A Beginner's Guide to Filtration

Using an air purifier to actively and consistently filter the air is a relatively new concept. But the availability of air cleaners on the market has mushroomed. It is easy to see how trying to figure out which one is best. Here are 7 essential features that a cleaner should have and why.

Fresh Air Only---I think everyone would agree that there is no down side to fresh air. What many do not agree on is the effectiveness and effects that ozone and ionized particles have on humans and animals. Studies continue to have mixed results about how much ozone is safe, and whether ionized particles are ok. With this much controversy ruling out an air purifier that emits anything other than fresh air is the best choice.

Split Capacitor Motor---This type of motor is designed for continuous high revolutions per minute. This is the type of motor you want in the unit you choose. This feature allows you to experience continuous filtration without interruption.

Continually filtering the air is the best way to insure that air quality remains as high as possible. And since this type of motor is designed to run all the time, there is not a safety issue to consider. Look in the technical specifications to determine if the unit has this feature.

Steel Casing---Having decided on a unit that is able to run all the time, the next thing to consider is the motor heat that can possibly heat up the outside of the unit. If the outside is made of plastic, it is very possible that once the plastic heats up, it will emit fumes. The last thing you want to do is to pay money for an air cleaner that puts even more pollutants into the air. Steel will not off-gas in this way.

Multiple Filtration Process---Purifying the air means using multiple sizes and types of filters to be able to adequately remove both gaseous and particulate pollutants. Since a normal indoor space contains both types of pollutants it only makes sense to have one cleaner that can take care of both.

HEPA or high-efficiency particle arresting filters are the most efficient at removing airborne particles (as small as.3 microns). Carbon filters are best at removing gaseous pollutants. So having a canister of filters that contain both types means your cleaner can multi-task. This will allow you purchase one rather than multiple cleaners.

Low Maintenance---A cleaner with more than one filter will need less attention from you than one that has no filter or only one. A cleaner that has multiple filters will save you money over time because it will generally need the filters replaced less often.

The best way for this to happen inside the unit is for the guts of the unit to have a canister that contains all the filters. This usually means that when it's time to replace the filter, you simply pull the canister out and put a new one in---no muss, no fuss. Check out the instruction manual for replacing the filter, and the length of time it is expected to last.

Flexible Placement---Being able to put the unit where you want it is important. Opt for a unit that has a 360 degree intake and only needs about 6 inches clearance from any surface. This means you can put it up high, down low, or even in a corner and expect that it will still work effectively.

Variable Filtration Speed---Sometimes there is more stuff in the air than others. When that happens, you should be able to adjust the filtration to keep up with what's happening in your life. Low, medium, and high speeds are good options to have.

7 Tips for Ab Fitness

Ab Fitness Requires Precise Training

For those seeking ab fitness to tone, firm, or lose weight around the midsection, abs are one of the hardest areas to workout. Due to the fact that many people do not work them out properly, and also that it is an area of the body which is prone to high body fat, make sure you know how to workout, and what exercises to do for ab fitness. Here are some things to keep in mind to attain the desired results. These are 7 tips for ab fitness which will help you slim down, and see the results you are hoping for.

DON'T STICK TO ONE EXERCISE

Whether it is crunches, sit-ups, reverse crunches, or planks, you have to mix things up. In order to see the muscle transformation, and in order to workout all muscle groups in the abs, you have to mix things up. Changing up the exercises you do, and throwing in new exercises will help you to see the changes, reduction around the waistline, and the definition you seek.

USE WEIGHTS

In order to build muscle, you have to add weights to your abs routine. You can hold a weight across your chest, above your head, or with your ankles (depending on the routine you are doing) but, adding in weight is going to help build muscle, and will allow you to do more challenging exercises down the road. This will in turn lead to the definition, due to the fact that you are doing new exercises, and working out different muscle groups.

DON'T TRY TO DO HIGH REPS

You will notice that if you do 20 reps properly, with the right weight thrown in, and done from different angles (exercises), you are going to get a much better workout than if you do 200 reps of crunches, where you are simply working the spine. When done properly, you only have to do a small number of reps for each exercise, to see the results when you are working out the core muscles.

PROPER DIET

As with any other workout routine, if you want to see results you have to incorporate the proper diet. So, you are going to want to eliminate refined sugars and carbs, increase protein, and add in the healthy fats like nuts. Additionally, eating super foods like berries, legumes, nuts, etc, you are going to notice you remain fuller longer, due to the high fiber content in these foods. So, you will reduce calorie intake, and the calories you are eating are high in protein and fiber, making for a slimmer midsection. For more on healthy diet see muscle building foods.

ALTERNATE SPEED

Depending on the exercise and muscle group you are using, and on the amount of weight you are including, you should vary the speed of each exercise. This will not only workout different muscle groups, but it is also going to shock the muscles, which is something that is required when you want to see the changes in body composition, and when you want to see the ultimate results with your ab fitness workout.

WORKOUT OTHER BODY PARTS FIRST

Due to the fact that your abs are part of the core muscle group, they take much more effort to work them out. For this reason, you should do cardio, and workout larger muscle groups first (when weight lifting), to ensure you will have the strength you need to complete your workout. Even if an abs routine seems easy, it is more draining than doing squats or bicep curls, because you are working the entire core.

STRETCH

Although it seems trivial, stretching prevents injury, and it helps you to elongate the ab muscles. This is going to make for a more defined look, will help you get the slimmer look you are after, and will help you see the definition in your abs far quicker than with individuals who do not stretch with their workouts.

American Ginseng and Cancer

Ginseng is widely used in the Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea etc. for keeping the body and mind healthy and strong. There are many varieties in Ginseng namely, Korean ginseng, Asian ginseng and American Ginseng. American Ginseng is also called the cooling ginseng as it cools the body and relieves the person of stress and fatigue. It was also found to be helpful in curing diseases like cancer. Many researchers conducted research on American Ginseng to find out how its properties affect the cancer cells.

What are the effects of American ginseng? It is said that ginseng affects the central nervous system, metabolism, cardiovascular system, immunity systems and also works as an anti-stress and anti-ageing component. Many researchers have even talked about its usefulness in cancer therapy. Studies showed that the medicinal effects of American ginseng is due to the presence of its bioactive substances like peptides, fatty acids, polyactetylenes, saponins, ginsenosides and vitamins and minerals.

The question now is how do these components combat cancer? Researchers found that the ginsenoside component of ginseng has the ability to induce cell death and also has effects such as anti-angiogenesis, anti-invasion, anti-proliferation etc. Induction of tumor cell death by the component ginsenosides is one way to eliminate tumor.

Ginsenosides also possess preventive effects by preventing the cell growth. They are said to arrest the growth of the tumorous cells in hepatoma or liver cancer cells, leukemia, prostate cancer cells and lung tumor cells. Many studies were done to show that people who consumed ginseng extracts regularly had low risk of developing cancer. Studies conducted by the Chinese also showed that women who were diagnosed for breast cancer and consumed ginseng had a better quality of life compared to those who did not consume ginseng. It improved the effectiveness of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and also reduced cancer related fatigue.

A clinical trial led by the Mayo clinic showed that when cancer patients consumed American ginseng, they did not suffer from cancer related fatigue. The resulted of a test conducted on 340 patients undergoing breast cancer treatment were presented at the annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology. These patients were treated in 40 different medical centers and were give 2000 milligrams of American ginseng root in the form of a capsule. After a period of 8 weeks it was found that there was a 20 point improvement in the fatigue in the cancer patients when measured on a scale of 100. But it was also made clear by the Mayo clinic that this definitely does not mean that all patients suffering from cancer should not consume American Ginseng based on this report especially the commercial products as they may be produced using ethanol which would be very dangerous to the cancer patients.