This is another copy paste article from one of my readers. He/she want to share the article and after read it, I think it is a valuable article. The article is about donating blood. Do you have any experience donat blood? May you read the article below :-

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January is a time of year when fewer people donate blood, which is a shame because it’s the month dedicated to blood donors. The Christmas season has passed, and no doubt our shared sense of the holiday spirit has faded. But one revealing fact or statistic might be all it takes to convince a friend or family member of the importance of giving blood and spur them to action. Here are 25 of those for you to share.

1. Blood is always in high demand
According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone needs blood in the U.S. So since you started reading this article, anywhere from 8 to 12 or more people experienced a need for blood.

2. For a yearly total of…
So doing the math, that factors out to 4.5 million Americans who need a blood transfusion every year.

3. And a daily blood need of…
Hospitals and emergency rooms need about 44,000 donations-worth of blood every day.

4. A little goes a long way
Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives by separating out red blood cells, plasma, and platelets and giving one to each of three different patients.

5. Only 38% of the population is eligible to donate
In 2007, it was discovered that only 111 million Americans can donate blood, as opposed to the previously-believed 177 million, because of increased safety measures.

6. Are you eligible?
If you’re over 16, healthy, and weigh at least 110 pounds, you can give blood. (And let’s face it: if you’re American, you’re over 110 pounds.)

7. AB donors wanted
The AB blood types are the rarest in the world. AB-positive blood is especially crucial for donations because its plasma can be universally transfused and is often administered to emergency patients.

8. You have blood to spare
An average adult has up to 12 pints of blood in his or her body. The average donation size is about 1 pint.

9. Loyal donors are not frequent donors
Although donors are allowed to donate every two months, the average repeat donor only gives blood 1.7 times per year.

10. Buddy, can you spare a platelet?
Through a process called apheresis, donors can donate specific parts of the blood like plasma or platelets. The advantages are that donors can donate this way every month and give more platelets per donation than they could otherwise.

11. Donated blood doesn’t last long
Blood’s shelf life is believed to be up to six weeks, but recent research indicates patients who receive blood older than three weeks could suffer harmful side effects. This would basically mean twice as much blood would now be needed from donations.

12. And neither do donated platelets
Platelets have a shelf life of just five days. And with cancer rates ever increasing, the demand for platelets has grown dramatically.

13. Cancer patients need a lot of blood
While many operations require high amounts of blood for transfusions, these are one-time events. Cancer patients, on the other hand, can require up to eight platelet transfusions each week.

14. You won’t catch something
When you donate blood, there is no danger of catching AIDS or any other infectious disease. All equipment is used once and then thrown away.

15. Excuses, excuses
People often cite a fear of being weak the rest of the day after giving blood. However, a healthy adult should not have an affected daily routine.

16. Piecemealing plasma
About 1 in 500 people is born with a malfunctioning immune system. To keep these people healthy for one year, it takes 130 separate plasma donations.

17. Accept no substitutes
Trials are ongoing to discover a safe substitute for blood to give to soldiers or car crash victims, but so far the tests have been disastrous. There is still no replacement for good old human blood.

18. An added bonus
If the knowledge that you’ve saved three lives isn’t enough, when you donate blood you are treated to a free mini-physical.

19. You can donate plasma often
Thanks to apheresis, plasma alone can be donated twice every seven days. Plasma replenishes after 48 hours in a healthy body.

20. United, we donated
After the events of 9/11 in New York, half a million Americans gave blood to be sent to victims.

21. Selling your body
As broke college kids are already aware, some donation centers will pay donors for blood or plasma. Usually your reward will be about $25, which isn’t bad for an hour of work.

22. Donate to yourself
One way to introduce people to giving blood is to have them give it to their future self. Donating blood for your own use later is called autologous blood donation and you don’t have to worry about the blood being a match.

23. Worried about that ink?
If you’re worried that a recent tattooing or piercing disqualifies you from giving blood, never fear; you are still eligible as long as the work was done with single-use equipment.

24. Be like Dean
Dean Willis of Jacksonville, Florida has donated 100 gallons of blood since 1975 and saved over 2,000 lives.

25. This is their chance to think about it
Nearly one in five people say their main reason for not giving blood is they “never thought about it.”

This 25 facts should give you some knowledge about blood donating. I’m also learn many fact about it. Hope this article will help to persuade people to donate their blood. Let’s go and give some of our blood for people that need it..

The article copy from Medical Billing and Coding. Such a nice health website..

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As we know, many celebrity come with dsylexia problem. One of them is UK actress, Keira Knightley. She has dsylexia problem in his childhoold and dealt it by reading Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning screenplay, Sense and Sensibility. The actress told GQ magazine that she learned to bypass the dsylexia by focusing on the script and imagine what Thompson will do.

“My mum, who worked with her on Sense and Sensibility got me a copy of the screenplay Emma had written,” said Knightley. “And I was – am – dyslexic and the way she got me over it was to say: ‘If Emma Thompson couldn’t read, she’d make ——- sure she’d get over it, so you have to start reading, because that’s what Emma Thompson would do’.”

Keira Knightley was allowed an agent at the age of six after dealing with her dyslexia and performing well at school.

That’s show that dsylexia is not a big problem for your health. You can be a success person even if you have dsylexia..

Click Here To Learn How To Manage Dsylexia

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Not all of us have budget or time to exercise in gym. But there’s an equipment that can be used at home and work to burn more calories. There are :-

1. Resistance Bands
- It is useful for beginner. The resistance band come in different resistance level and represented by different colors. For beginner, choose a medium strenght resistance band. It is easier exercise just folding it lengthwise or shortening the band by holding it closer to the anchor.
2. Stability Ball
- This equipment can be used to get ab workouts with hand weights as a balance challenging weight bench.When you sit on or lie across a stability ball, you engage all the muscles in your core to keep yourself supported.
3. Yoga Mat
- This will cushion you from a hard floor and give more support than a carpet when doing ab workouts, floor exercises, and warmup stretches. Plus these rubbery, non-slip mats make it easier, safer, and more comfortable to do yoga or Pilates. Mats come in many colors and designs, so just pick one you’ll enjoy. Another use for a rolled-up yoga mat is as a lumbar support to lie over on the floor after a stressful day.
4. Dumbbels
- It is easy equipment to find. It is great for building muscle and sculpting body.
5. Heart Rate Monitor
-Monitoring your exertion level and keeping track of calorie burn helps you chart your fitness progress and feel in charge of your workouts. Exercising too hard can lead to injury, exhaustion, or burn out. Not working hard enough can be ineffective and leave you seeing little to no results. Using a heart rate monitor with your at-home workouts will allow you to see exactly where you are at all times. You will learn which of your workouts are high intensity, and which workouts are focused on building strength and stamina for harder moves.

SOurce :- Prevention

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Before this, I’ve share a news about drinking black tea may cut blood pressure. But do you really know about the black tea?

What is the black tea?
- Black Tea is a tea made from the Camellia sinesis plant that are used to make medicine. Black tea used the small-leaved Chinese variety plant and the large leaved Assamese plant.
Black tea is a tea that is fully oxidized. It is the process that turns green tea leaves to a deep brown or black. The black tea is popular outside Asia.

Black Tea History

Until China’s Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD), only green tea was produced and consumed. It was during this dynasty, however, that oxidation was discovered and the Chinese realized that it could completely change their tea production. While the tea makers considered this newly created tea fit only for “barbarian foreigners,” it solved one of their major problems.
Green tea did not travel well over long distances and had the propensity to mold. When the tea was allowed to oxidize and then baked, the resulting leaf could retain its quality longer. This black tea was far more suitable for the lengthy transport to Tibet and Mongolia. This type of tea is now the most popular tea in most of the world beyond Asia.

Black Tea is effective for

1. Mental alertness.
2.Preventing dizziness upon standing up (orthostatic hypotension) in older people.
3. Reducing the risk of heart attacks
4. Reducing the risk of kidney stones.
5. Reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease
6. Reducing the risk of ovarian cancer
7. Reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), especially in women.

Reference : Narien
Medline Plus

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who enjoy drinking black tea throughout the day may get the added benefit of a slight reduction in their blood pressure, suggests a new Australian study.
Although the study cannot identify specific components of the tea that might lead to a drop in blood pressure, the researchers said past studies have shown flavonoids, compounds found in many plants such as tea, are good for heart health.
“The message really isn’t for an individual to go out and drink a lot of tea,” said Jonathan Hodgson, the study’s lead author and a researcher from the University of Western Australia. He said, instead, the drop is like a bonus.
The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, randomly assigned 95 Australians with normal blood pressure to two groups. One group drank black tea and another drank a beverage similar in taste and caffeine content.
Before the study started, the participants’ blood pressure throughout the day was about 121/72 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
Blood pressure readings less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered normal. High blood pressure is defined as a reading of 140/90 or above. People with a reading between the two are said to have “pre-hypertension.”
Each group drank their assigned beverages three times per day for six months.
After the six months the tea drinkers’ systolic blood pressure — the top number — fell 2 mm Hg, and their diastolic blood pressure also fell about 2 mm Hg.
While a drop in blood pressure is generally good, a 2 mm Hg drop is not significant enough to bring a person with high blood pressure out of the danger zone.
“Those are small changes and are nothing like what you would see if you took a blood pressure lowering medication,” said Dr. Joseph Vita, who has studied flavonoids at the Boston University School of Medicine and was not involved with the study.
However, the placebo group’s systolic blood pressure went up about 1 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure also increased about 0.5 mm Hg.
To account for potential influences from other foods, researchers had the people in both groups cut back on flavonoid-rich foods such as apples, grapes, dark chocolate and wine four weeks before and all throughout the study.
Hodgson said making the placebo group go from a flavonoid-rich diet before the study to a lower one could have caused blood pressure to go up.
The research was funded through government grants and by Unilever Research and Development, which is an arm of the company that owns the Lipton brand.
According to the researchers, the findings might provide a bigger benefit if they are applied to a large group.
“You’ve got — in the population — large numbers of people with blood pressure around the hypertension range. So just shifting that population down can make a big difference,” said Hodgson.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/zJqgVE Archives of Internal Medicine, online January 23, 2012.

Source :- Healthnews

I’m not really familiar with black tea. Maybe I’ll search and write in at my next article. If you have any information about black tea, let’s share with me..

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THis week, there’s a revealation of 17 year old British factory worker, Stacey Irvine that she are only eat chicken nuggent in her life. This situation make bad happen when she was rushed to the hospital because of struggling to breathe. From the article, it show that she never eat fruit or vegetables in her life and only eating fast food chicken nuggents since she was 2 years old.
The story has become one of main focuss in health world this week. The chicken nuggent absolutely not a healthy meal. The chicken had been deep fried in oil and combine with a variety of stabilizers and preservatives that include some chemical. It contains more fat and protein from the meal.It will make worst if adding more sodium. As happen to Stacey Irvine, the intake can effect on breath. From the case, doctor found that the veins in Ms. Irvine’s tongue were swollen and she was diagnosed with anemia. It is not good for such a young girl get this disease.
Further such a high salt intake can increase a blood pressure that can put a risk to get stroke or heart attack.

Source :- Yahoo

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DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Microsoft chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates pledged a further $750 million to the troubled global AIDS fund on Thursday and urged governments to continue their support to save lives.

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“These are tough economic times, but that is no excuse for cutting aid to the world’s poorest,” he said in Davos at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced two days ago that its executive director, Michel Kazatchkine, was stepping down early following criticism over misuse of funds and cuts in funding.

The public-private organization, based in Geneva, accounts for around a quarter of international financing to fight HIV and AIDS, as well as the majority of funds to fight TB and malaria.

But it has been forced to cut back and said last year it would make no new grants or funding until 2014.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $750 million through a promissory note — a fresh injection in addition to the $650 million that the Gates charity has contributed since the fund was launched 10 years ago.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Jon Boyle; For full Reuters coverage from Davos go to www.reuters.com/davos)

- I wish I can become richer. Not wealthy as Bill Gates but maybe have a million to donate for AIDS people worldwide.. It ain’t easy for those people that live with AIDS.

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International Diabetes Association reported that at least seven million people diagnosed with the disease each year.It is like an epidemic that is widespread and rapid, diabetes is actually a threat to the world’s population.Disease is divided into two types, first by the body’s insulin deficiency and type of the second body is not able to use the insulin produced properly.
The expression which says that ‘you are what you eat “actually describes the health status depends on what you ate.This also means that anyone who was diagnosed with diabetes can control the disease with proper nutrition. The first type of diabetes usually results from the seed. While the second type due to external factors such as unhealthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods.
Most foods that are enjoyed today is the high sugar content. Whenever the fiber content is also low.Adding with smoking behavior, he adds more potential to get the disease.

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There’s a study that talking or texting on a cellphone while walking will slow you down and make it difficult to walk in straight line. The research include 33 men and women in 20s and found the result the ability in walking will reduce. The participants test shown it will slow 33 percent of their walking speed while texting and 16 percent slower while talking. The research by Stony Brook University has published in online edition of the journal Gait & Posture. The result shows that using cellphone will affect working memory in areas of the brain that control executive function and attention.
The result will be used by physical therapy to improve their patients of true functional walking.

Source :- MSN Health

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One of my readers want to share about their article about ’18 Important Ergonomics Tips for Online Students & Workers’. I found it is related to our health and useful. Read the article..

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While you might not realize it, working at a computer for hours each day can take a pretty hefty toll on your body. Eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower back pain are just a few of the more common injuries associated with extended computer use, and studies have shown that sitting for hours can take a big toll on your long term health as well. So what are students and workers who must spend hours on their computers each day to do? One of the best first steps to better health (and less pain and discomfort) is to pay attention to some of the fundamentals of ergonomics. Here, we’ve listed some ergonomics tips that will make your time on the computer, whether for work, school, or just for fun, more comfortable and a lot better for your body.

Give your eyes a rest.
Ever get a headache, blurry vision, or just painful eyes after staring at the computer screen for hours on end? That’s called computer eye strain and it happens to about 50% of computer users. Eye strain may not seem like a big deal, but it can lead to fatigue at work (and lower productivity) and can increase your risk for glaucoma. So, rather than powering through a long computer session, remind yourself to take breaks regularly, focusing on an object at a distance for a few minutes to give your eyes a break. Additionally, you can modify your workstation to reduce the strain on your eyes by using proper lighting, placing your screen so it doesn’t strain your neck, and using a screen filter.

Look for ways to minimize repetitive movements.
Unfortunately, much work done on computers requires some repetitive motions. Even something as simple as scrolling with a mouse wheel can start to irritate your joints if you do it enough. This can lead to a repetitive stress injury, which can often be a very painful condition that will make it difficult to work at all. To avoid these injuries, first set up your work station so that it reduces the strain on your joints, tendons, and soft tissues. It can also be helpful to make use of function keys or to mix up your routine by using a keyboard instead of your mouse. And, of course, don’t forget to take breaks that get you away from your computer.

Stretch or exercise at your desk.
A lot of injuries and strains that happen to the body while working at a computer are the result of not moving around or changing position enough throughout the day. Doing stretches or exercises at your desk is one way to help prevent these sorts of problems. Even something as simple as rolling your neck around a few times can help prevent some annoying aches and pains. Check out the attached link for a guide to simple desk stretches.

Pay attention to posture.
If you are hunched over your computer or sprawled out on your belly to work, chances are pretty good that your body is going to start to complain. Posture is key to following the rules of ergonomics, and you should remind yourself several times through the day to check how you’re sitting. Generally, correct posture means having your legs and elbows at 90 degrees, your back straight and supported, and your feet flat on the floor.

Take time setting up your workspace.
If you’re setting up a home work area, take the time to make sure it’s going to work for you, ergonomically speaking. Choose a desk that’s the right height for you, a chair that is supportive and adjustable, and have all the equipment you need at hand so you won’t have to bend, stretch, or reach in ways that could hurt your body. When you sit down for work in the morning (or whenever you may be working) bring everything you need with you, including notes, books, and even something to drink.

Get up and move around.
Studies have shown that being sedentary for long periods, even if you work out later in the day, is hard on your body. The best way to stay healthy, then, is to make sure that you aren’t sitting for too long in any one place. Take breaks from your work to get up and move around. If you have the time, taking a walk or running an errand (on foot or by bike) can be a great idea.

Don’t just work through pain.
If you’ve already sustained an injury due to a poor ergonomic set-up, you really should try to avoid any motions that further irritate it until it can heal, though this may take some modifications in your usual routine to accomplish. If a source of pain is new, stop what you’re doing if possible and try to figure out what’s causing it before it gets any worse. You’ll lose a few minutes of work time, but it could help you avoid a lot of pain and problems in the future.

Use a light touch.
It might not seem like it’s even possible to hit the keys on your keyboard that hard, but the reality is that forceful typing isn’t just hard on your keyboard; it can also seriously damage your fingers and hands and may lead to repetitive stress injuries. Type on your keyboard and click with your mouse as lightly as possible, your hands and those around you will thank you.

Minimize your effort.
Ideally, if you’re paying attention to ergonomics, you shouldn’t have to move much when doing tasks that you do every day (unless you’re taking those all important breaks). Jerking, pulling, and straining movements can be very hard on your body throughout the day when repeated week after week. When setting up your work area, bring everything you need within reach. It’ll not only preserve your body but might just make you more productive.

Don’t skimp on an office chair.
When it comes to a great desk set-up, there’s one area in which you should never skimp: your office chair. Ideally, you should choose a chair that has armrests, back support, and adjustable height. While many of the best office chairs might cost a pretty penny (think $600-$900), there are plenty that will give you the support you need at a lower price point.

Keep your feet flat on the floor.
You might be tempted to cross your ankles or put your feet up while you’re working, but this isn’t really the best position, ergonomically speaking. Ideally, you want to try to have your feet flat on the floor while sitting in your desk chair. If you can’t reach the floor, find something you can use as a footrest at least part of the time. Also, don’t forget to move those feet around every once in awhile to avoid blood clots and other disorders caused by sitting in one position for too long.

Relax.
When you’re trying to sit properly at a computer, you shouldn’t be stressing your muscles in order to do so. Your arms, legs, fingers, and hands should all be in a relaxed position. If they’re not, you may not be sitting right. While you might have to move out of a relaxed positions to type, always remember to give your hands a break by moving them back out flat when you’re not typing.

Support your back.
One of the most common complaints from office workers is lower back pain. While some of this may be from other activities, sitting at a desk for a long period can take a toll on the back if it’s not properly supported. Any chair you use to work in should support the natural curves of your back. If it doesn’t, you may want to add in supplemental pillows that will help it to better meet your needs.

Avoid working away from your desk.
You might want to take your laptop somewhere else to work, but it could come back to haunt you through muscle aches and joint pains later on. If you do have to work away from your desk, make sure that you’re sitting somewhere that supports your body and lets you maintain good posture.

Remember that alignment is important.
Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of ergonomics is alignment. Making sure that your body is aligned properly and stays that way throughout the workday can do wonders for managing pain and preventing injury. Sitting with your back straight and your arms and legs at 90 degrees may feel weird at first, but it will help you stay healthy in the long run.

Change positions regularly.
While alignment is important, it’s also important to move around while you’re at work, too. Staying in one position for too long can lead to other, sometimes quite serious issues, so don’t be afraid to change positions should you feel uncomfortable or just want to mix things up.

Pay attention to computer positioning.
Since your time at your desk is largely centered on your computer, you want to make sure that it’s properly positioned on your desk. The screen should be positioned close enough for you to read it without straining but not too close, directly in front of you, and perpendicular to anything that might cause glare. Keep your keyboard at elbow height and if you’re using a mouse, keep it close to the keyboard.

Avoid caffeine and tobacco.
While you might feel like you need a cup of coffee or a cigarette to get through a marathon of writing or working, you should abstain if at all possible. Studies have shown that caffeine and tobacco reduce blood flow to your hands, making your nerve tissue more sensitive and increasing the chance that you’ll experience discomfort or pain while typing or using the mouse.

Source :- Online Colleges Courses

It is such a good article and I would recommend to follow the tips.

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