Educate Yourself

"You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old." said George Burns who lived well into his nineties. Aging, unfortunately, is a part of life. How we age is now, readily becoming a fate we place in our own hands. On the predictions of Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and Benjamin Franklin, the science of anti-aging has become an art. Unfortunately less than 1% of MD's and 1/2% of nurses have received training dealing with the special needs of older adults.

Instead of searching for the ever illusive "fountain of youth", millions of Americans are slowing their own biological clocks with the proven methods of today's latest research. While genetic make-up and the world's environmental influences will still affect the aging process, never before have so many had the chance to fight father time and extend their life.

Aging used to be inevitable and while some degree of aging still is, the information found on these and the following pages, offers some insight to the many fantastic breakthroughs in the science of anti-aging.

Rising life expectancy means members of the huge baby boom generation who are nearing old age, can look forward to more golden years than their parents. With aging prevention is key. Start your own journey to a younger feeling and healthier you.

The Key to Anti-Aging: Telomeres

Robert Browning wrote, "Grow old with me, the best is yet to be" more than 100 years ago. At that time, it may have well been very true. Even twenty, or ten, years ago that still held true. As the dawn rises on a new millennium amazing new advances in science and technology are occurring along with a shift in public consciousness, make it possible to now control the aging process.

Over the recorded existence of man the average human life span has increased. This increase is owed to improvements in medical care, including the use of antibiotics, improvements in housing, education and sanitation. However, there appears to be a maximum, or fixed, end point. Recent research reports have indicated that the aging process itself could indeed be modified. Evidence for this comes from the isolation of "longevity genes", as well as the effect on cell longevity by modification of the ends of the chromosomes (the telomeres), elimination of treacherous free radicals, glucose cross-linking of proteins, and the effect of hormones and protective enzymes.

Human cells have a limited life span. In a test tube a normal human cell will divide about 50 times and then dies of old age. This seems to put a ceiling on the human life span. The culprits are telomeres-minute units at the end of the DNA chain. Each time a cell divides it must duplicate its DNA. This process results in the shortening of the telomeres. After about 50 such replications the telomeres are gone, and the cell loses its ability to divide.

Howard Cooke of the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh, documented the first connection between aging and telomeres. He noticed that the telomeres in reproductive cells were longer than those in shorter-lived somatic cells (the kind found in muscle, skin and nerve tissue). He suggested that ever-shortening telomeres might determine a cells life-span. In other words, he proposed that the telomere length offered a clock for telling a cell's longevity.

In a barrage of papers published over the last few years, researchers have shown that the telomerase gene can be activated in human cells, and that it does extend cell life. The initial development was a report in the August 15, 1997, issue of Science. A group headed by Nobel laureate Thomas Cech, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and colleagues at Geron Corporation, had isolated the human gene for a catalytic protein called telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT).

hTRT is only present in immortal cells, whereas the gene for telomerase is pre-sent in all cells. hTRT serves to fuse the repeating sequences of DNA to the chromosomes, thereby lengthening the telomeres. Proof that introduction of the hTRT gene into mortal cells would cause them to produce active telomerase was offered in the December 1, 1997, issue of Nature Genetics by the Geron group, in a collaboration with researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Telomerase is a rarely-expressed enzyme believed to play a key role in the regulation of cell life span, functioning as part of a molecular clock of cell aging. Its absence imparts mortality to some cells and its presence imparts replicative immortality to others.

"Reconstituting telomerase activity, especially in normal human cells, is a major milestone in telomerase biology that has widespread implications for the treatment of cancer and age-related diseases," said Jerry Shay, Ph.D., professor of cell biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"Since cell senescence contributes to age-related disorders and limits the efficacy of cell and gene therapies, the ability to extend the life span of normal cells would have broad therapeutic and commercial impact," stated Ronald Eastman, Geron's President and Chief Executive Officer.

While the effect this will have on the general public is still yet undetermined, according to Jerry Shay Ph.D., "Telomerase will allow us to take a person's own cells, manipulate and rejuvenate them, and give them back to the same patient. The rejuvenated cells could help grow new skin for burn victims and cure diseases caused by the failure of aging cells to divide, such as macular degeneration."

For the first time in history, control of the aging process lies in the hands of mankind. How we will respond to that challenge is still an open question. But one thing is certain, for the generations just being born, living to be 100 will be routine.

The Ultimate Spare Part: Stem Cells

In July 1997, a researcher from Johns Hopkins Medical Institute announced that he had human stem cells growing in a lab dish. That announcement, following close on the heels of Dolly (the cloned sheep), represents another step towards a brave new world of high-tech reproduction. The most exciting leap in this race is that while Dolly grew into a very normal looking sheep, the stem cells in professor John Gearhart's petri dish, should be able to develop into any cell in the human body.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are considered a medical breakthrough and have been in the news recently in terms of advancements in health, science, transplant medicine, women's health and disease treatments such as Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma and leukemia. Future applications and research are in areas of gene therapy and autoimmune diseases; rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus and other immune system disorders.

Gearhart says, "We clearly had evidence for human stem cells. They've been able to differentiate into several tissue types in a dish." Move over Dolly, stem cells are truly the ultimate spare part.

Sleep: one of the most important functions

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy and wise," states the nursery rhyme, but for many older Americans, "early to rise" may be a familiar, although troubling, part of their daily routine.

One of the most common complaints among the aging is that of sleep difficulty. In a study completed by the National Institute on Aging, of 9000 persons aged 65 years and older, over one half of the men and women reported at least one chronic sleep complaint. Typical sleep problems as we age include difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Melatonin secretion is involved in physiologic sleep onset. We produce melatonin abundantly until puberty, and then it declines steadily into old age, thus causing the associated sleep deficiencies.

Chronic sleep loss, according to Dr. Eve Van Cauter, may speed the onset or increase the severity of age related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and memory loss.

Several generalizations can be made regarding aging and sleep characteristics. Compared with younger persons, as we age we tend to achieve less total nighttime sleep. Nevertheless, it cannot be assumed that older people require less sleep. Overall, the sleep-wake cycle in the elderly is fragmented, thus causing them to have more nighttime arousal's and awakenings. Although a mild deterioration in sleep quality may be a normal part of the aging process, complaints of significantly disrupted nighttime sleep, or impaired daytime functioning because of excessive sleepiness, must be addressed.

The Obesity Epidemic

Since 1991 the United States has seen a drastic increase in the number of obese citizens, according to a report in an issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study's author wrote, "the obesity epidemic has spread with the speed and dispersion characteristic of a communicable disease epidemic".

A decade ago 1 in every 4 Americans was seriously overweight. Today it is 1 in 3, and climbing. Obesity is a disease that affects at least 70 million Americans; more than one-third of all adults and one in every five children. Many of today's obese are elderly. As many as 3 million of Americans aged 65 and over have weight problems. Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 deaths and costs the country more than $100 billion.

In today's society the terms obesity and overweight are often interchanged in daily conversations, but they mean two different weight states. The term obesity refers to an excess of body fat sufficient to impair health, function or longevity. Obesity is most often defined as being 20% or more over your ideal body weight. Using this definition, obesity affects an estimated 70 million Americans. Obesity is a common condition, which can have profoundly negative health and social consequences, and is considered a serious disease that has been linked to shortened life expectancy. According to C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General of the United States, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in America today.

Obesity is an independent risk factor or aggravating agent for more than 30 medical conditions including diabetes, bad knees, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and increased blood cholesterol.

How to figure your B.M.I. Index

The following table of Body Mass Index (BMI) will help you determine your own BMI. BMI is calculated by taking a person's weight in kg (kg=pounds/2.2) and dividing by the persons's height in meters squared (meters=inches x 0.0254).

Find the row that most closely matches your weight in pounds. Read across the row until it crosses the column that most closely matches your height in feet and inches. If you find yourself in a cell that is dark red (BMI Greater or equal to 30 kg/m2), then you may be a candidate for weight reduction therapy. If the cell is pink (BMI greater or equal to 27 kg/m2 and less than 20 kg/m2) then you may be a candidate if you have other risk factors, as mentioned in the obesity article.

BMI 5'0" 5'3" 5'6" 5'9" 6'0" 6'3"
140# 27 25 23 21 19 18
150# 29 27 24 22 20 19
160# 31 28 26 24 22 20
170# 33 30 28 25 23 21
180# 35 32 29 27 25 23
190# 37 34 31 28 26 24
200# 39 36 32 30 27 25
210# 41 37 34 31 29 26
220# 43 39 36 33 30 28
230# 45 41 37 34 31 29
240# 47 43 39 36 33 30
250# 49 44 40 37 34 31

How Fat Affects Us

* Lungs - In overweight people an increased body volume must be supplied with oxygen by lungs that have not correspondingly increased in size. In addition, the presences of thick pads of fat in the abdomen restricts breathing. Anesthetic risk in increased in overweight patients. Being overweight can be a special problem for asthmatics.
* Diabetes - Diabetes is more common in overweight patients than in patients of normal weight. In one group of studies, 70-80% of diabetics had a history of obesity. When an overweight diabetic loses weight, the diabetes often improves.
* Pregnancy - being overwight can be a factor in producing difficult and prolonged labor due to abnormal positioning of the fetus. This can cause fetel distress, which, in turn, may complicate labor and delivery. In addition, severely overweight women have more difficult pregnancies and an increased occurrence of maternal and infant deaths.
* Sugery - Surgical procedures are more difficult in overweight individuals due to the very bulk of the adipose tissues.
* Hernia - Certain types of hernias, involving displacement of the upper part of the stomach into the chest cavity, are more prevalent in overweight individuals than in those of normal weight.
* Joint-Disease - A vicious cycle is set up in overweight patients with arthiritis of the hip, knees, or feet, or in those who suffer from a ruptured intervertebral disc. Increased weight leads to greater wear and tear on these joints, which may become more irritated and painful. The increased discomfort forces the patient to become less and less active, thereby favoring further gain in weight.
* Adipose Tissue - Adipose (fat) tissue is composed of highly elastic cells that contain varying amounts of fatty deposits acquired via the bloodstream. Adipose tissue occurs throughout the body, covering vital organs and muscles. Overweight people have excessive fat deposits on virtually all soft organs and tissues. The number of fat cells present, and the amount of fat they contain, determines the degree of overweight.
* Blood Pressure - High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs more frequently in overweight people. Since hypertension can result in varying degrees of damage to the brain (stroke) and kidneys (degeneration), as well as the heart, it is essential that hypertensive overweight patients lose weight.
* Heart - Because the heart must supply nutrients to all tissues of the body, the greater the body mass, the greater the strain on the heart. Overweight people have a higher incidence of heart disease, the nations number oen killer.
* Atherosclerosis - Atherosclerosis is the deposit of fatty material on the lining of the arterial wall. It can result in the rupture of the blood vessel or in narrowing of these vessels, which may lead to stroke or heart attack. Studies show that there is a marked increase in the occurrence of atherosclerosis in overweight people.
* Gallbladder - a significantly higher incidence of gallbladder disease is observed in overweight patients than in those of normal weight. In one study, 88% of the patients operated on for gallstones were found to be overweight.
* The Omentum - the "pot bellied" appearance of many individuals is prmarily the result of fat accumulating within the abdominal cavity (omentum).
* Baby Fat - No type of fat, baby or otherwise, is cute. The fat cells produces by childhood weight-gain remain throughout life and can make it difficult to lose weight as an adult.

Nutrition For Life

As we approach the 21st century, there is even greater focus on the baby boom generation. Baby boomers are a key factor in the statistics that the elderly will comprise a much larger share of the population. According to Food Insight, in 1980 one in ten persons were age 65 or older. By 2030, the 65 and older number will be one in five. In the year 2011 the first "boomers" will reach age 65.

Most projections say the median age of death in the next century will climb to 84. Currently the median life span is 73 years. Due to the latest in anti-aging research, life spans are now being extended to ensure that the second 50 years are healthier, creating more quality and enjoyment

According to Ann W. Sorenson, Ph.D., health science administrator at the National Institute on Aging, "we don't have a good handle on nutrient performance for older people." Most experts agree that the dietary needs of people in their 50s or 60s are different from people in their 70s and 80s.

Irwin B. Rosenberg, M.D., stated "the challenge we face is to maintain a higher degree of physiologic performance throughout the life cycle so that the individuals in our society are more independent, more mobile, more able to take care of themselves." Diet and nutrition are going to be very important aspects of health patterns in which there can be intervention.

Many chronic diseases that develop late in life can be linked to earlier poor eating habits. Insufficient exercise and calcium intake during adolescence and early adulthood significantly increase the risk of osteoporosis, which causes bones to be brittle, and crack or break. However, good diet in later years can lessen the effects of diseases such as osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, gastrointestinal problems and chronic under-nutrition.

Having a good diet in later years contributes to a higher quality of life, enabling older people to maintain their independence by continuing to perform basic daily activities such as bathing, dressing and eating. On the other hand poor nutrition increases the recovery time from illness, increases the possibility of institutionalization, and creates poor quality of life.

The American Dietetic Association states that, as you age, minerals are lost in your bones causing osteoporosis to develop. Bones break easily and take longer time to heal. It can develop in any man or woman. There are several ways to protect and strengthen your bones, for example walking makes bones strong, calcium intake needs to be high, along with getting enough vitamin D. An article in Newsweek stated that among those at greatest risk for vitamin D deficiencies are the elderly, alcoholics, and people living in sun-poor climates. Studies suggest that vitamin D may also protect against cancer. Typically as we age we tend to get less exposure to the sun, causing reduced capacity for synthesis of vitamin D, which is necessary for proper calcium absorption.

For a variety of reasons, according to Food Insight, the sense of taste and smell decline as we age. This is the result of disease, injury, drug treatments, as well as normal aging. Susan Schiffman, Ph.D. states that a reduction of overall quality of life is experienced, creating increased depression, stress, and poor nutrition. In extreme cases, older people can become anorexic.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states, chewing problems are also associated with aging, causing people to lack certain foods in their diets. Gastrointestinal disturbances, such as constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn, are also attributed to poor nutrition. Supplements are suggested to keep your body functioning properly. Through appropriate lifestyle, the degenerative biological changes associated with old age can, in many cases, be arrested.

Poor nutrition worsens the impact of chronic disease, reduces resistance to infections, slows healing, and increases use of the healthcare system. Nutrient density can be increased by nutritional supplements. Traditionally, pills and painful shots were your options. Using the concept of oral absorption, through spray vitamins and nutraceuticals, today's technology has created a revolutionary, convenient alternative to maintaining adequate levels of nutrients. Spray vitamins and nutraceuticals are up to 90 percent effective, allowing your body to obtain the necessary nutrients. Pills contain fillers and binders. Such as talcum powder, yeast, starch, sugar, wax and shellac. In comparison to sprays, pills are only 10 to 50 percent effective.

How are pills made?

Makers of pills, tablets, or caplets have standard size molds for the precise size of their pill. It does not matter what the active ingredients are because the manufacturer will add fillers, binders, waxes, and other excipients to take up the space. A filler does nothing more than take-up volume. Some common fillers are talcum powder, sugar, whey and yeast.

If a company claims it does not use any of these common fillers, then they surely use dehydrogenated animal fat. They have to use something to fill up the space within the mold. Also they must use wax or some kind of binders to make the components stick together when they squeeze everything to make the pill.

The molds must be sprayed with a releasing agent which is another form of wax or grease to allow the pill to drop out of the mold. Some tablets are coated with a shiny coating. This is normally shellac-the same as used on wood floors and boats! Time release capsules are made of a mixture of shellac, fillers and 200 proof alcohol. There is a little bit of active ingredient and fillers coated with the shellac/alcohol mixture. The percentage of alcohol controls the time the pill takes to dissolve in the stomach.

Normal tablets must meet U. S. Pharmacopeia (U.S.P.) standards. U.S.P. standards require that tablets must dissolve within 15 to 30 minutes once in your stomach. To test your tablets, place white vinegar in a dish or glass and drop in your pill. Check periodically. It should dissolve(disappear) within 15 to 30 minutes to meet U.S.P. standards. If it doesn't, then you are paying a high price for fillers! You can keep this test up for 45 to 60 minutes, but if the pill is not dissolved by then, it can't possibly generate any benefit to your body.

Old News For Restoring Hair

Hair loss products abound in the hundreds and almost all of them make the promise to restore your hair back. But did you know that these things are now becoming somewhat of "old news" for hair loss sufferers?
What many are finding out is that they no longer need or have to purchase these often expensive forms of hair loss treatments. You can actually make your hair grow back without using any of them. Sounds strange, but the truth is clear.
What you need to know about hair loss is that it's not something that is genetically based. Which means that while you may have various individuals in your family who all have lost hair, it's usually not exactly why you might be losing or have lost yours.
Hair falls out for a reason and many times it can be stopped. Low blood circulation, lack of nutrients that are essential for hair growth, and several other things can influence how much hair you lose. So start educating yourself with what is needed to make your hair grow back fast.
Allow me to introduce you to a couple of things you can do right now that will enable you to start regrowing your hair starting tonight. First take note of vitamins and minerals. They are encouraged for us anyway as a way to stay healthy as humans. What we often forget is that they can even prevent hair loss, while regrowing hair that has fallen out.
Magnesium, zinc, vitamin B, and others are very great for this. Even saw palmetto extract, the herb used for maintaining a healthy prostate in men, has been newly discovered as a powerful, hair loss fighter when used correctly.

College Rape Crimes Exposed

Once we lived in a safe time when you could walk the streets without being afraid, leave your doors unlocked, and never worry about someone breaking into your daughter's bedroom at night while she slept. Women's self defense was not something we had to keep in the foremost part of our mind. Those times have gone and the new era is one fraught with worry for the safety of our daughters, granddaughters, and sisters.
College crime is high because this is where the predators can come to shop, hiding behind the pretext of an education. This is one the biggest gatherings of females in one place where the twisted mind can peruse to his heart's desire until he finds the one.
Did you know that 13% of college women are stalked for periods from six to nine months and most do not report being stalked. Right along the same lines is the amazing fact that only 5% of women who are raped reported it to anyone. 42% do not report it. Too many times college crime is not reported for fear of being ostracized. This is definitely not like high school but the vulnerability is still there.
With the statistics showing that one in four college women are victims of rape or have been a victim of an attempted rape, sexual assault awareness is essential. This is not to scare anyone or to conjure up nightmares to keep you up at night, but plain awareness is the only way you can hope to be safe.
Knowledge is your best offense to a crime that has escalated to extreme proportions. Not only are women being raped, but some are losing their lives after the rape has been committed. The only way to be safe is to be on your guard. Keep something with you at all times, whether it is pepper spray, a whistle, your cell phone, or anything that you can think of that will allow you the time to either get away or get help.
Keeping a police number on speed dial on your phone is a good idea. All you have to do is push one button and send it straight to the police. Never hang up after sending the call. Try to keep an open line so they can hear what is going on at your end.
One thing every woman needs to do is learn some type of women's self defense. There are many things that you can do to cause pain to a would-be assailant. While he is trying to figure out what happened, you can be a block away.
By being aware of what is going on around you, the edge you need is there. You can sense if something does not feel right. That is your instinct telling you to pay attention. Never put it off as something silly. You are the best judge of your own feelings. If you do not trust someone, there is usually a reason. It does not matter if you know the person or he is the friend of a friend.
You need to stand up, be strong, and let them know that you are someone to be reckoned with, no matter how small you are. The only difference between a large person and a small person (a man and a woman) are the weapons the small person plans to use to protect her position. Everyone has heard about evening the odds. This needs to be done at all times and in any way that you can.
A mind-boggling 84% of college men who had committed rape said that there had been no rape. Do they not get it that if a girl says no, it is rape? One of the reasons that so many men get away with this crime is the fear that rape instills in women. They are afraid that the person who raped them may not go to jail. They have seen lawyers for rapists try to make it the fault of the woman in an underhanded method to get their client off scot-free.
Fear is a mighty deterrent. With the increasing college crime incidents, more rape than not, it is time for women to use some of the fear they have to learn how to fight and turn the tables on their attackers.
Many colleges are becoming more involved in their student's safety by providing sexual assault awareness classes, women's self defense classes, and all around information about college crime. This is the way it should be at all colleges.

Therapy Educator Discusses the Importance and Benefits of Colon Cleansing

In this article Buck Rizvi the importance of colon cleansing and what is in a colon cleanse product. Buck Rizvi is the CEO or Organica Research and colon therapy educator.
Kevin: So, Buck, this is an interesting topic, colon cleansing. So the first question that I'm going to ask you, and you probably get this a lot, is how did you get into this?
Buck: Well, it's a great question. I've picked up a copy of a book on life extension probably almost twenty years ago now and I look back as to why I picked up that book and it was around the same time that I got my first grey hair.
Kevin: Uh huh. Sure.
Buck: So I've been very aware of this topic. What people can do to increase the quality of their lives, extend their lives, and live happier, more productive lives and more recently, probably within the last few years, I've been studying up on the topic of detoxifying the body and we as Americans specifically we're constantly bombarded with various toxins through the foods that we eat, the products that we use, and I know that's one of the major contributors to disease is the inability of the body to rid itself of toxins.
Kevin: Sure.
Buck: So it was almost a unique opportunity that was presented to me. I was
interested in building a world class health products company and I was looking for which product I should carry first because I wanted to focus and have a product that did very well in the marketplace, that would have a universal appeal, and be very successful and I decided that a whole body detoxification program specifically a colon cleansing program would be the right way to start and it turned out that it was. We've been very successful with our product.
Kevin: Sure and it's funny you say appeal. I mean it's not the first thing I think is
appealing, but why colon cleansing as opposed to some of the other things that people can do to cleanse? Why did you think colon cleansing was the best way to start?
Buck: That's a great question, Kevin. If you read some of the books on the topic, and there's some really good books out there. One by Dr. Bernard Jensen called 'Better Bowel Care'. You realize we don't think about this. We don't like to think about it. It is a dirty secret, this whole notion of the bowel, colon, bowel movement, things like that. You know we go and use the bathroom, close the door, turn the fan on, and make sure no one's around. You know, no one likes to talk about this stuff, but what the reality is that the bowel is the sewer system of the body, right?
Kevin: Right.
Buck: And it's incredibly important that it is one of the major organs that is used to take toxins out of our body and if it's not functioning properly, if things are getting backed up in that sewer system, it's very alike a sewer system here in your neighborhood. If that gets backed up and sewerage starts flowing back up your pipes into your house, you've got a major problem and people are going to get sick and the same thing happens with the body.
Kevin: Right and what are some of the health benefits of someone who takes their colon cleanser or does a cleansing type product, what are some of the benefits they can achieve after they're done?
Buck: Well, I can share with you benefits that have been shared with us by our
customers..
Kevin: Sure.
Buck: But we have customers that tell us that first and foremost they wind up losing weight very rapidly. Typically, I've heard, anywhere from 3 to twenty pounds of weight being lost by being on the program for say a thirty day period. Sometimes some will stay on the program longer, but if you have protruding belly, a potbelly, quite often through our dietary habits we're carrying some extra fecal matter in the digestive tract.
Kevin: Okay.
Buck: Specifically in the colon and so this can help to eliminate and pass that extra matter and by doing so help flatten the tummy and lose some excess weight.
Kevin: Right and what about some of the rumors? Who's the actor....
Buck: John Wayne?
Kevin: Yes, is that true?
Buck: Well, those were reported I think back in 1999 in an article in USA Today. So I mean as reported by major news outlets it was indicated that he had excess material in his colon and you know you hear varying amounts. I don't know if it was 10 pounds or forty pounds. I don't know and I wasn't the doctor and I didn't read that. What I can say there were studies performed by a chiropractic institute in Chicago where they did, and this comes from Dr. Bernard Jensen's book 'Better Bowel Care', and they had done autopsies on, I don't know, a couple hundred bodies and in the autopsies they found that the colons, well, the individuals before they passed away did not complain of constipation. During the autopsies they found that they were in fact constipated.
Kevin: Really?
Buck: So it's very interesting to hear when, I don't know how often the average American has a bowel movement, but in reality you should have a bowel movement to correspond with about, once per meal. So it's not, if everything's working correctly and you're eating the proper foods and you have the right amount of fiber and you're taking in the right amount of liquid intake that it's not unusual for you to have 3 bowel movements or more a day.
Kevin: Right. I know people who have 1 a week.
Buck: And that's terrible. That is absolutely terrible and we have customers who come to us and tell us that 1 a week is good for them. Or some of them think that maybe even 1 a day is good for them. The reality is that, and this is one of the benefits of being on a program like ours, is that once you start to be on the program you see yourself having a higher frequency of bowel movement. It's not unpleasant; it's actually a pleasant experience. There's no straining. It's, you're eliminating the toxic material more quickly and it has major benefits for the body.
Kevin: Yes and without getting too graphic, I mean...
Buck: We're on the edge there now.
Kevin: Yes I know. We're getting there. How does something like this, a colon cleansing product, work to actually clean impacted feces? I mean how does it get it out?
Buck: Well, in our product we have a combination of about fourteen different herbs and fiber and so we have both soluble and insoluble fiber in our product and the fiber obviously is the major component, the different types of fiber, the major components that help to pull toxins from the digestive tract, from the colons specifically, and help to loosen if used regularly and consistently through the thirty day cycle and again some people stay on it longer to help loosen that material and help you pass it. And it's obviously very important that you have a proper amount of liquid intake in general, but specifically when you're taking a colon cleansing program like this. We've added a set of different herbal ingredients that help to soothe and protect the digestive tract as well and they also contribute to the overall detoxification process supported by the ultimate colon cleanse.
Kevin: Got you. What are some of the active ingredients? Are there any specific ones that do more than others or what are some of the?
Buck: Well, I like to believe the way we formulated this and the herbs that we use are all effective for what they do and from a fiber standpoint we have cilium and flax in the product. We have slippery embark and marshmallow root and rhubarb root and the product peppermint leaf which has been used for centuries as a tonic for helping the digestive process. I don't know if you're, do you use peppermint tea, for example, which...
Kevin: Oh absolutely.
Buck: ...is very effective, yes, for digestion. So all of these are very effective in supporting the cleansing process and those are just in the fiber alone. We have other components that I'll talk about in the ultimate colon cleanse that do other things besides just helping loosen and remove the toxic material.
Kevin: Oh wow, okay.
Buck: Yes.
Kevin: Okay and this is something that's been formulated by doctors, it's all natural ingredients correct?
Buck: It's been formulated by professional herbologists and approved by medical doctors. So it's also passed the test of having been now used by thousands of customers and we have literally hundreds of testimonials from our customers on the effectiveness of the product. We're very, very proud of what we do.
Kevin: Yes, well, what are some of the other benefits of colon cleansing? Because I see it, when I was first turned on to it my skin got brighter and lighter and I just felt so much better when I first started to do it and I think it really takes doing it to realize what's happening. So if you could tell us some more stories or just some more information about what people felt before and after I think it would really hit it home.
Buck: Well, I can share with you some of the stories that our customers have shared with us and the benefits that they've derived. Yes, because I like to focus on the results and we've received emails and phone calls from customers that, in addition to losing weight and solving issues with constipation, they were dealing with issues such as headaches or low, energy in some cases chronic fatigue and they couldn't explain certain body aches and pains that they were experiencing and they or were having trouble sleeping at night. We are a very much, at least in the US, a sleep deprived society.
Kevin: Tell me about it, yes.
Buck: And, yes, and we have a number of customers that have written in and saying, "Hey, I've lost weight. I have more energy. I feel lighter, more energetic, and I'm sleeping better at night." And it's interesting, and I have a number of friends that have used our product that tell me the same thing, we have this is a, we don't have a single jar of colon cleansing fiber that's not, and we have a real system that includes a fiber that can be mixed with water or juice, but we also include a tea, I nighttime cleansing tea, that works as part of the program. You drink it before going to bed, it has a very soothing effect, it has some herbs such as chamomile in it that can facilitate the sleeping process...
Kevin: That's great.
Buck: ...and also contained herbal ingredients that help loosen and move the toxic material through your system and to be purged from the system.
Kevin: Sure.
Buck: By doing that you sleep better at night, you eliminate the toxins more quickly than you would with just say a jar of fiber alone and I know there are a lot of single jar products out there or that are very simple in nature, but they don't give the rapid results that people experience with the ultimate colon cleansing.
Kevin: Right and they don't have the herbs either.
Buck: No, they don't.

Buoy Parks Harvest Wave Energy

In this decade of energy conservation awareness, alternate forms of power generation are being invented and implemented at an ever-increasing rate. One of the proposed ideas for supplying large amounts of power to metropolitan areas is to use buoy parks to generate wave energy. These buoy parks, which are currently being considered for various offshore areas around the world, could supply enough energy to power thousands of homes each. Some estimates claim that wave power could meet the energy needs of the entire world using less than one percent of the available ocean resources. In fact, buoy parks would be a great energy alternative for areas that do not have access to an electrical grid.
A typical buoy park might hold around 200 large buoys, and cover roughly two square miles of the ocean surface. The average buoy would extend about 15 feet above the water, and each buoy could provide power to ten or twenty homes. An alternate type of buoy would be moored to the ocean floor, perhaps 30 to 40 feet below the surface or even deeper. Of all of the potential sites for buoy parks in the world, the western United States coastline seems to offer the most powerful waves with the least obstacles or restrictions to proposed buoy parks. Specifically, Oregon offers a desirable combination of powerful waves, accessible ocean floors, and a community that seems to embrace GREEN energy ideas.
Buoy parks are being developed in different ways around the world. Researchers at Oregon State University are working on a buoy that uses copper wire and magnets to produce electricity. The magnets would use the ocean current and waves to move through the coil, which would generate about 250 kilowatts of electricity per buoy. The developers say that the buoys would be contact-free, in other words, no parts would come in contact with other buoy parts. This should provide a sustainable, constant source of power without the corrosion that one might expect from a dynamic object that resides in the ocean.
At other locations, hydraulic buoys are being developed which will harness wave energy at less-than-optimal locations. For instance, the Florida Gulf Stream current flows at nearly ten billion gallons per second. But, the location is not quite hospitable to buoy parks due to its heavy traffic and inaccessible ocean floors. So any proposed buoy parks would have to be closer to land, where the ocean current is not quite as forceful. The use of the hydraulic buoys will help generate energy even at locations that do not produce great wave power compared to the Oregon coast.
If buoy parks could provide all of the needed energy for the Earth, then why are they not being used in full force yet? Well, the technology is just in the first stages of development. In fact, a recent setback occurred when a $2 million test buoy sank to the ocean floor just off the Oregon coast. The buoy parks also pose a potential hazard to commercial ocean traffic and fishing vessels. In fact, some are worried that the entire fishing industry at some locations would suffer greatly because the buoy parks would use the same waters as those most desired by fishermen. The environmental effects of placing so many buoys in a small area cannot be accurately determined at this point in time without further study.
Despite the drawbacks, buoy parks are getting much support as energy costs continue to rise. While still more expensive, then say, coal, the primary source of wave energy (the ocean current) is absolutely free. So, the entire monetary cost lies in the research and development, and in the materials used. Private firms worldwide are joining with the educational institutions and government agencies, as they see a great opportunity to not only make money, but also to establish a reputation for being GREEN.

Direct TV News About New Technology

Despite all of the hype surrounding HDTV and all of the technology surrounding it, there is still evidence that the consumer electronics industry isn't doing enough to educate consumers about what exactly the technology is and what is required to set it up in private homes.
Apparently there is still widespread confusion about the details of High Definition Television and the fact that consumers are confused means that they're poorly equipped to make good decisions when it comes time to purchase these devices that they've heard so much about, but about which they know so little.
The biggest and most common misconception is that HDTV is a type of TV set with a flat panel design and a 16:9 screen that improves the home entertainment experience by merit of its pure size, the fact that it can be hung on a wall, and the fact that the screen is proportioned so that it can display movies and all of the TV programming which is increasingly shot in wide screen format.
There are so many errors in perception rolled up in the above scenario that it's difficult to know where to begin unraveling them all. First of all, there is a lot more to HDTV than just an HDTV set. HDTV is a TV format and an HDTV set is the instrument needed to display it. The fact that HDTV sets can display normal TV too is a bonus. Second, while a large screen is nice, there are a lot of HDTV sets that have smaller screens that deliver excellent pictures and may be a better choice for anyone who is going to watch a lot of normal TV programming on it. (The fact that normal TV doesn't deliver very high resolutions becomes very apparent when watching it on a larger HDTV set.) Third, flat panel displays (the type of TV screen that can be hung on a wall) may be trendy, but they're only one type equipment that can display HDTV. There are also projection screen TVs and HDTV projectors, either of which may be a better choice depending on the room your home theater will be installed in and your budget.
The most stifling misunderstanding of all, and one that was touched on earlier, is that anything that is displayed on an HDTV set automatically becomes HDTV. This misconception has led to numerous people getting an new HDTV set home and then finding that they're dissatisfied with the picture that it produces because they're displaying normal TV on it. Depending on the size of the HDTV screen and whether or not it has built in upconversion technology, normal TV programming might look even worse on an HDTV display than it does on an old fashioned TV set. A normal TV signal has 480 lines of resolution, so when it's displayed on an HDTV set that is capable of displaying up to 1080 lines of resolution, it can end up looking pretty grainy. There just isn't enough data in the normal TV signal for the HDTV set to work with. This results in the owner of the new set deciding that it must be defective and taking it back to the store.
All of this could be avoided by some educational efforts on the part of both retailers and consumers.

Education Problems and the Internet

The internet can be a wonderful educational tool for our students, but it also presents a whole host of threats and problems that must be taken into consideration.
Today's youngsters are quick to assimilate the skills needed to become proficient on the internet, but they lack the experience to always know when to be on guard against sexual predators, or others who would take advantage of their openness. Of course another problem with unsupervised access to the internet can result in students who don't do assignments, or who don't get enough sleep to function effectively in school.
But there is help and hope on the horizon.
MySpace, the largest social networking web site, has concluded an agreement with the Attorney Generals of every state but Texas, to take steps that may protect children and teens who frequent the site. In the wake of the widely-publicized news about a young teen's suicide over abuse of the site, MySpace has agreed to tighten controls and to actively take steps to protect children from predators.
Back in October 2007, Facebook started the ball rolling when it completed a voluntary agreement with New York's Attorney General to accept responsibility for protecting users. The MySpace agreement goes further and is more detailed than the Facebook agreement. Whereas Facebook promised to respond more speedily to complaints about sexual messages and to use stronger language to warn it's users about potential hazards, the MySpace agreement does all of that and more.
MySpace has agreed to form a task force, with input from online sites and child protection groups, to develop ways to verify ages and identities of it's users. The site will install safeguards to protect children from predators, including making every site of users under 18 "private". While several protective measures are, or will be, put in place, nothing is foolproof. The challenge to make the internet safe for children must be ongoing and parents need to monitor their child's use of the computer. There are no substitutes for caring and vigilant parental guidance.

Love Him or Hate Him, Bobby Knight Was as Much an Educator as a Coach

Count me among those who were saddened by the news that Bobby Knight had stepped down as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Monday (2-4-08). It is unusual if not unheard of for a major college basketball coach to quit during the middle of the season, but perhaps such an occurrence was business as usual for Bobby Knight.
It is doubtful that any major college coach in America was as passionate, as demonstrative and as committed as Bobby Knight was to basketball and his players. Many pundits would not agree with me when I say that Knight was more interested in doing things right than in winning games, but let me make the case for the Bobby Knight haters.
While no coach in his right mind likes to lose a game, I believe that Knight was at least as interested in how his "kids" played as he was in whether they won or not. If his players applied what they learned from him, played their hearts out, left everything on the court and lost, I think Knight would have been better able to tolerate a loss.
Knight was no stranger to winning. When you win 902 games in a 42-year coaching career, you have little competition. Dean Smith of North Carolina has 879 victories to his credit, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky has 876 and Jim Phelan (Jim who?) of Mount St. Mary's in Maryland has 830. Smith is 76 and retired, Phelan is 78 and retired, and Rupp died 20 years ago. The next most wins-800-belong to the new first active coach on the list, Eddie Sutton, the 71-year-old coach of San Francisco.
Knight had 102 wins in 6 seasons at Army, where he became coach at 24. He had 662 victories and 3 national championships in 29 seasons at Indiana. He had 138 victories in 7 seasons at Texas Tech. He coached the USA to Olympic team to gold in 1984 at Los Angeles.
It is possible that thousands of basketball followers will now seize the opportunity to torch Bobby Knight for his well-known outbursts over the years. There must be enough licensed Bobby Knight haters to fill the largest Super Bowl venue. I am not one of them Knight's son Pat, an assistant on his Texas Tech staff, has replaced him. Pat Knight was named the Red Raiders coach-designate in 2005.
Indiana University kicked Bobby Knight out for "a pattern of unacceptable behavior", but only after his Knight-trained players had won 3 national titles for Indiana and the 1975-1976 club went 32-0, the last Division 1 men's team to finish undefeated (something even the New England Patriots could not accomplish this year). Bobby Knight's "antics" are well documented for those who want to revel in his shortcomings as a public relations agent.
Less well documented is the fact that in 42 years of coaching he never got into trouble by breaking any NCAA rules and regulations, and trust me when I say that the NCAA rule book rivals the Internal Revenue Service code for picky, annoying crap.
Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight's players always had a high graduation rate; Knight made them toe the mark. Show-offs and prima donnas had no place on Knight's teams. Knight was all about playing the game right and teamwork. Less well documented is the fact that Bobby Knight gave his salary back a few years after he arrived at Texas Tech because he did not think he had earned it.
Some pundits and fans have already said that Bobby Knight was a great coach and a poor role model, and offer John Wooden of UCLA as a great example of a great coach and a great role model. Do I think Wooden was a better role model than Knight? Yes I do.
Wooden's success at Pauley Pavilion has made him the gold standard among America's most successful coaches in basketball and really any sport. Wooden's teams won 10 national championships-7 in-a-row from 1967 through 1973-and from 1971 to 1973 won an unprecedented 88 consecutive games, a record many sports pundits consider unbreakable.
John Wooden is the real deal, and he is also a very big deal. So let's weight in on what he had to say when hearing about Bobby Knight's surprise resignation Monday:
"I guess you can never be surprised at some of the things Bob does," said Wooden. "I don't think there's ever been a better teacher of the game of basketball than Bob. I don't always approve of his methods, but his players for the most part are very loyal to him. I would say that no player that ever played for him would not say he did not come out a stronger person."
Another of the nation's most respected coaches, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Bobby Knight at Army, said this about Knight's departure:
"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight. I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from Coach are immeasurable. Simply put, I love him."
Bobby Knight not only won more games than any other coach in history, he also made his players better people and better able to cope with the challenges of life when they left the university with their degree in hand. So why am I saddened? Because Bobby Knight he will be more vilified than honored for what he did accomplish both on and off the court.
I say let him who has won 900+ games and never been in violation of the NCAA rules cast the first stones. The rest might consider the side of Bobby Knight that failed to get really positive coverage because his few failings were so dramatic and so public.
Bobby Knight is the kind of person people either like or dislike. I like Bobby Knight and respect him.
I believe his chief failing in some people's eyes is that he likely would have called a butt end by name, whether it was a critical university president, the meddling parent of a player, a disrespectful student or an unhappy janitor. I would do the same; I just would not do it as publicly, and I have not won a single game as a coach.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Life, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing. My intention is to inform, educate, delight and motivate you the reader.
Editor's Note: Read my 5-Part series on Running: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kiss of Death' When Trying to Lose Weight - Part 1", "How Lectins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Negative in O Positive Blood Types - Part 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bind to the Small Intestine Lining and Turn to Fat - Part 3", "How Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Giving Very Poor Diet Advice - Part 4" and "There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Efficiency - Part 5".

An Education Long Overdue For Hugo Chavez

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is not known for his political polish. When thinking of Chavez, the words hyperbole and bluster easily come to mind. The former tank commander often sounds paranoid about the possibility of his assassination or overthrow. In fact, in 2005 he made world news by telling the press that America was developing plans to assassinate him. The United States Department of State would reject his accusation as "wild."
Chavez was first elected President of Venezuela in 1998 and he has served two terms. He was elected on a platform of aiding Venezuela's poor majority. Since his election event, Chavez's government has moved Venezuela in an authoritarian direction. In speeches, he has often verbalized that he hates America, democracy, and capitalism.
In September 2006, Hugo Chavez delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he referred to US President George W Bush as "the devil". He has also called Bush a "donkey because he (Bush) is very ignorant about the things that are actually happening in Latin America and the world".
In fact, Chavez's hatred for America runs so deep that he has endorsed the theory that the attacks of 9/11 were planned and carried out by the Bush administration as pretext for going to war. In recent years, Chavez has increased his relationship with the authoritarian governments of Cuba and Iran. He is now a close ally of Fidel Castro and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Venezuela is traveling down the road to an authoritarian government under the leadership of Hugo Chavez. Foreign Policy Magazine says that Chavez has "updated tyranny for today" and "is practicing a new style of authoritarianism". The article adds that Chavez has achieved absolute control of all state institutions that might check his power, and has unrivaled political control. The magazine notes that, more importantly, "Chavez commands the institute that supervises elections, the National Electoral Council" and says, "If democracy requires checks on the power of incumbents, Venezuela doesn't come close."
Hugo Chavez thinks that he knows how everyone should behave, eat, and think. Indeed, he thinks he knows what's best for everyone. However, Chavez uses the politics of his moral crusade to enhance his own personal power and prestige. In effect, Chavez is a real life rogue dressed as a moral, political, father figure in Venezuela.
Chavez has been using his consolidation of power to dictate his version of acceptable behavior in Venezuela. He is using the government of Iran as a model to apply morals of behavior in his country as well. In September, 2007, Chavez went on a moral crusade against beer, whisky, luxury cars, and Barbie dolls. His government is heavily taxing beer, alcohol, cars, and artwork to discourage consumption by the people of Venezuela.
"We're one of the countries that consumes the most whisky per capita in the world. We should be ashamed," Chavez said recently on national television. "I'm not willing to continue offering dollars to import whisky in these quantities. What kind of revolution is this? The Whisky Revolution? The Hummer Revolution? No, this is a real revolution!"
Chavez also wants to discourage people from covering food with too much hot sauce. He wants people to exercise regularly and eat low-cholesterol foods. He wants parents to stop buying Barbie dolls and breast reconstruction surgeries for their daughters. He states: "Now some say, 'When my daughter turns fifteen years old, we're going to give her phony breasts.' What a horrible thing! It's the latest degeneration."
Chavez would like to be the President of Venezuela for life. He recently initiated and campaigned for a constitutional "reform" package that would have dramatically increased his power, removed presidential term limits, and moved the country further away from democracy. In an election setback for Chavez, the voters of Venezuela last month narrowly defeated the Presidents "reform" package. The result is that Chavez will not be able to seek reelection under the current constitution in 2012.
Maybe it was the Chavez tax on the beer and whisky. Maybe it was his tax on cars. Maybe it was the Barbie doll or the food or the lifestyle preaching. Whatever the reason, the election results showed that the voters in Venezuela have agreed with the King of Spain, Juan Carlos when he recently told Hugo Chavez to "shut up". This recent verbal exchange between Juan Carlos and Hugo Chavez came at the end of a government summit in Chile.
Maybe with these political setbacks, both inside and outside Venezuela, Hugo Chavez can learn to stop his political hyperbole and blustering long enough to listen. Indeed, for him it would be an education that is long overdue.

James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. He has always been interested in writing and listening to different viewpoints on interesting topics.

Financial Education

Imagine this... you are 18 and in the registration line for college. There is a sign up table for a credit card with a guaranteed approval of a $500.00 credit limit. They are even going to give you a Frisbee and a backpack (w/ their logo of course), at no additional charge.

Well, this is a deal; you don't have a credit card anyway. You are in college now, so of course you NEED one. Your parents have always been against them and have taught you to avoid credit card debt, so you figure you can handle it... after all, it's only a $500.00 limit.

Time passes, you charge and pay it off, and this process repeats. You are building a credit rating you tell yourself. Then one day in the mail a letter comes from the credit card company. CONGRATULATIONS! You have been awarded an increase of your credit limit... up to $2000.00. It appears that your ability to manage your credit has paid off.

This pattern continues and you are now a 22 year old senior in college. Another letter comes in the mail and it says that your credit limit is now up to $20,000.00, and that $10,000.00 can be used as a "cash advance". Better yet, there are NO FEES for 1 year on cash advances, and that they have included 3 cash advance "convenience checks"... in case you have an emergency. Another nice perk is that there are no payments or interest for 3 months.

You think to yourself... "This couldn't have come at a better time", because you are between jobs so money is tight, and your car transmission is slipping regularly... a loud knocking sound as you accelerate from a stop sign. Come to think of it, the power window on the driver side won't go up well, and there is a noisy exhaust leak. Oh, you need new tires too... and a tune up for that matter.

You decide to have everything on the car fixed by using the cash advance check, and you even paid off the last $3500.00 that you owed on the car. You convinced yourself that this would be alright and you could lower your insurance if the car was paid off.

You smile to yourself as you walk through the mall. You are proud that you are coming up with such a great plan. Money has always been tight, you are not one to use your credit card, but they are having great sales this time of year, and there is no interest on the credit card. "Why not"... you deserve it. $1000.00 dollars later you are sick to your stomach about the spending, but you did need some new cloths.

Your phone rings and it's the mechanic. He gives you the bad news. The transmission is only half the problem. The knocking sound was more than you expected. You need new CV joints, shocks, and the rear brake drums are bad too. Fine... fix everything you tell them. Well, it's going to be tight, but that will max out the cash advance. You were running with a few thousand dollar balance anyway, so now you are getting concerned.

Six months later, and to your surprise, you still do not have a steady job. You ended up putting your tuition and books on the card too at this point. They offered no special deal for that one... just a regular 18.7%. At this point you have too many student loans and you just want to get it done. It occurs to you that it is so much easier to pull that card out, than it ever was in previous years.

You look out the window a few weeks later. The mail carrier pulls away from your mail box out by the curb. As you walk back to the apartment, you are opening the envelope from the credit card company. Your stomach drops as fast as your jaw... 29.6% interest! What happened! There is also a $29 over limit fee, as well as a $29 fee for not making your payment on time. "Holy Cow"... I missed my payment? I must have forgotten.

Ladies and gentlemen this is a sad story of how the scenario plays out all over the world... ridiculously high fees and interest rates that go through the roof, when you hit a rough spot in life. Unfortunately, that is what they expect to happen eventually, and they are there to collect their fee's when you are eventually down on your luck. Multiply this by every college kid, young adult, young couple, as well as everyone else on the planet. You do the math. It means your money, in their pockets. And it is in their best interest, and their shareholders, to go after this business.

Look at it from the perspective of the credit issuer. If they can bait college kids, and get them into a scenario where they have a credit card, and then keep raising the limit, human nature says that in a pinch, we will take the bait, all of it. The statistics support this point of view, look at your family and friends, most of them will have a large balance and no plan for eliminating the debt.

There are many who believe that the consumer debt industry is too predatory, and from my point of view, it is hard to disagree with their evidence. Give serious consideration to avoiding consumer debt like the plague. The perceived value of "having it now" will cost much more than you realize. One missed payment, regardless of the reason, can start you down a path from which you can not easily return.