Sunday, October 28, 2012

Super Bowl Harbinger of Problem Drinking

17.6 million American adults are either alcohol dependent or
abuse alcohol. According to the recently released 2001-2002
National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related
Conditions, alcohol dependence - particularly among men -
has decreased; however, rates of alcohol abuse have
increased.
Super Bowl Sunday has long been associated with over
consumption of alcohol and the problems of alcohol abuse.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has compiled statistics for
Super Bowl day alcohol related driving fatalities every year since 1999. These statistics show that an average Super Bowl
Sundays see 55.4% increase in alcohol related traffic
fatalities over other days of the year.
Part of the problem may be that imbibing alcohol is
encouraged during the Super Bowl. Nearly 20% of the
commercials, 10 out of 58, aired during Super Bowl XXXIX
will advertise Anheuser-Busch products. Last year
Anheuser-Busch's commercials were among both the most
controversial and popular.
Also promoting Super Bowl alcohol consumption, About.com's
football writer James Alder, whose goal is to, "provide you with all the necessary resources every serious football fan needs...," offers Super Bowl party recipes for alcoholic Jello shots, including instructions in how to make them stronger.
SOBERnet, a website on alcohol abuse and alcoholim, offers
an alternative recipe for a successful Super Bowl party at
Serve alternative nonalcoholic drinks. Have a key check, and don't let party goers drive drunk. Provide transportation via a designated non-drinking driver or taxi. Plan post game activities, as only time can help someone sober up.
And, don't drink and drive.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Importance of Clean Water

Have you ever considered the importance of water?
Did you know that water accounts for over 70% of your body? We are comprised mostly of water. And further more, our blood mineral content is strikingly similar to salt water.
A healthy water intake can help us in many ways.
- You can think better. A fully hydrated brain actually works better.
- Strength increases. Did you know that your muscles work better when your body is fully hydrated?
- Immunity - even your immune system can function better.
- Flush junk out of your system. A fully hydrated body is better at getting rid of the things it DOESN'T need.
- You'd be amazed at how much more energy you can have when you drink adequate amounts of water.
There are just so many good reasons to take in a good and adequate supply of water. Needless to say, you can probably see why it is important to have clean water.
Advice from experts vary but it is generally agreed that the average person probably needs to take in 2 liters of water per day. Check with your physician before changing your intake though.
Once I worked for a company that sold water filters. One of their products was a 'whole house filter'. The interesting thing about this filter was that it had a clear area where you could see what was trapped in the filter.
Um, I hope you are ready for this. Municipal water supplies rely on recycled water. Many people know this but don't want to think about it.
What this means is that all of your waste water, i.e., when you flush the toilet, goes back into the system. It is 'filtered' and 'treated' and may just come right back at you in the form of a glass of water out of your tap. Not to be too gross here, but this is a fact of life. And you should be aware of it.
What was found in that 'see through' filter mentioned above was little flaky white particles that looked suspiciously like toilet paper.
Now, no chemical analysis was done to validate this and who knows what I was really seeing there. But, never-the-less it made me think about my drinking water.
I use a filter for the water I drink now and I love it. I cook with filtered water too. Drinking clean filtered water is really great. The taste, or actually the lack of taste, because clean water doesn't have taste or odor, can be quite a dramatic contrast to what you might be used to.
Not all filters are created equal. Some take out lead and heavy metals, some just filter for taste. So you really have to do a little research and make sure you are getting a filter that is right for you, one that will fulfill your needs.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Constipation Affects Your Colon and Health

Seventy percent or more of the population struggles with constipation. Some believe the number is even higher, 80- 90%. The market for laxatives is now approaching 1 billion each year. It appears that constipation is an issue that most of us have to deal with at one time or the other. Using natural means to clear constipation is what this e-book is all about.
I believe that to have good health we need to use mostly foods and supplements that are free of additives and food enhancers that are harmful to the body. We need to eat the right foods and watch how we prepare them so we can digest and absorb them without creating or leaving residues that get turned into toxic matter in our colon.
The first question that a nutritionist or any other health practitioner should ask you on your first visit is, "how many bowel movements do you have each day or each week?"
If you visit a doctor, your colon is the last area they discuss with you. And perhaps, this is an area they may never discuss with you at all.
In his article, The Bowel is an Ecosystem, in Healthy & Natural Journal, April 1997, Majid Ali, M.D. recounts,
"When I returned to the clinical practice of environmental and nutritional medicine after years of pathology work, I began carefully testing the assertions of nutritionists, naturopaths and clinical ecologist who claimed that various types of colitis [a deterioration of your colon wall] could be reversed with optimal nutritional and ecologic approaches. To my great surprise, I found that such professionals, who are usually spurned by drug doctors, were right after all. My patients responded well to the unscientific therapies vehemently rejected by my colleagues in drug medicine."
Without good regular bowel movements and colon function, you will create various illnesses, colon discomforts, and diseases - including constipation.
By concentrating on eliminating constipation and preserving colon health, you can take a major step in preventing many body conditions and illnesses that can shorten your life or make your senior years a miserable time.
As with so many past health practitioners, I believe your colon is so important that any improvement you can make in your colon's health will help you avert many unnecessary illnesses and suffering. If you make only one effort in improving your health, it should be towards creating a clean and healthy colon.
Heart attacks, cancers, senility, pathogenic organisms and so on cause most deaths that occur in the US and throughout the world. There are few deaths related to natural causes or old age.
Your colon provides nutrients and water to all parts of the body. So, when a specific organ has degenerated it is important to see what part colon toxins have played in this degeneration.
If your colon is toxic, the blood will also be toxic. If your colon is toxic, these toxins will gradually reach all parts of your body through the blood and lymph liquid. The result is the body and various organs affected will become less efficient. Overtime this decreased efficiency will cause the body will become diseased and you will lose your good health.