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There was a time in history when Jazz the music was banned during World War II when it was considered a plight for freedom against Hitler’s Nazi regime due to what it represents. Jazz music is the product of America that was creatively invented by African American from culture, and all the elements of the American life that influenced this style of music.

Jazz music is a symbol of freedom, hope and the ability of express ones self in through one of best art forms which is music. Meaning, African Americans fought oppression since the beginning of slavery, and Jazz music represented that resistance. Jazz music has a foundation of the basic rules of composition, but it has since expanded its way toward newer forms of music.

America who also gained their freedom from Europe joined showed their patriarchy by listening to the Jazz music on records and on the radio to encourage their fellow Americans to believe in their country, and the freedom it stands for. Hollywood, celebrity musicians and Jazz musicians even supported freedom by joining patriotic films to get their point across to the world. This act caused Hitler and Stalin to fear the effect Jazz music would have on all who listens who could easily be influenced by the idea of freedom, and patriotism.

In the year 1921 there were Americans who did not favor Jazz music or the Jazz dance. There were activist who stated that Jazz is a type of menace that is worse that alcohol, and that it would be better to wipe Jazz out of existence. In Germany, Jazz and all other American music was banned in the country before and after Americans joined the war. Stalin forbid the playing of Jazz music at the end of the 1945 war throughout the Soviet Union, and banned the use of saxophones. Jazz was called “the music of blacks by Hitler as a reason for the prohibition of Jazz music. Nevertheless, Jazz music was embraced by all who heard it around the globe.

In fact, It was adored by those who supported the resistance of such a war. In the area of Azerbaijan the year of the 1950’s produced even more forbidden Jazz music into a new style of Jazz known as Mugam that came from the Baku style of music. The sound of Jazz produces an atmosphere of relaxation and freedom that even spread to Algeria who wrote a form of Jazz that spread all around their country and in Europe known as Rai in the late 1960’s. Though there were many haters of Jazz music who forbid the use of it those who understood loved it.

Those who did not like Jazz wrote books on it titled “Vo do do de o Blues” against Jazz and blues. Another title was “Anti rag time girl” about a lady who hates Jazz music. However, when the underground clubs broke the law discreetly to make a home for jazz in Speakeasies they also spread the gospel of Jazz music all around the world.

One great jazz musician was Lionel Hampton. Lionel was a bandleader, actor, jazz vibraphonist and percussionist. He has worked with other famous jazz musicians such as Buddy Rich, Quincy Jones and Charlie Parker. Lionel was raised by his grandmother in the south before he relocated to Chicago. In the 1920’s he started playing the xylophone and drums. His first instrument was the fife drum.

When he was a teenager he played drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboy’s band. When he lived in California, he played for the Dixieland Blue-Blowers. The first band that he recorded with was The Quality Serenaders, then he left again to go play with another band, Les Hite band. It was here that he began studying the vibraphone. Louis Armstrong asked Lionel to play the vibraphones on two songs. That is when he made the vibraphone a popular instrument.

While still with the Les Hite band, Lionel went to the University of Southern California taking music. He also worked with the Nat Shilkrer orchestra. In 1936 he was in the film Pennies From Heaven, starring Bing Crosby. He was next to Louis Armstrong, but hid himself by wearing a mask when he was playing the drums.

In 1936 he was fortunate to meet Benny Goodman who came to watch him perform. Benny asked him to join his trio which consisted of Benny, Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson. It was then renamed the Benny Goodman Quartet. The year before, Lionel worked with Billie Holiday with Benny’s orchestra. This group of artists was one of the first integrated jazz groups that performed openly in society.

Lionel recorded with several groups while still with Benny Goodman, but in 1940 he left to create his own big band. Lionel’s orchestra was a hit in the 40’s and 50’s. “Flying Home” featured a Illinois Jacquet solo that began a new style of music, R&B. The song was so popular that he did another version called “Flying Home, Number Two”, with Arnett Cobb. Lionel’s music was a mixture of jazz music and R&B during this time. Some great jazz musicians that worked with him during this time were Johnny Griffin, Dinah Washington, Charles Mingus and Dizzy Gillespie.

As time went on, in the 1960’s and after, his success lessened. He was still performing hits from the 1930’s-1950’s. In the 1970’s he recorded with the Who’s Who Record label, but still did not do as well as he could have.

Going the college route seemed to help a bit. His band played at University of Idaho’s jazz concert regularly. In 1985, the named it the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Two years later, they named the music school the Lionel Hampton School of Music. It was the only music school at a university that was named after a jazz musician. Lionel kept playing until he had a stroke in 1991 in Paris. Even though he had to stop performing as much, he did a performance at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001, not long before he died. This jazz music legend will never be forgotten.

Jazz music has evolved to the point where basic signature of the style has minimized into an influential element. For example, the Jazz music of the 80’s electronica music of IDM which stand for Intelligent Dance Music where such artists like Bjourk is known for. The drum and bass is another form of electronica that does not use the typical improvisation that is one of the key elements of Jazz music. In fact, this is not thought of as Jazz music at all, but a style that was influenced by Jazz music.

Musicians of the electronica age were St. Germain, Jazzanova, Portishead, Apex Twin and more who used live Jazz music to beats. The Cinematic Orchestra and Julien Lourau from Europe’s France were very successful with this style of music. However, those musicians who master keeping the traditional Jazz music combined with new elements are the most loyal to the style from which it came. In the millennium, Jazz elements became a part of the American Pop scene with the artist Norah Jones, and Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse.

There are skeptics who do not believe the music should be called Jazz. However, Christina Aguilera’s Back To Basics album used Jazz brass instruments with urban beats. Jazz music according to the National Public Radio filed a report stating that the music is becoming more popular with the public regarding the interest of the buyers of jazz music.

Rhythm and Blues music is a product of Jazz music that describes funk and soul. The musicians who successfully made their mark with this sound of jazz, boogie-woogie gospel, bebop and blues reinvented R&B into contemporary styles. Artist such as Robert Palmers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Keith Sweat, Mariah Carey, En Vogue, Guy, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Levert, Teddy Riley, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, Lauren Hill, Brian McKnight, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are a few of the many people who’ve made this music popular. Later on Pop artist like Pink, Britney Spears and Gwen Stephani used R&B musical elements in their songs. The wheel of the evolvement of Jazz music keeps turning into new styles, yet turns back at different times toward the root where it began.

Those who were in favor of the traditional Jazz music feared that the essence of Jazz music would be lost among all the new innovations. Free thinking in the world of Jazz caused a division between the modernist and traditionalist. The world of Jazz music has changed to the point where Jazz once the leader turned into an element included in today’s works of art. Nevertheless, nothing in the traditional Jazz music has changed, but the radios have extended their repertoire to include all the styles of music with jazz elements.

The array of Jazz music is present in the Jazz fests who played music with African elements that did not sound like Jazz music. One thing we all should look out for is the musical elements in Jazz that stand out such as the complex rhythm, and the chromatic chordal harmony or chord progressions typical for the Jazz Music.

There are many excellent jazz music schools across the country as well as all over the world. Here is my list of some of the best colleges for young people who want to get the finest education that jazz music has to offer.

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

The Eastman School of Music is a name that is heard quite often among the music crowd in upstate New York. Students going to this school will be majoring in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media. Students choosing this major will acquire performance, teaching as well as other music skills and academics. Completing this major will enable students to be their own boss, in a way. They can be part of a symphony, and teach in college; or teach private students and direct as a church musician and free-lance their skills and give recitals. Some students become lawyers or music administrators because the training in music at Eastman School gives them the discipline to do and be anything.

Manhattan School Of Music, New York

Students attending this school will be skilled composers, arrangers as well as performers when they are ready to begin their jazz music career. Students are taught by faculty who are experts. The will also be able to perform with well known jazz artists.There are undergraduate level courses, graduate and doctorate level to major in jazz music. Those who are serious in obtaining a career in jazz music, should really consider any one of these schools to enroll.

Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

At Ithaca College, you can get a Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies. The Jazz Studies program will get students to perform at many places-on campus as well as off. Some courses that students will take are: Jazz arranging, jazz improvisation and jazz history.

Ithaca teaches jazz music in both avenues, for instance, if you are a vocal jazz major or a major in any instrument, your private lessons will be done in the traditional classical style. If your major is jazz guitar, you can study electric guitar, but still know how to perform on classical guitar. Guest artists visit Ithaca and perform giving master classes for students, and they also coach them. Some artists that have performed there are: Jaime Laredo, Rhythm and Brass, the Bach Aria Group and Vladimir Feltsman.

Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

Berklee College of Music is where students from all around the world come to study jazz music. Students would be majoring in jazz composition here. This jazz music program develops student’s creative side, contrapuntal skills, formal as well as developing melody, rhythm and harmony. The student will end up with a group of compositions that will be performed. in public for different ensembles to play. Students will attend jazz clinics, concerts, join in projects and develop critical skills that will enable them to discuss various types of criteria in jazz music. Completion of this major will give students all the skills they need to pursue a career as a professional jazz writer. This is one of the best schools to enroll in to get a top-notch music degree.

The beginning career of jazz music legend Art Blakey was amazing. He took piano lessons at school. When he was in the seventh grade he played music full-time and was leading a popular band. Not too long after, he started playing drums in the style of such players as Ray Bauduc, Chick Webb and Sid Catlett. He taught himself how to play.
He played with Mary Lou Williams at Kelly’s Stable in 1942. Next, with Fletcher Henderson for the next two years, and he toured with. Art then went to Boston to lead a big band, then joined Billy Eckstine’s band in St. Louis. Art stayed with that band from 1944-1947.

Art was considered to be among jazz music’s finest musicians such as Fats Navarro, Miles Davis and Dexter Gordon. In 1947 when Eckstine’s band broke up, Art started the Seventeen Messengers. He would go on to have several other groups with this same name. He then went to Africa to learn all about Islamic people for over a year. By the 1950’s he performed with Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Horace Silver.

After they performed together many times, he started another group with Horace which included Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley with the name Jazz Messengers. Horace left a year later. He was the known leader of the band. The Jazz Messengers played hard-bop jazz music. The roots of which were blues music. Hard bop is a mixture of bebop with gospel and soul music. An example of this is his album Moanin’ recorded on Blue Note Records in 1958. They fought hard to keep black people interested in jazz, when the ballroom jazz music disappeared. Many young musicians during the years have been influenced by this style. Jazz musicians such as Keith Jarrett, JoAnne Brackcen, Woody Shaw , Donald Byrd, Delfeayo, Branford and Wynton Marsalis.

In 1971 to 1972, Art world toured with the biggest names in jazz music such as Kai Winding, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. He also performed a lot at the Newport Jazz Festival. The best performance was when he was in a battling performance with Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Elvin Jones in 1974. Art continued to tour nonstop with help from Donald Harrison and Terence Blanchard, along with younger musicians such as Benny Green.

Art never thought of his music as similar to African style, although he did use some of their techniques such as using his elbow on the tom-tom to alter pitch. His trademark, the forced closing of the hi-hat on each second and fourth beat was created in 1950-1951, which many jazz musicians copied.

A major jazz musician and innovative in his drum style, he was unique and performed with power. The way he played was loud and aggressive. The jazz critics basically ignored what he did in the 1960’s. American audiences left him behind in the 1970’s when rock music took over the scene.

He always made time for young jazz musicians, listening to them, and helping them with their jazz music careers.

Jazz music composition is the work of knowledgeable musicians with the skills to write, and create one of the most memorable masterpieces. Moreover, Jazz music Composition is a course included in colleges and universities who deem it a worthy subject to study. Composing Jazz music requires the theory of constructing chords that are altered or substitute that would fit within the guidelines of composition.

Meaning, experimentation is fine as long as you know how to fit in the musical shocks in the piece in a manner to not disrupt the flow. It is mandatory to keep the essence of Jazz music a part of you when creating, and keep all thoughts to restrict creativity out of your mind. The aim of Jazz music composition is to create what you feel about any subject into the sound of your musical work. To find your way into the making of Jazz music composition you should learn the skills of basic theory in ear training, notes on various instruments, key signatures, scales, chords, intervals, counterpoint, harmony, melody, music terminology, clefs, meters and time signatures, transposing of various instruments, and music reading.

Listening to Jazz music from various artists will give you a feel for the type of composition you would like to create. You can begin with music arranging which is recreating an old song with new ideas. For instance, it has been done many times by professional musicians to use a public domain song, or ask permission to use a certain song. One example is Chaka Khan’s ” The End Of A Love Affair” written for Billie Holiday by Edward C. Redding in an arrangement that fit Chaka Khan.

There are many versions of Jazz standards such as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” , “Misty”, and “Stormy Weather” by different people who wanted to either keep the basic structure or interpret the song in their own special way. The basic rules to composing a Jazz Composition is to make a theme and arrange the music around it.

Meaning, as in basic songwriting structure you will need a beginning, middle, bridge, and ending. The order is always up to the person(s )creating the music. You can begin with the themes most common in notated Jazz and Blues sheet music or fake book forms. In addition, use the basic theory structure you find on sheet music as a format, but use your own ideas. In arranging, you can examine the basic format, and embellish on areas you think needs it. The direction one can go in music arrangement is infinite according to the history of how each style of jazz music was created.

When creating Jazz music composition one must remember the essential element present in all true Jazz music which is improvisation. Jazz Improvisation is not notated in any shape, way, or form. In fact, the improvisation in Jazz composition is invented by pure emotion of the musician moved by the accompaniment. Improvisation in Jazz composition can be in the beginning, the bridge and also at the end of the piece. Most commonly there is embellishment in the middle of the piece, but it all depends on the mood of the creator of the music.

Once you learn the theory behind Jazz music composition, you can learn the shortcuts on creating. For example, lead sheets usually have the Jazz chord symbol above the melody below it as a basic structure to follow. When all is said and done, you will have created your own masterpiece as a gift to the world from your heart.

Jazz music is appreciated worldwide. If you are ever traveling and are new to some countries, here are where some of the best jazz clubs are located so that every place you go will be just like home.

French Jazz Clubs

I had to save the best clubs for last. French jazz clubs. The French are serious when it comes to jazz music. All kinds of jazz music is played from standard to amateur. There are many, many jazz clubs here. Quite a few American jazz musicians chose to live there permanently or temporarily and have enhanced their lives all around. Here is a couple of the best jazz clubs in France. In Paris 4th, there is Franc Pinot. Those that love swing and bebop music should come here. This club has natural acoustics, and is located in the heart of Paris. Times are from 7p.m. to 9p.m., but it depends on who is playing for the night. In the 15th, there is Jazz Club Lionel Hampton where the best bands and artists play contemporary jazz. If you want to enrich your spirit, go travel to other places to appreciate jazz music.

Canadian Jazz Clubs

In Westminster, you can go to the Java Jazz Café & Bistro. Live jazz is played served with Filipino cooking, with dishes like kare-kare, milkfish and bangus. Every night there are different artists playing. Times are from Tuesday-Thursday from 12p.m. to 2:30p.m. and 5:30 to 12:00a.m. Friday it’s to 1:00a.m., Saturday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 5:30 p.m. to midnight. If you want to attend jam sessions, they are each Saturday 3p.m. to 6p.m.

If you are ever in Victoria, go to the Hermann’s Jazz Club on 753 View Street. This club has been around for 25 years. You can enjoy good food and international jazz music from the hottest musicians around.

In Vancouver, you can go to Capones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club. Jazz music is played there every night of the week. The food is excellent food and wine. Some of the dishes are pizzas, pastas, tapas and there are also some signature entrees. The musicians that play here are literally chosen to play there from the area and offer great west coast jazz music and blues. You have to call and book in advance to get a table here.

Cuban Jazz Clubs

If you are heading to Havana, be sure to stop at La Zorra Y La Cueva Jazz Club. Open every day, you can eat, drink, dance and enjoy the best jazz music as only the best of musicians play here. Dress tropical for this club.

Chinese Jazz Clubs

In Bejing, you can go to The Big Easy. Modern jazz music and blues is played there. Ted’s Café plays traditional jazz on Saturday nights. In Shanghai you can go to the CJW. The CJW is the Cigar Jazz Wine House. It is on the highest floor of the fifty-story Bund Centre. The atmosphere is very modern, eccentric with lava lamps, transparent beaded curtains. The food is traditional western and Chinese fusion.

Jazz music made its mark in the hearts of Americans ever since the 20th century when people embraced the musicians of the time. However, when the singers came on the scene strong with skills in the art of scatting that is a vocal form of Jazz improvisation, the ability to articulate music expressively, and have that pizzazz to swing to the rhythms effectively makes a Jazz virtuoso. Jazz music bore another gift on the American public to spread to the world during the 1940’s when singers came together to form groups. The sound of acapella harmony of many voices like in a church choir using a juxtaposition of Jazz harmony is ethereal and divine.

In fact, due to the success of such groups as the Mills Brothers, Boswell Sisters, Andrews sisters, and Modernaires during the 1930’s 1940’s made Jazz fans of vocal Jazz music seek more. As a result, record stores stocked up on the music of vocal Jazz music, and it became a tremendous success that made quartets like Manhattan Transfer a household name today.

In addition, America has the largest selection of vocal Jazz music even though there are vocal Jazz ensembles all over the world. These new vocal Jazz groups do not all sing a capella style music that is common to barber shop. Vocal Jazz groups commonly use a Jazz band to accompany them as they perform. Jazz music may not be as strict as classical music, but it is in a class all it’s own. It takes great skill to sing Vocal Jazz as it does with Classical, and many other styles of music. Meaning, everyone cannot be a good jazz soloist, but it doesn’t mean that they cannot sing in the vocal jazz ensemble. Each singer must match in volume, resonance, and key in order to be a worthy member in the vocal Jazz ensemble. Ever singer must be able to sing their parts, and be heard as well as blended into the group. There are times when different people in the vocal Jazz group will be asked to scat to the music, and take the challenges that some complex Jazz music holds with great skill.

All the beauty that Vocal Jazz possessed in the past did not always keep it in popularity. For instance, there was a time in the 60’s when Jazz music no longer had mass appeal due to the American interest in Rock music. Imagine the record companies who supply music to the radios, and the nightclubs who allowed popular acts to perform live suddenly locking Jazz musicians out. Yet, Jazz never lost its following despite the ever-changing interests of the public. Vocal Jazz singers attempted to begin again in the 70’s, but the public did not show much interest in a style that was considered passé.

Fortunately, those who loved the music and dedicated themselves to the music caused people to take notice from the latter part of the 80’s to the millennium where Jazz singers came prepared to recreate Jazz again. Vocal Jazz singers went along with the times to keep the traditional Jazz and add new elements that the public would like to hear.

There is nothing more exciting that masses of Jazz lovers all in the same place competing in a competition to showcase the skills they have honed. High school educators all around the country unite at different location to enter their vocal Jazz ensembles, Jazz Bands, Jazz Orchestra’s in a competition to represent their schools. All who enter this Jazz competition have been preparing and working hard at learning the music most of the school year.

The music educators gather a small stack of repertoire that will really make their students stand out as unique. The key to performing for the Jazz competition is to know the music, and express it exactly the way the teacher has taught them to do. The truth of the matter is that all Jazz singers should sing out , and not hold back unless the teacher motions for you to do so. All the instrumentalist should follow the music and shape the sound. Jazz music is an expression that should come as a personal interpretation of the piece. After all, how do the winners in the Jazz competitions exist if the right music and interpretation of the musicians did not exist?

Fortunately, the successful Jazz Group must possess something that allows them to feel at ease with showing soulful emotion with the instrument of voice. When every member does the same thing it makes the most magical atmosphere of music that would send chills up the spine. One can play the piece of music plainly as written, or one can perform the music as written shaping it into something beautiful. Emotion should always be involved with music performance. Moreover, the music performed in Jazz competitions should be believable to the listeners.

Meaning, if you do not feel the music no one else will feel it. Therefore, a performance without emotion is dull and uninteresting. If emotion is something hard to grasp at anything in your life, you should try the Mr. Holland’s Opus strategy.

There was a girl who could not play her instrument the way she wanted to. He told her in the film to think of something that means a lot to her. She thought of that and was able to perform. If the piece you are playing does not move you personally you might find it hard to perform. However, if you are familiar with what the music is about it will be easier to interpret it. For instance, “Georgia On My Mind” written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagie Carmichael, one may have never traveled to the state of Georgia. Nevertheless, the music is an expression of adoration for the state of Georgia.

All students participating in high school Jazz competitions should use that emotion to the fullest when performing. In other words, think of something you adore and perform with that though in mind. The thought can be a person, a place or even an object that you hold dear. Be prepared to shine in high school Jazz competition, and feel the music from your heart. It wouldn’t hurt for the teachers to choose the right music to show off your talents.

In the turn of the century around 1920, many artists made their mark by playing in the discreet underground nightclubs known as “Speakeasies” which are high class , “Blind pig” lower class or “Smokeasy” for smokers. The United States once prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages and smoking tobacco in clubs as a constitutional amendment. One could usually find an underground nightclub by the doors without a sign to indicate that there was such as establishment inside. Those dives also had a secret door that lead out to a passageway or alley in case the police came to investigate. The police had the power to arrest everyone in the place due to the fact that they were broke the law by being there.

However, thing were beginning to look up for Jazz Music once the invention of the record player or phonograph was made to play jazz albums. In addition, radio stations helped promote Jazz music, and made it popular among the public. Jazz Music became a music of class that earned the era a nick name known as the “Jazz age”. The band leaders who became famous as Jazz musicians were Paul Whiteman, Ted Lewis, Harry Reser, Leo Reisman, Abe Lyman, Nat Shilkret, Earl Burnett, Ben Bernie, George Olson, Bob Haring, Vincent Lopez, Ben Salvin and many more. Paul Whiteman claimed to be the king of Jazz music due to his popularity. He earned the title when he hired some white Jazz musicians with Bix Beiderbecke included to combine jazz with larger orchestrations.

In fact George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue’ was commissioned by Whiteman as his debut for the orchestra.

Ten years after Jazz music became popular it was reinvented into a style that would be suitable for radio and dancing. This style was known as “Swing” which allowed musicians to improvise their own interpretation of the melody or theme that was sometimes difficult to do. In the Swing era Jazz bands grew into a larger size which was often referred to as “Big Band” music that would always feature a soloist.

The band leaders and music arrangers for Jazz music who became famous for this style of music was Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Fletcher Henderson, Walter Page, Benny Goodman, Don Redman, Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, and Jay McShann. During this time there were racial issues of segregation between black and white people, but it slowly died down enough for the white band leaders to find black musicians to perform with them. In the middle of the 1930’s Benny Goodman invited Teddy Wilson(pianist), Lionel Hampton (vibraphonist), and Charlie Christian (guitarist) to be a part of a group. Each musician learned from the style of other musicians in order to form their own. For example, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie(trumpeter), Bing Crosby (vocalist) were influenced by the improvising of Louis Armstrong. Later, the vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Sarah Vaughn joined the scene with Jazz Improvisation known as the scat. To Scat is to vocally imitate musical instruments using such non verbal language as doot ‘n doo bee yah bah loo bey doo ee ya boy lay bah doo doot ‘n doo yah doo doy.

In the beginning of the 1940’s Jazz music evolved yet again into a new style known as “Jump Music” which was upbeat music using blues chords performed by small music groups. These small music groups are the forms many bands make today. Later, another style of Jazz music came using the music of the 1930’s as an inspiration called “Boogie-Woogie” where the usual 4 beat bar section expanded into an eight beat bar section in the rhythm which Big Joe Turner took the lead in the 1940’s.

In the 1950’s, music reinvented again when turner turned to “Rock and Roll music”. As for the Swing era music it was reborn in the use of the modern dance trends. Kansas City made memorial for Charlie Parker in their American Jazz Museum that displays the history of the music and the people who made Jazz music what it has become.

The essence of Jazz music is the ethereal atmosphere of the dimensional harmony created by kaleidoscope of chromatic tones. It is the pulsating back beat of syncopating African rhythms through the rumble of the drums, or soft sound of the brush to the snare.

The music is an expression of melody from the depth of the soul conveyed as a gospel in many unique ways. These elements combined with the free impressionistic ambiance of instrumental tones in orchestration as a foundational juxtaposition of 7th, 9th,13th chordal harmony makes this style truly unique. The essence of Jazz music is music that is upbeat, full of pizzazz ,yet laid back with style. One would never guess that this free style of music has a foundation that began with Baroque elements found in Classical music.

Classical music comes from the basic structure of homophony when two or more musical lines are played vertically in the same direction as sacred music. In fact, Jazz music is created with homophony in terms of the movement of chords to support the melodic improvisation. However, when it comes to playing intervals and chordal harmonies, Jazz is free from the restriction of classical form. For example, if a song is written in the key of C or a minor there are no sharps or flats written on the staffs. Many times in Jazz music Accidentals are put in the music to cause a tonal effect found in chromatic tones. Tonal effects can occur when one or more notes are altered by raising or lowering a pitch by one half step. Sharps are symbols in the shape of a number sign or tic tac toe board (#). Flats are symbols in the shape of a lower case B(b), yet shaped differently like half a heart.

In some Jazz pieces, both the sharp and flat can occur simultaneously in a chord. The result of such musical experimentation can be Dissonant chords unresolved for the purpose of producing a certain sound. Depending on what tones are used the sound is either full of color, or full of tension. On the other hand, Consonance is a stable balance of harmonic tones without tension. One example of the essence of Jazz Music is the song “Route 66” with cluster of chords with dissonant tones that move from major to minor to diminished to create tonal color.

The Tones in Jazz music is always about the speech rhythm and the chordal harmony full of color as influenced by music in the impressionism period. The essence of Jazz music serves as a personal interpretation of the picture the performer wants us to thinks about. The icing to the cake are the vocalists and instrumentalists who performs how they feel from the soul as the music beckons them to reply to it’s statement. As the soloist plays or sings, the beauty of strong kaleidoscope tones in the harmony encourages one to soar especially in ballads.

All of this can occur when the harmony plays in the right position above the correct bass tones found in all Jazz masterpieces. The true essence of Jazz music is present in its ability to shape the music through tones, the syncopation of speech rhythm, the chromatic harmony, improvisational solos, and constant motion of the bass. It is the free structure made from a balanced structure, and a music expressed from the soul.

All over the world people have invented their own interpretation of Jazz by creating new music from their soul, yet branching out to expand the capabilities of the music of their culture. Jazz around the world must always begin with examples of various music. The main traits of the styles of music that stands out consistently should be reviewed.

One must think about the aesthetic nature of the songs, and the general sound of that style. The next action to make is to add a trait or two to the traditional music of your culture. In all music there are notes that sound horrible when played together or just plain uninteresting.

With research and experimentation one can find traits from many styles of music that could fit together perfectly. There you will have invented a new style of music by expanding your cultural music, or adding the ethnic trait to another style of music. One can always balance each trait evenly to make it difficult for anyone to point out anyone style to create a new style of mongrel music. Nevertheless, creating Jazz music is taking what is known and expanding it without abandoning the main core of the style.

It has already been determined that the creation of basic Jazz music must include syncopation, speech rhythms, chromatic juxtaposition of 7th to 9th to 13th chordal harmony using accidentals, improvisation and a walking bass line. The usual instruments used in the creation of Jazz music are percussion, brass and string bass. Nowadays, strings and woodwinds can be added to the creation of Jazz music to add to the tonal quality of the sound. The upper stringed instruments as well as the lowest double bass stringed instruments can expand the sound of jazz music in the vertical matter of height, and depth while the brass sounds stronger as the center of Jazz music.

The addition of the breathy sound of the woodwinds tends to soften the sound. Therefore, having instruments from all the musical families balances the music to a fuller colorful atmosphere of sound. To diversify creation of Jazz music one should determine the elements to add or expand on.

The elements to look for would be tone color, rhythm, and resonance. Furthermore, take time to research the instruments for woodwinds, percussion, brass, and strings from other countries to see what can fit in the creation of Jazz music.

The Jazz music sensation began to rub off on other parts of the world which encourages the experimentation of melding their familiar sounds with the essence of Jazz. In Europe’s country in the Region of France came the Quintette Du Hot Club de France who was responsible for the making of the early “Gypsy Jazz”.

The Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt created gypsy jazz by mixing the style of French Musette which was used in the dance halls, eastern European Folk known as Jazz Manouche, and American swing of the 1930’s. The sound was developed by instruments from the string family which are a steel string guitar, violin, and an upright bass. The atmosphere of the Jazz music is seductive with sudden unpredictable twists, and accelerating rhythms. The French artist Bireli Lagrene plays this unique music with old elements of the past.

Another style of Jazz music that allowed the musicians to express themselves freely was the invention of Avant-garde or free Jazz music. Both of these styles stemmed from the Bebop era, yet produced a relaxed form of harmonic and rhythmic music in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The musicians John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Ornette Coleman and many more were the creators of the free Jazz music. Between the 1960’s and 1970’s the Latin musicians created the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Jazz Music styles after Bebop musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Taylor cultivated it.

Gillespie and Taylor was influenced by the music of Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians Chico O’farrill, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, Xavier Cugat, Mario Bauza and Arturo Sandoval. Jazz music expressed in a Latin interpretation was termed Bossa Nova with origins in Samba music which is a mixture of Jazz, classical and pop music from the 20th century. Bossa is a moderate sound of music with Classical harmonic structure from Europe, Samba polyrhythm’s from Brazil and cool music. The tempo of such a work is about 120 beats per minute. The instruments used in this particular sound is nylon stringed guitar, piano, high hat tap of eighths, tapping on the rim of the drum like Sade’s “Sweetest Taboo”, and a vocalist. The sound produced is a new relaxing sound where the acoustic sound of the guitar can lull one to sleep with it’s easy melodic line.

Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim became popular in the sixties with this style of music. The influence of Jazz music returned to the place of its origins in the religious music known as Urban Contemporary Gospel from the spirituals music. Much of spiritual music sung by southern slaves in the past has a haunting dark and mournful sound during the 1800 and 1900’s. The churches know as the sanctified or holy churches took a more happier approach by encouraging member to sing speak their personal testimonies as they celebrated with song and dance.

The sanctified artist Arizona Dranes who was a traveling pastor made recordings that would fit in many musical categories such as blues, and boogie-woogie with the use of Jazz instruments. At the time the Jazz instruments used with religious themed music were percussion and brass instruments.

The Art of Jazz dance is an amalgamation of different styles of dance that began between 1800’s, and the middle of the 1900’s rooted in African American movement. One man known for this type of dance was the star of vaudeville Joe Frisco around 1910 who danced in a unrestrained fashion in close vicinity to the ground while tossing his cigar, and derby in a juggling manner. The Jazz dance style up to the middle of 1950’s was Tap dance which was always performed with Jazz music such as the Jitterbug, Swing, Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop, and the Charleston. Katherine Dunham is renowned choreographer and dancer studied the cultural dances of Caribbean in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, Martinique and Shango making this African American dance a modern work of pure art.

She took this style to Hollywood and Broadway who embraced a more refined Jazz dance. Modern Jazz Dance is a smooth style of dance roots from Tap, Ballet and Jazz music which is performed in many musicals from the Pajama Game to Cabaret to Chicago to music videos and the Las Vegas showgirl performances. The usual technique for Jazz dance is that of a ballet dancer for balance and strength from doing slow movements. In contrast the typical Jazz dance has sharp movements, but the skills of ballet smoothes it down into a refined style.

Moreover, Jazz dance is such a versatile style that it can be combined with other dances from lyrical, contemporary and hip hop. Jazz dance like Jazz music can be combined with other dance styles to enhance the dance to another level. For instance, The United Kingdom witness a new movement of dancers in the 1980’s who danced when the Jazz, and Funk music clubs was becoming unpopular known as Street Fusion Jazz Dance. Due to the new modern music scene, new groups who longed to keep the tradition of Jazz dance, and still leave room for the new styles.

There are two groups known for street fusion jazz dance known as IDJ ( I Dance Jazz), Brother in Jazz and Jazz Cotech. Famous people of the world of Jazz dance is Fred Astaire, Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, and Bob Fosse. In the world of Jazz Dance there are terms people use to describe various dance movement.

It is no secret that the American society is advanced in many ways. As a whole, we are a wealthy country. We are a democratic country. We are a free country. The citizens of American society have rights that citizens of many other countries have never known. Yet, despite all our wealth and all our rights, many Americans are without proper health care coverage.

The people of American society have various reasons for not having health insurance, but the main reason from which all other reasons stem is money. Many people just do not have the money it takes to pay for a health insurance policy. People can generally get a good deal on health insurance if they purchase it through their employers, but not everyone is employed or works for a company that offers health benefits, and individual health insurance policies are much more expensive than the group insurance policy rates employers offer.

Health care is expensive, and health insurance is supposed to help cut the cost of health care; however, while health insurance does help us pay for health care, is heath insurance itself too expensive? For many, the answer is yes.

Regardless of how wealthy American society is as a whole, there are millions of Americans who can’t afford health insurance. Maybe they work for an employer who doesn’t offer a health insurance package. Maybe they just have too many other bills and can’t afford the additional health insurance bill. Maybe they’re self-employed and just don’t bring in enough income to pay for individual health insurance.

If you work for an employer who doesn’t offer health insurance, are self-employed, or just otherwise can’t afford health insurance, don’t give up. Contact your state’s insurance bureau and seek advice. They may be able to point you in the direction of a health insurance company or program that specifically caters to people who can’t afford health insurance for whatever reason.

The body’s core — which includes the abdominal, lower back, pelvis, and hip area — is considered the most vital part of the body. The core is where the body’s center of gravity is located and this is where force production and movement begins. The muscles in this area work in harmony to provide stability to the body to bring force, power, and stability from the legs to the upper and vice versa. Many of the body’s core muscles cannot be seen because they are hidden underneath the other muscles. According to health experts, a strong core makes it easier to do physical activities, even the most strenuous routines. They add that the core is very complicated and serves many important tasks that may lead to improved overall health and sexual health.

A developed core is essential to stability and sports performance. Martial artists need developed cores to execute difficult kicks and attacks properly. Basketball players need core strength to perform acrobatic dunks and layups. Golfers need core stability to swing properly. More importantly, core training is important because training the muscles in this area corrects postural imbalance that may lead to injuries. By strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the spine, core training may help reduce the risk of lower back pain. In addition, a developed and stable core may help prevent injuries because stronger muscles support the spine, pelvis, and shoulder joints. A well-developed core is essential to attain full range of body motion — an ability needed for both work and leisure. For these reasons, health and fitness experts recommend people to undergo core training.

Core Training, also called core muscle training, core stability, and core strengthening provides a protective defense to the spinal cord and several organs of the human body. This kind of training may involve proper hydration, nutrition, core exercises, and body relaxation. Many fitness experts believe that core training can be used as an alternative solution to stress and anxiety, bad posture, and weight control. Other activities that involve core training are yoga, Pilates, and martial arts. These types of training help practitioners develop a healthy body, increase lifespan, achieve a state of bliss, and have a better sex life. Studies show that performing these exercise routines help promote more body energy, self-esteem, and increased testosterone levels. Stretching exercises in yoga, Pilates, and martial arts act serve as “massage” for the internal organs of the body, enabling the body’s internal systems to function properly. Both Western and Chinese medicine support claims regarding the health benefits of having a well-developed core.

According to eastern medicine, the core is the center of all human energy. These principles believe that the core is the source of the ‘chi,’ the power within. The ‘chi’ is responsible for self-healing, self-recovery, and self-realization. Chinese beliefs add that the this power is a life force and is present in every living thing. The ‘chi’ flows in the body thorough channels called meridians and give the body life nourishment and energy. The chi can be developed by meditation, visualization, and breathing. Activities that are done in yoga, Pilates, and the martial arts. The health benefits of having a developed core has been approved by science and eastern beliefs. Core strength is important to ordinary people and athletes alike. Incorporating them in a workout may reduce strength, avoid muscle injury, and improve posture and strength.

Core training has become a hot topic in today’s fitness and health field. With advent of many activities that promote core strength and development like yoga and Pilates, the issue of core training has taken the limelight. The core is mistaken by many as the abdominal muscles. While this is not an entirely wrong statement, the term “core” is used to indicate a collection of muscles that are crucial in stabilizing the body and allow it to perform many movements. The core is composed of muscles in the hip, pelvis, abdominal, and low back area. The core is important because it stabilizes balances the part of the body where the center of gravity is located and where every movement begins. Because of its importance, a healthy core may lead to improvements in one’s overall health.

Having a healthy core may bring many health benefits. People who have weak cores are prone to chronic back pain and posture problems. A well-developed core on the other hand, may help prevent injuries and other ailments because of stronger muscles that may support the spine, pelvis and shoulder joints. Strong core muscles can handle certain joint tension that may lead to back and joint injuries. In addition, a healthy core may lead to improved posture strong because the abdominal muscles support the spine. Proper elimination of waste products is also a benefit of strong core muscles, because the pelvic floor muscles are part of it. If the pelvic muscles are weak, they cannot contract properly and result to improper bowel functioning.

Because of the health benefits of maintaining a fit core, many people are have been including core training in their lifestyles. The good news is fitness many tools for core training are widely available. One of the most popular choice for core training is the fitness ball. A fitness ball, also known as Pilates ball, stability ball, Swiss ball, and gym ball is made of elastic rubber which usually has a diameter of 14 to 34 inches. Instead of exercising directly on a flat surface, exercising with a fitness ball provides instability that create tension to the core muscles that aids its development.

Fitness ball exercises may aid in developing abdominal muscles by channeling the right amount of tension towards it. Studies show that doing core exercises on a fitness ball has been shown to improve balance in older individuals. Exercising with a fitness ball is a great core workout because of the instability of having to balance or center the body’s gravity while moving on the ball. In addition fitness ball abdominal exercises can promote weight loss by lowering the abdominal fats.

Regular core exercise coupled with nutritious diet are vital components of good health. Individuals who seek to improve their health should seek the advice of health professionals to maximize the effects of exercise and healthy food regimen. Obtaining the right information from experts is important in improving one’s health. Good health is a lifetime journey and is one of the components of a happy life.

When one is considering entering a new line of work, the first thing they should do is research that given field. Certain things to consider include how that particular industry is currently doing and what are the predictions for that field. If you are considering entering into the construction field, especially as an equipment operator, you’ll find the field is thriving and should continue to do so.

First of all, there is always going to be a need for road repairs, bridge maintenance, and new constructions will continue to be needed. The government alone spends billions of dollars on construction projects each year and there does not seem to be any inclination that they will slow down. New housing developments are being created everyday in all areas of the country, as there is continually a housing shortage. The construction business is thriving.

The September 11th attacks of terrorism on the United States have had impacts on every industry in the United States and the construction industry is no exception. Due to Homeland Security, many such developments have been redesigned to further their safety in case of an act of terrorism and even moved to a different location if they are near an area that might be a target. However, the construction industry has not slowed down and it is as strong as ever.

The fact is the construction industry is the largest service industry in the United States. Due to the demand placed on the construction industry, most construction companies are constantly looking for individuals who are qualified to work in this field. Many individuals, however, are not qualified and they start on the bottom, hoping to get trained in areas where there is better pay.

Where do individuals wishing to get a heavy equipment operator’s education stand? With new developments and construction projects continuing to thrive, the heavy equipment operator will always have a job. In order to complete the new construction jobs, there must be someone to run the heavy equipment.

Unfortunately, with all of the natural disasters that have taken place in the United States alone, such as the flooding in California, the tornadoes in the mid-west and the hurricanes along the east coast, the construction business will continue to thrive. From road repairs and bridge reconstruction and new housing developments to commercial developments, construction companies will continually be looking for workers that are qualified.

Emotional health is as important as being physically fit and having a sound mind. Our emotional, physical, and mental health are connected with each other that each one affects the health of the other. However, there is another factor that can contribute to a healthy well-being: Spiritual health.

Being spiritual is not just being religious. It is being in touch with the spirit within you. It is finding meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Most people find spirituality through religion. Others find it through music, art or, a connection with nature. Still, others find it in their values and principles.

Spiritual activities such as prayer and meditation foster positive beliefs and comfort which bring healing and a sense of well-being. It may not necessarily cure the illness, but it can help you feel better, prevent some health problems, and help you cope with illness or death.

Whenever life becomes a bore or seems meaningless, or when emotional hurts and pains become overwhelming, we tend to be confused or anxious. We feel dead in our spirits. But those who are spiritually nourished are strongly anchored in their faith and hope. For Christians, boredom is a word that can never be used to describe a person who walks in the love of God. Firm believers have no room for anxiety and depression in their lives. The Christian faith surrenders all their worries and cares to a God who is almighty.

Most people usually associate manifestations of anxiety with a panic attack. This is about senselessly talking and worrying about the various details of our daily life or about sudden, unexpected situations. Stuff that makes your stomach go into knots and gives you a headache and a pain in the back of your neck.

In trying to improve your spiritual health, always remember that every individual is different. What works for you may not work for others. Do what is comfortable for you. Try to identify the things in your life that give you a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, love, and connection. Set aside a specific time every day to do the things that help you spiritually. These may include doing community service or volunteer work, praying, meditating, singing devotional songs, reading inspirational books, taking nature walks, having quiet time for thinking, doing yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services.

It is important to some doctors who are treating you for an illness to know how your spirituality might be affecting your feelings and thoughts about your medical situation. Do not hesitate to tell your doctor if you think your spiritual beliefs are affecting your health care decisions or your ability to follow your doctor’s recommendations. A spiritual assessment as part of a medical encounter is a practical first step in incorporating consideration of a patient’s spirituality into medical practice. The relationship between spirituality and medicine has been the focus of considerable interest in recent years.

If there are spiritual beliefs, worries or concerns that are causing you stress, talk with your doctor or seek counseling from someone who can help you with these issues.

What’s the connection between dating and singles? It seems like gyms are often popular places to meet people, and fitness singles sites are cropping up to satisfy the needs and wants of online daters looking for partners to workout with and romance at the same time. Is there a significant connection between the fitness industry and single life?
One possible explanation for the connections made between fellow gym-goers is the desire to find like minded people who enjoy active lifestyles and staying in shape. Certainly, a part of this is a greater appreciation in general for people who are physically fit. While this is a broad generalization, it may be safe to assume that most people who want to keep themselves in shape also want that from their partner. For this reason, gyms attract like minded people, with similar lifestyles. Also, as has been proven by several psychological studies, similarity and proximity increase the likelihood of attraction. Therefore, if two people run into each other on a regular basis, and see each other participating in activities they both enjoy, the chances of meeting and making a connection are more likely.
Another psychological explanation may come from biological and neurological studies. Chemicals released into the brain during exercise are often associated with feelings of euphoria. These feelings are commonly seen as responsible for a ‘runners high’ that many consistent exercisers experience. As these feelings of euphoria are experienced, people are conditioned to associate those positive feelings with other stimulus that surround them. Like Pavlov’s Classically conditioned dogs, a person who see something (like another attractive person) while experiencing a positive emotion (a runners high) begin associating these two things together. Eventually, people begin attributing their positive feelings to that person (he/she makes me feel good). As a result, many singles who are heavily into the fitness lifestyle, and regularly visit the gym, may begin to pair their positive feelings with other fit singles they see at their gym.
While these explanations may only be a part of the reason why singles and fitness are frequently paired together, ultimately, there is some sort of connection between the two. Whether these stem from psychological reasons or the desire to seek out other physically attractive or fit people, fitness and singles are frequently paired, and with good reason.

Obesity and related health problems are epidemic in North America. Not only are most of us eating way too much and getting little exercise, but we’re also eating very fatty foods. Even if you shun fast food restaurants and buy your food at supermarkets, it’s still almost impossible to find quick-to-fix foods that aren’t high in fat content.

Experts say we were in far better health a few decades ago when just about everyone prepared their meals from scratch. Home cooking, even when elevated to the gourmet level, is far healthier than restaurants or instant dishes from the grocery store.

But these days when everyone is working one, two, even three jobs, who has the time to make a complete meal at home? It would seem there is simply no fast, easy way to eat healthy food.

Let me speak from experience: You CAN cook FAST at home and make EXCELLENT meals. Nick has been a gourmet chef for 25 years. During that time he developed more than 300 great, healthy recipes that can be prepared quickly.

As a general rule of thumb, you can be sitting down, eating a hot, fresh meal within 45 minutes to one hour after you come home.

Consider how much time and money you spend at fast food restaurants, and you’ll realize how much money–even time–you can save.

Not only does eating better help you stay trimmer, it also makes you feel better. People who eat better have more energy and quite often feel younger. Education specialists assure us kids develop normally and perform better in school when they eat right. And you can certainly head off a host of health problems that can plague you in middle and later life.

Do yourself and your family a huge favor. Start cooking your meals at home using fresh ingredients in recipes that help you cook fast and often from scratch. It’s cheaper and, goodness knows, it tastes a lot better!

Golf fitness exercises that are the most effective are rotational in nature, incorporating your core. This is the engine to your swing! If your core is weak or restricted, you will have a very difficult time generating clubhead speed and power at impact.

Golf fitness exercises don’t need to be grueling, sweaty and in a gym to be effective. The beauty of athletic training is the value of using your own body and minimal equipment to get maximum benefit.

Many golfers feel they don’t have the time or resources to implement a golf fitness exercise training program; and yet they’ll hit balls 2-3 times a week and spend hundreds of dollars on clubs and gimmicky training aids.

If many of these golfers took a step back and asked themselves “have I improved with this approach”, I’ll bet most of them would say no. The reason being it’s not your equipment, it’s YOU! Your body dictates your performance. Period! If the machine is broken, the swing will be too.

I can’t say this enough. Until golfers realize it’s their body’s keeping them from a better game, they’ll continue to walk off the course frustrated and contemplating quitting the game.

I read a statistic the other day quoting how many golfers quit the game every year. It was a HUGE number! I wonder why so many golfers are quitting? I can only guess it’s because they are not enjoying it, because they have invested time and money and not seen results.

Implementing a few simple golf fitness exercises can make all the difference. I want you to picture the “main movement” in the golf swing. It’s “rotational!” So why wouldn’t you improve your rotational strength and flexibility?

This is a must!

You’ve got to come up with a program; hire a golf fitness trainer; or search for a program on the web by typing in terms like golf fitness, golf exercises, even golf training. Talk a little time reviewing the results and then ACT.

Get it going right away! Don’t put it of any longer. The sooner you start the sooner your game will improve.

To get the quickest results, take a look at core rotational exercises when reviewing these programs that implement golf fitness exercises.

I receive many questions about the junior golfer and golf fitness programs. The questions are on a number of different topics, but they generally fall into three or four different categories. Typically the questions are; at what should a junior golfer begin utilizing golf fitness exercises, how often should a junior golfer implement golf fitness exercises, and finally what are the best golf fitness exercises for the junior golfer? Typically this last question is the most commonly asked question. This article is intended to provide some answers to the question; what are the best golf fitness exercises for the junior golfer?

First and foremost golf fitness exercises can be of great benefit to the junior golfer provided a few principles are adhered to in the development of such a golf fitness program. We are obviously aware certain exercises are beneficial to the golfer and others are not. Keep in mind regardless if you are a junior, professional, or senior the exercises within your golf fitness program should center upon developing the body around the golf swing.

This single principle indicates certain exercises are of greater benefit to the golfer than others. Generally speaking, the exercises should focus on developing your body to the positions, movements, and physical requirements of the golf swing. This equates to exercises developing the required flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power required of the golf swing. For example, we are fully aware the golf swing requires you to make a full shoulder turn. A portion of the ability to make a full shoulder turn is contingent upon the golfer’s flexibility (regardless of if you are a junior golfer or not). If you are lacking flexibility the ability to make a full shoulder turn, the golf swing will be compromised, and compensations may set into your golf swing. That being said, a portion of your golf fitness exercises, specifically your golf flexibility exercises will focus on developing a full and effortless shoulder turn.

The junior golfer is really no different than golfers of a different age when it comes to the basic principles of a golf fitness program. The goal of the golf fitness program is the same, and the physical components of the body to be developed are the same. The goal of the golf fitness program is to develop your body around the golf swing in order to create a more powerful, consistent, and accurate golf swing.

The difference for the junior golfer comes down to what are the best exercises within each of these categories. Typically the junior golfer is not as physically developed as an adult thus changing the exercise prescriptions that are best for them. Meaning, the categories to develop within the body for the golf swing are the same as the adult golfer, but modifications in certain exercises are required to counteract the physical development of the junior golfer.

Typically flexibility exercises for the junior golfer can be the exact same as for any other age golfer. Generally speaking, flexibility training is often much easier for the junior golfer to perform because muscles and connective tissues tend to be more flexible when we are young.

Progressing to balance exercises. Often the junior golfer is not as kinesthetically developed as an adult. Their bodies, control of the limbs, and knowing where the body is in space tends to be less developed at younger ages. For this reason we must modify some of the balance exercises to a lower level of difficulty. For example, a junior golfer may have difficulty performing an advanced airplane rotation found in my golf fitness book. As a result a modification may be required in the exercise. The adjustment could consist of keeping the junior golfer using the basic airplane rotation and adding more repetitions to increase the difficulty.

Another adjustment is usually required for the endurance, strength, and power exercises for the junior golfer. Golf fitness exercises found within these categories of training are geared towards increasing muscular strength, endurance, and power. In order to improve these components of the muscles in anyone (junior golfer included) we must overload the body with a higher workload than it is accustomed too. For example, if you were a bodybuilder and wanted get bigger biceps. You may choose to perform bicep dumbbells curls with a 50 lb. dumbbell. In the beginning this exercise may be very difficult to perform. The reason is the 50 lb. dumbbell is overloading your bicep. Over time the bicep gets stronger and the 50 lb. dumbbell gets easier to lift. This is an example of how to overload the muscles of your body to get stronger.

Many of these exercises to develop increased strength, endurance, and power can require the use of external resistance: In the form of dumbbells, elastic tubing, medicine balls, etc. The mistake with junior golfers is externally loading these exercises too much. For example, using to heavy of dumbbells for a certain exercises. The result is a compromise in form and loss of benefit from the exercise. For this reason, I have found it best for the junior golfer to use their body weight as resistance first. Then slowly progress to adding external resistance in the form of tubing, medicine balls, etc…

This format allows the junior golfer to progress in the development of their bodies for the golf swing properly. It allows them to focus on exercise technique and execution rather than the amount of weight lifted.

To recap, modifications for the junior golfer in terms of their program is required. It is a simple process if they are not overloaded with resistance or difficulty of exercise. The goal for the junior golfer is the same as any other golfer; develop the body around the golf swing. The physical components to be developed by a golf fitness program are again the same; flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power. The difference for the junior golfer lies within the implementation of the exercises within these categories in the golf fitness program.

Sean Cochran

The game of professional golf has transformed over the years. Many spectators, journalists, and pros themselves state that golf is now a game of power. Driving distance is integral to winning on Tour, club manufacturers gear much of their advertising around the “power game”, and it is a wish of most every amateur.

Improved distance off the tee or with any club on the course requires increased clubhead speed. Clubhead speed is a product of power in your golf swing. Increasing the power in your golf swing will improve your clubhead speed. Equaling more distance on every shot you desire.

The question to ask is how do you increase the power in your golf swing? Three components exist directly affecting the power in your golf swing:

1) Efficiency of Your Golf Swing Mechanics

2) Power Generating Capacities of Your Body

3) Equipment

Review of the list indicates three integral components exist that directly affecting your clubhead speed. First and foremost are your golf swing mechanics. Golf swing mechanics can either be efficient or inefficient.

Efficient golf swing mechanics allow for you to input the greatest amount of power developed within your golf swing into the club and golf ball.

Inefficient golf swing mechanics result in the exact opposite. Inefficient swing mechanics create what is described as “energy leaks” within your golf swing. “Energy leaks” cause less power to be translated to the club and golf ball. This is because large amounts of energy are lost during the mechanics of the swing.

Again, to improve your clubhead speed and the power outputs within your golf swing. It is necessary to develop efficient golf swing mechanics.

Secondly, equipment does play a role in your clubhead speed. The technological advances in both club and golf balls have an effect. The key to increasing your power outputs in relation to equipment is to get the correct club and ball for your swing.

Matching up your swing and swing speed with the correct equipment will allow you to get the most clubhead speed out of your swing. For example, if your average swing speed is 95 and you are using extra stiff shafts. This could easily result in a loss of clubhead speed in your swing.

It is strongly recommended you get fitted for your equipment. Getting fitted matches up the correct equipment with your swing. Allowing you to get the most “bang for your buck” in terms of your golf swing.

Finally, we come to the topic of this article and that is your body. Your body has a direct affect on clubhead speed. It is your body swinging the club, and generating power within the mechanics of the golf swing.

That being said, developing power within your golf swing is directly related to the ability of your body to generate power. Often times this is the forgotten component by many amateurs in relation to developing power.

In order to increase the power outputs in your golf swing it is necessary to implement golf fitness exercises into your training program.

Golf fitness exercises increase the ability of your body to generate power within the golf swing. Resulting in increased clubhead speed.

What is the best golf fitness exercise to increase power in your golf swing?

Before answering that question we must look at the mechanics of the golf swing. The golf swing is both a linear and rotational movement.

Composed of finite biomechanical movements performed in a specific order. In addition to performing the biomechanics of the golf swing in a specific order, timing each movement is also required.

In order to perform the mechanics of the golf swing correctly it is necessary for the body to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power built within the body.

If one does not have these physical parameters developed within the body to a certain level. The ability to perform the mechanics of the golf swing efficiently, and generate power will be compromised.

The answer to the question of the best exercise for improving the power in your golf swing is not one specific exercise.

Improving power in your golf swing requires a “basket or exercises” including flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power training.

A combination of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power exercises are the key to enhancing the power in your golf game.

To summarize, improving the power in your golf swing consist of;

1) Efficient golf swing mechanics, 2) Proper equipment, 3) Golf fitness training.

The combination of these three components result in increased clubhead speed in your golf swing.

Not one single golf fitness exercise can improve the power outputs in your golf swing. It is rather a combination of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power training exercises that enhance clubhead speed.

Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

Sean Cochran

Physical fitness is an important way for adopting a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise helps in building sound mental and physical health that helps you in attaining high fitness levels. Incase you are looking for some amazing fitness schedules, you can try some amazing health and fitness tips such as aerobics and jogging along with cardiovascular exercise and weight training that helps you in building strong body with enhanced endurance levels.

Physical fitness is an important part of every individual’s lifestyle that not only helps in enhancing the energy levels but also improves the power of concentration, alertness and energy levels.

Incase you want to include components of skill related fitness schedule in your regime, make sure you include cardiovascular endurance that increases the muscle power. A good exercise regime is also useful in improving the flexibility of the muscles and joints by offering a huge range of motion. And, if you have a busy schedule and feel unable to take time for a healthy work out, make sure you take time so as to burn a minimum of 200 calories on daily basis.

You can manage this by simply walking on the steps rather than taking course to escalator. Make surer you take a good walk in order to burn excess calories. Apart from exercising, it is very important to take care of the diet you take, make sure you are stay away from junk food that is full of fat and salts that increases HDL and results in hypertension. Following routinely exercise helps you in managing your immune system.

Once you develop a good fitness regime, you will certainly develop following components of skill related fitness such as Agility, Balance, Coordination, Power, Speed and Reaction time that certainly benefits you improving your stamina and endurance. So, get started with a grueling exercise regime and seek innumerable benefits of skill related fitness.

Mushrooms are valuable health food – low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. Mushrooms also have a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Their legendary effects on promoting good health and vitality and increasing your body’s adaptive abilities have been supported by recent studies. These studies suggest that Mushrooms are probiotic – they help our body strengthen itself and fight off illness by maintaining physiological homeostasis – restoring our bodies balance and natural resistance to disease.

Agaricus Mushroom
Agaricus is the most widely consumed mushroom in many countries, where it is regarded as a health food, due to its medicinal properties. Agaricus is traditionally known as “God’s Mushroom” because of its near miraculous curative benefits to a wide range of disorders. People have used it to overcome numerous diseases and disorders relating to the immune system, cardiovascular system, digestion, and for weight management, diabetes, chronic and acute allergies, cataracts, hearing difficulties, stress syndrome, chronic fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, and disorders of the liver.

Cordyceps Mushroom
Cordyceps can be a powerful stimulant for macrophage activity, strengthening your immune system’s ability to fight against bacterial and viral infection. Human clinical studies indicate that Cordyceps can be effective for treatment of high cholesterol, poor libido/impotence, arrhythmia, lung cancer, and chronic kidney failure. It is also reported that Cordyceps causes smooth muscle relaxation. This can make it especially helpful for treating chronic coughs, asthma, and other bronchial conditions.

Maitake Mushroom
Maitake is also known by the name Dancing Mushroom, famous for its taste and health benefits. In Japan, Maitake Mushroom is called “King of Mushroom”. The fruiting body and the mycelium of Maitake are used medicinally. In China and Japan, Maitake Mushrooms have been consumed for 3000 years. Years ago in Japan, the Maitake had monetary value and was worth its weight in silver. Historically, Maitake has been used as a tonic and adaptogen. It was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality. Traditionally, consumption of the mushroom was thought to prevent high blood pressure and cancer – two applications that have been the focal point of modern research. Clinical research with Maitake Mushroom has increased dramatically in the past several years. Laboratory studies have shown that Maitake Mushroom extract can inhibit the growth of tumors and stimulate the immune system of cancerous mice.

Reishi Mushroom
Reishi has been called an “immune potentiator.” Recent studies have indicated that Reishi can have a number of other effects: Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiviral through inducing interferon production, Lowers blood pressure, Cardiotonic action through lowering serum cholesterol, Expectorant & Antitussive, Liver (Hepatitis)-protecting and detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, Antibacterial, and Anti-HIV activity. Reishi contains calcium, iron and phosphorus as well as vitamins C, D, and B – including pantothenic acid, which is essential to nerve function and the adrenal glands.

Shiitake Mushroom
Shiitake (for centuries called “Elixir of Life” ) has been licensed as a anti-cancer drug by the Japanese FDA. Lentinan has shown some effect on bowel cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. Lentinan stimulates the production of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and can potentiate the effect of AZT in the anti-viral treatment of A.I.D.S. Shiitake is rich in several anti-oxidants (Selenium, Uric acid & Vitamin A, E, & C) as well as Vitamin D. Shiitake mushrooms may also lower blood pressure in those with hypertension, lower serum cholesterol levels, increase libido, stimulate the production of Interferon which has anti-viral effects, and has proven effective against Hepatitis in some cases.

Yun Zhi Mushroom
Yun Zhi, or the Cloud Mushroom, has been used to dispel dampness, reduce phlegm, treat pulmonary infections, to strengthen the tendons and bones, for vital energy, and to support liver health.

Benefits
• assists with immune function
• high in vegetable proteins
• promotes good health and vitality

published for Sylvain Deslongchamps

With today’s busy lifestyle, it has become quintessential to protect your body’s health. Pollution is also eating us away bit by bit. Sickness and disease connected with stress, depression and pressure connected with work and making money has become a trend nowadays. But working and making money is not an activity that we can just walk away from for the sake of our health.

Precarious eating habits are also not helpful to our body. What we put into our mouths can either help us get healthy or contribute to our body’s demise. There are other things we should also watch on aside from sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. And what I’m talking about is our blood’s pH level.

Our blood’s pH level is perhaps the single most important measurement we should watch on. Healthy blood pH is around 7.4, which is slightly alkaline; this level must be maintained in order for our body to function well. The maintenance of our blood’s healthy pH level is essential to our body’s functions. Functions which are affected with your pH level are blood flow, cell function, fat accumulation, and bone density.

The smoothness of our body’s blood flow is determined by the electrical charge that is coated on each individual red blood cell. Each red blood cell is assigned a negative charge so that they will not attract each other, similar to what two magnets with similar poles do when you put them together. When your blood’s pH level goes down, it means your blood has become acidic. What acidity does to your red blood cells is that it strips off that charge in each red blood cell; making the individual red blood cell stick together, forming clumps that make blood flow slower. Slower blood flow means lesser oxygen going to your body, dropping your performance.

If your blood is acidic its pH level is low, but if it is more alkaline, your pH level is high, if your blood has a higher pH level, that means you have a higher threshold of hydrogen ions. The presence of hydrogen ions halts muscle function, and the more that you have in your body, the more your muscle is bound to work slowly. Having a higher blood pH level means that your blood can accommodate more hydrogen ions before it begins to spread into the muscles and make it stop working. This means, that you can burn more energy while requiring less oxygen, allowing your body to tolerate the production of lactic acid more and enabling your body to perform things longer.

Hence, if you want you’re an athlete who needs a boost or just a normal individual longing to increase your body’s performance, it is important that you watch for your body’s pH level. You can do this by taking a simple saliva test that can be done with some acid paper strips which can be bought at local drugstores.

Acidity in your body also destroys cells and makes you fat. Your body reacts very defensively at the presence of acids, since, as I have said earlier, it affects how your body functions. Rising acidity is harmful to the vital information storage centers in your cells, the RNA, which if occurs makes it possible for mutations, toxicity or even cancer to develop. When this threat is apparent, what your body does is to coat your cells with fatty tissues just to shield it from rising blood acidity, making you need more fat. So the more your blood becomes acidic, the more you become fat.

Rising blood acidity also lowers your bone density. The body tries so hard to regulate the body’s ph level that it releases buffers to counter that acidity. Releasing buffers into the body is a good thing, but, how the body does it is not good for the bones. Each and every time your pH level drops, which means rising acidity levels, the body uses the calcium in your bones as buffers to maintain that crucial level of pH 7.4! This eventually lowers you bone density making you prone to osteoporosis and weak bone structure.

It’s very hard to replenish calcium levels you’ve lost through supplying buffers, that is why you need a good source of alkaline to help make your blood more alkaline and supply buffers for your body. Green vegetables and fruits are a good source of alkaline, while meat and processed foods are acidic. A healthy diet will consist of 80% alkaline foods and around 20% acidic foods. Supplements and other products are also readily available. Products like Xooma Xtreme X2O, and sodium bicarbonate also help you balance your pH level. This product does not only help you in lowering your blood pH level & maintain your body’s health, but it also makes it possible for you to make money at the same time. Xooma also offers a lucrative Online MLM options to those who want to earn money. You can go here if you want to know more about Xooma Xtreme X2O and Online MLM.

It’s about time that you take good care of your body. Now that you know that what you eat can contribute a lot to how your body works and how it performs, isn’t it about time that you give your utmost attention on your diet. Think about it, you will gain a lot if you balance your lifestyle and diet, but you will certainly lose a lot if you do not start being conscious. So eat healthy and be wealthy!

When a body is fit, it can handle the everyday stresses of life and helps maintain both physical and mental health. A fit body requires proper diet, regular exercise, and habits of moderation. Nutrition involves providing the body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy. To do this, we need to consume the appropriate foods, vitamins, and minerals. Being fit also means having good spiritual health. When all the body’s processes function at their peak levels, we say a body is fit. It takes more than simply going to the gym and taking occasional walks in the park.

Physical exercise has an important role in keeping the body fit. It is not possible to have a fit body without performing regular physical exercise. While the idea of body fitness generally is thought to involve mostly weight and heart health requirements. However, we need to think about other organs as well as the heart. They are just as important as that organ. Performing physical exercise every day provides benefits to the entire body. It helps to restore what has been depleted during the course of daily living and ensures that the body is adequately supplied with what it needs to function in a healthy fashion

We need to educate ourselves about the appropriate things to do to keep our bodies fit over the entirety of our lifetimes. It is not possible to abuse a body for years and then hope that a last-minute effort toward bodily health will correct everything that may be wrong with it. It is not possible to create bodily fitness overnight. Becoming fit takes time and patience, and commitment.

It is important that we pay attention to each part of the body and the body as a whole to maintain proper fitness. Since every part of the body works in conjunction with every other part, it is critical that all parts are healthy and maintained by receiving what they need. The human body is better designed than any machine ever invented, and it is more complex and powerful than any manufactured equipment available. It is capable of taking large amounts of abuse while continuing to operate fairly well. Even if its daily requirements with regard to nutrition are not met for several days, it can continue to function. When we decided to care for our bodies as they should be taken care of, we then are treating them as the temples of the spirit that they are. They contain our minds and souls, and when bodies are fit, all three of these elements do their jobs well.

Amino acid supplements are vital to bodybuilding. Amino acid is what makes up protein, and protein is what feeds muscles. Amino acids are ingested with the food that we eat. Unfortunately, we really don’t get enough amino acids from those food sources when we are trying to build muscle.

Amino acids do more than just create and aid protein in the body. They also help the body to function properly. They are responsible for healthy muscles, hair, skin, nails, glands, and even healthy ligaments.

Some important amino acids in bodybuilding include arginine, acetyl L-Carnitine, Glutamine, Glutathione, and many others. Most of the amino acids that we get from food will come from meats and dairy products, such as milk, eggs, and cheese.

If the benefits of amino acid supplements in relation to bodybuilding aren’t enough to convince you that you need those supplements, you might be interested to know that many non-bodybuilders take amino acid supplements as well.

Amino acid supplements have been proven to be helpful when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, bronchitis, cancer, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, emphysema, epilepsy, hepatitis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, infertility, liver problems, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and so many other health concerns. Amino acid supplements are so beneficial that many doctors prescribe them to patients who are recovering from surgery or wounds.

When it comes to bodybuilding, you can be sure that serious bodybuilders are loading up on as much amino acid supplements as is safe. This is because they have educated themselves to the point where they understand the true benefits of amino acid supplements to their bodybuilding efforts.

When purchasing amino acid supplements, it is best to use caution, and to purchase supplements that cover a wide range of the amino acids that you require. Taking any one supplement in too high of a dosage can be detrimental to your health. Animal testing has shown that high dosages of certain amino acids can cause an altered mental state, a decrease in the immune system, and can even result in blindness. Unfortunately, high dosage tests such as these cannot be performed on humans, so we have no way of knowing how high dosages will affect humans.

With that said, however, there have never been any reported problems associated with the use of amino acid supplements among bodybuilder or non-bodybuilders. If you aren’t sure how much you should take, set up an appointment with your doctor, and let him determine what the safe levels are for you.

Getting a health care degree online is now a reality, even for the average citizen who finds him or herself with an already full schedule and little time for study. Without having to do much rearranging at all, one can break into the healthcare field or advance themselves in the career they already have. When obtaining a degree online, many students find they have more options than they had previously thought.

It is not uncommon for a professional to become disenchanted with their field and look for a way to better their standings. Sometimes the way to do this is with an increase in pay or maybe a change in responsibilities and duties. Either way, one is likely to need a degree to see either situation evolve.

Often, this can be an intimidating thought for many working adults. The idea of finding time in a schedule that is already maxed out along with figuring out how to afford such a venture usually stops a person before they start. However, the gist of getting a health care degree online is all about being time and cost effective.

With online learning, one can earn their degree with the time that is available to them instead of trying to adhere to a rigid schedule. The price includes only the necessary books and classes with no added extras for parking or rooming fees. Virtual classrooms are open at any time of the day or night.

Online learning provides only the most up to date and practical knowledge for its students. Everything that is learned can be applied in their current or soon to be career in the health care field. Whether its mid-level management positions for health care organizations to various duties involved in the administration of home health agencies or a doctor’s office, every skill will be of use.

The classes that are taught and the accredited curriculums are devised by certified and experienced individuals who have worked extensively in the healthcare field. The student is able to get right to the heart of learning just what they need, right when and where they need it. This gives them the winning edge over others, landing them promotions and other beneficial career advancements.

Getting one’s health care degree online can be as simple as finding an accredited program and talking with a financial aid specialist. Depending on a student’s situation, financial aid options may be available. It is not only uncommon for previous college credits to be accepted for online learning, but in some cases, companies will help with the expense of returning to college for their employees.

As many have come to find, cost is a major factor that turns many students away from the idea of returning to college. Once students learn how many options they have with online learning, returning to college becomes an even easier choice. In the long run, many find the cost to be returned to them in the higher earning potential that having a degree brings.

As the majority of a population ages, the health care field is one that is slated to be in high demand in the coming years. Although there will be a call for many nurses and other health care professionals, the need for administrative professionals will also rise. Those with the skills for organizing an area as it goes through a period of growth will be highly sought after.

Getting a health care degree online is something that can almost seem intimidating until one is able to see for themselves just how efficient an online program will be. Students are not only in control of their learning but at the end of the course receive a valid and accredited degree. For many adults, learning on one’s own terms is almost as valuable as the education itself.

Are you a goal oriented person? If you are, then you probably know that all successful people in life know the basics of setting and achieving their goals. If you want to achieve a healthy life, then setting fitness goals should be no different than anything else you do.

Setting fitness goals gives you motivation and drives you for the short or long term success. Goal setting helps you obtain the knowledge necessary to achieve. If you plan and organize your time to exercise and eat the right meals, you’ll get the best out of your efforts.

Setting clearly defined fitness goals will also measure progress and provide accountability. Holding yourself accountable will help you through the challenging days (such as ordering pizza at work). Your self-confidence will sky rocket as you learn more about your capabilities.

The first thing you need to do when setting fitness goals is to have a vision of where you want to be a month from now or a year from now. Your vision of yourself must be clearly defined. For example, a good short term goal would be “I want to loose 8 lbs in one month”. Then break down your goal into smaller targets so you can easily hold yourself accountable to complete it.

When using this weight loss example: you want to set weekly goals for that month to loose 2 lbs a week. Then write down the steps necessary to loose 2 lbs a week. Use these steps as your plan to success.

Having a good attitude has a big impact on setting and achieving your goals. You must be realistic with yourself and think about anything that would hold you back from loosing weight.

Realize any behavior challenges you may have ahead of time. It will give you a mindset to attack any issues you may encounter during your path to success. For example, if you love go out to eat with co workers, try to plan your order ahead of time so you eat clean and healthy for that meal.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is for the most part dependent on your time management skills. Most people fail because they often have bad time management skills and lack of persistence. Planning your work outs and meals ahead of time will decide success or failure.

Your family should never be left out of your plans. Do not to put your family aside. If you plan your workouts during family obligations you are setting yourself up for failure. Find out what time blocks you can control (such as waking up earlier) and use that time to plan your work outs.

I’m sure someone said, “A life filled with work really stinks”, or something like that, is very true. Take advantage of life’s pleasures: set up a cheat day once a week to eat what ever you want. Having a day with no rules provides the mental break needed to continue with your fitness objectives.

Create a fitness-to-do list for the day. Write down at least three things you want to do that will help you continue your new fitness lifestyle. This will help you set the tone for the day. In my opinion writing down your fitness objectives provides a mental agreement with yourself to complete those objectives.

Once you learn the basics of setting your fitness goals, you will be able to effectively lead a life of health and fitness. It will be more realistic to you and you’ll soon be an expert on achieving your goal of leading a healthy life filled with a new found energy that you will love.

Adding fats to your diet is essential if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great, but it has to be the right kind of fats. Essential fatty acids fall within this category and are a crucially important addition to anyone’s diet.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA (which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The best source of DHA and EPA are fish, especially salmon, seaweed, shellfish and algae. Furthermore, you can also get omega-3’s from unrefined whole grains, dark & leafy greens and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which your body then converts to EPA and DHA.

Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3’s from seafood because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA to EPA and much less to DHA.

What do you do if you don’t like, and absolutely refuse to eat, seafood? Well, fortunately you can get omega-3’s in capsule form. Not everyone’s stomach can handle these capsules, but try them out for one month. It’s an extremely convenient way to add omega-3’s to your diet.

When purchasing omega-3’s in pill form, you’ll notice some products also contain the other two components of essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain only high amounts of omega-3’s. Most people already get high amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it’s this lack of omega-3’s that is potentially the culprit behind many health problems today.

When adding omega-3’s to your diet through pills, look for 1,000 mg pills and take 3-9 per day with food depending on your current health status and healthy living goals. Your physician should be able to consult with you about this.

So now you have a good introduction into omega-3 fatty acids and the different ways to add them to your diet, but what are the health benefits associated with them?

Plenty! Here’s a quick list and you can also easily do some research by searching for “benefits of omega-3” in your favorite search engine.

– stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin levels
– boosts your immune system
– encourages your body to burn fat and decreases appetite
– improves your mood and attention span
– reduce inflammation
– improve your skin tone and radiance

If the above doesn’t get you excited about this proven, inexpensive and easy-to-get fatty acid supplement, then check your pulse!

It’s an addition to your diet that will help improve your health by leaps and bounds.

Historically, muscadine grape vines and the resulting fruit were discovered and recognized as a very important horticultural product, found growing in huge populations and proportions in the United States from Delaware southward along the Atlantic Seaboard. The first record of muscadine grape vine occurrence was posted in the ship logbook in the year 1524 by the navigator Giovanni de Varrazzano, who was hired as a captain from Florence, Italy by the king of France to explore and report on the inhabitants and the habitat of the New World. Captain Verrazzano described a big “white grape” (scuppernong) that was growing in great profusion at a valley in Cape Fear, N.C.

Not only were muscadine grape vines used by the American Indians for fresh fruit and juice, but they were also dried as raisins and preserved as winter snacks, as reported by Captain John Hawkins in 1565 from his sailing records from Florida.

In 1775, William Bartram in his book, Travels, reported muscadine grape vines that he had observed were virogously growing near Mobile, Al. “when ripe they are of various colours, and their juice sweet and rich.” He reported that American Indians actively preserved these grapes as raisins by drying them over gentle fires and later in the sun and air and “store them up for provision,” for winter meals.

U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson, planted vineyards and harvested muscadines at his home at Monticello, and also, he established the fruit gardens at the White House in Washington, D.C. during the early 1800’s.

Arthur Barlowe in the year, 1584, wrote to Sir Walter Raleigh extolling upon landing in N.C. the fruitful land was “full of grapes, that I think in all the world, the like abundance is not to be found.”

Responding to that letter the following year, 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh described the mother-vine of the scuppernong (white grape) muscadine with a base thickness of the grape vine stalk of two feet through, and the huge vine covered ½ acre coiling up tree trunks growing 60 feet tall. Grapes were harvested in huge numbers and supplied the Mother Vineyard Winery with fruit to ferment into ‘Virginia Dare,’ wine in Manteo, N.C. This famous wine was pink, aromatic and similar to port wine.

“Virginia Dare” wine was produced and sold during the mid-1800’s, before the Civil War, and later reported by its market representative Paul Garrett as “the finest wine in the world.” As its marketing action soared after World War I, “Virginia Dare” wine emerged as the best selling wine in the United States.

As early American explorers anticipated, muscadine grapes were destined to become a significant horticultural commodity in the United States: today being also grown in Mexico and experimental trials of hybrid muscadines have been initiated in many third world nations. Muscadine vines are immune to practically all plant pests, such as fungus, bacteria, and nematodes, and the grapes are not commonly damaged by insects. There are approximately 50 distinct species of grapes found throughout the world and more than half of these are native to the United States. Grapes are an ancient biblical fruit and were extensively grown and cultivated in vineyards by the ancient cultures of Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Israeli, and Roman for fresh eating and for juice production and wine manufacture.

Over many centuries of grape development, new diseases mutated and spread within European ( Vitus vinifera) vineyards and threatened the very life and production of this very valuable commercial crop that had fueled the economy of many nations for centuries past. Vast vineyards of grapevines withered from newly developed, infectious diseases, however, it was discovered that European grapevines could be grafted onto American native grapevines to overcome these devastating and destructive problems. Another solution to the European plagues of grapevines was to intercross the two trans-continental species to form hybrid resistant hybrids. Much research is being done presently in using both approaches to improve present cultivar selection and to raise grapevine breeding toward a new level of development of excellence.

Muscadine grape vines were named, Vitis compestris Bartram, by William Bartram, the notable early American botanist in 1771. Present day botanists have agreed upon the name, Vitis rotundifolia Michx. Muscadines have acquired many commonly used names over the centuries, such as bull grape, bullace, bullets (all based on the fruit being the size of a bull’s eye), muscadine, scuppernong, fox grapes, and many others too numerous to list here.

Muscadine vines can grow up to 60 ft tall when supported in trees but if unsupported will only grow 3-4 ft tall. The leaves of muscadine vines are heart-shaped, light green in color and wide teeth are placed on the edges of the leaves. The plants are considered to be cold hardy, and the vines are not significantly damaged unless temperatures fall below minus ten degrees Fahrenheit.

Muscadine grape vines are found in much of the Eastern U.S. ranging from southern Delaware over to Illinois down to Northern Florida. They occur westward to Missouri and Kansas, then south to Texas and Mexico. The vines will survive in many areas except in deserts or on poorly drained soils.

Muscadine vines bloom in April and the mature grapes will mature in 100-120 days, with 6-24 berries per cluster. The berries and juice are deliciously sweet with a pleasant, fruity, aromatic flavor. If not harvested by hand, the muscadines will fall to the ground when ripe. The tough skin makes the muscadine highly resistant to insect and disease damage and the color can range from a bronzy-green to pink, red, blue, purple, or black.

In nature, the range of muscadine vines is abundant along river banks, swamps, dense woodlands, and thickets. Most muscadine cultivars are ranked as male and female and each grows on separate vines, so that cross pollination is essential for production of high quality and large sized fruit. Muscadine vines are marketed generally at “U-Pick” vineyards, roadside stands, and in local stores.

Recent medical revelations from university scientists show that muscadines offer significant health benefits when skins or seed capsules are consumed. Researchers at Mississippi State University discovered significant presence of resveratrol and other heart-health antioxidant, compound benefits that are found in heavy concentrations in muscadine grape vines.

University of Georgia researchers have shown that the seeds and skins of muscadines contain ellagic acid, an organic chemical compound that possesses the highest concentration of antioxidants that has yet been analyzed or found in any other fruit. Antioxidants are helpful in treating autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation and erosion of joints: that show any evidence of pain, stiffness, and swelling of bone joints. Antioxidants are used to treat patients with similar ailments that result from Rheumatoid Arthritis. These grape skins and seed can either be grown or consumed from the grape vines or bought in capsule form from commercial sources.

It is a striking revelation to researchers that grape vines contain organic substances that resist microbial attacks to include antioxidants that bolster the human immune system. The activated immune system can keep the body healthy and reverse heart damages, arthritis problems and interrupt invasive cancer development. These organic chemical substances in grapevines are trans-located to the grape skin, juice, and seed. The organic compounds make it possible to preserve grape juice in the form of wine and vinegar for years. These compounds that are contained within the grapes also preserve dried grapes in the form of raisins for long periods of time. It is not surprising that European grapes (Vitis vinifera) were developed and selected over the centuries. This selection created new cultivars with thinner skins for fresh eating and fine wine production. Seedless grapes were also developed for obvious reasons. It is clear that the American species of grapes were more resistant to diseases of grapes, because of the thicker skin of the muscadines and the bigger seeds. It is therefore understandable that human consumption of muscadine skins and grape seeds in some form would transfer the innate, genetic protective system of the organic chemical, compound armor into humans with the same rewards and health benefits to the consumer.

Muscadine vines can offer each person health benefits by eating and growing grapes. These muscadine vines can be purchased in various ages of productiveness such as 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year old vines that sometimes will bear during the first year.

The Twenty Four Hour fitness center is like your one stop shop to everything about fitness and your well-being. Imagine it as the Walmart of the fitness industry. Twenty Four Hour fitness centers are located in a number of areas in the state. All of them have equipments which cater to weight training as well as cardio vascular equipments. A variety of fitness gear is also available. Twenty Four Hourfitness centers all have locker rooms and – believe it or not – baby sitting accommodations. Over all, the Twenty Four Hour fitness center is a complete, clean and extremely well maintained facility that especially caters to all your fitness wants, needs and preferences.

Join Us

It is very easy to get started on your path to fitness. Twenty Four Hour fitness centers have over three hundred clubs located in the whole nation and is open for twenty four hours. There is no long term contract to sign up in. You have the option to pay monthly, but you are offered a complete personal training package that suits your body type, body weight and built so you are ensured with a service that is truly personalized.

Which club do you belong in?

Twenty Four Hour fitness center gives you the option to choose the specific type of club that you desire. The active club involves a group exercise as well as free weights and cardio machines to work off that fat. The sport club also includes everything in the active club but with additions such as basketball, heated pools and whirlpool. The super-sport club also includes the amenities found those in the active club and the sport club but with more additions such as massages, a sauna as well as a steam room. The ultra sport club is the works. It includes most of the amenities found in the active, sport and super sport club, plus a day spa, courts for racquetball as well as an executive locker room.

The Path to Performance

It all depends on what you want to achieve. In Twenty Four Hour fitness centers, a uniquely specialized fitness program is available to anyone who simply wants to improve their performance in a specific sport or is seriously training for competition. The program is designed by athletes.

The Performance program includes a menu plan specifically customized for those intense workouts. A resistance training is also available as well as a full cardio workout. After your exercise, a metabolic rate test is conducted.

This program is designed for those who wants to get started as soon as possible but has no clear and specific idea how. This is clearly the best option for them because all the information on nutrition, resistance training is learned through this program. This is the foundation one needs in order to have results that would last your body a lifetime.
The Components of Fitness

A regular exercise, an intense workout is just part and parcel of your path to health, fitness and well-being. There are other factors that should just as well play a part and which Twenty Four Hour fitness center teaches you.

Food intake is one of them. A menu is provided to those who follow the performance path. This details what you should or should not eat, or at least eat less of, if not completely avoid. Cardio is also one as this enhances your endurance to stress and exercise. Vitamins and supplements are a necessity unless you are sure that you are able to receive the proper amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C or D or E in a day. If not, it is best to take them in. Resistance training is a feather in your fitness cap and is a necessary tool for being healthy, wealthy and wise.

There are 12 foods that, if eaten on a regular basis, do wonders for your health. Do you know what they are?

If you’re reading this than you already have some knowledge of how important good nutrition is. I’m a big advocate of “you are what you eat.” Meaning, what you put in your body largely determines what you look like on the outside.

And if you make a serious effort to improve your eating habits, you will notice a positive change in how you look and feel. It’s not about perfection though. Thrive to make small changes to your diet over time and you’ll eventually be amazed at the will power you develop.

There are 12 foods that you should be eating on a regular basis. All have their own unique health benefits and if you mold your diet around the majority of these foods, you’ll notice an improvement in your health.

The list is as follows:

1. Almonds and other nuts- a great source of good fat.

2. Beans and legumes- a great source of fiber and protein.

3. Spinach and other green vegetables- a great source of phytonutrients and antioxidants.

4. Low-fat dairy- a great source of calcium and protein.

5. Oatmeal- a great source of fiber and protein.

6. Eggs- a great source of vitamin E and protein.

7. Turkey and other lean meats- a great source of protein.

8. Natural peanut butter- yes, this can be included under #1, but natural peanut butter makes eating nuts easier because you can spread it on wheat bread, bananas, celery, etc.

9. Olive oil- a great source of good fat.

10. Whole-grain breads and cereals- a great source of fiber.

11. Extra protein- a great source of protein!

12. Raspberries and other berries- a great source of antioxidants.

All 12 foods above have a high nutritional value and should be incorporated into your daily snacks and meals.

I personally bring the list with me food shopping and you might want to consider doing the same.

Part of the reason that I initially got my insurance license, was that as a business consultant focused on change management, nearly every business owner, CFO and HR director that I spoke to asked me what I could do about the rising cost of their healthcare benefits. Up until recently, with regard to their major medical plan costs rising at double-digit rates every year, there was little I could recommend aside from biting the bullet and accepting that it would be a painful process of micro re-examination of plan costs nearly every year. Many decision makers are being forced to shift costs to their employees or do away with certain benefits altogether. Fortunately, now there is finally a sensible way to reduce costs (and taxes, by the way), give employees more choice, more security and believe it or not, keep them from storming the castle with rakes and torches when you ask them to contribute more out of their own pockets. These plans are aptly called “Consumer Driven Health Plans” (or CDHPs) because the policyholder makes as many choices about their health benefit plans as their employer.

Two key components of CDHPs have been receiving a lot of press. The first is the Health Savings Account (HSA), which must be used in conjunction with the second, a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Without going into great detail about the restrictions, the whole idea is that by enrolling in a major medical health insurance plan with a significantly higher deductible ($1000 or more), the company (and/or the employee) can dramatically reduce the premium cost. In addition, by replacing Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs require the participants to use the tax free money contributed during the plan year or lose it) with HSAs (that allow the participants to accumulate money in their account tax free BUT the money rolls over from year to year) eventually, the deductible is covered with tax-free dollars.

The only downside to this plan is that FSAs make the elected amount available on day one of the plan, whereas HSAs allow only the amount that has been funded to date to be made available. In other words, for most folks, the first year of such a plan puts them at risk for substantial out of pocket expense related to the deductible.

The way to avoid this risk is to implement a third key component of the plan, Supplemental Benefits. Most often via a new or existing Cafeteria (Section 125) plan.

For several reasons, supplemental benefits should be the first step in any HDHP/HSA plan. First is that they introduce employees to employee funded, 100% voluntary plans so employees come to feel comfortable with contributing to their own financial security. Second is that supplemental plans cover deductibles and co-pays, so employees realize that by participating, they reduce their own out of pocket expense should the unthinkable happen. Thirdly, they learn the value of pre-tax dollars. And last, more choice lends itself to better education in just what those choices are. In other words, employees take more interest in learning how their overall plan fits together and what the best choices are for their family.

When Supplemental plans are introduced first, employees feel empowered by the fact that the company is giving them options to better protect their family without changing anything else. Then when the HDHP/HSA changeover is eventually made, far fewer employees will feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick.

So what makes up a good Supplemental plan?

While many of the plans are similar in benefits and structure, the providers vary widely in how they work and what they actually provide in terms of customer service. Your employees trust you to select high quality benefit providers that give them financial stability and control when they need it most. As more and more players enter the game, every insurance provider will be touting their respective accolades. Just be aware that many small, unproven operations hide beneath the veil of a well-known brand. In some cases, insurance conglomerates are simply an affiliation of unrelated subsidiaries that were acquired for a specific strategic purpose; in this case, to enter the voluntary benefits market. Like the Wizard of Oz, you may find that a parent company’s financial and marketing statistics give a misleading view of the size and capabilities of the business unit that actually does the product design, underwriting, and servicing.

Nobody likes surprises. Especially, related to financial security. And the last thing anyone wants to hear from an employee who has claims issues and thought they signed up for a policy with BIG Insurance Company (whose slick marketing reps touted gazillions in financial backing and years of experience), is that they’ve now found out that the policy they were counting on to protect their family was really underwritten by the National United Smoke and Mirrors Insurance Company of Hoboken, NJ., which did strictly Property and Casualty insurance until last year. So pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

If you ask the right questions of potential providers, you’ll be doing your company and your employees a big favor by picking the best provider for their needs.

Here are some suggestions:

Who is really underwriting the policy and how long have they been doing it?
Experience has its strength, and in the guaranteed renewable (supplemental) market, size does matter. What is the company’s history and track record? You want a company that has the depth to handle any adverse selection, and a track record of satisfied clients across industries.

What is the financial standing of the company?
Regardless of whether you use A.M Best, Moody’s, Fitch, Standard and Poors or some other rating system, make sure you choose one of the highest rated companies. There are several. A is better than B, + is better than -, and so on.

How is the company recognized?
Accolades and industry market share are some indicators, but what you’re really looking for is long-term satisfaction by clients. Long-term relationships with companies like your own are good indicators. More importantly, what is the actual operating unit that provides the underwriting classified as? A life insurance company? A property and casualty company, or a liability company?
And what are its individual ratings?

Are voluntary benefits the insurance provider’s top priority?
Are supplemental/voluntary plans the company’s only focus or are they a sidelight meant to be a means to open a door to other relationships? What percent does the insurance being offered represent of the parent company’s overall premium base? Who you choose can have a lot to do with whether you want to put all your eggs in one basket…or not.

Is representation national?
Do they have a physical presence in all 50 states or just an 800# that goes to a central office? Do they have dedicated agents in your geographic locale or is it a loosely tied, affiliation of middlemen spotted across the map? For companies with one or two local branches, this is not an issue. However, even for companies with many locations in a single state, how consistent your message is conveyed and how well your employees are serviced depends on how well the company’s representatives are trained across the geography. What is the depth and quality of backup?

How often do the rates go up? And what are the circumstances that cause rate hikes?
Some companies guarantee rates for policyholders for a period of time (usually two or three years). Do some due diligence as to how often and how high those rates increase over time. Require a written history. Past practices are a good predictor of future trends. The industry leader has never raised its rates for existing policyholders, but is still one of the top selling insurance stocks. It doesn’t make sense to get a great low rate, if in only a few years it becomes a high rate.

How complicated is the underwriting?
How far back does the underwriting go for critical illness plans? Are any disclosure documents required outside of the application? How many questions are asked during a typical enrollment and what do they require for information on pre-existing conditions? What you’re looking for is as little underwriting as possible. Guaranteed Issue is uncommon unless the group is very large, and in many cases not available at all from even the best companies. Understand what the parameters are for “knock-out” questions. Make sure they seem reasonable.

How strict is the company’s definition of disability?
In some insurance policies’ definition of disability, the insured must be entirely unable to perform each and every duty of his/her job, as well as other specific requirements. Other companies are more liberal in their definition of “total disability” before benefits are paid, often requiring that the insured only be unable to perform “material and substantial” duties before they are deemed disabled. This is one of those areas that vary widely so understand what defines “disabled” by seeing documented examples. Less stringent is better.

What is the company’s loss ratio?
Loss ratio is defined by incurred claims over the life of the average policy divided by earned premium. Meaning what is the average payout versus what the policyholder pays in? Higher is better.

How quickly does the company pay claims?
Unfortunately the landscape varies widely in this key factor. Faster is better. Less hassle is better. Do your homework on this one. Some companies have been nailed in recent years for having internal policies relating to nonpayment of legitimate claims. It’s been uncovered as common practice in other companies to deny legitimate claims pending certain documents that seem to become less and less relevant, stringing you along for months hoping that you’ll give up. Look very closely at procedures and ask for statistics on both common and uncommon claims.

Do benefits require coordination with other coverage before payment is issued?
Some companies offer plans that sound great, but if coverages overlap, all the benefits are not paid. Other providers pay over and above any other insurance the policy holder has, regardless of type or amount or to whom the benefit is payable.

How are benefits paid?
Are they paid directly to the policyholder? To the doctor or hospital? Or some combination of both? Since more choice is better than less choice, the preferable payment is directly to the policyholder who then determines where the money goes.

Does the company encourage preventive care as part of its policies?
Many companies encourage preventative care as part of their base policies and incent policyholders to seek common precautionary screenings in an effort to reduce claims. It makes good sense all around since early-detected conditions usually result in more effective treatment and less time off work. Look for companies that make such benefits a real part of the plan, not riders or options.

Are the policies offered portable?
Portability means that the policy is owned by the policyholder and not the company. So if the policyholder leaves the company for any reason, the policyholder retains coverage at the same levels. True portability means at the same rate as well. Some companies confuse convertibility with portability, making policies truly portable only under certain circumstances. Convertibility means that the policy converts from one form to another, usually a change in benefits offered or rates.

We all enjoy a little sweetness in our lives, yet there’s no getting away from the negative effects of sugar. A wealth of scientific evidence links this acidic poison to a legion of harmful consequences including immune system suppression, a rise in bad cholesterol, tooth decay, premature aging, a mal-absorption of nutrients, Candida growth, hormone imbalance and an increase in free-radicals. Sugar also contributes to obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, vision problems and migraines and is found to feed cancer cells. With no saving graces, sugar is highly deleterious to the systems of the body.

We crave sugar if our blood sugar levels are out of kilter. This occurs by consuming sugary foods and refined carbohydrates such as white flour that are quickly converted into sugar by the body. It’s a catch 22; the more sugar you eat, the more you crave. Aside physical detriments, the highs and lows of sugar addiction cause mood swings, irritability and a loss of concentration.

Artificial sweetness such as aspartame and saccharine are dangerous alternatives which break down into hazardous toxins in the body. Methyl alcohol derived from aspartame, for example, converts into the neurotoxin and carcinogen formaldehyde and formic acid which has the chemical composition of ant venom. Formic acid is used commercially in products such as paint stripper.

The synthetic amino acids that compose aspartame – phenylalanine and aspartic acid are seriously poisonous. According to Dr. John Olney, a neuroscientist at Washington University, St. Louis, Aspartic acid (40% of aspartame) causes holes in the brains of mice. Further, phenylalanine (50% of aspartame) causes seizures and degrades into DKP, a tumor causing agent.

Aspartame has a staggering 92 official side effects and countless studies have linked it with damage to the nervous system and neurological problems. Saccharin even tells you on the package that their product can cause cancer.

Complaints about aspartame represent 80-85 per cent of all food complaints registered to the FDA. There is Strong statistical evidence which links aspartame to breast cancer. American Cancer Society figures show that breast cancer cases have doubled since 1981, the year aspartame was approved for use as a food additive.

What if there was a healthy alternative that not only tasted sweet but actually had positive effects on the body? Sound too good to be true?

Stevia is a natural sugar substitute, a healthy sweet food that, quite the opposite of sugar, can regulate blood sugar levels and improve stamina. Used for centuries in native Paraguay, stevia is now widely popular in Japan, where thorough testing has revealed its benevolent use as a sweetener. The glycosides in stevia that give it it’s sweet taste are not metabolised by the body so no calories are absorbed. Further more it hosts an array of healthy nutrients such as phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc, vitamins C and A, protein and fibre and, unlike sugar, does not cause the growth of unhealthy bacteria or fungi.

Stevia, in balancing blood sugar can actually alleviate cravings for sweet foods and has been observed to reduce the appetite if taken 15-20 minutes before eating. It has also been revealed as a diuretic that can help rid the body of excess fluid.

If looking for an alternative to sugar, this remarkable non-caloric herb is the ultimate sugar subsititute; healthy, tasty and sweet! Stevia can be found in liquid or powder form in many healthfood stores or online and there are numerous cook books available with stevia recipes.

Sweet vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, and superfood fruits such as berries, papaya, figs and prunes rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, are also great substitutes when kicking the sugar habit. Vegetables high in fibre and healthy whole grains also serve to stabalise blood sugar levels and ensure a slow release of energy into the blood stream, dimishing the rushes and subsequent cravings associated with sugary foods and refined carbohydrates.

Healthy aging is sometimes risky during your working days. As a younger person you go where the money is at; then later you are sorry you worked there.

Aging is hard to think about when you are in your younger years. Money is the only thing on our minds and sometimes that isn’t good. Sometimes we have to take what is available to take care of our family and at the same time, we could be putting ourselves in danger later on.

We all have had to work in places that were not good for your health but we have to make a living to keep a roof over our heads. Some work places are not good to be in because of chemicals, dust, and smoke.

Working in a wood shop making furniture isn’t good for the lungs and can cause lung disease. Some machines require glue to put the parts together. Glue is something else, that you can get fumes from into your lungs. Eventually you may get too much sawdust or glue fumes into your lungs causing cancer or asthma.

Working in the coalmines is another bad place to work. Coal Miners working as a lifetime worker is always at risk. The black coal dust gets into the lungs just like dust from the furniture and it can cause severe lung diseases. It is known that men have died from working so many years in the coalmines.

The sawmill industry is the number one dangerous job for anyone to work in. Working in a sawmill during the winter, which is the peak of the season can cause the men to get sick from the cold, respiratory problems can accrue from the cold weather. Trees fall and men are stuck under them sometimes causing death to them and/or many injuries. As we age, our bones weaken and brittle and when a tree falls on someone in there 50’s that isn’t a good thing.

Fishermen working in the fish industry have a hard and dangerous job to do too. Aging doesn’t stop and these men are out in the middle of the river somewhere and the storms hit sometimes turning the ship over. The work is heavy and dangerous; could cause them back injuries; they could drown. Still, you are in nature so the job doesn’t put you at risk as some other types of jobs.

Truck drivers have a dangerous job being on the road all the time with a schedule to meet in order to make the big money. Truckers will drive and drive with lack of sleep endangering themselves and others too. Truckers on the road in the 60’s are at risk, since it isn’t good for their health to be out on the road all the time. Their health will drop due to the fact they eat many fast foods, and lack of sleep.

As the aging process advances on us, we all need to think about what we are breathing into our lungs or doing to our bodies. The diets we get at the work place are not usually well balanced like they should be.

Pushing ourselves to make money is harmful to our bodies and mind. The mind necessitates sleep in order to function properly the next day and the body needs the right diet and sleep to keep from breaking down and causing a number of diseases and illness. Without the proper diet and exercise, our bones will become brittle and weak causing fractures later on in life. Consider your workplace now so that you can live a healthy aging life.

Learning to manage stress can help you feel better about you, since you will feel healthier. Stress can be a bad thing, yet you have the power to control stress. If you let stress control you, it will affect your health. You will likely feel sick all the time, or feel like there is not hope in your world even if there is hope. For this reason, you want to learn how to take control.

How can I take control of stress?
The first thing you need to do is to take a long look. Is your situation so demanding that it stresses you? Get a view on life and decide if you want the positive or negative things offered to you. Figure out how stress will affect your health to see if it is worth hanging onto the negative. Next, ask do you eat right and do you get enough rest? How’s your diet? Is it a healthy diet or is it a junk food diet?

How do people learn to deal with stress?
People learn to deal with stress all the time. It will take time, yet if you want it bad enough you will do it. You have to learn how to cope with the stress before you can deal with it. However, if you do this it will make it easier for you and you will stay healthy. Therefore, the answer to your question is to learn new coping skills.

How can stress affect my health?
Stress can affect you in many ways. Stress can make you feel sick more then normal. Stress can make it difficult for you to make decisions, since it affects your concentrating. Your normal sleeping patterns can be affected by stress. Some people experience off balance eating habits. Some people will eat more then normal and others will not eat at all. You might develop high blood pressure. You could also be affected to the point of living with heart disease. Stress causes anxiety and depression. Stress can affect your overall mental and physical character. You need to learn how to control stress before it takes over you and controls you. You cannot just jump in and take control however, since it takes time to learn how to control stress. Still, the effort you put forth is the gain you get back.

How do I find the ways to control my stress?
You have many options. To learn how you can control stress, consider who you are and what you want from life. You can write down things that stress you the most. Keep in mind some things in life you have no control. For instance, you have children who will cause you stress. Perhaps you have a job, and sometimes it causes you stress. As you age, sometimes as a parent you feel helpless, since you have no control over your adult children. Remember, these children have rights to make their own choices, which may affect you, but you have no control. Let it go. Do not spend your time worrying or yelling at the children, since they are grown and will do what they please, just as you did in your youthful years. Work on you, not anyone else, since it is the key to finding ways to control your stress.

Learn how to say no and mean it. This is a great way to reduce stress. Do not be afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. If they cannot handle no, then the person likely feels rejection and needs help for self. Setting limits mean you have to do what has to be done first for you before someone.

Learning to manage your stress is not going to be easy but it can be done with some work and will power.

As we age our mind and nerves are not as good as they were 20 years earlier. Living day to day brings a lot of stress into our lives. Some of the stress can be controlled but not all of it can. Everyone will always have a certain amount of stress on a daily basis. The excess can either be your best friend or worst enemy. It takes you to make it your own.

Are you a person that stays in the house all the time who does not know your next door neighbor? Everyone need to get out and socialize with other people, it will help you relieve the stress of being alone. Sometimes being with other people, you can learn from them about how they handle stress just by observing and being welcoming.

Get rid of as much stress as you can or it will lead into depression, maybe a heart disease, stress can cause many things to happen to your body. As aging progresses, we body lack the functions or abilities to maintain good health.

You have control:
Get out of the house and join an exercise group. Take in some vitamin D that comes from the sun by walking 15-20 minutes a day; make it fun by asking someone to walk with you around the block. The sun is good for you if you know your limits on how much you can handle and you can socialize too at the same time.

Being around people is good for all of us. People teach you new things about life. Having friends or acquaintances prevent us from drifting into depress. Depression can be caused from many things; being alone and just thinking about things you have no control over. If you become depressed for more than a couple of days see your doctor and he can give you medications and advise you on how to control it. Depression will take over your life and when it does, you can’t get out of it alone. Don’t let this happen to you.

What about your environment?
Is there a lot of violence in your neighborhood or do your neighbors argue often, keeping you awake at night? If the neighbor’s are making too much noise talk to them and ask them to please quiet down because you can’t sleep. As we age, our sleep is very important to our health. Losing sleep effects our mental capability as well as body functions. If we don’t get enough sleep, we feel tired all the time; we stop enjoy activities and begin lying around the house, and maybe even to tired to eat.

Is there a lot of violence in your area? Does your area have too many breaking and entering or stealing going around where you live? Violence and crime can scare all of us to the point that we’re afraid to go outside for that 15 minute walk. Locking yourself in the house is not good, which depression will step in again. Maybe it is time for you to relocate to somewhere your closer to family or to another area where you’ll feel safer to be.

We all need to be and feel safe and if it requires moving to another location then that might be the answer. Don’t let things around you be a problem if you have to go to the area police, maybe they can drive around the area once in awhile to keep an eye on things. Safety is very important for all of us.

Remember we all need to socialize with others and be safe at the same time. As we age, things change everyday including the environment around us. Keep talking and enjoying your friends and check with others about safety; maybe they can help you decide on how the handle it.