The Vital Importance of Minerals for Our Health

The Vital Importance of Minerals for Our Health
Our bodies are literally composed of substances and
elements of the Earth. Minerals are a large part of our
body's composition e.g. bones, teeth etc. Minerals are
part of stones and soil of the Earth. We obtain the
minerals for our health from plants that absorb minerals
from the Earth through their roots as they grow. When we
eat these plants, we in turn absorb the minerals we need to
live. If we eat meat, we absorb the minerals from animals
who have absorbed them from plants. We also obtain
minerals from the water we drink.

Minerals, like vitamins, operate in our bodies as
co-enzymes. Minerals help balance and facilitate the
functions of our body chemistry. We need minerals for
healthy bones, to maintain the health of our blood and
other body fluids and to support our nerve system and
metabolic process. Minerals are vital in helping our bodies
produce energy, growth, and are vital for the reproduction
and health of our cells. Mineral interact with vitamins to
make vitamins effective and beneficial e.g. zinc changes
vitamin A into it's active form so it can be used by our
bodies. Some minerals act as potent antioxidants i.e.
destroy free radicals. Free radicals cause premature aging
and disease such as cancer, heart disease and other
cellular damage.

Zinc, iodine, selenium, iron, copper, chromium and
manganese are considered trace minerals. Calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium are considered
bulk minerals because our bodies need them in larger
amounts. It is nearly impossible to take too many minerals
because they are stored mostly in bone and muscles tissue.
We would have put a great deal of conscious effort into
taking absurd amounts of minerals over a long time in order
to accumulate toxic amounts.

There are many different minerals. A description of just a
few of them will give us a good idea of their vital
importance for our lives.

Boron is a trace mineral that has been shown to
significantly reduce the affect of calcium loss in post
menopausal women and increase the blood level of the most
active form of estrogen. Boron also helps protect against
the demineralization of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus
in our bones.

Calcium is vital for healthy teeth and bones. Calcium helps
maintain a regular heartbeat it is vital in nerve
transmission. Calcium also aids muscles growth, helps in
muscle contraction and prevention of muscles cramps
especially during menses cycle. Calcium may help prevent
colon cancer and lower blood pressure as well as preventing
osteoporosis.

Chromium is a trace mineral needed for energy and the
metabolism of glucose, cholesterol, fats, and proteins.
Chromium helps to maintain blood sugar levels in
hypoglycemia and diabetes by improving the efficiency of
insulin. Chromium can also play a role in weight loss by
helping us maintain muscles tissue while losing fat

Copper is an essential trace mineral involved in enzyme
process. Copper is found in large amounts in our liver and
brain. Copper is important in the production of red blood
cells, hemoglobin, and bone. Copper works synergistically
with vitamin C and zinc. Copper also has a part in our
ability to taste and in our hair and skin color. Copper
promotes strong, flexible connective tissue.

Iodine is a trace mineral used by our thyroid to produce
thyroxin which is a hormone that regulates energy
production, body temperature, breathing, muscle tone and
the health of tissues. Iodine supports skin, nerves,
reproductive process and prevents goiter.

Iron is vital for the production of hemoglobin, formation
of red blood cells and the oxygenation of red blood cells.
Iron increases the quality of blood and therefore, the
body's resistance to disease and stress. Iron improves
circulation, digestion, elimination and respiration. Iron
even helps improve our emotional state in improving
optimism, vitality, courage and will, memory and reasoning
ability. Iron also helps resistance to cold virus. Some
say that iron helps us better relate to the magnetic
dynamics of the Earth and improves our own physical
electrical system.

Manganese, a Greek word for magic, is required to produce
enzymes which are essential for metabolism of protein, fat
and glucose. Manganese promotes healthy bones, nerves,
immune function and blood sugar levels.

Potassium plays a large role in supporting our nervous
system and natural heart rhythm. Potassium stabilizes our
blood pressure and helps in electrochemical transmissions.
Potassium helps our cells absorb nutrients. Potassium
maintains a healthy pH and muscles contraction. Potassium
has been shown to prevent strokes and works with sodium to
maintain a proper water balance in our bodies.

Selenium is an essential mineral and acts as an antioxidant
preventing free radical damage. Selenium is essential for
normal pancreatic function. Selenium and Vitamin E combined
have a synergistic quality that improves the effectiveness
of both compounds. Selenium helps maintain the health our
heart muscle and promotes our immune system.

Zinc is found throughout our entire body. When zinc is
used with Vitamin A, it facilitates healthy prostate
function. Zinc promotes a healthy immune system, taste,
smell, joint and connective tissue, cell division, repair
and growth and helps insulin function. Using lozenges
composed of zinc gluconate helps shorten the duration of a
cold. Zinc helps with digestion and the metabolism of
phosphorus and protein. Zinc plays an important role in the
healing of burns and wounds. Zinc promotes and supports our
reproductive system by helping sperm development and
facilitating ovulation and fertilization.

We can gather from the descriptions of just a few of the
minerals available to us, just how important minerals are
to our lives and health. In a way, it could be said that we
are minerals. Obtaining the minerals we need from plants,
animals, and water may not be an efficient, complete or
balanced way of gaining minerals due to the fact that the
kind and amount of minerals found in plants, animals and
water varies a great deal from one geographical region to
another each with it's own soil type and mineral content.
The most efficient way for us to supply ourselves with the
minerals we need is through supplements. For most of us,
it is most beneficial to use natural multivitamin and
mineral formulas rather than to try to take individual
mineral supplements. This is because minerals and vitamins
are synergistic in their combinations, proportions,
interactions, and beneficial effects. Supplementing our
diets with formulas composed of natural vitamins and
minerals prepared by those of us who have devoted our
education and effort in full time work and experience with
the interaction of vitamins with minerals, and minerals
with minerals may be the best way for us to obtain a proper
combination of these compounds vital for our health.

----------------------------------------------------
Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
vitamins and minerals is available at =>

http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-vitamins-c-11
.html

Go Three Days Without Food But Never A Day Without Green Tea

Go Three Days Without Food But Never A Day Without Green Tea
Green tea became well known in China during the period of
the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) and was quickly prized
as a promoter of health and vitality. There's good
evidence, however, that its many benefits had already been
known to the elite for thousands of years by then. In
fact legend tells of a stray camellia blossom, drifting on
the breeze one day in 2737 BC, which found its way into the
Emperor Shen Nung's steaming drinking water and quickly
infused it with all the characteristic refreshment and
invigoration we associate with green tea.

So renowned did the benefits of green tea become that
detailed rules of etiquette for its correct consumption
emerged, culminating in the publication of Lu Yu's "The
Classic Art of Tea". This famous poet and Buddhist priest
laid down strict procedures for the preparation and serving
of the perfect cup of tea. The water had to come from a
gently flowing stream and be combined with leaves in a fine
porcelain cup. And the resulting brew of green tea was
ideally to be drunk next to a lily pond in the company of a
beautiful woman.

Not surprisingly, given this kind of marketing, the
popularity of green tea spread rapidly throughout China in
the centuries following the publication of Lu Yu's work.
"Rather three days without food than a day without tea"
became the saying, as news reached the remotest corners of
the vast empire. Books and poems were composed in green
tea's honour; Emperors gave particularly prized samples as
gifts, and the teahouse became a familiar feature of
countless cities, towns and villages.

So just what are the health benefits of drinking green tea?
The Chinese knew it from earliest times as an aid to good
digestion when consumed after a meal, stimulating the
absorption of nutrients from food; and it's since also
become known as a powerful anti-oxidant and detoxifying
agent which can speed the flushing of toxins from the body.
But there's far more to green tea than this.

Most importantly, leaves for green tea are steamed rather
than fermented, preserving the vital Epigallocatechin
Gallate (EGCG) compound. EGCG is just one of a number of
catechin polyphenols found in tea, but research suggests
that it's a particularly powerful anti-oxidant, the
presence of which makes green tea anything up to ten times
more powerful than the more common fermented (black) teas.

In fact, today's Western science is increasingly confirming
the health benefits long claimed for the consumption of
green tea. And as amazing as it may seem, EGCG and related
compounds in green tea appear directly to target the most
common killer diseases often attributed to western
affluence and diet. Some research, for example, has
credited EGCG with the ability to reduce total levels of
cholesterol whilst at the same time improving the ratio of
"good" (HDL) cholesterol to "bad" (LDL) cholesterol;
thereby helping to protect against both heart attacks and
strokes - still two of the most frequent premature killers
in the Western world.

Some exciting Swiss research published by the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November 1999 also
suggests that green tea may help with the increasing
problem of obesity by prompting the body to burn fat at a
significantly increased rate.

But perhaps most excitingly, there's now evidence that
green tea may even help in tackling cancer. For example, in
1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published
the results of a study indicating that drinking green tea
reduced the risk of oesophageal cancer in Chinese people by
almost sixty percent. And University of Purdue researchers
recently concluded that as few as four or five cups of
green tea a day may provide enough EGCG to help retard the
growth of tumours – and this without apparent damage
to surrounding healthy tissue.

Now if after reading all of the above you're just raring to
add green tea to your daily dietary regime I wouldn't blame
you at all. In fact I'd actively encourage you. But it's
only fair to give you the whole picture. And that means
pointing out that the consumption of large amounts of green
tea could risk adding some caffeine to your normal intake.

Let me put this in perspective though. A standard six to
eight ounce cup of green tea will contain between 30 and 60
milligrams of caffeine. A similar size cup of coffee will
likely contain more than 100 milligrams. So just replace a
couple of cups of your normal coffee intake with your
recommended four to five cups of green tea and your
caffeine intake's going to stay level. But if you want to
eliminate caffeine entirely then caffeine-free green teas
are now becoming readily available.

So you can enjoy all the benefits cited above without any
of the possible side-effects of caffeine, and with ever
increasing interest in the health promoting properties of
green tea, new benefits are coming to light all the time.
Already for example, the anti-oxidant (ie
anti–ageing) qualities of the tea are being applied
to the manufacture of skin care products.

These applications may still seem a little far-fetched to
you right now, but in terms of your internal organism
there's no longer any doubt that green tea is truly one of
nature's great gifts - a very inexpensive but extremely
valuable health booster.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products.
Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm

How A C.Diff Infection Occurs

How A C.Diff Infection Occurs
A C.diff Infection occurs when the c.diff micro-organism
grows out of control in the gastronintestinal tract (GI).

Ordinarily this kind of micro-organism is harmless and
actually helps in the digestion of food and nutrients. As
such, we all have micro-organisms have them in our bodies
and c.diff can be present in around 3% of healthy adults.

But, a C.Diff Infection occurs when the c.diff
micro-organism begins to grow out of control resulting in
severe infectious diarrhea and inflammation of the large
intestine. This can happen to hospitalised people and the
presence of c.diff in hospitalised adults is ten times
higher (up to 30%) than in ordinarily healthy adults.

A C.Diff Infection is by far the most common cause of
diarrhea found in hospital patients.

Why Patients Are Susceptible To A C.Diff Infection

Basically, a C.Diff Infection occurs when a bodies
preventative bacteria is not strong enough to stop the
c.diff from outgrowing the GI tract. This happens for a
number of reasons:

• A long stay in hospital. The potential for c.diff
spreading in a clinical environment is very high and
combined with the stress a patient will be under and the
illness weakened body a hospital patient is a prime
candidate for C.Diff Infection.

• Age. C.diff is an infectious disease and as in all
diseases of this type the elderly are much more susceptible
because their immune systems are weak, especially when
hospitalised.

• Illness. Any serious or constant illness will weaken the
bodies immune system and increase the risk of a C.Diff
Infection.

• Antibiotics. A very real risk to a patient in a hospital
environment can be posed by antibiotics. Because
antibiotics can kill the bacteria which controls the growth
of c.diff a patient becomes susceptible to a C.Diff
Infection.

Why Does A C.Diff Infection Spread?

Unfortunately, a C.Diff Infection can spread very quickly
and it is not easily killed by cleaning agents that most
hospitals will use. C.diff forms spores which infected
people can transfer by contact with each other and surfaces
and those spores can live for up to five months.

It is because of the high degree of infection that c.diff
poses such a threat to hospitals and the patients in their
care.

How A C.Diff Infection Can Be Treated

The unfortunate truth about a C.diff Infection is that it
is very hard to treat and treatment can last for several
months. The evolvement of a new and more viral strain of
c.diff which is resistant to treatment can be fatal and it
is this strain of the disease which is proving so difficult
for our hospitals to control.

Some antibiotics can be used in the treatment of a C.diff
Infection including Flagyl. Flagyl is the most common
treatment and is usually taken in tablet form and is a
Metronidazole is used to treat bacterial or protozoal
infections.

Vancomycin is a stronger drug than Flagyl and is used to
try and combat the more serious strains of C.Diff
Infection. Taken orally Vancomycin is a parenteral
glycopeptide antibiotic and is a drug which has recently
been improved during the manufacturing process to increase
its purity and effectiveness against the stronger strains
of c.diff.

Can A C.diff Infection Be Prevented

Surprisingly simply washing hands is the best way to
prevent the spread of a C.diff Infection although the usual
alcohol based hand cleansers are not effective in
preventing the spread of c.diff.

----------------------------------------------------
Craig Ellyard writes extensively about hospital acquired
diseases. For more information on C.Diff Infection and how
to claim compensation if effected go to
http://www.cdiff-compensation.co.uk

Seven Weight Loss Tips

Seven Weight Loss Tips
Here are seven weight loss tips to get you started on
getting the body of your dreams!

#1.During your workouts do exercise that incorporate
compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not
only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more
muscle at once! A few good compound movement exercises
include: squats, dead lifts, bent over rows, and lunges.

#2. Set fitness goals for yourself. Be sure to write your
goals down and post them where you will see them everyday.
Your goal may be to lose 5 pounds, to lose 5 inches off
your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your
goals, vague goals will get you nowhere. A qualified
personal trainer can help you set your goals and guide you
to them.

#3. Pump some iron! Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns
30-50 calories per day, while 1 lb of fat only burns about
9 calories per day? The more muscle your body contains the
more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has
been called the fountain of youth – and it really is!

#4. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog
for as little as 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning.
Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake
up is more effective since your body is depleted of
calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores. A
personal trainer can help you identify your ideal target
heart rate for maximum fat burn.

#5. Make a habit of weighing and measuring yourself monthly
and tracking your gains and losses. I know this sounds
tedious but it is a great way to help you prevent gradual
weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.

#6. When lifting weights, try slowing down the speed at
which you lower the weight. Lowering weight in a controlled
manner will add strength and tone to your muscles and
decrease the chance of an injury.

#7. Losing patience with exercise? The key to weight loss
and fitness gains is to consistently give your body new
challenges. Mix up your workouts every few weeks, and don't
be afraid to try something new! Make your body constantly
adapt to new challenges and stimulus. Hire a personal
trainer who can help you add new excitement to your fitness
program.

Stay strong, stay motivated and keep on moving.

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/

Breaking through that Plateau Women

Breaking through that Plateau Women
It happens all the time. You change your eating habits;
start exercising and you lose weight steadily each week.
Then suddenly as you get closer to your goal your weight
loss begins to slow down drastically and eventually seems
to come to a stand still. No matter how hard you try, you
can not get the scale to move and weeks go by while you are
still the same weight. This is perhaps the most
challenging part of losing weight and getting fit and it is
also where you are the most vulnerable. This is the point
where you are at the most risk to fall back into old
habits. It is very frustrating to be doing everything
right and trying so hard and not seeing those numbers
change on the scale. It is frustrating enough to make you
reach for a bag of candy to make yourself feel better.
Before you reach for that candy and sabotage all your hard
work, know you are not alone. You have simply hit a
plateau.

A plateau is simply when your weight loss efforts come to a
stand still. It happens to everyone at one point in their
weight loss. The problem is, since we are all different,
we can’t predict exactly when a plateau might happen
to us but when it does it is not fun. A plateau does
should not mean that we are going to fall back into our old
habits. A common misconception that we have about
plateaus is that they mean we failed. We haven’t
failed. We are just at a standstill.

So what can we do to break through this plateau? The
first thing is to make sure you are eating properly. Make
sure you are eating enough to compensate for your workout
also. Ideally you should eat within a half hour to 2 hours
after your workout to refuel your system and make sure it
is a balanced meal that includes carbs. You might want to
try drinking a little more water to avoid dehydrations also.

Another thing to look at, did you add rest in your exercise
program? Rest is very important especially when strength
training. Whenever you strength train tiny tears happen
in the fibers of your muscles. Those tears repair
themselves with stronger muscles but in order for that to
happen you have to rest those muscles. Ideally you should
rest 1-2 days between workouts. If you did legs on
Monday, you should not do them again till Wednesday or
Thursday.

Lastly, try switching up your cardio workouts. If you have
been using the treadmill, try using the elliptical. If
you have been taking step classes, try taking a kickboxing
class. If you have been using workout videos, try a new
one and see what happens. The possibilities are endless.
You can also change the duration of your workout. You
might want to try and do a shorter but more intense workout
one day and then an easy longer one the next day. One day
you could take a 30 minute kickboxing class and then the
next day take a 45 minute walk around your neighborhood.
Keep variety in your workout.

Following these easy suggestions will bust you through that
plateau in no time and if you hit another plateau you have
the tools to know how to handle it.

----------------------------------------------------
We have released the official site for Women's Fitness
revealing the hidden secrets to having that body you desire
and want with the latest exercises and techniques available
and you will see results right now within the next 24 hours
not 3 months from now or 3 weeks from now but right now. We
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Lyme Disease Amazingly IS All in Your Head

Lyme Disease Amazingly IS All in Your Head
Many of us with chronic Lyme disease have spent years of
our lives in our relentless pursuit of good health. We have
been to dozens of physicians in search of correct diagnosis
and treatment.

Likewise many of us who have been on this quest hear
physicians dismiss us with a something like this, "I can
not help you. This is all in your head. Now, go get a life."

Those words feel like a close-fisted slug to the belly.
Those words knock the wind out of a patient who is
desperate to get their life back from Lyme. Those words
spoken by a trusted medical doctor create a heavy load of
shame and cause the patient to wonder, "Am I really just
insane?"

One fellow I know left his primary physician's office with
the business card of a psychologist. This was the doctor's
prescription for dealing with what had been erroneously
determined to be psychosomatic.

Those of us who decide to plug along in spite of hearing
those painful words leave many a doctor's office shaking
our heads and thinking, "OK, I may be crazy, but what about
the double pneumonia and/or the floaters in my eyes and/or
the tremendous pain in soles of my feet, and/or the
non-stop itching and dozens of other symptoms for goodness
sake. These symptoms are real. How can we deal with those?"

If you are on the lookout for real solutions to your very
real Lyme-related symptoms this next sentence may cause you
to laugh right out loud after. Lyme disease really is all
in your head, but not in the way your Lyme illiterate
doctors imply.

When a load of Lyme spirochetes are injected into your
blood stream and make it through your immune system's lines
of defense where do you think they go? Those little
bacteria go straight to your brain, begin multiplying and
begin causing multiple brain infections.

Upon learning this important piece of information each of
our Lyme-infected family members quit telling people that
we all have "Lyme." That statement alone caused people to
look at us with tat "deer stuck in headlights look." Now,
when we get into conversations about health struggles,
first we admit to having brain infections, then we talk
about Lyme. With this change in language lay people and
physicians alike seem to take our words and symptoms more
seriously.

As you learn about Lyme, you will find out that it does not
travel alone. It takes company with it where ever it goes.
So, in addition to learning about Lyme, be prepared to
learn about Lyme-related co-infections as well. Yes, they
like to take up residence in brain matter too.

Some of the Lyme-related co-infections that our family
members had included, Epstein-Barr virus (mono); Parvo
virus (comes from dogs); Strep; HHV6; H-Pilori (the number
one bug on the planet) to name a few. Each of these little
buggers were diagnosed and treated, then, thankfully came
wellness.

Now your challenge is discernment. The next time you hear,
"It is all in your head." You can ask yourself, "Does this
person think I'm nuts? Or, have I finally found someone who
is Lyme literate?"

----------------------------------------------------
Forward this article to friends. They will thank you for it!
For your FREE downloadable, ebook, "150+ Symptoms of Lyme
Disease" and more about Lyme visit,
http://www.TheLymeLady.com

Discover The Magical Powers Of The Siberian Ginseng "Ugly Plant"

Discover The Magical Powers Of The Siberian Ginseng "Ugly Plant"
In Russia, herb extract of Eleutherococcus, also known as
eleuthero or Siberian Ginseng, was approved for human use
as early as 1962 and many subsequent scientific studies
have examined its effects upon thousands of people.
Siberian ginseng is consequently known to be a powerful
adaptogen, a term believed to have been first used in
Russia in the late 1940s which describes substances found
to help optimise physical and mental performance, and to
normalise the body's functioning in response to all kinds
of stress.

Research has shown that Siberian Ginseng may produce
significant improvements in individuals' adaptogenic
response to such stresses as heat, cold, excessive noise
and vibration, physical exhaustion, viruses and bacteria,
chemicals and pollution. In fact, the positive effects
identified have been so many that it almost seems as though
eleuthero may enhance the human organism's ability to cope
with the stresses of 21sr century life itself. And the
power of its tonic and stimulant effects quickly made it a
favourite with millions of ordinary Russians.

But the power of this remarkable plant (an unprepossessing
spiny shrub growing to a maximum of nine feet tall) has
been known in China for at least 2,000 years and it is
still widely used there as a general tonic and stimulant in
keeping with Chinese medicine's focus on prevention rather
than cure, and for promoting improved vigour and general
health and increasing resistance to disease and longevity.
More specifically, eleuthero is also a traditional Chinese
folk remedy for heart and circulatory problems, bronchitis,
rheumatism, male infertility and a host of other common
ailments. And more recent Russian studies have also
highlighted Siberian Ginseng's potential role in tackling
diabetes, blood pressure problems and even cancer.

It's important, of course, to stress that eleuthero is not
claimed as a cure for these conditions, but rather that the
tonic and stimulant properties of the adaptogen give a
major boost to the entire system, helping the body's
natural healing processes restore it to health and vitality.

But your doctor, in line with orthodox medical opinion in
the West, may well still nevertheless insist that you don't
need Siberian Ginseng, or indeed any of the other herbal
adaptogens such as Black Cohosh and Dong Quai which are now
becoming readily available.

And if you get a regular eight hours of quality sleep a
night; always eat a well balanced nutritious diet, consume
alcohol only in strict moderation and tobacco not at all;
have a mutually satisfying intimate relationship with a
loving partner and enjoy freedom from work and financial
pressure but nevertheless take plenty of relaxing breaks
and vacations, your doctor may just be right.

And if this sounds like your life then I must congratulate
you, because it's clear that you already have it organised
for optimal mental and physical performance, giving your
mind and body the best possible chance of resisting the
stresses that are systematically breaking down the health
of so many millions in the affluent Western world.

But if you're like most of us your life is a long way from
this ideal. Likely you find that our culture's obsession
with work and the gadgets that keep us always in touch with
the office, not to mention the demands of family life and
the ready availability of 24/7 electronic entertainment,
all militate against your getting anywhere close to enough
sleep. Likewise, you eat on the run; a snatched breakfast
or none at all followed by lunch on a sandwich at your
desk; and in the evening "enjoy" a highly processed,
nutrition-stripped ready "meal" for dinner. Still, you can
always disguise the taste with the drink or two that by now
you really need to help you relax.

Now, you're not exactly ill, or not yet anyway. There may
not be any specific physical symptoms you can point to. But
at best you're conscious of a vague feeling that you lack
the energy to get all that you could and should out of
life. At worst you feel like you're clinging to a sheer
cliff face, maybe even sliding towards depression.

Not that doctors aren't sympathetic; why wouldn't they be
when they're often in this condition too? But the problem
they have is that their training simply doesn't equip them
to tackle this kind of general lifestyle problem. In fact
the more traditionally minded amongst them might even argue
that it is no part of their business to do so.

You see, conventional western medicine is very effective at
producing specific treatments for the specific illnesses
with which it's commonly confronted. But it's not nearly
so good at preventing you from becoming ill in the first
place, or at optimising every aspect of your physical and
mental performance.

That's where Siberian Ginseng and other adaptogens can be
of tremendous value, as the many elite athletes, military
personnel, deep sea divers, cosmonauts and others making
extreme demands on their bodies who have used it for
enhanced performance can attest.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products.
Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm

Is it Possible to Have Too Much Calcium

Similar to answering the question of how much of a vitamin
supplement is too much (or too little), many ask what is
the right amount to take of a calcium supplement. Some
worry about getting too much calcium and worry that a
buildup of calcium could occur causing kidney stones and
other illnesses. But many studies actually show the more
dietary calcium that is available for the body the LESS
likely they are to have a buildup of ‘calcium
deposits.'

Studies are also showing that middle-aged adults do NOT
increase their risk for kidney stone formation by
supplementing with calcium. A study in 2004 looked at more
than 96,000 nurses between the ages of 26 and 44 over an
eight year period. They found that the nurses with the
highest dietary calcium in their diets were 27 percent less
likely to develop kidney stones. The study concluded that
"supplemental calcium is not associated with risk." (Arch
Int. Med, 164:823, 2004)

The American Dietetic Association reports that 49 percent
of Americans use some form of supplementation on a daily
basis. Many hope that by taking a dietary supplement they
will strengthen their health and fight off chronic illness.
Others simply want to increase general wellness and enjoy
vitality. Research shows that more Americans believe that
taking a supplement is necessary to ensure good health just
as many Americans believe that drinking bottled water from
a known source is important for good health too.

The question then becomes how to choose a good calcium
supplement. Here are some simple guidelines that many
people use:

1. Find a calcium supplement that can easily be absorbed by
your body. Liquid will be absorbed by your body more
readily than a pill.

2. Find a calcium supplement made from Calcium Oratate.
Calcium Oratate is extremely absorbable by your body
because of the combination of calcium and orotic acid.

3. Find a calcium supplement that includes a blend of
ingredients that support the absorption of calcium and
balance the effects.

4. Make sure the calcium supplement includes Vitamin D
– it helps promote calcium absorption.

5. Find a calcium supplement that includes Glucosomine to
also help with joint repair. Glucosomine can be provided
in both a vegan and non-vegan form depending on your
personal preference.

6. Decide whether Chondroitin is for you. Chondroitin also
helps joint repair but it is derived from shellfish. If
you are allergic to shellfish look for a calcium supplement
that does not contain chondroitin.

7. Finally, look for a calcium supplement that contains
magnesium and other minerals that benefit your overall help
and also increase the absorption of calcium by your body.

When taking a calcium supplement, it's all about
absorption. Studies have shown that we should be able to
take a calcium supplement on a regular basis. If you take
a calcium supplement, you want your body to take advantage
of every drop – otherwise your are simply flushing
your supplement and your money down the drain.

----------------------------------------------------
Ronald Godlewski has successfully founded and run several
businesses and is currently working with Life Force
International. You can obtain more information on the
nutritional value of vitamin supplements at
http://www.PillFreeSupplements.com and receive a FREE Quart
of a Vitamin Supplement or call him toll free at
1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878).

SLASH the time it takes for you to give up your exercise regime this year!

Most people start the New Year by investing nearly six
weeks of their lives in health and fitness strategies that
will NEVER deliver long lasting results! They have all the
enthusiasm in the world on January 1st, yet seem to burn
out by mid February.

The principles below will save you time and effort by
reducing this period to around ten days! Yes! Totally
exhausted, burnt out and devoid of any real results in just
ten days! That's a saving of 42 days! If you really want to
save yourself the bother of stripping fat permanently and
creating real sustainable energy then study and apply these
principles very carefully. You really can be burnt out,
disillusioned and devoid of all hope in just ten days!

Burnout Principle No.1 Go FLAT OUT right from the Start!

That's it! You haven't done any exercise for nearly three
months so make up for it in the first session. Your body
loves being shocked by physical trauma, that's what
exercise is, and will have no chance of lasting more than a
few weeks if you push really hard in every session.
Whatever you do, DON'T start slowly and give your body time
to build a strong foundation. THIS COULD WELL LEAD TO
PERMANENT CHANGE!

Burnout Principle No. 2 Change NOTHING else in your
lifestyle other than your exercise levels!

This is a great tip. To guarantee burn out please don't
think about improving the quality of the food, this could
give your body the nutrients it needs for muscle repair,
and, what ever you do, DO NOT GO TO BED BEFORE ELEVEN!
(This will give your body the recovery time it needs to
promote muscle repair and effective growth)

DEFINITELY ignore the quality of your food and amount of
sleep you are getting. Burning the candle at both ends will
always deliver the best results for fast and effective
burnout.

Burnout Principle No. 3 NEVER Measure Yourself! NEVER Set
Realistic Goals!

This one is dangerous. If you measure yourself and assess
your current fitness level you might actually see tangible
results in a few weeks.

The ideal goal for failure is something like, "I just want
to get fitter" or "I want to lose some weight" This is
ideal. Whatever you do, DO NOT write down and review
specific and realistic goals on a regular basis. This is a
sure fire way to succeed.

Burnout Principle No 4 NEVER work on your beliefs!

The best way to avoid this "successful" strategy is to find
as much evidence as you can to reaffirm your OLD beliefs.
The most effective "unsuccessful" beliefs tend to be, "I
don't really have time for this" or "I am not able to
change" and the most important, "I don't deserve to change"

Try and find as much evidence as you can to support these
beliefs. Whatever you do, NEVER try and find evidence to
support constructive beliefs such as, "Why I know that I
deserve more energy and a great body" Or "Why I know that I
always succeed at things I commit to!"

This is a sure fire way to succeed. (Avoid like the
plague...)

Burnout Principle No. 5 Stop when problems occur!

Try and ignore the resounding evidence proving that success
in any field comes from persistence, patience, perseverance
and practice. You must always ignore the idea that your
achievements will only be worth anything BECAUSE of the
problems you overcame. This really will do you no good at
all and merely fill your life with results and achievements
rather than excuses. Who wants this???

Burnout Principle No 6 Focus on the costs – NOT THE
BENEFITS!

Never concentrate on the BENEFITS of what you are doing.
Always focus on the COSTS.

Do you know how hard it is to abandon something when all
you can think of are the amazing things that you will see,
feel and be able to do when you have achieved it! It's a
nightmare!

Burnout Principle No 7 Never commit to change!

Always use words like "I'll try" and "I really should".

These are fantastic!

Disempowering, non committal and, best of all, they
actually make you sound as though you will probably fail!

NEVER use language like "I will", or "I must". These are
quite scary because they entail that you might actually get
what you want. This can lead to years of happiness, fun and
confidence. Don't do it.

Burnout Principle No 8 Treat weight loss purely as a
calorie and exercise issue!

Please ignore factors such as sleep, stress, food quality,
the way you breathe, your beliefs and your genetic make up.
These are unhelpful and damn effective if used in addition
to an effective exercise and nutritional plan.

Burnout Principle No 9 NEVER Exercise Intelligently

PLEASE don't think of analysing your body to see where it
is weakest in order to exercise for strength rather than
injury.

DEFINITELY DON'T do movements that use up to 600 muscles,
(burning loads of calories in the process)

PLEASE don't think about varying your workout's to avoid
boredom and sustain improvement. (This IS clever and it
does save you time, so DON'T DO IT)

(REMEMBER you want to be back in your old routine by mid
January. Don't muck around with this stuff! Just get a free
programme from a magazine or generic template from a
fitness instructor and crack on with this. It will give you
everything you need to be bored, confused and ready to give
up in a few weeks)

Burnout Principle No 10 DO NOT enjoy the process!

NEVER go running in a park where there is a beautiful
sunrise.

NEVER think of exercise as something that your body is
designed to do. Believing that your body actually enjoys
exercise is really damaging for rapid failure strategies.

Exercising in a social and fun atmosphere, such as the
Urban Vitality Complete Boot Camps, is just stupid (Nearly
90% of people on it lose at least and inch a half of their
waists, lose 6lbs of body fat or increase their energy by
30%)

EVEN WORSE...!

Committing to a programme that guarantee's both rapid
results AND long lasting change, such as the Personal
Coaching with the Urban Vitality Company is VERY DANGEROUS
if you are serious about NOT changing.

PLEASE stick to what you know best and you'll be back where
you started by January 10th 2008!

Have a great year,

----------------------------------------------------
John Limpus is the Head Coach and Founder of the Urban
Vitality Company, West London's Premier Specialist's in Fat
Loss and Sustainable Energy.
Download our free report on Fat Loss Fundamentals
http://www.theurbanvitalitycompany.co.uk

Healthy eating at your desk!

Eating at your desk is not ideal. In an ideal world we'd
all be working fewer hours, fewer days and taking more
vacations. Unfortunately for many of us our jobs keep us in
front of a computer for more hours than are natural. It's
not recommended that you eat at your desk through your
workday; however there are times when deadlines must be met
and every hour in the day is accounted for.

During these times don't let the lack of time become an
excuse for a poor diet. A poor diet can affect our mood,
lead to weight-gain, a lack of energy, dehydration –
the list goes on. If you must eat at your desk make the
right choices. Start now by changing some of the foods you
currently have for foods that will give you energy and
leave you feeling good. Try the following:

CHANGE coffee, FOR water and herbal tea. Dehydration can
cause headaches, make you feel weak, dizzy and make you
feel tired. Drinking enough water will also force you out
of the desk even if it's just a short walk to the lieu

CHANGE sandwiches, FOR rye bread (wheat free, gluten free)
with peanut butter. Wheat can make many people feel bloated
and lethargic. Peanut butter is a good source of protein
and ‘good' fat, choose organic no sugar added peanut
butter.

CHANGE crisps, FOR mixed nuts. Nuts are an excellent source
of protein and are high in essential amino acids. Try a mix
of brazil nuts, cashews and walnuts.

CHANGE cakes, FOR avocado. Avocados are rich in protein
and also contain monounsaturated fats, which may help to
lower cholesterol. They don't need to be messy. Cut the
avocado around the long way and twist the two halves.
Remove the pit and eat using a small spoon.

CHANGE fruit yoghurts, FOR natural bio live yoghurt and
muesli (wheat free and gluten free). Muesli is high in
fibre, which can help to lower cholesterol levels, and
complex carbohydrates that are important for sustained
energy. Eating bio live yoghurt can help in maintaining a
healthy digestive system as well as boost your immune
system.

All of these suggestions do not need to be refrigerated,
with the exception of the yoghurt; therefore, you can store
them in your desk! Yoghurt can be kept for a couple of
hours at room temperature, try having it as an early
morning snack.

If you're are really pressed for time all major food stores
now have on line shopping. The first time you sign up will
take the longest, once you're set up then you can save your
favourites and save time in the future. You could always
have someone order it for you!

Shopping List: peppermint chamomile or nettle tea, wheat
free gluten free rye bread, sugar free peanut butter, mixed
nuts, avocados, bio live organic yoghurt, wheat free gluten
free muesli.

When shopping purchase as much organic as possible to
ensure the maxium nutrients possible.It has also been well
document that the residues from pesticides and fertilisers
are stored in our fatty tissues.

All of the suggested snacks are excellent at any time, not
just when you are eating at your desk. Remember improving
you're diet does not replace the need to move you're body.
Do you're best to eat away from you're desk and get out and
MOVE.

----------------------------------------------------
Rosa Coelho is a Performance Coach, Personal Trainer and
Sports Massage Therapist at Dax Moy Personal Training
Studios in London. Rosa specialises in applying a holistic
approach to health and fitness through The POWER
Principles. For more information about Rosa visit
http://www.rocofit.com

New Concepts In Allergy Testing And Treatment

Conventional allergy treatment consists of two main
approaches: symptom suppression and desensitization.
Symptom suppression uses various medications to reduce the
release of and/or the effects of circulating immune
chemicals like histamine. Reduction of the amounts or
effects of these chemicals reduces the severity of the
body's allergic reaction and things like congestion,
irritated eyes, and skin reactions diminish. In severe
allergies, steroids like cortisone may be used to
drastically suppress the body's inflammatory immune
response.

The other common approach to allergy treatment is
desensitization, usually in the form of allergy shots.
Allergy shots deliver small amounts of the person's
allergens into the body on a regular basis. The concept
here is that over time the body will grow accustomed to the
allergen and stop reacting as strongly to it. Basically,
the idea is that the body will get "tired" of producing an
immune response to the allergen if it encounters it often
enough. Allergy shots are effective at eliminating
allergies in many cases, but it is a slow process. There
is a new way of desensitizing the body to allergens that is
much faster and does not require injections, as we'll
discuss shortly.

Before I go into this new kind of allergy treatment, you'll
need to have some background information. This treatment
is based on the energy field of the human body and it uses
a technique called muscle testing to evaluate fluctuations
in that energy field. Acupuncture is a system of healing
that has been around thousands of years. It is based on
the flow and interaction of subtle forms of energy in the
body. While this is still a new concept in Western
medicine, energy healing is widely accepted in many parts
of the world. Medical doctors often dismiss outright the
concept of an energy field around the body, yet the
existence of this field is easily demonstrated, as anyone
who is "muscle-tested" will experience.

You may have heard of homeopathy. Like acupuncture, it too
is based on energy fields, both in the body, as well as in
substances and organisms that can interact with the body.
In essence, homeopathic remedies are energy "signatures" of
substances – not the actual substances themselves.
Just as you can store electronic information on a computer
disc, energy signatures can be imprinted on purified water
and other substances. Those stored energy signatures can
then be used to treat the body.

As mentioned above, the existence of the human energy field
is easily demonstrated. One of the simplest and yet most
effective means of assessing the flow of energy around and
within the body is something called muscle testing. Every
muscle in your body is controlled by nerves, which transmit
electrical signals. If the body's energy field is
disrupted, the electrical signals of the nerves are
interfered with, and so the muscles cannot function at full
capacity. It's sort of like a light on a dimmer switch.
When the power to the light is flowing at full capacity,
the light is bright. When the flow of electricity is
interfered with (by means of the components of the dimmer
switch), the light dims. If the nerve signals to your
muscles are "dimmed", the muscle appears weak. In muscle
testing, we assess energy pathways by touching points on
the body or by contacting the body with a substance to
check the body's reactivity to it. Although any muscle in
the body can be used for testing, one of the most popular
tests uses the deltoid muscles. Essentially, the person
being tested holds his or her arm straight out to the side
at shoulder level and the tester pushes down on the arm at
the wrist or forearm. When an energy reaction occurs, the
person being tested will be unable to resist the downward
push from the tester where they had been able to easily
resist before.

There are many critics of muscle testing who claim that it
is a hoax. I used to think that myself. Certainly there
are ways to "cheat" the test to make it show what you want
it to show. All of these tricks are easily detectable if
you pay attention to what's happening. Among the more
common tricks to produce a weak response when the tester
wants it are: the tester pushes harder or faster, the
tester lifts up on the arm (triggering muscle relaxation)
prior to pushing down, or the tester changes the angle, or
shifts the leverage of the push. I myself have witnessed a
lot of muscle testing where the outcome was controlled by
the tester. Such experiences led me to conclude that
muscle testing was a bunch of garbage. A few years ago, I
attended a seminar that changed my mind. I came to
understand the proper way to do muscle testing. After
that, I came to find that muscle testing was a valuable
tool for assessing the body.

Allergy and Sensitivity Elimination and Reprogramming
Technique (ASERT)is the newest method of dealing with
allergy problems in the body. This is a method that uses
muscle testing and homeopathic substances to evaluate the
body and then uses a form of acupuncture point stimulation
to reduce the body's sensitivities to allergens. This is a
relatively new technique that is an updated version of an
older, but more widely-used method called NAET (Nambudripad
Allergy Ellimination Technique).

NAET was discovered accidentally by an acupuncturist and
chiropractor named Devi Nambudripad. She herself suffered
from numerous allergies and food sensitivities and she had
a very restrictive diet because of her multiple food
sensitivities. The story goes that one day she was fixing
food for her husband and absent-mindedly ate a piece of
carrot, which she was highly allergic to. Immediately, she
started to have an allergic reaction and she decided to
ride it out using some acupuncture to help her through it
more easily. She placed acupuncture needles to stimulate
all of the energy channels in the body and laid down to
rest. When she awoke, she felt unusually good and noticed
that in her haste, she had not washer her hands and still
had some carrot on her skin. On a hunch, she ate a bite of
carrot and found she did not react to it as before. She
then tried using the same procedure for other foods she was
allergic to and discovered that the acupuncture stimulation
eliminated those reactions as well. From there the method
has grown and there are various modifications and offshoots
of it, including ASERT, the technique I use.

With ASERT, I use muscle testing to test for reactions to
various allergens and then desensitize the body to any
allergens I find using laser acupuncture. The laser is
particularly good for this technique because it is
completely noninvasive and painless and can go right
through most clothing, negating the need for the patient to
disrobe. In using this technique the last few years, I
have discovered some additional tricks to make it even more
effective. For most cases, significant reduction in all
types of allergies and sensitivities can be achieved in 1
to 10 visits. This treatment is long lasting (it usually
"holds" for at least several months) and is often
permanent. A few interfering factors can come into play
with the effects of treatment, such as heavy metal toxicity
or particularly heavy exposure to the desensitized
allergens, but these are rare.

Both ASERT and NAET are remarkably effective, if a bit hard
to believe at first. They are gaining popularity and
practitioners of these techniques can usually be located in
most major cities.

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. George Best has been a holistic healthcare practitioner
in San Antonio, Texas since 1991. For more information
about natural allergy elimination, visit
http://www.youniquehealthcare.com , or email to
info@youniquehealthcare.com.