Can I Have Some Salt With My Smog?

Smog has become a great problem globally, especially in large metropolis areas like China. As the human population continues to climb, smog will increase equally. The more people that drive in the world, the more emissions. This can mean more breathing complications due to lung damage among the general population. Luckily, there are natural treatments for this lung damage that is becoming more prominent here in The States.

Dead sea salt is a natural medicine that is still very new to our country. Countries all over the world have been looking to the dead sea and it's healing properties for centuries. There is a breakthrough treatment that is now available that uses dead sea salt to treat the lungs for the damage of smog. This lung treatment therapy is performed by the use of a steam room in co-ordinance with dead sea salt. They do this by using a small, white cavern like structure lined with layers of salt on the floor and walls. An air dispensing system of some kind is used to dispense dry aerosol salt particles in the air that when you breathe them in, they soothe and heal your damaged lungs

The effects of this treatment are: Promoting the flow of mucus in the lungs, anti inflammation of the airways, and the removal of debris and residual allergens. Anyone with respiratory problems should consider this treatment a must. You can look up this treatment in your local listings by looking up 'dead sea lung treatment'.

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Omega-3s: Fishing for Oil

Omega 3's, it sounds like a villainous group from a Marvel comic, but it is one of the single most important nutrients for the human body. Omega 3s have been pushed to the forefront of nutrition companies everywhere with no real explanations to the consumer of it's benefits. With your own due diligence you can find one that is right for you.

Omega 3 fatty acids are EFAs (essential fatty acids). The most popular source is from a dietary supplement that derives it's fatty acid content from fish.

Most companies use different methods in which they purify the fat for consumption. Molecular distillation is the best possible method. Some companies don't exactly make it clear as to which method they use and so you may have to research a bit. A company that is willing to show how well their Omega 3 performs against others is a plus.

Another factor to consider when selecting an Omega-3 is what additives it has. Some companies blend different Omega 3 sources for best results. My favorite Omega-3 is made by Herbalife. Now, their supplement is not very revealing about where and how they got their fish sources for this supplement, and that is a little unnerving. I have, however, used several of their other products in the past and I have been nothing less than pleased with their product line. Based on my previous experience with this company, I trust that they have chosen quality fish sources for this supplement. It is a blend of fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. Another supplement that I have grown very fond of is called Xtendlife. They provide all the information possible to both educate you on their product as well as on Omega 3 supplements in general. You can find all of this info on their site. From what I can tell, Xtendlife seems to be one of the most pure fish oils on the market.

Here are a couple tricks to know if the fish oil that you currently have is worth what you paid for it. Put a capsule of your fish oil in the freezer, if it freezes solid then that supplement has a considerable amount of contaminants in it. Pure fat doesn't freeze. Another way you can tell is pay attention to how your stomach feels after taking your supplement. If you find that you have a putrid fishy taste in your mouth and you are belching profucely from the supplement, it may not be exactly at excellent standards.

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Sacrificing Yourself for Yourself

I was online blog surfing, which I seldom get to do nowadays. In that quest I found one of the most interesting blog posts I have read for a while (even in some of the things I have written). It is by a man that calls himself the Urban Samurai. He talked about letting 'yourself' die for yourself to grow. It hits close to home because this same journey is the one that I am currently struggling with. In this post he wrote:

http://www.urbansamurai.com/2012/07/would-you-die-for-you/

A man walks into a room with a gun. And you are there, with your loved ones. What do you do? If you have courage and heart, you step in between that man and the people you want to protect, while you try to diffuse the situation.But the grim situation worsens. You can feel it going there. You can see it in his eyes. He’s about to pull the trigger. Now, what do you do?These are your most beloved people on the planet in this room. A child, a spouse, a parent, a sibling.You step in front. You jump in front. You will not allow a bullet to reach them before it reaches you. I know that it’s not easy, but many people would make the ultimate incredible sacrifice for the ones they love.

What if it’s not a loved one? And it is just a stranger in need. Do you still do it? Do you still step in front? Less people would probably say yes. What if it was a young boy who you didn’t know? A ten year old. His whole life in front of him. A lot of people would shield him from death. That’s a fact.So, you would step up and put your life on the line for a loved one. You might put it on the line for a complete stranger.

Now, would you do it for you?You are miserable. You are depressed. You are in the worse situation of your life. And there is something in your personality that is keeping you there. An addiction. A behavior that you can’t change. Poor decisions that you’re making every day, because something in your personality makes you go there.Would you step in front of a bullet to save yourself? Would you take a bullet and kill a part of yourself, to save yourself?It’s not easy to die for someone else. But it’s definitely harder to die for yourself. It is. We hold on to the very people we are with a tight grip. Even when that same person is leading us into an abyss. Or keeping us down there. We go down with that ship. Our ship. The one we built. The ship shaped from our experiences and our gene pool and our own emotions.Do you place a high enough value on you? Would you die for you? For yourself.

Would you kill the very person you are, to become the person you want to be?That is what it takes. That is what real personal change is. To kill the person we have been, our whole lives. The person we grew up to be. The person we think has it figured out. The answer isn’t that you ‘would’ or ‘wouldn’t’. The answer is that you need to. You need to kill that person in cold blood. To murder him until the only things left are the foundation you wish to build off of. The foundation that is going to get you where you want to go.I know we like who we are, most of us. The self-aware may not, but most of us feel pretty comfortable in who we are. But if things are miserable and they are not changing, isn’t it time to make a switch? Don’t you want to kill that lazy? Don’t you want to kill that insecurity? That fear? Anything keeping you below the surface needs to be dealt with.Step in front of a bullet and take one for yourself.What is your life worth to you? It has to be worth dying for.

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Long Term Weight Gain and Weight Loss (Part 2)

Some time ago I explained how some people gain weight no matter what they do, and that is by keeping a positive calorie balance and living a sedentary lifestyle. Today I am going to clarify the smoke and mirrors of the weight loss world. I'm splitting this post into two sections, the first being weight loss and the second being weight gain. Before you can do anything you will need to know what your' caloric needs are.


Measuring Your Caloric Needs
There is more than one equation that you can use in order to determine your' caloric needs. If you own a scale that measures body fat composition % then you will need to use the Lean Mass Equation, if you do not own such a scale, then you will need to use the Harris Benedict Equations. The Lean Mass Equation is the most accurate out of both, however, it is most accurate for a younger population. This is because it does not factor in the fact that the metabolism slows down past the age of 26 in most individuals. If you are above the age of 26 then you will want to use the Harris Benedict Equation.


Lean Mass Equation
RMR+(21.6 X Fat Free Mass in kg) + 370
*To convert weight into kilograms you need to divide pounds by 2.2*


Example:
20 year old female weighing 142 pounds with 24% body fat
142 ibs x .24+ 34 ibs of bodyfat
142 ibs - 34 ibs of bodyfat = 108 pounds of lean mass
108 ibs / 2.2 = 49kg
RMR = (21.6 X 49 kg) + 370 =
RMR = 1428 calories




Harris Benedict Equations
Males: 66 = (5 X ht) + (13.8 X wt) - (6.8 X age)
Females: 655 + (1.8 X ht) + (9.6 X wt) - (4.7 X age)
RMR expressed in Kcal per day
Height (ht) expressed in centimeters
Weight (wt) expressed in kilograms
Age expressed in years
*To convert weight to kg you will need to divide pounds by 2.2*
**To convert height to centimeters you will need to multiply height in inches by 2.54**


Example:
6 foot tall 50 year old male that weighs 215 pounds
215 / 2.2 = 97.7 kg
6ft X 12 inches = 72 inches
72 inches X 2.54 = 182.9 cm
RMR = 66 + (5 X 182.9) + (13.8 X 97.7) - (6.8 X 50)
RMR = 1988 calories per day


Weight Loss
I have always said that losing weight is a science. In science, there are formulas and tables in which scientist use to collect data and predict results. The above mentioned formulas are the such tools that you will need to utilize. After you have determined your RMR then you are ready to begin your' weight loss journey. Simply put, the way to lose weight is to take in less calories than you utilize throughout the day. Simple right? For healthy weight loss you will want to subtract 300-500 calories from your RMR. To enhance your results, you should aim to workout at least 3 times a week. Resistance training is your best bet.



Weight Gain
Gaining weight is a task that is very difficult for many athletes but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. A lot like weight loss weight gain is quite easy if you know what you're doing. Similar to weight loss, you will first want to start off with your RMR. From this number you will want to add 300-500 calories to this number. From there you will need to add a very difficult weightlifting routine to compliment your diet. A five reps and five sets routine of free weights should be just fine. Eat the same number of protein as the amount of pounds that you weigh and eat half of the same number of carbs. Here you thought that it would be rocket science right? Eat about 6 times a day to keep your metabolism going so that you're weight gain is muscle and not fat.


Make sure to stay tuned to my blog for more great info this week. It's going to be good.

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The Acquittal of a Hero

Unless you have lived as a hermit for the past 5 years, you have probably heard of the latest doping scandals in sports. Many a legend have been defamed after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Among these legends is baseball All Star Roger Clemens.

Roger Clemens is a man of a high reputation. Being an 11 time All-Star is only one of many accolades that he owns, he still holds records in the MLB that remain unbroken. Not only that, he and i have many things in common. He is from Dayton, OH; i grew up in Ohio. He grew up in Houston; I was born in Houston. And to make it even more weird, our birthdays are only a day apart! He was born August 4th and i was born on the 5th. Alas, that is were the similarities cease. He’s a legendary pitcher and i was only an exceptional bats man.........excuse me. I went off on a tangent there.


In 2010, Clemens was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of Congress. This indictment was followed by his first trial which came on July 13, 2011. This trial was deemed a mistrial by the judge, however, due to the use of inadmissible evidence. Shortly after the mistrial, Clemens was then retried. It wasn’t until yesterday, June 18, 2012 that Clemens can finally breathe a breath of relieve after being acquitted of all charges. Following the trial Clemens made a statement that “It has been a long five years.” For him, this couldn’t be more true.

The wave of incidents that involve performance enhancement drugs has been quite controversial, especially in baseball. Some would say that if it were not for the fact that players were starting to hit Home Runs more often then baseball might not even still be around. Indeed, baseball was starting to see a significant decline in ticket sales and it saw an incredible spike in ticket sales at the onset of steroid usage in the MLB. In perspective of those numbers, one might believe that fans actually wanted the players to use these drugs, this is not the case. Hopefully no other legends of sports will face dishonor at the hands of steroids. Though Clemens has been involved in this trial, many feel that since he has now been acquitted then he may finally be able to join many of MLB’s legends in the hall of fame. It is still too early to tell, but I hope that he can reap the rewards of his determination to prove his innocence and take his rightful place in the immortality of the hall.

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Three Great Moves for Increasing Speed

Speed is one of those things that seems to only come to the 'gifted'. It seems that only some individuals with great genes have it and everyone else is condemned to staring at the behind of the fastest man in the race. I myself am very fast. My father can run like the wind and my mother was a bit of a speedster in her heyday as well. But that can't be the only reason right? As I figured, there is a way to improve your speed through the proper training. This type of training is called plyometric training


Here are three plyometric moves that you can add to your lower body routine to make you speed ahead of the competition:




Plyometric Box Jumps
How to perform:

1. Stand on top of a bench or platform
2. Step off of the platform and land with both feet
3. As soon as you land, explode upwards into a vertical jump

Tips:
Start with a small box, you can always increase it's height as you get better. To make sure that the box that you have chosen is the right size, note how much your knees bend when you step off of the platform. If your knees bend past 45 degrees then the box is too high. Allow as little time as possible in contact with the floor. When you jump, explode through the balls of your feet and use your arms to generate upward force. Aim for a soft landing by landing on the balls of your feet.

                                                       How to Perform Depth Jumps


Vertical Jumps
How to perform:

1. Stand with your feet hip width apart
2. Bend your knees and keep your torso upright
3. Explosively jump upwards
4. Wait 30 seconds then repeat

Tips: 

Keep your torso upright during the entire move. Use your arms to generate upward force and explode through the balls of your feet. Land softly and quietly. 

Planks

Yes, this is a core move, but your core is just as important to your vertical as your legs.

How to perform:

1. Assume a pushup position in the UP position
2. Either use a stop watch or have your trainer time you
3. Hold this position for the desired time

Tips:

When holding this position, the most important part is to breathe. Pull your navel towards your spine and engage your abs. Keep your body in a straight line from ears to feet. 

Perform these plyometric moves after your lower body resistance routine. In six to 12 weeks you will see evident improvements in your vertical explosiveness. 

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Natural Remedy for a Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infections are  a common discomfort in women. Ten to 20 percent of all women will suffer a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) at least once a year.


There are several causes of UTI's: Sexual intercourse, dehydration, spermicide, and a history of UTI's all increase your risk for a recurring infecton


Usually, a natural remedy is very effective in the treatment of a bladder infection and will prevent a recurring infection. Check with your doctor first and rule out any serious causes that must be treated with traditional medicine.


One of the more well known treatments for a UTI is to drink plenty of cranberry juice, sixteen ounces a day is all that is needed in order to cure a UTI in a small amount of time., Cranberry juice is effective because it prevents the build up of E. Coli on the lining of the bladder and urethra. Some also believe that it is effective because of the acidity it builds up in the urine.

Outside of cranberries, there are more powerful methods of treating a UTI. Staphysagria, a bluish purple flower that grows in Europe and Asia is a very powerful and common remedy for a bladder infection. Though poisonous when they are raw, staphysagria has healing properties when they are prepared in a tea like form. They have healing properties that some have been utilized for centuries. Another effective remedy is the bear berry. Named for it's popularity with bears, the bear berry leafs can be used for a very effective treatment for a UTI as well. Though these naturopathic remedies are historically effective, they can be hard to find the ingredients for. Some supplements serve as an excellent substitute for these remedies and are equally effective. 




Again, if you are not sure of what course to take, consult your physician and ask if he knows of any natural remedies that he prefers. If he doesn't, then ask him for a number of someone who does.




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