What Causes A Potassium Citrate Deficiency?

When your body suffers from abnormal functions on a systemic scale, it can cause chemical imbalances throughout the body, including Potassium Citrate deficiency. When muscles are overworked, or if one organ absorbs more of a nutrient than normal, this can cause other organs to lack the needed nutrition for cellular survival. This powerful substance is a great medicinal therapy because of how it can regulate automatic functions of the body that give way to optimal health. There are many signs of nutrient insufficiency throughout your body however they can be corrected by the use of this natural alternative health supplement. When proper amounts of this substance exist in the body, it reverses the effects of aging within and around your cells.

How a Potassium Citrate deficiency affects your health

Nutrition

A Potassium Citrate deficiency may be present in those who are suffering from irregular heartbeat, musculoskeletal conditions, or even electrolyte balance in the body. This is a vital mineral that has the ability to regulate blood pressure in your body which lends to healthy conditions. When your body lacks this vital substance biological and chemical reactions may occur which can cause cellular damage on different levels. It may affect the urinary system, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system and deter the growth and functions of healthy cells in the body. Doctors have also noticed that low amounts may be a leading cause to rheumatoid arthritis.

Health benefits of avoiding a Potassium Citrate deficiency

Potassium Citrate deficiency may cause weakness in the muscles throughout your body. This key ingredient plays a huge role in muscle contraction as it can cause cellular damage as well if muscles operate without it. When sufficient amounts of this substance are utilized, it can act as an antioxidant on your cells protecting them from biological and chemical damage. The proper amount of this substance in the body can prevent the formation of kidney stones, and also reduces the acidity of your body so as not to acquire an age related degenerative health condition.

Clinical information regarding your Potassium Citrate deficiency

Scientists observe the effects of this substance, and determine Potassium Citrate deficiency can be harmful both in abundance and when amounts are low. The medicinal use of this alternative health supplement keeps negative side effects of having inadequate nutrition to your cells at bay. Scientists document the side effects of inadequate levels, such as irregular blood pressure, dizziness, muscle weakness, and decreased reflexes, all of which generally go away on their own. It is recommended that this substance be used with a water pill so that it does not cause cellular damage or burns. This substance is not toxic to cells, but should be taken in moderation to reach the best results.

Our tips on how to avoid a Potassium Citrate deficiency

Potassium Citrate deficiencies are easily avoided when you learn about your health condition and the effects of this potent healer. If you want to take your health into your own hands, you have many options. The use of this medicinal substance can amplify the medicinal effects of other natural vitamins, minerals, and substances as it easily combines as a sequestering agent to maximize healing effects within your cells. When used correctly, this substance can slow down the aging process within the body, which is essential to your whole body health and longevity.

What Causes A Potassium Citrate Deficiency?

Maximilian Rudolf has been an advocate and user of natural health supplements for over 10 years. He has a passion to communicate and share the results of his findings about natural health products such as Total Balance. He wants to help people to make great decisions that invigorate their health or even improve conditions they may never have thought possible.

Please visit http://natural-alternative-health-supplements.com for a real experience about health with great educational information about what to look for when choosing all natural alternative health supplements and what your body needs to slow down or reverse the aging process which begins when you still young.

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Ant Food

Do you ever wonder "what do ants eat?"

Sure you know that the eat your food when you try to have a picnic, but did you know that ants have a variety of techniques to feed themselves. Different species eat different types of food and have different methods for getting it, but all ants like sugary substances. Ants need high concentrations of simple sugars in order to extract energy from the food.

Nourishment

Some ants are gatherers. They collect sugary substances from fruits and other plants. Some ants eat the corporeal remains of other critters, such as wasps, mice, birds, and in some cases even their fallen fellow ants. Leaf cutter ants actually grow fungi for food, on leafs which they keep in their nests, kind of like farmers. There are even some black ants who keep other critters as pets to produce food.

They herd groups of aphids onto the stems of plants. The aphid sucks the sugar from the plant. When the ants get hungry they massage the aphid with their antennae to extract a sweet substance for nourishment. The ants keep the aphids safe from predators and use them much like we use cattle. As you can see ants have some clever ways of getting food, they are much more intelligent then most people give them credit for. So the next time you see a group of ants marching up to your picnic basket take a second to think about how complex those little critters actually are before squishing them.

Ant Food

Check out this blog for more information on the question of What Do Ants Eat

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Benefits and Uses of Neem, Tulsi, Wheat Grass and Amla on Skin Care

You might be surprised to know that skin is the largest organ in human body. It is a kind of sheath that separates us from the outer environment. It protects our internal organs from getting exposed to the harsh climatic condition pravelling outside. Any problem in skin or any kind of infection to the skin can causes threat to the internal organs. It helps in keeping our vital organ from hanging outside the body getting infected very easily. It also helps in maintaing body temperature. More importantly it helps us in perceiving sensation of touch.

According to modern sciences skin is made up of three layers. Named epidermis the outer layer, dermis the middle layer and subcutaneous fat the inner layer. Ayurveda believes that skin has six layers.

Nourishment

Epidermis is the outer most layer of the skin and is the part of the skin, which is visible with our normal eyes. This layer of skin keeps on producing new cells, as 30000 to 40000 cells are lost every minute. It contains a very important content name melalin that is a very talked about things now a days. Melalin imparts colour to our skin. More the melalin content darker is the complexion. Actually melanin is a protective device of your skin that helps you to protect from sunburns and very harmful ultraviolet rays or more commonly called UV rays. This is the reason tanning occurs in people who get exposed to sun. But melalin production is not enough to give all round protection to protect skin from dehydration and cancerous cell production. Important thing about epidermis is that it is composed of dead cells hence is non vascular i.e. it does not have blood supply and nervous supply.

Second is the dermis layer that lies below the epidermis. As it is beneath the epidermis hence dermis is not visible. Dermis serves very important function in the protective and perceptive role that skin plays. It serves many functions, as it possesses nerves ending, vascular supplies and glands (both oil or sebaceous glands and sweat glands). Due to presence of these factors we can perceive the touch sensation. Vascularity to the skin initiates in dermis and hence helps in providing proper nourishment to the skin cells. Dermis also contains sebaceous glands or more commonly called oil gland, which helps our skin in lubrication thus helping it from catching any infection. It makes our skin work as raincoats therefore help skin from getting sogged and swelled away in water. Sweat glands play a very important role in our life. Most important of all is that it helps in maintaing our body temperature; secondly it plays an excretory role by excreting out harmful toxins that might have formed in our body; thirdly it helps in protecting our body from microorganism as it possess antibacterial properties.

Third and the most important of all the layers is the subcutaneous fatty layer. Its role is to work as a shock absorber in he body and to maintain body heat from getting transferred to outside temperature. It also helps in holding internal organs tightly as it is present beneath the skin. This also contains a very peculiar feature that only mammals possess i.e. hair follicles. This layer is full of hair follicles out of which hair grows out. Nourishment of hairs depends upon the sebaceous glands, which opens into the hair follicle thus proving it with shine and nutrients.

Types of skins

It is really very essential to know the kind of skin you possess, as right care of skin can help in reducing any skin problems and avoid diseases.
There are mainly 5 types of skin: -

1. Normal skin: It not a commonest kind of skin. It is soft, smooth, velvety and evenly textured skin with no flaky dead cells and no pores visible. Proper distribution of oil and moisture is there that makes it a balanced skin i.e. not excessively dry and not excessively greasy. It is clear and free from blemishes

2. Dry skin: Skin is said to be dry, when skin is dull, patchy, reddened and flaky especially around eyes. Dry skin may cause formation of fine lines on cheeks, under eyes and corners of mouth. These conditions happen when oil or sebaceous glands are not supplying good nourishment and lubrication to the skin. If proper care is not given to the skin then it may lead to initiation of wrinkles in early age.

3. Oily or greasy skin: This kind of skin is thick, dull in colour and shiny in appearance. Due to over secretions of oils or sebum through oil gland, makes skin pores open and skin becomes sticky, which attracts dirt and dust from the environment. Due to this tendency, dirt and dust particles blocks the skin pores which are already widely open in oily skin leads to problems like black head, white head, acne and other skin related problems.

4. Combination skin: Commonly seen skin texture which is the combination of two kind of skin i.e. some of the skin area is dry and some of the area is oily. Usually it follows the pattern of "T" i.e. the greasy part is usually the portion which is vertical to nose crossing nose (nose, mouth and chin) and horizontal on fore head and hence referred to as "T-Zone". The area left i.e. cheeks is comparatively dry.

5. Sensitive skin: This kind of skin is very sensitive to any change in environmental conditions or any kind allergies, which may be caused due to procedures like bleaching, makeup's and other external applications.

How to know that what type of skin you possess

It is a very simple method to know that what kind of skin you possess by following procedure mentioned below.

Whenever you wake up in morning, wipe your face with dry tissue soon after leaving your bed. If you find oil on that tissue, you possess oily or greasy skin. If you find grease on the center panel then you possess combination skin. If there is no grease at all then you either have dry or normal skin.

Now to check weather your skin is dry or normal. Just do one thing, wash your face with non-greasy soap and water. If you are left with the feeling of stretchiness and tightness on skin then you possess dry skin otherwise you have normal skin. If in daily routine you easily get skin allergies, rashes, itches and boils then your skin supposed to be sensitive

Our skin faces mainly three kinds of troubles

1. Firstly disease caused directly to skin from external source.

This includes diseases that directly infect the skin from outside for example fungal infection in early stages etc

2. Secondly disease caused due to systemic disorders.
This is the second category of the disease, which is caused due to systemic infection in the body. For example leprosy, psoriasis

3. Thirdly it may represent mere symptom of another disease.
In this skin is the mere face that represents the symptom of any disease prevailing in the body. For example loosening of skin, which might be caused by dehydration.

How to make skin to happy so that it may remain healthy and glows with shine.

1. Protect your skin from over exposure of sun by using sunscreens

2. Carry an umbrella or a cap with you when overexposed to external environment

3. Don't smoke and drink excessively

4. Wash your skin gently and with lots of care

5. Moisturize your skin regularly

6. Shave with care and softly. Only shave in direction of hair growth

7. Use of good skin cleansers and toners regularly to open up blocked pores.

8. Drink lots of water and fresh fruit juices

9. Eat healthy food and avoid junk food.

10. Avoid use of chemicals on your skin

Inspite following these measures if you are not able to achieve the healthy and good skin then you must read below.

Here are some herbal remedies that is the answer to all your problems

Benefits of neem on skin

· Neem is a wonder herb. Since early times neem is known for its wonderful properties and marvelous results on skin. It works as blood purifier and is very helpful in eradicating toxins from the blood that are supposed to cause harm to the skin.

· Local application of neem powder or neem oil has miraculous results. It is a famous anti microbial herb, it renders all the microorganisms inactive therefore helping in proper healing of wound without causing any infections and septic conditions

· Good results have been seen on skin problems like acne and blemishes. It helps in disinfecting the hair follicles and helps in eradicating the particle which is the main culprit in blocking the pore

· Taking bath of neem leaves socked water helps our body to counter mild infections, which our body might get in day-to-day activity

· Neem helps in early healing of burns and injuries that might also helps in fading of scars that are left after the any injury

· Tropical application and internal use of neem makes us relieved from eczema and even ringworms

· Neem is very helpful in providing internal glow to the skin by providing natural supplements that are required for good and healthy skin

· Neem is extensively used in hair fall and early graying of hairs with very satisfying results.

· It also find its application in dandruff and in lice growth

· Neem is helpful in lighting dark circles which are usually caused due to life style disturbances

Know more about Benefits and Uses of Neem on Skin Care

Effects of Tulsi, the holy basil on skin

· Tulsi behave as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent thus helps in eradicating any of the microorganisms developing on the wound and the skin.

· Tulsi is a wonderful blood purifier that helps in eradicating any toxins circulating in blood and helps us from any kind of foreign invasion there fore helps in protecting our skin from acne and other skin infections.

· It helps in normalizing our digestive system thus helpful in treating cause by which dark circles are caused.

· Tulsi is helpful in skin conditioning by improving blood circulation thereby helping each and every cell to get its part of nutrition and oxygen that helps in glowing skin

· Tulsi works as a powerful antioxidant thereby helps in preventing early aging signs and makes the skin young as never before

Know more about Benefits and Uses of Tulsi on skin care

Wheat grass and its effects on skin

· Wheat grass has been used since ages as it is helpful in providing required vitamins and minerals that are very helpful in nourishing skin and helps it to look healthy

· Due to presence of vitamin E in wheat grass, it helps in preventing aging and also helps in maintaing shine on the skin.

· Vitamin E also helps in preventing dark circles around eyes

· It is a good remedy in any skin disorder, as it possesses the cold potency, which is helpful in curbing skin disease that are of hot potency.

· Super oxide dismutase (SOD) present in wheat grass helps in slowing the aging process of cell thus gives the property of rasayan to wheat grass

· Alanine, an amino acid helps in promoting blood formation there fore helpful in formation of RBC (red blood corpuscles), WBC (white blood corpuscles), blood platelets etc. which are helpful in providing proper nourishment and protection to cell from any foreign invasion

· Vitamins A present in wheat grass is very useful in improving vision of eyes therefore helping in providing proper nourishment to the skin under eyes preventing dark circles and sagging down of skin

· Iron is helpful in hemoglobin production therefore is helpful in increasing oxygen carrying capacity of blood and is helps in imparting pinkish colour to the skin

Amla and its benefits on skin

· It is very helpful in skin diseases as it has sheet virya (cold potency), it inhibits pitta dosha and thus helps in getting relief from it as all the skin disorders are caused by pitta dominance.

· Regular use of Amla promotes glow on skin and delays wrinkles or loosening of skin. Good results have been found in eczema.

· Its internal use as well as its local application on scalp gives good results in hair loss as it provides nourishment to the skin on head (scalp).

· It stimulates hair follicles thus promoting hair growth and also improves texture of the hair.

· It also prevents premature graying of hairs and dandruff, which is flaking of dead cells of the scalp.

· Indian women generally use Amla to wash their hairs, which act as natural hair conditioner as it helps in providing good nourishment and also helps in normalizing blood supply

· It is helpful in making skin glow and works as an antioxidant therefore prevents wrinkles and loosening of skin.

Know more about Benefits and Uses of Amla on skin care

Aloe vera: a skin specialist herb

Aloe vera is an herb extensively used in enhancing beauty in natural way.

· Aloe vera is known to help in condition known as dermatitis (an inflammatory disease of the skin) therefore helps in relieving from it

· It stabilizes digestive system and therefore is very essential in providing proper nourishment to the skin.

· Being an herb of cold potency, it helps in fighting against any skin diseases that are caused by pitta related disorders

· It works as magic in burn cases and researches have proved its efficacy in healing wounds faster than any thing

· It is helpful in erasing blemishes and dark spots on face generally caused after pregnancy.

· It helps in fighting with acne and other allergic disorders of skin thereby making pores clear and healthy

· Helps in lightening of the skin colour, as it helps in fighting extra amount of melalin that has been produced in body

· It works as an antioxidant therefore helps in fighting with the age related changes that has occurred with growing age

· Helps in slowing down the wrinkles developing on the skin.

· Helps in increasing circulation of blood thus facilitating easier oxygen exchange between the cells thus providing them nourishment

Benefits and Uses of Neem, Tulsi, Wheat Grass and Amla on Skin Care

Dr John Anne

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Fitness And Nutrition For Health

In the age which we live there is an unprecedented focus on getting and staying healthy. As more and more research points to the effect of fitness and nutrition on our overall health, the findings become more difficult to ignore. There is no doubt that the food that we eat and the physical activity that we perform significantly impact our weight and our body's overall health and longevity.

When you look at fitness and nutrition and the consequences of ignoring their importance, it is not difficult to see how large a role they play in our health. First and foremost, it is important to understand how powerfully diet can affect us. Natural, whole foods - such as fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins - give our bodies the vitamins that it needs to function effectively. We have energy when we eat right. And when we have energy we burn fat. Eating properly allows us to maintain a healthy weight and keep undue stress off of our hearts; it also allows us to keep our blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the healthy range. Most importantly, good nutrition keeps our bodies stocked with antioxidants that fight off a range of illnesses including cancer.

Nutrition

But nutrition does go it alone; fitness and nutrition go hand in hand for achieving good health. When we keep our bodies active through a consistent exercise program, we are adding to our body's ability to metabolize food and keep weight down. Further, good fitness means strong and limber muscles and a strong cardiovascular system. Exercise also lowers blood pressure and reduces stress levels.

Learning how to pair fitness and nutrition for optimum health means a commitment to a particular lifestyle. It is essential that you revamp your diet to eliminate fatty, high-sodium, and processed food and replace it with fresh, natural - and even organic - choices. But remember, fitness and nutrition work best as a team. Implement a consistent regime of physical activity into your daily schedule including cardiovascular work, stretching, weight training, and even yoga or Pilates.

When you truly understand the importance of fitness and nutrition in your life, you will understand how crucial these lifestyle changes are in order to live a long and healthy life.

Fitness And Nutrition For Health

For easy to understand, in depth information about fitness and nutrition visit our ezGuide 2 Nutrition.

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How Malnutrition Affects You

While we often associate malnutrition with people in developing countries, where the food supply is inadequate, malnutrition occurs with people of developed countries as well. Knowing more about what the body needs for proper nourishment and how we are challenged to receive adequate nutrition can help us prevent malnourishment in ourselves and in those we know and love.

Biologically, we are intended to eat from a wide variety of foods, but the typical person consumes a very narrow selection of foods. These foods are often highly processed and stripped of many vital nutrients. In addition to this, medications, stress, environmental toxins and tissue injury can further increase the need for nourishment.

Nourishment

An extreme lack of a specific nutrient will result in disease. For example, scurvy is the disease which results from severe lack of Vitamin C. Such diseases are what most people associate with malnutrition. Less acute deficiencies can still affect proper functioning of the body such as in the brain, eyesight, height, weight, the functioning of various organs, as well as the development and formation of body parts, especially in unborn babies, newborn babies, and young children.

How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of malnutrition? We can first turn to the Food Pyramid for a bit of guidance. For fruits and vegetables, the Food Pyramid suggests that we eat about nine servings of a variety of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each day. Unfortunately most people aren't eating this minimum and a recent report from the economic research arm of the USDA stated that we would need an additional six million acres of farmland to grow enough of this produce to support this minimal need for the American diet. This suggests that we are most certainly not getting sufficient nutrition from food alone.

A second option to improve nutrition is to add freshly made juices to your diet. Juice extractors are very affordable and work by grinding away the extra fiber and cellulose from a fruit or vegetable and channeling the juice into a container. The juices are naturally sweet. Even a juice made from celery and spinach has a sweet flavor. Making your own juice provides better nourishment than pre-packaged juices and isn't likely to contain added sugar, or preservatives, unless you're adding those yourself. The downside to juicing is that juice extractors tend to make a mess, and must be cleaned immediately after use.

The third option is to supplement the diet with food-based, standardized nutritional supplements. This means supplements which are made by concentrating nutrients from food sources and are then tested to ensure that the final product provides those nutrients in a consistent fashion. Unfortunately, most nutritional supplements do not meet these standards so it is important that if you are going to use dietary supplements, to fill in the holes of your diet, you must find ones that are effective instead of reaching for the cheapest, mega-sized bottle of chemically manufactured multivitamins you can find.

Studies have shown that people who are well-nourished tend to get ill less often and recover quickly from injury and disease when such events occur. A good diet is good when you eat more whole foods, ensure that there are no gaps in vital nutrients from day to day and also limit your exposure to things which can harm you. This can certainly be a challenge, but the more we are aware of how these different factors can affect our lives, the more we can make choices which provide us with the maximum benefit.

How Malnutrition Affects You

Dave Saunders is a nutrition consultant and national speaker. Discover more vital truths about health and wellness at http://www.glycowellness.com and http://www.glycoblog.com.

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What is Nutrition and What Does it Do For Your Body?

Let's take the first part of the question first, "what is nutrition?" From Wikipedia - Nutrition (also called nourishment or aliment) is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life.

The second part of the question, "what does it do for the body?" Pretty simple, right? We are what we eat. It doesn't take any kind of special foods to provide nourishment to the cells and organisms necessary to sustain life in the human body. Fact: eat junk food or a lot of fatty foods and you are not going to be very healthy. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet.

Nourishment

The key to any good diet is to get all of the nutrient out of the foods that you eat and not so much the calories. Lots of nutrients and leave most of the calories behind is the only way to go. That means that you should eat foods that are high in nutrition and low in calories. Foods such as fresh fruits apples (with the skin on), apricots, blueberries, grapefruit, banana to name just a few. Their nutritional values are enormous with a low calorie intake.

But, you still need your protein. Vegetables are a great source and some of the best for that purpose are the green leafy ones,(cooked) collards, turnips, bok choy, kale and cabbage. Carrots, celery stalks are good cooked or raw. Beans also are a very good source of protein, lintels, black and red beans and lima beans.

Changing your diet for the better does not mean that you have to torture your self with boring foods. With just a little bit of imagination you can make any food taste exceptionally good. Spice it up with heat or flavor by simply adding peppers or a combination of spices. Felling a little hungry? Pop some pop corn, it's filling and a great way to get your nutrients.

What is Nutrition and What Does it Do For Your Body?

A lot of people struggle with weight loss and body fat problems. How to get weight off and to keep it off forever? Weight training is the best and surest way to accomplish this. Building muscle through weight training will burn the stored fat and tone up the body.

http://www.easystregthening.com

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The History Of Italian Food

While some of the most popular dishes associated with the Italian culture include a tempting slice of pizza and a heaping plate of pasta, there is much more to the world of Italian cooking. Throughout the many regions in Italy, the distinctive cuisine of the Italians shines through in a wide-range of eating habits, styles of cooking, and selection of local ingredients. The changing of the times has also influenced Italian food, as the meals served in the pre-Roman era possess both similarities and differences in the cuisine of today.

The culinary history of Italy established a reputation more than 2,000 years ago, which includes an illustrious movement during the Roman Empire. Culturally, food preparation was quite important in the past where flashes of significance have been captured in the only surviving cookbook (Apicius), which dates back to the first century BC.

Food

The spread of Italian food diversity began after the fall of the Roman Empire when individual city states began to uphold separate identities and traditions. Each region began to display its own unique way of cooking, right down to the formation of a meatball to the characteristic cheeses and wine produced in a locale. The north developed Tuscan beef, while black truffles were very popular in Marches. Provolone and mozzarella cheeses developed in the south, as well as a host of interesting citrus fruits.

Diverse types of bread, variations in pasta, and varying food preparation techniques also differed according to region. The southern regions of Italy embrace hard-boiled spaghetti, while the north often prefers a soft egg noodle. Milan is known for their risotto, while Bologna has a deep history regarding tortellini, and Naples is famous for their pizzas.

Over the years, Italian cuisine has greatly evolved in part because of a wealth of outside influences that have added to its characteristic flavor and appeal. In the beginning, ancient Greek cookery became an integrated part of Italian cuisine. Eventually, a wealth of imports found their way into the kitchens of early Italians, who sent Roman ships to collect a variety of important foods, including wheat, wine, exotic ingredients, and fine spices from around the world. Some ships even traveled to faraway locations, such as China, to bring back edible resources that catapulted the depth and variety of Italian cooking styles.

Coastal regions are known for their developments in delicious fish and seafood dishes. For example, the island of Sardinia supplies a more traditional and simple style of cuisine, which often incorporated delicacies, associated with the sea. Swordfish, lobster, anchovies, sardines, and other Mediterranean treats represent Italian cooking of the area. In Sicily (another island region), a great deal of the cooking drew heavily from North African influences. An Arab influence also affected cuisine on the island and within the rest of the south, especially with the introduction of various spices and sweets, such as the Sicilian ice cream cake called cassata.

As for one of the most popular Italian dishes, while the history books often state that pasta was a product of the Chinese brought back by Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, it was actually a rediscovery of a food item eaten during Etruscan and Roman times. It is believed that the first pasta in Italy was made similar to the noodles of today - from the same durum wheat - which was cooked in ovens instead of boiled in water.

Today, the differences in Italian cooking still show through in the distinctions between the north and the south. Each region still carries their own traditions in cooking that reflects deep history and culture with a never ending supply of main courses, appetizers, and desserts that continuously tempts the taste buds.

The History Of Italian Food

Are you ready to jump in and cook some wonderful Italian recipes? Then visit http://www.cookrestaurantrecipes.com for a cookbook that includes some all-time restaurant favorites including Olive Garden's Chicken Marsala.

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Caribbean Food - A Little History

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

Food

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as "jerk" cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you'll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty", but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered "strange fruit" overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it's no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

Caribbean Food - A Little History

Linda Thompkins is a Caribbean travel consultant and owner of Travel 2 the Caribbean online agency. Linda and her husband reside in Indianapolis, Indiana and have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean.

Travel 2 the Caribbean has been in business for seven years and offers secure online booking, and travel agent booking.

[http://www.travel2thecaribbean.com]

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Banana Nutrition Facts - Why Athletes Love Them

You can't go wrong eating bananas. Many of the banana nutrition facts will agree with this.

They're easy to eat.

Nutrition

Taste great alone.

You can mix them in shakes.

Peanut butter and banana sandwich - Great snack.

All these points, along with the banana nutrition numbers really make it a super food.

Here are the banana nutrition facts:

About 100 calories in a normal sized banana.

just over 1 gram of protein.

3 grams of dietary fiber.

27 grams of carbohydrates.

20 grams of sugar.

500 mg Potassium.

Other important nutrients include magnesium, calcium, antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals. Based on the numbers, the nice amount of potassium has a lot to do with the benefits of banana nutrition.

Bananas also have a good list of benefits:

Helps control blood pressure because of the high potassium content. The high potassium is also linked to keeping your brain healthy. Eating a banana first thing in the morning can really help you stay alert.

Bananas also help people who suffer from heartburn or digestive problems. They pack a lot of good quality fiber.

Many people claim a banana smoothy is a great way to cure a hangover. I spent some time living in Australia and found this very useful. Australians love their beer and parties, but hangovers were never really a concern. I bet it was because of all the breakfast banana milkshakes.

Bananas also benefit many athletes.

Many athletes eat bananas before them compete. It helps them keep a high level of energy throughout their workout or competitive event. If you watch tennis, you'll notice a lot of players snack on bananas between games. All the top tennis players, Federer, Nadal, they've all eaten bananas between their games.

You probably know how important it is to have a high energy level when working out. Nothing is worse then being tired at the gym. You feel weak and get depressed because suddenly you only have half the strength you had last time. Well taking advantage of the excellent banana nutrition can help you have a high energy workout every time.

Try consuming a banana before you exercise. Test it out, see if it helps. Don't eat it right before you train, but maybe 15 to 20 minutes before is fine.

Also if you eat bananas in the morning, it will help jump start your day. Mixing them in a protein shake is quick and easy and tastes great.

The banana nutrition facts conclude that this is a powerful fruit that should be in your diet everyday.

Banana Nutrition Facts - Why Athletes Love Them

For more information about health supplements, visit my website.

Tyler Stokes

Website: http://www.wealthy-choices.com

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How to Take Care for Indoor Bamboo Plants

Care for indoor bamboo plants ensures in healthy growth of bamboo plant. It includes proper fertilization, nourishment and sapping. These in reality are wild long grass that grows in the tropical region amidst the warm climate. Due to its easiness and ornamental look they are usually grown indoors. Alphonse Kerr and Japonica are some of the fabulous plants that are usually grown at home. Since these are sturdy plants various steps have to be implemented to ensure their growth. Caring of these plants becomes easier as an individual gets familiar to it.

Maintaining tips:

Nourishment

1. Care for indoor bamboo plants can be done by embedding the them in a pot with soil containing mix of fragmented rocks, pebbles and clay. This helps in proper drainage. Otherwise water gets saturated resulting into rotting of roots.
2. Watering needs to be done keeping in mind the climatic conditions of the area. Normally, soil speedily dries out when kept indoors. Coiling of leaves shows that it is not getting water properly whereas, sagging signifies over watering.
3. Place the plant in area where it can get adequate sunlight and enough shade.
4. Care for them also depends upon regular organic feeding of chicken manure, N: 10, P: 6 and K: 5 done in small quantities.
5. Misting is another important step. It is spraying spurt of water on plant. It is used to imitate the damp conditions that bamboo is habitat to. Use of Vaporizer can be done for misting.
6. Bamboos are usually resistant to pests but sometimes they might get infected by fungus, insects and microbes that cause spots on it. So, pesticides have to be sprayed.
7. Care for indoor bamboo plants hugely depends on the time of its planting.If it is planted in winter season then dense protection is required so that soil remains loose deep down even in frigid neighboring.

Caring of Taller Plants:

If an individual wants to grow tall bamboo plants, then routine trimming and tapering has to be done, so that its branches don't over spread. Discard away the shrunken stems of the plant by cutting it at the soil bed level. Care for them also includes restricting its height. It can be controlled by cutting it above nodes. Bamboo sometimes extends till ceiling of house in such case, cut out the stalk off the uppermost branch. If lower stems have less or no branches, then cut it from its lower third and reduce the branches till second node of every branch. This encourages growing of new, tender branches. An individual can also surround the pot with barricade, to accentuate the spreading of plant. Soil near the barrier has to be hard without any air pockets.

How to Take Care for Indoor Bamboo Plants

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Argan Oil - A "Miracle Oil" Hair Treatment From Morocco?

Those of us who have dry or brittle hair have been searching for a solution to naturally moisturize and add body to our lifeless hair. Is the latest trend in hair treatment - Argan Oil - the solution?

Argan Oil is a natural, certified organic (when not blended) oil native to Morocco. Derived from the crushed fruit and nuts of the Argan tree, indigenous to Morocco, Moroccans have been using the oil as a treatment in hair and skin care products for centuries. The oil is high in unsaturated fatty acids and rich in Omega 9 - shown to be helpful at improving hair strength and health.

Nourishment

Surprisingly, Argan oil is non-greasy and non-oily and has become popular as a hair treatment to repair and heal damaged hair. Many believe it is excellent for locking in moisture and improving shine and luster.

Its' primary benefit seems to come from its ability to naturally hydrate and to help stop frizziness, fly-away and hard to control, unmanageable hair. Similar in properties to Jojoba oil - derived from mid-western U.S shrubs - Argan oil has been shown to penetrate the hair shaft and almost instantly improve follicle elasticity and increase nourishment.

Generally (and recommend) applied following shampooing to wet hair, Argan oil helps detangle. It is rich in natural antioxidants that are effective free-radical fighters - helping to repair cellular membrane damage and improve strength. It naturally contains Vitamin E that helps revive and renew hair damaged by heat, wind, oxidization or over-styling and processing.

Dubbed the "miracle oil" from Morocco, it competes with Jojoba oil as a very effective hair treatment that renourishes and replenishes dry or brittle hair while protecting and healing damage. As an added benefit, Argan Oil appears to help color treated hair. Essential fatty acids smooth and coat the follicle shaft and have been shown to extend the life of color treated hair.

Argan Oil is fast coming on the scene as the hair treatment of choice by professional stylists and their customers. Damage from excessive styling, perms or the environment leave hair dry and weak - slowing growth and increasing frizziness. The search for a hair treatment for dry may be over? Maybe so!

Argan Oil - A "Miracle Oil" Hair Treatment From Morocco?

Shop HealthyHairPlus for Moroccan Argan Oil - a deep penetrating hair oil treatment for dry or brittle hair. Keep up the with latest hair products - hair shampoo, conditioners, styling aids and hair treatments for healthy hair.

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Hair Loss: Biotin is Food for Your Hair

Biotin plays a significant part in the prevention of hair loss. Most nutritionists agree that biotin is one of the important vitamins for supporting hair growth. It is also commonly advised to take biotin to supplement medical treatments such Minoxidil or Propecia.

A deficiency of biotin may cause hair to become frail and unhealthy, and hair breakage, which may result in hair loss. Biotin also keeps your skin and nails healthy as well as being an important element of new hair growth.
Supplements are sometimes needed to return biotin levels to normal, but it is recommended to include biotin regularly in your diet. Two foods containing good quantities of biotin are liver and egg yolks. You would have to eat thousands of calories worth daily to get enough for your hair needs, which is why I would also suggest biotin supplements.

Food

Foods full of biotin include brewer's yeast, green peas, oats, soybeans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, green peas, bulgur and brown rice. In terms of the egg yolks, your body's ability to digest and assimilate biotin decreases with high intake levels of protein. Biotin binds easily to proteins, making it unavailable to your body, which in turn causes biotin deficiency and hair loss. Try to steer clear of raw eggs in your diet, and cut down on protein powders and bars. Use one of the many shampoos that contain biotin and silica.

Additionally, those with type A blood don't have the ability to fully absorb B vitamins. Biotin is classified as a Vitamin B, so if you have Type A blood, adding higher doses of 5-8 grams twice daily will be needed to help prevent hair loss. At this time, there are no known side effects at this dosage level.

People suffering from heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD and who are taking antacids may absorb biotin less and hair loss may occur as a result. Therefore watch your use of over-the-counter antacids if you are worried about hair loss.

Hair Loss: Biotin is Food for Your Hair

Ms Boulay writes for Groominguy.com, where you read about home dermabrasion kits, and home hair removal methods [http://www.groominguy.com/home-hair-removal.php].

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