Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Hand Sanitizers

The Washington Post reported that the F.D.A. has finally found fault in a chemical. The chemical is found in the urine of more than 75% of Americans, and research has shown for years that it is dangerous. New research has grabbed the attention of the E.P.A., F.D.A. and C.P.S.C. The chemical is so widely used that it falls under the jurisdiction of all three federal agencies.
Triclosan is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal chemical. Astute readers may already be making the connection that anything which is poisonous to organisms is, well, poisonous. The poison is intentionally added to anti-bacterial soaps, pesticides, toothpastes, cleaning agents, shaving creams, and mouthwashes. In recent years, it has been infused into children's toys, bedding and some clothing. From observing the history of the chemical industry, we are making bets amongst ourselves as to how long it will be before it is a critical component of vaccines and infant formulas.
"But the FDA, which oversees its use in personal-care products, medical devices and products that come into contact with food, has been working for 38 years to establish the rules for the use of triclosan but has not completed that task."
-- Washington Post
For approximately four decades, the Food and Drug Administration has not managed to decide if triclosan is safe. Meanwhile, people are washing their hands and brushing their teeth with this chemical; with direct absorption into the blood through the mouth tissues.
Current research shows that triclosan is damaging to the endocrine system. The endocrine system is made up of glands that are responsible for mood regulation, metabolism and growth. Therefore, we have quite a disease-inflicting cocktail when this is mixed with fluoride in oral care products. When these crucial glands begin to fail, diseases emanate. Failure of the adrenal glands, for instance, can quickly result in the onset of diabetes or Cushing's syndrome. Failure of the thyroid gland can result in hypothyroidism and diabetes. Meanwhile, the establishment does not seem to know why these are epidemics.
The F.D.A. claims to be re-evaluating triclosan, but if they have been willfully blind to all of the dangers for the past four decades, will they suddenly find them now? The fact that the press has drawn attention to this poison is probably the only reason why the F.D.A. has finally shown the issue lip service. As usual, the involved companies will be paying the F.D.A.'s research costs to ensure that their products are found to be safe. Such approvals account for 97% of the F.D.A.'s income.
To exemplify how unsafe and ineffective this chemical is, some leading brands of triclosan-based hand sanitizers were recalled in 2009, after they were found to contain high levels of multiple strains of bacteria. The F.D.A. admitted that some of the bacteria were only found in "particularly unsanitary conditions". It warned that the subsequent skin infections could be so severe as to need surgical attention, and result in permanent damage.
Most commercial toothpastes should already be avoided, because of the fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate. The use of anti-bacterial soaps are the equivalent of taking an antibiotic several times each day. Chemicals that are placed on the skin will often sink directly through the skin and into the blood stream. Not only do we generally recommend against antibiotics, but it has also been shown that anti-bacterial soaps are no more effective than regular soaps in killing bacteria. The risk of illness actually increases with their usage, because of how the immune system is weakened by exposure to such toxins.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

The Condom Coverup

Holes in Condoms . . .
STDs are very tiny organisms, minuscule in size compared to sperm. These super-small viruses can get through a hole in a condom much more easily than sperm can. For example, HIV (the AIDS-causing virus) is so small that two million of the disease-causing agents could crowd on the period at the end of a sentence.
In 1993 the University of Texas analyzed the results of 11 different studies that had tracked the effectiveness of condoms to prevent transmission of the AIDS virus. The average condom failure rate in the 11 studies for preventing transmission of the AIDS virus was 31%.
One reason condoms fail in preventing the transfer of AIDS is that latex condoms have tiny intrinsic holes called "voids." Sperm is larger than the holes, but the AIDS virus is 50 times smaller than these tiny holes which makes it easy for the virus to pass through [Source: Dr. C. M. Roland, editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology]. To give you an idea of how easy it would be for the virus to pass through these holes, just imagine a ping pong ball going through a basketball hoop.
 
Girls Still Get Pregnant!
Did you know that you can use a condom and still get pregnant? A variety of studies have found that condoms have an "annual failure rate" of 10% to 36% when it comes to preventing pregnancy.
Can you imagine the consequences for a couple when their condom fails? It happens all the time! One of the studies found that among teenagers, the condom failure rate regarding pregnancy was 36%! On average, that means that one out of every three teenage couples using condoms will become pregnant each year.

Are You ready to catch a sexually transmitted diseases?
Condoms provide considerably less protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than they do against pregnancy.
That's because a girl can get pregnant only at ovulation time (that's two to three days each month) but STDs can pass from partner to partner at any time of the month.
STDs are frequently passed through "skin to skin" contact even when condoms are used. This can happen because the bacterial or viral germs that cause many serious STDs (such as human papillomavirus, chlamydia, herpes, and syphilis) do not infect just one place on your body. They may infect anywhere in the male or female genital areas.
So, even if the virus or bacteria isn't passed through tears or holes in the condom itself, you can still get diseases because condoms don't cover or protect all areas of the genital region. That means condoms don't prevent many of the STD infections that take place during sexual contact.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Vitamins 101

Vitamins are little organic molecules we need, but we can’t make them or at least we have a hard time making them ourselves. We must rely on our food to keep us stocked with these essential nutrients, but our food is getting less and less nutritious. Fields are depleted by overuse. Pesticides limit the action of beneficial microbes in the soil that help plants draw in nutrients. Fertilizers focus on certain key chemicals and don’t take into account all the trace minerals, organic components, or beneficial microbes that go into good nutrition. And genetically modified foods have made their way into our food supply when we don’t know how they may affect us in the long term.
produce_in_the_store_is_depleted_of_nutritents_picOn top of these problems, we refine and process our food so it lasts longer, is more convenient, tastes better, and is even made to be more addictive. We strip out and destroy vital nutrients as we process them. Much of the food we find in grocery stores outside the produce section barely resembles what humanity has been eating for thousands of years. There’s no wonder we have so many auto-immune disorders, food allergies, and growing epidemics of obesity. Our bodies don’t know what we’re ingesting, they aren’t finding the nutrients they need, and they’re begging for us to eat more and more so we might manage to give ourselves what we’re missing.
We all know we need a steady supply of vitamins and minerals so our bodies can function properly. Scientists, doctors, and food companies agree too, so they create cheap vitamins in labs, fortify our foods and beverages with them, and dump them into multivitamins. The problem is these synthetic vitamins are not what our bodies are looking for either.
Almost all multivitamins are from synthetics. The same goes for fortified foods. There’s a good reason for this. Synthetic vitamins are cheaper to make and usually more stable. This means they can last on shelves for months or years, be added to foods in high doses, and create small dense tablets packed with insane amounts of every type of vitamin. These vitamins are allowed to call themselves “natural” even when they are actually synthetic because scientists say the synthetics are virtually identical to the ones found in food.

The way these compounds are made is not remotely similar to the metabolic processes that plants and animals use to create them. The finished product is also usually a compound not exactly the same form as any found in nature. These synthetic vitamins, according to a multitude of studies, are not as bioavailable, absorbable, or usable. These “virtually identical” vitamins are not what we find in natural foods, not recognizable to the body, hard on the kidneys, and can often be treated as toxins.

broccoli_contains_natural_vitamin_a_picNatural Vitamin A – Vitamin A shows up in food as beta-carotene. The body must convert it into vitamin A to be useful. This sounds less effective, but vitamin A can be toxic in large doses. Beta-carotene allows the body to convert what it needs and discard what it does not as a natural safeguard against damage.
Synthetic Vitamin A – Synthetic vitamin A is retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate. This synthetic is made from combining fish or palm oil with beta-ionone. Palm oil is leading to deforestation of rainforest and endangerment of orangutans. Beta-ionone is created using citrus, acetone, and calcium oxide.
Natural Vitamin B1 – Thiamin, or vitamin B1, is a water soluble vitamin created by plants and bound to phosphate. Digestion releases the thiamin using specialized enzymes that target phosphate.
Synthetic Vitamin B1 – Thiamine mononitrate or thiamine hydrochloride is made from coal tar, ammonia, acetone, and hydrochloric acid. It is much less absorbable since it isn’t bound to phosphate. It is crystalline in structure, unlike plant-based vitamins. Many synthetic vitamins are crystalline. Crystals in our blood stream cause damage and mineral accumulation where it isn’t needed, like joints.
Natural Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin is easily absorbed, stays in the blood stream for long periods of time, and is readily used by the body in many important enzymes.
Synthetic Vitamin B2 – Synthetic riboflavin is made with acetic acid and nitrogen or using genetically modified bacteria and fermentation. It has been shown to be less absorbable and then quickly removed from the blood stream and expelled in urine like a toxin would be.
Natural Vitamin B3 – Niacinamide or nicotinamide is what we find in food and commonly call niacin. Niacin can have side effects, but these are minimal when coming from plant foods.
Synthetic Vitamin B3 – Nicotinic acid is created using coal tar, ammonia, acids, 3-cyanopyridine, and formaldehyde. It is less absorbable and has more risks of side effects.
Natural Vitamin B5 – Pantothenate is the natural version of this essential B vitamin.
Synthetic Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic acid involves isobutyraldehyde and formaldehyde to form a calcium or sodium salt. The alcohol derivative, panthenol, is sometimes used as it is more stable and lasts longer on store shelves.
bananas_contain_natural_vitamin_b6_imageNatural Vitamin B6 – Like B1, pyridoxine is bound with phosphate in plants to make pyridoxal-phosphate. This is the biologically active form. Any other form of B6 must be converted into this phosphate combination before our body can use it.
Synthetic Vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine hydrochloride comes from petroleum ester, hydrochloric acid, and formaldehyde. It isn’t readily absorbed or converted and has been shown to actually inhibit the action of natural B6 in the body. It also has side effects not normally found with natural food sources of this vitamin.
Natural Vitamin B7 – Biotin is involved in cell growth, fat production, and metabolism.
Synthetic Vitamin B7 – Synthetic B7 is produced using fumaric acid.
Natural Vitamin B9 – This B vitamin exists in food as folate and is very important in the creation and repair of DNA, thus the vital importance of this vitamin before and during pregnancy.
Synthetic Vitamin B9 – Folic acid doesn’t exist in natural foods, is crystalline, and is not easily absorbed despite the large amounts that are added to vitamins and supplements. It comes from petroleum derivatives, acids, and acetylene.
Natural Vitamin B12 – Cobalamin B12 is only created by micro-organisms like the bacteria that grow in soil and our intestines, as well as some micro-algae and perhaps some seaweed species.
Synthetic Vitamin B12 – Cobalt and cyanide are fermented to make cyanocobalamin. That’s correct. Cyanide. It is in miniscule amounts, but it is still cyanide.
Natural Choline – Choline is often grouped with B vitamins. It is combined with phosphate in nature and is important in cell membranes and keeping fat in check.
Synthetic Choline – Choline chloride or choline bitartrate is made using ethylene, ammonia, and hydrochloric acid or tartaric acid. It is not bound to phosphate.
vitamins_c_can_be_found_in_red_berries_picNatural Vitamin C – This vitamin is readily available in citrus, red bell peppers, berries, and many more fruits and vegetables. In nature it is combined with flavonoids and phytonutrients that help in its absorption and use.
Synthetic Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid is an isolated vitamin from genetically modified corn sugar that is hydrogenated and processed with acetone. It does not include the flavonoids and phytonutrients that make it work.
Natural Vitamin D – Technically this one isn’t always thought of as a vitamin since we make it ourselves. Mushrooms, yeast, and lichen produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Humans do too. A daily dose of about 20 minutes of sunlight provides all we need. Vitamin D3 is the most effective kind, the same that comes from our own skin and lichen. Mushrooms and yeast often yield D2.
Synthetic Vitamin D – To mimic the natural production we find in our skin, scientists irradiate animal fat to stimulate vitamin D3 synthesis. They usually use lanolin, the waxy secretions from sheep skin that keeps wool dry.
Natural Vitamin E – Vitamin E actually refers to 8 different fat soluble compounds and it acts as an antioxidant that protects fats from oxidation. The most biologically active form is found in grains, seeds, and the oils from grains and seeds.
Synthetic Vitamin E – The synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol is created using refined oils, trimethylhydroquinone, and isophytol. It is not as easily absorbed, doesn’t stay as long in tissues, and is quickly dispelled like a toxin or unknown chemical.
Natural Vitamin K – This vitamin is important to proper blood clotting and some metabolic pathways. It is found in dark leafy greens.
Synthetic Vitamin K – Synthetic vitamin K, menadione, comes from coal tar derivatives and genetically modified and hydrogenated soybean oil, and uses hydrochloric acid and nickel. It is considered highly toxic and damages the immune system.
Vitamins should really come from food sources as much as possible. If you want a multivitamin, reach for ones that use whole food sources like holy basil, guava, and other herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Sunwarrior Raw Vitamins for Her and Raw Vitamins for Him come from whole-food sources.
Synthetic vitamins are isolated or simulated nutrients that do not take into account all the countless phytonutrients that come along with them. Nature is not a select few things isolated from the rest. We are only beginning to understand how many of the lesser known compounds in plants react with one another as we eat them, but we do know humanity has been eating whole foods for a very long time. We have evolved to recognize the whole, not just individual chemicals that have been created to approximate an essential vitamin.
Avoid supplements that use words ending in -acid, -ide, and sometimes -ate or that use the “dl” before the name.
Minerals should be from whole foods as well as often as possible. They are not considered organic materials as they come initially from the earth, but plants incorporate minerals into their systems and combine them with organic compounds. This is how our bodies know them and incorporate them into our systems as well. Minerals are often combined with proteins to form enzymes. Your body is begging you for the vitamins and minerals it knows, loves, and misses terribly.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Effects of Caffeine

Fact or Myth?

There has been an ongoing controversy surrounding the effects of caffeine. So what is fact and what is fiction? This page will clarify the misconceptions about this common food component.
MYTH: Caffeine is an addictive substance:
FACT: Caffeine is a pharmacologically active substance and works as a mild stimulant drug. Scientists say that moderate consumption of caffeine is safe and should not be classified with addictive drugs of abuse [1]. Some caffeine users report withdraw symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue or drowsiness, but these effects only last a day or so and can be avoided if caffeine intake is reduced gradually. Also, caffeine users do not demonstrate dependent, compulsive behavior that is characteristic of dependency to drugs of abuse [2].
MYTH: Caffeine increases the risk of heart disease:
FACT: A study of 45,589 men conducted by Harvard University researchers concluded that caffeine consumption causes “no substantial increase in the risk of coronary hear disease or stroke” [3]. Also, a study on the effect of filtered coffee consumption on plasma lipid levels was published in 1992. Scientists concluded that coffee consumption actually led to a small increase in the level of HDL or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is believed to protect against and lower the risk of heart disease [1]. Therefore, a moderate caffeine consumption of about 400 mg per day does not associate with cardiovascular effects.
MYTH: Caffeine causes cancer:
FACT: The relationship between caffeine consumption and risk of cancer has been studied, but no associations have been discovered or supported by research.
MYTH: Caffeine is a risk factor for osteoporosis:
FACT: Some studies suggest that the intake of caffeine increase calcium loss in urine. However, this loss has been found to be very minimal and normal levels of caffeine consumption does not significantly affect calcium balance or bone density [4]. In 1994, NIH convened a pane at the Consensus Development Conference on Optimal Calcium Intake. The panel found that caffeine did not affect calcium adsorption or excretion significantly, and any effect was shown to be more than adequately offset by a tablespoon or two of milk [5]. Most coffee drinkers add a milk product to their drink, which can easily offset any negative effects.
MYTH: Caffeine stunts your growth:
FACT: Many parents told their children when they were young that they shouldn’t drink coffee because it would stunt your growth. Well, this is just not true. When coffee or caffeine drinkers were followed over time in different studies, they did not show any effects on their bone growth. Scientific studies do not support this myth. Studies did show a slight limi in how well the gut absorbed calcium, but the studies also showed that the body compensates easily for this change in calcium absorption. How does the body do this? The body decreasing how much calcium it gets ride of in your urine in a 24 hour period. The very slight affect, can be overcome by a tablespoon or two of daily. Some people say that coffee or caffeine drinkers have a lower intake of dairy, but this is a far stretch in claiming that coffee or caffeine stunts your growth.
A study of 81 girls 12 to 18 years old researched the caffeine effect of total body bone mineral gain and hipbone density of a six-year period. The groups ranged from taking 25mg of caffeine per day to greater than 50mg per day. This study found no significant differences in the groups with respect to bone health or growth.
Caffeine is a common drug used in neonatal care when premature babies are cared for. It is used to stimulate them and help with their breathing when their brains are immature. If caffeine really did stunt growth, it would not be used in neonatal care [6].
MYTH: Children are more sensitive to caffeine than adults.
FACT: Children, including ones diagnosed as hyperactive, are no more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than adults [2]. The behavior effects of caffeine in children were examined through 82 published papers, and the results showed that children, not including infants, metabolize caffeine more rapidly than adults, and children in general consume less caffeine than adults. Although there seems to be little solid evidence that children are a risk of negative effects of caffeine, Health Canada recommends that daily intake by children should be limited to 2.5mg/kg body weight [7].

Sunday, January 31, 2016

The Dangers of Psychiatric Drugs

Psychiatric Drugs: More Dangerous Than You Ever Imagined
(A New Video)

Peter Breggin, MD

Peter Breggin, MD
We are facing a tragedy of enormous proportions!  Psychiatric drugs of every kind are exposing people to long-term risks of a declining quality of life, apathy, chronic disability, and even shrinkage of the brain.  When they try to withdraw from the drugs, they are likely to find themselves afflicted with new symptoms of drug-induced harm that the medications were suppressing.   Then they may find it physically and emotionally painful, and even dangerously unsafe, to withdraw from these psychoactive medications.

“Psychiatric Drugs are More Dangerous than You Ever Imagined” is the newest video in my series of Simple Truths about Psychiatry.  It provides a simple, direct and inescapable warning about this epidemic of harm induced by psychiatric drugs.  It underscores my conclusions from many decades of scientific research, most recently described and documented in Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition (2008) and Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients (2013).  To that accumulating data and analysis, I would add Bob Whitaker’s landmark scientific discussion of drug-induced disability in Anatomy of an Epidemic (2010).  The video sounds a necessary alarm about this growing tragedy, involving millions of people and their families, who never foresaw the disabling results of taking psychiatric drugs and giving them to their children.
Peter Breggin, MDThe Breggin Blog: The Conscience of Psychiatry: Dr. Breggin has been called "The Conscience of Psychiatry" for his decades of successful efforts to reform the field. He criticizes psychiatric drugs and ECT, and promotes more caring, empathic and effective therapies. His newest book is Guilt, Shame and Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming Negative Emotions.

The Dangers of contact lenses

Dangers Of Contact Lens 1:
Blind As A Bat

If your glasses fall off, most likely you will see it once you tilt down your head.
But if you drop your contact lens, it might need some sort of miracle to find it again. 
Blind as bat!
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After that, you will have to proceed on without your lens for the rest of the day.
Blinded in either one or two eyes.
And that seems to defeat the purpose of putting on contact lenses because you want clearer vision, isn’t it?


Dangers Of Contact Lens 2:
Diminished Corneal Reflex

Using contact lenses may cause a diminished corneal reflex in your eye.
Corneal reflex is a protective mechanism of our eye.
Testing Corneal Reflex
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Whenever a slightest amount of pressure is applied to the cornea, our brain receives a signal to drop down the eyelids to protect our eye.
This is what causes your eyes to instinctively shut down when you are surprised by a flying object towards your eye. Like an insect fly appears out of nowhere or when someone tries to poke your eyes.
In short, your corneal reflex exists to protect your eyes from anything that may cause direct trauma to the eyes.
And by constant application of contact lenses to the eyes, you are teaching your body to ignore your natural corneal reflex.
Because of this you may dulling the eye's response to corneal reflex and this could lead to the eye being damaged because you couldn't shut your eyes fast enough when danger approached.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 3:
Dry Eyes

Contact lenses reduces amount of tears getting on our cornea.
Especially the soft lenses as they absorb most of our tears to keep itself soft.
The lack of tear exchange can cause dry eye syndrome which causes uncomfortable feeling such as itchiness, redness and burning sensation.
Danger of Contact Lens: Dry Eye
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Severe dry eyes can lead to scarring of the cornea.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 4:
Corneal Abrasion

Contact lenses can scratch your cornea and causes corneal abrasion if they are not fitted properly or when your eyes are dry.
This is especially true if you are sleeping with contact lenses in. Abrasion can also happen when the lenses trap particles (such as dust, dirt and sand) and rub against your cornea.
Cuts and abrasion create opening for bacteria and virus to seep through, leading to eye infection which can result into vision loss.
Carelessness in handling your contact lenses during extraction and insertion can also increases your chance of scratching the cornea.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 5:
Conjunctivitis

Contact lenses, especially those worn through the night, provide a moist environment that is a potential breeding ground for microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. 
Danger of Contact Lens: Conjunctivitis
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And because less oxygen reaches the cornea when you are wearing the lenses, your body is not able to fight off infection caused by bacteria or viruses effectively.
Thus contact lens wearers are at higher risk of getting eye infection such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) and stye.
The most common type of conjunctivitis which contact lens wearers get is called giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) due to repeated irritation from the contact lenses.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 6:
Allergic Reactions

Contact lenses may increase the likelihood of you getting allergic reactions.
The presence of a contact lens could possibly trap allergens between the eye or under the lens, allowing them to stay on the eye longer.
Thus allowing more time for the allergic reaction to kick in.
Some people might experience allergic reactions from wearing contact lenses due to the preservative in the contact lens solution.
Such situation is usually rectified by prescribing a lens solution with different preservative.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 7:
Ptosis

Ptosis is a condition also known as drooling of the eyelids where affected individuals aren't able to fully open their eyes.
If you wear contact lenses, they may migrate into the lid tissues causes scarring and contraction of your eyelid tissues that result in a lid retraction.
Danger of Contact Lens: Ptosis on the right lid
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This is especially true for hard contact lens wearers due to repeated stretching of the lid during lens removal.
Ptosis can also be caused by a severe giant papillary conjunctivitis.


Dangers Of Contact Lens 8:
Corneal Ulcer

A corneal ulcer is an open sore in the eye's cornea, caused by bacteria, fungus, viruses or  parasite infection.
If it is not treated quickly, corneal ulcer can cause permanent blindness.
Dangers of Contact Lens: Corneal Ulcer
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By then, probably the only way to restore vision is through corneal transplant.
The most common cause of corneal ulcer is by a bacteria that lives in water called Psuedomonas.
About 12,000 contact lens users are affected by this infection every year. If you are infected with psuedomonas, this bug can eat into your cornea and destroy your sight within 24 to 36 hours.
As your cornea is intertwined with nerves, the invasion process is extremely painful.
A common symptom is green pus and pain, discomfort and light sensitivity after only a few hours.
Jennie Hurst was blinded in one eye after a quick swim in the hotel pool with her contact lenses in.
She caught a common parasite known as Acanthamoeba in between her contact lens and it penetrated her eyeball within days. 
Acanthamoeba
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This organism can be found almost in all water bodies such as tap water, river water, sea, soil and swimming pool.
In United Kingdom alone, 75 people are infected with acanthamoeba each year.
To reduce the chances of getting corneal ulcer, it is important to upkeep hygiene when handling your contact lenses.
Follow your eye doctor’s instructions diligently for proper cleaning and do not use water or saliva to clean or lubricate your lenses.
And always remove the contact lenses before you getting into water whether you are bathing or swimming.


Afterword

I hope that you are convinced that contact lenses are in fact dangerous.
No matter what type, contact lenses can cause serious damages to your eyes. If you do need them for aesthetic purpose, don't wear them anymore.
The risks aren't worth it.
- See more at: http://www.improveeyesighthq.com/dangers-of-contact-lens.html#sthash.LCkAlan4.dpuf

Friday, January 1, 2016

keeping your New Year Resolution of loosing weight and keeping it off

So many of you out there have a New Year Resolution of loosing weight and keeping it off but a lot of you if not all of you don't follow through so let me help you with that this year. First you need to figure out how much weight you want to loose and keep your weight loss goal resoanable ok like 20lbs in a month or 2 and you can accomplish that if you are dedicated. 2nd you nee to set aside some time to dedicate accomplishing that goal like 2 hours a day everyday. Next you need to be dedicated to stay with your goal otherwise you are not only wasting your time but you will also never reach your goal. Next during this process you need somebody with you to motivate you every step of the way (You see positive motivation is the one of the many important keys to keeping a goal) so find some you trust to motivate you. Next you need to realize that even if you do all of that if you quit your favorite foods cold turkey like a lot of you think you need to do you'll never reach your goals because when you quit cold turkey on the foods you love you have to deal with the withdraw symptoms like the shakes, the jitters and the intinse cravings for that food and you have sabatoged all that hard work you already put in because you never gave your body enogh of a chance to get use to the fact that it won't have that compacted gunk in it's systom. But by slowly reducing you will give your body that chance and you won't have to deal with the withdraw symptoms. Next you need to eat organic and drink organic foods only because all of the other foods have toxins of some kind in them. And you need to go to a co-op natural grocery store or a farmers market or grow your own food through planting seeds. Oh on more thing for more advice on how to make this work go to www.amazon.com and order a copy of Kevin Trudea's cd "The last diet you'll ever need" and good luck!