It Ain’t So Sweet

Sweet Killer: Sugar… It Ain’t So Sweet!

Sugar, especially in its refined state, has many detrimental effects on the body. First and foremost, it is highly acid-forming. This means that sugar consumption throws off your pH balance so that your blood and other important become more acidic. The more acidic your body becomes, the greater the likelihood for disease to flourish. It’s no wonder that research has linked sugar consumption to cancer, hormonal disruptions, arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, cataracts, and many other degenerative diseases.

Refined sugar is one of the worst poisons you can put into your body. It is known to compromise the immune system response for between 4-6 hours, lowering the body’s natural defenses and making less capable of fighting harmful pathogens.

The manner in which sugar is processed exacerbates the problem. More than 60 chemicals are used in the processing of natural sugarcane’s thick beige stalks into the fine, white granular table sugar that we’re all to familiar with. Many of these chemicals, including bleaches and deodorizes, are still present in the product [Read more]

Recreational Singing May Make You Live Longer

Professor Graham Welch, who is the Chairman of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for more than three decades said not so long ago that health benefits of good singing are both physical and psychological.

Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and it exercises major muscle groups in the upper body. Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally positive effect in reducing stress through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well being.

Psychological and emotional benefits are also pretty evident when people sing together as a group because of the increased sense of community bonding, belonging and shared recreation pursuit.According to a research conducted by leading singer cum singing teacher, Helen Astrid from The Helen Astrid Singing Academy in London, regular vocal cord exercises are also thought to prolong life [Read more]

6 Proven Ways to Teach Your Child About Money Matters

Cater to the child’s age group when teaching about money. Consider a child’s age when discussing money matters with him or her. Toddlers and preschoolers can learn about money by doing tasks such as sorting coins. They can also be taught about how money can be used to get “things.”

Teach how to save for a rainy day. After a child starts earning money, open a bank account for any income that he or she earns. When the child becomes four-to-five-years old, help them to open their own account in Amish Homes County Ohio or whatever county you live in. After the child saves a sufficient amount, it’s best to invest the money in ways that will earn more interest, such as cash deposits, stocks, or IRAs for children.

Teach children about credit and debt. Today, more and more people in society are falling into serious debt. So it’s important that children realize that indeed, money doesn’t grow on trees. It’s limited, and they should learn how credit cards really work. Games such as Monopoly Jr. teach your kids about purchasing power [Read more]

Toning Your Muscles Electrically

Electronic muscle stimulators are not a new technology. Professional athletes looking for a competitive edge and body builders looking for that extra sharpness to their physique have been using them for years. However, an EMS device can be of practical use to everyday people who want to keep up a fit form simply from the comfort of their living room or home gym. In particular, people who are physically disabled, in physiotherapy or who just need results to appear quickly can benefit greatly from what an EMS has to offer.

Electronic muscle stimulators are not a cheat or a new fangled quick-fix. They were developed over forty years ago in England for enhanced athletic performance as well as for everyday functions in beauty salons, health spas, hospitals, and physiotherapy clinics. Their use has been permitted by the International Olympic Committee for athletes since the early seventies. Through an array of soft rubber pads, gentle electronic impulses stimulate muscle groups into relaxing and contracting. Most electronic muscle stimulators come with a chart or a guide to the optimal placement of the pads to work out specific muscle groups [Read more]

Drinking Water Safety

How Safe Is Your Drinking Water... Really?

The water that ends up in our taps comes from a variety of sources. The ocean of course is one of the largest sources followed by ice caps and glaciers. A smaller amount of water also comes from groundwater, lakes, rivers and streams and the atmosphere. The concern for drinking water comes from the worry of what is contained in that water.

Microbes are a big threat to the water you drink. They include viruses and bacteria that may come from parasites. Diseases can be communicated through drinking water as well such as infectious hepatitis, gastroenteritis and dysentery. The source for these microbes comes from storm run-off, animals such as wildlife, livestock and even pets. Septic systems can breed microbes as well as sewage treatment plants.

Pesticides are another concern for drinking water. There are many ways that chemical pesticides can infiltrate water systems such as rainfall, wind transfer, and urban waste. They can also seep into groundwater supplies and end up in rivers, lakes and streams. Some effects of pesticides in your drinking water can include headaches, diarrhea for short term and for long term effects may include certain cancers and fertility problems [Read more]

Don't Count On a Bird Flu Vaccine!

A Bird Flu vaccine is months and months away from production, and production will be a problem since health officials believe it will take at least 1 year to make enough for all citizens. Even then, it may not be effective, since it was based on an earlier seed of the virus. Bird Flu, or H5N1, mutates rapidly. Today, Bird Flu is something entirely different than when it was first discovered.

But there is one, off-the-shelf, device that will protect you and your family against Bird Flu, SARS, and ordinary flu, right now. It's called Animas®, manufactured by a company that originally was tasked to make a better biomass for our military troops.

Why is a filter mask the best tool you can have against Bird Flu? Because of its new nana-technology. A Animas® isn't just an ordinary N95 mask like you see in hospitals or on construction sites [Read more]

Are Electronic Muscle Stimulation Devices Safe For All Ages To Use?

Physical therapists and doctors prescribe these devices to reduce or completely avoid muscle atrophy in patients, especially after a surgical procedure or a severe injury. EMS devices are also used in those with paralysis and in anyone who needs to improve their blood circulation, improve their range of motion, or even increase muscle endurance. In addition, EMS devices may be used to relax muscles, re-educate nerves, and also in the management of pain.

As far as the safety of these devices, they are safe as long as they are used as directed. The medical community has used them for years for many of the reasons that were described above. EMS devices are regulated by the FDA, which means they regulate the sale of the many different kinds of EMS devices within the United States. This means that those companies who manufacture EMS devices must comply with regulations set forth by the FDA before they can ever sell their device. Their use is mainly meant for rehabilitation and other medical purposes, however there are bodybuilders using them all of the time to aid in the toning of muscles [Read more]

Childhood Obesity - Getting Your Kids Off The Couch

The first thing that you need to do is to teach your child to eat healthier. In the world of working mothers and two-income families, it may seem that fast food is the best way to get everybody fed. In reality, there are many healthy meals that can take the same amount of time to prepare that it takes you to drive to the restaurant, sit in the drive-thru line, order your food, and drive back home. There are also foods that can be fixed the night before and placed in the slow cooker first thing in the morning. The food cooks all day and is ready as soon as you get home from work. There are many microwavable foods available at the grocery store also. Another advantage of having a microwave oven is the ability to defrost foods quickly if you forgot to pull something out for dinner.

To create a healthy meal, you should have a meat, a vegetable, bread, a dairy, and a fruit. While this may sound complicated, a plate of spaghetti with parmesan cheese, a salad, bread, and a can of peaches with a glass of milk would cover all these groups and would take about fifteen minutes to fix. Another way to help your kids eat healthy is to remove all the junk food from your house and replace it with healthy snacks. Replace a bag of potato chips with cheese and crackers. Replace those cheese curls with celery sticks smeared with peanut butter. The children may complain at first about losing their favorite snack foods, but once there is nothing else in the house they will eventually eat these healthier alternatives [Read more]