Kwanzaa Holiday And Recipes

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From December 26th to January 1st the African- American community in the USA will be celebrating the seven day holiday which originated in the first fruits celebrations in African cultures. It is now becoming an established holiday and celebrations range from giving gifts, candle lighting and feasts.

While many people believe it is an ancient African harvest festival, it was not born in pre-colonial West Africa, but in 1960s southern California. It is the brainchild of African-American radical activist, academic and convicted felon Ron Karenga ex Black Panther. He founded the festival way back in the 1960's in California when the civil rights movement was in full swing. It was and still is a way of connecting with the African roots and culture. It was also thought of as an alternative to Christmas , perhaps considered by many to be too Eurocentric.

Here is a link to Kwanzaa Recipes

Home Remedies For Lower Back Pain

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If you suffer from lower back pain, here are some tips:-

1. Exercise rather than bed rest is by far the best solution, if you are not in too much pain.

2. Inactivity after an acute attack will only make things worse. Get moving as soon as you can.

3. The back muscles have to be kept in top shape so that they support your back.
Flabby muscles will not give you the support you need and may well cause a sudden injury if you make a brusque movement.

4. No sprawling on the couch or other couch potato habits. The back needs support.

5. Try postural stretching exercises - the examples on the video are a great way to start.

6. Avoid standing for long periods, keep a good posture and use safe techniques for lifting heavy objects.

If you want to consider some other techniques to solve your back pain click here

Tips On How To Avoid Overeating

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Now that the holiday season is upon us, temptation is lurking everywhere! Here are some tips to help you resist overeating.

First, you are invited out. You will be tempted to graze too long at the buffet. First tip is to drink at least a glass of water an hour before you go out. Water has zero calories and will help to make you feel full, so you will eat less.

Second thing I do is alternate wine with water- so one glass of wine followed by one glass of water and so on. I also try to make sure that nobody will fill my wine glass right up to the top. You can cut your alcohol consumption by at least half !

If I am buffet grazing, I always try to take very small helpings and then find a seat and preferably away from that tempting table!

I always go very easy on stuffing and gravy – just a little sample to remind me what they taste like. Also try to fill up on cranberry sauce – cranberries are great antioxidants.

When it comes to sweets and desserts, temptation is even stronger as the pies are scrumptious. Well, pecan pie with whipped full fat cream will fill me up with 700 calories ! That is half your daily amount of calories! A healthy alternative is pumpkin pie and forget the cream.

Last but not least, forget the doggy bags – it is just prolonging the temptation.

After all the holidays are over, the average American will have put on 5 pounds but if you follow my advice above, you will not be one of them !

If you do need help, Here Is A Great Diet

The Prostate Western !

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Worried about your prostate ? Here is a great video - talking about something really important from a funny angle. If you want to solve your prostate problem,Get More Info on Prostate Dr. for Prostatitis, BPH, and Enlarged Prostate Problems

Magnolia Bark And Bad Breath !

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Here is a great video about using a tongue scraper which will help you prevent bad breath!

Latest research carried out by a well known mint company have found that the extract from the bark of the magnolia tree may well be the answer for killing off bacteria in the mouth which cause bad breath.They carried out tests which showed that when this substance was used in a mint, it killed off almost 60% of the bacteria which cause this awful smell compared with about 4% in a normal mint. Here on the right is a winter scene that reminds me of fresh things like sweet smelling breath!

If you suffer from bad breath, you are not alone. Experts now say that this is a major social and psychological problem which affects the majority of the population, Yes, it is that bad ! But babies, cats and dogs also suffer from the same problem.

While we are waiting for this new wonderful magnolia bark mint to solve bad breath problems we may have to look for other more immediate solutions. Apart from oral hygiene and other short term measures, you may want to look at the site below which will explain all abut bad breath and offer a lasting solution.


DON'T LET BAD BREATH RUIN YOUR LIFE

Stop Smoking In Three Minutes!

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Just got back from Naples- a city I know very well, having lived there for some time. The craziest thing happened while I was there! The city council passed a law forbidding smokers to smoke in the public parks near children under 12 years of age and pregnant mothers !! Well, no notices were up in the parks and people seemed a little bemused, to say the least. How far away should you be from the little kids or pregnant moms? Nobody seems to know. Many people were interviewed on TV and opinions ranged from :-
1.Why this law when the city has enormous public health problems from uncollected rubbish, dirty streets and public health services not working, not to mention smog from traffic (Sunday was No-Drive Sunday in an effort to reduce the smog).
2. The law is rarely enforced so this will be another one for the collection.
3. Nobody seems too concerned about all the little kids who grow up in homes where both parents are heavy smokers ! That will be the next law ! Watch this space !!
In the meantime, here is a site I can recommend for smokers who might want to give up. And if you don't , just go for a walk in the park and make sure you keep away from all those kids and pregnant moms!

Here is a site I can recommend if you want to give up smoking.

Doubts About Obesity Drug

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Two studies have cast a negative light on the obesity drug Acomplia, launched by the world's third largest pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis. The FDA had already rejected it in June but now these two studies have fueled even more doubts about it.

The two studies were published in The Lancet and The British Medical Journal and basically have found that there are risks of mood disorders, anxiety and depression. Sanofi have replied that these are two researchers' views and is gathering more data to defend the drug and intends to resubmit to the FDA.

These studies have cast doubts about the long term effects of such drugs.

Maybe if you are considering an obesity drug, you may want to try an alternative. The best one in my opinion is Fat Loss 4 Idiots.

Morning Yoga Exercise

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Here is a great way to start the day !

Beginners Guide To Yoga And Meditation. Stressed Out? Do You Feel Like The World Is Crashing Down Around You? Want To Take A Vacation That Will Relax Your Mind, Body And Spirit? CLICK HERE

Four Foods To Lower Cholesterol

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High cholesterol is bad news because it can lead to heart disease and cause strokes. It is now clear from the latest statistics that more and more younger people are on these cholesterol lowering drugs and that is yet another sign that the obesity epidemic is raging.

Below, you will find my top four foods which can be a help in lowering cholesterol. The photo above shows my beach on the Med - you will see why in a moment!

The first one is tomatoes, in any shape or form, preferably cooked. Tomatoes contain lycopene which is great at stopping the oxidation of LDL cholesterol often known as bad cholesterol. Studies have shown that large consumption of lycopene can indeed reduce cholesterol levels.

Second on my list is fish, especially the high fat fish such as wild salmon, trout, herring and mackerel. These fish contain a fatty acid which is known as Omega-3. This type of fat has been shown to lower cholesterol as evidenced by all the studies that have been done on the Eskimos who are great fish eaters.

Soy is in third place for me although the American Heart Association has found that soy has a minimal effect on blood pressure and cholesterol. I know that it is full of vitamins and minerals and more importantly it provides me with low-fat protein which is an important element in my diet. That saves me from eating too many eggs and red meat, which in my opinion gives it a high ranking.

Any type of nuts from walnuts, almonds, cashews and so on, come in fourth place. The first reason is that nuts are great sources of the healthy kind of fat and also contains Omega-3, not to mention some valuable minerals. The great thing about nuts is not only all the valuable nutrients they contain such as calcium, potassium , folic acid, Vitamin E but the fact that they contain lots of fibre which gives you a sense of fullness. Because they contain lots of fat (unsaturated), a handful of nuts a day is quite enough !

These top foods I have outlined are just a few of those mentioned in the Mediterranean Diet which has been the at the centre of attention for a long time now. Studies show that people living in the Mediterranean basin actually have a lower rate of cholesterol and heart disease than many other nations. It has nothing to do with the sun - it is what they eat !


TRY THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET - YOU WILL NEVER LOOK BACK !

New Techniques In Prostate Surgery

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Most men will run a mile from a urologist - me included ! The greatest fear men have when they come up against a prostate problem is that they will remain impotent.

There is good news , however. The latest techniques in prostate surgery mean that they are less invasive and the risk of impotence and incontinence is much reduced. More and more men now have children at a later age . The main reason why the prostate grows is because there are hormonal changes which take place as we get older and this results in an enlarged prostate.
Green light laser surgery is now a well established technique. This selects the tissue to be removed and saves the healthier tissues including the nerves. A spinal anesthetic is used and it only requires an overnight stay in hospital. There is no bleeding, and the risk of retrograde ejaculation is reduced by 50%.

In cases where there is a swollen prostate, due to a chronic prostatitis, for which there is no known explanation and which antibiotics do not work efficiently, the patient may well be advised to opt for thermoablation by radio frequency. The heat destroys the nerves causing the pain and discomfort while preserving the sexual function of the patient.

In cases where there is a tumour of the prostate, the new technique HIFU ( high intensity focus ultrasound) can be carried out. Already in Europe alone, there have been 12,000 operations using this technique which consists of bombarding the cancerous tissues with ultrasound waves.
In 80% of the operations, the tumour is eliminated and does not case sexual impotence. No blood vessels are cut open thereby practically eliminating the risk of metastasis.

Scared of surgery ? Herbal remedies are a valid alternative.

FOR A NATURAL PROSTATE CURE CLICK HERE

Is Sleep the Key To Obesity?

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Research just published shows that children who get a good night's sleep are LESS likely to end up with layers of fat, ie. obese ! Actually this evidence has also been found in adults and the reason is apparently that you
trigger off a hormonal imbalance which causes an increase in appetite when you do not get a really good night's rest.

When they studied the kids (about 800 from 10 different US cities)they found that only about 11% of the ones who had about 11 or 12 hours sleep, were likely to be obese by the age of 11. The ones who had less than 9 hours sleep were more likely to get fat - 22% by the age of 11.

The reasons for this are not at all clear. But the weight of the parents and their parenting techniques was not taken into account and when they are obese, this could well influence the child negatively. Another reason may be that tired children will not go out and play and therefore stay at home and inevitably eat more snacks and burn fewer calories.

What to do with kids who don't want to go to sleep?. Taking all the electronic gadgets such as playstations, TVs and computers OUT OF THEIR BEDROOMS would be a great start. For advice with problem kids, ,
Click on this link

Fed Up With Health Warnings?

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After yesterday's World Cancer Research Fund report, there were lots of interesting reactions on the forums and message boards across the world. I began to wonder if some people are beginning to turn off because they are suffering from 'health message fatigue'!!

I have divided the reactions into four main camps. The first one is the one where people say , why bother , when your number is up, you have to go and that is it. Why spoil the fun and go on and on about all these food and drink warnings. Truly a case of eat, drink and be happy, for to-morrow we die. I thought the funniest comment was from a guy who wrote : "What is the point of dying fit and healthy?"

The second camp were very resentful and claimed that they worked so hard that it was impossible NOT to buy prepackaged junk food and anyway they did not have the time to chop up all those vegetables to put in the wok ! They also asked why is it that all the normal food we eat, like bread, bacon and beer is bad for us ?

"Being alive has a 100% death rate - guaranteed !" This was the next group who were resigned to dying - rather like the ones who say "Life's a bitch and then you die". This group didn't seem that happy with their lot - maybe now that it is autumn, they are suffering from SAD (seasonal
affective disorder) ! Some were so cynical that they suggested that governments should not bother too much about all these obese people given that it was such an expense to keep them alive. Better to let them die off !

The next group were very up- beat - these were all the fit ones who looked great, felt wonderful and absolutely basked in the comments from their nearest and dearest about how WELL they looked. These are the ones who take all those health warnings seriously! But they did point out too that there were so many good things to eat, that really it was no problem to choose the good stuff. This crowd sounded as if they were really enjoying themselves but not without a few sacrifices!

The final group were very sensible and made a few suggestions. How about these - ration red meat and alcohol? Offer vouchers for fruit and vegetables? What about cleaning up the environment -surely air pollution and all those toxins are more damaging to our health ? Others are convinced that we are brainwashed by the junk food industry and it is all a dastardly plot to remove us from this planet before we cost the nation too much!

Somebody also remarked that the exact date of your death is written in your DNA. I would rather not know! Depending on which camp you are in, you may find the link below a great
help or just one big yawn! If the latter, you can go back to being a couch potato!

STICK AROUND FOR ANOTHER BIT - ENJOY LIFE AND GREAT FOOD!