On choosing vitamin supplements for men

Today more and more men are getting health and body conscious that’s why men's vitamin supplements are becoming popular. Now there are a lot of products in the market claiming to be the best vitamins for men, which maybe confusing to consumers. If you are interested in getting the best value for your money, here are some tips on determining which men's vitamin supplement is best for you and your lifestyle.

Check the label, you need to look at the product’s nutritional guide. Choose vitamin supplements that could provide all the essential vitamins and minerals you need daily.

Choose men's vitamins based on your lifestyle and diet. If you are someone with a healthy lifestyle, and consume most of the essential vitamins, particularly the B vitamins, from the food you eat, you do not need supplements that provide very high level of vitamins. Take supplements that provide more than what your body needs for a day if you think that the food you eat is deficient in certain vitamins.

Find men's vitamins that have higher daily values of Vitamin E and Selenium, according to experts selenium and vitamin E are important in preventing prostate cancer in men.

Some components of men's vitamins might have adverse effects especially if you are taking any medications, so be sure to consult your doctor before taking vitamin supplements.

Mesothelioma and asbestos

Since our Company handles chemical products we are always exposed to risk and occupational hazards. We know we can develop illness or even cancer from exposure to harmful chemicals so we always see to it that we have our personal protective gear with us.

Recently i've learned another type of work related disease called Mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is usually the result of exposure to asbestos. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have had jobs where they breathed asbestos fibers. Continual exposure to asbestos in the workplace causes cancer cells to form in the body. This cancer generally affects the lungs, but in some instances, the cancer is able to develop in the abdominal cavity of the heart. It may take up to 60 years from the time of asbestos exposure until mesothelioma develops.

The chance of recovery for a patient with mesothelioma depends on size and location of the cancer, age of the patient and his response to the treatment. Presently, the treatment options for mesotheliomas are:Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy, Surgery and Photodynamic therapy. There are some evidence that provitamin A or beta-carotene may decrease the risk of mesothelioma.

By the way, even people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are also at risk. So if you know anyone who has been exposed to asbestos, have them checked for symptoms and seek medical help immediately. Detecting mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly increases the chances of beating the disease.

Quick relief for stress

Stress is a serious office concern, and many office workers and employees do not realize how stress can hurt their job performances, especially efficiency.

In my case, as a working mom i handle too many pressures almost everyday (both on my job and at home) which causes too much stress on me! How about you, are you in similar situation? Oh well i found some helpful tips that i want to share with you, here are some simple ways of dealing with stress.

• Remove sugar from your breakfast, if not from your whole day. Sugar can make you sluggish, and impair your mental processes; this is especially crucial for those in white collar jobs.

• Increase your water intake. Staying hydrated will not only have health benefits for your body, but will also keep you from feeling restless and dry.

• Instead of coffee take green tea. While caffeine can stimulate and keep you awake, there are certain health problems associated with its excessive intake. Green tea on the other hand contains antioxidants and other good nutrients.

• Be concerned about your sleep debt, and don’t oversleep on weekends. Your body needs a regular sleep schedule, and besides, it is not possible to compensate for sleep debt by oversleeping you’ll sluggish and tired.

• Don’t sleep with the TV on. The noise may cause you to have a restless, non-refreshing sleep.

• Get a massage; your muscles stimulation as you don’t use them at a desk job.

• Focus on your breathing and study alternative breathing techniques that can de-stress you at desk.

• Indulge in treatments which can help you detox or relax. Pampering yourself is one of the best ways to increase efficiency.

De-stressing anytime anywhere

Office works plus responsibilities at home equals stress! Yes i'm so stressed and we all know that too much stress is bad for us, and have heard the long litany of ailments associated with it- high blood pressure obesity and cancer, to name just a few. Usually our family or our doctor's advice is to find way to relax, but sometimes instead of doing this what we do to cope with stress are eating comfort food and smoking. Sometimes finding time to meditate to relieve from stress or taking a vacation has become its own stress reducer. Are there solutions to relieve stress that we can do anytime and anywhere? Read this real life solutions i found, these are ways we can effortlessly do even in our hectic routine.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE WORK
1. Prepare for tomorrow, nothing is more stressful than being unprepared. Get organized so you're ready for the next day, taking a few minutes to make a to-do list and clean up before you leave. Knowing you've got everything covered means you'll be less likely to fret about work in the evenings. When you come in the next morning, you'll have the sense that you're in control of the situation and can handle it. This sets a positive tone for the day, which can help you get more accomplished.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE
2. Arm yourself with snacks. According to APA survey, more women than men turn to comfort food such as ice cream and cookies to ease stress. It's common for women to deny themselves favorite foods because they're trying to lose weight. But under stress, the urge for them becomes even stronger. Researchers confirmed that dieters are more likely than nondieters to overeat under pressure, bingeing on the very same high-fat foods they normally try to avoid. But the key is not to deprive yourself, keep three or four snacks on hand that you know you'll probably want: peanuts if you like salty, a small piece of chocolate for something sweet, in this way you'll not be tempted to binge.

WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE 5 MINUTES
3. Try a repeat performance. Doing almost any routine, repetitive activity ( like cooking, shredding paper or knitting), or reciting a word that represents how you wish you felt, like the word "calm" is a quick way to achieve a Zen-like state. Studies show the effects-lower blood pressure and slower heart rate and breathing, and decreased muscle tension. The crucial elements are to focus on a word, your breathing or a movement and to bring your attention back to your task if your mind wanders or negative thoughts intrude.

IN THE BATHROOM
4. Wash your hands. When you're under pressure, you're more susceptible to cold viruses and other germs because your immune system is suppressed. Hand washing is your best defence. Lather up with soap and warm water for 10-20 seconds.

IN YOU CAR
5. Turn on some tunes. According to a recent study slow or meditative music such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is a proven stress buster, so set your dial to a soothing station during your commute. And if you're stuck in a traffic jam, sneak in this quick exercise.Grab your steering wheel and clench the muscles in you fingers, arms, shoulders, and back. Do this until your muscles begin to tremble about 4-5 seconds, then release. You'll produce a wave of relief your upper neck and arms all the way down to your fingers. Just make sure your foot's on the brake when you let go of the wheel!

ON WEEKEND ERRANDS
6. Use the ATM -once. Limiting your cash withdrawals to once a week is a quick, easy way to monitor you spending habits. Multiple trips to the ATM make it harder to track your money. If you put yourself in an allowance and pay cash for everything, you're more aware of what you're spending and more careful about what you buy. And while thinking about your finances may be enough to send you over the edge, it turns out that getting them under control eases tension in the long run.

AT THE GYM
7. Hit the poll. You'll beat the heat ans squelch stress.A new Swedish study published in the INternational Journal of Stress Management found that floating in water triggers the body's relaxation response, helping lower stress-hormone levels.Even better, nearly 80 percent of the subjects showed improvements such as feeling tense and depressed.

AT HOME IN THE EVENINGS
8. Give your thumbs a rest. Thanks to e-mail, cell phones, it seems like your job never ends. The increasingly blurry boundaries between work and home life leave us with less than ever before." Advances in technology are a leading source of chronic stress, putting many of us in a constant state of alert. Not to mention it draws our attention away from our families: A recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family found a link between the use of cell phones and pagers at home and increased stress, which spills over into family life. To make technology work for you, limit your cell phone and e-mail use to working hours only. Set a regular time you'll check it in the evening (say, after dinner), so you're not constantly disrupting home life to keep tabs on work.

Now are you ready to de-stress?

Stress and your skin

You’re angry and your face flushes. You’re nervous and itchy hives suddenly appear. Could there be relationship between your emotional state and your stubborn skin problems?

According to Thomas Gragg, M.D. of the Stanford University Medical Center, it is simplistic to say that the way we feel or act causes skin disease. Skin problems have multiple causes, and should always be treated medically. He said that one’s emotional state can play a large part in skin disorders. And dermatologists shouldn’t keep writing prescriptions for cream without also helping to work on the stress in life.

Although dermatologists have long maintained that stress affects skin only recently has strong scientific evidence emerged showing how distress can get under it. The breakthrough findings come from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine who tracked the actual cellular process that may link today’s emotional turbulence with tomorrow’s skin inflammation. They found that a protein called substance P is secreted by nerve fibers in our blood vessels to become clogged with white blood cells. The result is inflammation.

Below are some common skin disorders and their emotional connections:

HIVES

These raised itchy red spots afflict us at some time in our lives. A sudden, short-lived attack is usually the body’s response to a food or drug allergen- strawberries, shellfish, aspirin and penicillin are frequent offenders. The allergen prompts cells beneath the skin to produce chemical called histamine, which brings on the hives. Stress hormones play a part by dilating blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the skin. When hives are chronic-lingering for weeks, months, even years-usually, so is the stress. Sufferers tend to feel they’re trapped in an insoluble dilemma.

ACNE

Pimple outbreaks are usually associated with teenagers, yet an estimated 17 million women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s struggle with adult acne. Stress is a trigger in more than half of these cases, with outbreaks likeliest to occur two days after the start of some emotional turmoil. Many doctors now believe that excess perspiration caused by stress plays a part.

Women who start with only mild acne can easily get caught in a cycle that results in a more severe case. Stressful events make their acne worse and then the acne itself adds further stress. The increased tension causes nervous fidgeting, and those afflicted touch or pick at their skin, further irritating the breakout.

ITCHING

Sometimes an itch arises, for no discernible reason, on healthy skin. This mysterious itch-unconnected to dryness, mites, or any other physical cause-can be anywhere on the body but most commonly wreaks its misery on the upper back. Most sufferers find itch especially aggravating at night, when they have fewer distractions. Unexplained itching often hints at repressed anger smoldering beneath the surface. Others believe that depression plays a part, as sufferers often respond to an antidepressants even though they may not feel depressed.

ECZEMA

The flakery, blistering, itchy skin of eczema, typically runs in families-along with a susceptibility to hay fever and other allergic disorders. The disease, which can appear at any age, often starts with infancy, disappears between the ages of 2 and 4, then returns in early adulthood. Or, it may last from infancy onward into adulthood, with intermittent flare-ups and remissions.

Eczema is known to be less prevalent among breast-fed infants due to the skin contact that accompanies nursing. No one profile firs all eczema sufferers, but they tend to be intensely active, and sometimes compulsively driven. In adults, emotional upsets connected to love, marriage, rejection, or anger are particularly likely to cause flare-ups. For these sufferers, nurturing personal relationship and reducing stress are important goals to work toward relief.

How about you are you suffering from emotional stress today? Do you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above?

Do you know that the greatest cure for stress, emotional problems, worries or any burden can be found in the Word of God?

Matthew 6:24 says, “So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

1 Peter 5:7 says, " Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you."

Have a blessed day,

Organic foods

Medical reports show that people with diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, etc increases daily. Because of this more and more people are getting health conscious, aside from keeping a good diet and daily exercises, people are now concern on what kind of food they take. And today organic foods are the ones popular worldwide.

What are organic foods? According to wikipedia, Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified. Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.

How to identify Organic food? Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a minimum percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States and Australia) and any non-organically produced ingredients are subject to various agricultural requirements. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions (no chemical ripening, no food irradiation, and no genetically modified ingredients, etc.).
They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable or biodegradable materials when possible.

Consumers interested in organic food should look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food. Mostly these can be bought directly from growers. By talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities helps to identify if vegetables or live stocks are organically grown. Some small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. As demand for organic foods continues to increase, high volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets are rapidly replacing the direct farmer connection. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labelling, like "certified organic", is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance. A "certified organic" label is usually the only way for consumers to know that a processed product is "organic".

To be certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in:

• Australia: NASAA Organic Standard
• Britain: Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards and the Soil Association
• Canada: Canada Gazette, Government of Canada
• European Union: EU-Eco-regulation
• Sweden: KRAV
• India: NPOP, (National Program for Organic Production)
• Japan: JAS Standards.
• United States: National Organic Program (NOP) Standards

These sites focus on the regulation and standardization of organic food/products. With the help of these agencies consumers get the best information and assistance needed to know more about organic foods.

That's all for now, next time I’ll discuss more on the health benefits of eating organic foods.

I'm wishing you the best of health today!

Grey hair

Why does hair turn grey as we grow older?

For some of us, the first grey hairs appeared in our youth, even as early as 15. At 30, about a quarter of the population has same tell-tale signs of the greying to come. Some 28 percent of us will eventually have hair that is completely white. A few fortunate people will get no grey hairs at all.
If your parents or grandparents went grey, chances are that you will do so at about the same age and in the same way. Caucasians have a 50/50 chance that half their hair will be grey or white at the age of 50. Blacks begin to turn noticeably grey about six years later than whites. in their early forties.
But why should hair turn grey or white instead of, say, bright blue?

Cells called melaconytes determine hair colour. By producing and mixing just two basic pigments, eumelanin and pheomelanin, these cells give human hair its wonderful range of colours. Eumelanin may tint each strand of hair any color from the deepest black to the lightest brown; pheomelanin may turn it blonde, golden or red. The volume, shape, brightness and density of the pigments in each individual mix give your hair its distinctive look.
If melaconytes become less active, as they do in our twenties, new hairs growing from the hair folicles carry less of their original pigmentation, and emerge grey. When the melaconyte cells cease work, which they may do naturally according to your genes or when influenced by trauma or disease, your hair will grow without pigment, in the basic colour of its protein--snow white. Sometimes because of the hair's normal colour, the growth of white hairs is hard to detect.

Redheads have some 90,000 hairs on their heads, brunettes about 108,000 and blondes 140,000. Half a blonde's hair could turn white before the overall effect was one of greyness. Scientists say that light-haired people are more likely to become completely grey.

Hair colour and quality, like complexion, is often a barometer of health. Severe trauma may prompt the growth of grey hair. And so may a range of diseases, such as influenza, diabetes, typhus, malaria, some forms of herpes and conditions such as malnutrition, hyperthyroidism and anemia. People exposed to some kinds of radiation, whether by accident or in therapy, may go grey or lose their hair.

Can hair turn white overnight? Well, not quite so swiftly, but quickly enough to cause considerable distress. A person may be afflicted by alopecia aerata, a disorder brought on often by stress. It may cause older, darker hairs to fall out in just a few days. If the victim already has a substantial scattering of grey or white hairs, the hair will indeed seem to have turned white overnight.

Can the grey-heads hope to see their hair regain its natural color? Indeed they can unless baldness robs them of the little they've got. recent research has found how to give hair new growth and even its original hues, when greyness results from disease. Anemia sufferers, for instance, who were given B12, found their hair gradually regaining its colour.

For some 40 percent of women and eight percent of men who now use dyes, new products may offer a chance to impregnate their hair with natural melanin, adjusted to almost any shade.

But who says that grey hair is a sign of old age? Every society has outstanding examples to prove the adage that you can have snow on the roof and a blazing fire in the furnace.

A Walk A Day

An apple a day is still good sense to keep the doctor away,but a walk a day may reduce the risk of colds by up to 23 percent! As winter temps settle in, many people curl up under a warm blanket. Instead, bundle up against the chill factor and take yourself for a daily walk, or up your cardio time in the gym. Keep it movin' and that cold will have a harder time catching you, according to studies at the University of South California and University of Massachusetts.

To make your walk effective, do it each day as if you were ten minute late to catch a plane taking you on an all-expenses-paid trip to paradise with the love of your life and a pocketful of cash awaiting on the plane for you!

Postural Exercises for Women

Desk jobs, wearing high heels, constantly trying to pull in our tummies, standing too long in lines and poor self-image all can contribute to bad posture. In a lifetime these add up causing many women to develop poor posture and muscular imbalances that not only inhibit graceful movement but also cause pain. Two of the most common problems are forward head posture and slumping shoulders.

These exercises can't guarantee you'll never develop a "dowager's" hump but they can go a long ways in correcting the imbalances and strengthening the muscles that will help you hold and maintain correct posture.

Posture is a habit and like any habit, it can be learned. Sometimes the unlearning takes more time than the learning. Posture experts suggest you try the 9-12-3-6 method. At each quarter of your 12-hour day take a posture check and be sure that your head is back, neck over your shoulders, shoulders over your hips and hips over your feet. It also helps to think royally:imagine your head with a heavy crown that you must walk with! It really works!

Guarana Seed: Dieter's Decaf?

Guarana seed extract is increasingly recognized as one of the most effective ingredients in supplements designed to help the user lose weight. It is an extract from the seed kernel of a South American tropical plant (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis guaran), and its use as a medicinal herb dates back to 1669. Over the centuries it has been used to ward off headaches, to relieve cramps and fever and more recently as a commercial flavoring in soft drinks.

Guarana contains a compound (tetra methylxanthine) that is almost identical to caffeine. Like other nuts and seeds, the guarana seed is fatty. When ground into powder, it is not readily water soluble and therefore not as quickly absorbed by the body as the caffeine from your morning cup of coffee. The stimulant effect of guarana is released slowly, over as much as six hours. Compared to a double jolt of espresso, 50 mg. of guarana seed extract might be looked at as decaf!

Ephedra: A Different Cup of Tea

Guarana seed extract is not related to ephedrine or a ma huang, the powerful nerve stimulant linked with several high-profile deaths before coming under the regulatory eye of the FDA. Ephedrine is the salt of an alkaloid and is very soluble in water. Previously, ephedrine was often combined with caffeine and guarana seed extract, but it is a separate and distinct compound.

Read Labels Carefully

Always read labels carefully. Caffeine and guarana seed extract can be powerful adjuncts to help you burn more calories during your workouts. Use them in combination with your workouts for the greatest effect. Make certain your supplement does not contain more than 100 mg. of caffeine in a six hour period, and adjust your intake of other caffeinated drinks accordingly.

Safe Use of Caffeine

We're all familiar with caffeine. Whether you're sipping a latte at your favorite Starbucks or squatting around a tribal fire in the Amazon rain forest, caffeine is the stimulant most widely used by humans. It is contained in the leaves, seeds r fruits of more than 60 plants, and because its use is so widespread, it is a well-studied component of the food chain.

Caffeine can speed up reaction time and enhance the ability to carry out various demanding tasks. Many people find caffeine helps them stay alert to finish their work. caffeine also has thermogenic and mild appetite suppression effect, which explains why it is a common ingredient in diet supplements. The average soft drink contains 40 mg. of caffeine, and the average cup of coffee contains 100 mg.

The American Medical Association's official statement on caffeine's safety is that "Moderate tea or coffee drinkers probably have no concern for their health relative to their caffeine consumption provided other lifestyle habits (diet, alcohol consumption) are moderate as well."

Most experts agree that moderate caffeine consumption is 300 mg. a day, the equivalent to three cups of coffee, but this depends on the individual. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that caffeine does not adversely affect reproduction in humans, although the agency continues to advise pregnant and lactating women to avoid caffeine.

Slow Down

When stress starts interfering with your life physically and emotionally, take action with these quick tips.


1. Road trip. Put a pretty postcard of a place you'd like to visit or a souvenir from your last vacation on the sun visor of your car. While you're stuck in traffic, look at the image and imagine your cares melting away.

2. Take five. Zone out of stressful situations at work by taking a break for a few minutes of quiet time or prayer.

3. Make a note. Keep a pen and paper by your bedside to jot down whatever worries are keeping you awake. If you have the issue in writing, you're assured you won't forget it so you can relax and fall asleep.

4. Check it off. Create a "procrastination list" of four things you've been meaning to do. Pick things that are hanging over your head and causing stress. Over the next month, eliminate one each week.

Pimple solutions...anyone?

Alyana is having problem with her pimples she said they keep coming back. I advised her just to keep her face clean all the time. Wash her face with soap and water as often as she can. Since she’s too young I don’t want her to put anything on her face because it might worsen her pimple problem. Actually I don’t know if my advice is enough because during my teenage years this is not much of a problem to me. I just had simple ‘butligs’ in my forehead.

So today, my task aside from blog hopping is to research for some DIY pimple treatment. I hope to find something that will work for my daughter. I opt for natural remedies because they are more gentle and safe.

How about you, have you found an effective pimple remedy? I hope you can share it with me. Please feel free to leave your suggestions, your help will be highly appreciated.