The Miracle of Green Tea

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

• Cancer
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• High cholesterol levels
• Cariovascular disease
• Infection
• Impaired immune function

What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Other Benefits
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?
To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

What's Good About Swimming

Swimming is good exercise (that's obvious). Swimming is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person! But what is it that makes swimming good, specifically? That depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime - and the health benefits swimming offers for a lifetime are worth the effort it takes to get to the swimming pool. It works practically all of the muscles in the body (if you do a variety of strokes). Swimming can develop a swimmer's general strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It does not help with bone density - you need to weight bearing exercise for that - but that is about all that is missing from what swimming could do for your fitness.
Why do you swim? For the health benefits to your heart and lungs? For the chance to be with some of your friends at the pool? Because, in your case, running everyday hurts? Because you like the feeling of floating and sliding through the water? Or is it something else? If you are looking for a break from the heat of the summer, then a dip in the water is exactly what you need; swimming is a way for you to cool off. It fills a wonderful recreational need for individuals and families, from beach and pool fun to water parks.
Maybe you are a runner, training on a regular basis, and want to find an activity that keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off of your body. Perhaps you have been doing some other form of land exercise, and now an injury prevents you from putting weight on a knee or ankle. Swimming can help you. Kicking workouts, water aerobics, pool running, or a regular swimming workout can all give you a great exercise session without the weight of your body pounding you with each move.
Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.

Swimming does burn calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 meters), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour. However, many swimmers do not swim that quickly, and many cannot swim for that distance or duration.
Spending time in a group workout, whether water aerobics or a master's swim practice, is a great social outlet. Exchanging stories, challenging each other, and sharing in the hard work make swimming with others a rewarding experience.
There are other psychological benefit to swimming, if you allow it to occur. Relax and swim with a very low effort. Let your mind wander, focusing on nothing but the rhythm of your stroke. This form of meditation can help you gain a feeling of well-being, leaving your water session refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Many swimmers find an in-direct benefit form swimming. They develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth through their participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than non-swimmers as a group.
One thing swimming is not good for is losing a lot of weight. The on-line Merck Manual explains that swimming is not the best way to lose weight due to the cooling effects of being in the water. While you do use a lot of calories swimming, once you get out of the pool much of that calorie burning stops. Doing land based exercise like running or cycling may use about the same amount of calorie per hour as swimming, but once you stop exercising the land-based workout usually leads to continued increase in calorie use for as long as 18 hours after the workout. Why? Because when you are in the pool you don't heat up as much as you do on land, and your body does not have to work to cool you down as much once the exercise session concludes. Swimming does exercise almost the entire body - heart, lungs, and muscles - with very little joint strain. It is great for general fitness, just not a great way to drop excess pounds.

Cardiac surgery

Cardiac surgery is a surgery on the heart and/or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. Frequently, it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, coronary artery bypass grafting), correct congenital heart disease, or treat-valvular heart disease caused by various causes including endocarditic. It also includes heart transplantation.

Heart Malformations – Early Approaches

In 1925 operations on the valves of the heart were unknown. Henry Souttar operated successfully on a young woman with mitral stenosis. He made an opening in the appendage of the left atrium and inserted a finger into this chamber in order to palpate and explore the damaged mistral valve. The patient survived for several years but Souttar’s physician colleagues at that time decided the procedure was not justified and he could not continue.

Cardiac surgery changed significantly after World War II. In 1948 four surgeons carried out successful operations for mitral stenosis resulting from rheumatic fever. Horace Smithy (1914–1948) of Charlotte, revived an operation due to Dr Dwight Harken of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital using a punch to remove a portion of the mitral valve. Charles Bailey (1910–1993) at the Hahnemann Hospital, Philadelphia, Dwight Harken in Boston and Russell Brock at Guy’s Hospital all adopted Souttar’s method. All these men started work independently of each other, within a few months. This time Souttar’s technique was widely adopted although there were modifications.

In 1947 Thomas Holmes Sellors (1902–1987) of the Middlesex Hospital operated on a Fallot’s Tetralogy patient with pulmonary stenosis and successfully divided the stenosed pulmonary valve. In 1948, Russell Brock, probably unaware of Sellor’s work, used a specially designed dilator in three cases of pulmonary stenosis. Later in 1948 he designed a punch to resect theinfundibular muscle stenosis which is often associated with Fallot’s Tetralogy. Many thousands of these “blind” operations were performed until the introduction of heart bypass made direct surgery on valves possible^.

Open heart surgery

This is a surgery in which the patient's heart is opened and surgery is performed on the internal structures of the heart.

It was soon discovered by Dr. Wilfred G. Bigelow of the University of Toronto that the repair of intracardiac pathologies was better done with a bloodless and motionless environment, which means that the heart should be stopped and drained of blood. The first successful intracardiac correction of a congenital heart defect using hypothermia was performed by Dr. C. Walton Lillehei and Dr. F. John Lewis at the University of Minnesota on September 2, 1952. The following year, Soviet surgeon Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Vishnevskiy conducted the first cardiac surgery under local anesthesia.

Surgeons realized the limitations of hypothermia - complex intracardiac repairs take more time and the patient needs blood flow to the body (and particularly the brain); the patient needs the function of the heart and lungs provided by an artificial method, hence the term cardiopulmonary bypass. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon at Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia reported in 1953 the first successful use of extracorporeal circulation by means of an oxygenator, but he abandoned the method, disappointed by subsequent failures. In 1954 Dr. Lillehei realized a successful series of operations with the controlled cross-circulation technique in which the patient's mother or father was used as a 'heart-lung machine'. Dr. John W. Kirklin at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota started using a Gibbon type pump-oxygenator in a series of successful operations, and was soon followed by surgeons in various parts of the world.

Dr. Nazih Zuhdi worked for four years under Drs. Clarence Dennis, Karl Karlson, and Charles Fries, who built an early pump-oxygenator. Zuhdi and Fries worked on several designs and re-designs of Dennis' earlier model from 1952–1956 at the Brooklyn Center. Zuhdi then went to work with Dr. C. Walton Lillehei at the University of Minnesota. Lillehei had designed his own version of a cross-circulation machine, which came to become known as the DeWall-Lillehei heart-lung machine. Zuhdi worked on perfusion and blood flow trying to solve the problem of air bubbles while bypassing the heart so the heart could be stopped for the operation. Zuhdi moved to Oklahoma City, OK, in 1957, and began working at the Oklahoma University College. Zuhdi, the heart surgeon, teamed up with Dr. Allen Greer, a lung surgeon and Dr. John Carey, forming a three man open heart surgery team. With the advent of Dr. Zuhdi's heart-lung machine which was modified in size, being much smaller than the DeWall-Lillehei heart-lung machine, and with other modifications, reduced the need for blood down to a minimal amount, and the cost of the equipment down to $500.00 and also reduced the prep time from two hours to 20 minutes. Dr. Zuhdi performed the first Total Intentional Hem dilution open heart surgery on Terry Gene Nix, age 7, on February 25, 1960, at Mercy Hospital, Oklahoma City, OK. The operation was a success; however, Nix died three years later in 1963.In March, 1961, Zuhdi, Carey, and Greer, performed open heart surgery on a child, age 3½, using the Total Intentional Hem dilution machine, with success. That patient is still alive.

In 1985 Dr. Zuhdi performed Oklahoma's first successful heart transplant on Nancy Rogers at Baptist Hospital. The transplant was successful, but Rogers, a cancer sufferer, died from an infection 54 days after surgery.

Risks

The development of cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass techniques has reduced the mortality rates of these surgeries to relatively low ranks. For instance, repairs of congenital heart defects are currently estimated to have 4-6% mortality rates.

A major concern with cardiac surgery is the incidence of neurological damage. Stroke occurs in 2-3% of all people undergoing cardiac surgery, and is higher in patients at risk for stroke. A more subtle constellation of neurocognitive deficits attributed to cardiopulmonary bypass is known as post perfusion syndrome (sometimes called 'pump head'). The symptoms of post perfusion syndrome were initially felt to be permanent, but were shown to be transient with no permanent neurological impairment.

Online master's degree

If you are ready to get ahead in your field, an online Master's degree will give you the educational background and competitive edge you need.

 

What is a Master's Degree?

A Master's degree or Graduate degree, depending upon the area of study, may require one to three years to complete. Typically, a Bachelor's degree is required to pursue a Master's degree.

What Types of Master's Degrees are there?

Master's degrees are most often awarded in several areas:

• Master of Arts (MA)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

 As well as more specialized disciplines including:

• Master of Social Work (MSW)
• Master of Education (Med)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Master of Project Management (MPM)

Master degree programs can vary from entirely research-based to more structured class-based programs but usually there are programs tailored to utilize both methods.

Enjoy the benefits of an online Master's degree!

Many students enjoy greater scheduling flexibility by taking online classes. An online Master's degree will open opportunities such as:

• approximately 25% greater salary than with a bachelors degree
• greater access to a wider range of management jobs in various fields
• access to the majority of college-level jobs and more ...

When choosing an online master's degree program, the college of your choice will assist you in making the best decision for your educational and career plans.

Feel free to browse the following online master's degree program choices and request more information today. When you are finished, use our quick degree finder or click on our online master's degrees below to get started on the road to the education of your dreams!

 

Drinking Water to Maintain Good Health

Water - The Beverage Your Body Needs Most

Drinking water is so important for good health. When you were a kid in school, you learned that each molecule of water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. You may also have learned that it was great fun to fill up your squirt guns with water, at least until the principal caught you. What you may not have learned, however, was how much water you needed in order to be a healthy human being.

Why You Need to Drink Water

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

Signs of Dehydration

You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine pills and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because they trick your body into thinking you have more water than we need.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty.

How Much Water do you need to drink?

A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. When you are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are on board the plane. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another two servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.

Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink. Water is the best choice. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them, so if you drink sodas, you may take in more calories than you need. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. Juices are good because they have vitamins and nutrients.

Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

Drink Enough Water

It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.

Please Save Energy

How many ways can you think of to save energy around your house?

California's electricity problems taught us all to think about the energy we use everyday. There's never enough energy to waste!

Many Californians learned to use their energy more efficiently. We also learned how to conserve energy - how to make thoughtful choices about ways we can use less. We learned how important it is to not waste energy, so there is enough for everyone.

Californians "Flexed Their Power" by using energy at different times of the day, by turning lights and machines off when not being used.

If you want to find out why California had its "Energy Crisis," the U.S. Department of Energy has a good background page at:

www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/california/california.html

Are YOU and your family having an energy crisis? You may be if you're wasting energy. How many of these ways to save energy around the house do YOU know?

Change a Light, Change the World

We really can "Change the World" with just one light bulb. The key is that the more people that take this step, the more we can change the world.

Fight the Light!

Don't leave lights on when no one is in the room. If you are going to be out of the room for more than five minutes, turn off the light.

If you know of a light that everyone forgets to turn off, make a sticker or a sign to hang next to the switch that says "Lights Out!" or "Don't Forget!"

Where possible, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Those funny-looking bulbs produce the same amount of light by using 1/4 of the electricity. Plus, they last for years and years without burning out.

There's one light bulb that firefighters in Livermore, California, never turn off. It uses very little energy and has been burning for 101 years! Find out more about the Centennial Bulb,

Don't Leave Things Turned On

Turn off the TV when no one is watching it. The same goes for computers, radios and stereos - if no one using it, turn it off. Turn off all the appliances at the surge protector/control strip - that four- or six-plug extension chord that you plug all your computer things into. Some devices, like modems or other networking boxes are drawing small amounts of power all the time. Check with your folks first, but the best thing to do is turn them ALL off at the surge protector.

It's a Matter of Degrees!

In warm weather, the thermostat at home should be set at 78 degrees. (Don't do this, of course, if it will cause health problems for anyone in your family.) When no one is home, set the thermostat at 85 degrees. That way, you'll reduce the need for air conditioning and you will save energy. If you have ceiling fans or other fans, turn them on. The blowing air can make you feel 5 degrees cooler, without running the family's air conditioner. Fans use a lot less electricity than air conditioners!

In cold weather, wear warm clothing and have your thermostat set to 68 degrees or lower during the day and evening, health permitting. When you go to sleep at night, set the thermostat back to either 55 degrees, or turn it off. When you leave home for an extended time, set the thermostat at 55 degrees or turn it off, too. That way, your family can save from 5 percent to 20 percent on your heating costs. (Don't do this, of course, if it will cause health problems for anyone in your family.)

Don't Heat - or Cool - the Great Outdoors!

Americans use twice as much energy as necessary to heat their homes. That accounts for a lot of wasted energy!

If you have a fireplace, close the damper when you don't have a fire burning. An open fireplace damper can let 8 percent of heat from your furnace escape through the chimney! In the summer, an open fireplace damper can let cool air escape. It's like having a window open!

Make a map of your home, and mark all the windows, heating vents, and outside doors. Take a ribbon and hold it up to the edges of the doors and windows. If the ribbon blows, you've found a leak! Ask Mom or Dad to seal the leak with caulk or weatherstripping.

Think about your curtains. Keeping the curtains closed on cold, cloudy days helps block the cold outside air from getting inside. Also, keeping the curtains closed on very hot days keeps the hot air out!

In the Bedroom

Turn off your electric blanket when you aren't in bed.

Don't leave on your computer, TVs, radios or games that use electricity when you're not using them.

In the Bathroom

Wasting water wastes electricity. Why? Because the biggest use of electricity in most cities is supplying water and cleaning it up after it's been used!

About 75 percent of the water we use in our homes is used in the bathroom. Unless you have a low flush toilet, for example, you use about five gallons to seven gallons of water with every flush! A leaky toilet can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water a year. Wow!

Drippy faucets are bad, too. A faucet that leaks enough water to fill a soda bottle every 30 minutes will waste 2,192 gallons of water a year.

Another simple way to save water AND energy is to take shorter showers. You'll use less hot water - and water heaters account for nearly 1/4 of your home's energy use.

In the Kitchen

According to researchers who are paid to study such things, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher uses 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand! However, if you fill up one side of the sink with soapy water and the other side with rinse water - and if you don't let the faucet run - you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher does. Doing the dishes this way can save enough water for a five-minute shower!

If you need to warm up or defrost small amounts of food, use a microwave instead of the stove to save energy. Microwave ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens do. For large meals, however, the stove is usually more efficient. In the summer, using a microwave causes less heat in the kitchen, which saves money on air conditioning.

Don't keep the refrigerator door open any longer than you need to. Close it to keep the cold air inside! Also, make sure the door closes securely. There is a rubber-like seal around the door that you can test. Just close the door on a dollar bill, and then see how easy it is to pull out. If the dollar slides out easily, the door is probably leaking cold air from inside.

Is there an old refrigerator sitting in the garage or someplace else at home? Old refrigerators are real energy hogs! An old refrigerator could be costing your family as much as $120 a year to operate. Urge your parents to replace it if they don't need it, and remind them that one large refrigerator is cheaper to run than two smaller ones.

Shocking News About Batteries

Did you know that Americans use an average of about eight batteries a year per person? Wow!

Batteries that are thrown away produce most of the heavy metals - dangerous substances like lead, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, and mercury - that are found in household trash. These metals are toxic. They can be harmful to humans and wildlife. When discarded batteries from our trash wind up in landfills, these dangerous metals can seep into the ground water and eventually into the food chain. So, instead of throwing batteries in the trash, we should all take them to a toxic waste disposal area, if at all possible.

Turn off the toys and games (like GameBoys TM) that use batteries when you are not playing with them. That makes the batteries last longer, and you won't need as many of them.

Forty percent of all battery sales are made during the holiday season. Ask for holiday gifts that do not require batteries.

Ask your parents to buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger.

Outside the House

Remember how saving water saves energy? Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off the driveway, patio or deck - this will save hundreds of gallons of water each year.

If you only have a small lawn, consider getting a manual push mower. It doesn't use any energy except your own. Pushing the mower spins the rotating wheels, which spins the cutter. Consider it good exercise!

Don't use an electric or gasoline leaf blower. Instead, use a rake.

If you need to leave a security light on over night, change the incandescent bulb to a compact fluorescent. It will last months and maybe years and save you energy and money. Some compact fluorescent bulbs even come in yellow so they won't attract bugs.

Think About What Your Family Buys

If you buy things that can be used over and over instead of buying disposable items that are used once and then thrown away, you will save precious natural resources. You'll also save energy used to make them, and you'll reduce the amount of landfill space we need when they are thrown away.

Those same savings happen you buy things that will last instead of breaking right away. Well-made items may cost a little more to begin with, but they are usually worth the money because they last for a long time, and you don't have to replace them.

When your family goes shopping, think about taking bags with you. Only about 700 paper bags can be made from one 15-year-old tree. A large grocery store can use that many bags before lunch! Plastic bags start out as either oil or natural gas. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable resources. This means they can't be reused, and when they are all gone, they are gone forever. And throw-away bags add a lot of pollution to the environment. If plastic and paper bags are used once and go to landfills, they stay there for hundreds of years Some stores offer discounts for people who use their own bags. For every bag reused, they give money back - usually about five cents for each bag.

With your parents, pick a spot in your house to store bags that you get from the grocery store. These bags can be used to carry things to friends' houses or for trash linings. After bags wear out, recycle them.

Other Recycling Tips

Make a scrap-paper pad. Gather pieces of used paper the same size with the blank side up. Find a piece of cardboard the same size as the paper and put it at the back. Staple the whole thing together, and use it as a place to write down grocery lists or things to do.

If every American recycled his or her newspaper just one day a week, we would save about 36 million trees a year. You can save a tree for every four feet of paper you recycle. It takes half as much energy to make recycled newspaper as it takes to make fresh newsprint from trees.

Recycle your newspapers. (Check to see if recycling centers want them tied together or in bags.) Anything that comes with the newspaper can also be recycled (except magazines, which must be recycled separately).

• 
  
  Recycle your old notebook paper. It is considered "white paper," and makes better recycled paper. "White paper" is writing paper, notebook paper, white envelopes, typing paper, index cards, computer paper, and white stationary.

ereal boxes, egg cartons, wrapping paper are called "mixed paper." All these things can be recycled. Mixed paper can be made into paperboard, the paper that is used on roofs.

In Your School

The energy-saving ideas you used at home can also be used in school. Consider creating a weekly "energy monitor" - someone who's job it is to make sure lights are out when there's no one in a room. He or she can also make sure that machines are turned off when not being used. Have your teacher or principal check with the California Energy Commission to see if you school can become a "Bright School."

Benefits of Yoga - Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You

Yoga books tell us that Yoga, as we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kitand tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga - to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise.

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

• Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
• Pulse rate decreases
• Respiratory rate decreases
• Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
• EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
• EMG activity decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Respiratory efficiency increases
• Gastrointestinal function normalizes
• Endocrine function normalizes
• Excretory functions improve
• Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
• Breath-holding time increases
• Joint range of motion increase
• Grip strength increases
• Eye-hand coordination improves
• Dexterity skills improve
• Reaction time improves
• Posture improves
• Strength and resiliency increase
• Endurance increases
• Energy level increases
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves
• Immunity increases
• Pain decreases
• Steadiness improves
• Depth perception improves
• Balance improves
• Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Social adjustment increases
• Anxiety and Depression decrease
• Hostility decreases
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Attention improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Mood improves
• Self-actualization increase
• Social skills increases
• Well-being increases
• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Self-acceptance increase
• Attention improves
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Symbol coding improves
• Depth perception improves
• Flicker fusion frequency improves

 Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

•  Glucose decreases
•  Sodium decreases
•  Total cholesterol decreases
•  Triglycerides decrease
•  HDL cholesterol increases
•  LDL cholesterol decreases
•  VLDL cholesterol decreases
•  Cholinesterase increases
•  Catecholamines decrease
•  ATPase increases
•  Hematocrit increases
•  Hemoglobin increases
•  Lymphocyte count increases
•  Total white blood cell count decreases
•  Thyroxin increases
•  Vitamin C increases
•  Total serum protein increases

Yoga Health Benefits versus Exercise Benefits

Yoga Benefits

• ParasympatheticNervous Systemdominates
• Subcortical regions of brain dominate
• Slow dynamic and static movements
• Normalization of muscle tone
• Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
• Low caloric consumption
• Effort is minimized, relaxed
• Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
• Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
• Noncompetitive, process-oriented
• Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
• Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness

Exercise Benefits
• Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
• Cortical regions of brain dominate
• Rapid forceful movements
• Increased muscle tension
• Higher risk of injury
• Moderate to high caloric consumption
• Effort is maximized
• Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
• Imbalance activity of opposing groups
• Competitive, goal-oriented
• Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
• Boredom factor

Food source of antioxidant - health benefits of antioxidants

Green tea, blueberries or whey – be informed about antioxidants and their properties.

Our bodies are constantly utilizing oxygen for a range of vital functions. In the process appears chemicals known as free radicals that have unpaired electrons which traveling inside the body are trying to steal electrons from other molecules. This process is known as oxidation and there are a lot of antioxidants that are the remedy to this problem. Antioxidants have the function to neutralize free radicals; some of the antioxidants have proven to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidants benefits

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause.

Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances.

Extras of the green tea: It contains phenols – substances that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The experiments proved that green tea decrease the redness and other effects of sunburns; decrease the level of skin irritation, caused by different surface-active substances of washing materials.

Milk Thistle Extract: Milk thistle is a plant native to the Mediterranean. It usually grows in dry, sunny areas. The active ingredient is called silymarin. Consisting of a group of compounds known as flavonolignans, silymarin helps repair liver cells that have been damaged by alcohol and other toxins. Silymarin also has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Most milk thistle based products are standardized to contain 70-80% silymarin.

Blueberries: Much research has shown that blueberries provide health benefits in the areas of anti-aging, antioxidant action, disease prevention, treatment of urinary tract infection, improving eyesight and controlling cholesterol. Blueberries are powerful antioxidants. Anthocyanin, which is the pigment that makes the blueberry blue, is the key antioxidant responsible for these benefits. Researchers believe that the phytochemicals in blueberries may reduce inflammatory processes in tissues by increasing cells membranes ability to allow vital nutrients and chemical signals to pass in and out of the cell.

Whey: The low-molecular proteins fraction of the whey represents the most active factor, because it contains amino acids, growth factors and antibodies. Whey also contains the amino acid called glutamylcysteine which is necessary for the synthesis of glutathione – one of the main antioxidants.

Mexican Red Beans: The flavonoids that give Mexican Red Beans their bright-red colour are extremely powerful antioxidants. These beans are also a good source of fibre, folic acid, and carbohydrates.


Grapes antioxidants: They have the property to render harmless the radicals which are formed during inflammations, thus, preventing the skin irritation.

Prunes: Or dried plum, contain an unusually high concentration of unique phytonutrients called neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid. These substances found in prunes and plums are classified as phenols, and their function as antioxidants has been well documented. They are especially good at neutralizing a particularly dangerous oxygen radical called superoxide anion radical, and they have also been shown to help prevent oxygen-based damage to fats.
The ability of prunes to fight free radicals is boosted by beta-carotene. Beta-carotene acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant, eliminating free radicals that would otherwise cause a lot of damage to our cells and cell membranes.

What do you choose? Junk food or healthy products? Whatever your choice will be you have to know about antioxidants and the products that contain the biggest amount of antioxidants.

Best sources of antioxidants – best foods with antioxidants
A USDA study analyzed the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods. Researchers tested over 100 foods. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts:
1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup[br[
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

Learning Basic Computer Shortcut Keys - MS Windows

The one thing that most people suffer from when using a computer, knows the simple shortcuts that are available in order for them to perform a task, or tasks quicker. These shortcuts are known as shortcut keys, and they are very useful, and not only for the novice user, but also for the more advanced computer user as well. Getting to know these shortcut keys will hopefully enable you to cut down on the time it takes for you to perform a certain task on your computer, thus leading to more efficiency in what you are doing, whether at home, school, or work.

Another thing to remember is that the computer manufacturers fail to let the consumer know that these shortcut keys exist, and it is up to the user (consumer) to either figure them out, or if they do know about them, purchase a chart with all of the available shortcuts listed since there is a multitude to learn.

Now some basic computer shortcut keys are:

Alt + F:-- File menu options in current program :-

Alt + E :-- Edit options in current program :-

F1 :-- Universal help (for all programs)

Ctrl + A :-- Select all text

Ctrl + X :-- Cut selected item

Shift + Del :-- Cut selected item

Ctrl + C ::-- Copy selected item

Ctrl + Ins :-- Copy selected item

Ctrl + V :-- Paste

Shift + Ins :-- Paste

Ctrl + Home Ctrl + HomeHome :Go to beginning of current line

Go to beginning of document

End :-- Go to end of current line

Ctrl + End :-- Go to end of document

Shift + Home :-- Highlight from current position to beginning of line

Shift + End :-- Highlight from current position to end of line

Ctrl + <--- :-- (arrow key) Move one word to the left at a time

Ctrl + ---> :-- (arrow key) Move one word to the right at a time

Ctrl + B :-- Bolds the current highlighted selection

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS by Professionals... for Beginners

Get ready for the most user-friendly basic photography tips there are. Use them every single time you're about to reach for your digital camera.

Use them for family portraits, action photography, baby photography, or pet photography (indoors or outdoors).

Do your photos turn out differently than expected and you wish you could find out why?

Do you feel intimidated by digital photography? That's OK. Many people do, especially in the beginning.

I don't know if you're like me, but the main reason I feel intimidated by new things, is because of that dreaded learning curve. Well, I have good news for you.

By the time we're through going over these basic photography tips, 90% of the learning curve will be behind you, and pretty soon, you'll find these photography tips becoming second-nature to you!

To help with the learning process, you're invited to receive our free newsletter (and free eBook) by completing the form to the left, under the navigation bar.

 

Basic Photography Tip -1 : DON'T TOUCH THAT CAMERA!

Your pulse has risen... the adrenalin is coursing through your body... you can almost taste the excitement! It's time to grab that electronic wonder and take some photos! Just remember one of the most basic photography tips there is--DON'T TOUCH THAT CAMERA. At least not yet. Make sure you first...

1. Get the camera bag
2. If the camera's not in it, put it in (Imagine how you'd feel if you dropped your camera not in it's protective camera bag)
3. Verify that the batteries in your camera as well as the spare batteries are FULLY CHARGED. (You do have spare batteries, don't you?!)
4. If you're going to be shooting indoors, also take the battery charger (I don't know if this should be considered a "basic photography tip" as much as basic planning, but in any case... be prepared.)
5. Determine if you could possibly need any accessories like a tripod,extra lens, filters, etc., and then pack them up.
6. Open the camera and check if the memory is loaded (There's basic photography tips, and then there's BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS. This one is even "pre-basic.")
7. Estimate how much shooting you'll be doing, and take with at least twice that amount of memory. (Nothing is more depressing than an incredible photo opportunity but... no more memory!)
8. If you're off to a major family event such as an anniversary party or a family reunion, don't forget to take the list of portrait posing ideas.You'll be so sorry if you forget!

 

Photography Tip -2 : LIMIT THE CAFFEINE

The biggest cause of blurred photographs is what's known as "camera shake." My personal favorite of all the basic photography tips there are, isdon't do that!

Although you are not consciously aware of any movement, the slower the shutter speed, the greater the chances for camera shake. To avoid ruining shots this way (don't worry-there are plenty of other ways to ruin shots), do your best on the following photography tips:

• Plant both feet firmly on the ground.
• Establish a natural and comfortable photography stance in which your elbows are tucked firmly against your body while the camera is pressed firmly against your face.
• Just before you snap the picture, take (and hold) your breath andgently squeeze the shutter. (If you jerk the shutter down too quickly, because of the excitement felt in taking the "shot of the century," you'll get it alright... but it will be blurred).
• If you've had caffeine (seriously!) or have slight hand shaking, do everyone a favor and use a tripod.
• It won't be embarrassing because you don't have to tell anyone why you're doing it. And, you'll even look more professional!
• If you don't have a tripod handy when you need one, brace yourself against a solid object such as a wall, a tree, or Uncle Bruno.
• Remember the "Inverse Ratio Rule," where your shutter speed should not be slower than 1 divided by the focal length of the lens you are using? You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

 

OK, quick review; here's an example: if you are using a 100mm lens, you want your shutter setting to be faster than 1/100 of a second. If for whatever reason, you are using a slower shutter speed, please use a tripod or steady yourself against an object.

The waterfall photograph above was taken at F-11 with a shutter speed of1.5 seconds.

If a tripod had not been used, the picture would have been so blurred that you could not even tell what it was supposed to be.

P.S. - the only way to achieve the "angel hair" look to the water is by using a very slow shutter speed.

 

 

 

Basic Photography Tip -3 : IT'S OK TO INVADE PERSONAL SPACE

As "Commander-In-Chief-of-the-Camera" ("CICOTC" for short), you are afforded certain privileges that mere mortals can never hope to attain.

One of the prime rules of etiquette tells us not to invade the personal space of others. However, when it comes to basic photography tips, you are encouraged to ignore this rule.

Depending upon how much of a telephoto lens you have (how much you can "zoom" your camera lens), you want to be close enough to your subject so that they fill at least 85% of the frame, while the background contributes no more than 15%.

The key assumption here is that the background in question is irrelevant. If, for example, you were posing your family for a multi-generational portrait, and it was taking place in front of a giant waterfall, you would probably want to bend the above rule.

The main challenge you will run into when following these particular basic photography tips is when you are taking flash photographs of subjects less than 6 feet away.

Moving from basic to intermediate photography tips for a second, controlling the intensity and type of light can make a huge difference in the final photograph. Some flashes create an unnatural-looking bright appearance. In that case, experiment with the following solutions:

Use an external flash, attached to the hot shoe, and create a bounce flash off the ceiling or a wall

• Attach a diffuser over the flash head to create a softer, less intense light
• Bounce the flash off a white surface (a piece of white cardboard will do) rather than have it aimed directly at your subjects
• Use a "flash deflector" such as Lumiquest's Pocket Bouncer
• If you can increase the ISO setting without creating too much digital "noise," you may be able to avoid having to use a flash entirely
• If you don't have an external flash, it gets a little more difficult. If you have a Point And Shoot, you can experiment with different translucent materials and hold them over the flash; however, unless you can compensate the F-stop or shutter speed appropriately, your subject will likely be under-exposed
• The last option for Point And Shoots is to move the subject next to a window where there is enough external light coming into the room, in order to avoid having to use a flash. In this case, avoid the glare of the glass by shooting at an angle (that's a bonus basic photography tip)

 

Basic Photography Tip -4 : COMPOSITION AND THE RULE OF THIRDS

There are many photo opportunities where it is not only acceptable, but actually preferred, to place the subject in the middle of the frame (examples being group shots of 5 to 15 people).

However, there are other times when doing so will only generate a very boring picture (no, this is NOT a basic photography tip on how to produce boring photos).

One of the most basic photography tips that exists is called "The Rule of Thirds." When composing a shot, divide up the picture frame into a vertical and horizontal grid of thirds (similar to a tic-tac-toe board).

Rather than placing your subject in the middle of the frame, place them at one of the four intersecting points on your imaginary grid. This will usually produce a more compositionally pleasing result. Just remember, like most rules, don't use it for every photograph.