Vitamins and Minerals And Supplementing Your Diet With Multivitamins

Vitamins and minerals are just a few of the things that our bodies need in order to stay healthy. If a person wants their body to remain healthy and in proper working order, then the right dose of minerals and vitamins is required.

Many times people will supplement their diet with multivitamins because their diet alone is not providing everything their body needs. Knowing which ones are needed to keep a body healthy can prove to be invaluable information.

Vitamins and minerals are varied, and to understand them one has to know what types are on the market. For vitamins, two types exist. The first type is water soluble. These vitamins can be easily absorbed by the body without any extra help.

Fat soluble vitamins, however, must have bile in order to be absorbed. If one wishes to do a little extra research, then a great website to check is www.familydoctor.org. Here one can find information on the various types of vitamins and what happens to the body when too many are taken.

For those looking to stay healthy, they should become educated about vitamins and minerals in order to survive life on this planet. How one goes about getting them varies from person to person. No matter whether from a healthy diet alone or with vitamin supplements too, the key is to become educated about your health.

Source:http://weightlossdietnutritiontips.blogspot.com/2008/10/vitamins-and-minerals-and-supplementing.html

Why do you need vitamins?

It is a long-held belief that you don’t need vitamins. Vitamins are supposed to be in our food. It wasn’t until the Great Depression era that we see the idea of taking vitamins. It just so happens that this is the same time that we see rapid changes in production and manufacturing of food in the United States. There are five basic ways, vitamins are produced.

1. Natural - little or no processing from vegetables, minerals or animal sources
2. Natural source - processing found vegetable mineral or animal sources, extracting vitamins from sources.
3. Nature identical - laboratory manufactured nutrients identical in molecular structure and activity and humans to natural nutrients.
4. Synthetic - inexpensive, larger isolated vitamins, laboratory manufactured.
5. Whole food - highly usable and available to the body.
   

Some people have a bad reaction to synthetic vitamins, the body does not recognize a chemically created vitamin. Even if it looks the same under a microscope has a plant-based vitamin also vitamins are not meant to be isolated. Your body sees vitamins as food there for your vitamins should be plant-based like food.

It is also suggested that you look for good manufacturing practices or GMP. Supplement providers are acquired by the DSHEA Act to regulate the quality of the vitamins and other supplements. Supplement providers that meet these standards advertise this on their logos or products. Good manufacturing practices basically mean that what is in one serving of a supplement is exactly the same as another serving from the same bottle or from a different bottle entirely. This is easy to establish when using synthetic vitamins, but whole food plant-based supplements that are the most absorbable are often harder to regulate. It’s very likely your body will notice a difference when you consume high quality nutritional supplements.

Source: http://completelyalive.com/2008/10/28/why-do-you-need-vitamins/

Homeopathic Medicines Boost the Immune System

Changed lifestyles have been instrumental in affecting the immune system in a highly negative way. The immune system is a complex arrangement that involves the liver, spleen, thymus, the lymphatic system and bone marrow, which work in tandem to maintain resistance to disease. This immunity is partly inherited. It also depends upon the lifestyle that individuals choose to adopt. The hurry with which we want to treat minor ailments is probably the main reason behind frequent attacks of common cold and flu or an increased susceptibility to disease. Instead of waiting for the body to heal itself or looking for an antibiotic alternative like an herbal antibiotic , the tendency is to rush to conventional antibiotics for quick relief. In most of the cases, immune system health is compromised due to an excessive use of antibiotics. Moreover, an antibiotic ceases to be effective if it is taken without a proper diagnosis or prescribed without determining the specific bacteria that has caused the disease. Ginger and other dried herbs for immune system steeped in boiling water, for example, will relieve symptoms of a sore throat, common cold while boosting the immune system health.

Homeopathy provides another natural alternative to avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Homeopathy believes that the same substance that causes a disease will cure it in its diluted form. For example, coffee leads to sleeplessness but an extremely diluted remedy prepared from coffee itself will ultimately cure it. Some of the basic principles of homoeopathy include:* The foremost priority should be to boost the immune system so that the body can heal by itself.* Symptoms are manifestations of the body’s attempt to treat itself.* Only natural substances and herbs should be used to prepare a homeopathic remedy.* The focus of treatment should be on treating an individual as a whole, rather than providing temporary and quick relief.

Homeopathic remedies stimulate the immune system to assist the body in repairing any imbalances that may have occurred. The immune system has to be in perfect condition to perform its functions. A hyperactive immune system will cause autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis where the body starts attacking its own cells. A deficient immune system, on the other hand, leads to deficiency diseases like common cold and flu, often extending to more serious conditions.In homeopathy, an appropriate remedy is selected on the basis of the constitution of each individual after considering physical, mental and emotional symptoms.

The homeopathic Materia Medica contains a detailed description of each remedy meant for possible characteristics that can be expected to be present in individuals. Nux vomica is a constitutional remedy for energetic and ambitious people. Sulphur, on the other hand, is meant for energetic but less practical individuals. A Pulsatilla patient is one who is shy, kind and gentle and always ready to be led rather than lead. Arsenicm album is indicated in an ambitious but tense person who is always worried about health.Homeopathic remedies are easy to take, non-habit forming, gentle, good value for money and at the same time focus on strengthening the immune system to increase the body’s capability of self-healing.

Source: http://naturescuresremediesandhealings.blogspot.com/2008/10/homeopathic-medicines-boost-immune.html

Natural Home Remedies for Skin Care

A natural homemade remedy is the right way for your skin because they are not just simple to make but are cost-effective as well. Some people find it hard to adapt because of the mind set created by commercial instant products but surely they should be adopted because they come with no side-effects. What you put on your skin is just as important as what you eat. The main concern for commercial products is that more often then not they contain chemicals that are absorbed by your skin finding their way into the bloodstream which can be harmful to your overall health.

Following are some of the remedies for the major issue related to skin.

Oily Skin:Mix ½ cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg white, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ cup mashed apple into a smooth paste. Apply it to the face and leave on for 15 minutes.

Dry Skin:Alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus), available from Herbalists is used mostly as a tincture or in syrup, can be used to make a lotion for dry skin. Steep 100 grams of the fluid in 1 liter of boiling water. Allow it to cool, and then apply as a lotion or compress.

Wrinkling:Mash potatoes to a creamy texture with a little milk and mix with a few drops of glycerin and rose water. Apply this mixture to the area where skin is wrinkled. Potatoes are excellent sources of minerals, which are good for the skin.

Cleanser:Take chunks of fresh cucumber, seeded, and pureed. 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 egg white, 1 tbsp yogurt and 2 tsp powdered milk. This paste is great for cleansing the skin as well as easing of freckles.

Burn marks and Scars: Mix 20 drops lavender essential oil,20 drops geranium essential oil 2 drops rose essential oil , and 4 ounces Aloe Vera juice Add the oils to the aloe juice in a bottle. Shake before using. Apply on the areas of the burn or scar marks.

Skin Toner:Make an herbal infusion of chamomile or lavender flowers by pouring near-boiling water over 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh or dried flower tops. Simply add 1 ounce, or 2 tablespoons, of cider vinegar and mix well. Pour this lotion into a spray bottle or mister for easy application. Use daily after cleansing the skin.

Source: http://www.menwomenmag.com/

Little honey, lemon in hot water can help treat kids cough and cold

Wondering how to treat your kids cough and cold without using medicines? Well, a little honey and lemon in hot water will do the trick for your little one, says a leading health expert.

Parents concerned about the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold medicines often opt for home remedies.

A cold is caused by a virus that cannot be killed by an antibiotic, said Jacqueline Kaari, a pediatrician and chair of pediatrics at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Nothing, including over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, will make it go away faster, but you can treat the symptoms, she added. Kaari suggests that making them drink honey and lemon in hot water or decaffeinated tea can effectively cure their cough.

For kids suffering from cold steam, such as shower steam, will help loosen secretions. A good nutrition and drinking plenty of liquids would also work effectively.

Use of cool mist humidifier to moisturize air passageways or throat lozenges to relieve sore throat when age appropriate, would help in faster recovery. Kaari also urges parents to keep children home from school for one to three days and for at least 24 hours after they have had a fever.

She suggested that using Tylenol, following the recommended dosage instructions could be effective for a fever.

Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/little-honey-lemon-in-hot-water-can-help-treat-kids-cough-and-cold_100112783.html

8th Wonder of the World: Power of Compounding for Wealth Creation

1. In the previous blog, I had told you about the Rule of 72. Today I am going to tell you all about the easiest way to wealth creation i.e. using power of compounding. If today you invest 10000 units and you are likely to get 18% Compounded Rate of Interest per annum. This simply means that your money will double in approx 72/18=4 years (Rule of 72 as discussed in the previous blog).

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2. Now see the power of Compounding: What happens to your money if it grows at just 18% Compounded rate of Interest annually;

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10000 to 20000 (In 4 years)

20000 to 40000 (In 8 Years)

40000 to 80000 (In 12 Years)

80000 to 1,60,000 (In 16 Years)

1,60,000 to 3,20,000 (In 20 Years)

3,20,000 to 6,40,000 (In 24 Years)

6,40,000 to 12,80,000 (In 28 Years)

12,80,000 to 25,60,000 (In 32 Years)

25,60,000 to 51,20,000 (In 36 Years)

51,20,000 to 1,02,40,000 (In 40 Years)

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3. Now after seing this, I really wished that my parents had deposited just 10000 units when I was born. That would have made me multi millionier when I really needed that money.

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4. I know, you must be thinking that who would pay you 18% Compounded Rate of Interest in today's world. But If you see the track record of Mutual funds, you will find that getting 18 % Rate of Interest is not a big deal. And if you know the knitty Gritty's of Stock Market, then nothing like it.

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5. So go ahead and enjoy a prosperous life and make sure that your kids also have a prosperous life. What you require is just financial planning and patience to allow it to mature.

INTERESTING: RULE OF 72

1. Rule of 72 is an intersting thing to know. Bank officers and Account officers use this rule as a thumb rule. It is not exact but it is a good guide line. Housewives can apply this rule to their savings and investments to find out as to how much their money will grow at a particular Rate of Interest and in specific number of years.

2. Rule of 72 says that if you divide 72 by the Rate of Interest, it will give you the number of years in which your money will double at that Rate of Interest.

3. It means if you are investing your money with assured Rate of Interest of 18 %, it will double your money in approximately 72/18=4 years. Always remember that the it is Compounded Rate of Interest and not Simple Rate of Interest.

4. Now you know that if a financial institution or a bank is offering 9 % Compounded Rate of Interest, then your money will double in approximately 72/9=8 years.

5. You can use this formula to find out as to what is the Rate of Interest is being offered to you by a particular financial institute for any offering e.g. if some one is offering you with a scheme that your money will double in 5 years, then the Compounded Rate of Interest offered to you is approximately 72/5= 14.4 % per annum.

6. I am sure this information will be a handy one for all of you.

DETECTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION IN TURMERIC

ADULTERANT

1. Coloured saw dust, rice, wheat or jowar flour.

TEST

1. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to a solution of turmeric powder. A pink colour is developed upon diluting it with water. If only turmeric is present the pink colour disappears.

DETECTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION IN SAFFRON

ADULTERANT

1. Maize fibres dried, coloured and scented.

TEST

1. Genuine saffron is tough. Spurious saffron will be brittle and break easily.

2. Genuine saffron dissolves easily in water giving the aroma of saffron. If the water extract is dried and a rod dipped in sulphuric acid is drawn across the surface, a blue colour which immediately turns purple and then reddish brown indicates pure saffron.

DETECTION OF ADULTERATION IN CLOVES, CHILLI POWDER, COFFEE AND CINNAMON

CLOVES

ADULTERANT: Essential oils may have been removed

TEST: If so, the cloves will be shrunken in appearance.

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CHILLI POWDER

ADULTERANT: Saw dust and colour may be added.

TEST: Sprinkle on the surface of a glass of water. Wood shavings float and added colour will colour the water.

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COFFEE

ADULTERANT: Chicory

TEST: Shake a small portion in cold water. Coffee will float while the chicory will sink staining the water a brownish red.

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CINNAMON

ADULTERANT: Cassia bark which resembles cinnamon in taste and odour.

TEST: Added colour may come off in water.

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DETECTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION IN CARDAMOM

ADULTERANT

1. The essential oil is removed and the pods are faced with talcum powder.

TEST

1. On rubbing, the talcum will stick to finger.

2. On tasting if hardly any aromatic taste, it indicates removal of essential oil.

FIGHTING FIRE TIPS

When a fire breaks out, don't panic. Follow these safety rules

1. Remember all fires start as small fires. If you see one, try to put it out yourself, and at the same time shout " FIRE....FIRE....FIRE...." to attract other's attention.

2. If you have to vacate the building, do it in an orderly manner. This is important. In panic, the exit will get jammed.

3. When the electricity supply gets tripped or is switched off for any reason, don't use lift. The lift shaft being common to all floors, gets filled with smoke. Always go down by stairs. It is good to count the floors one has gone down, to know when have you reached the ground floor.

4. To keep the emergency staircase shaft smoke-free, it is important that the doors on each floor are always kept shut, but never locked.

5. If you are trapped inside, don't panic. Most fire casualities are not because of fire, but because of suffocation from the smoke. smoke being hot, does not exist near the floor. So put a cloth, preferebaly wet, to your face and crawl out of the area.

IF YOU PASTE THE ABOVE FIVE POINTS ON THE INSIDE OF TOILET DOORS, THERE IS GOOD CHANCE THAT IT WILL BE READ AT LEISURE AND REMEMBERED WHEN NEEDED.

TIPS FOR FACIAL MASKS (FACE PACKS)

1. Face Packs will tighten your skin in a matter of minutes. It will make you look younger and give feeling of reshness. They rejuvenate the skin and are natural way to glowing beauty.

2. Masks have a deep cleansing action on the skin. It helps remove impurities and dead skin cells.

3, They also keep the pores free of clogged grease and thus prevent many skin problems.

4. The entire process of the drying and hardening of the mask and its subsequent removal causes an expansion of the blood vessels in inner layer of the skin, bringing an improvement in the skin tone.

5. Blood circulation to the skin surface also improves, leaving it glowing, refreshed and healthy.

PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING MASK

1. Before the mask is applied, the skin should be cleansed throrughly. Use a flat, wide brush, so that the paste is evenly applied. Leave out the lips and the region around the eyes. The mask should be left on till it dries. Use plenty of water to remove the mask.

2. Some specialized masks are 'peel off' kinds that need to be peeled off tthe skin after they dry.

FACIAL PACK FOR ALL TYPE OF SKINS
1. A mask powder that is enriched with almond, sandalwood and other extracts is used. This is mixed with egg white, honey and yogurt into a paste and applied.It is ideal for cleansing the skin of dead epithelial cells and for tightening the pores.

2. This mask is not used on skins with eruptions like acne, or in cases of sensitive skin.

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FACIAL PACK FOR OILY SKIN WITH RASH OR ACNE PROBLEM

1. A soothing medicated mask is used. It contain extracts of clove, eucalyptus and sandlwood. These ingredients not only have a powerful germicidal effect, but also soothe and heal the skin. The mask is applied for about 20 Minutes and then rinsed off with water.

FACIAL PACK FOR DRY AND MATURE SKIN

1. A mask containing extracts like balsam, date and honey is used for improving the skin's ability to retain moisture and make the skin texture soft, smooth and wrinkle free. It is applied as usual and washed off with little milk followed by water.

TIPS FOR STORING EGGS

1. To keep eggs fresh, rub them lightly with butter, glycerine or oil or apply puddled earth all over the eggs and store under mud in an air tight vessel.

2. At normal room tempertature of approx 18 deg C, eggs will stay fresh for about 10 days. In a referigerator, fresh eggs will keep for as long as 2 months.

3. Yolks can be stored for four days in a referigerator, but whites should not be kept for more than 2 - 3 days. Pour a thin layer of milk or water over the yolks to prevent them from hardening.

4. Eggs should never be stored on a rack in a referigerator, as they absorb referigerator odours through their porous shells. The eggs should be kept in cartons.

5. In the absence of referigerator, apply castor oil on the outer shell of the eggs to prevent it from rotting.

6. When the eggs stick to cartons or brown paper bags, wet the points of contact and eggs will not crack on removal.

7. Donot wash the eggs when you store them. Wash them just before use. There is a bloom on eggs that helps in keeping pdours and bacteria from entering the eggs.

8. Store eggs with broad ends. Yolks are less likely to break up if you store eggs with broad ends up.

HOW TO MAKE COOKED, FRIED, SCRAMBLED AND POACHED EGGS

1. Fried eggs won't stick or break in the pan if you add a teaspoon of flour in the hot pan before frying.

2. A little salt sprinkled in the frying pan while fran egg will also prevent the egg from sticking to the pan.

3. When poaching eggs, add a few drops of vinegar or lime juice to the water and they will set quickly and perfectly. 4. When making egg scramble, warm the fat, ghee or oil sufficiently just to melt it, take the pan off the fire, pour the mixture in and cook on slow heat stiring constantly.

5. If scrambled eggs become too firm, add another raw egg or milk or cream. Blend gently with the firm egg.

6. Bread crumbs added to the scrambled eggs will improve the flavour and make larger servings possible.

7. Eggs go on getting cooked even after they are taken off the fire. Threfore, take the pan off afew moments before they are actually cooked.

TIPS FOR MAKING OMELETTES

1. If you donot succeed in making a frothy omelette, beat the whites and yolks separately and thoroughly. Add a pinch of soda bicarb to the whites and then stir in the yolks. You will get a really tasty and frothy omelette.

2. To make an omelette soft, moist and thick, add milk at the rate of 2 teaspoons for each omelette.

3. By adding a pinch of corn starch and a pinch of powedered sugar to the yolks before beating them, you would able to make a frothy omelette which will not collapse when removed from the frying pan on to a plate.

4. To get a soft and fluffy omelette, add a tablespoon of water to the egg while baeting.

5. A teaspoon of flour added for each egg would make a bigger and fluffier omelette. This will also ensure that the egg maintains its shape.

6. If you use a wet bowl or vessel to beat an egg, the yolk won't stick to the sides.

7. If you add a pinch of salt when beating the whites of eggs, it would froth up quickly. 8. Use a wooden spoon to stir egg recipes. the eggs will not turn greenish grey.

WRINKLES ON SKIN

CAUSES

1. Wrinkles are a part and parcel of ageing process.

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2. However, premature ageing can be avoided.

3. Smoking, pollution, exposure to sun, stress, drug use, lack of vitamin E and rapid loss of weight are few causes associated with the premature ageing.

HOME REMEDIES

Whenever a pack is applied, you should not talk or smile.

1. To remove wrinkles, mix 1 tablespoon of honey & one-fourth teaspoonful of carrot juice and spread over the entire neck and face. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes. Use cotton and warm water added with little bit of Soda bicarbonate to remove it.

2. Rub a piece of Papaya all over your face for 10- 15 minutes. You can also apply paste of papaya on your face. Regular use of papaya is a wonderful way of removing/avoiding wrinkles.

3. Apply a mix of mashed ripe banana and juice of rose. Wash with warm water after an hour.

4. Dip cotton in white of an egg and spread it over your skin. Leave it for an hour. Remove it with cotton using ice-cold water.

5. Consume approx 4 litres of water everyday. It will ensure that your skin is always hydrated and moisturized.

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6. Use Aloe Vera cream with base as Stabilised Aloe Vera Gel. Normally creams with Aloe Vera advertisements donot contain more than 5 % Aloe Vera. Unlike other creams which form an oily layer on top of the skin, Aloe vera cream straightway peneterates the third layer of the skin, thus good moisturizer.

7. A regular good facial message improves the blood circulation and reduces wrinkles.