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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Amazon Acai Fruit Story

By Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd

For thousands of years, the South American rain forest has been thought to contain many of medicines within plants and herbs that could remedy most ailments known today.

Scientific evidence has made this legend fact; Buried deep within the South American rain forest, a berry like no other has been revered as Amazonian treasure for hundreds of years. The Acai fruit offers an answer to the stories of old.

The Acai fruit (pronounced Ah-sigh-ee) has been cultivated by the indigenous people of the Amazon rain forest for centuries. It has proven to be a panacea for everything from the common cold to diabetes. New scientific discoveries even link this tiny berry to curing cancer.

The legend of the acai fruit has been spoken of for centuries amongst the indeginous people of the Amazon. Once upon a time there was a prosperous tribe that faced certain death due to an intense famine that had swept the region. Desperate for a solution, the tribal leader made a decree that all firstborn children were to be sacrificed.

Unbeknown at the time to Itaki, declaration would even infiltrate his own family. He discovered that his own daughter, Laca, was about to give birth, so she to would have to sacrifice her firstborn child.

The daughter became so depressed that she refused any food or drink and locked herself in the room. After several days and nights of no food, the daughter became delusional and began to hear her baby's cry. She ran out of the room and began to make her way to a palm tree where she thought she saw her child

The next morning, the tribe descended to this palm tree and discovered the dead body of the tribal chiefs daughter. As they looked up at the palm tree, they noticed clumps of blue berries, which later became known as acai berries.

This berry provided all of the nourishment need to save the tribe from famine and to this day has provided the descendants of the tribe an economic salvation that holds true today as the acai fruit is their primary export.

This fruit has proven to be a god send to the people as this tiny city still survives off of the mighty acai fruit of Brazil - 17273

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The Risk Factors for Ischemic Heart Disease

By Barb Hicks

Ischemic heart disease is defined as decreased blood flow to the heart due to narrowed coronary arteries. The obstruction results from cholesterol deposits sticking to the artery wall interrupting the flow of blood to the heart. The deposits harden causing hardening of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis, which is a medical term sometimes interchanged with arteriosclerosis. Both have the same affect, whereby both impede blood flow to the heart.

Arteriosclerosis, or plaque buildup, is a common factor in Ischemic heart disease. Plaque, a result of high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, builds up in the vessels that feed the heart causing blockage to occur. This interferes with blood flow to the heart and results in heart attack symptoms to occur. The patient may exhibit signs ranging from shortness of breath to irregular heartbeats, and chest pain. Sometimes, there are no symptoms due to damage to the nerves that surround the heart due to heart disease.

Angina will eventually occur as time passes. This affliction, commonly referred to as the strangling of the heart and known in medical terms as Angina Pectoris, is a result of the lack of oxygen due to poor blood flow to the heart as a result of blockage. Anyone with this type of heart disease is at a greater risk for experiencing a heart attack or cardiac arrhythmia.

People who are at risk for ischemic heart disease most likely have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. The risks, in most instances, can be alleviated or eliminated altogether by drastic changes in lifestyle such as losing weight and stopping smoking. While these changes may reduce risks, they do not necessarily cure ischemic heart disease that is already present. If the person has had a previous heart attack, they have an increased risk for having another heart attack within 5 years. Regular visits with your physician to monitor any changes in the patient's condition will alert the physician to any potential problems that may crop up and slow down the rate of disease progression.

There is good news regarding ischemic heart disease. It is able to be prevented or its severity lessened with proper healthcare and lifestyle changes. Though these changes may seem a daunting task after being set in your ways for twenty to thirty years, the results of these changes are well worth the effort. - 17273

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How To Look Taller Right Now

By Shaun Davids

Have you always wondered how to look taller? You will be shocked how a simple change in attitude and your clothing can make you gain height. These are not the only techniques to make you taller - getting the right nutrients and straightening your posture can also protect you from bones diseases and from shrinking in your old age.

Let us first talk about your wardrobe. You already be dressing to make you biggest assets stand out, but did you know you could use your clothes to make you look taller too? You could do this by wearing clothes of a similar color, particularly darker ones. And for even more of a height enhancer you could add thin vertical stripes to give you more length.

Try steer clear of two-toning your clothes - such as wearing dark jeans with a light-colored shirt. This creates a line between the two, making you appear smaller, particularly if your jeans are too high up. If you want to know how to look taller, stay away from plaid and polka dot patterns. Rather choose clothing that hugs your frame, and makes you seem longer than you are.

To become taller, also try wear the right shoes. Height increasing insoles and high heels work well at making you look taller. Also, wearing bigger shoes, such as boots or tennis shoes help your feet appear bigger.

Also when learning how to look taller, your hair cut makes a big difference. It is best to have shorter hair, as opposed to longer hair that "shortens" your neck and torso.

Your posture is very important, and not just for appearances. Sitting with your back straight and your shoulders back does make your body look taller, but it's also very important for your bones and muscles as well, particularly your back.

Most importantly, attitude is everything for gaining height. It's easier said than done, I know, but exuding confidence can do wonders for your self image. When you are smiling, positive, and professional, people notice this and respond to it.

Whereas, if you act sad and vulnerable, with your shoulders slumped, you will appear much shorter and less important to people you come into contact with. So if you want to know how to look taller right now, keep your head held high, and become a more positive person. - 17273

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Eight Things to Avoid for People With Dementia

By Esther Dacamay

Since proper nutrition is the building foundation from which our bodies fight off disease, half the battle in improving symptoms of dementia is knowing what NOT to eat, or how NOT to prepare your food. Check out these eight principals that will be sure to make you think twice about what you put into your mouth.

1) Say No to Milk - Anyone with Dementia should avoid dairy milk. Instead, they should seek out their dairy needs from other sources such as soy, rice, goats and almonds.

2) No Beef - People with Dementia should eliminate red meat as well as all processed meats such as sausage and hot dogs. In their place, you can partake in plant based sources such as soy or alfalfa sprouts and fish. Fish like tuna, sardines, salmon and cod carry high quality Omega 3 Fatty Acids which are beneficial to the body.

3) No Fried Foods - KFc, McDonalds, Burger King and all the other fast food restaurants serve up delectable foods. However, they are prepared in saturated fats which contain free radicals that are not good for the body.

4) Beer or Wine - All alcohol consumption should be limited. In France, a recent study showed that those partaking in one or two glasses of red wine per day were able to fight stress more diligently. The reason for this beneficial reaction is the antioxidant activity in theoligomeric proanthocyanidin substances found in the wine.

5) Ban Sugar - It is highly beneficial to eliminate all foods containing refined sugars. These foods include cookies, cakes donuts and brownies. In addition, foods containing Equal/NutraSweet/Saccharin and Aspartame are potentially harmful and should be eliminated as well.

6) No More Red Vines - Licorice is an old fashioned favorite candy treat. However, it should be eliminated from the diet as it potentiates cortisol which leads to compromised potassium intake, thus leading to hypokalemia.

7) No Stress - Stress leads to cortisol, which mentioned above leads to compromised potassium intake. In addition, it is very important not to induce undue stress with things such as refined sugars, nicotine, caffeine, processed foods or red meat.

8) No Aluminum! - Don't cook with any materials made from aluminum. That means no pots, pans or ladles made with aluminum. There has been significant speculation that an intake of aluminum from foods, antacids, cookware or antiperspirants may play a role in contracting Alzheimers disease, a cortical type of dementia. - 17273

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All Acai Berry Powder is Not the Same: Where to Get the Best Acai Powder

By Travis Van Slooten

Acai in whatever form - acai berry powder, frozen pulp, or juices - is getting to be one of the hottest products to hit the health supplements market today. This only goes to show that there may be some truth to what the health experts are saying: acai berry is one of the most nutritious fruits around, a super food actually. However, finding pure acai berry powder is not that easy to do. It could be a hit or miss thing. By arming yourself with the knowledge of what to look for and what to avoid, you'd be saving yourself time and money.

What are the common pitfalls?

Given how clever some acai marketers can be, it's important that you know how to weed out the gimmicks from the real deal. You may be surprised to learn that even inferior products can cost as much as the premium supplements. Or if they do come cheap, then there's all the more reason for you to proceed cautiously. One of the sure signs of an inferior product is if it was processed using the spray-drying technique. This process uses heat which will remove most of the nutrients found in fresh acai. In addition, they'd have to put in maltodextrin, a polysaccharide that the body absorbs as glucose.

What should I look for?

So that you won't waste your effort and time searching for the right acai berry powder, I'll fill you in on some of the basic things that you should be looking for. Check the label and see if it says that the supplement has been freeze-dried. As opposed to spray drying, the freeze drying method processes the fresh acai berries in low temperatures so as to preserve the fruit's nutrients. In fact, freeze dried acai can contain about 50 times more antioxidants than the spray dried product. So if it is not indicated on the label that freeze drying was used, don't buy it. Also check to see if the acai berries used were organic and wild-harvested.

What is the best source for acai berry powder?

With the popularity of acai supplements nowadays, it is expected that many companies would really try to cash in on this health craze if you may call it. This makes it more difficult for consumers to find a high-quality supplement that really meets the standard of what acai products should contain - more of the product and none of the gimmickry. Find a company that explicitly states that it uses freeze-dried acai berry powder. If you can, learn about other details of the company as well like if their fresh acai berries are wild-harvested (which is better) or grown on farms (which may use fertilizers).

By following these two simple criteria, you'll be able to find the best acai berry powder supplements! - 17273

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Pro Tips to Get Bigger Pecs

By Frank Hommes

Being a scrawny guy isn't something you probably want to be. Even if you consider yourself to be in good shape, if you're too skinny and seriously lack muscle, then you may look no better than an obese, flabby guy. You may be wondering what you can do to make your appearance more appealing? One possible answer could be to develop your pecs.

Pecs are the muscles, which are in your upper chest, and making them larger can give a man a broad and deep chested look, similar to what bodybuilders have. Building up your pecs isn't necessarily a simple thing to do, but as long as you approach it the correct way it is possible even for a scrawny guy to get impressive pecs.

Perhaps the most important thing for a skinny guy trying to build up his pecs is a change in diet. The best way to increase muscle growth for a person of any size is to start consuming more proteins. Lean meats and various beans, among other things, contain high protein content.

Protein provides your body the nutrients it requires in order to build muscles effectively. This doesn't mean you have to eat a greater amount of food, rather, just be sure you're eating the correct ones.

However, if you're just eating then you won't be gaining muscle, you'll just be gaining weight. Therefore, it's very important to have a solid exercise routine which focuses on the pectorals. There are various exercises which help the growth of pecs, among the most effective are bench presses and flys.

Also, you must be sure to work the rest of the body. If you only emphasize on the pecs and ignore the rest of your body, you won't end up with a very desirable look. So even though your main objective may be to build larger pecs, you need to include other exercises that will help in the growth of muscles elsewhere. - 17273

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The Perfect Food

By Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd

The acai fruit berry is one of the worlds most powerfully nutritious foods. Harvested from a special palm tree in the Brazilian rain forest, this purple fruit holds the magic of the Amazon.

A Dr. and best selling author wrote a book called, "the Perricone Way" where in it he states that the acai fruit is the #1 super food in the world. The berry is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids that fight harmful free radicals in the body.

The acai fruit has in it the following:

A very high concentration of antioxidants that help fight premature aging (10 times more than red grapes and 10-30 times the anthocyanins of red wine)

The optimal blend of amino acids that assist in the regeneration of muscle tissue as well as proper muscle contraction

The perfect blend of healthy fats, fiber for your diet, and nutrients that help lower cholesterol help promote that digestive system

Scientists have long know that antioxidants are essential for a balanced diet. These are the substances that protect the cells against the destructive effects of free radicals

Free radicals are harmful substances that the body produces when breaking down some foods. They are also created from environmental pollutants such as tobacco smoke or radiation. They can damage cells, and have been linked to cancer, heart disease, and other diseases.

Acai fruit is rich in vitamins A and B and contains as much protein as an egg. This is crucial in fighting off disease.

The only other rich content of healthy fatty acid in the acai fruit can only be found in olive oil. these acids aid in getting into the cells membrane. This is how cells remain supple. By this happening, the neurotransmitters, hormones, and receptors to function at a more efficient level.

In summary, the acai fruit is a powerful source of many essential nutrients the body craves. There are a variety of acai fruit products available online and at some specialty natural foods or nutrition stores. - 17273

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The Sanyo DR-7700 Massage Chair

By Jack Moore

Maybe you have heard about a zero gravity massage chair. There is one I would like to draw your attention to. It is manufactured by Sanyo and it is the model DR 7700. The DR 7700 massage chair is a zero gravity massage recliner. Zero gravity technically means weightlessness. However, in terms of recliners it means that the zero gravity position better distribute the weight of your body keeping minimal pressure on the spine. The Sanyo DR 7700 massage chair is their luxury recliner.

There are a number of luxury massage chairs available on the market today. Sanyo has some of the more advanced features over other models. One of the more advanced features is a new roller head design.

The DR 7700 massage chair by Sanyo has a unique roller mechanism. The roller mechanism performs the massage for the neck, shoulders and back. Their unique design incorporates the ability to perform a gripping motion. This is particularly useful for the tops of the shoulders and neck area.

The Sanyo massage roller system is able to perform a gripping massage. This is particularly desirable for massaging the shoulders. Typically, kneading massage is used to loosen the large muscles of the back and shoulders. The gripping massage enables the roller system to squeeze over the tops of the shoulders.

Sanyo has programmed for automatic sensor controlled massages into the DR 7700 massage chair. Touch a single button on the remote control and a full body massage commences. Each different massage program is designed for a particular need.

Many massage chairs can be not so comfortable to sit in when the massage is not running. The Sanyo massage chair is okay to sit in without the massage going. It does have an extendable leg rest which helps better accommodate taller people.

One interesting feature of the DR 7700 is the new stiffness sensor. The stiffness sensor system works with a secondary remote. The remote has a mouse where you cup your hand over this device. The stiffness sensor works in conjunction with the LCD on the remote. It displays areas of stiffness on your body.

The new stiffness detection sensor is an electronic feature I could probably do without. It is interesting to do the first time, but after that I just want my massage. Perhaps, the stiffness detector actually shows you the degree of stiffness as well. It seems like lot information when all I need is a good relieving massage.

If you would like to relieve tired and aching feet, then use the Sanyo multipoint foot shiatsu massage. This unique massage system utilizes be airbags in the foot wells. It delivers a compression type massage around the calves and ankles. This provides relief to tired and aching feet.

The strength and effectiveness of the massage of the DR 7700 massage chair seems to light for my needs. A massage chair needs to deliver a strong and firm massage. Patents can be used as necessary to soften the massage for more sensitive users. However, the massage cannot be made stronger later. This is something to check out for your self and how it will meet your long term health needs.

The DR 7700 massage chair by Sanyo is the top-of-the-line. This luxury model incorporates many exciting electronic features. It also has some advanced roller technology for a shoulder massage. Sanyo is heading in the right direction with many of its therapeutic features. The DR 7700 massage chair by Sanyo is one of the best massage chairs on the market today. - 17273

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Getting a Good Bicep Workout

By How to Get a Good Bicep Workout

A work out is one of the major components in achieving a well fit body. However, it is best to give importance on the techniques as well as the proper execution of these exercises in order to achieve the best results. When done the wrong way, you are just more likely to get numerous injuries and muscle cramps.

It has been long instilled in our culture that a nice looking bicep serves as a symbol of a person's confidence to himself. Because of this, more and more people are on the quest of making their work outs provide more focus on developing their biceps. But as what was said earlier, only a handful are successful in achieving the best results on a bicep work out while most have insufficient knowledge on how to properly execute a bicep work out. Various ways and techniques should be given much importance in order to get the most out of the said work out.

Do you known that most people don't give much importance on antagonistic muscles? These certain groups of muscles oppose each other to provide appropriate balance. This group includes the chest and upper back, biceps and triceps, quads and hamstrings, and the abdominals and the lower back. In order to achieve a more balanced result, this type of muscles must be given of the same amount of focus. This technique is vital as it can result to growth of maximum potential on opposing muscles. And for a bicep work out, you should also be able to provide your triceps an equal amount of work out.

Focusing on direct and indirect movements is also another strategy for a better bicep work out. Isolation exercises best define direct movements while indirect movements are composed of compound exercises. Specifically, a curl is a fine example of an isolation exercise while pull-ups and pull-downs, define compound exercises. Direct and indirect movements are extremely vital for a bicep work out as it gives your focused muscle with a full range of movement for a more toned and detailed formation and growth.

One of the most popular programs of today that focus on our biceps is the Great Guns in 12 Weeks. This specific program is developed by a former trainer of Olympic Athletes, Ian King. From this program, you will be ensured of much improvement on your biceps within a span of 12 weeks. This program is considered as the bet choice for all those bicep work out fads.

Throughout the whole program, you will be undergoing four different phases that focuses both on your triceps and biceps. Moreover, the program is also meant to work complementary on other types of programs for all other parts of your body. To make a good start, you must simply choose a weight that is considerably moderately challenging and then gradually adding up the weight on each passing week. From this program, you are ensured of nothing but the best of results for your muscle development and growth. You can read more information about workout video online. - 17273

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Natural Sweetener Should be Your Only Sweetener

By Jamis Hartley

Hundreds of people are seeking out healthy alternatives to sugar. Some are looking to lose weight or just trying to keep their bodies running smooth. Others, unfortunately, are suffering from health conditions like diabetes and must find a different way to manage their diet. The good news is it can be done. The bad news is there are a lot of tricky products out there to watch out for.

It is important to understand that there are some sweeteners out there that are less healthy than others. In particular saccharin and aspartame are a couple very popular ones that just aren't a good healthy choice. Whereas all natural sweeteners made from fruits and plants can fill the same purpose but be so much better for our precious bodies. I prefer to choose the all natural option.

Some of the promising natural sweeteners hitting the market are Mannitol, Sorbitol, Stevia, Xylitol and, my favorite, Erythritol. These sweeteners are a good healthy alternative to sugar but even among these healthier choices there are things to consider. Erythritol is the natural sweetness in many fruits and vegetables. It is all natural and is easily digested making it a safe choice.

Occurring naturally in pears, grapes, melons and mushrooms, Erythritol is calorie free and 100% natural. Erythritol will not cause cavities in your teeth and is easily digested unlike some of the other natural sweetener options. It is widely used in foods and drinks on a commercial level you just didn't know it. As compared to other all natural sweeteners Erythritol is likely to be your safest bet.

Erythritol is also a great natural sweetener for people with diabetes or other medical conditions where sugar is the enemy. If you are using a low carbohydrate diet plan or low glycemic index plan, this is the perfect solution as its number on the glycemic index is zero, contains no carbohydrates and has only .2 calories per gram. Of all the natural sweeteners you can use today, Erythritol does not promote tooth decay, is better for digestion and is perfect for any diet plan. You can use Erythritol in recipes, on cereal or anything you choose to sweeten. More and more people are jumping on the bandwagon and using natural sweeteners for their foods and drinks these days. Before you use any kind of sweetener, make sure your doctor approves and that you have no allergies to certain fruits or plants. - 17273

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