Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk

Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of heart attack in men, says a U.S. study.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, analyzed medical records and blood samples from 454 men, aged 40 to 75, who had a nonfatal heart attack or fatal heart disease, and compared them to 900 men who had no history of cardiovascular disease.

Men with a vitamin D deficiency (15 nanograms or less per milliliter of blood) had a higher risk of heart attack than those with a sufficient amount of vitamin D (30 nanograms per milliliter of blood or more).

"After additional adjustment for family history of myocardial infarction, body-mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activity, history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, ethnicity, region, marine omega-3 intake, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, this relationship remained significant," the study authors wrote.

The findings appear in the June 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Vitamin D deficiency has been related to an increasing number of conditions and to total mortality. These results further support an important role for vitamin D in myocardial infarction risk," the researchers concluded.

(taken from: here) [...]

Small Penis Syndrome A Big Problem?

Does size matter? It does to men, according to this month's BJU International, which contains a review of over sixty years worth of research into penile size and small penis syndrome. The researchers, Dr Kevan Wylie from Royal Hallamshire Hospital, UK, and Mr Ian Eardley from St James' Hospital, UK, found that men can experience real anxiety - even if they are of average size. And while men often have greater confidence if they have a large penis, women don't necessarily feel that bigger is better, citing looks and personality as more important than penis size.

Drawing together the results of 12 studies that measured the penises of more than 11,000 men, the researchers established that average erect penises ranged from 14-16cms (5.5 to 6.2 inches) in length and 12-13cm (4.7 to 5.1 inches) in girth. They noted that there was little evidence of racial differences influencing size, although one Korean study recorded smaller than average-sized penises. The researchers, however, questioned the accuracy of this study and suggested further investigation was required.

Dr Wylie says the review will provide doctors and other health professionals with an accurate summary of the many studies that have been carried out in the past into penile size and size-related syndrome. "It is very common for men to worry about the size of their penis and it is important that these concerns aren't dismissed as this can heighten concerns and anxieties," he explained. "It is helpful to normalize the situation and provide as much accurate information as possible, as many men either lack any information or have been misinformed."

Key findings of the review included:

• A survey taking in 50,000 heterosexual men and women found that while 85 percent of the women were satisfied with their partner's penile size, only 55 percent of the men were satisfied.
• Factors that make a male attractive to a woman were numerous, but penile size was not the most important factor for women. Several studies indicated that around 90 percent of women prefer a wide penis to a long one.
• Somewhat counter-intuitively, small penis syndrome is much more common in men with average-sized penises than those men suffering from micropenis.
• Men afflicted by small penis syndrome typically cite childhood comparisons and erotic imagery as the main contributing factors to their anxiety.
• Interestingly, on average, homosexual men had larger penises than heterosexual men. The researchers suggest that exposure to male reproductive hormones in the womb may be one explanation for this disparity.
  

Techniques used by men to enhance the size of their penis were also covered in the review. The Topinama men of Brazil practice what is perhaps the most bizarre method, encouraging poisonous snakes to bite their penises to enlarge them.

The researchers said that evidence for the effectiveness of more popular (but mundane) enlargement methods - such as jelqing exercises and traction devices - was limited, but they noted that patients may experience psychological benefits from their use.

They authors are, however, very cautious when it comes to treating a psychological condition like small penis syndrome with gadgets or surgery. "There is poorly documented evidence to support the use of penile extenders, and while information is starting to emerge on the success of some surgical techniques, this is not backed up by data on patients' satisfaction with such procedures," stressed Dr Wylie.

In summary, the researchers said that small penis syndrome should be approached via a thorough urological, psychosexual, psychological and psychiatric assessment. "Conservative approaches to therapy, based on education and self-awareness, as well as short-term structured psychotherapies, are often successful," they concluded.

(taken from: here) [...]

Exercise Helps Keep Psyche Fit

There are now more reasons than ever to get off the couch and to get moving. In addition to regular exercise promoting good health, a new review of psychological research shows that exercise is an effective but underused treatment for mild to moderate depression. The review, published in the June issue of Professional Psychology, also shows there is some evidence that regular exercise may help in the treatment of schizophrenia, alcohol dependence and as a singular treatment for some anxiety disorders and for people suffering from body image problems.

The authors reviewed studies since 1981 in which exercise was used as an intervention in treating individuals with the following clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders: depression, anxiety, developmental disabilities, schizophrenia, psychosomatic disorders and substance abuse.

The review of research concludes that regular exercise is a viable, cost-effective treatment for mild to moderate depression and may be useful in the comprehensive treatment of more severe episodes of the disorder. Nonaerobic forms of exercise such as strength training are as effective as aerobic exercise in treating depression. The researchers also found that less strenuous forms of regular exercise, such as walking, may be sufficient to demonstrate significant treatment effects, however they note more research is needed to confirm this initial finding.

Other findings from the review include the following: Evidence that exercise is an effective short-term treatment for the reduction of disruptive behavior and for increasing work performance in some people with developmental disabilities.

Regular exercise appears to be a necessary ingredient in behavioral treatment programs that effectively reduce pain frequency and intensity in people with mild to moderate chronic pain Regular exercise is more effective than placebo pills, but not chlomipramine, in reducing symptoms of anxiety in patients with panic disorder.

Case studies suggest that regular exercise may be an important part of treatment programs for people with schizophrenia, although more research is needed to confirm that finding.

As for the role exercise may play in the treatment of alcohol dependence and smoking-cessation treatment programs, the evidence was inconclusive.

The researchers say there was some limited evidence that regular exercise may be an effective tool in the treatment for alcohol dependence, but more research is needed.

Considering the evidence that exercise is a viable, cost-effective treatment for depression and chronic pain, the researchers say they are somewhat surprised that it has not become a more popular treatment alternative and suggest that it be more commonly used as part of a therapist-structured treatment program.

(taken from: here) [...]

How to Stop Heartburn

There are two trends of thought on how to stop heartburn. The first (my own preferred method) is to for you to go on the offensive, in other words, stop heartburn before it starts! Naturally the second trend will be the other end of the scale, where the answer isn’t quite as cut and dried, but the question, “How to stop heartburn?” becomes even more important to you.

If we start with how to stop heartburn before it begins, then we go to the more preventative side of medicine, where good habits replace bad, and common sense overtakes us at just the right time - (when do you know this to happen? But hey, there's never been a better place to start)!

However, since we are only human, most of us possess within ourselves one gigantic flaw. We don’t see what’s right under our noses. Yes, that’s right, back to the commonsense not kicking in at the right time... If scientists were able to go back in time and bring back a woolly mammoth, and place it right in front of you, chances are that you wouldn’t even notice until it was standing right on top of you. Hey even then some people would just refuse to admit that there was a woolly mammoth standing on them - after all who would believe them unless they saw it for themselves?

Well, heartburn is the woolly mammoth, scientists are scientists - that doesn’t mean that they can bring back a woolly mammoth, (at least not yet) - and we are, well, basically human. There’s a good chance you don’t even realise that you’re suffering from heartburn, and therefore that you need to know how to stop heartburn.

Either way, whether you’re on the offensive to stop heartburn, or the defensive, there a few things you can do and they all come under the heading “How to stop Heartburn”.

You’ve probably heard all of this before a hundred times and more, but constant repetition is the best way to learn something, and if you want to learn how to stop heartburn, this is probably the easiest way.

So, to recap, in blissfully short sentences what you’ve already heard: Don’t wear tight clothing, especially after a meal. Stay away from the booze, and stop heading to those cordoned off smoking areas to get your daily fix. No heavy meals. Don’t sleep immediately after a meal. Sleep on your left side if you are going to sleep regardless of the advice. Try your hardest not to undertake your exercise programme right after a meal. Avoid such pleasure inducing foods and drinks as, orange juice, lemon tea, coffee, milk, cheese, and generally anything that contatins caffeine, too much dairy or quite a bit of fat. If you suffer from headaches, don’t take any form of aspirin, find something else that works for you. And if you already suffer from night-time heartburn and you want a good night’s sleep, then sleep in as comfortable a half reclining position as you can find for yourself, where your head is at a higher level than your stomach (but remember to protect your back by supporting it adequately with the right type of pillows to keep you in this position).

The last one does only apply to sufferers of night-time heartburn, and isn’t necessarily a way to prevent heartburn although it can help to keep the stomach acids from refluxing.

So now that you’re armed with the short but sweet version of “How to stop Heartburn”, you may wish to get cracking (and maybe think about donating your stores of liquor to a person who is not so susceptible to heartburn).

(taken from: here) [...]

Seven Exercises You Can Do at Home

When I first started training in the gym, the upper body seemed extremely complicated. There were muscles running in all different directions doing all sorts of different things. But in reality, the upper body does only two things: It pushes and it pulls. (For previous columns on putting on muscle, go to week one, or week two)

We’ll start with “compound” exercises that work several muscles at once. The squat, which we learned last week, is a compound exercise for the lower body. Pushing exercises are compound exercises for the chest, while pulling movements are compound exercises for the upper back. After that, depending on your time and energy, you can stop or continue with “isolation” exercises for specific muscles of the shoulders and arms.

Do all your exercises in front of the mirror and watch your form carefully. And breathe while you do these exercises! Exhale on the part of the exercise that feels harder and inhale on the part that feels easier. But the most important thing is to keep breathing!

Dumbbell Chest Press
Here’s your pushing exercise for the chest. For this exercise, using no weight at all is usually a bit too light, even for first-timers, so start with one or two-pound dumbbells. If you don’t have dumbbells, use small soup cans. (Just make sure they’re the same weight!) Sit on the end of a bench and hold your weights on your hips; then, keeping the hands and weights on your hips, roll back onto the bench.

If you don’t have a bench, not to worry; you can do this exercise on the floor. Just place the weights within reach and then lie down carefully on your back. Now position your arms and hands so that you look like you’re doing an upside-down pushup (which is exactly what this exercise is). In other words, stick your upper arms straight out to the sides from your shoulders, keep your elbows level with your shoulders, and bend the elbows at a 90-degree angle with your palms facing away from you. If you’re on a bench, don’t let your elbows drop below shoulder height; if you’re on the floor, don’t let your arms rest on the floor. This is your starting position.

Now press the hands up and together, straightening the arms to their full length without hyperextending (“locking”) the elbows. When the arms are fully extended, your hands should meet over your breastbone (sternum). Return to the starting position and repeat. When you’re done, if you’re on a bench, park the weights on your hips again and rock your body until you can roll back up to a seated position. If you’re on the floor, set the weights aside and sit up carefully (the safest way to do this is to roll onto your side and use your hands to help push yourself up). Never sit up holding the weights in the air; it’s bad for your lower back!

Dumbbell Back Rows
Now for your pulling exercise, which works the upper back. Like the chest presses, it’s better to do these with light weights rather than none at all. Sit on a chair with your feet close together on the floor. Keeping a straight back, bend forward from the hips until your upper back faces the ceiling rather than the wall behind you. (But don’t round your back; move the entire torso as one unit.) With a weight in each hand, let your hands dangle outside your knees with your palms facing your sides. This is your starting position. Now, keeping the elbows close to the body, pull the elbows back and up as far as you can, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Keep the palms facing each other and the elbows close to the sides. Imagine that you have paint on the inner surfaces of your elbows and that you are trying to smear your shirt with it. Lower slowly to the starting position and repeat.

Congratulations! You’ve just worked all the upper-body muscles. If you wish to continue, here are some “isolations” to help tone specific muscles.

Shoulders
Try all these shoulder exercises without weights to begin with. If they feel too easy, and if you don’t feel any sensation of strain in the shoulders when you do them, you can add one-pound weights. If your shoulders aren’t sure they like these movements, don’t add weights right away.

• Overhead (military) presses: These work the front of the shoulder. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly flexed. Stand tall (use that mirror!). Hold your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. Then bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Your palms should be facing front. Tilt your forearms and hands slightly forward rather than pointing them straight up. This is your starting position. Now press the hands up, slightly forward (that is, not straight up overhead) and together, simultaneously straightening the arms to their full length without hyperextending (“locking”) the elbows. When your arms are fully extended, the hands should meet in a position just above the top of your field of vision. Return to the starting position. Repeat.

Alternative, Front raises: If the overhead press bothers your shoulders, try this one instead. Start in the same position, but hold your arms down in front of you with the palms facing the body. Keeping the arms straight, but without locking the elbows, raise the arms to the front, stopping just above shoulder height, keeping your palms down. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat.

• Lateral (side) raises: These work the middle of the shoulder. Step forward on one foot so that you are leaning at a slight angle with the middle of your shoulder facing the ceiling. The body should be straight, i.e. not bent at the waist. Start with your arms straight down, palms in. Now raise your arms to the sides, keeping them straight, until they reach shoulder height, palms still facing the floor. Lower slowly and repeat. You’ll look kind of like a large bird slowly flapping its wings. If you feel any shoulder strain, just do one arm at a time (but be careful to stay straight; don’t lean away from the working arm; that’s cheating). You can also do this exercise with bent elbows if the straight-arm version is too challenging at first.

Bicep Curl
Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold a weight in each hand with the palms facing out. Place your elbows close to your sides, and keep them glued there throughout the exercise; that is, be careful not to let the elbows move forward or back. (It’s harder than it sounds!) Now bend your elbows and raise your hands as high as you can without either moving your elbows or curling your wrists. Lower slowly to the starting position and repeat.

Tricep Kickback
This is a good one for firming up the triceps muscle on the back of the upper arm, the one that stereotypically flops around on people’s arms when they write on a board or wave. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold a weight in one hand with the palm facing your side. Take a big step forward with the opposite foot and rest the non-working arm (the one without the weight) on that thigh. Now raise the working arm so that the elbow is at shoulder height and pointing behind you, with your upper arm parallel to the floor. Keeping that upper arm parallel to the floor, straighten the elbow until your whole arm is parallel to the floor. Be careful not to move your elbow or curl your wrist (the mirror is helpful here).

Slowly bend the elbow again until the hand with the weight is pointing to the floor (do not bring the weight farther forward than your side; this is wasted motion). Your upper arm should remain parallel to the floor throughout this exercise; if it starts to drop down, it means you’re fatigued, and you have finished your set. Do a set on this side; then repeat on the opposite side.

(taken from: here) [...]

Attacking Anxiety Depression

Attacking anxiety depression is another problem that sufferers of anxiety disorders might have to deal with. Unfortunately if you suffer from constant anxiety attacks there’s a reasonable chance that you might also suffer from depression at some point. This doesn’t necessarily follow, but due to the stress and the negative lifestyle impact that you experience as part of the anxiety disorder, there is an increased risk.

This is by no means a given however, merely a statement of fact. You may not be one of the anxiety sufferers who finds themselves looking for a way of attacking anxiety depression, but if you do find yourself regularly feeling unable to cope with the many stresses that your anxiety attacks bring upon you, then it is possible that you will also find yourself fighting depression alongside your anxiety.

Generally speaking though anxiety depression manifests itself over a course of time and often it happens so gradually that you’ll probably be unaware of it until some time has passed. The risk is that if you allow your anxiety attacks to become a controlling factor in your life without seeking help, then as your anxiety attacks deepen so too will your anxiety depression risk or symptoms increase.

The helpless feelings you experience as part of your anxiety attacks, that sheer inability and frustration of not being able to control your reactions to stressors, can be enough to trigger anxiety depression. Be aware that this, coupled with the debilitating fear that takes hold of you, can sometimes lead to severe depression, leading to a vicious cycle as the depression in turn contributes to increased anxiety attacks. If you recognise this pattern, attacking anxiety depression head-on is the best thing that anyone can do to break free of this cycle. There are many ways that you can do this, but the first step is in getting a consultation with your doctor, or a trained mental health professional.

The simplest and most often used method for attacking anxiety depression is found in the form of medication. Your doctor will advise you here, although there is a chance that if you’re already taking medication to treat your anxiety you’ll already be taking some form of anti-depressant medication. This is likely because the drugs used to treat anxiety are often the same drugs that are used to treat depression. If this is the case for you, don’t despair, but if you do still feel depressed, talk with your doctor as soon as possible about changing your medication for one that is better suited to you. We are all individuals and occasionally it may take a change of medication to find the one that suits you best. You do not have to suffer with this condition, speak to your doctor and ask his advice and guidance.

Another great method for attacking anxiety depression, often used in conjunction with medication, is to engage in sessions with a qualified therapist. A qualified therapist will be able to help you to alleviate both your anxiety symptoms and your depression, but as talking therapy is a longer term strategy, you will often find that you will need to use prescribed medication at the start of therapy to help to give you the boost that you need to be able to take those first steps towards managing your symptoms and taking back control of your life. Never underestimate the power of talking but don’t be angry with yourself if you do also need to use prescribed medication as a short term crutch to help you take those first steps.

There are many alternative and natural methods these days that you can use to help with attacking anxiety depression. These methods range from the use of herbs in your daily life to the use of various alternative treatments such as Ayurveda or Acupuncture.

Some of these methods might not work for you, because we are all unique. Remember that your best recourse in attacking anxiety depression lies in recognising the symptoms and deciding that you are going to work with your doctor or qualified mental health professional until you find the right method for you. Always take qualified medical advice when you are preparing to try out any new treatment method.

(taken from : here) [...]

Stress Management

These days when life has become so fast paced & we spend much of our time wondering where exactly the hours have gone, stress & stress related illnesses are becoming an increasing part of our lives. Our bodies are not really designed to cope well with constantly heightened tension & anxiety levels (although there are some people who seem to thrive on this).

Here again it is thought that moderation is the key. Many scientists believe that a certain amount of tension is necessary to maintain health, ie. we all need to experience a certain amount of tension / excitement, perhaps of waiting for an announcement, such as your exam results or the outcome of a job interview. What causes a problem is when our autonomic nervous system, which is the system affected by tension, fear, anger type emotions, enabling us to facilitate an appropriate response to the situation - or the "fight or flight" syndrome, is bombarded by a continuous stream of tension, anxiety, fear etc.

This in turn leads to a kind of system overload & causes the autonomic nervous system to go on strike, leading to exhaustion & a flattening of mood as we are no longer able to respond appropriately to the emotional overload we have experienced. Stress related illnesses can include Depression, Hypertension, Heart problems, Allergies & Heartburn.

These are real illnesses which require medical attention. Another possible effect of prolonged stress is post traumatic stress syndrome or PTSD where we may have coped effectively with the stressful event as it occurred but then later, perhaps we can't stop thinking about it & the autonomic nervous system "forgets" to stop sending out signals to the rest of the body warning it of threat & keeping it in a heightened state of awareness until it reaches the "on strike" stage.

How then can we deal with stress on a daily level so that we don't experience this problem with our nervous system?

Simple methods for dealing with stress & anxiety involve several factors. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep & making space in your day for some "me" time are some of the most basic helping factors. "Me" time can be a work-out at the gym, a dance class, a meeting with a friend, reading a book or taking a leisurely soak in a scented bath. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself counts here. (Sometimes these things need a counterbalance, for example if eating a litre of ice-cream makes you feel good about yourself, you would need to limit this activity & factor in the calories involved to your daily allowance in order not to gain weight rapidly & maybe then begin to feel bad about yourself?)

Techniques for reducing your feelings of stress in real time include some very simple things, like:

Making a conscious effort to find something to smile about. Whilst you are focusing on finding something good to think about, you are letting go of some of the thoughts that are causing you tension. So if you are in a roomful of people that you don't know & this is making you anxious, whilst you are scanning the room looking for someone you know, consciously think of an event or a situation which has made you happy & smile, you will be surprised by how many people will want to talk to you if you are smiling & looking comfortable, as if you belong, (laughing out loud is not a good idea here as it tends to have the opposite effect so do be careful what you choose to think about!).

Teach yourself the difference between aggression & assertiveness, learn to use assertiveness for yourself & to recognise it in others. Being assertive involves standing your ground, calmly & quietly, not allowing yourself to be backed into a corner or overlooked. Assertive is when you are feeing threatened in some way & instead of responding with aggression by maybe shouting or lashing out, or perhaps cowering in you corner, you approach the cause of your fear. For example if someone is trying to put you down in some way, being assertive might involve calmly asking them why they feel the need to behave that way, maybe asking them why they seem to feel that it is necessary to belittle you. At this point you would be aiming to "take the wind out of that persons' sails" by highlighting their bad behaviour & your own adult response to it, turning the situation around on them. Don't get caught up in a shouting match or flounce out of the room, neither of these responses, remotely counts as assertive & both will lessen your standing in this situation & create more stress for you in the long run.
When you respond to somebody in an assertive way you are giving them back responsibility for their behaviour rather than blaming yourself for it & allowing them to make you feel more stressed or inadequate.

Breathe slowly & deeply, it is difficult to experience a high level of stress when you are breathing deeply. As you breathe in, think of the situation that is causing the problem, then as you slowly exhale, concentrate on letting go of the stress emotion & allow your mind to clear a little, a solution or suitable response will usually come to you. If you open your mind by letting go of the stress, often a solution will seem to pop into your mind from nowhere. Whereas what really happened was that previously your mind was too full of the stress to be able to allow the solution any space.

Learn to like yourself. Work hard at whatever you choose to do but always remember that you are human, & as humans there are times when we will all make mistakes or find things difficult. As humans we are allowed.
Set small goals for yourself that are obtainable. Break down tha major achievement you want to make into small steps that you can take towards it & acknowledge your success to yourself as you make these small steps. Celebrate the little things that you achieve along the way so that you can fully enjoy that big goal when you have attained it. If you have a plan, or structure to follow to enable you to reach your goal, you are far more likely to achieve it as your mind will be able to come up with solutions to each of the smaller problems that you encounter along the way & deal with them without losing track of that overall aim.

Don't tell me - sounds too easy to be true! Believe me it sounds easier than it is, but as many life coaches are teaching these days, the simpler methods are often the best.
Working to achieve the small things that will help us to reach that big goal enables to have fun & experience some personal development & happiness along the way.
If we are only focused on the bigger picture all the time, we risk losing not only any vestige of self-awareness we may possess but also the ability to enjoy it when we do get there.

(taken from : here) [...]

Water Gardening and Hydroponics Gardening

What is the difference between Water Gardening and Hydroponics? Well, basically, water gardening involves the creation of ponds and water features, whereas Hydroponics, relates to the use of water rather than soil as a growing medium for your plants, (flowers and vegetables).

Water gardening can be quite an arduous task. When planned and carried out correctly however, water gardening is a hugely rewarding project, and one that will later provide hours of contented relaxation.

Planning is more important than ever here, however large or small your garden area is and if you already have a small lake, pond or stream in your garden, your water gardening efforts be made much easier. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of us, this is just not an option, so the majority of us will just have to build our water gardens from scratch.

The basics of water gardening usually involve building a pond and there are plenty of DIY books on the market these days to help with this. Your pond will need to be designed in a way that will fit within your garden confines, (not forgetting any budget confines). Once your design is ready, mark out the edges and start digging to the required depth, then line with pond liner and weight down with stones and plant pots, as required.

Remember that if you want your pond to house fish you’ll need to build this into your plan from the beginning to ensure that you provide a liveable habitat for them. Hardier fish that can survive winter are a must if you want them to live for some time. Koi, and Goldfish are the most popular varieties, but your local aquarium can provide you with more information. Also keep in mind that Koi tend to grow to about 2 feet in length when fully mature, so it’s desirable to leave them some swimming room for later on.

The other beauty of water gardening is the Lotus flower which is very popular and easy to grow. Indeed there are many varieties and shades in the Lotus family to help you to choose the right ones to match in with the rest of your garden. Don’t overfill your pond with lotus or other plants as you don’t want your water garden to look too cluttered, although you do need to provide shade for the fish as well as beauty for yourself.

So whilst your water gardening efforts may well require the use of many muscles you would prefer not to be reminded of with the digging and bending, we come to the idea of hydroponics gardening, which may well provide you with the opportunity for some relief from the back-ache. To find out how, read on:

Hydroponics gardening is based around two main systems, a drip system, and an ebb and flow system. The term hydroponics gardening is derived from the Greek words ‘hydro’ for water, and ‘ponics’ for labour, and hydroponics in gardening terms is the name given to a type of soil-free gardening that depends entirely on a water based system that is enriched with nutrients.

These nutrients can either be added in the form of specially formulated chemicals for hydroponics gardening, or they can come as a variety of natural nutritional ingredients found in nature itself. The use of either nutrient form is solely dependent upon you, the gardener.

Since hydroponics gardening is a soil free system, containers are the best methods for growing, and there are a number of different varieties of containers and pots available. The plants also need something to get their roots into, and for this, different gardeners have their own preferences. Shale is a simple and easy solution, especially for inexperienced hydroponics gardeners. If you undertake a little bit of research however, you may decide that Hydroton or Rockwool would be a better growing medium for you than shale would be. (For example, hydroton and shale can be used in an ebb and flow system, whilst horticultural Rockwool can be used with just about any system of passing the nutrient enriched water to the plants).

There are other options for the hydroponics gardener to choose from, but I will explain here only the two systems that I mentioned earlier. The ebb and flow system uses a pump to respectively flood and then drain your containers at regular intervals, whereas the drip system uses a continuous drip that supplies a steady ration of water solution that’s right for each plant.

It is also important to note here that hydroponics gardens have a higher growth rate, and many gardeners take advantage of this factor to create high yield vegetable and fruit gardens.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the concept of hydroponics gardening, who knows, with a little more research you may decide to set up your own hydroponics system and keep yourself year round in fresh fruits and vegetables! Just imagine, no mud, less bending, perhaps even more fun!

(taken from : here) [...]

Food labelling & food packaging

Companies put a lot of work into researching and producing food labelling and food packaging of everything from biscuits to fruit or meat. It is often the key between the product and the buyer.

The food packaging will need to be practical as a form of storage, while at the same time selling the product to a consumer. If food was sold by itself it would no doubt be considerably cheaper. As a result, packaging is big business and is estimated at the moment as a £55 billion per year industry.

Food labelling of products offers information, legal or otherwise, that the consumer needs in order to help understand the food, it's ingredients and what it can be used for. The current Traffic Light system is in the news due to certain large supermarkets doing their own thing.

Despite this, Food labelling has legal rules. These stringent guidelines will determine what is written and will prevent companies from describing products as something they are not. It is, however, important to realise that although some information may not essentially be false, language can be manipulated leaving things open to interpretation.

Although there are many essential areas to pay attention to, if you are responsible for the production, it is imperative that care is taken in outlining the date, cooking and storage instructions. It's equally as important for the consumer as these are the factors which can lead to, or prevent bacterial growth and food poisoning.

The ‘best before' and ‘use by' dates are the indicators of when to consume the product by, whereas the ‘display until' is purely for the shops use.

(taken from : here) [...]