There's a relatively new field of psychology referred to as happiness studies. While I like to imagine researchers goofing around all day with whoopee cushions and googley- eye glasses, it's quite a serious area. It poses some critical questions--and digs up interesting answers--regarding what makes humans happy.

The givens: love, health, (relative) wealth, and creative outlets More to the point: belly laughs

Even if we've got the love/health/wealth thing figured out, it doesn't mean we're having a good time. We can have everything we've ever wanted--on paper, at least--and still be unhappy.

Now, that's sad.

What's emerging in study after study is that people want to have fun. Well, pardon me for saying so, but duh.

Yet, again and again, we choose to spend our time on activities that we think will be fun, that might have been fun at one time, but just take up time without giving us those belly laughs. Worse, many of our chosen "leisure" or "recreation" activities actually reduce our happiness levels!

We've stopped paying attention to what I call the LOL quotient: the frequency of Laughing Out Loud. It's amazing how many people can go through an entire day--or even longer!--without a single belly laugh.

We put our getting-it-done face on and just get through the day.

That's no fun.

The solution? Pay attention to your LOL quotient, and choose ways to boost it.

Let's look at exercise. Now, we all know we need to do it. We also know it helps us feel happy--or at least, those endorphins have the power to boost our feeling of well being.

But sometimes we get dragged down by the very activity we think will help us! Are you laughing during your workout? You should be.

At one time, my family belonged to a mega fitness center. Sparkling new, full of amenities, loads of classes.

It was such a depressing place. The women looked absolutely dour. In the locker room, they were sniping and complaining about their lives. The men were running on the treadmill while earnestly reading the financial magazines.

Nobody was laughing...they were not even smiling. Frantic mothers were squabbling with their toddlers before and after dropping them off in the childcare center. Only in a couple of dance classes were people having any fun.

I couldn't stand it. We quit.

Last year while living in Mexico, my daughter and I joined a gym at which we busted a gut on every visit. It was just too dorky for words, and even though it was sweaty (no air conditioning!) and dingy and the equipment was abysmal, there was always something to laugh about.

Here in Buenos Aires, we had lots of choices of gyms to join. We quickly dismissed the big gleaming fitness center packed full of exercisers on overdrive. We skipped the ominously-named "Steel and Blood" gym.

We went for the local club on our corner that has regular people popping in for 30-minute workouts, is decorated with super cheesy 80s posters, plays a hilarious mix of music, and is closed on Sundays.

You see, I want something to laugh about. I don't want to be surrounded by people who view their workout as the only highlight of their day. And I want the bliss of knowing that I can't possibly go to the gym on Sunday even if I wanted to--I just have to find something fun and active to do instead.

As a former fitness trainer, I know what we need to do to get strong. But I also know what we need to do to get HAPPY. And I'd root for happiness over fitness

in any smackdown contest.

Here in Buenos Aires, tango is huge. There are tango halls packed with would-be dancers. People come here on vacation from around the world solely to watch the tango shows, take lessons, and take their turn on the dance floor.

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances.

First research reports suggest that eating high-ORAC fruits and vegetables—such as spinach and blueberries—may help slow the aging processes in both body and brain.

ARS Administrator, Floyd P. Horn, states, “If these findings are borne out in further research, young and middle-aged people may be able to reduce risk of diseases of aging—including senility—simply by adding high-ORAC foods to their diets.”

The studies revealed high-ORAC foods:

• Raised the antioxidant power of human blood 10 to 25 percent
• Prevented some loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged rats
• Maintained the ability of brain cells in middle-aged rats to respond to a chemical stimulus--a function that normally decreases with age
• Protected rats' tiny blood vessels--capillaries--against oxygen damage

The health community has long held the thesis that oxidative damage culminates in many of the maladies of aging. The evidence has stimulated sales of antioxidant vitamins. However, the early studies have mixed results.

Nutritionist Ronald L. Prior posits, "If we can show some relationship between ORAC intake and health outcome in people, I think we may reach a point where the ORAC value will become a new standard for good antioxidant protection."

In a second study, men and women had a 13- to 15-percent increase in the antioxidant power of their blood after doubling their daily fruit and vegetable intake compared to what they consumed before the study. Just doubling intake, without regard to ORAC scores of the fruits and vegetables, more than doubled the number of ORAC units the volunteers consumed, Prior said.

While the research jury is still weighing the evidence, one company has hit the market place with a product, few can resist. Xoçai™ has capitalized on the natural antioxidant properties of chocolate and combined it with Blueberries and Acai. Acai is a plant with the highest antioxidant rated fruit on earth.

This product is ‘a dream come true’ for chocolate lovers everywhere. Xoçai™ blends the world's best antioxidant ingredients into a delicious dark chocolate beverage, rich dark chocolate nugget, and health-packed chocolate protein bar. They are truly unique! Xoçai™ claims a 3,120 ORAC per 12 oz. nugget of dark chocolate. Each Xoçai™ protein bar contains an astonishing 4,066 ORAC units! And because Xoçai™ is made from whole, natural foods, its antioxidants are in a form your body can easily absorb and use. (ORAC tests conducted by the USDA and Brunswick Laboratories.).

This product seems like the ideal way to ‘Have your cake (candy) and eat it too,” with healthy benefits of antioxidants and satisfying the chocolate lover’s palate.

Research has shown that most adults do not get enough sleep. On average you should get no less than 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. The concern about not getting enough sleep is that the next day you may pay for it with a headache, irritiability, fatigue, memory loss, reduced attention span, and poor comprehension and attention span. In addition over time sleep deprivation can lead to potentially serious medical conditions.

Medical experts have stated that suffuicent sleep ranks up there with a healthy height/weight ratio and physical activity, as noted in an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in terms of its effects on a individual's health. Some sleep researches suggest that daytime sleepiness should be considered as important a vital sign as high blood pressure or rapid heart beats.

Our over worked, overscheduled society bears much of the blame. Lack of sleep will affect your productivty at work and in life. A significant number of sleep deprived individuals have health conditions that prevent them from getting the proper sleep they need. As per the National Institutes of Health, and estimated 10% to 15% of the U.S population has chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is defined as the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep or early awakening. Another 5% of the popualtion suffers from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea means that the individual stops breathing for brief periods during sleep. Another 5% of individuals are wakened by restless leg syndrome. However, for the average individual the cause of sleeplessness is usually due to stress.

Stress can lead to certain illnesses if it is not recognized and decreased. As you can see lack of sleep can have serious consequences for You, Your Health and Your Wealth. Each year fatigue contributes to 100,000 highway accidents which unfortunately includes 1,500 deaths. One research study stated that getting only a few hours of sleep resulted in driving impairment which equals several alcoholic drinks. Your reaction time is also 50 % slower then those who get the required amount of sleep.

Lack of sleep can raise blood pressure, cause weight gain,increase your heart rate, lead to hormonal imbalances, heart disease, the development of type 2 diabetes, a depressed immune system, mood disturbances and psychiatric disorders. In addition up to 40% of individuals with chronic insomnia suffer from clinical depression.

Sufficient sleep is necessary for a healthier you. You , Your Health and Your Wealth are dependent on it. Invest in Yourself everyday.

Let's face it.. sleep is necessary for life!

Better yet, sleep has an increased rate of anabolism (the synthesis of cell structures), and a decreased rate of catabolism (the breakdown of cell structures).

What this means to you is more muscle.

Have you heard the term, "You don't grow in the gym, you grow out of the gym." Well sleep is part of that. It's not just recovery but it's when your muscles repair themselves.

:: Stages of Sleep ::

Currently, scientists divide sleep into two general types: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (non-REM).

And within those types, there are 5 defined stages of sleep referred to as Stages 1 thru 5.

Did you know that Non-REM (Stage 1-4 sleep) accounts for 75-80% of total sleep time? it's also in those stages that your body repairs itself and it's when the real growth occurs.

:: Optimal Sleep Amounts ::

An American study linked life spans with sleep amount and found that those who sleep 4 to 7 hours live the longest, with those sleeping less than 4 or more than 9 hours living shorter lives[1]. The National Sleep Foundation however maintains that 8 hours of sleep is optimal, claiming improved performance in tests, reduced risk of accidents and a better immune system. It is important to mention this does not apply to children and adolescents, particularly children who require as much as 13 hours a night.

:: Importance of Optimal Sleep ::

First, some theories of sleep describe sleep as a dynamic time of healing and growth for organisms. For example, during stages 3 and 4, or slow-wave sleep, growth hormone levels increase, and changes in immune function occur.

Non-REM sleep may be an anabolic state marked by physiological processes of growth and rejuvenation of the organism's immune, nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems.

But what happens if you don't get enough sleep?

:: Lack of Sleep ::

This is a list of potential problems associated with a lack of sleep or sleep deprivation.

irritability hernia nausea Decreased ability for the immune system to fight off sickness Weight gain increased blood pressure Aching muscles Faster aging Slowed reaction time dizziness

For all those reasons, you can see that getting enough sleep is EXTREMELY important to your goals of muscle building and fat loss. A lack of sleep can really put a lid on your progress.

Short bouts of sleep deprivation probably won't stifle your gains but long term sleep problems can certainly curtail your progress.

While there is not single number that works for every single person, generally 4-7 hours should be enough for most people under most conditions to build muscle and burn fat.

It's true that some people need more and some people need less.

:: Sleep Tips for Getting the Rest You Need ::

Here's just a few tips for healthy and restful sleep.

Sleep only when sleepy - There's no reason to go to sleep or attempt to sleep if you aren't tired.

If you cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up until you are tired and try again. Don't lie awake for hours.

Nap no more than 20 minutes and certainly not too late in the day as it will interfere with going to sleep later.

Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. This includes weekends. Establish a sleep routine and stick with it.

Refrain from exercising 4 hours before your regular bedtime. You can do morning workouts and late afternoon but if you workout too close to bed time, you've essentially just woken yourself up. It will be harder to go to sleep quickly if you've just got your blood flowing.

Develop sleep rituals. Many parents try and calm their children down 20 minutes or more before bed. This establishes a relaxation time frame before sleeping. Whatever you can do to relax before going to bed.

Only use your bed for sleeping.

Stay away from stimulates 4-6 hours before bed. That includes alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.

Have a light snack before bed.

Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bed. Some studies have shown that a drop in body temperature will leave you feeling sleepy. The bath will warm you up and getting out will cool you down. That drop can leave you feeling ready to sleep and it's a relaxing ritual as well before heading off to bed. A hot/warm shower will also do the trick.

Ensure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable. This means the place where you sleep is conducive to sleeping.

One sleep "secret" action you can take within 45 seconds of opening your eyes in the morning, to instantly raise your energy is to use sunlight to set your biological clock. When light hits your skin, it starts to destroy melatonin. The faster you can get rid of melatonin, the less groggy you will feel upon waking. The first 15 seconds you can either open up a window and get some sunlight or you can look near a bright light if it's too dark outside. This will help to wake you up quickly and get rid of that groggy feeling you sometimes can feel.

Needless to say...

Sleep is extremely important to getting the most of our your fitness program. There's several benefits to sleep beyond the simple fact it's required for life. There's long term effects of sleep deprivation that will interfere with your goals.

Clearly when you sleep, your body is growing and repairing form the workout you did to stimulate muscle growth. This means it is critical to your overall progress.

A busy day, a tight schedule, a stressful meeting, a agonizing headache. What do you need when you are in this kind of situation? How to get rid of headache under such circumstance? Best remedy for your headache now is perhaps pure, unpolluted air that is rich with negative ions.

Negative ions are actually vitamins in our air. When we breath, we inhale different kinds of gases, most important of which is oxygen. Oxygen atoms in air are charged with either positive charges or negative charges. Negative ions are great for our body, we need to breathe in negative ions to be healthy. If we do not absorb enough of them, we may suffer from tiredness, insomnia, and more undesirable, headaches.

Negative ions are created by sunlight or by the disintegration of water droplets caused by water falls, streams, waves and so on. Hence in the countryside there are lots of negative ions, as many as 8,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter of air. However in a confined space, the situation is reversed.

The problem with negative ions is that it is much more fragile than positive ones and are easily destroyed in an indoor confined space. That is why if you work for long hours in the office, you become tired and are more prone to headache due to lack of clean oxygen to your head.

To get around this problem, try to air the confined space you are in regularly. Keep your windows open for just 5 minutes is enough to clean up the air in an average sized room. For a long term health concerns, try to go out for a walk in the park or out in the countryside during weekends to keep your body healthy. This can help to prevent frequent headache attacks.

Lastly, for a quick and effective method, buy an ionizer. These devices can produce negative ions for you and you can place these devices in your office, home and bedroom. Regular use of ionizer can also help to keep your body in optimal condition, prevent frequent headache and can help with other health issues such as sleeplessness.

MIGRAINE

Migraine is essentially a nasty headache, even a sick headache, which comes on suddenly in a healthy person, lasts a few hours or even a day or two and afterwards the sufferer is restored to full health once more. During an attack the patient feels and looks very ill and may vomit. It is this repeated and unexpected onset of attacks, which characterises migraine. A diagnosis of migraine is made if there are headaches, which come and go and if two of the following features are present. A dislike of light and noise - pain limited to one side of the head only - vomiting or a feeling of nausea - disturbances of vision - queer sensations before an attack - a history of migraine in the family.

It is not known what happens in the head to cause the symptoms of a migraine attack. One theory is that in the early stages of an attack when the patient looks pale and strange things are happening to the eyes, skin or limbs, the blood vessels of the brain suddenly become narrowed. Later the throbbing headache develops when the blood vessels widen and become larger than usual. The headache continues until the blood vessels resume their normal size again, usually whilst sleeping. Headaches can affect the lives of every one. One in ten people suffer directly with moderate to severe headaches on a regular basis. The lives of those around them can also affected in many ways. The sufferer will probably often need to go and lie down, have difficulty driving, put off household tasks, find their work is disrupted and wish to be alone.

Migraines are twice as prevalent in the population as asthma; in fact it is one of the commonest of chronic disorders. Women suffer more severe and more frequent attacks. The condition is age related and strikes in teens and early twenties, meaning that ¾ of sufferer are under 45, having a serious impact on work and family. The cost to industry of headaches is between £600 and £750 million every year in lost productivity due to time off work. Over 4 million working days are lost per year from men alone and there are 4 times as many women as men who suffer from headaches. In between attacks headaches can interfere with relationships, cause anxiety and depression and lead to an inability to cope with every day life.

Migraines are usually headaches which feel like a moderate or severe pulsing or throbbing pain, usually one sided, which may increase on movement and can last from 4 hours to 3 days. Migraines can be at intervals of between a few days to a year or more and the sufferer is usually symptom free between attacks. There is sometimes a pattern, they may be menstrual related or so-called 'weekend migraine' or food, alcohol, stress or even hunger may trigger them.

TREATMENT

In order to start to take charge of the headaches the patient needs to find out what triggers their attack. The aim is to find best possible treatment and manage the headache or migraine with as little disruption to daily life as possible. Treatment can be for the acute stage or preventative but the idea is to resume normal activities as soon as possible. There are many ways in which migraines can be helped. These include medication, lying down and resting, fighting the headache, keeping busy, sleeping to try to ease the pain. Most sufferers do take medication for headache but very few want to bother their GP and say that it is 'only a migraine'. They believe that there is no effective treatment available. Treatment with drugs may relieve the symptoms of pain and nausea.

Certain foodstuffs and activities can trigger headaches and a change in life-style avoiding these triggers may reduce the number of attacks. Treatment with Manual Lymph Drainage improves the blood flow and reduces some of the effects of increased pressure due to circulatory problems. Connective Tissue Manipulation releases the tension around the blood vessels and helps to reduce not only the severity of the attack but also the frequency at which they occur. The effects of Connective Tissue Manipulation are cumulative. Once the tension has been reduced by treatment that reduction is maintained. The degree to which it is maintained is conditional upon the stress put into the system by the patient's lifestyle. By using a combination of reducing the tension, increasing the blood flow and improving the lymph drainage the altered circulation to the brain, which occurs during a migraine headache, can be returned too normal.

CRAMP

Cramp is caused by a lack of circulation to the muscles. Muscles need oxygen and nutrients to convert into energy to allow us to play sport or perform exercises. As a result waste products are formed in the muscles. The circulation increases to meet these demands and get rid of these waste products. In people with poor circulation the blood flow isn't sufficient to get rid of all the waste products produced by the muscles during exercise. When this happens the waste products irritate the muscles causing an involuntary contraction which we call cramp. Professional sportsmen take great care to maintain the circulation immediately after exercise so that waste products are quickly removed from the muscles and therefore reduce the danger of cramp occurring. Most often, for non-sports people, cramp is associated with stretching feet into the cold part of the bed in the small hours. In this case the cumulation of being cold and immobile in bed is enough to cause the muscles to go into cramp. Cramp is usually relieved either by massaging and stretching the muscle or getting out of bed and walking about. This improves the circulation in the short term and allows the removal of the waste products causing the cramp.

TREATMENT

Treatment with Connective Tissue Manipulation reduces the tension around the blood vessel walls and allows them to open up and allow better blood flow into the area. This improves the circulation in the longer term and reduces the frequency and the severity of episodes of cramp.

Jacqueline is one of a few UK Physiotherapists combining Connective Tissue Manipulation, Manual Lymph Drainage, the MacKenzie Exercise Regime and Cranio-sacral Therapy in private practice. During the past four years she has successfully treated over 1,000 patients with spinal problems and a further 1,300 patients with other muscular skeletal problems in her Gillingham Physio Centre in Dorset. In order to offer her specialist techniques to a greater number of patients she started the London Physio Centre at 148 Harley Street.

A Chartered and State Registered Physiotherapist, Jacqueline qualified at St Thomas's Hospital, London with additional emphasis in the treatment of backs and necks. She spent five years at the Leicester Royal Infirmary gaining experience in all branches of physiotherapy and became Senior Physiotherapist on the Medical Unit. In 1977 she created a private practice at the Leicester Clinic, eventually covering all orthopaedic, spinal and post-op physiotherapy.

Some kids think smoking cigarettes is cool. They smoke because their parents, siblings, and friends smoke. Girls may smoke in an effort to lose or control weight. Kids who feel a need to rebel may also smoke. But smoking cigarettes is not cool, it is harmful to health. Share these cigarette facts with your kids.

* Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals and 60 of them -- including ammonia, carbon monoxide, and tar -- cause cancer. Source: American Cancer Society.

* The nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive. Teens become addicted to cigarettes faster than adults. Source: www.mayoclinic.com/health/teen-smoking/QZ00040.

* Flavored cigarettes, called bidis and kreteks, contain more nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar than regular cigarettes. Source: www.mayoclinic.com/health/teen-smoking/QZ00040.

* Smoking cigarettes makes your breath, hair, and clothes smell. You become a walking stink bomb. Source: American Cancer Society.

* Cigarettes wear away tooth enamel, cause cavities, and make your gums recede. The brown tobacco leaves also stain your teeth brown. Source: www.quittobacco.com/facts/effects.htm.

* Smoking cigarettes deadens your sense of taste. The food you eat, including pizza, won't taste as good. Source: www.quittobacco.com/facts/effects.htm.

* Breathing is harder when you smoke cigarettes. Even if you are trained runner you will be short of breath. Smoking and sports are not a match. Source: Centers for Disease Control.

* Chronic smokers develop lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Cigarettes also cause larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder cancer. Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

* Smoking cigarettes will shorten your life. If you become a chronic smoker and smoke a pack a day you shorten your life by seven years. Source: Centers for Disease Control.

According to the American Cancer Society cigarettes harm nearly every organ in the body. Cigarettes are a gateway drug. Kids who smoke cigarettes are more likely to use alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Talk to your kids about the dangers of cigarettes. Tell them it's just plain stupid to smoke.

Does Monosodium glutamate (MSG) cause headaches? It’s a simple enough question but there seems to be no clear-cut answer. Research studies have been inconclusive. Many say that consuming MSG is not worse than eating a high salt diet. Others campaign vigorously against its use.

As far as headache sufferers are concerned, the answer seems to be – if it affects you, avoid it. People seem to have varying tolerance levels for MSG. Some can eat it quite happily, others appear to react to a very tiny amount. Many migraine sufferers believe that MSG will trigger a migraine for them. Even non-sufferers have been known to develop a headache after eating food containing MSG.

If it’s known to cause headaches – why is it put into food?

It’s all down to money. MSG is a flavor enhancer. The food industry can use cheaper, lower quality ingredients and by adding MSG, the taste is improved. MSG is a cheap additive and so it adds up to more money for the food provider.

MSG makes so much money for them, that MSG manufacturers have got together to finance ‘medical research’ to prove the MSG is safe. Those who are against the use of MSG say that these research studies are biased as the board who advises the FDA includes many people who work in the food industry.

What sort of food has MSG in it?

Some foods are clearly labeled as containing MSG. Others are not. Anything that has the following in it always contains MSG:

* Hydrolyzed protein
* Sodium or calcium caseinate
* Yeast extract or autolyszed yeast
* Yeast nutrient
* Textured protein
* Glutamic acid

In addtion, if you see these words on the packaging, the food often contains MSG:

* Flavoring
* Flavors
* Natural flavors
* Stock / bouillon
* Broth (any kind)
* Carrageenan
* Whey protein concentrate
* Whey protein
* Whey protein isolate
* Soy sauce
* Soy protein isolate
* Soy protein concentrate
* Malted barley
* Malt extract
* Malt flavoring
* Maltodextrin
* Anything ‘protein fortified’

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? But is doesn’t stop there. Other potential sources of ‘hidden’ MSG are sports drinks, chewing gum, bubble gum, Coca Cola and candy. It’s becoming clear that if your headaches do seem to be triggered by MSG, you need to be vigilant when buying packaged or processed food.

How can MSG affect me? If you are susceptible to it, MSG can cause bring on a Migraine attack and cause other severe headaches. It can also affect all of these bodily systems:

* Cardiac: drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, angina, arrhythmias
* Circulatory System: fluid retention
* Neurological: light headedness, mood swings, depression, ADD
* Digestive System: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, bloating
* Respiratory: shortness of breath, chest pain, runny nose, sneezing
* Skin: rash, numbness, hot flashes, dry mouth
* Urological: prostate swelling, nocturia (having to go to the bathroom in the night)
* Visual: blurred vision or difficulty focusing

How can I find out whether it’s MSG that’s affecting me, or something else?

If you think you have a problem with MSG, you may wish to try an ‘exclusion’ diet. Go for 3 weeks with no (or little) MSG. At the end of the 3 weeks, eat something that you know has MSG and see if your symptoms come back.

I can read labels – but what about eating out?

Most airline food contains MSG, unless you choose a vegetarian option. But be careful, even salad dressing can contain it. The fast-food restaurants use of MSG is as follows:

* Kentucky Fried Chicken: Everything contains MSG
* Taco Bell: They claim that there is no MSG in any of their food. However, some people have reported symptoms after eating there.
* Burger King: The Garden Salad and French Fries are clear. Everything else contains MSG.
* McDonalds: Garden Salad with lite Italian Dressing is fine. Iced tea is fine. Apple pie is fine. Everything else contains MSG. McDonalds does have a complete list of their ingredients in their restaurants. MSG is usually found under the ‘hidden names’ in the list above.

Installing air purifiers costs a lot of money. Many of air purifiers have seals of long-term use attached to their names. However, failing to properly care for them, even the most sturdy of air purifiers will eventually break down because of improper use.

Here are some tips and suggestions on how to best care for and maintain air purifying devices so that they will function properly for a longer time.

Air Purifiers Buying Tips

The mark of a long-lasting and sturdy air purifier starts with the kind of device you buy. If you purchase a faulty product in the first place, no amount of maintenance and care will be able to save it from bogging down. Thus, before buying anything, research and find an air purifier that has been tried and tested, and one that does not have any known defects.

You cant really know if a certain air purifier is a good buy or not, not until you've actually tried it out and used it frequently. However, you can prevent the hassle of having to go through great pains to find out what's wrong with it when the time comes by making sure that it has a very understandable manual, and that it has a service center that is accessible and willing to do repairs without much cost.

Most electronic products come with warranties. Before purchasing an air purifier, make sure that the product you are getting still falls within the warranty it claims to have and that you have get the full 30-day or full-year warranty it promises.

Some products claim to have a one-year warranty, only for the buyer to find out that six months have passed and he only has six months to enjoy the product before the warranty runs out. Be sure to know the start of the warranty's effectively before taking the air purifier to the cash register.

Also, check if the air purifier's troubleshooting guide is actually something you can understand and use. If its troubleshooter is itself confusing, then you are not likely to have any luck fixing problems with your air purifier in the future.

Once you've gotten your hands on a reliable air purifying device, make sure you reward its good service by taking care of it every so often. Cleaning your air purifier regularly and always checking and replacing its ion chamber will make your air purifier last longer. All you need to do is run a damp cloth over the inlets and the corners so that dust does not settle and clog the openings.

Don’t let the publicity and marketing confuse you on this one, air purifiers are designed with a purpose of providing better air quality and cleaner air, so that we can live in a healthier environment, it should do this while requiring low maintenance and without being noticed, this is what you should aspire to when looking to buy an air purifier.

A sixty-five year old man came to me recently for an intensive 5-day mind, body, spirit healing experience. He was recently diagnosed with rectal carcinoma. Although, the medical doctor warned him that any delay in starting radiation was a death warrant, he was confident metaphysical healing was the answer. In the best case scenario the side effects of the radiation miracle cure is impotence, and possible bladder and/or bowel incontinence. A colostomy (a pouch carried on the body) remedies the bowel incontinence. In the worst case scenario the radiation will only delay the inevitable.

He immediately contacted a Naturopath. The Naturopath recommended dietary changes specific to his body type, energy level, overall health, and complete detox, including Amalgam filling replacements. The Naturopath stated the most toxic substance anyone can put in one’s body is Amalgam.

This is not to say that Amalgam caused the cancer. However, when the body is warding off the toxic impact of a substance it is unable to properly heal and prevent other invasive substances, such as a virus.

A World Health Organization Scientific Panel concluded that a safe level of mercury exposure has never been established, yet the majority of people are putting their lives in danger by allowing dentists to use Amalgam fillings.

Many medical and governmental studies report dental mercury Amalgam fillings are the number one source of human exposure to toxic mercury (50-90%). The studies found that mercury Amalgam fillings are unstable due to mercury’s low vapor pressure and galvanic action. Mercury continuously leaks into a person’s mouth, raising mercury levels in the saliva. This exceeds health standards.

Mercury exposure from fillings exceeds government health standards and the levels found could cause adverse health conditions. The standard of the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) for acute inhalation exposure to mercury vapor is .02 micrograms. This translates to approximately 1.2 mg per day for the average adult. The range of mercury exposure levels found in people with Amalgam fillings by the World Health Organization Scientific Panel on Mercury was 3 to 70 micrograms per day with other medical studies finding up to 200 mg/day in gum chewers or people who grind their teeth.

Recent studies have concluded that the high mercury release levels of modern Amalgams and mercury poisoning may come from Amalgam fillings and is prevalent throughout the population. Common levels found in persons with Amalgam fillings are over ten times the Health Canada limit and more than according to the United States EPA health standards for mercury vapor.

These studies clearly indicate people with Amalgam fillings have levels of intra-oral mercury vapor and body exposure levels higher than the level considered safe. The studies found that if a person has numerous mercury fillings, chews gun and/or drinks hot liquids (and who doesn’t?), their total mercury exposure may increase up to 500%.

With these known definitive reports it is incredulous the AMA, ADA and FDA continues to allow dentists to use Amalgam fillings. This is clearly a case of buyer beware. Government agencies apparently are only reporting their findings and the buyer needs to make a decision.

There are three major categories of ADHD, established through years of research and study: the inattentive type, the hyperactive-impulsive type and the combined type. Each classification has its own signs and symptoms, and to be considered as having an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a person should show at least six of the signs.

The signs and symptoms vary from one person to another, but the general indications of ADHD are: difficulty paying attention, difficulty in finishing tasks, frequently jumping from one activity to another, problems focusing and following instructions, often losing and forgetting things, being easily distracted and irritated, difficulty paying attention to particulars, trouble organizing tasks and activities, difficulty waiting, barging in on other people, blurting out answers before questions are asked completely, feeling impatient, talking too much, and having trouble working silently.

Impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness are the chief signs of ADHD. These signs commonly appear in the early years of a child's life, usually by the age of 7. It is essential for a child to obtain a careful examination and appropriate diagnosis by a skilled health professional.

The first category is the inattentive type. People with this category of ADHD seem to be lacking in concentration, and seem careless and negligent. They can’t get interested in details, or have a tendency to make mistakes during lessons or other activities. They have difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities. They have trouble listening. They find it hard to follow given directions. They have trouble organizing things. They avoid tasks that include mental effort. They tend to lose and forget things like notebooks, homework, or toys. They are preoccupied and easily diverted. And they are forgetful in daily activities and routines.

The second category is the hyperactive-impulsive type, which usually means having excessive energy. It seems that these people never tire out. They are always moving, doing something and are always messing around. They cannot focus on doing a certain job. People with this kind of ADHD keep on fidget and squirm most of the time. They find it hard to sit still or play silently. They are very talkative. They blurt out answers before understanding and hearing the complete question. They have difficulty waiting in line. They interrupt or intrude upon other people’s work.

The third category is the combined type, with symptoms of the two other. This category is the most common among the three categories for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Oftentimes as a person grows older the symptoms of ADHD turn out to be more manageable. Specialists believe that the ADHD can diminish as the person gets older, but the problems with focusing and attention often stay.