What kind of exercise leaves you fully energized and NOT worn out?

What kind of exercise opens the meridian channels of your body?
(even the National Institute of Health has recognized acupuncture which works on meridian channels.)

What kind of exercise rejuvenates the body instead of consuming valuable resources?

What kind of exercise is easy enough to be done by the very young and the very old at the same time?

What kind of exercise can the whole family easily do together as a group?

What kind of exercise have you been missing out on lately?

What kind of exercise can help the mind become calm?

Here is the answer.

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Once upon a time there was a totally sleep-deprived
society. They were more concerned about getting the job
done and taking care of all kinds of business than with
taking care of their bodies. The price they soon paid was
their health. Does this kind of story sound familiar? If
you are putting everything else ahead of a good night’s
sleep then you are not only robbing yourself of energy, but
could be taking years off your life.

Sleep deprivation also invites a vicious cycle of relying
on substances to stay awake and then go to sleep the next
night. Between 2000 and 2004 the use of sleep medications
by people aged 20-44 more than doubled. One problem with
relying on artificial sleep aids is that there is still not
enough time given to good sleep. This leads to greater
caffeine consumption in order to “get going” the next
morning. In addition, herbal supplements are used as
“energy” pills instead of the way they are intended for
nutritional support. They quickly become a substitute for
good rest and proper nutrition.

There are ways to get good sleep without medication and
start the next day off right. Here are some ideas for
getting to sleep and waking up refreshed.

1. Create a good sleeping environment. Make sure your
bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. However, creating white
noise is a way to invite relaxation. You can play soothing
sounds on a CD or even just run a ceiling fan.

2. Don’t eat right before bed. You should stop eating at
least 2 hours before going to bed. Also avoid sugars and
grains that will cause blood sugar to rise and make you
feel more alert when you should be getting sleepy. As the
blood sugar drops you will probably wake from it and not be
able to get back to sleep.

3. Get to bed early enough. It sounds simple but the
quality of sleep is affected as much by when you go to
sleep as how many hours you get. The body is most refreshed
and rejuvenated between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. If
you don’t go to bed until mid-night you are losing one
valuable hour that isn’t replaced just by sleeping in later
on the other end.

4. Don’t watch TV right before going to sleep because it is
too stimulating. Many doctors dealing with sleep disorders
will tell you to get the TV out of the bedroom altogether.

5. If changing habits such as those listed above don’t
work, you can supplement using melatonin. This is a
powerful hormone that should be used cautiously. The body
naturally produces the necessary melatonin by getting
daytime exposure to enough sunlight. You can increase your
melatonin and improve your sleep with daily walks outside
or exposure to full-spectrum fluorescent light bulbs.

6. Keep a journal. If thoughts racing through your head
about what you need to do or remember are keeping you
awake, then writing them down will clear your head and
prepare you for better sleep.

7. Use a gradual alarm clock. The abrupt, harsh beeping
sound is an unpleasant and unnatural way to wake up. There
are progressive clocks that will gradually increase the
light and sounds in the room so that you wake up slowly.
This also lets you wake up feeling more refreshed because
you are waking up naturally.

Sleep is as important to your overall health as the foods
you eat and the exercise you get. An adult needs an average
of 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This doesn’t mean getting
4 or 5 during the week and 12 on the weekends. Consistent
bedtimes, within an hour variation from one night to the
next, and waking up at the same time each day will make for
a happily ever after.

About the Author:

Frank Mangano dedicates his life to finding solutions for
people interested in reducing their risk of health problems
and improving their overall quality of life naturally
without the use prescription medication. To learn more,
visit one of the most comprehensive sources for natural
health information on the web:
http://www.naturalhealthontheweb.com

Search Here for Better Sleep

Article Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog/

Technorati Tags: sleep, sleeping, restful+sleep

Blood Circulation plays an important part in our being. In order to stay healthy it is very important to have good blood circulation. Proper blood circulation helps in transferring nutrients and oxygen to various parts of the body. Lack of good blood circulation causes diseases due to harmful foreign particles entrapped in the tissue.

Many of us do not have any idea about the value of a good blood circulation. Some common problems you may face without proper blood circulation are:

• Hypertension: A common problem found with many people mainly middle-aged and elderly people. This happens because cholesterol plaques are deposited along the walls of the arteries, causing it to harden.

• Varicose Veins: This happens when the walls of the veins loses its elasticity. Lack of exercise, increasing age, junk food just adds to the stress escalating this problem from one leg to the other.

- Improving blood circulation

• Calendula known as Calendula Officinalis is an important source to improve blood circulation.

• Tamari Bancha Tea helps in neutralizing acidic blood condition. This tea also enhances blood circulation which in return relieves fatigue.

• Ume-Sho-Bancha with ginger is another source of improving your blood circulation.

• Ginkgo Biloba also has the ability to improve blood circulation to the brains extremities. It increases the sharpness of the mind, in relation to all the ages.

• Onion too can improve the blood circulation level, as well as relax the muscles.

• Hydrotherapy also known as hot and cold shower also works well to improve blood circulation.

• A simple exercise like walking, which anyone can do is one of the easiest ways to increase blood circulation level.

• Exercising also increases blood circulation which helps the muscles and other tissues.

• One can heighten the poor blood circulation problem by infusing rosemary leaves or flowers with red wine.

• Damiana, Turnera Afrodisiaca is known for it aphrodisiac and mood elevating qualities. It also happens to improve and enhance our blood circulation. The improved blood circulation helps in governing the hormone production as well as fights mild depression, sexual disinterest and menstrual problems.

• Massaging, as many of us tend to perceive is an act of relaxation, but it is more than that. The touch of hands and legs in appropriate places calms your muscles and joints, relieves stress as well as improves blood circulation which helps the body in many ways.

• Reetha is rich in iron, phosphorous and vitamin A, making it very useful for your hair due to these properties. Soak reetha overnight to make a paste. Apply this on your hair and keep it for an hour. It induces new life in your hair due to improve blood circulation in the scalp.

• Cayenne, Ginger, Garlic and Ginkgo are some of the best defenses against poor blood circulation. Tincture from these is easily absorbed by the body which helps in reducing cholesterol level, cleansing the blood, preventing heart disease and also fights atherosclerosis.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Kevin Pederson handles many websites relating to natural home remedies such as http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com, which has lot of information on home based natural cures and remedies. With the use of different herbs and home remedies we can easily improve our blood circulation level.

Article Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog/

Technorati Tags: blood+circulation

– Copyright 2006 Tony Buel

Is it possible to take some basic preventive measures to thwart acne outbreaks? What kinds of preventative maintenance should you do to cut down on your acne?

Let’s quickly scan some of the most effective strategies, shall we?

The first, most obvious, and most important measure to help prevent acne is to have a healthy lifestyle. It is too easy to neglect this, but don’t do it! Eat three good meals a day, get the proper rest at night, and drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day. Don’t let stress control you even if you do have a frantic and unpredictable lifestyle.

Now that the first one is out of the way, let’s move on to the rest.

Make sure you are cleaning your face every day and for best results, twice a day. Use a mild cleaning bar or liquid that also minimizes sensitivity and irritation. Use various mild scrubs or exfoliants that remove the outer layer of the skin and opens pores. The products that contain fine granules or salicylic acid make it a mild peeling agent.

Reducing oil is an important step in preventing outbreaks of acne. You can’t stop your oil glands from forming oil but you can get rid of the excess oil on your skin. This will help in keeping the pores open and lessen the shine that often accompanies oily skin. A gentle astringent can wipe away excess oil and are easily found where cosmetics are sold.

Pharmacies now carry strips under various names that you can use on your forehead, nose or chin, or wherever you notice blackheads to pull out all that unpleasant material from your pores. Remember, this is oil and not dirt. They are inexpensive and while they aren’t as effective as a professional pore cleaning, they are safe and effective.

Killing bacteria is an important part of the therapy to minimize or prevent outbreaks of acne. Antibacterial cleansers can be found in over-the-counter products. They usually contain benzoyl peroxide. Topical or external applications can be applied to the affected area to kill surface bacteria. You can find these in the form of gels, creams, and lotions.

When using moisturizers, use oil-free moisturizers that also contain an antibacterial agent. If you use make up, use oil-free foundation. A thick coat of make up can block the pores and cause acne to flare up.

Apply a honey mask once or twice a week. Honey is great for disinfecting and healing minor blemishes and takes it easy on sensitive skin.

Avoid wearing excessive make up. Also, be sure it is water based.

Drink eight full glasses of water per day.

Keep your hair off your face.

Take a good multivitamin.

Take a chromium supplement once a day.

Eat carrots; they are rich in beta-carotene and Vitamin A. Both are essential in repair tissue of the skin and mucous membranes.

When you sleep at night, be sure you are sleeping on a clean pillowslip that no one else has used. Pillowslips absorb oil during the night and acne can be irritated. If you have long hair, keep it pulled back during the night as the oil in your hair can also transfer to your pillowslip and to your skin.

Don’t pick or squeeze your pimples -no matter how tempting! This can’t be said too often.

These are just a few simple measures you can start to follow right away. Don’t look for extreme remedies when a simple solution is all you need. For many acne cases, when following these simple strategies you will begin to see gradual steady results in just a few days.

About the Author:

Author: Tony Buel http://www.acnetreatment-101.com

Article Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog/
(you may copy this article to your site, so long as you give credit to where you found it- and to the author!)

Technorati Tags: acne+prevention

[Editor's note: I am not one to rule anything out without really looking into it. I have not researched this yet. So let's say that this is an interesting article that caught my attention without commenting on the accuracy or validity of the information presented. Find: More information on building muscle.

Why You Don’t Need Protein To Gain Muscle!
Copyright 2006 Jonathan Perez

There are all kinds of diet recommendations all over the bodybuilding magazines and websites that advise to divide your eating into different “ratios” and “percentages” for building muscle mass and gaining weight.

Some recommend high fat, low carb, others say moderate carbs, moderate fat, high carbs, low fat, etc. But the one thing that each and every one of these “weight gain” /”muscle building” diets say is it must be HIGH in protein.

Well, I’m here to tell you the TRUTH. It is NOT necessary at all to eat a diet high in protein to gain muscle weight.

Just about everything you read says to eat 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Some even go as high as suggesting you have to not only eat high, but massive amounts of protein to build muscle and gain weight.

This MYTH is due to 3 reasons:

1) Everyone thinks that muscle tissue is made up mostly of protein

2) Everyone thinks that either high amounts of fat or high amounts of carbohydrates will cause you to get fat

3) Everyone thinks that protein has a “thermogenic” (inner-body temperature raising) effect, which helps burn fat

All three of these beliefs are completely wrong! (In this article I am going to give you a very brief explanation, but in later articles I will go into more detail).

First, muscle tissue is NOT made up of mostly of protein. Muscle tissue is 70% WATER.

The other 30% is made of GLUCOSE, and AMINO ACIDS. Your muscles need just as much glucose (which is what carbohydrates are converted into), if not MORE than protein to gain muscle size.

Those that have medically studied the physiology of the human body know that amino acids are what make up protein.

However, the body uses whatever amount of amino acids it needs at that particular moment. The rest it stores for later use.

It is NOT true that you need to be eating a “steady stream” of protein to gain muscle weight………your body keeps a little “pool” of stored amino acids.

Protein is by far the most difficult macronutrient to break down and digest.

The higher the amount of protein you eat the more stress you are placing on your digestive system.

Oh, by the way, what do you think happens to any excess protein??? It turns it into FAT!

Have you ever noticed how you feel when you eat a huge burger or steak?

Even after several hours have passed, it still feels like you’ve got that entire piece of meat just sitting and rotting in your stomach.

How much benefit in gaining muscle weight do you think that’s going to give you?

Have you ever drank those disgusting protein shakes or eaten those chalk-tasting protein bars? You get gas, you feel bloated, and you might even get the “runs” (diarrhea).

That’s a major sign that your body is NOT properly digesting all of that protein!!!

There are several real-life examples of athletes that don’t consume massive amounts of protein to gain muscle weight, yet have tremendous physiques, are in excellent health, are powerful, fast, and agile.

To just name some of them:

Andreas Cahling – Swedish champion bodybuilder and Olympic gold medalist in the ski jump

Keith Holmes – World champion middleweight boxer

Bill Manetti – Powerlifting champion

Stan Price – World weight lifting record holder; bench press

Art Still – Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs MVP defensive ends, Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame

Chris Campbell – Olympic wrestling champion

Peter Hussing – European super heavyweight boxing champion

You can eat all the protein in the world and not gain one pound of muscle weight if you aren’t eating enough calories!!!!!

Remember, it doesn’t matter what we’ve been fed by the magazines and companies trying to sell us their latest protein concoction. It all comes down to the calories!

In my next article I’ll cover the 2nd and 3rd misconception everyone has about protein.

About the Author:

How did a Cleveland Firefighter discover how to gain over
40 pounds of muscle weight WITHOUT using any supplements,
no special diet, eating very low protein, and working out
only 2 hours a week? Jonathan Perez has created the
*ultimate* guide – “From Skinny To Muscular!…..How To
Gain Muscle Eating Any Foods You Want, Using No
Supplements, and Performing Only 2 Special Sets Per Week
Per Muscle” FREE Details: ==>

http://www.FromSkinnyToMuscular.com

Article Source: http://tobeinformed.com/blog

Visit http://allthingspondered.com for more great articles!

Technorati Tags: gain+muscle, skinny, muscular