Vitamin C

Alternate Name : Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins are carried throughout the body in the bloodstream. They are, for the most part, not stored in the body. The body uses what it needs and the rest is passed in the urine.

Information

Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. It causes open sores in the mouth, loose teeth, and soft gums. In the 1700s, it was discovered that sailors who often drank lime juice did not get scurvy. Sailors who did not drink lime juice had a 50% chance of dying from scurvy. It was not until 200 years later that vitamin C was found to prevent scurvy.
Severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. However, severe deficiency and scurvy are rare in developed nations. Vitamin C deficiency is often caused by the following factors:

• a diet that does not include enough fruits and vegetables
• excess alcohol intake
• smoking
• stress

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, gastrointestinal diseases, and hyperthyroidism increase the need for vitamin C. Inflammatory diseases, burns, and surgery can also increase a person's need for vitamin C.

Following are signs of vitamin C deficiency:

• inflamed gums
• reduced resistance to colds and infections
• skin problems
• slow wound healing
• stomach disorders

Full article: http://www.healthopedia.com/vitamin-c/

Click & Comment Monday

I dont have the C&C linkie yet, so just try, comment and visit Cat 's blog and get yourself signed up in her blog. ok?

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On Mondays, Cat has Click & Comment Day. She posted this to remind you how important it is to comment on other blogs. It truly DOES increase your readership and you most often gain regulars that will visit your blog day after day.

What I encourage is for you to click my renter. Then, you comment on the blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Then you comment on that blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Do this for as many blogs as you can. Sometimes they go full circle, and you end up at the originating blog, then just look up a blog in the blogroll and start the cycle again.

So, let’s get started! Comment here and I’ll either add your name and link to my post or use an auto-link program and let you add your own.

I really encourage you to do this at least to 5 comments if you have ANY time at all. It will give you the joy of sharing a few of your opinions on posts and bring you future readers.

Thanks and enjoy Click & Comment Day!

Are you posting Click & Comment on your blog? Add your name to the list with a link to your blog and I’ll come visit. If you do this you not only gain links but new blog-friends as well.

Enjoy! I’m going to try to do this each Monday. Why not start your week off right?

Fast Food Choices

The following tips are helpful in making healthy fast food choices:

• Choose salads whenever possible, but beware of creamy dressings and toppings.
• Emphasize fresh vegetables topped with a vinaigrette or reduced-calorie dressing.
• Choose baked potatoes instead of french fries.
• Stay away from fried fish sandwiches. They are usually the highest-fat option. Try a grilled chicken sandwich instead.
  
• Choose mustard dressing in place of mayonnaise.
• Choose low-fat milk or fruit juice in place of shakes or sodas.
• Split large or high-fat items with a friend.
• Ask for pizza with less cheese, and choose vegetable toppings rather than pepperoni and sausage.
• Choose sandwiches on whole-grain bread instead of croissants and biscuits.
• Have low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit ice, or sorbet for dessert.

http://www.healthopedia.com/fast-foods/

WEIGHT LOSS - Losing those last 15 pounds

Source: http://www.healthfreetips.com/beauty%20tips/weight_loss.htm

Take your weight loss slowly and you'll be able to keep that 5 kg (10 lbs) off for a long time. Be sure to treat your self well because you want to be beautiful on your wedding day, and you can only be beautiful when you're happy.

If you want to lose 5 kg, it will take a minimum of 3 weeks. Don't do anything drastic -- that is, don't completely change your life to lose 5 kg. I have some suggestions for you that will help you lose weight gradually in a healthy way:

1) Drink only water -- no teas, coffees, Coca Cola, juices, etc. Water has zero calories and will help you body flush out the excess fat as you lose weight. I am not familiar with Zera water, but if it has zero calories, go on drinking it.

2) Eat the same foods you always eat, but eat only 1/2 as much as you usually eat. I have found that you will not lose weight by making a big change to your diet. By eating the same food but only 1/2 as much, you will be able to enjoy your usual diet but you will reduce the amount of calories you ingest. You must eat to give your body fuel to keep it working, so fasting is NOT the way to lose weight. In fact, when you fast, your body over-reacts to the food deprivation and will change your chemistry so that it will hold on to your fat for protection. If you are too hungry when you cut your food by half, try eating 2/3 of your usual portions. YOU MUST EAT TO STAY HEALTHY.

3) To tone your thighs, take long, brisk walks. Your pace should be faster than normal but not as fast as running. You want to get your heart pumping a little faster than normal but you do not want to put too much stress on your heart. You should walk for about 45 minutes to an hour a day, and if you can find a few gentle hills, your walk will be additionally slimming. Going up and down hills is a great way to tone your legs.

4) To tone your tummy, try this twice a day:
* While sitting in an upright position on your chair, tighten your abdominal muscles and breathe in.
* Hold this position for 10 seconds.
* Breathe out and release the abdominal muscles.
* Repeat this exercise 30 times.

10 ways to beat dengue fever

Willie T. Ong, MD,MPH
August 13, 2005
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE RAINY season is here again. And so are those killer mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. In a year, thousands of Filipinos get sick from dengue, and many have died as a result. After experiencing high fever, complications include severe bleeding, shock and death.

The danger is real. village chair Dr. Ma. Encarnacion Legaspi of Makati had conducted a unique study. During summertime, she distributed three cans to each household and asked them to fill it with water and leave it for a week. After which, she collected all the cans and had them analyzed for deadly mosquito eggs. Lo and behold, around 30-40 percent of all households were positive, which means that those killer mosquitoes are flying all around Manila.

But no need to panic, because we have 10 ways to beat dengue.

1. Clean up your backyard.
Mosquitoes love to stay in dark and damp areas. So if your garage is littered with boxes and assorted garbage, clean them up or throw them away. Print this story Send this story Write the editor Reprint this article View other stories Don’t let them become mosquito havens. Schedule a weekend cleanup day.

2. Empty containers with stagnant water.
The dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. This means that flower pots, garbage cans, aquariums, unused swimming pools, tires and other muds and piles are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. So after the rains fill them with water, throw the water away. Next time, keep these containers closed and upside down. Flower vase water should also be replaced weekly.

3. Check your surroundings for stagnant water.
Some ornamental plant leaves have this “whorl” or cup-like shape that can hold water. Beautiful to behold but deadly in design. Turn them over and throw the water away. Upturned coconut shells are also notorious for holding water. Nonmoving rivers, especially in squatter areas, are full of mosquito eggs.

4. Close your doors and windows.
Some people open their doors in the morning for a whiff of fresh air. They also believe that mosquitoes would leave the house and go into the sunlight. But my advice is to keep your doors shut at all times. If it’s too stuffy, then place a screen door that keeps the flies and mosquitoes outside.

5. Spray insecticide regularly.
To rid your house of mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches, spray insecticides every few days. Make sure you spray those dark corners, crevices and cabinets. You’ll be amazed at the number of vermin you’ll find dead in the morning. Just make sure that household members are not exposed to the insecticide as they are not the target. Just spray selected rooms when people are not there.

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