What is the anti aging secret weapon? It’s water. Yes, plain old water – our best friend in the battle to restore or hold on to our youth.

Without water there would be no life. It’s that important. Water is something that NASA looks for on new planets to establish whether there might be life on the planet. Although for humans, oxygen is a more urgent need and we would die very fast without it, there are known forms of life that do not need oxygen or even are poisoned by it. But every living thing needs water.

Water makes up 55% to 75% of the human body, depending on a person’s build and size. It is essential for all of our metabolic processes. It helps transport nutrients and eliminate toxins. These substances are dissolved or held in suspension by our bodily fluids that are mostly water, and carried around the body. It is important for a healthy colon, kidneys, liver, brain and just about everything else. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Investing in a special exercise trampoline leaves you feeling bright, active, totally happy and ready for more. And that is not an exaggeration. Thousands and thousands of people are using trampolines of all sizes, not just for fun filled days for the kids but as a serious fitness regime.

Trainers recommend it because it protects your joints, improves coordination and keeps you fit.

But the best part about this particular workout is that it is fun! Trampolining is a fantastic, safe way to exercise. Not only can you fit it around your physical abilities and needs, trampolining is flexible in terms of time and space. You can do it at home indoors (mini trampoline!) or in the garden.

All manner of people use it as a way to keep fit, from older people who need aerobic exercise that has less impact on their joints, right through to sportsmen and women, athletes and boxers who need extremely effective exercise. Read the rest of this entry »

Wired Magazine has an article this month talking about a study showing that astronauts returning from the International Space Station and shuttle flights have 25% reduced strength in their calves. I am not sure how to react to this study. As we are all aware in our daily lives we live in gravity, sure, but we also have to walk around a lot while on the space station I am under the impression that this lack or gravity and close quarters means that there is not as much need to use your calves, arm strength is probably not reduced by much in comparison.

Here is the guts of the article:

Without stricter workouts, the bodies of long-distance space travelers will be ravaged by the time they return to Earth, or reach another planet.

A NASA-funded study of astronauts freshly returned from six-month stays aboard the International Space Station found that their calf muscles were about 15 percent smaller and 25 percent weaker than when they left. Read the rest of this entry »

I have not taken a nap in at least a couple of years now but many people will swear by the value of taking a nap on a daily basis. After looking atthe following I am thinking that taking a nap may be in everyones best interest.

There is a great post that I ran across about naps and thought I would share it with you.

To paraphrase the article here are five great reasons to take a nap:

1. Increased Alertness And Productivity
“It seems nature definitely intended that adults should nap in the middle of the day, perhaps to get out of the midday sun,” said William Dement, director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center at Stanford University.

2. Less Stress
So find a quiet, comfortable spot and take a nap. Even a short power nap can leave you feeling refreshed, renewed, and more focused. Studies have shown that people who spent 30 minutes each day napping had one third less heart disease than those who didn’t nap.

3. Improved Memory And Learning
Participants improved on the task throughout the first session, says psychologist Sara C. Mednick of Harvard University and her colleagues. The students’ speed and accuracy then leveled off during the second session. The scores of the participants who didn’t nap declined throughout the final two sessions. In contrast, volunteers who took a 30-minute nap after completing the second practice session showed no ensuing performance dips. What’s more, 1-hour nappers responded progressively faster and more accurately in the third and fourth sessions.

4. Increased Cognitive Functioning
n a recent study, researchers at NASA showed that a thirty to forty-minute power nap increased cognitive faculties by approximately 40%!

5. Better Health
Napping in general benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair, says Dr. Sara Mednick who is at the forefront of napping research. A power nap, says Mednick, simply maximizes these benefits by getting the sleeper into and out of rejuvenative sleep as fast as possible.