Dave Brubeck - Take Five ( Original Video)

Why Flat Feet Treatment is Important?

Flat feet is a medical condition when the arch of the foot collapses and the entire sole of the foot touches the ground. It is also called fallen arch or pronated foot. It is a fairly common foot problem about 20-30% of the population never develops a full arch on one foot or on both feet.

It can be hereditary or it can develop at a later age.  Some flatfooted people have flexible flatfoot when an arch appears when the toes are rolled back or the person is standing on his or her heel. People with arthritis and diabetes can develop fallen arch too. Obesity and foot or ankle injury are risk factors too.

An early sign of flat feet is when the shoes wear unevenly. Flat feet can be painful. A flatfooted person can develop pain in the ankle (inner side with some swelling), the arch of the foot, the foot in general, the calf, the knee, the hip and the back.

There are various ways to decrease the pain. For a swollen ankle an anti-inflammatory drug and an ice pack can be temporary relief. People with flat feet often wear over-the-counter or custom-fitted arch supports. Sometime wearing extra wide shoes helps too. Wearing a night splint will also reduce the pain especially for those who also have plantar fasciitis (pain and inflammation in the ligaments in the soles of feet). There are excises for flatfooted people which could strengthen the arches.  You can find plenty of videos on YouTube.

If you don't take care of your foot problem you can make it worse and end up with Achilles tendonitis, arthritis in the foot (feet), arthritis in the ankle(s), plantar fasciitis.

What is Testosterone? – How Can I Increase it Naturally

I often hear on the radio commercials about drugs improving the testosterone level. I decided that I really want to find out what is testosterone, why do I need it and how can I increase it naturally. After age 40 the testosterone level gradually decreases so being close to 50 I really can benefit from boosting my testosterone level.

Testosterone is a male hormone but in a smaller amount it also can be found in women. Testosterone affects sexual features and development and it's also affects the brain, bone and muscle mass, fat distribution, the vascular system, energy levels, genital tissues and sexual functioning.

Most of the testosterone is made by the testicles in males and by the ovaries in females and in small amount by the adrenal glands. The pituitary gland controls the level of testosterone in the body. This hormone tells the body to make more testosterone if needed.

You can increase your testosterone level naturally by watching your diet. Limit your carbohydrate intake. A diet high in simple sugars and starches can create your blood levels of cortisol and insulin to spike. These two hormones harm your body's production of testosterone. Eat more fruits and vegetable. Avoid consuming too many saturated fats and completely avoid trans fats. You can find good fats in fish such as salmon, flaxseed oil, nuts, and avocado.  Foods high in fiber are also good such as oatmeal. Don't eat too much estrogen which is often found in poultry.

Every time you ejaculate, you lose nutrients such as vitamins B6, B12 and E, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. You also want to replenish these vitamins and minerals. Taking vitamin C is also important.

Exercise is also important. Whit exercise you can also control your weight. Excess weight will elevate you estrogen level.

Testosterone gets released in your body when you sleep. You need plenty of sleep preferable between seven to nine hours.

If you are not sure about your testosterone level visit your family doctor, a simple blood test will do it. 

Duct Tape – We Can't Live Without It

Duct tape is a durable fabric-based tape. It has rubber adhesive on one side and polyethylene coating on the other side making it waterproof. Originally it was called Duck tape due to the waterproof nature. It was designed for the military in 1942 during World War II for use as a sealing tape for ammunition cases. Originally it was green.

Soon the military realized that due to its strength, flexibility and waterproof nature it can be used to repair various equipments. Besides the military applications NASA was using it during the Apollo spaceflights. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a couple of rolls of duct tape on the Space Station too.

After World War II when the housing industry was booming, someone discovered that the tape works great in joining heating and air conditioning duct work. Today there are better tapes for this application and the use of duct tape is against building codes in many states. The color changed from green to silver, but there are other colors too.

Duct tape can be used to fix many things although often you only want to use it as a temporary fix in an emergency situation for example. You can use it to temporarily patch up holes to keep the moisture out like a broken window. You can repair a broken objects with it or just to tie things together. It could be used as a temporary fix for a leaking pipe or hose.

Today the use of duct tape goes far beyond this. There are duct tape costumes. Since duct tape comes in many different colors, not only silver, these costumes are very colorful. Duct tape can be used to make a valet, purse and various artistic objects.

It's a good idea to keep some duct tape at home and maybe in your car. If all else fails try the duct tape.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Water is essential to stay alive, there is no doubt about that. About 60 to 70 % of our body is water. Blood is mostly water and your muscles, lungs, brain and other organs need water to be able to function properly. Water helps to regulate your body temperature and water makes is possible to provide nutrients to your organs and tissues. Water also transports oxygen and removes waste. It also protects you joints and organs.

We lose water thru urination, respiration and by sweating. We lose more water when we are active. Alcohol and certain medication will also increase the amount of water your body loses.

If we lose water from our body and we don't replenish it we can get dehydrated.  The symptom of dehydration is muscle and joint pain, lower back pain, headache and constipation. If your urine have a darker color and a strong odor, that's a sign that you are not drinking enough water.

If you are healthy you know when you have to drink water. Although some doctors say that you have to drink 6-8 glasses of water, there is no sense to "force" yourself to drink a lot of water. Many times water bottling companies want you to buy their product. Their claim that water cures or prevents illnesses and help you to lose weight are not well founded and often simply marketing gimmicks.

You don't always have to drink water to replace the water you lost from your body. At least 20 % of the water comes from the foods you eat. With soft drinks the problem is too much sugar and extra calories. Juices are good source with the added vitamins and sport drinks help keep your electrolytes in balance. Caffeinated beverages count too but too much caffeine is not necessarily good for you.

What Does the Prostate Do? – How Can You Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. Its main function is to secrete prostate fluid, one of the components of semen during ejaculation. It surrounds the urethra just below the bladder. During ejaculation the prostate contracts, closing off the opening between the bladder and the urethra and releases fluid into the urethra and pushes semen thru.

Due to its location, a swollen prostate compresses the urethra and irritates the walls of the bladder causing abnormal urination. A growing prostate can be benign also called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. It can also be cancerous.

You cannot prevent prostate cancer which is the most common cancer diagnosed in men but changing your lifestyle you can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Healthy diet is important. Below is a list of what you have to include and exclude from your diet:

• Avoid fatty foods. Low-fat diet has other benefits too.
• Stay away from animal fats as much as you can. Use olive oil, nuts or seeds in your diet.
• Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are also full of vitamins and nutrients. They not only reduce the risk of prostate cancer but have many other benefits too.
• Eat fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna. Fatty acid from fish called omega-3 can also reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• Reduce the amount of dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt from your diet.
• Green tea has a supplement which reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
• Tofu, soy beans, kidney beans, lentils and peanuts have a nutrient called isoflavones which reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
• Drink alcohol with moderation.

Maintain a healthy weight. This is something you have to watch anyways. Healthy weight is good for the overall health.

Exercise regularly. Include exercise in your daily life. Regular exercise will also help you to lose weight.

There is not enough proof that frequent ejaculation will reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

How Do We Manage to Survive in This Complex World?

As soon as we are born we start to experience life and we start to "survive". Our senses are filled with whatever surrounds us. These experiences are pleasant or unpleasant. By nature we are the kind of creatures who don't like to suffer, so we are constantly looking for pleasant experiences and trying to avoid unpleasant experiences. To be able to do that we carefully observe our environment.

There are certain things we can already observe in our environment from a very young age. To simplify things here I just talk about people and objects.

There are millions of people and objects surround us. We can notice that some of them are almost permanent or just slowly change. Think about your family or your neighborhood. Some of them constantly change. Think about what you see on television or passengers on a train. By recognizing this we learn to trust in those things which are more permanent. This gives a sense of security in "space".

Another thing we learn that we can "predict" the future to a certain level. This is because things don't change, at least most of the time suddenly. This gives a sense of security in time. If our environment would constantly and rapidly change that would be unbearable.

We also notice that there are many similar objects we don't have to learn about each individual person or object which belongs to a group. Think about a nation, or cars.

It also helps that we learn to imitate others around us. That's how we learn how to use a spoon. Sometimes we don't even know why we do things, we just follow others.

Since pleasant experiences give happiness and satisfaction we use our knowledge to get more of these experiences. We learn early that they don't come easy, it takes certain effort to get satisfied. Think about when you go to the gym or when you finish a project. At a very early age we also find out that there is always help you just have to learn how to ask for it. Think about a crying baby or visiting your doctor.