Subscribe via RSS Feed

Other Recent Articles

Funny Dog

[ 0 ] June 3, 2011

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPruo0psMcU

 

The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

[ 0 ] May 30, 2011

People have different reasons for choosing to move to a vegetarian diet. Some are animal lovers and for ethical reasons do not eat animals. Another possible reason to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle is the benefit for our environment. The production of meat adds substantially more pollution into our environment in the form of petroleum. More water consumption and more land are both necessary for maintaining livestock that is being raised purely for consumption purposes. Others are looking to make healthier lifestyle choices and find that a diet without meat will greatly decrease the amount of harmful antibiotics and hormones that are unfortunately contained in meat products.

A Relationship Between High Dairy Consumption and a Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

There have been many studies which show that a diet high in beef leads to a higher incidence of colon cancer. Other studies, such as the one conducted by Harvard’s Physicians Health Study, have shown that dairy products may lead to a higher risk of prostate cancer. Other types of cancer, such as testicular and ovarian are also being studied for their relationship to dairy products. In Asia, a part of the world where dairy milk is not part of the regular diet and where much higher consumption rates of soymilk, fruits, whole grains, tofu and other soy products, the rate of breast cancer is much lower than in the United States.

Protein from Other Sources

A healthy vegetarian diet typically is high in fiber and low in fat. This combination can be beneficial in addressing health risks such as heart disease and obesity. Soya is also an important element in a well-balanced vegetarian diet. Soya is effective in reducing cholesterol levels. Many people have concerns about losing some of the nutrients that are often derived from meat consumption, such as protein. However including beans, lentil and other pulses are a perfectly acceptable replacement for protein replacement.

You Don’t Have to Give Up Good Tasting Food

Moving to a vegetarian diet might be a bit of a challenge at first. You will have to give up foods that you may have been eating for most of your life. However, going vegetarian does not mean giving up good tasting foods. In fact you will most likely increase your cache of recipes as you learn to prepare healthy vegetarian meals. There are many resources available on line to help inform you about a vegetarian lifestyle.

The Secret Stealth Helicopter Used in Bin Laden Attack

[ 0 ] May 29, 2011

Certainly the biggest news story in the last few weeks has been the US Navy SEALS attack on the holdout of Osama bin Laden. The elite force which successfully accomplished the operation are highly skilled, expertly trained and had at their disposal the most advanced weaponry and equipment that our military is capable of providing them with.

The Stealth Copter

The most talked about piece of equipment that the commando force used in the operation was the secret stealth helicopter. In fact the details of exactly what the specifications of the helicopter are remains a mystery and apparently that is how our military would like them to remain. This is plainly evident by the fact that the one helicopter which was characterized as having a “rough landing” was set on fire and burned by the SEALS before they departed the bin Laden compound.

Charred Remains Leave a Few Clues

Locals sifting through the charred remains of the aircraft have recovered some items believed to be part of the helicopter. A gas cap with markings for 181 U.S. gallons of fuel has been photographed and the picture has been seen on many websites, including the New York Times. The tail section of the destroyed helicopter is also believed to have been found. The tail section has, according to reports, a modification to reduce the noise of the helicopter. There also appears to be a special type of coating on the tail, possibly one that helps to shield it from beams generated by radar.

Stealth Technology

The stealth technology used on the helicopters allowed them to enter Pakistani air space undetected by the country’s air defenses systems. According to experts the helicopter also had more blades than a standard Black Hawk helicopter, possibly five or even six blades. The extra blades may make it possible to slow down the rotation and significantly reduce the recognizable chop-chop noise of a helicopter. This helicopters, much like the Stealth Bombers was designed for warfare, but in this case it was used for a different purpose, to hunt down a terrorist.

The Best Workouts to Get in Shape for Summer

[ 0 ] May 28, 2011

With summer right around the corner it is only natural to want to look your best when you hit the beach in your swimming gear or if you just want to walk around looking and feeling good. There are many different workouts that can help you get in shape for summer. The best workouts are a combination of different exercises. Exercises which focus on cardio, muscle building, balance and flexibility should all be incorporated in to your routine. Maximize the amount of times you work out per week in order to both build a regular routine and see quicker results ideally; 5-6 times a week is a good amount.

Start Slow and Don’t Forget to Stretch

If you are not use to a daily workout routine you should start slow and as your endurance level increases you will be able to sustain longer workout periods. Ten minutes is a good starting point. You can begin you routine by doing flexibility and balance exercises at home, if joining a gym is not an option. The first part of your workout always involves stretching. You will need to get loose before you try anything too strenuous. Touch on all of the key areas during your stretching routine the hamstring, legs, hip flexor, glutes, shoulders, lats, pecs, and lower back. Stretching exercises will help loosen you up for other more advanced exercises. You should not do any stretching exercises to the point of pain.

For Fat Loss, Cardio is the Way to Go

If your goal is fat loss, cardio exercises will be an important part of your workout regime. Begin with low impact cardio exercises, walking or biking is a good place to begin. In time you can introduce jogging or a row machine into your routine. Strength training is also part of a full-body workout. Using a weight machine you can work on your back strength by doing front pull-downs. Good exercises for your legs are leg presses and curls. Arm curls and pushdowns will help build your arm muscles. Arm presses can help build your shoulder and chest muscles.

Dangerous Diets to Avoid

[ 0 ] May 27, 2011

Fad diets are often ineffective over a long period of time. This is because they require a regimen that is impossible to sustain as a lifestyle. Many do result in the loss of a few pounds but that weight is quickly gained again once a person returns to their normal eating habits. Some diets have dangerous side-effects and even though they may work in the short term they can have lasting negative effects on the overall health of people that go on them.

Celebrities as Diet Role Models

A lot of these diets are made famous because famous people go on them one such diet is known as the “Celebrity Diet”. The celebrity diet is meant to be a short-term, weight loss diet. It consists of eating a half of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with each meal. The entire caloric intake for the day is less than 800 calories. This is far below a healthy caloric intake for an adult.

Cabbage Soup Anyone?

Another dangerous diet is known “Cabbage Soup Diet.” This diet consists of eating a soup which is low in fat and high in fiber. The diet is supposed to help jump start a more sensible weight loss plan. There is usually some weight loss while on this diet but most often the weight loss if from the loss of water and muscle mass not actual fat. Besides the loss of muscle mass, which ultimately will inhibit real fat-burning weight loss; this diet also requires the dieter to exist on less than 1000 calories a day. The “Cabbage Soup Diet” may be considered a “quick-fix” for a short term gain but should not be used long term.

Macrobiotic Diet

One of the hottest diets today is the Macrobiotic diet. On the surface this diet seems relatively healthy and a well-managed macrobiotic diet can be. The diet eliminates certain foods such as sugar, chocolate, red meat, and coffee. Alcohol is also not allowed. The diet consists of eating whole grains like brown rice, raw seaweed and sea vegetables, vegetables and minimal fish. The problem with the diet is the ratio of whole grains to raw vegetables is 50/5. Some macrobiotic diets lack sufficient protein, omega-3, fatty acid and calcium, however with some adjustments this diet can be a good option for a healthy lifestyle.

Physical and Mental Benefits of Yoga

[ 0 ] May 26, 2011

There are many therapeutic, preventive benefits of yoga for both the mind and the body. Yoga has been found to relax the mind, promote weight loss, relieve chronic stress, sharpen concentration, improve flexibility and balance, increase body awareness and help improve posture. This list may sound like a lot to expect from one activity but in actuality it is only a partial list of the benefits associated with practicing yoga. Many physical ailments can also be either completely cured or made significantly better with a regular yoga routine, including the improvement of some:

  • Heart conditions
  • Breathing disorders
  • Blood sugar levels
  • Cholesterol levels

The Unique Qualities of Yoga as an Exercise

The adaptability of yoga to each person’s specific ability level makes it unique among the many exercise alternatives available. This is due to the fact that although yoga creates motion it does not create strain and an imbalance of the body. The properties of yoga are meant to invigorate, and promote the healing of the body and mind.

The Importance of Breathing

Besides the obvious physical benefits of stretching and exercising yoga offers the added benefit of also having mental benefits. A big part of that is the attention that is paid to breathing during yoga. Learning breathing techniques will not only help center and relax you but it will also aid in flushing the body of toxins by improving both oxygen and blood flow and providing nourishment to your various organs.

The Effects

With a regular yoga routine you will see as well as feel improvements in your overall health and wellness.

  • Flexibility – The poses that you perform in yoga will help to stretch your body and aid in improving your flexibility.
  • Strength – Supporting your own weight during many of the yoga poses will help to increase your strength.
  • Muscle Tone – Once you begin to gain strength you will see improvements in your muscle tone.
  • Balance – Some yoga poses require balancing on one foot or moving from one pose to the next slowly, this will help improve your balance.
  • Breathing – Most people breathe very shallow. Yoga will help you focus on breathing and make better use of your lungs.