Before using an herb you are unfamiliar with, find out its medicinal properties. Research it thoroughly and/or consult with an appropriately qualified practitioner or expert. If you are taking prescription drugs, or have a medical condition check with an appropriately qualified practitioner before using herbs medicinally.

Herbs have shown overwhelming evidence that they work.

Just because a small amount works well does NOT mean that more is better.

As individuals we all have different constitutions, sensitivities, allergic reactions and possible health conditions. The following are merely guidelines. They include herbs offered on many websites. This list does not help with administering information on possible interactions and contraindications with prescription medicine. This needs to be discussed with your physician.

SHOULD I CHECK WITH MY DOCTOR OR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE USING A SUPPLEMENT?
This is a good idea, especially for certain population groups. Dietary supplements may not be risk-free under certain circumstances. If you are pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition, such as, diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing or taking any supplement. While vitamin and mineral supplements are widely used and generally considered safe, you may wish to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking these or any other dietary supplements. If you plan to use a dietary supplement in place of drugs or in combination with any drug, tell your health care provider first. Many supplements contain active ingredients that have strong biological effects and their safety is not always assured in all users. If you have certain health conditions and take these products, you may be placing yourself at risk.

SOME SUPPLEMENTS MAY INTERACT WITH PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICINES:
Taking a combination of supplements or using these products together with medications (whether prescription or OTC drugs) could under certain circumstances produce adverse effects. Be alert to advisories about these products, whether taken alone or in combination. For example: Coumadin (a prescription medicine), ginkgo biloba (an herbal supplement), aspirin (an OTC drug) and vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) can each thin the blood, and taking any of these products together can increase the potential for internal bleeding.

SOME SUPPLEMENTS CAN HAVE UNWANTED EFFECTS DURING SURGERY:
It is important to fully inform your doctor about the vitamins, minerals, herbals or any other supplements you are taking, especially before elective surgery. You may be asked to stop taking these products at least 2-3 weeks ahead of the procedure to avoid potentially dangerous supplement/drug interactions — such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure and increased bleeding – that could adversely affect the outcome of your surgery.

NOT TO BE USED DURING PREGNANCY, OR IF YOU ARE NURSING:
Alkanet, Aloe, Angelica, Anise, Anise Star, Arnica, Ashwaganda, Barley Grass, Barberry, Basil, Bitter Melon, Black Cohosh, Bladderwrack, Blessed Thistle, Blood Root, Blue Cohosh, Blue Flag, Blue Vervain, Borage, Buckthorn, California Poppy, Cascara Sagrada, Catnip, Celandine, Celery, Chervil, Cinnamon, Club Moss, Comfrey, Coltsfoot, Cubeb, Dong Quai, Elecampane, Ephedra, False Unicorn, Fenugreek, Feverfew, Ginger, Golden Seal, Gravel, Guarana, Gymnema, Horehound, Horsetail, Hyssop, Juniper, Lemongrass, Licorice, Lobelia, Lovage, Lungwort, Mace, Motherwort, Mugwort, Muira Puama, Myrrh, Neem, Oregon Grape, Osha, Parsley, Pennyroyal, Pleurisy, Prickly Ash, Red Clover, Rhodiola, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, Senna, Shepherds Purse, Spikenard, Turkey Rhubarb, Turmeric, Uva Ursi, Vitex, Watercress, White Sage, Wormwood, Yarrow

NOT FOR PERSONS WITH HISTORY OF KIDNEY STONES, LIVER DISORDERS, RENAL DYSFUNCTION OR INFLAMMATION:
Cubeb, Essiac, Horsetail, Hydrangea, Juniper Berries, Kava Kava, Parsley Root, Pennyroyal, Sheep Sorrel, Shepherds Purse, Suma, Sumac, Uva Ursi, Yellowdock, Yohimbe

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PERSON CURRENTLY TAKING BLOOD THINNING MEDICATIONS:
Alfalfa, Angelica, Cramp Bark, Cubeb, Dong Quai, Ginkgo, Meadowsweet, Red Clover, Sarsaparilla, Yohimbe

NOT FOR PERSONS WITH STOMACH INFLAMMATION/ULCERS SERIOUS DIGESTION AND/OR LIVER PROBLEMS. MAY CAUSE GASTROINTESTINAL UPSET:
Black Haw, Blue Flag, Chaparral, Club Moss, Crampbark, Devils Claw, Eucalyptus, Elecampane, Essiac, Gentian, Ginger, Licorice, Lobelia, Parsley Root, Pleurisy, Pygeum, Solomon’s Seal, Tribulus, Turmeric, Yohimbe

NOT FOR LONG-TERM USE:
Bilberry Leaf, Black Walnut, Blessed thistle, Borage, Cascara Sagrada, Comfrey, Coltsfoot, Chaparral, Elecampane, Ephedra, Flax, Horsetail, Gentian, Goldenseal, Guarana, Juniper berries, Licorice, Lobelia, Lungwort, Mullein, Nettle Root, Rhubarb, Sage, Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, Senna, Sheep Sorrel, Wild Cherry, Wormwood, Uva Ursi, Yohimbe

TO BE USED ONLY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN EXPERT QUALIFIED IN THE APPROPRIATE USE OF THIS SUBSTANCE:
Calamus, Horse Chestnut, Lobelia, Licorice, Mandrake, Poke, Tonka

DO NOT USE IF YOU HAVE ABDOMINAL PAIN OR DIARRHEA, DISCONTINUE IF THESE OCCUR. CONSULT HEALTH PRACTITIONER PRIOR TO USE IF PREGNANT, NURSING, AND TAKING MEDICATION OR HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION. DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED DOSE. NOT FOR LONG TERM USE:
Aloe, Buckthorn, Cascara Sagrada, Senna, Turkey Rhubarb, Yohimbe

MAY CAUSE PHOTO TOXICITY IN SOME INDIVIDUALS AT HIGH DOSAGE. AVOID LONG EXPOSURE TO SUN IF USING INTERNALLY:
Angelica, Celery Seed, Orange Peel, Rue, St. Johns Wort

SEEK ADVICE FROM HEALTH PRACTITIONER PRIOR TO USE IF PREGNANT, NURSING, HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART OR THYROID DISEASE, DIABETES, DIFFICULTY IN URINATION DUE TO PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT, OR IF TAKING MAO INHIBITOR OR OTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUG. REDUCE/DISCONTINUE USE IF NERVOUSNESS, TREMOR, SLEEPLESSNESS, LOSS OF APPETITE OR NAUSEA OCCURS. DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED DOSE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN:
Ephedra, St. Johns Wort, Yohimbe

SEEK ADVICE FROM A HEALTH PRACTITIONER BEFORE USE IF YOU HAVE/MAY HAVE HAD KIDNEY OR LIVER DISEASE. DISCONTINUE USE IF NAUSEA, FEVER, FATIGUE OR JAUNDICE (DARK URINE, YELLOW DISCOLORATION OF EYES) SHOULD OCCUR:
Boldo, Chaparral

The views expressed in this article are not necessary that of Peninsula Massage and is meant for helpful information only and is not medical advice. If you have any of these symptoms, please seek medical advice.

This is just for fun,please do not take this serious OK!

Q: I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer;

That’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer?

Take a nap.
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Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
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Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
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Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain…Good!
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Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!!…. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
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Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
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Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It’s the best feel-good food around!
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Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: Hey! ‘Round’ is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

Hope this made you smile.

The largest cell in the human body is, the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

-A full bladder is roughly the size of a, soft ball

- It takes the food seven seconds to get from, your mouth to your stomach.

-One human hair can support 3kg.

- Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

-The attachment of human muscles to skin is what causes dimples.

- The average man’s penis is three times the length of his thumb.

- A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s.

- If the average male never shaved, his beard would be 13 feet long when he died.

- Men with hairless chests are more likely to get, cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair

-There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

- Side by side, 2000 cells from the human body could cover about one square inch.

- Women blink twice as much as men.

-The average person’s skin weighs twice as much as their brain.

- When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate.
. ..they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate!

- It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it.

-You’re ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t.

-Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

- If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

-The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.

If you are a man you checked out the length of your thumb… Didn’t ya?!

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their “Spotlight on the Home” series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains

Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the photochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6 Want to avoid a headache or a hangover? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.  Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?  Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photo chemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12.. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time

Welcome every morning with a smile.

A golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday! Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all, be a self- starter.

Treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find ‘tomorrow’ on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday’s defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it, all you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, ‘If I had my life to live over again…’ Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day!

The next time you are tempted to boast, just place your fist in a full bucket of water, and when you remove it, the hole remaining will give you a correct measure of your importance.

Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don’t look back at it too long. Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.

Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive.

‘What is important is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us’

So what is a calorie? And why is this term important when we’re talking about weight? A calories is the amount or measurement of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree on the Celsius scale.

A calorie is also the unit of measurement of energy produced by food when it is oxidized, or used, in the body. Calories are like fuel for our bodies. We need them for our bodies to run. But if we pump more fuel into our bodies than we need for the amount of activity we do, the excess fuel just sits there. Your body will store this excess, unused fuel. It may store it as muscle, if you perform enough physical, muscle-building exercises such as weightlifting, or it may store it as fat.

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You “burn” your body’s fuel – calories – when you  perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

If you perform enough physical activity, you may increase the amount of calories (or energy units) you burn each day and raise the amount of calories (or energy units)  you need each day. So a person who is physically active can eat more calories each day without gaining weight, because this person uses the fuel he or she pumps in, instead of storing it as fat.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

For more comprehensive information about what a calorie is visit the Wikipedia article by clicking here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie

For a comprehensive information of exactly how many calories are in different types of food and beverages check these sites:

http://www.annecollins.com/calories/index.htm
http://www.calorie-counter.net/nutrition-calories-in-food.htm (Calorie details for 2500 Foods)