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Archive for January, 2011

Recently a study conducted on high altitude athletes and soldiers who are forced to serve in mountain areas (such as Afghanistan) has shown incredible results. As it turns out, a drug that was initially developed for overcoming erectile dysfunction can serve as an enhancer for situations when endurance is needed at higher altitude. And this drug is the one you have definitely heard about – Viagra.

The research conducted in the Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System involved study participants who were asked to ride bicycle simulators with special breathing masks that mimicked the low-oxygen air found at higher altitudes. The test group who were given a standard dose of Viagra has shown an average improvement in endurance and overall physical activity of 39%. It’s evident that in crucial situations when physical abilities are required in complicated conditions like those of high altitudes having such a stimulant is very beneficial. After the report was published a group of military researchers has stated that they will initiate their own studies on the performance of soldiers in high altitude situations with the use of Viagra stimulation.

A large part of those who are using Viagra on a regular basis these days know that the drug was initially developed and tested as a treatment for hypertension and angina. But after the initial clinical studies have shown amazing results in men who were suffering from erectile dysfunction, Pfizer has redirected the drug and received an approval from the FDA for it being used as a treatment for ED. The anti-hypertension didn’t go away since the drug is based in the same active element. And Pfizer has recently introduced a new drug to the market, labeled Revatio, which uses the same active element and is marketed for the treatment of hypertension.

Hypertension is one of the main effects of physical activity in low-oxygen environments such as high altitudes. Because of the low oxygen content in the air, the blood vessels in the lung shrink forcing the heart to work harder in order to maintain proper blood circulation. That’s why having an effective drug for hypertension in high altitude situations can significantly improve the overall condition and physical abilities of people working in such an environment.

The study in question involved professional cyclists who were put in a situation of low oxygen air. It simulated an altitude of 12,700 feet, and the test subjects had to ride a 6-kilometer track against time. The results were impressive for those who had a good response to Viagra in the first place. This group of athletes had an average time of nearly 11 minutes against 15 minutes when taking placebo. However, a certain group of athletes didn’t have any response to Viagra and their results were the same in case of placebo and Viagra use. The actual dosage didn’t have any significance, since both 50 mg and 100 mg dosage provided the same effects in physical performance.

So if you need something to boost your physical abilities in the environment of high altitudes, then taking a pack of diamond-shaped pills might be a good idea even if you don’t have any problems with erection in normal circumstances.

Caring for African-American skin does not have to be complicated or costly. With the variety of product information available, its important to do your own independent research before investing in any expensive skin care lines. When choosing African- American products, there are several important considerations for creating and maintaining healthy skin.

For the most part, African-American skin has more similarities than differences to an other type. Because skin is the largest organ in the human body, it needs the essentials, such as fresh food and water, in order to stay healthy. Effective African- American skin care products should have similar formulations as any other quality product.

The main difference with African-American skin is its tendency to hyper-pigmentation. This refers patches of grey or darker discolorations on the surface. Because people of color have a higher amount of melanin in their skin, these melanin protectors can become discolored over time, often because of age, or because of harsh skin care regimens. African-American skin should be treated gently, and any type of treatment, such as peels or acne removal, needs to be used with caution, ideally by a qualified professional who specializes in delicate care.

A skin care routine for African American skin does not have to be elaborate in order to be successful. Dry skin is common for darker skin tones, and there are several successful steps to combating dryness. The first is to drink plenty of water, usually six to eight glasses a day, as this will give the skin a firmer and more youthful appearance. Shorter showers will also help combat dryness. In addition, using a moisturizer is essential in keeping skin soft and supple.

A final consideration when evaluating African-American skin care products is the inclusion of an effective sunscreen. Although there is more melanin to protect itself, skin cancer is still a possibility. Regular use of sunscreen can also help protect against hyper-pigmentation and lead to a more even skin tone. An SPF of at least 30 for the face and body is recommended.

By keeping these essentials in mind, you will be able to make effective decisions about your skin care regimen. African American skin care products are becoming easier to find and evaluate than ever before. These products can often be expensive, and it pays to educate yourself on the type of products that are appropriate for your skin before purchasing.

Men are always concerned about their intimate abilities and the way they perform in bed. However, when there are problems in this domain, the vast majority of men tend to conceal them because it is considered unmanly to have problems with erection. Sure, this sounds quite silly these days as men still tend to discuss these matters with their doctors, but in the earlier days it was quite a problem since impotence could lead to loss of social status (like a throne in a kingdom). Too bad they didn’t have Viagra spam back in that time. Or did they?

People believed in magical spells and potions before the advent of modern medicine, and you will be surprised to learn that a large part of these spells and preparations were aimed at eliminating impotence and improving current sexual abilities of the ritual’s subject. Of course, these rituals were secret and performed under the veil of secrecy. But it doesn’t change the fact that even kings and emperors were fascinated with these practices as they were looking for effective ways to improve their sexual abilities or prevent impotence. And you can imagine how many crooks and fake specialists have roamed the roads between kingdoms, providing something that you get in your spam folder every time you check the email.

Sure, we are more open to discussing our health problems than people of the past, but still when it comes to intimate problems not all of us will admit that a little help is needed. That’s why there are so many people becoming victims of Viagra spam these days. Sure you have observed the titles in the typical spam letters: if they aren’t about the money you have supposedly won then it’s about getting a bigger penis or buying Viagra at a very low price. And the fact that it’s convenient and anonymous to get drugs through the Internet, this form of spam doesn’t fade out even after years it has been jamming the mailboxes all over the world.

Most of the spam mails about the Blue Pill are nothing but a scam. These are the so-called phishing emails that provide specific links to sites where “the prices are really low” but when you enter your personal and credit information you simply get robbed and do not get any products in exchange. Such sites can also carry viruses and other malicious software that will damage your computer and steal your personal data – a typical kit for cyber criminals. As you see, despite the fact that technologies have changed, we are dealing with the same crooks that promise us things and simply rob us using our trust.

Still there are a lot of sites selling drugs that aren’t linked to spam. Do not confuse legal online stores and the links you get in your mail box marked as spam. The main reason for this form of cyber criminal activity is that Viagra is the most popular drug sold online and criminals are taking advantage of it. The only solution to this is to ignore any spam you get and buy your drugs from verified online vendors. Even if the spam mail promises a price twice as low as the official – it’s the main tool for attracting your attention and getting you to click on the link in the email.

A lot of men of older age are prone to experiencing problems with erection, which can even take shape of erectile dysfunction or impotence. This can seriously affect a man’s quality of life and lead to emotional breakdowns, stress or relationship problems. Back in the day when there was no treatment for erectile dysfunction, men had no choice but to take things as they are and suffer silently. These days, when there are so many erectile dysfunction drugs on the market it’s very easy to get a prescription from your doctor and start taking pills to restore your sexual abilities.

On the other hand, such practice can be time consuming, costly and not providing any real solution to the problem. Of course, typical drugs like Viagra really work and help getting solid erections but they don’t address the actual cause behind erectile dysfunction. And as soon as you forget taking your pill the next time you want to have sex you will end up have the same frustrating problems with erection. Sounds a bit discouraging? Well, fortunately there are effective ways to prevent and treat ED without employing costly medications or procedures.

Most men do not realize that their sexual problems can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle. And by changing one’s lifestyle towards a healthier way of treating your body, you can effectively overcome even serious sexual health problems. Here are some tips that will help you get the same effect as Viagra if not even better:

First of all, stop smoking. Hardcore long-time smokers were observed to have much higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction than their non-smoking peers. Apart from obvious breathing complications that can seriously affect a man’s stamina in bed, smoking is known to deteriorate blood vessels including those responsible for delivering blood into the penis. So if you really want to avoid erection problems, it’s time to quit smoking for good.

Lack of physical activity is another major factor contributing to the development of impotence in men. Not only it leads to excessive weight, it lowers the ability of blood vessels to deliver blood right on time. Besides, those men who are physically active are usually healthier in general and have better hormonal balance than their non-active peers. So if you really want to overcome impotence, get off your chair for at least 30 minutes of intense physical activity. It could be anything from swimming to gym exercises – the main thing is to keep your heart and muscles working for better blood circulation.

Sleep is also very important. And if you don’t get your 7-8 hours of sleep every day you are in a high risk of having erection problems. If you already do, then you better re-arrange your daily schedule in order to get some proper rest. Sleep is crucial for your health in general and erection problems could be a sign of something more serious that cannot be fixed with Viagra.

And make sure to cut stress from your life. Stress is one of the major psychological issues these days and there are different health problems that excessive stress can cause. If you life a high-rhythm life make sure to take some time for rest every once in a while. Stress management techniques like massage, yoga and breathing exercises are also very good.

The Biofuel Debate – What’s all the fuss about?

There has been much talk of biofuels and in particular biodiesel being touted as a more carbon friendly alternative to traditional petroleum based fuel…

Because biodiesel is made from renewable resources (unlike fossil fuels) and it has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel Because it is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar Because it is made entirely from renewable resources such as soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed and palm oil as well as waste vegetable oil (used cooking oils) It surely follows biodiesel must be better for the environment…or is it?

Over the last few years through the Kyoto Protocol, governments have discussed the global issue of climate change with a view to setting targets to reduce greenhouse gases. Whilst there has been general agreement that something needs to be done and targets have been set, the United States is the only developed country that has not ratified the treaty and yet it is one of the significant greenhouse gas emitters.

The dilemma seems to be that biodiesel is undoubtedly greener than traditional petroleum based fuel. On the other hand however, as there is no stipulation how and where this fuel is produced, could this ‘green’ fuel actually be doing more harm to our environment than good?

Let’s look at some of the contributing factors to this debate…

Biodiesel – The Good

As an alternative fuel, biodiesel would seem to be a very good alternative to fossil based fuels:-

Mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions Making best use of the remaining limited supplies of fossil fuels Reducing air pollution along with the associated health risks to the public Benefiting domestic economies by reducing the dependence on importing foreign petroleum Relatively easy to produce in small or large volumes
Biodiesel – The Bad

The main problem with bio-fuels today is the source of the raw materials:-

Biodiesel and ethanol are produced from plant oils and from edible crops meaning competition for basic foodstuffs, food or oil? Rain forests are being converted to palm oil production (palm oil is a key ingredient of food and other consumables…it can also be used to produce biodiesel) Current crops cannot keep pace with the bio-materials needed for producing biodiesel Does this mean if we replace traditional petroleum based diesel with biodiesel we’ll compromise our supply of foodstuffs?

Biodiesel – The Future

The Biotech Industry has begun to help with the need to find alternative fuel sources for the future by looking at how to get more from less:-

Increased production of more plants Improving crop yields – corn, a common biofuel crop in the USA, yields under 200 barrels (per square mile per year) whereas Jatropha for instance can yield over 2,000 barrels Use of marginal land – look at crops (see below) that can be grown on arid land rather than take away arable farmland needed for essential food production. Using arid land in the poorer regions could provide social and economic benefits for that region New sources that lessen the threat of environmental impact include:-

Algae – grows quickly, renews quickly but to be a viable option cost effective harvesting remains a challenge Jatropha – can be grown in arid climates, has a high yield compared with traditional biocrops, has the potential to increase fertility of the land Camalina – Researchers say the Camelina plant is an excellent source of biofuel; it can be grown in arid land, with less water, fertilizer and pesticides
Biodiesel – Many Complex Issues

Diesel engines were in fact originally designed in the early 1900′s to run on biodiesel made from oil seed crops and not to run on petroleum-based diesel. Was it a mistake not to encourage the development and take up of biodiesel back then instead of depending almost solely on petroleum?

Despite agreement in principle that biodiesel has a role to play in helping to reduce emissions unless politicians give clear guidelines about the future of renewable fuels there will continue to be a haphazard take up around the world. Most governments have been proceeding with caution and rightly so but mixed messages from governments around the world have only added to the uncertainty around the use biodiesel fuel. What should be the governments role be in promoting the use of biodiesel?

We live in a world today that has largely grown up in a throw away society without due regard to the consequences of waste. This wasteful attitude has been exacerbated by the lack of proper education in the basic skills of survival. It is only relatively recently that modern day governments have begun to encourage large scale recycling.

The challenge we face is to educate the public about the issues surrounding biofuels and what is good or bad. Honest debate not influenced by individual hidden agenda’s is the only way to arrive at political choices that embrace all the issues surrounding the use of biofuel.

So, is biodiesel good or bad for the environment?

One thing is for sure, first generation biofuels once thought to be the alternative fuel source of the future, have come under increased scrutiny recently. It is becoming clear that more information is needed about the potentially destructive elements of first-generation biofuels and the impact they have on the environment.

Environmentalists are concerned that the inadvertent consequence of using biodiesel fuel is unrecoverable damage to the environment. Furthermore, developing a dependence on traditional first generation biocrops may result in food competing with fuel over the use of land. We need to determine what the true balance is between good and bad from an environmental perspective.

Clearly governments need to further embrace the concept of reducing greenhouse gas emissions but should they be more proactive in finding a green source for our fuel as well?

Instead of destroying forests maybe we should look to new more “green” raw materials for producing biofuels. We must embrace the promotion of second and third-generation biofuels in an effort to help solve many of the current problems surrounding the use of first generation biodiesel.

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Water is Critical to Your Good Health

Your body is designed to be approx. 70% water. The most critical fluid in your body, your blood, is mostly water. Your muscles, skin, and vital organs all contain and need large amounts of water for optimal health. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, delivers nutrients, removes waste, and provides energy to the body.

Signs of Dehydration

Your body loses approx. 2.5 liters of water every day just through normal bodily functions. You lose water through urination, respiration, and perspiration. If you are physically active or athletic, you lose even more water. Although “thirst” is an obvious sign of dehydration, the TRUTH is your body is in need of water long before you feel thirsty.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches, and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you are not getting enough water.

Is Your Body Acidic?

Some of the symptoms associated with acidic conditions in the body include weight loss problems, insomnia, water retention, arthritis, migraine headaches, constipation, colds, flu, stomach ulcers, acid reflux and even cancer. Many health experts agree that an overly acidic body greatly diminishes the effectiveness of your immune system and usually leads to disease.

Acidic conditions in the body are caused by: junk food, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, sodas, coffee, sports drinks, alcohol, environmental toxins, and stress. Considering this long list of items that can lead to acidic challenges in our body, it becomes very clear why it is so important to drink an alkaline beverage every day.

WHY pH balance is critical to your health

In order for the body to maintain optimal health, it needs to manage a very narrow pH range (slightly alkaline) – especially in the blood. In fact, the body will go to almost any length necessary to maintain your blood pH at 7.34 – 7.45 because anything outside that pH range could result in death.

The process of restoring pH balance in your body always includes proper diet and nutrition. This means eating alkalizing foods (vegetables, low sugar fruits, etc.) and getting proper nutritional supplementation. However, the foundation of healthy pH balance is in drinking plenty of alkaline water.

Measuring Acid/ Alkaline Balance:

Scientists can determine if a liquid is alkaline or acidic by simply testing the “pH” of that liquid. “pH” means “potential hydrogen.” The pH scale range is from 0-14 with 7 being “neutral.” Readings below 7 are acidic and readings above 7 are alkaline. A one-point decrease on the pH scale represents that a liquid is 10 times more acidic. For example, a drop from 7.0 (neutral) to 2.0 means a liquid is 100,000 times more acidic to your body!

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