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Healthy Ways To Increase Metabolism

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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Increasing metabolism is paramount to successful fat loss. There are many surefire ways to increase metabolism, even marginally, some of which may startle you at first, but in the end it all makes perfect sense.

  • Get enough sleep, but not too much. I have found that my personal optimum is 6 hours per night, generally at least 8 hours is better. Even though your metabolism slows down during sleep, this is the prime time that your body takes to heal itself and build new cells.
  • Never skip breakfast! Because of the fact that your metabolism slows down during sleep, having a good nutritious breakfast will be the catalyst to get it going in a good way.
  • Eat 4-6 meals daily, and snack in between. By eating regularly, your metabolism stays active through out the day, in stead of being given one humongous task when you have that once or twice daily meal. By eating frequently (about every 2-3 hours) you'll keep your metabolism humming in tune and keep your body burning fat at an optimal rate.
  • Don't ever go on a starvation diet. Your body will go into a mode known as "the starvation response". This means that your body will try to save energy and burn fewer calories. It does that by slowing down its metabolism.
  • Increase your lean body mass. Muscle tissue requires more calories just to maintain itself, so you burn more fat and calories even when you're sleeping.
  • Keep moving. At the least try to walk for at least 30 minutes each day. Force yourself to do things the hard way. Walk to the shop instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, move around when you're on the phone, instead of sitting down.
  • Drink plenty of water. Your kidneys need plentiful water supply to function properly. And if your kidneys are not functioning optimally, they will call in the liver for assistance. One of the primary functions of the liver is to metabolize stored fat for the body to use as energy. So, it is only logical to say that if the liver is half occupied doing what the kidneys cannot do on their own due to lack of water, then it will not be able to perform its own functions effectively.

But, in conclusion, if you are looking for ways to increase your metabolism, you will need to focus more on your exercise, and not your food. Strength training is certainly the best way to increase your metabolism, cut through fat and burn calories. It is never too late to build muscle, it does not matter how old you are or how much muscle you have lost - you can still speed up your metabolism by getting into a solid training routine. Take the first step with determination, and before you know it, you will have taken 10 000.




Beware of Bottled Water

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Chemicals, contaminants, pollution, price: new reasons to rethink what you drink and beware of bottled water.

Growing Thirst

Remember the drinking fountain, that once ubiquitous, and free, source of H2O? It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consumed over eight billion gallons of the stuff in 2006, a 10 percent increase from 2005. It's refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier than some tap water and a heck of a lot healthier than sugary sodas. But more and more, people are questioning whether the water, and the package it comes in, is safe, or at least safer than tap water—and if the convenience is worth the environmental impact.

What's in That Bottle?

Evocative names and labels depicting pastoral scenes have convinced us that the liquid is the purest drink around. But no one should think that bottled water is better regulated, better protected or safer than tap.

Yes, some bottled water comes from sparkling springs and other pristine sources. But more than 25 percent of it comes from a municipal supply. The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousandfold increase in price. Most people are surprised to learn that they're drinking glorified tap water, but bottlers aren't required to list the source on the label.

This year Aquafina will begin stating on labels that its H2O comes from public water sources. And Nestlé Pure Life bottles will indicate whether the water comes from public, private or deep well sources. Dasani acknowledges on its website, but not on the label itself, that it draws from local water.

Labels can be misleading at best, deceptive at worst. In one notorious case, water coming from a well located near a hazardous waste site was sold to many bottlers. At least one of these companies labeled its product "spring water." In another case, H2O sold as "pure glacier water" came from a public water system in Alaska.

Lisa Ledwidge, 38, of Minneapolis, stopped drinking bottled water a couple of years ago, partly because she found out that many brands come from a municipal supply. "You're spending more per gallon than you would on gasoline for this thing that you can get out of the tap virtually for free," she says. "I wondered, Why am I spending this money while complaining about how much gas costs? But you don't ever hear anyone complain about the price of bottled water." Ledwidge says she now drinks only filtered tap water.

The controversy isn't simply about tap vs. bottled water; most people drink both, knowing the importance of plenty of water. What they may not know is that some bottled water may not be as pure as they expect. In 1999 the NRDC tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of water. (This is the most recent major report on bottled water safety.) While noting that most bottled water is safe, the organization found that at least one sample of a third of the brands contained bacterial or chemical contaminants, including carcinogens, in levels exceeding state or industry standards. Since the report, no major regulatory changes have been made and bottlers haven't drastically altered their procedures, so the risk is likely still there.

The NRDC found that samples of two brands were contaminated with phthalates, in one case exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for tap water. These chemicals, used to make plastic softer, are found in cosmetics and fragrances, shower curtains, even baby toys, and are under increasing scrutiny. They're endocrine disrupters, which means they block or mimic hormones, affecting the body's normal functions. And the effects of exposure to the widespread chemicals may add up.


Purely Deceptive

When exposed to high levels of phthalates during critical developmental periods, male fetuses can have malformed reproductive organs, including undescended testicles. Some experts link phthalates to low sperm counts.

Water bottles do not contain the chemical, which means the phthalates detected by the NRDC probably got into the water during processing at the bottling plant, or were present in the original water source (phthalates have been found in some tap water).Bottled water is regulated for safety, but it's a tricky thing. The EPA regulates tap water, while the FDA oversees bottled. Yet FDA oversight doesn't apply to water packaged and sold within the same state, leaving some 60 to 70 percent of bottled water, including the contents of watercooler jugs, free of FDA regulation, according to the NRDC's report. In this case, testing depends on the states, but the NRDC found that they often don't have adequate resources to oversee bottled water, in some cases lacking even one full-time person for an entire state.The FDA requires bottlers to regularly test for contaminants, but the agency considers bottled water a low-risk product, so plants may not be inspected every year. According to one FDA official, it's the manufacturer's responsibility to ensure that the product complies with laws and regulations. Some bottlers turn to NSF International, a trade group that conducts yearly unannounced inspections of plants, looking at the source of the water and the treatment process, and testing for contaminants. Other companies belong to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), which also performs annual unannounced tests to ensure the plant is up to FDA standards. IBWA has its own regulations, some of which are stricter than the FDA's.Bottlers don't have to let consumers know if their product becomes contaminated, but sometimes they pull their products from stores. In fact, between 1990 and 2007, this happened about 100 times. Among the reasons for recall: contamination with mold, benzene, coliform, microbes, even crickets.

6 Tips For A Better Singing Voice

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I believe that singing is an inbuilt part of the human mind and soul. For countless years the act of singing has been at the forefront of art, religion, social changes and of course love. We all have a desire to let flow with a burst of air and noise that lifts the soul and transports an emotive message be it from the screaming energetic rock anthem to the operatic tones of more studied precise singers.

We are not all born with a natural talent though but with practice anyone can take their instinctual desire to sing and become very good at it. Here are some tips for a better singing voice that can help you professionally, at the karaoke bar or even in the shower for your own enjoyment!

1. Control breathing

One mistake many singers make is to hold their breath while singing instead of letting the air flow through them. If you hold your breath tight you can never achieve a natural sound nor will you be able to achieve any great volume and it makes hitting the right tone harder as well. To combat this you must learn diaphragmatic breathing. This means you must breathe in to the lower part of your lungs by breathing deep and not shallow. This is not the same as belly breathing but should press out on your lower ribcage as you breathe in. There are many breathing exercises you can learn to help you achieve this such as lying down and placing a hand on the upper chest and a hand on the lower chest under the ribcage. When you breathe in the hand on the upper chest should not move and the hand on the lower chest should go up and down.

2. Use a Mirror

Mirrors are wonderful devices to help you improve your singing voice. By singing in front of a mirror you can watch your posture, your facial contortions and your breathing and determine what is and is not working. Try changing your posture and the way you use your face and mouth when you sing in front of a mirror and listen to the different sounds you make as you experiment. You will be surprised what straightening your back or opening your mouth wider can do to your voice once you see these things in the mirror.

3. Develop a natural voice

When starting to sing it is easy to imitate and copy your favorite style and singer and it is not a bad way to start. To become a better singer though you need to realize you have to have your own style. Everyone is different physically and psychologically and these things mean your styles will never match anyone else's totally. Do not be afraid to sing without preconceptions, try singing to other songs outside your usual niche and try not to imitate accents and exact styles of others and let your true voice be brought forth. This may sound very strange to you to start with but when you sing naturally you can achieve notes, tones and emotions you could never do while restricted.

4.Quit ...

Quit smoking, quit drinking heavily and quit yelling or talking too loudly or too frequently. This may be very hard but your voice is a delicate instrument and needs to be taken care of or it will lose its edge and falter. If you are looking for that raspy style refer to the previous point, if you don't already have it don't try please!

5. Be emotive

Music and singing is about emotions; it conveys stories, feelings, color, strength and weakness. While knowing how to read music and understanding the clinical technical aspects of any music if you are a singer or musician and you cannot let your feelings rush into your breath and spread it through your words and sound you can never be a great singer. Learn to sing to a vision or emotion, forget about the technicalities of a song as some of the greatest music comes from the raw, ragged feral yell that may destroy the technically perfect aspects of a song but inject it with so much vitality and life it transcends the mundane and buries itself within your heart and echoes through your soul. If this sounds too dramatic you may need more work on this part of your singing.

6. Practice!

There is no talent so great that did not need a massive amount of time to achieve. Without constant singing and testing your limits you may never realize your dreams of becoming a better singer. With practice comes an increase in range if you continually hunt higher or lower notes, it will ingrain good breathing into your performances and you will develop your style a lot more with confidence also. Make times to sing. Sing in the shower. Sing brushing your hair. Sing making dinner. Sing and feel the enjoyment of singing wherever you can as well as more formal sessions of practice and you will naturally evolve and don't be afraid to be heard!

I hope these tips for a better singing voice can help you develop a confident natural style you can be proud of in any endeavor you apply your skills to and never stop living with music in your heart and soul!

Body Language Secrets - How To Tell If Someone Lies To You

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Do you think its impossible to tell if someone lies to you? Then reconsider, because there are several body language techniques that can help you identify lies and expose the liar. The methods described in this article are often used by the police, private investigators or security professionals, but you can use them too in order to avoid being a victim of scams or other deceptions.

Important: Sometimes, not knowing the truth is better, especially if you are too sensitive to handle the truth. Knowing that someone lied to you might hurt you, so be aware.

And here are some body language secrets that can identify liars:

* These people feel uncomfortable and they often turn their heads or bodies away.

* They usually touch their nose or their ears when they lie. It is highly unlikely for them to touch their chest.

* Liars usually make only a few hand, arm or leg movements when they lie. Their movements are towards their own body.

* They will avoid looking you in the eyes when they lie.

* A liar's expression will usually not match their statements. For example they might have a frowning face when they say "I like this" etc. Also, their expressions will almost always be limited to mouth movements instead of the whole face.

* There's absence of timing in a liar's emotions and gestures. For example when liars receive a gift they don't like, they will say that they loved the gift and smile a few seconds later. The normal would be to smile naturally at the same time a statement is made.

* Liars usually feel guilty, thus they will get defensive. A sign of a defensive behavior would be for example to start placing objects like books or coffee cups between themselves and you.

* They usually don't emphasize words when they talk. You will also notice syntax or grammar errors in their statements.

* Liars will usually repeat your words to answer questions. For example if you ask them "Did you steal my iPod?" they will answer "No, I didn't steal your iPod". Also, liars will imply answers instead of directly denying something.

* They expose a sarcastic behavior when they try to avoid a subject.

* They usually add unnecessary details when they talk in order to convince you. They will also feel and look uncomfortable if you suddenly pause a conversation.

* Liars will feel relaxed if you suddenly change the subject of the conversation. Normally, an innocent person will get confused by a sudden topic change.

Important: If you find a person with some or all of the above characteristics, that doesn't necessarily make him/her a liar. These are just signs or indicators of an untruthful behavior. You should value these indicators comparing them with the general behavior of a person. For example a person might always touch his nose when he speaks. That doesn't make him a liar. But if a person never touches his nose when he speaks and you suddenly notice him doing it, then this could be a sign of a lie.

Are You Scared Of Aging

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While it is understandable that most people have a natural tendency to feel uncomfortable with their own aging and mortality, there are a few in the crowd who are horrified by the natural process to the point of having a phobia. The phobia where people are terrified of aging is called gerascophobia. Though, to say it is simply a fear of growing old can be a little deceiving. Gerascophobia is perhaps more the fear of what can happen to a person when they grow old. It could mean a loss of independence they value, the wrinkles they will develop, the loss of hair (mostly in the case of men), any diseases that can come from aging, or even a retirement they don't know what to do with. For many people, these thoughts briefly cross their mind and are quickly brushed away with reasoning; aging is a natural process that happens to everyone and they will deal with it when the time comes. Unfortunately, for the few who suffer gerascophobia, it is something that brings on anxiety and fear about something they really don't have any control over. Perhaps the lack of control is one of the major worries for these individuals as well; a lack of control whether they will end up in a nursing home, for example.

How does a person know if they actually suffer from gerascophobia? It depends on a person's reaction to the idea of their growing old and not being able to accept that it is a natural process of life that they don't have control over. If thinking about it brings on elevated blood pressure, sweating, excessive worry, or even a panic attack, it is a possibility. This phobia can even cause people to withdraw from society and become anti-social. The phobia can even develop into a fear of losing loved ones when not dealt with properly. A professional, such as a therapist or a counselor, can often help the patient find out if what they are suffering from really is the gerascophobia, or another condition, such as depression that can often lead a person to focus more on the negative in life than the positive.

Gerascophobia is a real phobia that real people suffer, as strange as it may seem. For some people, facing their own mortality fills them with an uncontrollable dread they can't get rid of. For anyone who believes they might have this, consulting a therapist or a counselor would be a good idea. A professional opinion, followed by the right therapy, could help a person deal with this phobia so that it doesn't prevent them from enjoying the life they have. Therapists or counselors can help a person deal with their fear in a way that can allow them to accept that growing old is nothing to be afraid of and that they should be focusing more on their day to day life, as well as the time they spend with loved ones, than to focus all their attention on something they cannot control. To spend an entire life fearing old age will only bring it on earlier as the stress caused by the phobia will eventually take its toll on a person, whether it is in a physical way, a mental way, or in both ways.




6 Serious Medical Symptoms: Do You Know Them

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Some medical symptoms are warnings that you need immediate care. Learn to recognize these six.

Like red-light warnings on the dashboard, the human body sends out a flare when something's awry. Chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness -- those are some familiar medical symptoms.

But other problems can creep up on you, too -- aches and pains, lumps and bumps. When are they important, when are they not?

Here are "six flags" -- six medical symptoms -- you should keep in mind:

1. If you have unexplained weight loss and/or loss of appetite , you may have a serious underlying medical illness.

"If you're on a diet, you're expecting this to happen. But if you're eating the same way -- and now have to adjust your belt a few notches tighter -- you could have a serious problem

"With ovarian cancer , the opposite is trues. "Fluid builds in the abdomen, and women think they are gaining weight. But if you have been at the same weight range for years, and doing nothing different, see a doctor."

2. Slurred speech, paralysis, weakness, tingling, burning pains, numbness, and confusion are signs of a stroke , and you should get to an appropriate emergency center immediately. Early treatment may prevent permanent damage to the brain or even save your life.

Slurred speech can often go unnoticed. However, you might have a blood clot in a blood vessel in the brain or bleeding of a blood vessel.

3. Black, tarry stools may indicate a hemorrhage from an ulcer of the stomach or the small intestine. It is important to stop the bleeding and to rule out cancer as a cause.

What you eat changes the color of stools. But black, tarry stools mean there may be bleeding higher in the digestive tract. It could be a sign of a bleeding ulcer or cancer.

4. A headache accompanied by a stiff neck and fever is an indicator of a serious infection called meningitis .

In fact, if you can't put your chin on your chest, that's a sign you may have bacterial meningitis. With bacterial meningitis, you need antibiotics immediately to kill the bacteria before it infects and scars the brain.

5. A sudden, agonizing headache, more severe than any you have felt before, could mean you are bleeding in the brain. Go to an emergency room immediately.

A brain aneurysm is rare, but it can happen -- even in people under 40. It can be very disastrous if it's not treated. If you have a severe, crushing headache, you may have an aneurysm, which is a blood-filled pouch bulging out from a weak spot in the wall of a brain artery. If treated before it bursts, it could save your life.

6a. For women: Vaginal bleeding after menopause is a warning sign of possible cancer.

Some women are in denial when they discover postmenopausal bleeding. Others think it's a little cut, or something in their urine. But bleeding after menopause is a symptom of uterine cancer , which is treatable if caught early.

6b. For men: A lump in your testicle with or without a small lump in the groin could be serious. Testicular cancer is more commonly found in testicles that did not naturally descend from the abdomen to the scrotum.

Guys, when you take a shower, check yourself. That doesn't mean you have to do it every day, but once in awhile. It's so simple, simpler than washing your hair. It becomes an automatic thing, then it's easier to remember. If you know what 'normal' feels like, then you'll know when it feels abnormal.

'Squeaky Wheel' Works

It's an old, old saying: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. But it's vitally important in medicine. If you know something's not right with your body -- if you've got that severe, crushing headache, but doctors aren't taking it seriously -- stand up for yourself.

Tell doctors you know it could be a problem -- "I want you to rule this out," you should say. If they balk, here's your line: "I want you to write on the chart that you refused to do proper tests." Doctors are human; they get tired and distracted. It helps to get extreme, to get their attention.

The one person most likely to be concerned about whether you live or not is you. You have the greatest empathy for yourself.

All adults -- from senior year of high school and up -- should be familiar with standard medical symptoms, to help them preserve their good health.

Remedies for Body odor

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from HomeRemedies 

Body odor may be due to serious illness. Body odor may be due to kidney disease, fungal infections liver disease and so on If you take some strong medicines then the smell of those medicines may be present in your body odor. Diabetic patients may smell of acetone because of insulin that they take. If you drink alcohol, smoke cigarette or cigar you will have an unpleasant body odor. Body odor may also be due to zinc deficiency, cavities, toxins and so on. It is often related with sweating of the body, but the unpleasant odor is mainly due to bacteria present in the sweat. The major non-food reason for body odor due to sweating is the sweat glands under the arms and in the groin area. Poor hygiene is the most common reason for body odor.


Remedies for Sweat

Use antibacterial soap or deodorant soap to combat body odor due to sweating. Wear cotton clothes during summer so that the sweat is soaked up. Instead of using deodorant, wipe your sweat producing areas like armpit using white vinegar or alcohol. Avoid using antiperspirant because they clog sweat glands, use alum instead. Apply some baking soda on arm pit, it will absorb sweat and kill bacteria.

Other Remedies

If your body odor is caused due to any medicine that you are on, then you need to talk to your doctor. Soak yourself for 15 minutes in bath water with couple of cups of tomato juice in it. Use baby powder to keep areas of heavy perspiration dry. Apple cider vinegar can be used to combat under arm odor.

Diet to avoid

There is a direct relation between what a person eats and his body odor. Avoid refined sugar, white flour, hydrogenated oils and other processed foods. Avoid red meat because it releases many toxins into the blood stream. Avoid foods that lack fiber. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, cumin and garlic.

Eat Healthy Food

Eat a healthy diet which contains whole grains, lots of leafy vegetables, sprouts, fresh fruits, soy products, raw nuts and so on.

Never repeat unwashed clothes, especially undergarments during summer, it will aggravate the odor. Wax your armpits regularly. People who wear shoes for long time complain of foot odor. It is caused by rapid bacteria growth due to excess sweating of feet. To avoid foot odor wear cotton socks, never use socks repeatedly. Wash your feet properly. If possible wear open foot wear like leather sandals. All the above mentioned remedies for body odor can be used for preventing foot odor