Papaya - The Healthy Food

The papaya or paw paw is native to tropical America, but it is now grown in most tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The large pear shaped fruits grow up to 8 inches in length approximately. Some varieties remain green when ripe, but most turn deep yellow and orange. Papayas have deep salmon pink flesh, with an abundance of grey-black seeds in the central cavity, which are edible. The soft, juicy sweet flesh tastes like a cross between melons and peaches.
The Goodness of Papaya : Papayas are rich in Vitamin A and Calcium and contain large quantities of the enzyme papain, which breaks down protein and can be used to tenderize meat. Papain also makes this fruit very easy to digest.
How to Buy : Choose uniformly yellow fruit. Sniff them, the scent should be delicate. Do not buy papayas with damaged or shriveled skins since they bruise easily. If the fruit is not ripe, check the skin around the stem end, it should be yellow, otherwise the papaya will never ripen. Ripe papayas should be eaten immediately. Fruit that is not quite ripe should be left at room temperature until soft and yellow.
How to Cook : Simply cut the papayas in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds from the cavity. You can eat the seeds (they have a peppery flavor), but they are not particularly pleasant. Squeeze a little lime or lemon juice on the flesh before serving. Papayas can be used in the same way as melons, served solo with a squeeze of lime or sprinkled with ground ginger and served with meat. The cubed flesh can be added to fruit salads, made into ice-creams and fruit drinks or served with yogurt. Finely chopped papaya is perfect with chilies in fresh salsa. The skin can be used to tenderize cheaper cuts of meat. The papain however, prevents gelatine from setting, so do not attempt to make a fresh fruit jelly, cold soufflé or mousse with papaya. Papayas which are not fully ripe can be used in salads, while fruit that is still hard is ideal for relishes and jams.
Medicinal Benefits :

1. Consumption of ripe fruit is good for the treatment of ringworms, green fruit treats high blood pressure and is used as an aphrodisiac.

2. The fruit can be directly applied topically to skin sores.

3. The seeds are anti-inflammatory and analgesic and they are used to treat stomach ache and fungal infections.

4. The leaves are used as heart tonic, analgesic and for the treatment of stomach ache.

5. The roots are used as analgesic.

Treating Back Pain The Modern Way

Have you ever suffered from back pain? If so, then you already know how devastating and debilitating the condition can be. It can keep you from working, from playing and even from sleeping.

Back pain can make it impossible to get comfortable, and life can essentially come to a standstill. Fortunately, finding effective ways of treating back pain is now easier than ever before.

More than 65 million Americans a year report some sort of back pain. This condition is so common that it's actually become one of the leading reasons that people seek medical care.

Aside from the obvious pain that comes with it, back pain is also highly inconvenient. It can disrupt your work, family commitments, and routine daily activities. Some people suffering from back pain find that they're forced to forego taking part in recreational activities and sports, simply because the required movements would put too much stress on their backs. Others are in so much pain that tasks as simple as standing up become impossible feats.

Through recent advances in medical research, science and technology, many new treatment options are available for people who suffer with chronic back pain. Each method offers a different way of tackling the pain. Every patient is unique, as well, so it's important to get a doctor's advice before treating back pain.

Some common back pain treatment options are as follows:

Medicinal Therapy

A wide variety of drugs are now available to treat various symptoms and causes of back pain. These medications include pain relievers, anti-inflammatories and relaxants to ease muscle tension and spasm. Some of these drugs are available over the counter, while others require a prescription. Many of these medications can bring about side effects, so be sure to consult your doctor before taking any of them.

Here are some of the drugs commonly used in treating back pain:

* Acetaminophen: Anacin 3, Tylenol, Phenaphen, and Valadol

* Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Aspirin, ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Ketoprofen

* COX-2 Inhibitors: Celecoxib

* Opioids: morphine and codeine

* Muscle relaxants: Valium, Carisoprodol and Cyclobenzaprine

Chiropractic Treatment

More and more back pain sufferers are finding relief with chiropractic care. It's an effective manual manipulation of the bones, performed by a professional chiropractor, therapist or other qualified health professional. Chiropractic treatment can help relieve back pain by taking pressure off of sensitive neurological tissues to restore and increase blood flow. This triggers a series of chemical reactions in the body and releases endorphins and other natural pain killing hormones.

Epidural Injections

This "passive" method of treating back pain is applied directly to the individual. Steroid medications are injected into the spine. As the drugs travel throughout the entire spinal column, inflammation of the affected area is decreased and the patient enjoys welcome pain relief.

Massage Treatment

This is a therapeutic treatment that can bring relief for patients with lower back pain. By manually manipulating the muscles, your therapist can help to improve the blood flow, reduce muscle stiffness and increase your range of motion. Massage can also trigger your body to release endorphins and other natural pain killers.

Patients with back pain are no longer forced to give their lives over to the discomfort. Today, back pain can be effectively treated in many different ways. To find the treatment method that's best for you, speak with your doctor.

Stress!!!" What is Stress?

Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us, leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to live without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive and negative stress, depending on each individual’s unique perception of the tension between the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as eustress, can help an individual to function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence of stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases, heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your health and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your optimal stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will help you to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. It is also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions. Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress. How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and stomachaches.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes stress is also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat, and bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an individual is placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during performance appraisals, lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are usually when the current situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic downturn, or from an accident. Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a prized possession.

Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of dealing with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to tell when we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.
by Greg Frost

Building Self Confidence in 5 Easy Steps

Self confidence is a belief in yourself and what you want in life, based on an implicit trust in your own abilities to deal with the things that come your way in life. You will find that with greater self confidence, you will have a more positive mindset and greater faith in your actions and choices, in spite of what others may have to say about you. Self confidence can be developed, so fret not if you find that you are lacking in it. With some practice and the following 5 steps, you will find yourself building up your self confidence!

Step 1: Avoid negative statements about yourself
The comments that you make about yourself, or to yourself, has a great impact on your self confidence. If you are thinking negative thoughts, it will lead to negative feelings about your situation and yourself. You may not realize it, but negative or self deprecating comments over time will erode your self confidence.

Step 2: Identify your own issues
I advise people that the above were my own personal issues and that each individual has to identify there own. Think about your strengths and how you can play to them, as well as your weaknesses and how you can improve upon them. Do not let your ego get in the way of over inflating your strengths, nor in downplaying your weaknesses.

Step 3: Self Affirmation
Just as it is important to avoid negative thoughts, positive thoughts are encouraged and have a uplifting effect on your emotions and confidence. Make a list of your accomplishments, no matter its magnitude, and acknowledge them. The power of the mind cannot be underestimated. If you desire something strongly enough, let it be the motivating force.

Step 4: Believe in yourself
Beliefs are things that we know to be true, and accept as true without needing to question or consider it. Believe that you can do what someone else can do, and you will be able to achieve it as well. In order to achieve such a level of self confidence for the previous statement to be true, you must first start believing in yourself so as to empower it. Hence, controlling what you believe is the key towards creating a life that you wish to have.

The key to building self confidence is to believe in yourself. If you have trouble trying out something new, it is not a bad thing to initially stick with what you’re familiar with. This will help you feel more confident, and give you the assurance to go ahead onto something new. By going into something new with a positive attitude and belief in your abilities, you will find it easier to be confident and act confident. Over time, you will find that your comfort zone will have increased significantly, as will your self confidence.

Step 5: Perseverance
There will always be setbacks in life, and we must learn to be more resilient in order to bounce back from these. When things do not go the way you planned, it is alright to be tough with yourself if you were to blame. The crux is not in just taking or laying the blame, but in figuring out what went wrong and how you can fix it. If the problem is something outside the scope of your control, it was not your fault in the first place.

Do not let the downs in life get to you. Take the time to think through what happened, and how you can avoid it from happening again. If you feel that you are in need of a confidence boost, speak to your friends and your family to put things in perspective.

Take the time to put these 5 simple steps into practice, and you will be well on your way to building up your self confidence. Meet your problems head on and learn how to deal with different situations. It is alright to be afraid, or to fail, the key is to keep moving forward and working on improving your self confidence.

by Greg Frost

Hair Loss Treatment Not Considered A Cure

Hair loss, either temporary or permanent, has no cure. Many times temporary hair loss will begin re-growing hair once the cause is eliminated, such as drugs or medical treatments, and even male pattern baldness has been known to suddenly start re-growing hair. And although there is no cure, there are treatments that have shown promise to resume hair growth.

Products allowed legally to advertise themselves as a treatment must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which shows it has completed satisfactory clinical trials to perform as promised and that any side effects from using the product are properly documented and warnings are available. Products such as Rogaine and Propecia are advertised to help stop loss of hair as well as grow new hair.

Rogaine is touted as treatment for Androgenetic alopecia, male pattern baldness, and has been shown to re-grow hair within four months. As a liquid, the over the counter hair loss treatment is massaged into the scalp twice a day and hair growth has been shown to stop when product usage is stopped. The new hair is typically shorter and thinner than other hair, but generally long enough to be blended in with existing hair.

Danger To Women Found In Some Treatments

Propecia, in pill form available by prescription has not been approved for use by women and is warned to pose danger to women of child-bearing age. Absorption of the drug by pregnant women is expected to cause serious birth defect in male fetuses. The treatment effectiveness of the daily pill has shown to significantly slow the hair loss process and in many cases has sparked hair re-growth in about two years.

Corticosteroids have shown to slow loss of hair and many doctors use monthly injections into the scalp to help reverse the effects of Androgenetic alopecia. It has also been prescribed in pill form or in creams to be used between injections, but their use has not been proven as an effective hair loss treatment.

Anthralin is a tar-like substance rubbed onto the scalp and washed off daily. Typically used to treat skin ailments is has also shown promise in hair re-growth. Another treatment available is hair transplants, a surgical procedure where hair follicles are removed from one area and transplanted into another area of the scalp.

If you cannot find a treatment that works for you and surgery is not an acceptable, or affordable method, for you, the age-old hair loss treatment that has been around for many years are wigs and hair pieces.

by Roland Jefferson III

"100% water", the new sustainable finishing

The italian furniture company Mazzali, a real protagonist in the search advanced products and solutions for a design with low environmental impact, launched finishing "100% water."

Founded in 1962 by two experienced carpenters who saw in the wardrobe a flourishing market, Mazzali is today one of the most significant and innovative reality of the Italian furniture industry. A modern company that traces its success on flexibility and on a strong customization of the product. The offer is characterized by high quality, attention to detail, the design of research, ranging from sleeping area to living with a great proposal of finishes and infinite colors. Sustainable development, social responsibility, environmental impacts are values and commitments that characterize the entire production Mazzali: using wood reforestation program, low-emission paint solvent, improved environmental technologies, continuous research materials and solutions to reduce the impact and ensure sustainability at the production process, maximum attention to the health of consumers. Over the years, Mazzali wanted wanted to support sustainable production with initiatives in the social and environmental Mazzali celebrate in 2008, the 10 years of commitment and research in the sustainability and social responsibility. A corporate vision strongly focused on the environment and the protection of consumer health. It is 1998 when Mazzali launched "Green Island", the green brand that gathered a collection of products with low environmental impact. Of them Mazzali supply becomes increasingly rich and articulate up to embrace a broader project that involves the company as a whole, with a governance strongly oriented to a sustainable vision of the company and with a direct approach and wanted to corporate citizenship .

"100% water" is presented in 26 colours and realized on essence open pore, "100% water" features, environmental optics, for its low solvent emissions with a reduction of over 90% compared to traditional finishes. With this new finishing Mazzali confirms and reaffirms its leadership role in the field of sustainable development with an offer that articulated by the choice of raw material to the painting of the product, poses sustainability as a primary vector for growth and development.

"100% Water" boasts the LIFE brand, the EU's instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects, and certifications UNI EN 71-3 in the paint and to the safety of toys and 97/48/EC as paint suitable contact food for an absolute guarantee of protection of consumer health and the environment.

by Mauro Zanandrea

Warming World-Antarctica Increasing Ice Loss

When you receive the Seal you will see the sign of global warming and prepare yourself accordingly. A new study shows an increase in ice loss in Antarctica over the last 10 years.

Today is Thursday Jan 24 2008. NASA teamed up with some University of California scientists to conduct another study on the ice loss happening in Antarctica. And the results are that ice loss is increasing.

Most of the ice loss is happening on the coasts and as far inward as the warmth is penetrating. More ice is being lost on the western side of Antarctica than on the east.

Warmer ocean waters are melting the glaciers that are partially floating in the water. They become thin and eventually can collapse too. In the last 10 years this ice loss is said to have increased by 75 percent.

In 1996 there was an estimated 112 billion metric tons of ice lost in Antarctica. In 2006 that amount had increased to 196 billion metric tons. Of course these measures are only rough estimates and both of them could be inaccurate.

And this has already caused a rise in sea levels. The ice loss in 1996 was enough to cause a global sea level rise of just under 1/3 of a millimeter a year. But in 2006 that figure has jumped to 1/2 millimeter per year.

So the sea level has already started to rise, slowly but surely. But it is not the level of the sea that is the alarm here. It is simply further evidence of the warming of the whole earth.

Because global warming is the keynote sign of the approaching end-times. Jesus was known for telling parables that were difficult to understand. But the parable He told about the end of the world is simple and easy to understand.

Jesus told the parable of a fig tree. Simply, when the fig tree starts to blossom, you know that the summer is near. That "summer" is what Jesus said referred to the end-times.

The fig tree is blossoming. That summer is approaching. That summer is global warming, the sign Jesus gave of the end-times. This is not a projection or prophecy of some distant time in the future.

This has already started happening. When will the end come? Nobody knows. Nobody can know, because God keeps that a secret. But Jesus did tell you how you can see the end approaching.

And you can see the end approaching not by what any prophet predicts, but by what has already started happening. And the fig tree is blossoming showing that the summer has already started approaching.

The earth is getting warmer. It is commonly blamed on pollution, and the United States is largely to blame historically for polluting the world so much. But who is at fault is no longer relevant.

And unfortunately a "solution" to the "crisis" of global warming is not "relevant" either. The important thing for you to do is get right with God. How much more time do you have? A few years? Maybe longer, but still not much time.

When you are sealed you will get right with God. He will write His own Name upon you so you will belong to Him. And when you belong to God today you are prepared to be with Him for eternity. You will be prepared when you receive the Seal.

by Jason Witt