How Much Calcium Do You Need?

You've probably heard that you need to take a calcium
supplement each day - even if you are taking a
multi-vitamin. This is because most people don't get enough
calcium in their diets and the multi-vitamins don't have
the recommended daily dosage of calcium in them; even
though they do have other nutrients and minerals that we
need.

We need calcium to keep our bones and teeth strong, but it
is also needed to help our muscles contract properly, to
help our blood clot, to help nerves carry messages, to keep
our hearts beating properly, and to prevent diseases such
as Osteoporosis. Without calcium our bodies are in big
trouble!

We get some calcium from the foods we eat.  Dairy products,
broccoli, rice, salmon, tuna, beans, nuts, seeds, oysters,
shrimp, turnip greens, okra, other green vegetables,
oranges, figs, and several other foods all contain calcium.
 But again, most people don't consume enough of these foods
in a single day to get the required amount of calcium that
is needed by the body, even if they are taking an
additional multi-vitamin.

Most people don't even know how much calcium they need to
meet their body's requirements. Doctors always tell us to
take a calcium supplement - but they almost always fail to
say how much calcium is enough, and how much is too much!

First, let's look at how much is too much, in terms of
calcium. Nobody has ever overdosed on calcium, but some
people have had health problems that were caused because
they were getting too much calcium - the solution was
always to cut down on the calcium of course. So far,
scientists and doctors agree that up to 2500 milligrams of
calcium per day is perfectly safe - but you don't even need
that much.

Most health care professionals agree that if you aren't
drinking three eight ounce glasses of milk per day, you are
not getting enough calcium. Babies between the ages of
newborn and six months old should have at least 210
milligrams of calcium each day. From seven months to one
year, they should have 270 milligrams per day. Children
aged one to three years should have 500 milligrams, four to
eight years should have 800 milligrams, and nine years to
eighteen year olds should have 1300 milligrams.

It is vitally important that children under the age of
eighteen get the calcium that they need, because this is
when their bones and teeth are developing, and their bodies
crave calcium!

Adults between the ages of nineteen and fifty need 1000
milligrams of calcium per day, which adults aged fifty one
and over need to increase their calcium intake to 1200
milligrams per day.

If you are taking a supplement to get your daily calcium
make sure you are also taking magnesium with it.  Magnesium
is the transport that brings the calcium to your cells.
The ratio of magnesium to calcium should be 2:1.  In other
words if you are taking 1200mg of calcium you should also
be taking 600mg of magnesium for a complete solution.


----------------------------------------------------
Steven Godlewski is currently working with the staff at
PillFreeVitamins.com He has an extensive background in
nutrition as well as other health related fields. For more
health-related articles see their website at:
http://www.pillfreevitamins.com

 

Acoustic Shock

When you think of hazardous careers, firefighters, police
officers, and coal miners doubtless top the list. Rarely
would call center representative enter your mind. But in
recent years studies in the UK and Australia are analyzing
a syndrome affecting a significant number of call center
operators.

Acoustic shock syndrome is defined as any temporary or
permanent disturbance of the functioning of the ear or of
the nervous system, which may be caused to the user of a
telephone earphone by a sudden sharp rise in the acoustic
pressure produced by it. The exact source of shock
incidents is still unknown, but most likely they are
signals occurring within the telephone network, such as
alarm signals, signalling tones, or feedback oscillation.
The noises are described as sudden and intense shrieks,
howls, spikes, screeches, and squawks. While the same
signals occur in the hand-held telephones used at home,
they can have a traumatic effect on call center operators
who typically wear head-sets that take longer to remove,
thus exposing them to longer duration. Add to this, the
volume of the head-sets worn by call center operators,
which is usually turned up due to competing call center
noise. This may account for victims' describing the
incidents as like being hit over the head, or like being
stabbed in the ear.

The studies have shown that as many as 10% of call center
employees have experienced an incident, leading to at least
one missed day of work. Severe discomfort and pain may be
felt during the exposure, and many other symptoms follow.
Within the first thirty minutes of the incident, operators
complain of nausea or exhibit symptoms typical of shock.
Lingering symptoms, which can last a few days or even
months, are headaches, nausea, tension, hypersensitivity to
loud sounds, depression, and anxiety. In a few extreme
cases, victims experience difficulty in balancing and
hearing loss. Stress appears to exacerbate the symptoms,
and it is likely that on-going symptoms are after-effects
of muscles and ligaments being tensed to an unusual degree.
This may explain why exposure to more than one incident
developed more severe symptoms that lasted longer. Besides
a higher stress level, operators who smoked, or had prior
neck and shoulder pain seemed to suffer worse from symptoms.

Fortunately, employers are listening to the buzz about
acoustic shock and reacting with concern. Most call centers
now use sophisticated head set amplifiers with sound
shields that block the transmission of high-pitched
frequencies. Call center design has also been affected, to
reduce ambient noise and thus enable the operator to reduce
amplifier volume. These steps dramatically reduce, if not
eliminate, the risk of traumatic acoustic shock incidents.
However, victims who have already experienced an incident
should be encouraged to seek counselling, and supervisors
should be sensitive to their suffering. Confidence may take
time to build, but with the proper support, operators can
and do return to their former work status.


----------------------------------------------------
Rob Daniels comments on Call Centers at Call Center Depot
http://www.call-center-depot.com and
http://www.call-center-tools.com

 

Gentle Colon Cleansing - Is It Possible?

Colon Cleansing isn't something that most people want to
talk about, much less think about, but it is a necessary
part of life if you want to be healthy. According to
medical experts, we have between five and 25 pounds of
excess waste built up inside our colons. This bacterium
causes bacteria and toxins to spread in our bodies, causing
sickness and even death. In fact, 90% of all illnesses and
diseases are due to unclean colons.

This accumulation of waste also prevents us from absorbing
nutrients that our bodies need. Many people envision colon
cleansing as an unpleasant procedure that is done at the
doctor's office, involving a hose. This is no longer the
case. Colon cleansing can be done orally, and it is not
painful at all. In fact, it can be a very gentle process.

Look at this fact. Animals do not die from colon cancer.
However, human beings - with all of our technology and
available resources - die from colon cancer at an alarming
rate. There is a reason for this. Animals depend on nature
for their survival, while human beings depend on processed
foods that do not resemble nature at all.

Also consider the fact that animals have two or three bowel
movements each day. This is because their systems work
properly. Humans believe that they should have one bowel
movement every day or two - and this isn't true. We should
also have two or three bowel movements each day.

A dirty colon not only causes illnesses and disease, it can
also prevent us from losing weight simply because we are
not able to break down and excrete the food that we eat.
But losing weight is the least of our worries. This year,
50,000 men and women in the United States will die from
colon cancer.

Colon cleansing, which is a vital part of being healthy or
regaining one's health, isn't what it used to be. Today, it
can be done gently and orally. This is not like taking
laxatives either. Using an all natural colon cleansing
system will detoxify, remove parasites, prevent toxicity,
aid in weight loss, prevent illness and diseases, and
prevent colon cancer.

A good Colon Cleanse Program also cleans the colon by
breaking down hardened wastes from the intestinal walls
using herbal tabs. It then attracts and holds toxins that
have accumulated in the body with activated charcoal, and
then takes those toxins from the body with fiber.

Again, colon cleansing isn't a topic that most people want
to think about, much less do. But if you consider the
alternative, colon cleansing isn't so bad, and in the end,
you will feel and live a great deal better. The alternative
is having rotted and impacted fecal matter living inside
your colon, and all that entails - toxins, illness,
disease, and colon cancer.

The colon cleansing process is very gentle, and lasts over
an extended period of time. It isn't the violent process
that you may have imagined. It doesn't require the
assistance of a doctor - or anyone else. This is something
that you can do in your own home with oral formulas.  You
will feel better and be healthier - so, you should consider
giving yourself this gift as soon as possible.


----------------------------------------------------
Steven Godlewski is currently working with the staff at
PillFreeVitamins.com He has an extensive background in
nutrition as well as other health related fields. For more
health-related articles see their website at:
http://www.pillfreevitamins.com

 

What Are The Different Causes Of Bad Breath?

Copyright (c) 2006 SSLI Health Group

Do you have problems with bad breath or halitosis? Do you
know what causes that embarrassing odor? There are several
reasons for the presence of bad breath. Believe it or not
it is possible for some people to have bad breath and they
are not even aware of it. However, if you are concerned
about this unpleasant condition, then see your dental care
provider.

Why do garlic and onions have such an offensive after
effect? Certain foods contain volatile oils and once
digested they enter your blood stream and then they are
transferred to your lungs. Your lungs will emit this
pungent odor until the food is eliminated from your body.
Brushing and mouth rinses can only cover the odor
temporarily. Order that next cheeseburger, but hold the
onions. Crash diets and fasting also cause bad breath as
the breakdown of chemicals takes place.

When you fail to brush and floss your teeth properly
particles of food are left behind to collect bacteria.
Food particles will actually rot as they collect between
your teeth and around your tongue and gums. It's the
bacteria growth that is actually causing the foul odor. It
is very unappealing when you think about it in this light.

What medications are you taking? Several medications play
an active part in producing unpleasant breath. It would be
a good idea to make a list of foods you eat and medications
you use if you are experiencing constant bad breath. Take
this list to your dental care professional so he/she can
determine what the cause might be.

Have you ever experienced dry mouth? Saliva works to
moisten and cleanse your mouth to help remove food
particles. When saliva decreases dead cells collect and
decompose in your mouth causing bad breath. Do you sleep
with your mouth open? I am sure you have experienced
morning breath because dry mouth naturally occurs while you
sleep.

Do you happen to use tobacco products or drink alcoholic
beverages? Not only are these a danger to your health they
cause offensive breath odor as well.

Are you suffering from any medical disorder? Respiratory
infection, sinus infection, bronchitis, postnasal drip,
gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, and liver or kidney
conditions are all commonly associated with bad breath.

Finally, gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) is
usually the underlying issue concerning chronic bad breath.
If you suffer from canker sores the may cause foul odor
especially if they are associated with gum disease.

The best thing for you to do is see your dentist and get
his/her advice on what is causing your bad breath. If it
is not related to dental health they will most likely
suggest that you see your family physician.


----------------------------------------------------
Author: Sung Lee is the Inventor of Ultimate Gum SolutionT.
He has been Researching natural health products for the
benefits of human disease Treatment for the last 15 years.
Specially after 50 years of suffering of dental Infection
problem he has been testing every natural health
ingredients to find The solution for Gum Disease. The
Ultimate Gum SolutionT is the result of 5 years of research
and 5 years of testing with thousands of customers world
wide and dentist doctor's clinical test results. To
receive monthly newsletter:
http://www.1stultimategumsolution.com

Cholesterol and Heart

Copyright (c) 2006 Alvin Toh

It is important to maintain a healthy cholesterol level
irrespective of your age. Coronary heart disease is the
main cause of death in America. There are several
contributing risk factors to heart disease and cholesterol
is one of them that can be controlled. Not all cholesterol
is bad, so a good understanding and knowledge of the facts
about cholesterol can help you to live a healthier life.

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance found in the
body's cells and bloodstream. You can get cholesterol in
two ways. Cholesterol is produced by your liver. It is also
found in animal products with high saturated fat such as
meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy products. Processed foods
are another culprit as they contain trans-fatty acids that
can raise cholesterol.

Cholesterol is essential to maintain healthy bodily
functions such as producing bile that aids with digestion,
protecting nerve fibers, building cell membranes, creating
hormones, and synthesis of vitamin D. Too much of it,
however, is not healthy for the body. It can clog our
arteries, thus leading to heart attack or stroke.

There are two types of cholesterol, high density
lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL). HDL
is also called the good cholesterol because it can protect
the heart while LDL is the bad cholesterol because it can
clog arteries. We need these 2 types of cholesterol in our
bodies but in the right balance. The health concern of
cholesterol refers to excessive amount of LDL and
insufficient amount of HDL in the body.

Excessive LDL cholesterol in our bodies builds up in inner
walls of arteries that supply the heart and brain. It forms
a plague that clogs the arteries. A clot that blocks the
blood flow to the heart or brain can cause a heart attack
or stroke.

Why is HDL considered as good cholesterol? It carries the
bad cholesterol, LDL from the arteries to the liver to be
excreted from the body. As high level of HDL protects
against heart disease, you want more of HDL than LDL in
your body.

The link between cholesterol and heart disease has been
established in numerous studies. High cholesterol level is
a main risk for coronary heart disease. Cholesterol can be
managed through a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise,
regular screening, weight control, medications, avoid
smoking and drinking. A healthy diet and lifestyle can
prevent and reduce your risk of developing heart attack,
stroke and other diseases.


----------------------------------------------------
Can cholesterol-lowering drugs do you more harm than good?
There are ways to manage your cholesterol level without
relying on the long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Find out how you can do so at
http://www.scienti.info/art-heart