Scientists have long known that visual cues in the environment can affect mood and alertness. In October 2005, the journal Building and Environment published a study entitled “Visual Effects of Interior Design in Actual-Size Living Rooms on Physiological Responses.” This article outlined the physiological effects of two different room designs on test subjects, noting a heightened response and higher cognitive awareness in persons who spent time in a room with exposed beams and wooden posts. The other room, decorated in a more traditional way, produced a relaxed and calm state in the test subjects.
“Effects of Indoor Color on Mood and Cognitive Performance,” published in 2006 in the same journal, outlined the effects of colors on emotional response and perception. The article concluded that the choice of interior color can also have a significant impact physiologically. Interior design specialists put this scientific data to work in choosing materials and colors; you can do the same in your own home.
Generally, it’s a good idea to use warm, natural colors in your living room and kitchen. Natural tones and materials offer a timeless look for your kitchen, and studies show they can enhance alertness and stimulate creative thought as well. Consider the use of exposed natural beams and posts; by providing focal points for the eyes, they can promote wakefulness and cognitive thought. Warm tones like gold, crimson, and brown mimic the tones of firelight, and promote coming together as a family in these communal living and dining areas. Gold and yellow shades have the additional effect of speeding up the metabolism, a definite bonus in the dining room and kitchen.
Soothing shades of blue and green are more suited to bedrooms and bathrooms. These cool-toned colors have been shown to produce a state of calm and relaxation, conducive to rest and sleep. Ironically, the color blue is also conducive to concentration, helping employees turn out more work in the same amount of time; this has led to its use in many office environments. Most experts recommend that bedrooms be decorated very sparsely to avoid distracting visual cues that can delay or prevent sleep in susceptible individuals.
For young children, bright primary colors help to stimulate their growing brains and provide vivid sensory data to help them learn more easily. Children are drawn to these bright colors, and for good reason; sharp contrasts help young minds learn to categorize and differentiate between various visual stimuli. These early lessons in identifying colors set the pattern for a lifetime of learning.
Neutral shades, such as white, eggshell, and cream, are often used; these provide a useful alternative to warm or cool shades. These lighter shades give the illusion of spaciousness as well. Perhaps the most often overlooked psychological aspect of interior design is the human need for space. Even in smaller homes, the illusion of space can have positive psychological and physical effects.
The negative physical effects of crowded spaces has been documented in numerous studies. “Social Density, Interpersonal Relationships, and Residential Crowding Stress” was first published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology in 1983, and outlined an array of physical responses to overcrowded spaces, including elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, and aversive social panic. Similar effects can result from living in a home that is overly crowded with furniture. Increasing the amount of open space in your home and reducing clutter does more than aid in organization; it can also relieve stress and even lower your blood pressure.
The proper use of color, natural materials, and open spaces can not only make your living space more beautiful; it can benefit your emotional and physical health as well. Using the same scientific principles that interior design experts use, you can transform your home into a warm, tranquil environment that brings out the best in you and your family.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Human Ankle
The ankle is often classified as a mortise joint and is a very special joint due to its position in the body. The ankle hinge performs forwards and backwards movement during gait and confers stability so that we can balance during motion and on rough surfaces. The lower leg is connected to the foot by the ankle and this permits the body weight to be transmitted across the joint to the propulsion unit which is the foot. Most of the upper part of the joint consists of the tibia with a small contribution made by the fibula on the lateral side.
The upper ankle mortise closely encloses the talus or ankle bone which itself balances on top of a series of tarsal and mid foot bones of the foot arch. The talar dome on the upper surface makes the joint with the under surface of the tibia but there are two other joints which the talus participates in. The talo-navicular joint is to the front and through which weight is transferred forwards. The complex talo-calcaneal joint is below the talus and takes body weight straight down.
Weight passing vertically down through the tibia is transmitted through the talus in an anterior direction through the navicular and towards the metatarsal bones and backwards to the calcaneum. The metatarsals are slender bones lying almost parallel to each other as they fan out towards the toes, conveying important degrees of stability and mobility to the foot. The foot has arches and in the front of the foot the weight is primarily taken on the metatarsal heads of the first and fifth rays. If the arch collapses the other metatarsal heads of the second to the fourth may also weight bear.
The ankle upward and downward movements are known as dorsiflexion (up) and plantarflexion (down) and the inwards and outwards movements of the foot do not occur at the ankle. The inwards movement is known as inversion, the outwards as eversion, and both of these movements occur at the talo-navicular, forefoot and talo-calcaneal joints. Together these complex joints allow the body weight to be held stable over the feet as the body moves and to allow the feet to cope with irregular surfaces. The foots design allows it to satisfy these competing demands.
The human foot is very well designed to manage the severe demands which are put upon it. The vertical forces which are developed in weight bearing are very significant and the foot has to cope with these and transmit them onwards. The central arch of the tarsal bones takes a good degree of weight, with the interconnecting ligaments between the joints absorbing much of the forces developed inside the foot. The foot muscles are also important in maintaining the structural integrity of the foot under the pressure of body weight and the momentum of large movements.
The tibialis anterior muscle is the prominent long muscle on the outside of the shin and you can see the tendon as it rolls down towards the ankle and crosses over to the inside to some degree. The tendon attaches to three bones which are placed at the top of the arch of the foot, so when the muscle contracts it lifts and supports the arch to some degree. The tibialis posterior muscle comes from the rear calf and round the inner side of the ankle bone to end up inserting close to the tibialis anterior tendon. It pulls the bone to the rear and accentuates the arch again.
Working together, the two above muscles pull the arch upwards from the top and clamp it from the side, making it stable and preventing the arch from being flattened by the weight of the body. This keeps the foot dynamic and allows the spring required in walking and running. Running down the outside of the foot and underneath the sole towards the big toe is the tendon of the peroneus longus muscle. This contributes to the sling effect where the muscles can contract from every direction to hold the foot stable against the destabilising forces of weight bearing combined with active movement.
The upper ankle mortise closely encloses the talus or ankle bone which itself balances on top of a series of tarsal and mid foot bones of the foot arch. The talar dome on the upper surface makes the joint with the under surface of the tibia but there are two other joints which the talus participates in. The talo-navicular joint is to the front and through which weight is transferred forwards. The complex talo-calcaneal joint is below the talus and takes body weight straight down.
Weight passing vertically down through the tibia is transmitted through the talus in an anterior direction through the navicular and towards the metatarsal bones and backwards to the calcaneum. The metatarsals are slender bones lying almost parallel to each other as they fan out towards the toes, conveying important degrees of stability and mobility to the foot. The foot has arches and in the front of the foot the weight is primarily taken on the metatarsal heads of the first and fifth rays. If the arch collapses the other metatarsal heads of the second to the fourth may also weight bear.
The ankle upward and downward movements are known as dorsiflexion (up) and plantarflexion (down) and the inwards and outwards movements of the foot do not occur at the ankle. The inwards movement is known as inversion, the outwards as eversion, and both of these movements occur at the talo-navicular, forefoot and talo-calcaneal joints. Together these complex joints allow the body weight to be held stable over the feet as the body moves and to allow the feet to cope with irregular surfaces. The foots design allows it to satisfy these competing demands.
The human foot is very well designed to manage the severe demands which are put upon it. The vertical forces which are developed in weight bearing are very significant and the foot has to cope with these and transmit them onwards. The central arch of the tarsal bones takes a good degree of weight, with the interconnecting ligaments between the joints absorbing much of the forces developed inside the foot. The foot muscles are also important in maintaining the structural integrity of the foot under the pressure of body weight and the momentum of large movements.
The tibialis anterior muscle is the prominent long muscle on the outside of the shin and you can see the tendon as it rolls down towards the ankle and crosses over to the inside to some degree. The tendon attaches to three bones which are placed at the top of the arch of the foot, so when the muscle contracts it lifts and supports the arch to some degree. The tibialis posterior muscle comes from the rear calf and round the inner side of the ankle bone to end up inserting close to the tibialis anterior tendon. It pulls the bone to the rear and accentuates the arch again.
Working together, the two above muscles pull the arch upwards from the top and clamp it from the side, making it stable and preventing the arch from being flattened by the weight of the body. This keeps the foot dynamic and allows the spring required in walking and running. Running down the outside of the foot and underneath the sole towards the big toe is the tendon of the peroneus longus muscle. This contributes to the sling effect where the muscles can contract from every direction to hold the foot stable against the destabilising forces of weight bearing combined with active movement.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Bowtrol Colon Cleanse: A Cure To Irregular Bowels
We like junk food because they are tasty and help us water our mouths. The processed foods and the junk food of Mc Donald’s often lead us to obesity. Thus, it is very necessary for us to hit the treadmill whenever we get the time just to burn out the huge number of calories. The fried stuff that we binge upon is of no use especially when it comes to the count of vital nutrients. This fried stuff have minimum of all nutrients.
There are a lot of herbs which can help us loose weight and gain muscle simultaneously. These are age old herbs known for their great actions to boost the metabolism. The Aloe Vera, Senna, Cascara Segrada and Cayenne pepper all are known for their great action on the metabolism. All of these are appetite suppressants and boosts the metabolism rates by at least twenty percent. Along with these herbal extracts if we can amalgamate a few natural elms and laxatives like acai berry and others then power of the supplement may increase by at least 20%.
Imagine a product which has all these natural ingredients, yes, we are talking about a product called Bowtrol Colon Cleanse. It is a product that can boost the bowel movement and help in excretion of the colon waste without much of a difficulty. There are nutrients which would also boost the fat metabolism like the garlic extract.
It also has a little amount of Bitter gourd extracts so that it can counter the most difficult problem of blood sugar very easily. It also regulates the bile pigment secretion which is required for the effective fat metabolism.
We all know that colon waste is the dwelling place for many germs and the dump yard of free radicals. Thus it is very necessary to get of colon waste. There are herbal extracts in this product which tackles the bloating and the gases that are formed in the empty stomach. This product also acts an appetite suppressant, which helps to shed weight.
All these benefits can be yours if you can work out a little bit and also incorporate the Bowtrol Colon Cleanse in our daily life.
What Are The Benefits Of Acai Berry Tropic
We all know that Acai Berry is the latest way to ensure a great health. It is an effective way to avoid excess of weight gain and enjoy the life to the fullest. Acai Berry is one of the richest Acai Berry product with a great ORAC score of 330. It is a supplement that may ensure you a great life. It is also used to loose weight. Acai Berry supplements are plenty and it is a great dilemma to choose the best among all the products. We are here to help you out.
The product called the Acai Berry Tropic is the purest of all the products present in the market. Like Acai Berry it is also considered as a super fruit supplement. It is a great way to ensure a a complete health regime with all the vital nutrients in the most adequate amounts like – trace elements like manganese, iron and calcium. It is also very rich in anti oxidants which is a great way to say to the healthy body. With this amazing accomplishment, you can feel good about using it to get healthy.
Benefits of Acai Berry Tropic
- Easy Weight Loss – It is a great way to see easy weight loss regime.
- Detox – It flushes out the free radicals and colon wastes very easily.
- Anti-Aging – free radicals are flushed and so are the chances of getting old.
- Prevents Cancer – Free radicals are the main cause of cancer
- It reduces fatigue, gas, and bloating
- Improves mental clarity and focus
- Burns body fat for a slim and sexy body
- Breaks up waste and eliminates toxins
As this product is really new you can’t get this product above the counters and you have to order this product online. There are practically no side effects of Acai Berry Tropic. It provides healthy benefits without giving you negative effects that can alter success! It’s 100% all natural which helps in several ways over artificial supplements that can be bad for your health and body.
Killing Me Softly With Chlorine In Drinking Water
Want an idea of how harmful chlorine in drinking water can be. In the 2000 Olympic games in Australia, the United States swim team shockingly announced that 25% of its members suffered asthma. Research was conducted to find out why in particular, the US swimming team suffered from this illness. The results were shocking.
Whilst it has long been known that chloramines and Trihalomethanes (THMs) worsens asthma symptoms, the studies showed that these harmful contaminants (which are the byproducts of chlorine and is found in tap water) can cause previously healthy individuals to get asthma.
How Does Chlorine Affect You.
For decades, the chlorine in our drinking water has been used as a disinfectant, to get rid of bacteria and other harmful pathogens.
When chlorine interact with other organic substances such as skin particles, hair follicles and water-borne bacteria, they form Trihalomethanes (THMs), a medically proven asthma-inducing chemical. So when you drink a glass of tap water, you are increasing your risk of contracting this illness.
And even if you take a shower, you are at risk. When you take a hot shower, the chlorine turns into steam and is inhaled. This could be even more dangerous than ingesting chlorine via a glass of water.
The U.S. EPA backs this up by saying that just about every American household has elevated levels of chloroform gas indoors. Even when you wash the dishes or flush the toilets, you are elevating the chloroform levels in your home.
By the way, it is not only asthma that chlorine is linked to. In 1986, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 200 to 1000 people yearly in America may die from cancer, caused by food being cooked in chlorinated water.
Apart from the adverse health effects of this contaminant, have you ever noticed that after a swim in a pool, your skin gets drier and your hair is brittle. That is as a result of chlorine and it is the same things that happens after you have a shower in chlorinated tap water.
Reducing Chlorine In Our Drinking Water
With asthma now the leading illness that causes student absenteeism in the U.S, the response to this illness is still a pharmaceutical one.
More drugs to curb the problem rather than also advocating a way to prevent the problem. If you child has asthma or doesn't have it (and you don't want him to get it), why not improve the air quality in your home.
You can do this by acquiring a whole house water filtration system which will remove chlorine in drinking water. You can also go for cheaper alternatives. You could buy a shower head water filter or a counter top water filter for drinking.
The advantage of the wholehouse water system is that this one unit alone can provide safe, chlorine-free water to every tap in your home as opposed to you buying a different filter for each tap.
What To Do Now
Chlorine in drinking water is a serious matter. Now is as good a time as any to get a quality whole house water filter and give your family safer drinking water. The only question is now is how to determine what water filtration unit is quality and which is not.Monday, October 5, 2009
How much water to drink daily
A simple question with no simple answers. Studies have shaped varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how vigorous you are and where you live.
waterThere is no clear-cut come back with as to how much water to drink per day, because it depends upon a number of factors like your health circumstance, your activity status etc. On an average every day basis, we tend to lose quite a lot of water from side to side sweating, exhaling and urinating. It is here that it becomes essential to consume more water, so as to make up for the loss. Read further to travel around information about "??How much water to drink daily"??
It is not wise to drink water only to please your thirst, but it should turn into your habit to drink water at frequent intervals all through the day. Your food contributes about 20 percent to your total water intake and separately from that, it is worthwhile to devour about 8 ounce glasses of water every day.
Your water intake also depends on the place where you are living and the climatic state of affairs over there. In hot humid weather, there arises a need to devour extra quantity of water, as there is a major loss of water from beginning to end sweating that puts you at a risk of getting dehydrated. In cold time of year or at elevated altitudes, you tend to urine more often, thus leading to a better amount of fluid loss in the body.
Health conditions also decide your water intake. In case you are distressed from health problems like fever, vomiting and diarrhea, then it leads to extreme body fluid loss. Pregnant women too need to drink more water, as they are at a higher risk of getting dehydrated. So, drink loads of water throughout the day to keep in shape and healthy
waterThere is no clear-cut come back with as to how much water to drink per day, because it depends upon a number of factors like your health circumstance, your activity status etc. On an average every day basis, we tend to lose quite a lot of water from side to side sweating, exhaling and urinating. It is here that it becomes essential to consume more water, so as to make up for the loss. Read further to travel around information about "??How much water to drink daily"??
It is not wise to drink water only to please your thirst, but it should turn into your habit to drink water at frequent intervals all through the day. Your food contributes about 20 percent to your total water intake and separately from that, it is worthwhile to devour about 8 ounce glasses of water every day.
Your water intake also depends on the place where you are living and the climatic state of affairs over there. In hot humid weather, there arises a need to devour extra quantity of water, as there is a major loss of water from beginning to end sweating that puts you at a risk of getting dehydrated. In cold time of year or at elevated altitudes, you tend to urine more often, thus leading to a better amount of fluid loss in the body.
Health conditions also decide your water intake. In case you are distressed from health problems like fever, vomiting and diarrhea, then it leads to extreme body fluid loss. Pregnant women too need to drink more water, as they are at a higher risk of getting dehydrated. So, drink loads of water throughout the day to keep in shape and healthy
Finding the Best Natural Skin Care Products
Most people who want to ensure good skin care are now changing to natural skin care products from chemical based skin care products. Thanks to the growing awareness among people regarding the risks involved in using strong chemical based skin care products. With the increasing popularity of natural skin care products, a large number of new companies are constantly coming into the market. Not all natural skin care products are of equal quality. If you shop around a bit for natural skin care products online, you will be able to understand how the cost and the quality of these products vary greatly.
With so many products available in the market, how to select the best natural skin care products? There few basic factors that you should take into consideration while selecting your natural skin care product. The first thing that you should do to pick the right natural skin care product is to take time to review the label closely. Some of the natural skin care products are not 100% natural. They have a mixture of chemicals and natural products. However, they will call themselves as natural skin care products because they have one or more natural ingredients. When you are selecting your natural skin care product, you must find products that are 100% natural because some of the chemical ingredients that are used in the skin care products may be harmful to our skin.
When you are selecting your skin care products do not select them based on the fragrance of these products. The purpose of the skin care product is not to act as a perfume. If you need a deodorant, select a deodorant; but when you are selecting skin care product, base your decision on the ingredients and the quality of the ingredients used. Often the fragrances that we fancy are made of chemicals. If you select products that are free from strong fragrance then you are all the more safer. Do not confuse the purpose of the skin care product with a perfume.
Check for certifications gained by the product; it should be certified by the relevant authorities for their safety and effectiveness. See whether the product that you choose has any organic seal.
Some people try to make their own skin care products. However, it is not advisable to make your own skin care products because the quality of the product will be questionable. You might end up having unnecessary problems; as your skin is one of the most sensitive parts of the body, it will be too risky to experiment with your skin.
Pick only reputed brands even if it means paying more because this will be a much safer option than ruining you skin and spending a lot of money on rectifying the damage caused to your skin. Sometimes, the damages caused may not be reversible. For high quality natural skin care products visit http://scinboutique.com. You will be able to find all top brand natural skin care products in this boutique at an affordable price.
With so many products available in the market, how to select the best natural skin care products? There few basic factors that you should take into consideration while selecting your natural skin care product. The first thing that you should do to pick the right natural skin care product is to take time to review the label closely. Some of the natural skin care products are not 100% natural. They have a mixture of chemicals and natural products. However, they will call themselves as natural skin care products because they have one or more natural ingredients. When you are selecting your natural skin care product, you must find products that are 100% natural because some of the chemical ingredients that are used in the skin care products may be harmful to our skin.
When you are selecting your skin care products do not select them based on the fragrance of these products. The purpose of the skin care product is not to act as a perfume. If you need a deodorant, select a deodorant; but when you are selecting skin care product, base your decision on the ingredients and the quality of the ingredients used. Often the fragrances that we fancy are made of chemicals. If you select products that are free from strong fragrance then you are all the more safer. Do not confuse the purpose of the skin care product with a perfume.
Check for certifications gained by the product; it should be certified by the relevant authorities for their safety and effectiveness. See whether the product that you choose has any organic seal.
Some people try to make their own skin care products. However, it is not advisable to make your own skin care products because the quality of the product will be questionable. You might end up having unnecessary problems; as your skin is one of the most sensitive parts of the body, it will be too risky to experiment with your skin.
Pick only reputed brands even if it means paying more because this will be a much safer option than ruining you skin and spending a lot of money on rectifying the damage caused to your skin. Sometimes, the damages caused may not be reversible. For high quality natural skin care products visit http://scinboutique.com. You will be able to find all top brand natural skin care products in this boutique at an affordable price.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)