Giving your Indoor Plants Enough Light

The three things that all plants need to survive are food, water, and dirt.  The food for
plants is created when enough light is provided.  The water and dirt part of the equation
are pretty straight forward as long as you follow the recommended care instructions and
don’t forget to water your plants. 

But how do you ensure that your indoor plants are getting enough light? 
Finding the right location in your home may require some trial and error before you find
the perfect spot.

Before deciding on what type of plants you will have in your house, look into the light
requirements.  The four categories that describe the different light requirement for plants
are low, medium, high, and very high.  If you have a sunroom or skylights in your home
and can position your plants in or under them you can purchase plants that need high or
very high light exposure.  Be aware that some plants can get too much sun, in which case
the light that comes in from a regular window should suffice.

There are options you can utilize if you want a certain type of plant and know that your
house is not going to provide it enough light.  You can purchase specially designed grow
bulbs to supplement the amount of light the plant is getting.  Be aware of the light
requirements for your plants when choosing this lighting method.  Although plants
require a lot of light to grow there is such a thing as too much light too.  The exact ratio
for your plant may differ but a good guideline to follow is 14 hours of sunlight to 10
hours of darkness.

Your plants will let you know if they are getting too much or not enough light (either
they will begin to look dry or will become limp).  Try different locations in your home to
find the best place for them.

cheers
Bobby

Natural Way to Deal with Pests on Indoor Plants

It is inevitable that insects or another infestation will make its way to your plants at one
point or another.  If you are dealing with pests in your indoor garden you may want to
find a natural way to eliminate them especially if you have young children or pets in your
home.  There are ways to do this and most of them require ingredients that you can get at
the grocery store.

When you find insects or another disease that is making your plant sick.  Isolate the plant
immediately to prevent the problem spreading to the other plants inside your house. 
Depending on the type of problem the solution will be different.

If your plants are being eaten by spider mites, you can eliminate the problem by making a
solution of buttermilk and water.  Put the solution into a spray bottle, put the plant in the
bathtub and give a thorough once over.  A mix of 50-50 is recommended, if this is too
thick to use with the spray bottle, add more water for a thinner consistency.

You may be able to control aphids with a thorough washing of the plant leaves with
water.  Another recommendation is to kill a couple of the aphids and leave them in the
bottom of the pot.  They then emit an odor that lets the other aphids know that danger is
near and they abandon the plant.  If this method is used, do it outside so they can find
another home that is not inside yours.

The natural and organic methods available for the wide variety of problems your plant
can encounter are too numerous to list.  These are the two most common pests, but with
some research there is a natural solution to many more different insects or diseases that
can affect a plant’s health.


Next "Giving your Indoor Plants Enough Light"

cheers
Bobby

The Best Pots for Indoor Gardening

You have researched the benefits of having an indoor garden and found the best plant for
you home now what do you put it in?  From terra cotta pots to decorative ceramic ones,
there are many choices available and in various sizes.  Not only do you want to choose a
pot that looks good in your home but you want one that is the best size for your plant too.

You want to look at the long-term growth expected in the plant you have chosen and use
that information to pick an appropriately sized container.  If you pick a pot that is too
small your full-grown plant the roots will not have enough room to grow and the plant
will be come “root bound”.  This is a rectifiable condition with re-potting, but it can put
the plant through unnecessary stress and creates more work for you.  Your plant may look
unbalanced at first in a container that is out of proportion but you will be glad you
thought ahead as the plants continues to grow.

The container you choose needs a form of drainage too.  The most common method of
drainage is one or more holes in the bottom of the pot to let excess water drain out.  If
you have chosen a pot that does not have these holes there you still have two options to
provide drainage.  You can put your plant in a smaller pot with drainage holes and then
place the smaller pot inside the larger one with no holes.  Or place an inch or two of
gravel in the bottom of the container before you put in the soil.  The gravel will allow the
excess water to run through the soil and into the rocks instead of staying in the soil and
water-logging the plant. 

Next "Natural Way to Deal with Pests on Indoor Plants"

cheers
Bobby

Aloe Vera and other Beneficial Houseplants

Many families have grown up with an aloe vera plant in the kitchen.  This succulent plant
is great for indoor gardening as it is hardy and easy to care for.  Moreover, they are great
for skin care and minor cuts and burns that can happen in the kitchen while cooking. 
To
use as a first aid item, cut a portion of one of the leaves and squeeze the inner gel onto the
hurt area.  With repeated use, the aloe vera will aid in healing and sooth the pain.

In addition to the aloe vera plant there are other helpful plants that are good to have
around the house.  An herb garden is a convenient way to add flavor and natural
ingredients to many dishes.  From fresh dill in a homemade tzatziki sauce to chives
mixed in with cream cheese for a delicious bagel. 

Many herbs can be dried and used for loose leaf teas not only a relaxing beverage, some
herbs are known for their medicinal qualities too.  Some herbs that can be used as tea
leaves or as part of a mixture are peppermint and ginger.

There are many edible plants that you can grow indoors to aid in digestion.  They can be
broken of the plant as needed or some may need some preparation first. 

*    Anise is a popular and widely used for aiding in digestion and easing colic in
infants. 
*    Coriander in addition to helping with digestion it is also a tasty addition to salsa.
*    Fennel oil is used to ease upset stomachs too.  It is also used for increasing the
amount of breast milk produced in mothers.

This is just a brief look at some of the other uses for houseplants.  It is recommended to
research your plants before ingesting any to ensure they are safe.


Next "The Best Pots for Indoor Gardening"

cheers
Bobby

A Terrarium as an Indoor Garden

There is a solution for you if you love the look of plants indoors but don’t have the time
or a green thumb to take care of them.  A terrarium is a self-contained plant habitat. 
Once you have set-up the terrarium and closed the lid (on the jar or other container you
have chosen) the plants inside create their own eco-system – all you have to do is enjoy
it.

The choices for terrarium containers are only limited by your imagination.  Traditionally
a smaller aquarium is used with a lid but a glass jar or other container will work nicely
too.  Plastic will work as well, just make sure that it is a clear plastic or you won’t be able
to admire your handiwork once it is completed.  Whatever size or material you choose for
your terrarium the most important factor is that it does not leak.  You need the water and
moisture to stay inside for it to work and you don’t want a mess inside your house.

The plants that you choose should all thrive in similar conditions and grow well in a
humid environment.  Popular plants to put into a terrarium are carnivorous (Venus Fly
Trap, sundew, or pitch plant) or rain forest plants (chamaedorea palms, small ferns or
fittonia). 

Terrariums are a low-maintenance indoor garden.  They need indirect sunlight (not too
bright) and no water is needed after the initial water is added.  The heat from inside the
terrarium evaporates the water and then it condenses on the lid falling back down to the
plants.  This process will continue keeping your plants alive.  If there is too much water
present, you may need to vent the terrarium (with a vented lid or opening the top a small
amount) just be sure to keep an eye on the soil’s moisture level (not too wet or dry).

Next "Aloe Vera and other Beneficial Houseplants"

Why You Should Start an Indoor Garden

The esthetic appeal of having plants inside your house is the reason the majority of
people decide to start gardening indoors.  Whether you have researched and planned on
them or not, there are additional benefits that are derived when a green space is created
inside you house. 

The décor aspect of inside greenery is a given, plants add to and beautify space – indoors
and outdoors.  The different plants choices available include various colors, sizes, shapes,
flowering vs. non-flowering and this is just the tip of the plant life ice berg. 

Just as trees and plants are crucial to our air quality outside, plants can provide the same
service for you inside your home.  By taking in carbon dioxide from our breathing, plants
flourish.  If you smoke inside your home, plants can help clean the air of the excess
carbon dioxide.  Besides the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide, plants will purify
the air from other unhealthy elements such as air-bound mold particles.  This makes them
a natural air filter for your home.

It is well known that gardening is a relaxing past-time.  Having an indoor garden will
give you the benefit of this relaxation year round when it is too cold outside to garden.  If
you live in an apartment, an outdoor garden may not be possible.  Gardening inside is
only limited by the amount of space you want to dedicate to it in your home.  Beautifying
your living space and caring for living plants makes owning an indoor garden a peaceful
endeavor.

Another benefit of indoor gardening is you can decide how much time you have or want
to dedicate to caring for the plants.  If you want a plant that has to be watered less go for
a cactus or if you want the challenge of coaxing a flowering tree to blossom buy a
camellia.

Next "A Terrarium as an Indoor Garden"
cheers
Bobby

What Can I Do for Memory Improvement?

There are several outside forces that can affect one's memory.  As has been found in many other areas, diet is one link to impairing memory.  Another well-known affecter of our memory is lack of physical exercise.  Of course, there are foreign substances we put into our unsuspecting bodies, such as drugs or alcohol, even prescription drugs can have a negative effect.  Injuries or traumatic events can affect memories, as can diseases.  Inadequate mental and indeed even spiritual stimulation has long been known to damage our minds, bodies and emotions.

Let's explore the life stressors in connection with memory impairment.  If you have a life that is in turmoil on a daily basis, unorganized and over packed with activities, never allowing yourself adequate care, your memory is certain to develop some degree of suffering.  It is surely something that will require some thought and time to repair.  You must first take stock of your priorities.  How well do you care for your mind and body?  Maybe you think a quick rush to the gym will do the trick.  The key here is 'rush'.

Rushing around is one area where we cause our mental health to suffer.  Long-term turmoil is not our friend, and rushing is something that can become an unwelcome habit.  Some people who crave a smoother, more relaxing routine have to actually be taught how to achieve it because they have become so accustomed to rushing through their day.

There may be more than one area you'll have to change in your life to obtain memory improvement.  One important step to healthy memory function is to get more oxygen to your brain.  Proper blood flow and plenty of oxygen are two factors that must not be overlooked.  You can achieve these by learning breathing exercises.  This can help clear your mind, give it a boost, and relieve stress.  Even if it is only temporary, it is still an important step in beginning your journey to memory improvement.

Another important step to improvement is eating properly.  A well-rounded diet can benefit in many ways, and often the benefits to memory function are overlooked.  The diet can affect the physical health, obviously.  But if you aren't in good physical health, how can you also be in the best health mentally?  The mind depends on the body to work at its best for the mind to work well. 

What about the living environment?  Can a dirty home affect your memory?  Maybe it sounds absurd, but yes, it can.  If your senses are constantly subjected to anything negative, it will begin to affect your brain health.  A clean home doesn't just look better, it can increase your happiness and sense of peace, which will in turn calm you and allow your mind and memory to focus on more productive thoughts.

Not only does the sight of your clean home allow improvement in your life, the smell of a clean home can be uplifting as well.  So, bring out those candles or potpourri, room sprays, and cleaning supplies!

To your good memory!
cheers
Bobby

Various Ways To Improve Memory

So you have forgotten where have you kept your spectacles once again. You have tried finding it everywhere only to realize there it is dangling on your head. These circumstances not only make you feel a butt of jokes but starts questioning your state of mind. If this continues to happen on a daily basis it can disgust not you alone but everyone around you. Far too many people suffer memory loss but it typically depends on the frequency of forgetting. 

Today's lifestyle is so demanding that we have barely anytime for ourselves this often leads to important information or at times generic information slipping thru our brain. To add to the woes the diet that we take barely does anything to replenish our brain Unhealthy habit sans exercises has left us living a robotic life. But unfortunately unlike robots our brains are not fitted with computers and it depends on healthy habits, right diet and proper exercise to improve memory.

Following are the various ways to improve memory:

One should exercise regularly to keep the mind and body active and attentive. As they say healthy body houses healthy brain. One can also improve memory by keeping the brain active by actively participating in brainteasers and games. One such easy and good game is "Memory" that can be played with a pack of playing cards. The best part about this game is that it can be played alone and with as many as four people. All one has to do is to spread the card evenly on a surface and lift and match the characters. If the characters do not match place the card back to where it was picked up from and wait until after a few chances a match is available and remember where the previous character was laid in the entire bunch of cards. The one who matches more cards wins. Or if you like to play with words try playing scrabble another word game that can challenge your memory and will shake up your vocabulary treasure trove.

These games help improve memory and physiological functioning. Learning new skills also helps the motor capacity of brain by challenging it. Joining a language school to learn a new language can be quite helpful other than this learning to play new instruments can also be more involving and mentally stressing. Taking the help of technology is also not a bad idea. As more and more computer games are developed one can try to play games that is refreshing and challenging. The coordination it develops between the mind and hand is also great for motor development. Exercise and Yoga helps to keep mind fresh by helping its concentration power to develop thru meditation. It helps our body in two days, first by relaxing our body and second by developing our alert system. The better circulation of blood helps to bring tandem to our brain thereby improving its efficiency.

Relaxation is equally an important element of physical well being for body and brain. As stress causes remembering to become difficult and lose focus. Serious stress related problems calls for a physical examination by a doctor as it can lead to other problem such as insomnia that detoriates mental health and makes memorizing miserable.
Our busy schedule barely allows us to keep sync with our body and brain and leads to serious illness leading to destabilize our memory functions. If our brain is involved in various things the same time it can barely concentrate on one thing and makes for a terrible memory. So in order to improve memory we first need to alter our lifestyle and indulge in good health practices such as regular exercising and healthy eating.


Next "What Can I Do for Memory Improvement?"



cheers
Bobby

Memory And Your Health

Want an enviable memory? Start leading a healthy life fused with exercises that boosts blood circulation to that area of brain that is responsible for memory. A sedentary lifestyle causes not only a lethargic body but also a diminishing static brain. While you take a jog make sure that that the exercise regimen also includes cardio vascular exercises. A lapse is memory can often be an indication of start of Alzheimer disease especially in elderlies.

With growing awareness of the disease it is more probable that people suspect disease the moment they identify a small gap in memory. It mostly occurs at the age of 50 or more with ageing and diminishing nutrition. A lot also depend on the stress level for memory to detoriate before time. However, it is perfectly normal to forget a thing or two at later stage in life. Besides stress, people deprived of sleep specially those working odd hours are prone to memory loss. Only a well-rested body and brain can perform well.

There are many over the counter drugs apart from herbal medication to boost memory. Few people believe that taking Gingko Biloba helps in restoring memory others rely on memory formula enriched with vitamin and minerals. These herbs and medication expand blood vessels, fight free radicals, boost immune system and decreases the level of depression and stress. Other naturally occurring substance that helps in ensuring proper blood circulation to brain are rosemary, ginseng and green tea. Green tea contains plethora of benefits that surpasses any her from improving blood circulation to weight maintenance. Their antioxidant helps fight cancer and promotes healing. It is used across skin preparations as it acts as soother and healer. It is also known for its anti-aging benefits. Other medication promises to increase the concentration level and boost brainpower by improving oxygen flow to the brain.

While aging people might want to indulge in the above-mentioned supplements and medication the younger lot can always look for memory building games online or otherwise. There are memory plans on internet such as pmemory.com, Brain age, Big brain academy that promises to build a phenomenal memory. But the first and foremost step toward acquiring a great memory is to squash the laziness syndrome and start feeling active. But surf to these online memory shacks are certainly not as good as visiting your local farmer market and grabbing a broccoli instead. These powerful veggies are sure to get the cognitive clock ticking. According to latest research studies broccoli, cauliflowers and other Cruciferous vegetables improves the memory and reverse the aging process by nothing less than one and half year. Spinach that is high on folate is proved to reduce the risk of Alzheimer by breaking the homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to the nerve cell. Usage of unsaturated or hydrogenated fats have also proved to reduce the risk of Alzheimer and memory loss.

However there are other reasons that can be attributed to memory loss called Amnesia its is a symptom that causes complete memory blackout generally caused by head injury, drug toxicity, stroke, paralysis attack, emotional shock, and infection. These memories can be recovered through psychotherapy but it few cases it is observed that the condition prevails for lifetime resulting in subject to live a completely new life.
cheers
Bobby

Improve Memory to Help Your Career Skills

Women are known to multitask.  It is a talent many are proud of, often performing out of mindless repetition, often learned because of their experience rearing their children, sometimes learned because they grew up in a large family where everyone had to work together to keep the household in order.  Is it a wonder that at some point they become overworked and overstressed and forget something important?

In the business world, your career skills depend heavily upon your memory.  It could make or break your chance to get that long-awaited and much deserved promotion or maybe the vacation you've earned.  One little forgetful mistake and everything could fall apart.  No pressure, right?

Learning to take some time for yourself, to give yourself that few minutes of peace and relaxation may be all you need to improve your memory and grab that moment of success.  Businesses have learned that successful employee performance relies upon ensuring their employees get their much deserved breaks and that positive enforcement is a key element to moving forward and upward.  Some businesses have built-in gyms, daycares, saunas, sandwich machines offering healthier choices.
On another note, improving your memory will make it easier to get through those business meetings, lunch dates, or parties where recalling names is essential to success.  Calling an important person by the wrong name could be devastating to your career.

Some banks have practiced rewarding the customer with a dollar if their teller doesn't greet them by name.  It is, of course, a temporary advertising gimmick.  It does make for better customer service relations to hear one addressed as more than a ma'm or a sir.  The customer feels more appreciated and may make an effort to be more pleasant when the teller seems more aware of them as a person rather than a nameless face.

Any job you choose will suffer if you don't make the effort to remember the important aspects of that job.  If you are unconcerned and think you can get by with the minimum of effort and attempt to substitute where it is unacceptable, it could cause you to be fired.  Forgetting courtesy, forgetting to clean up a mess you made, forgetting to return things to their proper places, forgetting to wash your uniforms, forgetting to bring the right tools for the job, forgetting the due date of a project......all are critical for overall performance ratings and job security.  Your boss and your co-workers need to know they can count on you to remember and to put forth effort.

It makes for better relations between you and your fellow employees, too, when you can remember personal things about them.  Birthdays, the special events in their family life (such as little Charlie or little Susie having a big recital at school), their favorite candy, or perhaps their favorite musical artist, all could bring kudos for you should you require their support on a special project or need a favor or want their positive input when you get a performance review.  Not to mention, remembering these little things will bring happiness to others and should help you be a better person for making the effort to care.

Next "Memory And Your Health"
cheers
Bobby

How Do Science and Memory Connect?

One way science and memory connect is through the side effects of a medication that may cause memory loss.  Another way is through trying to improve memory.

Take Alzheimer's for example.  It is now a well recognized disease that has been under much scientific study.  In this disease, memory loss begins when the entorhinal cortex, an area of brain involved in building new memories, loses neurons faster then they are being replaced.  The human brain was once thought to have all the brain cells possible at birth.  Now science has uncovered the fact that human and primate brains can generate new nerve cells (neurons) after birth.  These nerve cells are made in the cerebral cortex throughout the life span.  The number of neurons stays fairly constant, but the ones lost in each area are replaced anew.  If the production of new ones can't keep up with those dying or being removed, the brain function begins to decline.  Science has found that when the number is reduced by one-third, the short term memory begins to fail, hence Alzheimer's.

It is thought that certain antioxidants have the ability to significantly delay the effects of Alzheimer's.  In people under the age of 80, the chance of developing this disease could be reduced by 50 percent by taking low doses (200 to 400 mg) of ibuprofen for two or more years.  There are also certain activity programs that can delay the progression of the disease.  Scientists believe the progression can be delayed by regular exercise.

Lifestyle behaviors must be altered to age in a healthy way.  This healthy aging includes retaining healthy memory function.  The way one eats, sleeps, drinks, smokes, lacks adequate physical and mental exercise, and allows an overabundance of stress on a regular, long-lasting basis all affect good health.

Illegal use of drugs has long been known to affect memory function.  It kills brain cells, as does the long-term overuse of alcohol.  Two prescription drugs that have had memory loss as side effects are Prozac and Zoloft.  The patients' symptoms would improve as far as the reason they were put on these drugs, but once memory loss began to develop, the patients would have to be taken off them.

The process of knowing and perceiving is called cognition.  Alzheimer's and disorders related to it all have one thing in common:  cognitive impairment.  As long as only one symptom exists, the diseases are distinct from each other.  If not treated early enough and effectively, other brain areas begin to be affected and the symptoms make it hard to diagnose which disease is present.

One disease similar to Alzheimer's disease is dementia.  There are different types of dementia.  There is Parkinson's Dementia, Frontal-Temporal Lobe Dementia, Vascular Dementia, Subcortical Vascular Dementia, dementia due to head injury, and dementia from cancer and cancer treatment.

One thing is certain, regardless of your reason for memory loss, science and advanced technology are making it easier every day to single out and treat the problem.

Next "Improve Memory to Help Your Career Skills"

cheers
Bobby

Connecting Aging and Memory

It is a well-known fact that aging will affect memory for many different reasons.  Family members, friends, spouses, and careers all suffer because of aging and memory loss.  Loss of memory seems to be a part of life that may sneak up on a person, gradually growing worse until it is finally acknowledged as being serious to warrant attention.

One of the least-heard-of ways people are affected by loss of memory is called male menopause.  It seems to be more of an issue to keep the health problems affecting men a secret than it is for women.  The male pride can be extremely sensitive in the areas of failing health.

The first memory that seems to be affected by aging is short-term memory.  It is easy to assume that one may be in the first stages of Alzheimer's when memory loss begins to occur.  Indeed, some may laugh at the idea of male menopause.  After all, everyone knows menopause is something women endure, right?  Unfortunately, this is not at all true.  Most men just never seek help for this condition because of not being aware of their feelings on a conscious level.  Men are taught to put their emotions aside because to openly acknowledge them is perceived as a sign of weakness.

Forgetfulness is at the beginning of the list of changes occurring later in life.  The mental processes are slowing down.  We begin to run low on hormones after the age of 40.

There is a steroid hormone that the body will normally produce, using cholesterol as its main raw material.  It converts into other steroids the body uses.  The level of this hormone declines with age.  Low doses such as 10-30 mg a day has been shown to be a memory enhancer with a punch!  Possibly the most powerful memory enhancer of all, it is also an anti-inflammatory aid which helps arthritic conditions when given at high doses of 400-500 mg per day.  Other benefits of this hormone are increased energy levels, balanced hormone levels, and repair to the sheath that covers neurons in the central nervous system.
Many women are able to laugh and joke with others about the effects of menopause, especially the memory loss.  It may be harder to notice memory loss caused by menopause simply because women and men are both caught up in working and rearing their children.  This causes preoccupation of the mind, due to the busy lifestyles.

Aging and memory loss are no joke, certainly, and even those who are able to find the humor in it may secretly be covering for the frustration it actually causes in their day-to-day lives.  Forgetting can be a scary, intimidating part of the aging process.  Once it becomes such a problem that the elderly are faced with their loss of independence, it is certainly no longer a joke to one of them.  It can cause life-threatening confusion, sometimes causing them to wander away from home and get lost, cause a vehicle accident by wandering into the street, or subject them to the fierce elements of nature.


cheers
Bobby

Herbs to Improve Your Memory

Does it sound bizarre?  Using herbs to improve memory have long been practiced not only by those in the United States, but in other countries as well.  The American Indians, Orientals, Egyptians, and Greeks have all used herbs to enhance the mind.

Spicy foods are said to increase the cognitive functions of your brain, and there are several spicy herbs available.

Have you ever heard of turmeric?  Maybe curry?  Well, turmeric is an ingredient in curry.  Curcumin is an ingredient in turmeric, which in turn works to improve your memory.  It reduces the effects of diseases like Alzheimer's disease.  Ginger is another herb, containing zingerone, which defends the neurons of the brain to improve memory.  Cinnamon is a brain activity booster; simply smelling it enhances cognitive function and lifts the mood.  All these wonderful spices can be found in your local grocery store, usually on the isle with the basic cooking ingredients such as flour and sugar.

Health food stores abound in the United States.  They've become more popular for the youth of today alone.  Health food stores can also benefit adult shoppers.  They offer things like ginkgo biloba, touted as the best herb to improve blood flow to the brain.  Suggested use is 80 mg, 3 times a day.

Another herb found in health food stores which increases memory and guards against senility is gotu kola.  It has a calming effect.  Suggested use is 1/2 teaspoon in warm water 3 times a day.

Siberian Ginseng can help the body adapt to stress, helps promote a strong, balanced nervous system, and gives a mild energy boost.  Suggested use is 250 mg, 2 times a day.

Before partaking in the benefits of any of these suggested herbs, please do your research and make sure they won't have a negative interaction with any medications you are currently taking.  The idea is to improve your memory, not further damage your health in another way.

Herbs don't just serve to improve your memory by oral ingestion.  A popular way to stimulate your brain these days is by aromatherapy.  Some herbs can be heated in either water or as an ingredient in a candle, maybe even as an ingredient for use with a potpourri burner placed on a cloth as an essential oil to inhale, or simply burned as incense.  Aromatherapy can be done as a low-cost addition to your steps towards good mental health.  It clears the mind, helps you relax, sharpens your ability to focus, and improves your mood.  Two essential oils to use in aromatherapy to help improve memory are rosemary and basil.  Although, anything that is pleasant to your nose will help you calm your thinking so that you can focus more clearly and feel uplifted in spirit.

An important thing to consider is whether you would rather slow down your lifestyle now and begin to take proper care of your mind and body, or whether you'd rather suffer more later as you've aged and have more trouble undoing the effects of your neglect.  It's never too late to adapt a positive outlook and take charge of yourself!

Next "How Do Science and Memory Connect?

cheers
Bobby

Brain Food

Our brain controls so many functions of our body besides being the powerhouse of information. Few vital functions of our brain are motor control, visual processing, auditory processing, sensation and learning.

Considering all the functions of our brain there is no second thought that it is the most vital organ of our body beside our heart. Any kind of brain malfunction can be well understood if related to the current technology that is used in computer. The hard disk contains all the vital information of the computer and without it, the computer is as good as dead. If the hard disk crashes it is tough to recover it back and in most cases it cannot be recovered. Similarly if Amnesia or Alzheimer disease affects our brain it first destroys our brain cells and affects our memory. Loss of memory renders us useless, as we tend to forget all the skills that we have learnt over the period of time including language too. Any such disease can turn a human being into nothing less than vegetable.

All the medications used to regain the memory back are used for brain nourishment. This can only be achieved thru universal nourishment of body and brain. In order to have them work both in tandem with each other we must feed our body properly at the same time keeps it active by participating in physical and mental activities such as jogging and memory games. Children in their early stages should specifically be taken care of. Right nutrition can ensure their physical as well as mental well being. Right from the stage of pregnancy, future mothers are administered the right dosage of multivitamins and folic acid to help the brain of fetus grow. In cases where folic acid and dietary supplements are not taken low or no mental growth is observed. In their growing phases children are feeded with health drinks as they become choosy and eat what they like. This leads to various deficiencies affecting growth. This has given rise to so many health capsules and drink but the best and trusted supplement is Cod liver oil. It is rich in Omega 3 fat that helps in better growth of brain. Research proves that children who have been given cod liver oil on a regular basis display good memory and active body.

Over the period of time we barely make use of such supplements and the drug interference makes it worse along with the day-to-day life stress. This makes us prone to several mental disorders such as confusion, attention problem, foggy brain etc. We must not forget that the core brainpower has been derived from the nutrition given at early age and this would not last lifetime. We need to supplement it on a regular basis. There are many over the counter supplements available that are fortified with zinc, magnesium, folic acid and other essential nutrients for brain. But taking these supplements alone will not work wonder over brain hence we need to put in adequate exercise too. Try to challenge the memory often by engaging in memory games and other mentally challenging activities to ensure adequate supply of blood and oxygen to the brain. Taking care of heart and keeping the cholesterol and blood pressure in check also helps in clearing the arteries of any block to allow good flow of blood. Hormones, specially estrogen level should be kept in check as it affects our brain and leads to various diseases in longer run.

Next "Connecting Aging and Memory"



cheers,
Bobby

Alzheimers

Alzheimers affects that part of brain that control thought, memory, and language, it is one of the most common form of Dementia (destruction of brain cells to cause decline in mental functions)but later it spreads to all regions of brain rendering it ineffective. 

The onset of Alzheimer slowly progresses and alters personality and behavior. In most cases anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations are observed to be the few changes that is caused by the disease. Memory and thinking process are marred in the initial stages of Alzheimer. It is one of the rising causes of death in elderlies, as patients diagnosed for this disease barely survive more than six years. But the duration of the disease vary between three to twenty years.

There is no permanent cure for the disease so far but effective care and support can help improve condition in the tenure of diagnosis to death. However, the condition can be avoided if healthy aging takes place in an individual. It also helps to reduce the risk of Alzheimer. The few best measure to ensure healthy aging involves constant check on cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, stress reduction, socially active lifestyle and regular exercise for body and mind. Unfortunately it takes longer to diagnose the disease as the brain damage starts much before the symptoms appear. By the time symptoms are visible nerve cells are already degenerated and extinct. The symptoms of disease vary but the first thing one notices is the loss of memory that starts interfering and affecting the regular life of an individual. Apart from this other noticeable changes are confusion and disassociation with the language and fumbling in familiar surroundings. The first sign noticed should be communicated to family or physician so that it can be identified early and the treatment is started without any further delay. Though there are no particular medical examination to conclude the disease but various tests (including physical and mental) and reviews from family and friend can benefit in diagnosis of the condition. Depression, hormonal changes such as thyroid and side effect of medication act catalyst for those who suffer from the disease and also makes prone to those who don't. Excessive drinking, unhealthy lifestyle and improper diet can also propel Dementia.

There are medication available to delay the process of brain cell degeneration but they are not known to curb or stop the process altogether. Thus it just slows down the process rather than eliminating the danger of the disease. However, improving quality of life by subtle understanding, care and altering the surrounding can tremendously help the patients suffering from Alzheimer.

The ongoing research in the field of Alzheimer is concentrated on reversal of nerve and brain cell damage. And also to further stop and reduce the degenerative condition in an individual. They are also working on the strategy to optimize the delay of disease and the role of cardiovascular and other health condition to affect the condition.
Those having a family history are more prone to the disease as the genetic makeup makes them more pronounced to be at the risk. More researches have brought forth the theory of plaques and tangles in brain tissue this considered to be more definitive way to diagnose the disease other than this brain scan is followed by tests of urine, blood and spinal fluid. It has also come to light that non-steroidal drugs can help slow the progression of Alzheimer. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and is known to slow the progress. The hormone estrogen is also known to ease the condition.

The Alzheimer's Association has been formed with the intention to share, educate and strengthen the caregiver and family members of Alzheimer patients.

Next "Brain Food"

cheers
Bobby

All About Amnesia

Amnesia is a disorder of brain that affects the remembering aspect of once memory. It is caused by severe head injury or thru intake of toxic substance that affects the brain. Thought the disease can also impact those who suffer from paralysis or heart stroke. 

Those who suffer from Amnesia have a tough time remembering previously learnt information such as their name or language.

Amnesia victims never remember their past or anything associated with it such as people, place etc. They are often seemed to be feeling confused or disoriented. This disease unlike Alzheimer can occur at any age. And thus can lead to a partial or full Amnesia disorder. In few cases patients are never left unsupervised too as they may harm themselves. If the person remembers remembers recent events then it is partial amnesia. The recovery process involves remembering the previous or past memory before the most recent memories.

Another factor that is very important to the disease besides partial and full is the term of Amnesia as in whether it is temporary or permanent.

Support of caregiver is very important for person suffering from Amnesia though references from past can help them recover soon But if those references are disturbing to them then one should restrain from discussing them in their presence. Generally such cases are people who have been thru some kind of mental shock or agony. Such as accident victims, trauma patients or those who had to deal with a sudden death of some one close.

Another form of Amnesia is psychological Amnesia where someone takes on a new life for a few months or days and once the anxiety induced amnesia attack is over no memory remains of that period. Most of amnesic patients recover on their own not requiring much medical interference. Change of work and activity can bring along a good change along with family therapy. Hypnosis also acts as a great tool to bring back the memory of the patient. Amnesia patients not only lose their memory but also the ability to generate any memory in the time span of disease.

Stress is a major cause of concern for today's generation. Life is so fast paced that it calls for a halt to think for oneself. We have so many things to worry about in today's world and remembering things forms a major part of our life today. Be it electricity bill payment or client appointment. As the value of time has gained importance so have the getting work done on time has. Every day in our life we are faced with so many deadlines that we are stressed out completely by the end of the day. We seldom have time to meditate, exercise, engage ourselves in light activities such as games or clubbing The more our life is technologically influenced the more we are running into the danger of acquiring one or more neurotical disorders. In order to wade thru the stress that we face in our day-to-day life, we must follow a healthy diet pattern along with adequate physical exercise and supplement intake.

In earlier times the work timings were fixed and there were limited resources of available technologies that makes us sit like couch potatoes. People would interact and share their problems and worries that would act as stress buster. Hence fewer people suffered from disease such as Alzheimer and Amnesia. But now all these sufferings are becoming evident as we barely lay emphasis on improving our lifestyle and switching to a more relaxed life.

Next  "Alzheimers"


cheers
Bobby

Acupuncture can be used for anyone

Like anything else, there is a wide range of ways that you can practice acupuncture and you will find that when you are an acupuncturist that you have to be proficient with all of the techniques while specialize in one type of kind. You should know that acupuncture is not right for everyone and not all techniques are right for everyone.

The acupuncturist will determine what is best for you and your ailments. You will find that this type of therapy can help you with stomachaches, headaches, arthritis, infertility, back pains, and certain diseases or conditions. You will find that it can help you with just about any time of pain and your pain can be corrected by the use of acupuncture.

 

If you think about acupuncture, you may think of it as a Traditional Chinese medicine. You will want to lye on your stomach for the entire procedure or at least sit in a comfortable chair. Needles only slightly thicker than hairs are inserted into the body in multiple spots, called meridians, in order to help the energy flow of the body, called qi. Although most popular in the world overall and certainly within the United States, TCM acupuncture is not the only technique that can help you rid your body of bad energy flow.

Japanese acupuncturists have a slightly varied technique. When it comes to getting Japanese acupuncture, you will find that it can be less intrusive and rigorous, but you may also find it to be more pleasing and appealing. Use thinner or shorter needles many times. Japanese acupuncture also uses fewer needles in general.

Another technique is Korean hand acupuncture. This is a good type for those who have issues with sitting or lying for long periods. It is also a good way to begin acupuncture if the methods are at first a bit scary to you. Korean hand acupuncture does not only target problems with the hands and fingers, such as arthritis. You will find that there are points on your hands that will affect the entire body. Learning these many points is an art, and so Korean hand acupuncturists are highly skilled professionals. Another form of acupuncture that can be done in one bodily location for those who cannot have needles placed at all points on the body is called auricircular acupuncture. With this, the needles will be placed near your ears. This is used very successfully is drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.

For those who have pain in their life, acupuncture can be a good way to help with your specific needs. You will want to make sure that the acupuncturists you will want to make sure that there techniques are good for you.

cheers

Bobby

Acupuncture and Weight Loss

There are a lot of people who are overweight. For those who are obese, perhaps surgery is the best option but for those who can’t, they can try to see if acupuncture can help take out the excess weight.

Acupuncture is a form of holistic healthcare that uses needles to help treat a patient.  Unlike the cartoon where the balloon will pop and all the air will go out, the needles that are inserted into the vital points will stimulate the body to release endorphins thus helping the person control their appetite.

But before needles are inserted, the specialist will first ask the patient some questions and perform an examination. This is needed to understand the main cause for the person to be overweight.

Part of examination is to help the acupuncturist figure out where the needles will be inserted. Your pulse will give the person an idea on your general state of energy and the general health of your stomach.

You will also have to open your mouth and show your tongue to check for cracks, peelings or puffiness on the stomach area as this provides clues to why you are overweight.

Once he or she knows the reason, this is the time that the needles are inserted into different parts of the body. One way is called the multi-targeted approach which is designed to lower the body’s weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland.

The areas where the needles will be inserted will be in the ear and in two of three body points.  These areas could also include the mouth, the stomach, the lung, the endocrine, the spleen, kidney or thyroid.

During the initial treatment, the “Four Gate” points would be used to circulate energy throughout the entire body. It is also possible that electro simulation will also be done to increase endorphin release and stimulate metabolism.

These needles will be kept in place for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much support is needed. These are then removed and replaced with ear tacs with adhesives to make sure they are in the same spot as the needles.

These ear tacs work by applying mild pressure whenever he or she feels hungry. It causes a mild endorphin release and helps the patient relax making it possible to use their willpower and resist the temptation to eat.

The patient will also have to reduce cravings on certain food by cutting down the intake. Some studies suggest that this can also lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.

The best part about acupuncture is that there are no harmful side effects and no chance for an addiction to occur. The patient will have to come back for regular treatment and have to pay attention to one’s diet and exercise regularly as needles can only do so much to control one’s weight.

The number of treatments for someone who is overweight varies depending on how many pounds they want to lose, the speed at which they want to lose it and their commitment to sticking to the plan. 

The average patient on the other hand who wants to lose 5 to 10 pounds will have to come for treatment every three days or twice a week then once this is attained, once every two weeks. It is up to the person until when the treatment will be done which shows that acupuncture can help you lose weight.

Next " Acupuncture can be used for anyone"

cheers
Bobby

A Quick-Start guide to Acupuncture

Using needles to adjust bodily functions to optimum levels is the principle behind acupuncture. Both ancient Chinese and modern Western practitioners have used this technique to relieve many sufferers of chronic disease.

Needling is a relatively safe, beneficial treatment strategy that can be used to reduce pain, improve healing, and increase general well-being. But exactly how is this procedure done and what sort of benefits can be obtained?

Procedure for Needle Puncture

There are two broad categories of acupuncture practice today, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and medical acupuncture. Both have their merits, so the choice is individual. The decision for most people hinges upon which philosophy appeals more to them and which technique holds the least apprehension.

In TCM, practitioners adhere to the concept of Qi, or energy flow, and the meridians in which they travel. They use longer needles and insert them deeper in order to reach the acupuncture points. Modern science has found little evidence to prove the existence of these energy channels, but this is the technique that has been used effectively for thousands of years.

In medical acupuncture, the practitioners are graduates of western medical schools. Their application of needles is not based on the traditional acupuncture points, but on anatomic data. These acupuncturists use shorter needles and the insertions are shallower. They also tend to use fewer needles and leave them inserted for shorter periods of time. Adherents to TCM feel this is a watered-down version of the real thing. Nevertheless, many patients have felt relief of symptoms through this method.

Conditions for Puncture Application

There is a broad and extensive list of ailments which can be treated with acupuncture. The conditions run the gamut from asthma to constipation, anxiety to weight loss. Most TCM practitioners believe that any health condition results from an imbalance in Qi flow, therefore amenable to needle therapy. Western acupuncturists tend to have a more limited list of indications, the most common of which is undoubtedly control of pain.

Control of pain is the most well researched of all of the indications for acupuncture. There is a definite beneficial effect for a majority of patients using this method. Migraines, premenstrual syndrome, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuralgias are but a few examples. The theory behind its effectiveness is also medically accepted and well researched, called the gate-control theory of pain. It states that the needles can stimulate nerves so that they block the impulses from pain triggers.

Expected Puncture Session Result

It is important to emphasize that acupuncture is used only on top of existing medical therapy. At no time should a patient discontinue medication or ignore medical instructions in favor of needle puncture. After undergoing a needle puncture regimen, the primary care physician can make an evaluation with regards to decreasing dependence on other therapies.

A course of acupuncture therapy will last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. This depends upon the complexity of the particular medical condition. Results also vary, so it is important to have a frank discussion with the acupuncturist regarding expected results and their time frame. In general, the patient will begin to feel beneficial effects after three or four session. Certain specific conditions will actually get a little worse before improving so keeping informed is key.

In modern medicine, the use of traditional techniques with proven results has become a widely accepted practice. Acupuncture has proven its worth time and again. Modern practice guidelines make it effective, reproducible, and safe. It is a gift of healing form ancient sages that has the potential to bring relief to millions of people.


Next "Acupuncture and Autism"
cheers
Bobby

Acupuncture and Autism

Studies have shown that there is an increase in the number of children that have been diagnosed with autism. Until now, doctors have not yet found a cure to this illness which is why some parents want to experiment with alternative forms of treatment and one example is acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a holistic approach in treating and preventing certain diseases. Its main tool are very thin needles that are inserted to targeted points in the body. The body has about 400 of them linked through a system known as meridians or pathways. Once these are stimulated, these are supposed to create balance in the body.

Autism on the other hand is a brain disorder that is long term. This disease is characterized by deficits in language, social communication and cognition. Children who are diagnosed with this illness may also suffer from secondary problems such as aggression, irritability, stereotypes, hyperactivity, negativism, volatile emotions, temper tantrums, short attention span and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Preliminary studies have shown that acupuncture may provide symptomatic relief to children suffering from autism. Although difficult at first, it is believed that it is rewarding in the long run. This is because while conventional therapy and treatment requires that the child stay still, acupuncture doesn’t. Some say it’s a quick prick at the vital points in the body.

A group of children in the US participated in a test to see how effective acupuncture is among children. There are 22 respondents and each of them was given the treatment once every other day for four months.

After the treatment 20 out of the 22 respondents showed remarkable improvement. In fact 2 of them has cerebral blood flow.  The only thing that did not change prior to treatment and after was the blood flow between the left and right cerebrum as it showed no differences.

Aside from traditional acupuncture to help children with autism, a preliminary study in Hong Kong is trying to see if tongue acupuncture can produce better results.

Results have showed that of 30 respondents in the test, majority showed functional improvement of various degrees depending on the age and severity of their disabilities. Some improvement was noticeable within a few TAC sessions, especially for drooling, spasticity (scissoring or tiptoeing), ataxia, and poor balance in walking. Functional improvement was noted after one to two courses of TAC. Most children tolerated TAC well, with only occasional pain and minor bleeding in some patients.

The reason why tongue acupuncture is being experimented with is because there is a connection between the tongue and the heart through the meridians that spread to all the organs in the body. It is believed that the points on the tongue can influence the state of the other body organs thus giving relief to the one suffering from autism.

But many believe that acupuncture alone cannot help autism sufferers. It has to be combined with other things like maintaining a certain diet to help improve one’s mood and communication schools. Although it is only short term, it is better than nothing until a cure is found. 

When will the cure be found? Only time can tell as there are many other questions that have to be answered in order for doctors to further understand neurological disabilities. Doctors who are conducting research believe that an interdisciplinary approach is needed given that acupuncture has shown positive results in helping children with autism.

Next "Acupuncture and Weight Loss"

cheers
Bobby

A Primer on Medical Acupuncture

Have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to be pierced by a dozen needles? This is the image most people get when someone mentions the word “acupuncture”. It comes as no surprise that most view this technique with suspicion, even downright horror. 

The fact is, however, that this relatively painless ancient Chinese technique has helped relieve the symptoms of millions of people. Properly used, it can help in the management of many medical conditions including chronic pain and fatigue.

How does needle puncture work?

Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine believe in energy flows. This energy, called Qi, circulates around the body using pathways called meridians. Meridians run very close to the surface of the skin in certain areas and can be accessed by needles. Much like plumbing, these pipes can get blocked or go the wrong way, causing health problems. The insertion of needles at these points is aimed to help loosen blocks and normalize flow.

It sounds like a made-up explanation with no basis in reality, but there are numerous scientific studies which support the effects of acupuncture. Although the exact scientific basis is still unknown, recent theories seem to suggest involvement of complicated neurochemical effects in the brain, nerve to spinal cord impulse modulation, and microscopic connective tissue changes. 

What risks and side effects are of concern?

The use of things not completely understood for the treatment of medical conditions is nothing new. Penicillin and aspirin were used for decades solely on the basis of their beneficial effects, without doctors knowing exactly how they worked. Results are what are truly important. However, it is equally important is to ensure that the technique is used safely.

Like other strategies used in treating health conditions, acupuncture may have some side effects. Medications have side effects and allergic reactions, surgeries have risk of infection and complications. For needle puncture, there is a risk of injury, rare infections, minor bleeding, small bruises, and some dizziness.

You can minimize the possible side effects by choosing a licensed acupuncturist. Most countries either have government licensing in place or have professional organizations with very strict rules and regulations.

How do treatments go?

An acupuncturist will do an initial evaluation of your medical history and your body’s current state. Multiple pressure points are palpated, and a regimen of treatment is formulated. Most courses involve a series of 10 to 20 treatment sessions, each lasting 30 to 90 minutes. Needles will be carefully placed at the required points and kept in place for some time. Most patients report a feeling of mild sensation at the site of the puncture, but no real pain.

Right after each acupuncture session, you will feel a bit tired and may need to rest. Some people feel an increase in their energy levels. The response to acupuncture is very individual. In some cases there is immediate relief of symptoms. For some patients, the beneficial effects may only be noticed after undergoing a few sessions. Do not be alarmed and keep your acupuncturist updated on what you are feeling to ensure everything is going as expected.

You need never fear the thought of needles ever again. Acupuncture is a beneficial treatment with a long history of effectiveness. It is used to complement current medical therapy and should not replace currently existing medications or treatments.

The safe application of this once exclusively Chinese therapy can now be experienced by chronic disease sufferers worldwide.

Next "A Quick-Start guide to Acupuncture"

cheers,
Bobby

Choosing an Indoor Houseplant

When you are choosing a house plant you need to go beyond the appearance of the plant
although that is a good place to start.  If there is a certain kind of plant that you want to
have look into the care instructions first.  Some plants need more care and others are best
left to an expert gardener as opposed to a novice one.  If you fall into the latter category
of gardeners you will want plants that are easy to care for, are hardy, and have a low
maintenance schedule.

Ferns are a popular choice for indoor gardens as they are easy to care for, do not require
to be repotted very often and are attractive.  There is a wide range of fern varieties
available and each one has a unique look.  Some of the different ferns great for
houseplants are:

*    Maidenhair Ferns
*    Davallias
*    Fishbone Ferns
*    Cretan Brake Ferns

Begonias are a great choice for the indoors too especially if you do not have a great light
source.  This plant can survive on very little light each day.  Some will flower indoors but
the leaves are beautiful on their own too.  They also don’t mind cooler temperatures
either, but it should not get colder than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius).  A few
the begonia varieties available:

*    Rex Begonias
*    Iron Cross Begonias
*    Begonia Masoniana

The fern and begonia aren’t the only breeds of houseplant that will survive even the
newest of green thumbs.  Here is list of different kinds of plants you can try too:

*    Spider Plants
*    Devil’s Ivy
*    Cast Iron Plants
*    Chinese Evergreen

Once you have a few plants in your indoor garden and are comfortable with the care
required, you will have the skill and confidence needed to take care of a higher-needs
variety.

cheers & happy gardening!

Bobby

An Inside Vegetable Garden

Houseplants and herb gardens are well-known as common plants that are grown indoors. 
But they are not the only plants that can be grown indoors.  By using the right containers
and having the ability to mimic the ideal growing conditions you can also have an indoor
vegetable garden.  The benefits of having one go beyond the beautification of your home
or the relaxation you get from gardening, but you can also pick your own vegetables right
in your kitchen.

Carrots, tomatoes, and radishes are three of the easiest vegetable to grow indoors.  Each
grows differently and will need separate containers but with some research this is not a
problem.  A south-facing window is the best source of natural sunlight for your
vegetables to grow in.  If you do not have the right exposure, you can invest in an
artificial bulb to provide supplemental light.

As with any container you choose to grow plants in, making sure there is enough
drainage is key.  If your plants sit in too much water they are not going to survive.  If the
pots you choose do not have holes in the bottom be sure to put a layer of gravel or wood
chips to allow the water to run out of the soil.  The flip side of this is not to ensure the
water does not run out too quickly either.

When choosing the types of vegetables to plant, follow the same guidelines as you would
for outdoors.  On the seed packets it will give recommendations on when to plant, the
amount of light and water that is needed and the spacing requirements.  Tailor your water
schedule according to the condition of the soil, make sure it doesn’t get too dry or stay
too wet either.

By the end of the summer or early fall you should be able to harvest the vegetables grown
inside your own home.

Next "Choosing an Indoor Houseplant "

cheers
Bobby

Aloe Vera and other Beneficial Houseplants

Many families have grown up with an aloe vera plant in the kitchen.  This succulent plant
is great for indoor gardening as it is hardy and easy to care for.  Moreover, they are great
for skin care and minor cuts and burns that can happen in the kitchen while cooking.  To
use as a first aid item, cut a portion of one of the leaves and squeeze the inner gel onto the
hurt area.  With repeated use, the aloe vera will aid in healing and sooth the pain.

In addition to the aloe vera plant there are other helpful plants that are good to have
around the house.  An herb garden is a convenient way to add flavor and natural
ingredients to many dishes.  From fresh dill in a homemade tzatziki sauce to chives
mixed in with cream cheese for a delicious bagel. 

Many herbs can be dried and used for loose leaf teas not only a relaxing beverage, some
herbs are known for their medicinal qualities too.  Some herbs that can be used as tea
leaves or as part of a mixture are peppermint and ginger.

There are many edible plants that you can grow indoors to aid in digestion.  They can be
broken of the plant as needed or some may need some preparation first. 

*    Anise is a popular and widely used for aiding in digestion and easing colic in
infants. 
*    Coriander in addition to helping with digestion it is also a tasty addition to salsa.
*    Fennel oil is used to ease upset stomachs too.  It is also used for increasing the
amount of breast milk produced in mothers.

This is just a brief look at some of the other uses for houseplants.  It is recommended to
research your plants before ingesting any to ensure they are safe.





Next article "An Inside Vegetable Garden"


cheers
Bobby

A Terrarium as an Indoor Garden

There is a solution for you if you love the look of plants indoors but don’t have the time
or a green thumb to take care of them.  A terrarium is a self-contained plant habitat. 
Once you have set-up the terrarium and closed the lid (on the jar or other container you
have chosen) the plants inside create their own eco-system – all you have to do is enjoy
it.

The choices for terrarium containers are only limited by your imagination.  Traditionally
a smaller aquarium is used with a lid but a glass jar or other container will work nicely
too.  Plastic will work as well, just make sure that it is a clear plastic or you won’t be able
to admire your handiwork once it is completed.  Whatever size or material you choose for
your terrarium the most important factor is that it does not leak.  You need the water and
moisture to stay inside for it to work and you don’t want a mess inside your house.

The plants that you choose should all thrive in similar conditions and grow well in a
humid environment.  Popular plants to put into a terrarium are carnivorous (Venus Fly
Trap, sundew, or pitch plant) or rain forest plants (chamaedorea palms, small ferns or
fittonia). 

Terrariums are a low-maintenance indoor garden.  They need indirect sunlight (not too
bright) and no water is needed after the initial water is added.  The heat from inside the
terrarium evaporates the water and then it condenses on the lid falling back down to the
plants.  This process will continue keeping your plants alive.  If there is too much water
present, you may need to vent the terrarium (with a vented lid or opening the top a small
amount) just be sure to keep an eye on the soil’s moisture level (not too wet or dry).

Next artilce "Aloe Vera and other Beneficial Houseplants"

cheers,
Bobby

When Workouts Go Wrong: Aerobics and Injuries

Aerobics are great exercises to do to get your heart pumping and your body sweating. You can use aerobic exercises in order to lose weight, build endurance, and stay heart healthy. However, there is also a downside to aerobic exercising for some people. If you are not careful, you could get injured due to aerobic exercise. Therefore, it is important to follow these tips to making sure you are exercising and using aerobics in a fun and healthy way for your body.

First and foremost, when you are doing aerobics consider your dress. Wearing good shoes is important. Aerobics require lots of movement, so when you have worn shoes or laces that come untied often, there is a good chance you may slip and fall. You should also consider the other articles of clothing you’re wearing. If they are too constricting or too heavy, you may become more easily overheated. Your clothing should breathe well and not be too tight in order to prevent you from injury.

Also consider your workout area, especially if you are working out at home. When you’re at home, you’ll need to make sure that you area is large enough for you to move and not bang into anything. It is also crucial that you service your workout equipment to make sure that it is in the best shape possible and will not cause injury. Your workout area at home should also be clean. When you workout, you sweat a lot and breathe heavily, so if you’re doing that in a dirty environment, you could pick up some nasty bacteria or viral infections.

Another tip to staying safe is to not push yourself too much. While it is important to push yourself in order to have the best and most intense workout possible. When you push yourself too hard, however, you put may find yourself pulling muscles, experiencing cramps, or otherwise injuring your body.

Your doctor can tell you more about how to stay safe while exercising. Remembering to warm up and cool down is necessary, as is doing the right exercises for your body, age, and gender. When you work out, you should feel your best, not be worried about injury.

Staying safe is important. If you are hurt, you won’t be able to do aerobics while you recover, and you will miss out on days or even weeks of training. If your health is important to you, that should include your safety, so take measures to being safe whenever you hit the gym to do your aerobics workout. 

cheers to good health!

Bobby

Choosing a Gym for Aerobic exercise

When it comes right down to it, how you work out is very important. Everyone knows that it is important that you get a certain amount of exercise, and that you work your body in a certain way so that all of the muscle groups can get stronger, but you might not know that it is also important to have somewhere that you work out that is going to benefit your style and you as a person, so that you can have the best chance of being successful when it comes to working out.

There are many things that you have to consider when you are choosing a gym for aerobic exercise. The most important thing to think about is the fact that not everyone gets healthy in the same way. If you haven’t worked out much before, or if you have and it hasn’t been successful, perhaps you don’t know yet what way you are going to handle exercising the best, and what types of aerobic exercise are going to be most important to you. Therefore, no matter what level of fitness you are at, you have to be choosing a gym that really meets your needs by having lots of options. You always want to pick a gym for aerobic exercise that has a lot of options for you, because you never know when you might benefit from a change in how you work out and in how you get your exercise. This means that you have to be sure you are getting the most out of everything that you are doing, and you have to pick a gym that has lots of options.

That said, you also want to pick a gym that has modern equipment, and that has enough of it to accommodate all of the people that go there. You want to be able to work out when you have a chance, so be sure that you pick one that has hours that correspond to your needs. Be sure that you are getting as much out of your gym as you can.

Also, one of the biggest factors in how successful you are at working out is your attitude, so be sure that you pick a gym that caters to a positive attitude and one that makes you feel good about yourself. You’ll be much more likely to use it and therefore much more likely to be successful. Gyms come in all shapes and sizes (and price ranges), so you should be able to find a great one in your area. 

cheers

Bobby

Aerobics and Healthy Eating

There are many factors that come into play when you want to begin to talk about aerobics and healthy eating. No matter what, you should know that you can concentrate a lot of your enthusiasm for getting more healthy onto both aerobics and what you are eating, because these two things play into each other very well. Healthy eating is important for any kind of exercising style.

   

When it comes to aerobics and healthy eating, you should know that as you start to get more and more active, it is going to be very important that you have a good meal and a good diet to fall back on. As you start to want to be healthier, your diet is really the first thing that you should change about yourself. See your doctor for suggestions of what you should be eating, and implement these changes as soon as you can, because you are going to find that changing what you are eating is the best way to begin to be healthy and to lead a healthy lifestyle.

After you have started by changing what you are doing and how you are eating, you have to get into the routine of exercising in general. This is often something that is hard for people to do, because it takes a lot out of them and brings them into a situation where they really need to get down to business. By doing aerobics and other types of activity, you are going to be burning more fat and so your body is going to be needing more protein. This means that diets aren’t going to help you, because if you don’t have the proper protein that your body needs, you might find that you are too weak to work out as you should.

Therefore, the first thing that you have to focus on is eating a good diet – and then you have to realize that this diet shouldn’t be that cuts back on your eating habits completely, because many times these aren’t going to have the proper nutrients for what you need as you are doing aerobics. Be sure that you are giving yourself plenty of chances to get as good of foods as you can when it comes to eating well, and be sure to talk to your doctor if you have concerns about what you should and should not be eating. These are all very important things that you can do to make sure you are on the right track when it comes to fitness as a whole. 

cheers

Bobby

What’s not to Love? The Benefits of Aerobics

There are more benefits of aerobics for your body that you could possibly count. All over the world today, people are talking about new and better ways to work out, because all over the world the health rates of people are falling into very dangerous territories. That means that doctors and other health care professionals have been talking about the benefits of aerobics for some time. You too can cash in on this get kind of exercise.

   

There are simply too many benefits of aerobics to mention quickly. However, there are a few that stick out as very important. For instance, the best way that you can make sure you are living a healthy life is to get your heart rate pumping, and the absolute best way to get your heart rate going is to find something that you can do like aerobics, that requires constant movement without any resting In order to be really and truly healthy, you have to be able to have a constant movement and to get your heart rate going for a length of time. 

Allowing your hear to keep going a higher rate than resting for a set amount of time is one of the best ways to get healthy, because this delivers blood and oxygen to each part of your body at an even faster rate.

There are also many more benefits of aerobics that you might not have even realized. Besides for making your heart and lungs strong, aerobics makes all of your muscles stronger because you have to keep them moving for longer periods of time without stopping. This means that no matter what part of your body you are concentrating your aerobics on working, you’re going to find that you are getting stronger and stronger as time goes on.

You should talk to a doctor if you are interested in getting a full list of the benefits of aerobics, but know right away that there are many. Before you begin an aerobics routine, however, you should be sure that you are talking to your doctor, because there are some people who need to work their way up to a full fledge routine because of other health issues. Be sure that you have the green light from your doctor so you can get started on getting the benefits of aerobics straight to yourself! You will never feel so healthy as when you are working out and taking care of yourself, and getting into an aerobics routine is the best way for you to accomplish this.

 cheers

Bobby

Asthma in Adolescents

Most of the teenagers who have asthma are also allergic to many things. The asthma can get severe even if the people with asthma are exposed to allergens of low grade. Allergies play an important role in asthma cased which are undiagnosed. Other factors that also trigger childhood asthma include upper respiratory infections like colds, second hand smoke, and certain climate conditions like cold air and due to emotional physical expressions like laughing, crying or yelling.

However, it is not the end of the road for asthmatics as they can live active and healthy if they manage asthma properly by avoiding asthma triggers, regular intake of prescribed medications, being alert of the warnings and be aware of the ways to deal with an asthma attack.

There is a great consensus among the parents whether their children would outgrow asthma as they grow up. But the truth is it depends from child to child. While some children experience improvement in their teens others see asthma becoming even more severe. But almost half of the children who have asthma outgrow asthma as they grow although some symptoms may come back later.

Many parents have questions like whether their children can take part in sport activities. The answer is both yes and no. Some kids may get an asthma attack when they participate in exercises like running. But with proper management a teenager suffering from asthma can actively participate in sports. Special aerobic exercises can improve airway function. This strengthens the breathing muscles. Some of the ways that one can participate in sports is to follow the regimen of stretching the muscles prior to and after exercising, nose-breathe instead of breathing through the mouth and make sure that humidified air passes through the airways. Also parents should make sure that the adolescent has taken all prescribed medication supposed to be taken before they begin exercising. Carrying a reliever is a must for asthmatic teens which would come handy if asthma attack occurs. Asthmatic teenagers should make sure that they wear something over their mouth and nose to stop cold air from entering.

It is not easy for adolescent teens to attend school when they have asthma but it is not difficult also at the same time if proper coordination is made among the teenager, doctor, family and school employees. It is a good idea to consult teachers, nurses and other pertaining employees of the school and let them know that the teenager has asthma and may have special requirements. Also, let the school management know on medications the teenager regularly takes and how to help the teenager when an attack occurs. The school staff should be asked to treat the teen normally once the attack subsides. The physical education coach should also be informed about the condition so that he/she can let the kid stretch the muscles before any exercises or to deal with asthma attack induced due to exercises. Also, before admitting the teenager to a new school care must be taken to check the quality of air, irritants and allergens if any present in the school. The school staff should take considerations to avoid symptoms which could hamper the energy level kids. Also asthmatic teens should be assured from time to time that they are no different from others and asthma in any way does not slow them down, They need this emotional confidence otherwise they may have personality problems.

cheers
Bob

Cholesterol in Adolescents

Parts of adolescent’s body are filled with a waxy stuff identified as cholesterol. It helps to produce vitamin D, cell membranes and certain hormones. Blood cholesterol comes from two different sources, liver within the body and food. The adolescent’s liver produces enough cholesterol to carry out proper functioning.

The blood acts as the carrier of cholesterol and transports it to different parts of the body. They are transported in round particle form known as lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins called the low density lipoproteins or LDL and high density lipoproteins or HDL. Low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol is commonly known as bad cholesterol. It helps in the building up of plaque in arteries and this condition is known as atherosclerosis. The LDL level must be low in the blood and if it is high it must be decreased. Healthy weight must be maintained and exercise should be done regularly. Food items which have high contents of calories, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat must be avoided.  

High density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. It is actually a kind of fat in blood which helps to remove bad cholesterol from the body and stops the build up of plaque in the arteries. The more the HDL cholesterol in the blood the better it is. The HDL can be raised by at least twenty minutes of exercising daily, decreasing body mass and keeping away from food with saturated fat. Some adolescents need to take medications in order to increase HDL. In such cases, increasing HDL can be a complicated procedure and the physician can make a therapeutic plan to increase HDL in the blood stream.

Cholesterol screening helps to determine the cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. Children and adolescents with normal cholesterol level is a thing of the past. Because of the changing lifestyle and junk food trend, even they have a high risk to develop high levels of cholesterol which also increases the risk of developing heart diseases which can affect the blood vessels and the coronary arteries. The main cause of this change is obesity, junk food high in fat, fast food diets, sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol level in family history. Keeping the blood cholesterol levels at normal is a good way of avoiding high blood pressure and coronary artery diseases.

The blood cholesterol level can vary from individual to individual. Healthy levels of LDL is less than one hundred and thirty milligrams, HDL is greater than thirty five milligrams. If the HDL is less than thirty five milligrams then the adolescent is at a higher risk of developing heart diseases. And LDL more than one hundred and thirty milligrams is dangerous. But a high level of LDL cholesterol is a problem in many citizens of America. And there is an expected increase in number, the figure is unknown, of adolescents who have a family history of high cholesterol levels.

An adolescent or a child who has a parent having high levels of blood cholesterol and family history of heart diseases at an early age, should take cholesterol test from the age of two. Adolescents who are obese also should have lipid test along with cholesterol test. The lipid test shows levels of kinds of fats in blood such as triglycerides, LDL and HDL.

cheers
Bob

Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Adolescents

Sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse and are highly infectious diseases. Unprotected sexual contact risks the lives of the young by afflicting with sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV infection and even unwanted pregnancy. Every year, nearly nineteen million cases of sexually transmitted diseases are reported in the United States alone and out of these, half of the cases involve people from the age group of fifteen years to twenty four years.

The best way to make sure the adolescent doesn’t contract sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from all types of sexual activities. In spite of this, if the adolescent becomes sexually active, he/she must be advised by the parents to take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease. The best precautionary measure is to use a condom every time the adolescent has sexual intercourse. Only when other sexually transmitted diseases are prevented and controlled, HIV infections can be prevented.

It is best when the adolescent delays and abstains from sexual relationships, because the younger the person, the more susceptible he/she is to get a sexually transmitted disease. Having sexual contact during menstruation is also risky. It is good to avoid anal intercourse and if it is performed condom is a must, even when having oral sex. Every person should get STD checkups as frequently as possible, irrespective of being sexually active or not, after they turn into adolescents. Precaution must also be taken when getting injected by an intravenous drug, that the needle used to inject must be sterile. The adolescent must be educated about the symptoms and risks of sexually transmitted diseases.

Adolescents must be thoroughly informed even if they say they know it all. They must be asked to indulge in only safe sex, if doing so. Parents should talk honestly and calmly about safe sex and must answer all their child’s queries. Topics such as STDs, birth control methods, having sex because of peer pressure, and date rape must be discussed in detail. Most people think that kissing is safe, but it can spread the sexually transmitted disease, herpes and many other diseases. Condoms do not provide hundred percent protections for genital warts, AIDs and genital warts. Females shouldn’t douche as it can make the infection go deeper into the reproductive tract and can also wash off spermicidal protection. At a time, sexual intercourse must be provided with only one partner, who isn’t involved with any other sexual partner.

The sexually transmitted diseases are Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS, Human Papillomaviruses or HPVs, chlamydial infections, pelvic inflammatory disease or PID, Gonorrhea, Genital Herpes, syphilis, and genital warts. The symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases take time to surface. Some of them are also symptom less and even these diseases can be contagious. Especially in the case of female, the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases can be confused with the symptoms of other diseases. But females get severe symptoms and get it more frequently. Sexually transmitted diseases can harm the fallopian tubes and uterus. It can even lead to inflammatory disease, which in turn can cause ectopic pregnancy or infertility.  Cervical cancer, in females, can be associated to sexually transmitted diseases. If a female gets a sexually transmitted disease during her pregnancy, the disease can pass onto her child. Sometimes the newborn’s infections can be treated successfully, but at other times, the child can be disabled for life or die. 

If an adolescent is diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases, his or her treatment must start immediately. The early the sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed, the easier it is to treat them successfully. The other sexual partner must be informed so that they can get themselves diagnosed and can undergo treatment. The adolescent must be instructed to stay away from sexual activity while the treatment is going on. The checkup must be followed after the treatment. Tests such as pelvic examination, Pap test, and test for STDs should be taken periodically.

Sexually transmitted diseases can affect people of all economic levels and backgrounds. Half of the cases of sexually transmitted diseases involve young people below the age of twenty five. The more sexually active the person is the more risk he/she is. And multiple sex partners at a given time are very dangerous too and must be strictly abstained from.

cheers
Bob

High Blood Pressure in Adolescents

High blood pressure is a condition where the blood pressure is more than normal. It is also known as hypertension. Heart pumps out blood, so that oxygen can reach to different parts of the body via blood. The pressure with which heart pumps blood is known as blood pressure. The blood pressure comprises of two measures, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. 

Systolic pressure is the larger figure and represents the pressure within the artery of the heart, when contractions take place which pump blood to different parts of the body. Diastolic pressure is the pressure within the artery of the heart, when the blood is filling in the heart and it is at rest. Both the pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury or mmHg. High blood pressure is abnormal increase in systolic pressure or diastole pressure.

Blood pressure is measured by putting a blood pressure cuff on the arm and placing a stethoscope on the chest. There can be very little variation in blood pressure depending upon the time, emotional moods, age, gender, weight, height, physical activity, stress and other illness such as heart disease and kidney disease.  Children and adolescents become anxious when they visit the doctor. This is also an important factor which affects the blood pressure and the readings taken get tampered because of it. That is the reason why many blood pressure readings are taken in order to determine whether the adolescent has high blood pressure or not. The nurse may even ask the adolescent to calm down while taken the readings. Time gap is given between each reading, so as to give time to the adolescent to calm down. Emotions can also affect the blood pressure reading.

An infant will have a normal blood pressure reading of 80/45, where as an adolescent will have a normal blood pressure reading of 110/70. Therefore, age, gender, and height are important factor when determining the normal blood pressure level. Adults will have a higher blood pressure than the infants and teenagers. Also, boys have a higher blood pressure when compared to girls and tall people have a higher blood pressure than short people. An adolescent is said to have high blood pressure when the blood pressure is more than the blood pressure of ninety percent people of his/her age, gender and height.     

There are many risks associated with hypertension or high blood pressure. The risk of developing coronary heart disease increases proportionally. The arteries will develop greater resistance towards the blood flow, because of which the heart will pump blood harder. Stroke is also another risk. Adolescents who have had high blood pressure as a child, develop harmful effects on the blood vessels and heart till the time they turn twenty.

The causes of high blood pressure can be classified as primary and secondary. If the causes are definite, they are primary and if the cause is linked to some illness, it is secondary. Primary causes are high blood cholesterol levels, smoking, stagnant lifestyle and overweight. Secondary causes are obesity, immobility due to chronic illness, prescription drugs, intense pain due to burns or cancer and illegal drugs. High blood pressure can develop due to hereditary reasons.

Hypertension is diagnosed by blood test and urinalysis. The kidney function will also be checked, along with blood cholesterol levels. Family history check is another important factor. Adolescents’ eating habits, exercise levels, activities in school and home will also be studied thoroughly. High blood pressure is dealt with by weight reduction, healthy diet, and increase in physical activity. If hypertension is due to illness, the illness is treated first. These treatment measures will decrease the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. It will also strengthen the heart and decrease the level of cholesterol in blood. This also helps to keep heart diseases at bay.  The good thing is that only one percent of the adolescents, who have high blood pressure, need medication to bring back the blood pressure to normal.   


cheers
Bob

Smoking Related Health Problems in Adolescents

Smoking is the cause of many diseases and kills about four hundred and forty two thousand people every year in the United States. In spite of anti smoking campaigns and billboard warnings, more and more people are joining the bandwagon of smokers every year. Out of the total number of new smokers, ninety percent are children and adolescents, replacing smokers who have quit or died early due to a disease caused by smoking. Smoking is the top cause of preventable and premature deaths, followed by obesity. 

Smoking not only increases the risk of lung disease, but also increases the risk of contracting lung cancer, oral cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart disease.  Certain statistics by the American Lung Associations show alarming results. Over five thousand adolescents smoke their very first cigarette every day, out of which over two thousand turn into regular smokers. Presently there are nearly five million adolescents smokers. Twenty percent of the twelfth graders smoke cigarettes regularly.

Smoking has many harmful affects on the health of a human being. It damages the cardiovascular system, causes high blood pressure, increases heart rate, increases the risk of ischemic stroke, increases the risk of formation of blood clot formation, and decreases the oxygen amount which reaches the tissues in the body, reduces coronary blood flow & cardiac output, and damages the blood vessels. Smoking not only affects physical health, but mental health too. It causes psychological distress and depression.

Smoking not only affects the person who smokes but also other people who surround him/her. According to the American Heart Association, nearly thirty five thousand passive smokers die of smoke inhaled from a lit pipe, cigar or cigarette. People who do not smoke directly and inhale smoke from a cigarette smoke by his/her neighbor is known as passive smoker, secondary smoker or indirect smoker. Among the passive smokers, women, children and infants are at a higher risk. Infants and children who are exposed to smoke develop asthma, frequent ear infections and may even experience infant death syndrome. The symptoms experienced by secondary smokers are coughing, excess mucus formation in the airways, chest discomfort, chest pain, and lung irritation. They even feel irritation of throat, nose and eyes. If the passive smokers experiences chest pain, it can be an indication of a heart disease. Sometimes the symptoms of secondary smoking can coincide with the symptoms of other medical conditions. Hence, it is recommended to contact the doctor immediately after the surfacing of the symptoms.

In active smokers, smoking, apart from building up high cholesterol in blood, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity and diabetes. So smoking cessation will not only reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, which is top of the list, but also decreases the risk by fifty percent of heart attacks and deaths caused by it. But quitting smoking undertakes lots of physical and mental efforts. The person should be made mentally relaxed and stress free. In case of adolescents, they can be asked to exercise regularly and sleep adequately. The American Lung Association and The American Academy of Otolaryngology have developed certain tips which can be of great help to the smokers who are thinking of quitting. The smokers must first be made to understand the reason for quitting. Stress only makes even more difficult to quit smoking, so a stress free period should be chosen to quit. Family and friends’ encouragement and support are extremely necessary to persuade the smoker to quit. If the support isn’t sufficient, smokers can join a smoking cessation program or a support group to attain their goals. A balanced diet is a must, along with lots of rest.

Sometimes taking nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine chewing gum, nicotine inhalers, and nicotine patch, are a great help to smokers who want to quit. By using these products the smokers can satisfy their nicotine craving. The good thing is that these nicotine replacement products can deduct the poisonous gases and tars emitted by the cigarettes. But nursing and pregnant women should consult a doctor before trying nicotine replacement products. For such people non-nicotine alternative is available in the market.  


cheers
Bob