Archive for June, 2009

How to Minimize Wrinkles Starting Now!

Friday, June 26th, 2009

You might disagree, but hear me out on this.  All of the major cosmetics companies advertise that they have exactly what it is that you need in order to minimize wrinkles.  Out of all of the products that these companies make available each year how many of them are actually giving customers the results that they were promised.  From all accounts, and from personal experience, I would say that almost none of them are living up to expectations.

The fact is that for all of the hype that these products receive through television and magazine advertising there is really not a whole lot to them to get excited about.  Most of the products being offered by the more well known companies lack the quality of ingredients that is necessary in order to restore your skin, and render it wrinkle free.

The most widely talked about anti aging skin care product promises to minimize wrinkles through the use of collagen and elastin as the primary working ingredients.  The topical application of collagen and elastin will do nothing to alleviate the lines that have formed in your skin, because they are no readily absorbable by your skin and so they never reach their intended destination.

It has not been any secret over the years that these two substances were too molecularly dense to be able to penetrate your skin.  The average person may not know this fact to be true, but certainly the developers of anti aging skin care products are aware of it.  What that says is that these companies in whom you put your trust have been purposely deceiving you.

What they have been doing is cashing in on the name recognition that collagen and elastin have, and have therefore been able to successfully convince their customers that the use of these products would minimize wrinkles.  The truth is that the only way that a topical formula can do this is by causing your body to increase the production of its own natural tissue.

The secret of this inside out approach to treating aging skin has been uncovered by a team of researchers for a company in New Zealand that is developing some of the most effective all natural products in the world.  They have proven that a simple combination of two ingredients can turn back the clock, and return your youthful appearance to you.

All that it takes is a pair of keratin proteins in tandem with an extract from a specific variety of kelp to dramatically minimize wrinkles.  Functional Keratin will cause your collagen and elastin production to skyrocket, while Phytessence Wakame halts the breakdown of hyaluronic acid in your skin.  This allows all three tissues to return to their former prominence.

Put this to the test right away!  If you want to firm up your skin, have greater elasticity, reduce incidences of sagging, and effectively minimize wrinkles then the products being manufactured by this New Zealand based company are exactly what you need.  Never before has there been a formula that will provide you with such a drastic change in your appearance.  If you want a product that is truly effective, then this is what you want to try.

California H1N1 Deaths Climb to 55

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

The Contra Costa Times reports that the number of H1N1 swine flu deaths has climb to 55. 23 additional new deaths have come in a single week.

“We expect to continue to see more cases of swine flu, more serious cases and, unfortunately, more deaths,” said Ken August, spokesman for the California Department of Public Health.

Though health officials expected the spread of swine flu to slow in the hot summer months, as influenza viruses often do, the virus hasn’t gone away, August said.

“While the majority of cases have been mild so far, public health officials remain very concerned that the virus could evolve into a more serious strain of influenza,” he said.

The California Department of Health’s website has a helpful chart here that shows the case distribution by country in California. The chart also indicates there have been 441 hospitalizations in the state from H1N1 swine flu.

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Plyometric Exercises for Total Body Workout

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Most of us usually do exercises that would either be cardiovascular or something related to building body muscles. Though each of these exercises have their own advantages – Cardiovascular are usually meant for building endurance and weight training is for building muscles, it would be even better if we could combine the benefits of both these forms of exercises.

If you have been regular with your exercise sessions and have been looking out for something to take your fitness to the next level, try out Plyometric exercises. These exercises are the best for those fitness enthusiasts who are looking for both speed as well as strength.

Plyometric exercise is not just about building muscles or muscle mass. It has got elements of cardiovascular exercises as well in it. With Plyometrics exercises, you aim to improve upon your quickness and alertness as well, in addition to body strength.

Plyometrics can be a great alternative to cardiovascular exercises and athletes have been using them to help them achieve peak physical condition.

Basically Plyometrics refers to exercise that enables your muscles to reach maximum force in the shortest possible time. Used correctly, these exercises can be a very effective form of power training.

Jump Rope, Step-ups, Line Jump, High Knee Jumps, Jump Switches, Gap Jumps, Push-ups can be done as part of your Plyometric training.

Plyometrics training is a great alternative to cardio exercises and is the best way to develop both speed as well as strength. Over a period of time, you should experience considerable increase in your athletic ability if you continue with your plyometric exercises.

What are Age Spots and How to Eliminate Them

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

I don’t know about you, but I have heard many people ask questions along the lines of what are age spots.  If you are someone who understands where these discolored spots come from it is easy for you to see why there is some confusion surrounding them.  Once you know their origin, and what you need in order to effectively treat them then you will be able to rest a little more easily.

For many people the development of these discolored areas of the skin spells the beginning of the end, so to speak.  When they begin to see the development of melanin hyperpigmentation it says to them that their best days are behind them, and they are possibly on a downward slope towards assisted living.  All of this is nothing more than a delusion.

Not to say that the people who don’t know the answer to the question what are age spots are not of sound mind.  Their way of thinking comes from having it drummed into their heads over the years that melanin hyperpigmentation is a sign of old age.  The fact is that the appearance of these markings has nothing to do with the aging process at all.

What truly qualifies as sign a sign of aging is the loss of our collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.  These are of course the three structural tissues that cause our skin to remain firm, full, and vibrant in our youth.  Over the years production begins to slow, and breakdown occurs, that slowly causes our skin to wrinkle and sag.

So, what are age spots if they are not a part of the natural deterioration that occurs in our bodies over time?  These spots are directly related to the amount of damage that has been caused by the UV radiation from the sun.  Melanin hyperpigmentation is the process through which the outer layers of the skin darken in order to protect the tender layers underneath.

This process is more commonly known as tanning, but it is also what causes freckles to develop in people that are very fair skinned.  When this discoloration occurs it is because the discolored skin has become damaged.  When you are young this does not really seem like any sort of problem, because the skin cells regenerate more quickly than when you get older.

The exact answer to what are age spots is that they are sections of cells that have become damaged often enough over the years to “miss-fire”, and attain a permanent state of hyperpigmentation.  This is what forms the dark patches on your skin, and they can be easily healed through the use of products containing Extrapone nutgrass root extract.

This melanin inhibitor will cause these spots to fade back in to match your normal skin tone, and because it reduces the production of melanin by up to 40% it will prevent the creation of new spots on your skin, so you will never have to worry.

Now that you know the answer to what are age spots, and how you can cure them, it is time to stop thinking about growing old, and live your life to the fullest.

Female Yeast Infection Symptoms

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Sometimes, female yeast infection symptoms aren’t easy to spot, even if we know of a few definite symptoms that are associated with this problem – but these symptoms can vary from person to person, and some people might not even have any symptoms!

When diagnosing a yeast infection, it helps to really understand our own bodies and notice any shift in conditions, from look, to feel, to smell. If this is a recurring condition, then you’ll know your own female yeast infection symptoms, but if this is the first time, a doctor is recommended to eliminate any more serious possibilities.

That being said, here are a few common female yeast infection symptoms to watch :

- Irritation or redness in the area of the vulva

- Warm or hot skin

- A thick, cheese-like discharge

- Discharge with a yeasty odor

- A rash with a definite border, which happens on moist body parts

Understanding what your own female yeast infection symptoms are can make treatment and identification easier and prevent the infection’s progression by treating it sooner. An infection should serve as a sign that you need to do certain things to avoid making your condition worse or more widespread. Always wash your hands anytime you touch the infected area, and try to keep the area as dry and clean as you can.

If you’re sexually active, don’t engage in sex if you you are experiencing any discomfort, and males can be infected also, so use a condom. Partners can actually be responsible for infecting each other over and over again through sex for a period of years. You definitely don’t want to see how female yeast infection symptoms look when it comes to infecting a male. Alarming

47 Deaths From H1N1 Swine Flu in New York City

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

New York City Swine Flu Deaths

Deaths from H1N1 swine flu climbed to 47 in New York City as of July 7th. The number of deaths increased by 9 since July 1st. There have been over 900 people hospitalized in New York City because of the swine flu. Even though the numbers are increasing the cases and deaths do not garner nearly as much attention as they did when they outbreak first began. Instead of giving press conferences the data is now updated on the NYC Health Department website. New York City Health Department’s website can be found here.

Graphic: New York City Health Department

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Bill Gates Unleashes Mosquitoes on Unsuspecting Audience

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Bill Gates TEDBill Gates released a bunch of mosquitoes on the unsuspecting audience at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference. Gates was trying to demonstrate how easily malaria is spread. The mosquitoes Gates released did not carry the disease.

“Malaria is spread by mosquitoes,” Gates said while opening a jar onstage at a gathering known to attract technology kings, politicians, and Hollywood stars.

“I brought some. Here I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.”

Gates waited a minute or so before assuring the audience the liberated insects were malaria-free.

TED curator Chris Anderson fired back at the legendary computer software maker, joking that the headline for the video of his talk to be posted online at Ted.com would be “Gates releases more bugs into the world.”

It sounds like that it was an effective demonstration. Gates’ mosquito release is getting a lot of media attention which helps focus on attention on the need to stop malaria.

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WHO Update: 3440 Swine Flu Cases in 26 Countries

Monday, June 15th, 2009

The World Health Organization says in its latest update that 26 countries have officially reported 3440 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The cases include 48 confirmed deaths – 45 in Mexico, 1 in Canada and 2 in the United States.

Mexico has reported 1364 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 45 deaths. The United States has reported 1639 laboratory confirmed human cases, including two deaths. Canada has reported 242 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths – Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (6), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (12), Germany (11), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (6), Japan (3), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (5), Panama (2), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (88), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (34).

The latest WHO update can be found here. WHO also has provided a map that shows the cases as of May 9th. More h1n1 resources can be found here.

WHO’s influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5 but they have not yet upgraded it to phase 6.

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Experts Find First Swine Flu Case Resitant to Tamiflu

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

TamifluThe BBC reports that experts have discovered the first case of swine flu that is resistant to tamiflu, an antiviral drug being used to fight h1n1.

Roche Holding AG confirmed a patient with H1N1 influenza in Denmark showed resistance to the antiviral drug.

David Reddy, company executive, said it was not unexpected given that common seasonal flu could do the same.

The news comes as a nine-year-old girl has become the third to die in the UK with swine flu.

Virologist Professor John Oxford told the BBC, “I’m not surprised about this finding. The question is whether it is going to spread. We will soon know the answer.”

The CDC has categorized swine flu as a Category 2 outbreak, with the possibility of 90,000 to 450,000 deaths in the U.S. There were are record 6,300 new cases in the U.S. last week.

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H1N1 Swine Flu Update 7-6-09

Friday, June 12th, 2009

The latest swine flu update (#58) from the World Health Organization (WHO) has the case total approaching 100,000 confirmed cases. Officially there have been 94,512 confirmed cases and 429 deaths. Here’s a list of the countries reporting the most swine flu deaths.

  • United States – 170
  • Mexico – 119
  • Argentina – 60
  • Canada – 25
  • Chile – 14
  • Australia -10

Some reports recently have indicated potentially high death tolls from h1n1 swine flu. The CDC has mentioned the possibility of 90,000 to 450,000. The British government mentioned the possibility of 40 deaths per day by late August. The death toll will depend on what percentage of the population becomes ill. If a large percentage (like 30-40%) of the population falls ill then it is reasonable to expect large death tolls even if the death rate is quite low. The lack of immunity or a vaccine makes it likely that many people will get sick from the h1n1 swine flu virus.

There was also a high-profile celebrity swine flu case – Rupert Grint from the Harry Potter films was infected and recovered. Hopefully, his illness will help raise awareness about the swine flu pandemic.

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