Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile...

For the most part, unless you are allergic to a particular substance, it seems that most teas found on the market are good for you. This isn't going to be a very detailed post; just pointing out the options of finding other healthy teas besides the typical black and green teas. Personally, I like to mix green and black with clover honey and sugar, as I stated in my post: "My favorite tea with clover honey." Now, before I go any further, I am in no way saying that these other types of tea are better for you than green or black teas, but depending upon your needs, you may find some of these alternative teas to be more suitable for you.

"Hibiscus tea is the infusion made from the calyces (sepals) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, an herbal tea drink consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. It is also referred to as roselle (another common name for the hibiscus flower), flor de Jamaica in Latin America, karkadé in Egypt and Sudan, bissap or wonjo in West Africa, sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, red sorrel in the wider Caribbean, and other names in other regions." [per Wikipedia]

When I drank this red colored tea with sugar, it had a cranberry-like flavor. Besides the good taste, it was also very pleasing to look at (due to the color), when drank out of a glass with ice... This tea naturally contains vitamin C along with trace minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine. Hey, this drink is really big in Egypt. For example, it is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. ...Anyway, one of the most touted claims about drinking hibiscus tea, is its ability to lower blood pressure - especially if you're suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Speaking of lowering blood pressure, you may also be interested in reading my post: "The Health Benefits of Vinegar." ...Now back to the hibiscus subject: If you'd like to read more about this type of healthy tea and the studies that have linked it to lowering blood pressure, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_tea

Chamomile is a fairly popular tea that is mostly known for its smooth taste and its ability to calm you down. Many people use it as a sleep aid. However, with my experience with it, if you are really riled up or aggravated, it won't be strong enough for a sleep aid. Of course, Chamomile tea is caffeine free. Outside of it being a mild sleep aid, Chamomile tea has loads of health benefits. It is also used to treat sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, acts as a mild laxative and is very healthy for your digestive tract, in general. Chamomile is also an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal. Studies have shown positive results when it comes to lowering blood sugar, as well. Research with animals suggests antispasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and some antimutagenic and cholesterol-lowering effects for chamomile. As usual, more research needs to be done.

Side note: If you suffer from ragweed allergies, Chamomile may not be for you since it is a relative of ragweed.

Outside of green, black, hibiscus, and chamomile teas, there are other healthy herbal teas out there on the market. The brand "Celestial Seasonings" has a wide variety of such things. For example, their herbal "Tension Tamer" tea contains a big variety: Eleuthero, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Ginger, Chamomile, West Indian Lemongrass, Licorice, Catnip, and Tilia Flowers.

So, in between your bad habits and absorption of atmospheric toxins and pollutions, go grab yourself some healthy tea and try to counter some of these negative free radicals. Cheers!

---End of Post "Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile..."

Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!

I get so tired of seeing silly adverts about "male enhancement." It is so pathetic, hearing about all these claims that taking a few pills can turn a miserable, small penis into some colossal cock. If you're that gullible and have the money, go right ahead and spend a fortune on these male enhancement pills and be sure to drop by upon your success, and leave your testimonials here, in the comment field. Ha-ha!

Personally, I'm glad that I don't suffer from a small penis. However, I can't accredit my currently proud penile status to pills. Hmm, it must have been from all the excess pulling and jerking I did at an earlier age. Perhaps I stretched the sucker... Ha! If you'd like to read a fictional short story that I wrote a while back, that praises such things, visit: "Why do people keep staring at my cock?"

Anyway, this is not the typical post found at the Health & Fitness Blog, but like I mentioned in the past, the 'health subject' covers a lot of topics.

Okay, now back to the subject at hand: If you're seeking methods of penis enlargement, you may find a variety of exercises, pumps, surgery, and pills that claim to help you with this particular anatomic issue. ...By my own personal experience in the past, using your mind along with physical routines, stretches, etc., can actually work - but don't expect to be a mule within days. A slow, semi-steady growth of penile tissue takes a long while to achieve, and I don't recommend anything for your methods of growth either - especially since you may injure yourself during the process if you're careless or too rough and whatnot.

Also, the "I have a really Big One" feat is slightly overrated. Trust me, if you're seriously packing a large pole, many women will find that you are too large for sex and/or there will be certain sexual positions and angles of penetration that you will be limited at - due to the female encountering pain from your manhood. Don't you just hate that, when it happens? For example, the missionary position with the girl's legs up may be very limited if you're going too deep. If you run into too much trouble with your truly enhanced meatpole, you can always be a chubby chaser like me and go for the girls with really big backsides. Oh crap, I'm getting way off subject here...

Now, back to the asinine male enhancement pills that do not enlarge: If they would, like many products have done within this genre, just change the name or claim to be a "male performance enhancer" or a "testosterone booster," then I wouldn't have any problem with it. But what usually happens, they put loads of exotic herbs and whatever else in these pills or capsules, make huge claims, then jack up the price for the suckers with minuscule genitalia to waste their money on. I have a lot of knowledge in health science, fitness, nutrition, herbs, vitamins, etc., so I can simply read the content label and laugh about some of these miraculous claims. Besides, looking at bikini babes and sexy models, should work better than these silly herbal pills, right? Ha!

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking supplements that might enhance your sexual performance. I'm just saying, don't waste your money on bogus products. To cut to the chase and to save a bunch of chatter from me and money for you, in my opinion, a male would be better off just taking a regular supplement of Ginseng Extract and be done with it. From there, you can try other mind over body techniques along with physical routines and hope for the best. Good luck to ya! Oh, I must say, as sappy as it may sound, the quality of the relationship between two people should still matter the most.

Well, I guess some girls just prefer big guns:

---End of Post "Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!"

Related Link: "Increase Seminal Fluid - Enhance Ejaculation"

Use a Weighted Vest for Training

If you're seeking an easy way to add more resistance to your training sessions, a weighted vest may be just what you're looking for......

I've owned one for a while, although I don't wear it as much as I should - but they are really beneficial to use. I find that a weighted vest is especially helpful for the ones that don't rely on lifting heavy weights, and also for the ones who exercise via a variety of training methods.

For example, I bought this type of vest to mainly use while I'm working out on my Power Tower. I only purchased a 10lb weight vest, but it was still enough to make my pull-ups and dips more challenging. This type of physical fitness gear is really great for the ones who workout without weights and depend on their body weight for the sole resistance of the performed movements at hand. ...See, with the addition of a weighted vest, you no longer have to worry about leveling out or "peaking" in strength, since you can always buy a heavier vest if the exercise becomes too easy. Speaking of that, when you get to the point where pull-ups using additional weight becomes too easy, you have room to brag. Ha!

Pull-ups, push-ups, and dips on a Power Tower is not all a weighted vest is good for. There are so many uses for these. Some people use them while running, walking or performing daily tasks. They would also be very effective to use during martial arts training or when you are punching on your heavy bag. All of those prior activities while wearing these vests, will help strengthen your torso, abs, back, legs, etc. - due to the added weight.

Below, I'll provide an image of a typical weighted vest. Most of these they make now, have the option to add or remove the individual weight bars as you see fit. They come in a variety of sizes & weights. I've seen them weigh 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, and even up to 80lbs. Dang, I couldn't imagine running around, training or working out with an extra 80lbs. on my back! But, it depends on your physical fitness needs and what type of exercises you'll be using it for - when it comes to picking out the right one. For starters, I'd recommend buying a 10 to 20lb. weight vest.

If you're interested in browsing through a fine selection of weighted vests, either click the image below or follow the link under it:

--------------------> 'Click Here' for additional Weighted Vest selections! <--------------------

Side Note: Upon browsing through the various selections, you may also be interested in ankle weights, wrist weights, weighted gloves, and so on.

---End of Post "Use a Weighted Vest for Training"

Health Benefits of Vinegar

Vinegar is one of nature's natural remedies for a variety of ailments and conditions; along with its tasty attributes, often used in salad dressings, marinade sauce, etc., and its amazing ability to clean stuff, vinegar is truly a very versatile solution.

Since this is a health blog, I'll try to mainly concentrate on the potential health benefits of vinegar. If you're interested in the other aspects of this acidic delight, just do a web search about "the uses of vinegar," "cleaning with vinegar," or "cooking with vinegar." Anyway...

I suppose one of the most commonly used vinegar tonics, prepared as a simple-to-drink concoction, is the 2 tablespoons of vinegar in one cup of water solution. ...When drank like that, some people add honey or sodium bicarbonate to the mix, to make it more palatable. Personally, I can easily gulp down a cup with 4 tablespoons of vinegar with not much problem albeit I usually go for more water after I'm done; ha-ha!

Many people, especially health fanatics, try to ingest vinegar on a daily basis. I usually only use it purposely, as a concoction, when I feel that my blood pressure has been up for a while or when I feel like my body is suffering from inflammation due to physical or mental stress.
With that being said, one the best health benefits (at least to me) is that vinegar can lower blood pressure and acts as a mild anti-inflammatory.

Some people use vinegar for insect bites, stings, etc.

I'm sure many of you have heard about how vinegar is great for the skin when consumed regularly, helps with acne, and so on.

Now, I can't prove this nor have I did an extensive study on it, but it is believed by many that vinegar can help detoxify the body by flushing out toxins from the liver and other internal organs, the blood, etc. I'd say that it could help a person detox, but I'm not going to say that it is the best method for a detoxification process. If you'd like to read more about this subject, visit my blog post "Natural Ways to Detoxify your Liver."

Some people use vinegar while on strict diets that aim to lose weight, as an aid to curb your appetite. Hmm, maybe that's why I've read before that eating pickles suppresses hunger. Interesting...

The ingestion of vinegar helps with digestion and intestinal functions, and is often believed to have the ability to help lower cholesterol - which is very possible.

Some people have found that using vinegar can help with headaches, hiccups, arthritis, and other uncomfortable ailments. I've also read where people have found vinegar to be an effective treatment for their warts. Vinegar is naturally an anti-microbial agent that helps kill bacteria, viruses, etc.

As you can see, there are many health benefits of vinegar and it has way more uses than what many folks realize. I have loads of this stuff around the house, mainly because I use it to pickle peppers from my garden each year.

However, I will say, it seems like the most beneficial form of vinegar is apple cider. I just have the standard 5% white vinegar for now, since that is what I use for pickling, but I'll probably buy some of the apple cider vinegar in the future, to use for some of the natural remedies - like I mentioned prior. Hey, anything you can use that is natural to replace the use of man-made drugs or chemicals, is always a big plus.

Well, that about wraps it up. I'm sure there are many other uses and benefits for this substance, but I just went over some of the most common ones I have heard of. Cheers!

Related Blog Post: Health Benefits of Lycopene

---End of Post "Health Benefits of Vinegar"

Fight Arthritis & Inflammation - Black Cherry Extract

This particular supplement has been around for a while, although, when compared to most other supplements found on the market, the known health benefits of Black Cherry Extract is fairly new. It has proven to be exceptionally beneficial for the ones who suffer from chronic arthritis, inflammation, and occasional bouts of joint pain, etc. It is actually one of those silent remedies that, for whatever reason, hasn't been overly marketed or touted as some miracle pill - for the most part. With the pharmaceutical industries thriving on drug sales, I'm sure many folks would rather you just take your standard, prescription arthritis and anti-inflammatory drugs instead of trying herbal remedies to fight your ailments, but hey, what do I know? I'm not a doctor or anything of the like; I just try to avoid drugs and chemicals the best I can (unless they are recreational or for fun, like alcohol - ha!), so if in doubt, use your own judgement or as they say "ask you doctor." Blah-blah...

Anyway, on this post, I'm just going to make a few comments, drop down a couple links that relate to Black Cherry, and stumble right along...... Oh, if you're interested in reading more about anti-inflammatory properties, check out the post I wrote here:
"Heart Healthy - Anti-Inflammatory Sources"

Before we go any further, you may want to read about the Black Cherry tree. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:
"The fruit is suitable for making jam, cherry pies and has some use in flavoring liqueurs; they are also a popular flavoring for sodas and used in many ice creams. The black cherry is commonly used instead of sweet cherries in order to achieve a sharper taste. It is also used in cakes which involve dark chocolate such as a Black Forest gateau and as garnishes to drinks like cocktails. [As you can see, the black cherries from this splendid tree have many uses outside of its recently discovered anti-inflammatory properties albeit in my opinion, the health benefits from taking the extracts in pill form outweigh any of these prior uses of black cherry.]
The timber is also very valuable, perhaps the premier cabinetry timber of the U.S., traded as "cherry." It is known for its strong red color and high price. Its weight per cubic meter when dried is around 580 kg. The wood is also used for cooking and smoking foods, where it imparts a unique flavor."
You can read more about the tree itself, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cherry

[Image Credit:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amerikaanse_vogelkers_bessen_Prunus_serotina.jpg]

Anyway, back to the extract that helps fight arthritis and inflammation: I've tried this before, and it really seems to work. You don't have to be arthritic or anything to need or use this supplement. It acts as an antioxidant, thins the blood to reduce inflammation, and regardless of any medical data, it is black cherry concentrate. Many of you know that berries have an amazing amount of health benefits, so really, if you have a few extra bucks, it wouldn't hurt to buy this supplement from a reliable manufacturer. I've only tried the Natural Brand from GNC, 250mg. per capsule. However, I only take it on occasions, when I feel the need.

Speaking of inflammation, it doesn't have to be joint pain. In fact, inflammation can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, etc., in the long run. Many things in life can cause stress hormones to release certain chemicals in the body that often causes inflammation. Hell, a poor diet, having too much acid in the body (lowered PH), mental stress, sleep deprivation, and so on, can all raise the risk of internal or external inflammation. Black Cherry extract is not the only natural solution, either. If you follow the link I gave a few moments ago (Heart Healthy - Anti-Inflammatory Sources), you'll find a few other alternatives.

Well, enough talk for now. If you're interested in possibly buying some Black Cherry supplements, I browsed through Amazon.com and dug up a search page....

Click the Image Below, to Shop for Black Cherry Extracts:
---End of Post "Fight Arthritis & Inflammation - Black Cherry Extract"

Random Blog Link: "Is a Multivitamin for you?"

Quit blaming the meat!

I get so tired of all this negative chatter that tries to give most meats, especially red meat, a bad name. I wish a lot of these vegetarian fanatics and red-meat-haters would just stop and think about a few things, before blaming the majority of diseases and disorders on meat!

A few moments ago, I was doing a quick web search about red meat - just to see if all the debate has calmed down over the years. Nope! It was in full swing! Some of these people were referring to red meat like it was a poison and pretty much had a formula "Red Meat = Death." WTF? At the same time, for the ones who weren't vegetarian, they was acting like eating chicken is superior to beef, and so on. Okay, lets get this straight: For one, I enjoy eating all different types of meat. But, unless you're raising your own livestock or fish, do you really know what they eat and/or what they're injected with? To down the cow and praise a chicken that is being raised in mass production, is a little absurd, if ya ask me. As much as I love to devour a plate full of hot wings, baked chicken legs, and use chicken eggs for a good protein source, I do realize that a chicken is a very nasty animal that will eat about anything it can get down its throat; much like a pig (and we all know how swine gets a bad name). A cow, on the other hand, basically eats grain, fresh grass, hay, etc.

I have no problem with vegetarians or people who don't believe in eating meat, but lets don't start blaming meat for the reason some people are in bad health......

Here's what the main problem is (in my opinion) and the reason why a lot of research points to certain types of meat as being the reason for health problems:

What's in it? This is what many people forget. How many hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs has the animal been subjected to in order to speed up growth and production? Yeah, it seems to me that the chemicals and drugs and all that other crazy crap that is hard to pronounce when reading the ingredients on the food labels, is what may be killing people the most.

Processed meats? Okay, a lot of processed meats contain red meat along with white meat, but processed foods such as bologna, hot dogs, beef jerky, and so on, contain sodium nitrites and other unhealthy, risky additives. Speaking of bologna, hot dogs, vienna sausages, potted meat, etc.: I'm still not sure exactly what all in the hell is in there. I mean really, some of this junk tastes good, but anytime I read the words "Mechanically Separated Chicken, Beef, Pork," I'm like, "uh, oh shit!" Your guess is good as mine. Hell, who knows, you may have ate some very exotic meat in those hot dogs for all you know. Ha-ha! Just kidding, well, I hope I was...

Do you trim the fat off your steak? This may very well be a good reason why meat gets a bad rep. Are you one of those who orders or cooks a big rib-eye steak and upon finishing your meal, all you see is a little juice on the plate and nothing else? Damn! It might be a good idea to trim the pure fat chunks and strips off the steak, wouldn't ya say? To me, eating freshly cut steak as opposed to hamburger steak that has already been pattied up, not only gives you a more primal feel when eating the blissful flesh that is full of body building protein and nutrients, it also allows you to have more control over how much of the fat you want to ingest - unlike the hamburger patties or steaks that already have the fat that you'd normally trim, all mixed up with the lean meat.

Eat a lot of sausage and burgers? This is one thing I can't take up for, when it comes to the defense of red meat, pork or beef. If you eat a lot of sausage (the good ol' tasty swine) or a lot of hamburgers (the good ol' American meal), you are getting a mix of all that tasty, unhealthy fat that has literally been run through the mill or grinder to blend the lean cuts with the lard. I've made 'em both, back when I was a butcher. I also enjoy consuming both of these, but at least I know that it is not the most healthy thing I can ingest. You should see somebody make sausage, for example. I still remember adding what appeared to be nearly half lard into the meat tray with lean cuts of pork, running it through the grinder a couple times and presto, all that lard is now blended in with the sausage. Although hamburger meat is leaner than pork sausage, a similar ratio is applied - often 73 lean/27 fat or 80/20 is usually the leanest for the typical burger, which is still a lot of fat per ounce.

Do you burn your meats? This is not good at all for your intestinal and/or colon health. When you burn and overcook your meat, it alters the molecular structures in the meat and can release harmful free radicals, blah-blah, and whatever, that can have a negative impact on your digestive tract. Also, even though I know it's fun and tasty, grilling your food on a charcoal grill is also suppose to be bad on your colon, and whatnot. Hey, if you want to grill, I say grill. Quit worrying about everything and live a little, but I'm just saying it might not be a good idea to grill out with charcoal ALL THE TIME or burn your meats on a regular basis.

Do you just mostly eat meat? If so, this is definitely not a wise choice unless you're living off seafood or something - and even if so, you still need other types of food. I think meat also gets blamed a lot for the ones who come down with ailments due to their body being too acidic. If all you eat is chicken, beef, and pork and consume very little fruits, grains, and vegetables, of course you are not doing your body a favor. With that type of eating habits, no wonder these people are always blaming the meat!

Bottom line: When it comes to meat, the best bet is farm-raised, organic, lean cuts and reasonable-sized servings with somewhat of a balanced diet. Some people don't consider fish a meat (why they don't, I'm yet to figure out), but it is an extremely healthy choice that is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids. Oh, and to finish my defense for beef consumption: it is loaded with balanced Amino Acids which is great for the protein seekers who need it to recover and build muscle from their workouts. Also, beef has B vitamins (especially B-12), a great source of iron, and contains a lot of selenium - which has been found to have anti-cancer properties in some studies. Red meat has also been thought to raise testosterone levels, which is a good thing for males or anyone trying to build muscle. However, I can't say for sure that the last tidbit has been proven without a doubt, but, due to the nutritional value of the common slab of lean beef, I'd say it is very possible. In addition to all of this, Taurine comes from a large variety of meats and seafood. If you're not aware about this particular amino acid, you may want to read the "Health Benefits of Taurine" blog post.

This particular blog entry reminds me of a blog post I did on another site of mine, a while back. It was called "The Optimal Caveman Diet - Foraging Hunter and Gatherer."

---End of Post "Quit blaming the meat!"