctor
immediately if you notice the signs of swimmer's ear in your
child, particularly if discharge is present. While a rare
occurrence, it's possible that an untreated instance of
swimmer's ear can spread and ultimately effect the bone or
cartilage surrounding the ear. The pain of swimmer's ear may
be alleviated by placing a warm cloth or a heating pad on
the ear or by taking acetaminophen.

Should the infection be advanced and the ear canal be
swollen, the doctor will probably give you a prescription
for antibiotic-steroid drops. Such steroids ease the
suffering and help the irritated skin to get well, while the
antibiotic eliminates fungus or bacteria. Your physician
might put a wick in the child's ear if there is significant
swelling of the ear canal; a wick is a bit of sponge or
cotton which helps the drops to penetrate down to the ear
canal. The drops are generally used for somewhere between
five to ten days and the child must not go swimming or get
any water in the ear during the treatment.

Things to watch for after swimmer's ear treatment include
stiffness in the neck, fever or dizziness, continual
drainage or discharge from the ear canal, and persistent ear
pain; should any of these issues occur, be sure to contact
your doctor to discuss further options.

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Monday, 6 September 2010

A Muscle Building Diet - The Top 3 Components

By Stephen "the Body" Jones

There are 3 major things that go into a diet for those
wishing to build muscles: protein, carbohydrates and water.
Here are a few ideas on how to arrange your diet to include
the most necessary building blocks for muscles.

As we all know, water is required for life and some do not
take into consideration the effects on the muscles it has. A
doctor would recommend for a healthy adult to drink at least
64 ounces of water a day. If a person were to exercise more
than a half hour daily, it would be suggested that a minimum
of another 16 ounces be taken in to replace the lost fluids
from exercise.

Carbohydrates are off limits in many diets. But if you are
trying to build up muscles, they are have an essential
function. For someone who has a 2,000 calorie a day diet,
half of this should be from carbohydrates. If your diet is
more than 2,000 calories a day, the carbohydrate intake has
to be elevated as well so the energy required for exercise
is available and the muscles can be built up.

Your carbohydrate intake should be from foods like fruit,
potatoes and vegetables, and avoid sources that include
added sugars like fruit juices and sports drinks. The added
sugars will offer short bursts of energy and also normally
add fat that the body does not need. Your healthy
carbohydrates should come from bread, green vegetables,
colorful fruits and almost any type of noodle or pasta.

Your last half of daily caloric intake should come from
proteins. Some foods that are considered the healthiest
means of getting your intake includes baked chicken or
turkey as well as salmon or tuna in water. Do not take in
any fried foods, since they offer additional fats that you
do not need and this could cause fatigue of the muscles.

Since muscles have to break down and then rebuild, each of
these 3 components are needed in a diet. They can be changed
as needed due to special diet requirements or medical
conditions. However, if you do have a medical condition it
is best to consult your doctor before starting any diet.



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