Ephedra in Slimming Tea and Diet Pills : What You Ought to Know

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Many people have searched and tried weight loss supplements that can bring forth fast slimming effects. But, most of these products possess risks. One in particular is ephedra also known as Ma Huang tea. This specific product can give you fast weight loss effects. Yet, it can also give you long-term side-effects because of its ephedrine contents. With that being said, in this article you will discover the dangers of ephedrine in slimming tea and diet pills. Furthermore, you will also read about safe alternatives you can opt for.

Ephedra and its many uses 

Ma Huang tea has been used as an ancient Chinese remedy for more than four thousand years. As of today, it is sold as an over the counter drug labelled as "bronchodilator" or "decongestant" all over the world. It is also currently used as a dietary ingredient in some fat burning formulations.

Because of its main constituent namely ephedrine, it was used for various respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and allergic rhinitis. Being a potent stimulant, it was recently used as a brain stimulant, energy booster for athletic performance and as a weight loss supplement.

As a weight loss supplement, ephedra acts as a stimulant. Its main effect is to increase calorie burning by boosting your metabolism. It can also inhibit one’s appetite. Thereby, decreasing calorie consumption. However, these effects are only for short durations. Without proper diet and physical activities, you will automatically gain weight especially when you discontinue taking this supplement. In addition to that fact, long-term or consecutive intake of ephedra extract or Ma Huang tea is not recommended because of its severe side-effects.

The dangers of ephedra in slimming tea and diet pills

As a stimulant, ephedrine can cross the "blood brain barrier" and it can imitate your sympathetic nervous responses also known medically as the "fight or flight" response. To elaborate further, this substance can increase norepinephrine production and at the same time stimulate both the beta and the alpha adrenergic receptors. Stimulating beta-1 adrenergic receptors are beneficial for patients having breathing difficulties since it results to dilated airways. The problem is, it also affects both the alpha-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors which affect your heart and blood vessels. Stimulating these two receptors will cause contraction of the heart muscles, increase in blood pressure and decreased blood circulation in your kidneys or renal area. Aside from heart problems, there are other side-effects with consecutive use of ephedra namely hepatitis, psychosis and seizures.

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Recommendations

As you can see, ephedrine in slimming tea and diet pills is very detrimental to your physique. Hence, it is best to avoid purchasing weight loss products that contain this specific compound. Your best option is to lose weight the typical way, through proper diet and physical activities. If you are in need of a healthy and reliable weight loss supplement, there are various ephedra alternatives you can take. Green tea and coffee are safe and the most common alternatives you can drink. These products are proven to aid in trimming down your weight. Starch blockers are also popular nowadays. However, there are no substantial evidence that would support its efficacy as a weight loss supplement and health risks. Most health experts actually recommend fiber supplements. It was actually noted in several research works that high-fiber consumption aids in weight loss by delaying one's hunger. Hence, decreasing your calorie intake. 

With that, you now know the dangers of ephedrine in slimming tea and diet pills. If you want to lose weight the healthy way, don’t use shortcuts. It will only harm your physique. Remember, trimming down your weight takes time and effort. If you apply the right approach, you will get long-term satisfaction.

The most Common Signs of Dehydration in Adults

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As a child, we’ve learned that drinking water is essential to live with prosperous health. Ideally, drinking 8 glasses of water every day is often prescribed. Some may have followed this routine while others haven’t. But, even if you drink 2 liters of water, dehydration may still occur. This is due to various circumstances such as the weather, vigorous activities, consuming beverages with diuretic effects, too much salt or an ailment. During these situations, hydration is a top priority. Remember, an average man can only last 3 to 5 days without water. If dehydration persists longer than that time frame, serious consequences may occur. With that, how would you know if your body is asking for more water? In this post, you’ll read about the common signs of dehydration in adults. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll be able to discern if you're drinking the right amount of fluids needed to live healthy. 

Dry skin, hair and lips

One of the most common signs of dehydration in adults is dry skin, hair and lips. Remember that the human body is composed of about 60% of water. Hence, any loss of moisture in your body will evidently manifest in your external body parts. But, how will you know that your skin, hair or lips are dry?

Basically; a dry skin will look rough, flaky or scaly, tight and with visible appearances of lines and cracks. As for your lips, you’ll know that it's dry when cracks are visible and it’s prone to peeling. Remember, licking your lips is not highly recommended. This is because saliva can aggravate its dryness. And lastly; a dry hair is dry, frizzy, brittle and prone to split ends and tangles. If you’re not a fan of hair iron, blow dryers and other hair products but your hair strands are still dry; you might want to increase your fluid intake.

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Unexpected drop in blood pressure and light-headedness

Have you experienced standing up swiftly and feeling dizzy at once? This is actually medically termed as orthostatic hypotension. Although not all the time, this condition is partly caused by dehydration. To explain further, 55% of your blood is plasma. It is the water component of blood. Once dehydration occurs, the plasma becomes viscous. This will then result to slow blood circulation which would result in a sudden drop of blood pressure and oxygen levels. As you know, dizziness is a classic sign of insufficient oxygen circulating in your body. Hence, hypotension and frequent light-headedness are also included in the list of the most common signs of dehydration in adults. And, if you’re experiencing these conditions, you might consider increasing your water or fluid intake.

Constipation and dark urine

Medically speaking, constipation is the result when your colon has absorbed too much water. Ironically, this is a common sign of dehydration in adults. Why so? When a person suffers from dehydration, the automatic response of the colon is to store and absorb excessive amounts of water from digested food. This will evidently result to a dry and firm stool which are hard to purge. As for your urine, if it is brownish in color, it can signify that your kidneys are producing high concentrations of urine. This simply means that you're not well-hydrated to dilute its concentration. Ideally, a healthy person urinates a pale yellow colored urine.

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Thirst

Last in the list of the most common signs of dehydration in adults is thirst, the most apparent one of all. A soon as you feel dryness in your mouth, sore throat and tongue, water or any beverages are imperative. This is your body’s way of telling you that it is on the verge of dehydration. If you constantly disregard this, it will eventually result to the other signs mentioned above. To avoid that, it is best to drink water whenever you feel thirsty.

Before we end this topic, always keep in mind that these common signs of dehydration in adults are also indicative of an underlying medical condition. Hence, if you’re frequently experiencing these signs, a visit to your physician is strongly advised to rule out severe medical conditions. With that, you can now assess if you need more water or not. 

Bromine Contents of Bread: What You Need to Know

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Everyone wants bread. It is one of the most consumed food products in the world. However, have you asked yourself if it is good for you? While not all breads are unhealthy, some breads contain potassium bromate. As you know, bromine is a toxic chemical especially for your thyroid gland. With that being said, in this post, you will read about facts and the dangers of  bromine contents of bread. Aside from that, you’ll also find out how to choose bromate-free bread products. With that, if you find this interesting, just read further.

The danger of bromine contents of bread

Bromine, as you know is under the 2B carcinogens group. What does this mean? This basically means that this chemical has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals. However, there is no substantial evidence that it can cause cancer in humans. Nonetheless, awareness should still apply when dealing with products containing bromine. This is because one doesn’t develop cancer overnight but gene mutations can still occur. You’ll further understand this by reading the article I wrote about how a person develops cancer.

Another problem with bromine is that it disrupts iodine production. This is because bromine and iodine have similar chemical structures. Hence, these two elements will consequently compete for the same receptors. Furthermore, bromine also increases iodine elimination. Remember, iodine is vital for the production of thyroid hormones. These hormones are essential for your growth and metabolism. Lastly, hypothyroidism will also develop due to low iodine levels in your body. 

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Why bakers use potassium bromate?

Potassium bromate is added in flour to strengthen the dough. In addition to that, it is also added for the dough to rise swiftly during the baking process. This not only results in lesser time consumed while baking but less production cost as well. However, as mentioned earlier, this chemical can endanger one’s health. Although, several claims stated that the bromine contents of bread is destroyed during the baking process, tests have also found out that not all bromine is evidently destroyed. For that reason; China, Canada and other European countries have already banned the use of potassium bromate as a food additive. The problem is that not all countries have done this. Some are encouraging bread manufacturers to include it in their packaging labels. Others have only advised manufacturers to limit the use of this chemical. So, what now? 

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Recommendations

To ensure that your bread is perfectly healthy and safe, your best option is to grind your own flour and bake your own breads. In doing this, you should opt for organic wheat grains or flour. But, if baking is not convenient for you, you should only opt for bread products that have “bromine-free” labels. If no labels are available, you can either ask the baker or opt for other products instead. As of today, many commercialized breads have iodine contents. You may also opt for this product to cope with iodine deficiency. With that, you should always be cautious of the products you consume. This is not only applicable for the bromine contents of bread. Other commercialized products may also contain chemicals that can harm your body. For that reason, always update yourself especially about any foods or products you consume or use. 

Yoga: Is It Good or Bad for You?

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Throughout the years, yoga has been one of the most sought fitness program. While most participants are women, there are also some men who have tried this physical activity. However, due to the recent controversies about its dangers, a lot of people want to know if yoga is good or bad for them? Honestly, the answer to this question is indefinite. It will actually depend on your physical attributes. So, before performing different poses or stances, you have to assess yourself if it is suitable for your body and condition. So, how will you assess yourself? You have to read further to know how.

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Flexibility

While yoga is physically designed to slowly improve your muscles’ flexibility, you should still consider this matter beforehand. So, how would you know if yoga is good or bad for you? You can do some flexibility tests such as sit and reach or shoulder stretch. If you feel uncomfortable or pain while doing it, you might want to reconsider trying yoga. Plus, injuries and accidents may occur. If you have fragile joints and muscle, this will be a major concern. Nonetheless, you can  opt for a beginner’s class if you feel uncomfortable doing stretches. As many yoga aficionados have attested, you can definitely improve your flexibility by doing yoga. This will take some time but you’ll definitely get it.

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Balance and muscle strength

Your muscle strength is another important consideration to discern if yoga is good or bad for you. Remember, you’ll be doing some stances and hold that pose for a few minutes. If you’re not accustomed to carrying weights, you'll probably have a hard time doing lifting your body while doing a certain pose. You might even injure yourself during the process. Hence, you might want to consider opting for other fitness activities that are suitable for your strength and capabilities.

Physical limitation

Although yoga doesn’t entail you to be physically fit, you should still consider this before signing-up for a class. Physical limitations can either be due to an injury you previously acquired, atypical bone structure or a medical condition. Forcing your body to twist, bend or do a pose will only lead to further injuries especially when it is not doable for you because of these physical limitations. Hence, you should always ask your physician’s approval before doing trying or signing-up for a yoga class.

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Overview

Is yoga good or bad for you? Honestly, yoga may promise you a lot of health benefits. It may even look like a simple and painless activity. But, clearly it is not for everyone. A lot of injuries and accidents occur because people force themselves to try it with or without supervision. So, to avoid these unfortunate accidents, you have to assess and ask yourself if you can really do it. If not, then there a lot of physical activities you can opt for. But, If you really want to try it, you  have to find a competent instructor. Furthermore, you have to be honest and inform them about yourself, your weaknesses and physical limitations. This will guarantee that you’re in the right yoga program suitable for your physique and physical condition.

Self-respect as a Key Component of Confidence

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Confidence is always tackled when it comes to self-development. We all know that it is imperative to develop it for the betterment of our future. But, how would you develop this? Some say being confident is innate, but the truth is nobody is born with superior confidence. As you grow, you learn to interact and enhance your social skills. It all starts with self-respect. In this article, you’ll learn about self-respect as a component of confidence. From here, you’ll understand how loving yourself is the first step of developing your poise and buoyancy.  

Self-respect

“Self-respect as a component of confidence”. This may look like a complex statement but it's not. Basically, respecting yourself not only in a physical point of view can give you better perspectives in life. The problem with this is that people perceive respect differently. Some say, they fully revere themselves but in reality they don’t. So, what exactly is self-respect?

Many of us believe that if we take care of our health diligently, you're already being respectful. In reality, this is just a minor part of self-respect. Insecurities and doubts are the most common products of low self-respect. But, if you love yourself the way other people see you, you will definitely have more confidence. 

In “Desiderata” by Max Ehrman, it was strongly noted that comparing yourself to other people will only result to either bitterness or vanity. Considering this concept, if you really have self-respect, you will love yourself for who you are without making any comparisons. The problem is, we are all guilty of this act. We can’t avoid comparing ourselves to others. Because of that, our self-confidence is in grave danger. Well, not exactly. As long as you take some time to admire yourself and limit comparisons then your confidence is not in total loss. Plus, there are other key components of confidence such as peer independence and self-determination that you should also take note and understand. All these components will help you surpass this challenge in life.

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Conclusion

As you can notice, self-respect is very essential in developing one’s confidence. If you love and admire yourself, you can easily face a crowd of people. A very important rule is to disregard your flaws. Remember, while there are a lot of perfectionists in this world still nobody is perfect. People are born to make and correct mistakes. That’s how you grow and learn. So, ignore your physical flaws. If you can change or improve your skills or flaws, do so. But, keep in mind that nobody will expect you to be 100% perfect. One more thing. Don't let anyone define you. You are who you are. Always remember that respecting yourself is the same as believing in yourself. Understanding that you are special in your own way will make a big difference in developing your confidence. Pleasing people to the extent that you lose your true self along the way is not the right road. In fact, this is a recipe for a big pot of self-doubt. So, stand-up, fight for what you believe and don't let the people around you establish who you truly are. Only through these ideals will you be able to surpass your insecurities and develop self-confidence. But, of course, loving yourself too much is not healthy. Narcissists may have all the confidence they need. But, when it comes to social remarks, you will seldom see a narcissist with an “A” grade.

With that being said, if you want to develop your confidence, one should start with self-respect. This is not only because it’s a key component of confidence but because it can help you surpass your endeavors in life. 

Pomegranate Green Tea: A Beverage worth Drinking

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Green tea has been an all time favorite not only in Asian countries but all over the world. Today, green tea comes in different forms of packaging. You can either buy it in ready-to-drink bottles or you can also opt for tea bags or loose leaves. But, that doesn't end there. Many manufacturers have ventured in combining green tea with other herbal products. One in particular is pomegranate green tea. Here, you’ll about this particular product and why is it considered as a beverage worth drinking.

What is pomegranate green tea?

Green tea as you know is a product obtained from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis. These leaves are typically steamed, dried and brewed to produce the tea extract. Pomegranate on the other hand is a fruit. But, for the tea, they use the dried seeds of the fruit. Hence, pomegranate green tea is a product of mixed herbs. Although these products are typically consumed individually, combining these two will bring forth a more desirable flavor and aroma.  Furthermore, health benefits are also extended by combining these two herbs.

The effects of green tea and pomegranate fruit

It is a widely known fact that green tea gives several health benefits. One of which, is its anti-oxidant effects. In addition to that, it is also good for the heart because it lowers cholesterol levels. What more? In a recent study conducted by Japanese researchers for more than a decade, they discovered that green tea can increase man’s lifespan. Although, women have more significant results compared to men, still people who opt for this beverage has lower health risks. So, what about pomegranate fruit?

Pomegranate fruit is also considered as a strong anti-oxidant. Hence, it can also be used for cancer prevention. Aside from that, this fruit brings forth a healthy heart and veins. It also strengthens one’s immune system and a good anti-depressant. Furthermore, it was evidently noted in a  Japanese research that 8 ounces of pomegranate juice can aid in treating prostate cancer. With that, it is without a doubt that pomegranate green tea will definitely give extraordinary effects not only in its palatability but to the human body as well.

Why choose pomegranate green tea?

Clearly, the very main reason one should opt for pomegranate green tea is because of its outstanding benefits. Plus, why would you opt for one product if you can have them both for a price of one? Yes, practicality is another reason you should opt for this product. But, what about its dosage? This is not harmful for your health. You can actually see a lot  a lot of tea products that has two or more plant contents. In pharmacology, this is commonly termed as potentiation wherein two drugs are either taken or synthetically combined. This will not result to overdose. Instead, it will increase the drugs’ absorption rate and effects. The same process happens when you drink this herbal product. With that, drinking pomegranate green tea everyday is safe and healthy. So, if you haven’t tried one, this is definitely a beverage worth drinking.

Introvert or Extrovert: Which Group do You Belong

In a world where over 7 billion people live, it is quite enigmatic that there are only two types of people in this world. Well, of course this is only based from a general point of view. The good news is they’ve recently presented more specific personality types. From two groups, they’ve branched it out to as high as 16 groups. But, for this article, we’ll focus on the two main groups of people, the introverts and the extroverts. So, how is this relevant. Well, basically, knowing if you’re an introvert or extrovert will help cope with society. At some point in your life, you have to interact with various people. It will greatly help if you can amend  some of your behaviors to keep a balanced and functional social health. Plus, this is not only about you. Knowing the traits of your counterparts will also help you adjust and develop a mutual understanding. With that, here are the traits of an introvert and an extrovert.

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Traits of an introvert

Are you an introvert or extrovert? Well, you are an introvert if you prefer solitude and serenity over festivity and crowd. While not all introverts want total isolation, most of them prefer privacy and space. Most of them like to read books, write and they prefer making art than admiring one. They think and analyze a situation first before they speak and do any activities. However, most introverts are not social beings by nature. They get anxious or irritated when they’re in a crowded area. People often view them as complex, shy and unapproachable. Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to approach them. They can also be nice, witty, funny and friendly. They are just cautious, reserved and observant of the people around them since privacy is something that they value most. 

Traits of an extrovert

To fully assess if you’re an introvert or extrovert, lets talk about the counterparts of an introvert. Basically, you’ll know you’re an extrovert if you have these traits.

Extroverts love crowds and meeting various people. They are friendly, expressive, gregarious and carefree. They are very energetic and they love outdoor activities. Extroverts are oftentimes considered as the life of the party. Since, they can allure you with their confidence and social abilities. However, most of them are frank or tactless. This is because they seldom think before they speak and act. Nonetheless, they have a great career in politics, marketing and education. Since, they can easily persuade you with their charm and wit. 

Overview             

While not all introverts or extroverts possess the exact traits mentioned above, if you have most of the traits in one type, then you belong under that group. However, don’t let this dictate your future. It is actually advisable to be in the middle. What does this mean? Most experts believe that you have a healthy social life and skills if you possess traits of both types of personalities. Plus, if you can interact with both types of people, you can certainly avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. Hence, if you’re an introvert by nature, you can try to adjust and cope with the energetic life of an extrovert and the other way around.