Consumption of Music on a Rise

Music is being consumed in more ways than one and at a higher rate then every before. The MTV generation is use to not only hearing their music but seeing it as well. If they see a song that they like they can then buy that songs in multiple media forms from vinyl and CD to digital with DRM (digital rights management) and Mp3 without DRM. If they like the video and the song then they can go to Youtube and view it there until their hearts content. But the digitalization of music has done more. Not only is it easier to view videos but it easier to find and discover new music, acts and bands as well.

MySpace has built a multi-billion dollar network on the backs of up-and-coming acts and unsigned bands and their friends. Myspace and sites like this have exposed many people to new and unheard music and continue to do so at an astonishing rate each day. As a band or act it is now seen as a smart business move and cool to be associated with a brand or land a sync-license in a TV show or commercial. This twenty years before was a direct threat to your artistic vision and classified as "selling out". But now these things are all used to innovatively expose music to the masses and making it easier to discover it.

Technology has created mega-channels of distribution. Peer-to-peer networks have opened the floodgates to obtaining free music. Furthermore, because digitized music takes of bytes instead of floor space you are now given a wider range of music to choose from at digital retailers. And of course copying CDs have never been easier and soon the CD will be wiped from that equation level just the transfer of bytes in order to obtain your music.

What this means is that music consumption is increasing. Production cost is lowering. Distribution is widening and more acts and bands are being heard. There is a need out there for making the discovery and sharing of music simpler and easier. Music is an identifier for many people and these people are getting larger and larger iPods that just simply need to be filled.

Acne Treatment begins with a Change in Your Diet:

Dear Friend,

As the Father of Medicine; Hippocrates once stated: "Let your foods be your medicine, and your medicine your food"

It will be an understatement to say he is correct and had I known of this during my close to a decade of marring acne and sheer waste of money on so-called acne products, perhaps my life-at that time-would have been much happier.

Well, now that I do know, with the staggering number of acne patients left (last time I stumbled on the number, we are talking 50 million plus people folks!), I feel the least I can do is inform or better still remind the public of this simple discipline towards acne treatment, naturally and permanently.

I can boldly say, starting today, if you suffer from acne and want to see it gone, like I did so many years back: You have to stop eating acid-forming/disease forming foods. In lay-man terms: Junk and processed foods and drinks. How did I figure this out? Well, at the time I was a Michael Jackson fan and had read in some books on him that he as well as Jermaine, his brother, suffered from severe acne as teens but were able to control it with a change in their diet, from the Standard American diet to a healthier vegetarian one.

Needless to say, I swore off junk food as the first step towards a successful acne treatment and started doing my own research to validate this claim and indeed, that suggestion is correct. "You are what you eat!" is a saying known all over the world, and what you consume has arguably the most effect on your overall health. Now since the skin, according to Dr. Stanley Burroughs, is the second most important eliminating organ, it only makes sense that what is consumed should not leave a detrimental residue to aggravate skin eruptions.

Moreover, all processed and junk foods and even foods of the animal kingdom, tend to not only constipate the visceral organs, but they poison the blood, which my friends aggravates the other causes of poor health like stress, insomnia and the like. Remember, blood DOES flow through the brain. No one is saying that other factors like losing a job, death and the like don't still exist. Far from it, but from an internal point of view, you have to make the effort to change your diet for not only acne treatment but overall improved health and fitness.

That said, herein lies a suggestion for a successful treatment of acne conditions. No, I'm not a religious fanatic but hey the Creator cannot be wrong folks: "Every herb bearing Seed and ever fruit bearing see in it shall be yours for food. Gen 1: 29"
Okay, I'll break it down, for a successful acne treatment, eat more (if not exclusively)
Fruits and vegetables. Of course they are best enjoyed raw AND organic (if possible), but can be also relished properly cooked. (So don't steam with excess water AND by all means AVOID THE MICROWAVE-trust me I know what I'm saying)

Also, for external acne treatments ensure that you change the pillow-case nightly if possible, sleep on the right side (face clearly off the pillow), avoid harsh chemicals, avoid positioning your face underneath a shower (especially when it's hot)…this for 2 reasons-doing so introduces harmful chlorine into your lungs and from my experience, aggravates acne by drying out the skin and consequently suggesting to the dermis that it needs to produce more oil than needed to lubricate the skin.

You may want to pick up facial massaging or simply washing the face with cool water.
In addition, it doesn't hurt to occasionally steam your face. Try using boiled DISTILLED water though for the same reasons on avoiding Chlorine inhalation above.

Now, you try this for a week and I bet you, you will see a drastic improvement in your skin condition via this superior, yet common sense method of acne treatment.

Sincerely,


Foras Aje

PS
It's been fun writing this, but I wanted to add…throw in a fast or a restricted fruit diet of a seasonal Juicy fruit for just 3 days with the external factors above. You will thank me that I told you this…trust me.

Goji and Diabetes

More than 18 million people in the United States have diabetes. And nearly one-third of them are undiagnosed. This can be devastating, as diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and new onset blindness in American adults.

People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to develop heart disease. In fact, 65 percent of diabetics die from heart attack or stroke.

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, chapatis, yams and plantain, from sugar and other sweet foods, and from the liver which makes glucose. Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body deals with the foods you eat. Normally, carbohydrate foods are broken down into the sugar glucose, which travels in the blood (hence the name blood sugar) until it reaches your cells, where it is taken in and used for growth and energy. For this to happen, however, the hormone insulin must be present. Produced by the pancreas, insulin acts as a key that unlocks cells so that they can receive blood glucose.

Insulin works like a key to open the door of the cells so glucose – the fuel you get from food - can come inside and be converted into energy - cause serious complications and premature death. Insulin is vital for life. It is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body.

The main symptoms of untreated diabetes are increased thirst, going to the look all the time – especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and blurred vision.

In diabetes, either the pancreas may produce insufficient insulin, or the body has lost its ability to use it effectively (insulin resistance). Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body without fulfilling its role as the body's main source of fuel.


Two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is treated by insulin injections and diet and regular exercise is recommended. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). In most cases this is linked with being overweight. This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian and African-Caribbean people often appear after the age of 25. However, recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

Type 2 diabetes is treated with lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet, weight loss and increased physical activity. Tablets and/or insulin may also be required to achieve normal blood glucose levels.





The main aim of treatment of both types of diabetes is to achieve blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as near to normal as possible. This, together with a healthy lifestyle, will help to improve wellbeing and protect against long-term damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries.


Managing Diabetes: Begin with the ABCs

The National Diabetes Education Program suggests that you reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by working with your health care team to monitor three critical factors, which they have named the Diabetic ABCs.

"A" is for the A1C test.

This is a number that shows how well your blood glucose has been controlled over the last 3 months. Bad glucose control can hurt your eyes, kidneys and feet. The goal for most people is an A1C of less than 7. It should be checked at least twice a year.

A 1998 research study showed that increased in blood pressure could be prevented significantly by goji's master molecule polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are very long-chain sugar molecules that provide nourishment for macrophages, the large white blood cells which are an important component of the body's defense system against invading microbes and the malignant cells which form tumors.

Four polysaccharides discovered in Goji berries have not been found in any other fruit. The Goji polysaccharides enhance the body's production of human growth hormone (HGH), which helps build muscle and repair skin cells. The LBP polysaccharide complex unique to Goji berries has been found to be a powerful secretagogue - a substance that stimulates the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH) by the pituitary gland.

One research study in China showed that the LBP polysaccharide facilitated the proliferation of stem cells and increased the number of monocytes in bone marrow. The LBP polysaccharide helps the monocytes convert to matured leukocytes.

"B" is for blood pressure.

The goal for most people is 130/80. High blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

"C" is for cholesterol.

Bad cholesterol (LDL) can oxidize and clog blood vessels, causing heart attack or stroke. Good cholesterol (HDL) helps to lower bad cholesterol. The goal for most people is LDL under 100 and HDL over 40.

Goji contains eta-sitosterol, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Its antioxidants keep cholesterol from oxidizing and forming arterial plaques. Goji increases exercise tolerance, stamina, and endurance. It also helps to eliminate fatigue, especially when receiving from illness.

Benefit From Using Home Gym Equipment

Nearly everyone today has been educated on the benefits of getting regular exercise. Yet still there are an average of sixty percent of American adults not getting enough exercise, while twenty-five percent of the population isn't active at all. Whether this comes in the form of housecleaning for an hour or strength training at the gym--exercise keeps your muscles strong, your heart strong, and your body in shape. You may find that having home gym equipment to exercise on is a great way of staying active so that you can stay healthy.

Doctors have found that the more active you are the healthier you are in many studies. There is a direct correlation between physical activity on that home gym equipment and a lowered risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and muscle, bone and joint problems. Also if this wasn't all ready enough to have you looking up home gym equipment reviews on the internet, exercise can literally make you feel better mentally and emotionally.

Plus you don't have to exercise for hours a day every day of the week to receive these benefits. Most doctors suggest that you exercise three to five times a week for about a half an hour each time to remain happy and healthy. On a piece of your home gym equipment that's only one and a half to two and a half hours of exercise each week. More than likely you'll get addicted to the exercise once you get into a routine and end up exercising more than that on a weekly basis.

Anyone can benefit from the exercise that they get from using home gym equipment. As mentioned previously there are many home gym equipment reviews available online for you to look at in order to get an understanding of the wide variety and availability of home gym equipment on the market.

10 Easy Tips to Eat Your Way to Lower Cholesterol.

Do you have high cholesterol and need to lower it? That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get started with today.

As with anything health related, diet and exercise are the two crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels, so that is what is included here.

One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as "lousy." HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.

The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here is how to do just that:

1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.

2. Fish, like salmon, is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s.

3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it's the good kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy Trans fats.)

5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt.

6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say "may help lower cholesterol.")

7. Use the grill. If you're going to have steak or burgers, grill them at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes great.

8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks.

9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.

Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi.

10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the burger joints if you can.

11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo.

That was easy, wasn't it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!

Unique Valentine's Day Gift: Top Five Valentine Gifts For Her

For Valentine's Day this year, give that special someone the gift of a lifetime. Women love the concept of falling in love. Remember how Adam Sandler made Drew Barrymore fall in love with him everyday in the movie 50 First Dates. Adam Sandler has to come up with something new everyday, to make the same girl fall in love with him again. So, perhaps the traditional bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates are no longer enough to make the woman in your life fall in-love with you again. Well, you can try these top five unique gift ideas guaranteed to make her melt this valentine.

First Date Memorabilia

That first date will be the one they always remember. Even though you can not repeat the date, you can relive it. Framing the menu from the restaurant you first ate at together, is a brilliant way to show someone you care. To make the gift even more special, present it while eating dinner at the same place (even if it was fast food).

A slight variation of this is to have a favorite photo of the two of you framed in a nice decorative picture frame. For a more extravagant and sentimental Valentine's Day gift, you can have your favorite photo converted into a CrystalScribe(TM), where you photo is engraved inside a crystal shape of your choice.

Star Light Star Bright

If you have ever taken a look at the sky and wondered how many stars there really are, rest assured, there are enough to name one for the person of your dreams. Through an online search, you will be able to find a great company that will sell you a star. You get to give it a name and forever change the sky. This gift will only be special if you name the star after the one you love. Please try and refrain from naming it after yourself, no matter how tempting


Tell Them With Words

While the story of your romance may not be what you would call incredible, others may think differently. This Valentine's Day, try writing a concise version of your courtship and publish the story. Give your loved one a copy of the published work and watch their face turn as red as that rose you left behind.

Give Back Adult Time

As time moves on in a relationship and courtship moves to marriage, it seems every waking moment is spent with the kids. Free time is given away, day after day. Homework, plays, soccer practice and dinner make breathing a cherished commodity. More than any monetary gift in the world, many would simply love the gift of time. Offering to watch the kids while your love spends a day, night or weekend away will not only present the perfect gift, but offer a refreshing change sure to last many moons.

Clean Things Up

Many hours, from Valentine's Day to Valentine's Day are spent in the midst of cleaning. This year, take that chore away. A maid service for a month, is a great gift for the entire family. Imagine all of the free time you will gain when someone else has to do all the cleaning.

Valentine's Day gifts do not have to consist of roses, chocolates and expensive dinners. This year give a gift your loved one will be sure to love and a memory to last longer than any edible or perishable treat.



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Plastic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are bandied about so much people often confuse them. While both involve the improvement of your appearance, there are distinct differences.

Plastic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Both plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are designed to improve the appearance of a person. This can be done through lifts, tucks, reshaping and so on. The correct usage of the terms, however, is dependent upon the underlying reason for the surgical procedure.

Plastic surgery is an elective surgery. In its most basic form, plastic surgery takes a normal part of the body and improves it in a manner desired by the patient. Common plastic surgery procedures include liposuction, breast enhancement or reduction, nose reshaping, reshaping of the abdomen and the well-known facelift. All of these surgeries are based purely on a voluntary desire to improve one's appearance.

Reconstructive surgery is often elective, but can also be medically necessary. Reconstructive surgery differs from plastic surgery in one significant way. It is focused on making improvements to a damaged or abnormal part of the body. For example, a person may suffer damage from trauma or disease that leaves a part of the body looking abnormal and functionally deficient, such as breaking facial bones in an automobile accident. Reconstructive surgery will be undertaken to repair the facial structure so that it both performs and appears normally. While appearance is important, most reconstructive surgery focuses on functionality first.

The differences between plastic and reconstructive surgery often blur. Breast enhancement or reduction surgery is a form of plastic surgery. Repairing breasts after the all too common complications of breast cancer is considered reconstructive surgery. Repairing the septum of the nose is considered reconstructive surgery, but simply reshaping the nose is considered plastic surgery. This blurred line is repeated in other areas as well.

Ultimately, the dividing line between reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery is mostly an academic debate or vary obvious given specific circumstances. Regardless, it is important to understand that there is a distinction.