Weights on children's toys 'can boost their fitness'

ADDING weights to children's toys may help them improve their fitness during playtime, according to new research in the US.

The study included five boys and five girls, who were an average of seven-and-a-half years old and were randomly assigned to carry either large, cardboard toy blocks that weighed less than a quarter of a pound or blocks that weighed about 3.4 pounds.

The children picked up the blocks and carried them over approximately 26 feet. Days later, the children were assigned to the opposite type of toy block and repeated the activity.

Overall, after an average of ten minutes of carrying weighted blocks, the children experienced greater increases in heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure than they did after carrying the lighter blocks, findings indicate.

"This study provides one intervention to the current trend of declining fitness in America's youth," Dr John C. Ozmun, of Indiana State University said. "This will not be the answer to childhood obesity, but it could make a positive contribution."


A new study shows that people who smoke light cigarettes are more than 50 percent less likely to quit smoking than those who smoke regular cigarettes.

"Even though smokers may hope to reduce their health risks by smoking lights, the results suggest they are doing just the opposite because they are significantly reducing their chances of quitting. Moreover, as they get older their chances of quitting become more and more diminished," says researcher Hilary D. Tindle, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in a news release. Tindle conducted the research while at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.


Using this basic information, we can come up with three to-the-point ways to combat acne.

1.) Kill the bacteria. If there's no bacteria to cause an infection, then there will be no acne.

2.) Reduce the oil on the surface of the skin. Since oil can clog pores, and gives "fuel" for the bacteria to thrive off of, less oil means less acne.

3.) Stop the pore from getting clogged in the first place. If you can keep dead skin cells from clogging up a pore, you'll reduce the number of spots.

With that said, we'll move on to the basic regimen.

Step 1 ? Washing your Face

In this step, we will be trying to accomplish two goals ? Removing excess oil from the surface of the skin, and killing the bacteria on the skin.

To do this, we will need a gentle, non-comedogenic, non-irritating antibacterial cleanser. These are few and far between, and I have only found one cleanser that can do the job: Noxzema "Triple Clean" Cleanser. This is a gentle cleanser that contains an antibacterial ingredient called "triclosan".

First of all, splash your face once or twice with warm water. Then, squeeze about a dime sized amount of the cleanser into your hands. Work into a rich lather, and then apply to the face, being extra careful to be gentle. There is no need to scrub or rub it hard, as this will NOT help with acne, it will only make it worse. With that said, very gently, using no pressure at all, and only the tips of your fingers, rub it onto your skin for one minute straight. This is to make sure that all of the bacteria are killed off. Then rinse the cleanser from your face, and gently pat the skin dry with a clean towel.

Step 2 ? Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl Peroxide is a very common over-the-counter acne treatment product. BP works by creating an oxygen rich environment within the skin, interrupting the metabolic process of the p. acnes bacteria, causing it to die off. It is also antiinflammatory, helping to reduce redness.

Avoid anything that is 10% BP, unless it won't be staying on your skin for long. Go for 5%, or better yet, 2.5%. The two products I recommend are Neutrogena's "on-the-spot" acne treatment cream, and Stridex's BP pads. Both contain 2.5% benzoyl peroxide.

No matter which product you choose, apply it gently to your skin after cleansing.

Step 3 ? Salicylic Acid

Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid ? meaning it is an exfoliant, and will help your skin to shed dead skin cells faster. This prevents the dead skin cells from forming a clog inside pores, trapping bacteria and leading to a pimple.

The salicylic acid product I recommend is Clean & Clear's "advantage" acne spot treatment. It is a sort of gel, that contains 2% salicylic acid. It goes on smooth, is invisible once it has dried, and stays on all day to provide protection against acne.

After the benzoyl peroxide has dried, gently apply the salicylic acid. I use about a quarter sized amount for my face, but if your skin isn't "used to it" yet, start with less.

And that's it! You're now protecting your skin from three major causes of acne, and hopefully your skin will begin to clear up!

This regimen is meant to be done twice per day ? once in the morning, and again at night. Since both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are irritating to the skin at first, don't jump right in. Your skin has to get used to the products before you can use them to their fullest extent. Be patient, and at first, only apply benzoyl peroxide, and only apply it once per day. Then work up to twice per day. Once your skin is used to that, add in the salicylic acid slowly. Eventually, you should be using quite a bit of both products. Definitely remember to wear a sunscreen if you'll be venturing out into the sun.

by Ryan Bauer - Acne Elimination:
Whether you realize it or not, your subconscious mind picks up on all of your positive or negative statements that you say or think about yourself. Think of your subconscious as a sponge. It soaks up tons and tons of information, some of which you are not even aware of. Everything that you come into contact with in your daily life gets absorbed into your subconscious and will stay there forever, as you are not able to filter through what gets to your subconscious mind.

You may think questions to yourself such as, “Why am I so fat?” and your subconscious focuses on the fat part. It doesn’t hear the rest of the statement. It focuses on fat and that is what becomes programmed into your mind. Subconsciously you will keep feeding that part of your mind with the word fat being the focus.

This is why it is so important that when people use affirmations to end their battle with binge eating disorder they are careful of what they say and think. By filling your subconscious mind with negative statements about yourself, you will get what you don’t want, even though that is not your intention. The subconscious mind accepts any and all information because it does not know any better. This is also why affirmations work so well: Your subconscious cannot distinguish what is real and what is not real. You must use this to your advantage and when you find yourself thinking a negative thought, it is imperative that you counteract that statement with a positive one immediately.

The main purpose of reprogramming your subconscious mind with affirmations is so you can change your current reality. What is it that you want in your life? What do you wish to attract in your life? How do you see your future in terms of binge eating? How bad do you want to stop binge eating? Since your subconscious mind makes up about 90% of your whole mind, can you imagine what can happen to your life by incorporating affirmations daily? Your dreams can start to become your reality. Binge Eating can start to become a thing of your past.

Affirmations can help with all areas of your life including: your fears, anxiety, personal development, and improvement with yourself. By adding affirmations to your life, your self-esteem and confidence will grow more than you can ever imagine… Or can you?

Right now you may be at the lowest point ever because you binge. You are not happy in your life and wish to change. You want a happy ending, but are unsure of how to get there. Even though there are obstacles in overcoming binge eating disorder, don’t let that discourage you. Don’t focus on how long it may take. Take each day and live for that day. Focus on not bingeing that day and start positive affirmations. Remember that ending binge eating will come with the help of subconscious change. Notice what will happen to your life and welcome the new you with open arms!

by Kristin Gerstley.
She is a former binge eater that now has a healthy relationship with food. She is also the owner of
There are many factors to consider with regards to arthritic diets and nutritional healing, and no hard and fast rules can be applied. For example, some people are allergic to certain foods, and these allergies can indeed worsen some types of arthritis.

Eating foods that contain sodium nitrate or tartrazine can worsen the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, while ingesting foods containing a substance called hydrazine can contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus, an arthritic condition connected to lupus, Eating black walnuts can cause flare-ups in people with a rare type of arthritis called Behcet's Disease.

These are just a couple of examples of foods which could negatively impact on people with certain types of arthritis so as you can see the whole topic can get very complicated!

The term arthritis covers over 100 different diseases and conditions. Since it would be impossible to cover all of them in one article such as this, we will look at the most common condition: osteoarthritis and tackle rheumatoid arthritis and gout in future articles.

Osteoarthritis is mainly a disease of wear and tear. However there is one thing to avoid. Don’t take large doses of Vitamin A, since there is some evidence that it contributes to cartilage deterioration. Cartilage deterioration is the main cause of osteoarthritis.

There are holistic healers who will swear that a good diet can alleviate many of the painful symptoms. A diet high in fish is recommended as it contain high levels of Omega 3 which helps reduce inflammation and also has many other health benefits.

However if you live in an area where the sea has a high concentration of mercury, fish oil capsules are a better bet. Buy a known brand name to ensure maximum bio-availibility.

Including vegetables and sufficient low fat protein in the diet ensures optimal health and avoids weight gain which puts a heavy strain on arthritic joints

Some osteoarthritis sufferers benefit from the food supplements glucosamine and chondroitin in relieving symptoms of pain and stiffness. As above buy a reputable brand.

The National Institute of Health is currently studying glucosamine and chondroitin, so more should soon be known about the effectiveness of these products for osteoarthritis. People taking blood-thinners should be careful taking chondroitin as it can increase the blood-thinning and cause excessive bleeding.. Seek medical advice first.

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Cosmetic nose surgery can dramatically change the size, shape and appearance of a nose. The Surgeons objective is to create a natural-looking nose that fits with other facial features. He/She creates this nose by recontouring the nasal profile, reshaping the nasal tip, and changing the angle between the nose and the upper lip. Concurrently, breathing problems can also be corrected during this surgical procedure.

The Rhinoplasty Surgeon is able to reshape your nose through small incisions made inside of your nose so that they will not be visible. Should any incisions need to be made outside the nose, the surgeon will make sure that they are well hidden and inconspicuous.

After the Rhinoplasty procedure, patients are send home with or without packing of the nose. Dr. Clavin does not send patients home with packing of the nose, even when septal work is being done, however their are physicians that do use packing and that is their own personal choice. Dr. Clavin has found using his technique that packing is not helpful and patients are more comfortable post-operatively.

The "new" approach to cosmetic nose surgery, that being an "open rhinoplasty" should only be reserved for very special cases of revision rhinoplasty, since it can cause extensive swelling and trauma to the nose.

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• Iron deficiency anemia is treated with iron (ferrous sulphate) supplements, initially taken three times a day. If nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea or constipation occur, the medication may be taken with a little bit of food. Treatment should be continued for three to six months in order for the body to fully replenish its iron supply. As long as excessive bleeding is not present and there are no other complicating factors, the anemia will be corrected within a few weeks. However, if the iron deficiency is caused by blood loss that is not due to menstruation, the source of bleeding must be found and stopped. This may require surgery.
  
  
• Pernicious anemia, or vitamin B-12 deficiency, is treated by a life-long course of intramuscular injections of B-12. Persons with this type of anemia receive a shot of B-12 several times a week when first diagnosed. The treatment may continue for life, with one shot about four times a year.
  
  
• Folic acid deficiency anemia can be corrected by taking folic acid supplements once a day.
  
  
• Hereditary hemolytic anemias, such as thalassemia is treated by first eliminating any existing infections and avoiding medications that suppress the body's immune system. These medications may attack red blood cells. In addition, persons with these types of anemia may require regular blood transfusions.
  
  
• Sickle cell anemia patients may be given oxygen, oral and intravenous fluids and pain-killing drugs to reduce pain and prevent complications. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed as well. Sufferers will need blood transfusions when the anemia becomes severe or if misshapen hemoglobinIron-containing pigment of the red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. needs to be replaced. In some cases, a bone marrowThe soft tissue occupying the cavities of many bones, including the breastbone. Marrow is of two types: red and yellow. Red marrow is found in spongy bones, yellow is found in the cavities of the long bones. transplant may be effective. Adult patients may be treated with the cancer drug hydroxyurea (brand names Droxia, Hydrea).
  
  
• Sometimes rare aplastic anemias and autoimmune hemolytic anemias will respond to steroids. Failure to respond to steroids may require removal of the spleenA dark red, oval organ in the upper left abdominal quadrant posterior. The spleen removes old red blood cells from circulation.A dark red, oval organ in the upper left abdominal quadrant posterior. The spleen removes old red blood cells from circulation. which can become enlarged with defective red blood cells. Aplastic anemias may require blood transfusions and medications to fight infections.