Knee Arthritis|Knock Knees|Virtual Knee Surgery

Are your knees sore?

Did you know that you can substantially decrease the everyday soreness and pains that you have in your knees?

Sure there are many ways in which you can approach this problem, but we will discuss a way in which you can save money in treatment in the long term.

You may be amazed to discover that you can provide major relief on your sore knees without high cost medications! All of this is indeed possible through the everyday use of a simple knee brace. We will explain why they can help you...

Have you ever considered how much you use your knees in your daily routine?

Every time you stand up, sit down or walk from one point to another you are calling your knees into action. Sure you already know this, but many of us take our knees for granted. Let's be real about that...

Your knees work over time when you go on runs, compete in sports, or carry out other out of ordinary extracurricular activities. Your knees endure a lot of physical activity on a day to day basis. So there is no surprise that millions of people around the world suffer and endure sore knee pain on a regular basis.

In addition to that, many people also suffer from sore knees due to injuries that they have sustained from sports or accidents. When a knee injury occurs there is generally a long recovery process which usually results in the patient still having some type of soreness or stiffness in the knees long-term.

What Can I Do To Help Ease The Pain Or Stop These Sore Knees Of Mine?

According to your specific condition there are a wide variety of treatments and steps that you can take to lower your soreness level, and to also prevent further soreness in the future. If your knee pain is not the result of a disease for which you have been diagnosed with, there are a few things that you can begin to do to assist in easing or stopping the soreness in your knees.

See A Doctor: Let's be honest here; the best method of relief for sore knees may come from your doctor's advice or suggestions. A trained physician will examine your knee and may take x-rays or an MRI to determine the cause of your soreness. They may prescribe medication, sports therapy or may simply tell you try out one of the two proven steps below...

Get Some Rest!: The best advice may be to simply rest your knees. This is no shocker, but let's also face the problem with rest alone... Rest is nice, but do you have days and weeks to lay around and rest your knees?

Stretch them out and elevate them. Lay down without bending your knees and give them some relief. Your knees may need more rest than they get while you are sleeping. In fact, most people toss and turn in their sleep. If you are such a person then your knees are still moving around and working while you are sleeping. Simply take some time during waking hours to stretch your knees out and rest!

Strap On A Knee Brace: Knee braces have been proven to help promote healing of damaged or injured knees. Knee braces have also been proven to be a great prevention tool in avoiding future knee soreness issues. They are also very affordable and cost much less than a bunch of pain killers. In fact, most doctors will recommend the use of a knee brace the moment you complain about having sore knees. The support that they provide can really be an aid to you.

Anybody who has at least any experience in martial arts or street-fighting can agree that learning how to defend oneself on the ground is ABSOLUTELY needed in order to survive on the streets or in the ring. Oftentimes we fall or can be taken to the ground. Once taken to the ground, the average street fighter will most likely start punching you in the face, or get you into a headlock. What about triangle chokes or arm bars? Not likely... Lets go over some cold hard facts that many Jujitsu and sport fighters may not like, but are the simple truth. I will try to make this short and to the point as possible.

Rape awareness, Child-abductions, and overall self-defense:

If you were teaching your wife self-defense, in order to prevent her from being abducted, which techniques would you teach her? If you were teaching your child techniques in order to keep them from being raped or abducted, which techniques would you tech them? Jujitsu? Boxing?...maybe a little, but not likely.

If someone is trying to force you into a vehicle or put you into a position to be raped or kidnapped, the last thing you want to do is try to take your opponent to the ground. You are actually helping them succeed in their conquest. Also consider that many child-abductors and rapists do not work alone. Many female joggers are often pulled into moving vehicles by 2 or 3 attackers. Even if you did bring one to the ground, the other 2 are going to make you pay.

Or here is another example using fictional characters. "Billy" is a 12 year old boy who is 5'1 and weighs 105 lbs with a Jujitsu Black belt, and expert boxer. A 30 year old man who is 6'1 and 190 pounds approaches the boy and attempts to apprehend the boy and kidnap him. The boy gets the attacker on the ground and sits on his chest and attempts to punch him in the face. The oversized attacker flips the boy over, and simply punches him once in the face. The boy is knocked out cold, and is later abused and kidnapped...

What the boy should have done was attack the kidnapper with several strikes to stun him in vulnerable areas (testicles, eye's, biting, headbutt) and ran like hell screaming to the top of his lungs! The problem with MMA, Jujitsu, western Boxing, and Kickboxing is their mentality. They teach their students to fight. Plain and simple. To fight until the very end. But, this attitude is very machismo and egotistic way of fighting. From a self-defense aspect, the goal should always be to stun the attacker, and get away. Their are only very few situations that warrant fighting until the attacker is completely knocked out.

Modern Martial arts vs Traditional...

Anytime you get a grappler against any opponent who isn't skilled in grappling, the Jujitsu man will win 99% of the time in ordinary circumstances. In a kickboxing or MMA environment any traditional martial artist will be most likely embarrassed. But, what will the jujitsu man do if the Karate man pulls out a sword, or a long stick? What will the MMA man do is he meets a knife fighter? The fact is, in traditional martial arts like Kung Fu and Karate, unarmed tactics were only secondary forms of fighting. A man would always rely on his sword or knife before his fists.

If a jujitsu black belt threatened my life and challenged me to a fight, I would not assume a boxers stance. I would simply walk away. Yet if he proceeded to walk towards me, I would simply pull out my Tactical Baton that I ALWAYS carry with me. Thats right, I carry a weapon? But, thats not fair! Why not? This isn't the UFC or a boxing match. This is my life we are talking about! If my life is on the line, I have no problem using a sword, stick, gun, bitting, heabutting, or hitting the groin of my attacker.

Preparing for an attack against a street fighting, not a MMA fighter...

The fact is, most people don't train in martial arts. Maybe 10 out of 100. And thats being liberal. Jujitsu men spend hours learning how to defend against armbars, triangles, leg locks...etc. But, these are techniques that you will almost never see from an untrained street fighter. The average street fighter is going to come at you with aggressive (and sloppy) Boxing, coupled with sloppy wrestling tactics, coupled with a box cutter, coupled with a gun, and he may have a couple of buddies, and he may hit you with a cheap shot from behind. At first, he didn't sound so dangerous huh? In a street-fighting scenario, you don't want to have a "contest" with your attacker. Screw the Knockout. And forget the submissions. You want to stun him, and get away. Simple as that.

If your fighting multiple opponents, Jujitsu will be even worse. Against multiple opponents you will want to use footwork, low kicks directly to the knee joint, pushes, trips, all while trying to run away. If three men are trying to attack you, it would be suicide to tie up with one of them and try to take them down. I once saw a video of a Russian Heavyweight boxer who actually defended himself against multiple attackers. He back peddled away, and counter punched each of them, knocking them down with a single blow.

If an attacker grabs your wrist, does it make more sense to grab his body, wrestle around for 2-3 minutes, and get him down, or just punch him in the face 1 or 2 times? You be the judge.

In the Ring, you are prepared, in the street, maybe not?

When you fight in the ring, both you and your opponent are in neutral corners. Both of you agree not to use any "foul" tactics, and the referee stands between you. You have breaks between rounds also and doctors at ring side. An MMA fight sometimes lasts for over 15 minutes. A boxing match can last more than 30. Yet, a street fight or self-defense scenario only lasts between 10 seconds to no more than 2 minutes. And its between those 10 seconds and two minutes that you can be killed. All the training in the world can't prepare you for a surprise attack. Martial arts will not make you invincible. It will only increase your chances of survival. That's it. In the streets, there are no guarantees. My training has helped me survive some fights. While other times, my training was useless.

Especially in situations where I was held up, and had to negotiate. The UFC has a famous catch phrase with their company, its "As real as it gets". Yeah...in a controlled environment, MMA is the most realistic form of televised fighting. But, its still not the street. The "Dog Brothers" hold the honor of "most realistic fighting competition" because they have no weight classes, no gender classes, and they use weapons. But, they are still not trying to "kill" each other. They still have someone to "pull" the opponent off when things go to far. There are no substitutes for the real thing. No matter how realistic...

Different goals for different people...

All martial arts are beneficial to a person in one way or another. Self-defense is only one aspect of martial arts. The sport, the self-defense, and the spiritual aspects all important. Each martial art gives you something unique. No matter what the style, any martial arts can help. This article is not intended to promote or disprove the practice of any art. They all help us achieve something special within ourselves.

Is Jujitsu any good as a martial art? Should it be trained?

Without question!!!! Jujitsu is one of the best martial arts around. Just like any single style, it has pro's and con's. When I teach women's self-defense, I do teach them how to reverse a full-mount, how to get out of headlocks, and other common grappling methods. If you are grabbed or taken to the ground, you must know how to to defend yourself. And Jujitsu will help you achieve that. Also, Jujitsu is a great restraining art for Police officers and Military personal. If you simply want to apprehend someone and not hurt them, Jujitsu is also a wonderful art. Many jujitsu tactics are practical for self-defense, especially the chokes and escapes. Chokes are much more practical and easier to achieve than many joint locks. Japanese Jujitsu and many Kung Fu systems actually promote small-joint manipulations (breaking of the fingers), which is banned in MMA. Below I will quickly discuss the differences between Japanese Jujitsu and Brazilian Jujitsu

Which styles of martial arts are best suited for the streets?

If you train ANY style of martial art, you will be better off than some couch potato that doesn't exercise. But, the best styles of martial arts are the onces that are aggressive, direct, and give you many options. Here are some good examples

1. Non-sportive Muay Thai- Knee strikes (groin), elbows, also teaches footwork and long range tactics. In traditional muay thai, you may also learn "Krabi Krabong", the weapons system.
2. Wing Chun- Very quick and progressive punching to the centerline. Attacks are aimed at the eyes, throat, chin, groin, and kicks to the knee joints. Wing chun also has knife and stick training
3. Kali- Teaches you how to fight with sticks, knives, and also some standing wrestling/clinching tactics mixed with basic yet brutal striking like headbutting.
4. Judo/Japanese Jujitsu- One solid hard throw to the concrete and you wont have to go to the ground, because your opponent will be broken. Japanese Jujitsu covers different ranges (striking, weapons, and grappling) of fighting unlike the Brazilian version that only focuses on the ground.
5. Krav Maga- gun defense, knives defense, tiger claw, eye pokes, knee strikes, you name it! A military martial art.

These are just a FEW martial arts that I enjoy for self-defense. Although with the right mind-set ANY style can be made effective. Xingyiquan, western Boxing (the footwork), and many other styles can give you attributes as well. That's why I like to learn from everyone. Fighting is very unpredictable. Each style has pro's and con's. I enjoy practicing wing chun, xingyiquan, and western boxing more than anything in my free-time. But I am not an idiot. I realize that other skills must be learned. That is why I remain humble and have spent time cross-training with Krav Maga, Kali, Jujitsu, and other martial arts. I don't care what style of martial arts you practice. If you are realistic, and have great knowledge, I want to learn from you! In this world, the only way to learn is to be humble and honest. In fact, you may not even agree with this article. And that's fine. I respect all opinions. Enough of that, let's move on...

Mindset and conclusion...

Self-defense requires an "escape" mentality. It may not win you any championship belts, but it will keep you alive. The only time you need to fight to the end, is if your opponent is extremely tough, or if you are protecting a 3rd party (wife, sibling, friend, etc). If you wish to be an MMA fighter or Boxer, you are expected to "finish" the fight. Its two different worlds, and two different mindsets.

Self-defense vs sport fighting. Consider that MMA has over 30 rules. A good analogy is...self-defense is a 50 yard dash. And being a ring fighter is like being a marathon runner. They are two different worlds. If you put one in the other, his chances will not be good. Self-defense is a deep topic. Legal issues, and many things must be considered. Love me or hate me, I love all martial arts, and I never want to see anyone be put down because of their choice of music, martial arts, or religion. Everything has value. Mindsets vs Skill-sets are basically what this article comes to.

[This interview took place in 1986.]

David Lynch's Blue Velvet opened to widespread critical praise and heated public controversy. I've yet to hear a lukewarm reaction. Either you hate the film or you love it. Lynch leaves his audience no alternative. Blue Velvet polarizes audiences as few films - Last Tango in Paris, A Clockwork Orange - can.

Kyle MacLachlan, star of Blue Velvet (as well as Lynch's earlier film, Dune) offers his view on the cinematic phenomenon.

Question: Before you starred in Dune, you had pretty much grown up with the character of Paul Atreides. I mean, you'd read Dune over and over again as a teenager, so you knew what you were getting into. When you did Blue Velvet, how did you prepare for the role of Jeffrey?

Answer: Obviously, I didn't have the advantage of the book here, which I used as a lot of resource material for Dune. But I had a knowledge of the script because David (Lynch) spoke with me during the filming of Dune about it and gave me a draft of the script. So I had a year and a half with it. But I didn't really get down to working on it until about a month or two before we began shooting.

Q: Do you enjoy working with Lynch?

A: I do very much. David is a wonderful human being, a nice person, along with being a brilliant director with quite an interesting vision. Different than anything I've seen before. On the set he prepares a real nice environment for his actors to work in. He's very calm and supportive.

Q: I spoke with Lynch last week, and he told me he thought you were a bit too normal for his next film.

A: Ronnie Rocket? Yeah, we joke about that. He's going even farther out there.

Q: Have you read the script for that?

A: No, I haven't. I've read parts of it. It doesn't seem to be very linear. It wasn't a story I could follow easily. It jumped all over the place. It had some real strange places, which made it interesting. But he's done massive rewrites on it from the one I read, so it's probably changed quite a bit.

Q: Is Lynch restrictive with his actors?

A: Sometimes he can be very restrictive, and sometimes he can be very open. I pretty much tailored myself to what David wanted; I let him be the boss. I just felt that David's vision of what he wanted to make is so specific, that for me to start screwing around with that would just hurt what he wanted to say.

Q: Did the two of you ever butt heads?

A: We've always been able to resolve any major differences. But yeah, there were a couple of things in Blue Velvet - for instance, the final scene. I was arguing for a moment that was a little bit more emotional. I mean, Jeffrey's just killed a guy. There's got to be something that goes with that - whether it's weak knees or whatever. What sort of physical thing happens to him? But David was very strong in wanting that image of Laura Dern and I kissing there in the hall way so he could pan up. I wanted one thing, and he wanted another. I went with his vision, that's the way it is. I fought for it, but...

Q: Lynch made the comment that sometimes when his actors made suggestions like that, he wanted to set them on fire.

A: (Laughter)

Q: How was it working with the other actors?

A: It was a real joy. When you're working with an actor that's wonderful, you don't have to worry about trying to create things that he's not doing for you, or trying to make up for his deficiencies.

Q: How was it relating to them on the set?

A: It's like when you talk with someone and you know they're preoccupied. On one level, they're talking with you and everything's cool, but you feel that they're occupied with something else. That's sort of the way it is on the set. As you get closer to the actual take, you just sort of leave the other person alone. You just sort of hang out.

Q: How much did Dennis Hopper stay in character when we wasn't filming? Was he scary walking around the set, or did he just fall into that when the camera rolled?

A: Dennis is just terrific. I was really scared coming in. I'd heard these stories...

Q: Well he's scary on the screen.

A: In the scene it's wonderful. He gets this look in his eyes, and it's like WHOA...!

Q: It's just a film, Dennis, it's just a film...

A: But he's a consummate actor. You feel threatened as a character, but you know that the guy's not going to be out of control. That's just one of the fine lines. He's not going to do bodily damage to people. As a matter of fact, in the fight sequence - incredible control. You know, when he's punching me beating the hell out of me. Really terrific. He's just a real professional.

Q: You enjoyed getting punched...

A: From Dennis Hopper, yeah, it's okay.

Q: He sort of turns it on, then. Can you just turn it on, or do you have to stay in character?

A: It's like a gas stove and a pot of water, you know. It's on and it's hot, and you can see the bubbles around it. It's always on all day - but you can still be a nice person. And then, when you need it - five or ten minutes before a scene - you sit down in your chair and you start to let that stuff cook. You bring it up, and let it boil for awhile as you do the scene; and then you bring it back down, and let it sit there awhile.

Q: You said Lynch had a very specific idea of what he wanted to do. Were you able to pick up on that easily?

A: David doesn't always communicate with language that I can understand. But he's very specific about what he wants when he sees it, and he can identify that. Some directors will do 30 or 40 takes because they don't know what they want. We did between two and five - sometimes one.

Q: What was the most challenging aspect of the movie for you?

A: One thing was the nudity. I had never done it before, onstage or in Dune, so that was something I had to sort of sit, think about, and get comfortable with. Again, that's where David was real great, because he creates a wonderful atmosphere on the set. Isabella and I worked together and it got to a place where it was okay. You take it step-by-step in rehearsal until you're comfortable with the person and with what's going on. Then they bring in a small crew - four or five people to shoot the scene. At which point I, as an actor, am unaware of what they're doing.

Q: Did you get a lot of rehearsal time?

A: Yeah, as much time as we felt we needed. That was also a wonderful thing about Fred Caruso, who produced the picture. Producers work with time and money. But he tried to be as sympathetic as he could and give David the amount of time that he needed.

Q: What was your relationship with the production side of the film? With Caruso and (studio head) Dino DeLaurentiis and the others?

A: It all comes down to a system of buffers, you know. From Dino to Fred, from Fred to David, from David to us. The better they are at buffering and protecting the actors, the better I'm going to feel working on the picture.

Q: How did you get the role?

A: It all started with Dune. While we were shooting Dune, David had a copy of the script and he let me read it. He thought I'd be great as Jeffrey. So we sort of made a little pact that we'd work on it. Then Dune opened, and we both went into sort of a tailspin.

Q: What were your opinions of Dune?

A: I had so many feelings: part of me loved the film, and part of me hated the film. I guess because you live through all of it. It's exciting to watch it happen. These are my friends on the screen. I was watching the scenes and I knew what was going on around the scenes.

Q: You really can't divorce yourself from it.

A: It's very difficult, yeah. I also thought the film was very talky, and had too much explaining, and all those things. I sort of looked at is as a "Best Of." You take the novel, and you've got a certain number of scenes. You've gotta know the novel, I think, to get much from the scenes in the picture. The gaps are pretty wide.

Q: You shot a lot more than what ended up on the screen. Lynch said something about re-editing a longer version. Do you know anything about that?

A: Yeah, he said to me that for television - NBC, CBS, whoever's gonna take it...

Q: Do a miniseries?

A: It'll probably be a two-nighter. He wants to put about a half hour in, which would make it about a four hour picture. So we'll get more stuff on the Fremen - which will help, because they disappeared from the picture. Hopefully there'll be a little more filler, you know. So the scenes will be a little bigger, and maybe they'll be closer together so people will be able to follow the story line.

Q: So people who haven't read the novel will know what's going on?

A: Maybe. Or at least get a better idea of this world that David sort of worked in conjunction with Frank Herbert to create.

Q: Herbert really liked the movie, right?

A: Yeah, Frank was a real positive guy. [Note: Frank Herbert, the author of the novel, died before the movie opened.] It was probably similar for him to watch the movie as it was for me to watch the movie. He was down there a lot. I think he really enjoyed the whole process, and he enjoyed seeing his picture put up on film. The film wasn't terrible. It wasn't an embarrassment to watch. I mean the acting was...what it was. It was very stylized. It wasn't like you look at it and go, "Oh God, that's really bad." It just didn't click somehow. It's easy to sort of rationalize that when you're involved with it. You sort of look over that and say, "I love it."

Q: Hard to be objective.

A: It is. Very difficult.

Q: Okay, let's move on. First you played a messiah in Dune. And in Blue Velvet you're just a college kid in a small town. You've gone from one extreme to another. What do you want to do next?

A: Sometimes people ask me, "What's role do you want to do next?" On film it's so difficult because every script that comes to you has got a completely different set of circumstances. On stage, I can say, "Yeah, someday I'd like to do Cyrano," you know. Or Mercutio. There are roles that are set there that I'd really love to do. But on film it comes down to something that's a wonderful story about people. With some good writing, relationships that are multi-layered, and characters that are interesting and develop from A to Z. And that can be set anywhere. It comes down to that type of thing as opposed to a certain character that I want to step into.

Q: Is there something specific that you're developing now?

A: Nothing specific, no. I'm just reading things and trying to find something that I would really like to do. I find those, and then I go and start the battle, you know. Meet and read and fight with all the other actors that want to do it. I've come close, but so far I haven't gotten anything solid yet. I'm hoping Blue Velvet helps. It always helps when people can see that you can do something else besides fight robots and talk in deep voices. They need a little more than just Dune.

Q: Did you have to fight for Blue Velvet or was it pretty much set for you?

A: In David's mind it was set for me. I turned it down. I said, "I can't do it" at one point, because I felt it was just...too intense, somehow. So I went away for about a month, two months. During that period of time, I think, they went out and looked for other actors. And then finally I said, "Well, no, I think I really want to do it." Then they stopped the search and I stepped in. I think in David's mind he knew I was going to do it all along. It was just a matter of me coming around.

Q: You've said Lynch has a very specific vision of what he wants. During the course of production, are you more or less aware of what the final product will be?

A: Yes and no. I was there almost every day. I shot 60-plus days, which is a lot. I was there, in Dorothy's apartment, and I saw what it looked like. The first day when we all walked in we went, "Ooooo...this is wonderful." So you get a feel somehow. You also feel the style because of the dialog. David's dialog is very stylized, I think. It's very difficult to say and make real. It's one of the challenges. But I really didn't pick up on the humor of it until I saw it with an audience at Telluride. And suddenly, I heard lines like, "We don't know much but bits and pieces." People laugh, and I thought, God, that's funny. You never realize at the time the humor of the stuff. It's like a big puzzle. You take a piece - the scene you're working on today - and you look at it, and you've got no idea of what the whole is going to be. Shooting a movie is like taking a piece and putting four or five together at one time and then leaving it.

Q: You don't film it chronologically.

A: No. Usually within a scene you try and shoot it at one point. So I really didn't have a strong idea of what David was going finish. I think he does while he's doing it. When he sees what he wants, it's cut, print, onto the next one.

Q: How would you describe Blue Velvet to someone who hasn't seen it before?

A: That would be difficult. I'm not even sure what it is, you know. From my point of view, as the character, I look at it as a journey - as a young man who comes home and...goes through some experiences. That's just about it, you know. It's such a mind-boggling film for me. I've read some reviews that have come out already - John Powers in the L.A. Weekly and David Thompson in California magazine - and they've got a couple of pages, devoted to this thing. I sort of read it and go, "Yeah...that sounds pretty good." They take a stab and write all this stuff and I'm just boggled by the things they pull out of this picture. So I yield to them.

Q: When you saw Blue Velvet at the film festival, what was the audience reaction like?

A: They went crazy. I was amazed. I mean, when we made this picture, we had no idea how it was going to be responded to. I thought it was weird. I thought, who knows, either it's going to be universally panned or it's going to be looked at as this new, brilliant picture. Which is kind of fun, in a way. It's like with Dune: you do your work, you come out, and the critics - they knock it aside. So you come back and you another one, and the critics - they love it. It's a funny game...

In order to answer this question, I feel it is important to explain a little about each of these self-defense weapons. They are both non-lethal and are legal in most cities and states in the United States. However, before purchasing either of these items, be sure to check with local authorities as to any possible restrictions on them in your area.

Pepper sprays are just that - defense sprays made from the oils of very hot peppers. This oil is a natural chemical called Oleoresin Capsicum and when sprayed in the face of an attacker, this inflammatory agent will swell the veins in the eyes and the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. This will basically shut down the attacker, uncontrollably clamping his eyes shut and causing very little air to get through his airway, dropping him to his knees in a coughing fit and racked with burning pain. These effects will wear off in less than an hour leaving no lasting damage, but giving you plenty of time to escape and call for help.

Pepper sprays come in 3 different spray patterns and dispersal densities. The finer the spray and the smaller the spray droplets, the quicker and more effective the spray will be because it will be inhaled and dispersed quicker to the mucous membranes. The heat and inflammation will be released usually between one and two seconds with optimum efficiency. This type of spray would include the fogger spray, which is the most effective because of its fine mist, with the cone mist spray pattern taking a close second in instant stopping power.

The third spray pattern is the stream, which is better than the other two in a breeze as far as hitting the intended target and not blowing back in the face of the user, but it is less effective due to the fact that it tends to trap the OC agent in the carrier, not releasing it as quickly as the others.

Stun guns are electronic weapons that must touch the assailant in order to disable him. Currents of 200,000 to over a million volts flow through these devices. The title "gun" is not actually correct since they do not shoot anything. They will send a current through clothes into the assailant's body, causing muscles to work overtime, depleting them of necessary blood sugars. The muscles basically quit working immediately and the assailant will be disabled with immobility and pain for a few minutes. This gives you enough time to escape.

Stun guns will not permanently injure of kill anyone and the user cannot be shocked if the assailant is holding onto them when he gets stunned.

So now, which is better to own - pepper spray or a stun gun? It really is entirely up to each individual's level of comfort in using the weapon. Some would prefer something they can use from a distance and some want a weapon they can use if attacked suddenly.

Advantages of pepper spray -

• spray cans are small and easily fit in a pocket or purse or on a keychain


• they are easy to use at a distance to prevent an assailant from actually touching you - just point and shoot


• not much training is required - a couple of practice shots is all


• you don't have to charge anything - it is always ready to go


• they are cheaper than stun guns so you can have 2 or 3 in different places if so desired


• they come disguised as such things as lipstick, a pager, or a ring

Disadvantages of pepper spray -

• spray may be blown back into the user's face depending on the wind


• because they are under pressure, they will only last maybe up to 2 yrs if not used before needing to replace the canister


• there is the possibility of an accidental discharge

Advantages of stun guns -

• they come in several sizes, styles and voltages to choose from and some come disguised as cell phones or flashlights


• just the sound of the electricity and the blue light coursing between the tester probes is usually enough to stop an attacker


• if attacked from behind or suddenly from the side, you can grab the stun gun and press it into the assailant rather than risk getting pepper spray in your own face if you were to try to spray someone that close

Disadvantages of the stun gun -

• an assailant does have to be within touching distance to be stunned


• if the attacker has a weapon, the user of the stun gun has to come within range of the weapon in order to effectively use the stun gun


• the user of the stun gun must be physically fit enough to forcefully hold the gun's probes against a struggling attacker for at least a couple of seconds for the electricity to force its way into him and knock him down


• the intruder could possibly get the stun gun away from the defender and use it against her

I can't say that one of these self-defense products is better than the other. They are both effective for protection purposes. After studying the pros and cons of each, it is really up to you to decide which one you would feel the most comfortable carrying and using. But don't put it off too long. You never know when you might be in a situation where one of these items could save your life.

Public Speaking is one of the oldest forms of communication known to mankind. The concept of speaking publicly is extremely important. The first manual for public speaking was written around 4500 B.C. by the people of ancient Egypt. Public speaking was the first known mass communication process. Throughout history civilizations would rely on powerful, as well as, eloquent speakers to inform, pass laws and uplift audiences.

Ancient nations such as India, Africa and China used public speaking. Aztecs and Central and Southern American cultures used systems for speaking to massive groups. They would set up "relays" where the "relayers" would repeat what was being said.

In the Greece and Rome public speaking became principal and more intergraded in the prospective cultures. The Greeks and Romans used it as a way of education. Talking to large amounts in a group was very common place. Aristotle and Plato used to teach there philosophies, math and history in front of the eager listeners.

Imagine being able to theorize on deep and meaningful things and not be able to explain or talk about those things due to fear or some other reason. The question I would ask myself is this, what would be the point of actually thinking about a subject, coming to conclusions and not being able to effectively tell anyone about it?

History provides prime examples of problem solving techniques that work for humankind. Public speaking is no different; the ancient peoples valued it, taught it and practiced it. You and I should learn from their example. Practical reasons might encourage you to become a better public speaker. Work promotions sometimes hinge on public speaking and the courage it takes to speak publicly.

Driving to an appointment the other morning I sat in my car at a stop light and notice a bumper stick. "Speak Even if Your Knees Knock" is what that sticker said. I thought, "Wow!" I never thought of it that way. Perhaps that is a perfect way of putting it. People throughout history did it and you can too!

What is a yoga blanket? Who can use a yoga blanket? Or at least, that is what you might be thinking when confronted with the option to purchase one. A yoga blanket is an important yoga prop, that many people have long forgotten during their yoga lessons. Despite the fact that they make a very versatile prop for yoga; many people don't seem to realize the need for one. That is, until they are caught un-prepared during a weekly lesson. A yoga blanket can be used for many different poses, as well as the meditation before and afterward. Helping to make it one of the highest priority yoga props around.

A yoga blanket can be used to raise the hips above the knees, whenever a seated pose calls for it. As well as a cushion for any reclining poses that you might be asked to do during your lesson. Not only that, but it can be used as any other blanket can; to keep you warm while you are practicing the final relaxation during your yoga lesson.

You might be under the same mis-conception as many, that yoga blankets are ugly and useless items. Instead, you will find that they have endless uses during yoga class; as well as being extremely beautiful to look at. From the common Mexican-style yoga blanket that is often found during yoga class; or a more contemporary style yoga blanket can be obtained. There is a slough of colors and prints available. All of them able to help keep both your yoga lessons safe, as well as your fashion statement intact.

Another plus side to yoga blankets, is that they are extremely affordable. From a price-point of ten dollars all the way to hundreds of dollars for designer yoga blankets. There is something for everyone with these handy yoga props. The only true unfortunate part of yoga blankets, is that they aren't as readily accessible as many would like. No mass-market retailer carries quality yoga blankets, instead offering cheap knock-offs. For this reason, you should trust in your local and online yoga specialty stores. They will often times giving you more bang for your buck, and a quality that you can't question. Quality is key for anything, and that would include yoga blankets as well.

While you are searching for the perfect yoga blanket, you can consider several alternatives. Not only in prints and colors, but fabrics and the way they are made as well. From your traditional factory manufactured yoga blankets, to a more environment friendly version made to be "green". So, with all of the choices available to you; why not select a couple for your new (or experienced) life in yoga?

Let us study the method in judo of creating centripetal pressure and of invigorating the waist and abdominal region. This is one of the best judo tips to learn.

a. When standing or sitting, keep your body erect without bending in any direction so as to put the center of gravity just above the center of the base.
b. Project the lower part of the abdomen to the front and the hips toward the back by bending the loins at the junction of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae (arching the lower back).
c. Form a right triangle with your legs and your feet when standing and with one foot and the lower half of the other leg when you have a knee on the ground in a squat-like position.

These conditions are fundamental to creating and preserving correct centripetal pressure.

When you stand in a position with your feet spread about shoulder-width, you are in natural posture, or shizen-hontai. Let us try a few experiments.

(1) Sit with your feet tucked under you, your thighs forming a right angle. Next, by breaking the right angle combination, put both knees together. You will notice that the force of the waist and abdominal region becomes weaker and the body less stable. Even a slight push can knock you down. This is because the muscles of that region cannot contract vigorously and harmoniously.

(2) Next, stand in a natural posture position. Break the right-angle combination, pointing toes in or out. You will find that you are less stable, while the force of your waist and abdominal region becomes weaker.

(3) Stand or sit as you wish, bending the loins forward as well as putting your center of gravity somewhere other than above the center of the base. You will find that you cannot give a strong and harmonious contraction to the muscles of the waist and abdominal region.

(4) Advancing a step further, let us see how we can strengthen the forces of the waist and abdominal region. This is another of the best judo tips you can learn. You can train these muscles if you sit or stand still for a long time, taking the postures described above. But the best method of training is to take advantage of the reaction produced when you step forward and drop one foot to the ground while still keeping the right-angle combination.

(5) Step forward with the knee bent and drop your foot quickly so that toes and heel touch the ground simultaneously. The advanced foot should make a right angle with the other foot. At this moment you can probably shout louder (from the abdomen) than when you are standing still, and the abdominal region becomes as strong and hard as stone. This shout in judo is called kiwi (pronounced "key-I"). The deep diaphragmatic outburst of air creates strong abdominal muscle force.

If you step out with the angle smaller than 90 degrees, the force of your step is weaker. The contraction of the muscles of the waist and abdominal region also decreases proportionately. The more vigorous the step, the stronger the correct centripetal pressure becomes. The less vigorous the step, the weaker the pressure.

By taking advantage of stepping out in this manner, you can give maximum contraction to the muscles of the waist and abdominal region, with the effect that these muscles can be strengthened by training. Eventually you will be able to produce a tremendous force in the waist and abdominal region with ease.

Take advantage of these judo tips, practice these exercises and your judo will improve.

It is important that you choose the most effective flatter tummy exercises. What do I mean by effective?

Well most people will knock out crunch after crunch, hoping that this will help to flatten their tummy. While the crunch is a good exercise,it is not the only tummy exercise that you should be focusing on.

You are either looking at trying to lose tummy fat, or getting some abs. The thing that many people tend to overlook, is that while tummy exercises are great for making the stomach stronger, and for shaping the abs, they are not considered to be tummy fat burning exercises.

If you are trying to lose some fat from your stomach, then you can do as many stomach exercises as you want, but not you or anybody else will ever see your abs, until you lose the fat that is covering them.

In order to lose the fat from your tummy, you will have to perform exercises which burn a lot of calories. This means doing some sort of cardio work. The type of cardio exercises that you do is entirely up to you, but choose something that you think you will be able to do on a regular basis.

There is no point going running if you hate running. There are a host of cardio exercises you can do from cycling, rowing, using a stepper aerobic exercise, and so on. Pick something that you think you are going to enjoy, and the bigger the chance that you will stick to it.

Flatter Tummy Exercises

The more the versatility in your tummy exercises, the more impressive the end result will be. Try to hit the stomach area from different angles, so your entire core area gets a good workout.

Seated crunch

This is a great exercise for the entire abdominal area. Sit on the end of a chair with your hands gripping the side of the chair. Lean back a little, keeping your legs together and straight. Now bring your knees up as high as you can, and then straighten your legs, keeping your feet off the floor through the whole movement.

The Plank

A simple but hard tummy exercise, as you will find out when you try it. Place yourself in a push up position, but instead of having your hands on the floor, you will rest on your forearms. So the only thing touching the floor are your feet and your forearms. Keeping your body straight, hold this position for as long as you can. Within minutes you will start to feel it working.

As you can see, the basic crunch or the sit up is not your only option. There are many other very effective flatter tummy exercises that you can do for a thinner waist and a flat tummy.

Are you interested in how to speed up your metabolism fast and efficiently? If so then you have arrived at the right place. You see in order to speed up your metabolic rate and to burn off those unwanted pounds you must engage in exercise that drastically increases your level of perceived exertion. To do this you have got to include kettlebell training into your workout formula. The following kettlebell exercise is a great drill for you to naturally increase your basal metabolic rate by helping you to pack on lean muscle.

Kettlebell thrusters are a great way to boost your metabolic rate. This particular kettlebell exercise can be performed with either a single or a pair of bells. To execute this particular exercise you will want to properly clean and rack the bell or bells to your chest. From here you are simply going to perform a kettlebell front squat while maintaining the balance and position of the bells in front of your body. As you descend into the squat try to lower yourself to a position so that your elbow or elbows touch the insides of your knees. This will ensure a good squat depth for the drill. As you ascend up out of the squat make sure that you lock out both your hips and knees. Once you have locked out then simply complete the lift by pressing the kettlebell overhead. Lower the bell back to the racked position at your chest to start the process for the next rep all over again. Once you knock out about 5 or 10 reps of these on each side you will quickly understand what I mean about increasing your level of perceived exertion. To further challenge yourself you can advance to doing timed sets when you get used to executing the lift in a comfortable manner.

If you haven't already taken the time to include kettlebell thrusters or other kettlebell lifts into your personal strength program then you are holding up your progress on rapidly speeding up your metabolism. Take the time to access the rest of my articles on the matter for free. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend. Give it a try!

How Low Will You Go?

In today's marketplace, most speakers are willing to negotiate their fees. Some drastically! Speakers who used to hold firm now waver.

It's almost always a mistake. Whether it's for a non profit organization or not, you are not a human charity. When an organization said to a colleague of mine "You understand we're a non profit organization", she replied, "Yes. And you understand I am not."

Some organizations persuade a speaker to knock down their fee to almost nothing and when the speaker is finally on hands and knees, say "Great. We'll send you out a request for proposal and we'll let you know at the end of the month." Well, now we know who's in the driver's seat and it's not you!

How has it come to this? What on earth has happened to this industry?

Speakers love to speak and that makes them vulnerable both to scams promising pie in the sky and also to unpaid or low paid gigs with the tantalizing prospect of possible future gigs. "But we'll get you in front of 500 executives who could hire you." Really? Forgive my scepticism. Occasionally, it's legit. Mostly, it isn't.

It's a meeting planners' job to organize a convention on as tight a budget as possible. It's your job to be aware of the lasting value you bring to your clients and what you bring to the table. It's also your job to stick to your fee.

The time to say yes is when you're just beginning to build your client list. The time to say no is when you have a solid client list and testimonials.

As Dr. Charles Petty so memorably said "I'm a speaker, not a beggar." Stick to your fee. You hurt your reputation and the whole speaking industry when you don't. This market will soon turn around. Organizations will soon understand that when they want the best, they'll have to book ahead and pay at least 50% in advance to hold the date. You do get what you pay for!

In the meantime, bump up your marketing package and preserve your branding and look for bookings in industries and countries that are doing well.

I'd love your feedback on this - have you found a creative way to handle the issue?

Have you caved in and regretted it? Have you said no and regretted it? What have you learned from the process?

Gouging, biting and headbutting are illegal in the ring, but they're perfectly acceptable in a street situation. True self defense technique are to brutal for any sort of sporting application. Unlike tournament fighting there are no agreements on the street as to what so called dirty techniques can or can not be used when one person attacks another. The attacker is not going to ask you if you are going to fight fair.

When you are attacked on the streets you may find you are fighting for your life and you must use whatever so called dirty techniques you can to survive. Many people who practice the martial arts think that the kicks, punches and throws they learn is all they will need to prevail in a street confrontation. When an attacker has a arm around your throat and is threatening you with a knife and the fighting techniques that you learned in the dojo are useless and will not get you out of the situation what will you do?

Use a chomping bite to the wrist and a smashing headbutt to their nose could be the answer for your release. Once you are free you can turn and quickly poke him in the the eyes and make your escape, this is survival of the smartest.

Yeah I know that having to resort to eye gouging, and other dirty fighting techniques are looked upon as not fair, but there is nothing fair about being attacked and your life put at risk by a punk who is out to rob you, or even worse, take your life to prove something to his gang members. The facts are when you are attacked and you must defend yourself, it is all about you or him, what I mean is someone is walking away from the confrontation and the other may be on their way to the hospital or worse the morgue.

The self defense techniques that you learned in a self defense class are good for using in the class and tournaments where there are rules. The techniques are controlled and the so called dirty techniques are not used because for them to work someone needs to get hurt. The facts are most good techniques used for self defense on the street are illegal to use in tournament sparring. The problem is that these "dirty" techniques can not be practice because they need to be pulled to avoid injury to the student and the full effectiveness of the technique is lost.

Because of the emphasis on clean techniques that can be used safely in sparring, many students and instructors totally overlook or ignore some of the best street defense techniques known to man. You need to train and be aware of how to use hair pulling, gouging, biting and headbutting techniques, because any one of these techniques could make the different between you walking away from an attack or you being carried away on a stretcher.

Many martial artist trains exclusively for one on one sparring in a controlled environment with rules and regulations, but fighting for your life is not a game. You must be prepared to use what ever it takes to disable or even kill an attacker in order to save your life, or the life of a loved one.

Hair pulling or grabbing is often referred to as Chancery in Western martial arts and boxing and is illegal in both sports. Hair pulling techniques can prove most valuable in a self defense situation. Yanking on an attackers hair can be quite painful and can help you gain release from a headlock, a rear restraint like a bear hug, or escape from a prone position when a attacker is straddling you as you lay on the ground.

You can use the hair grab as a way to hold an assailant head still as you get ready to deliver a blow to the head such as a palm smash, punch, headbutt, elbow smash or an eye jab. Grabbing the hair works will in the dark when it is difficult to judge the distance for a strike to the head. By grabbing his hair, you can steady his head and be able to judge the location of his jaw or temple quite accurately without having to see it.

If you are behind your attacker you can take him down by grabbing a handful of hair and jerking back as you kick the back of his knees. You can use the hair grab to pull your attacker over furniture, into a plate glass window or a brick wall, as well as holding his head for a headbutt or a rising knee smash to the face. If he has a beard with any length to it grab it and pull, where the hair goes the body follows like down a flight of stairs or into a ditch and so on.

The bone along the top ridge of the skull is extremely strong and makes a good weapon for headbutting by using the front or the back of the head to strike with. Some Asian and Western fighting arts have included the use of headbutting in their fighting styles, but the technique is seldom used during sparring matches. Old Chinese and Korean masters could drive nails into boards with their foreheads. The English even went as far as creating a system called knutting based on headbutting techniques.

Headbutting is an excellent close in weapon to use during grappling attempts or front or rear bear hugs. Headbutting works well when one is on the ground being straddled or during the act of rape. Just grab his hair and jerk his head down into your forehead repeatedly, striking his nose, jaw, temple and eye sockets. Avoid striking his mouth, if you can, to keep from getting cut by his teeth, although a strong headbutt to the mouth will split open his lips and knock out his teeth.

There is no need to strengthen your forehead by headbutting trees and concrete blocks, your head it is plenty strong enough and all you will do is get a headache. However you can practice thrusting your forehead into bean bags, or sandbags, hung from the ceiling to help you in your control and accuracy of your head thrust.

You should practice thrusting at the bean bag in a furry of 3,4,or 5 thrusts in rapid succession concentrating on focus and follow through. If you practice your head thrusts, when it comes time to use it, you won't feel the strikes as much and you will be able to control your strikes better.

When it comes to biting we humans are not endowed with the teeth that would make our teeth formidable weapons, never the less biting can be used to divert an attacker's attention, inflict severe pain, or help gain release from a specific hold. When you are attacked from the rear and your attacker puts his hand over or near your mouth you should be able to maneuver the upper or lower jaw enough to be able to get a good bite on the attacker's pinky or index finger. Chomping down hard on a finger or wrist could be enough of a distraction to allow you to break free, so you can escape

Biting can help you to disarm your attacker when you are attacked from the rear and they have a weapon to your throat. By pulling down on the hand that hold the weapon to your throat just a few inches you can bite down on his wrist hard enough to cause him to drop the blade and release his hold of you.

If you find yourself on the ground being raped wait for the first opening and sink your teeth into the attackers throat, testicles, tongue, or grab an ear and bite it off. It is not pretty but if you know that when he is finished taking his pleasure there is more hurt and pain coming what do you have to lose?

Another so called dirty technique is gouging of the eyes and it can result in watering of the eyes resulting in difficulty seeing or even in permanent blindness. Gouging is done with the thumbs placed over the eyes, using one or both thumbs, and is useful against someone choking you from the front, or when they start pushing you. To gouge the eyes grab the head with both hands fingers wrapping around to the back off the head, palms over or slight above the ears and the thumbs placed over the eyes and apply pressure to the eyeball squeezing the eyes back into the eye socket.

You can also grab the head as mentioned above and stick both thumbs in to the mouth on both sides of the lips between the teeth and the cheek and pull the cheeks back towards the ears ripping the attackers cheeks. You can practice on bean bags, sandbags or even get creative and use lumps of clay shaped into a simulation of a face with eyes and have at it.

Contrary to popular belief dirty fighting just does not come natural to most people. We are subconsciously socialized to believe fighting should be "fair" even though we intellectually realize there aren't any rules for the street criminal.

There is an old maxim that states; You will fight as you have been trained to fight. If this is true, then it becomes imperative for the martial artists to include "dirty" techniques in their training. The facts are your attacker will use every trick in the book and he will probably assume that you are the type of victim who won't resort to using ruthless methods.

Whether you end up in the emergency room or morgue instead of him may very well depend upon your willingness to practice and use the types of effective and dirty techniques covered in this article and other articles

On the street the only people who talk about dirty techniques are the victims. Think about it! Remember when it comes down to it, sometimes, the only thing standing between you and survival are your street smarts.

The perfect golf swing is of course a very personal thing to each individual golfer because of their size, weight, habits, experience etc but before I tell you what the golf swing proper technique is there are a few fundamentals you should get to grips with so you can better your golf swing immediately and start to make it a perfect one for you.

1. Don't try to smash the ball into next week.
   With a bad technique you could be smashing it again from the woods.


2. Keep your eye on the ball. Yes... pretty obvious but there are many golf ailments fixed by just simply doing this.


3. Practice. Don't head off to the driving range to knock the stuffing out of everything. There are many shots in golf, not just driving.

The Professional Golfer has near perfect accuracy and skill, but very few people will take into account the effort and countless hours of practice he or she has placed in the area of technique to achieve it.

Okay. The golf swing proper technique based on a right handed player is this:

Remember, before you go through this technique to line yourself up correctly with the flag by using a small object that runs directly between the ball and flag, a leaf or stone for example. Run an imaginary line from the ball to the flag through the object and take your stance parallel to this line with your club square behind the ball. You are set up for your shot.

1. Place the head of the club on the ground behind the ball, shaft in left hand lying across the top of the forefinger. Make sure it fits snug in the heel of your palm and you can wrap your little finger around the grip so there is no movement. Now place your right hand lower on the grip and fold your right hand over your left thumb. You will find the right thumb now naturally points to the right.


2. You now need to grip the back of your golf club and there are three types of grip to choose from. They are the Vardon Grip (also known as Overlapping Grip), the Interlocking Grip, and the Baseball Grip. The Vardon is the most popular grip but I suggest you read up more on each one and choose whichever feels best for you. Please note it would be wise to learn all three for better diversity of play.


3. Take a stance with your feet at approximately shoulder width apart which, along with the knees and hips, should be parallel to the target. Your right foot is placed straight at a right angle to the swing line, and left foot is slightly open making the body follow through the golf swing. Lean slightly forward at the waist, knees gently bent for flexibility. Your body weight should be slightly forward on the balls of the feet.


4. Address the ball and check your shoulder position is correct by placing the club in the centre of your chest, then lean forward from the waist, gently flexing and bending the knees. Lower your right shoulder until the club touches the inside of your left leg.


5. The back swing starts with the rotation of the body, not just the arms and hands, but also the shoulders, hips, waist and back which will stay at the correct angle and end up facing the flag with your weight on your right foot. The movement should be fluid and almost simultaneous with the hands maintaining grip throughout. Practice of this is preferable.


6. On the down swing, push your weight from right to left rotating the body and hips allowing your shoulders, arms and hands to power the golf club through impact. Your hips should then turn with the shoulders parallel to the ball and continue until the whole body is facing the target. Allow your right foot to move only after impact.

Do you have really painful knees?

Maybe you do not have the pain all the time, but when it kicks in the discomfort can get really intense. -Maybe you can relate?

We hope you are just reading this article as a way to help your friend that has knee discomfort,...but hey let's face it, you are probably the one with pain problems. Aren't you?

Everyday activities such as walking, jumping, and running can all contribute and lead to soreness or pain in the knees. Such discomfort will be even more apparent in people who may have had a previous knee injury or who excessively exercise. Knee discomfort can increase quickly and can hinder an individual so bad that they can not move about as they used to. Often times people have trouble getting up from a sitting or laying position, and in some instances can not stand on their feet for extended periods of time due to their pained knees.

When you experience discomfort like this or even begin to experience mild discomfort, you should immediately take a good hard look at your lifestyle and find the source behind your really painful knees. If you have experienced really painful knees then you know it can be a living nightmare! So, Let's do something about it.

How a Knee Brace can Help Really Painful Knees

A knee brace is a simple tool that can be purchased by anyone and can either be slipped on or wrapped around the knee. Once in place the brace will help protect the structures of your knee and will provide additional support, which in turn can actually help prevent many common knee pains and soreness. When used on a regular basis or while taking part in strenuous activities such as exercising or sporting events, a knee support can assist in preventing further injury.

If you do not suffer from really painful knees yet, but know you need careful then you should also consider these supports. They are very unobtrusive and are also very affordable. Taking preventive measures to protect your knees now, will save you from experiencing really painful knees in the near future.

It is always a good idea to discuss your condition with your physician of course. Sure we all know that is true, but if you think that you could benefit from improved support then you should seriously consider what this article has mentioned thus far, it could be the moment that your knees started to feel better without having to go in for an invasive surgical procedure or a trip to the ER down the line...

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that possesses both the characteristics of a vitamin and a hormone. It is necessary for growth, especially for normal growth and development of bones and teeth in children. It protects against muscle weakness and is involved in regulation of the heartbeat. It is also important in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and hypocalcemia. It enhances immunity and is necessary for thyroid function and normal blood clotting.

It can be found in three forms including vitamin D2 (ergocaliciferol) which comes from food sources, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) which is synthesized in the skin as a response to the exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, and a synthetic form vitamin D5. Vitamin D3 is considered the natural form and is the most active. Ergocaliciferol, the form we get from food, is not fully active and requires conversion by the liver and kidneys to become fully active. This is why people with liver or kidney disorders have a higher risk for developing osteoporosis.

Exposing the skin to the sun's ultraviolet rays causes a cholesterol compound in the skin to be transformed into a precursor of vitamin D. Exposing the face and arms to the sun for fifteen minutes three times a week is an effective way to ensure an adequate amount of vitamin D for the body. However, it has been found by researchers that the limited amount of sunlight during the winter months in the upper third of the U.S. continent cannot produce adequate amounts by exposure to sunlight. Therefore, supplementation is required to ensure adequate amounts during the winter months.

A severe deficiency of vitamin D can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Rickets results when the lack of vitamin D affects the body's ability to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Early signs of a deficiency include nervousness, painful muscle spasms, leg cramps, and numbness of the arms and legs. Eventually, malformations of the bones may develop due to bone softening. Bowed legs, knock-knees, scoliosis, a narrow rib cage, a protruding breastbone, and/or beading at the ends of the ribs as well as tooth decay, delayed walking, irritability, restlessness, and profuse sweating. Fortunately, rickets is now very rare in the U.S. It is usually seen in children aged six to twenty-four months.

Vitamin D deficiency in adults is referred to as osteomalacia and is most often related to the body's inability to properly absorb phosphorous and calcium. It is most likely to occur in pregnant women and nursing mothers, whose nutritional requirements are higher than normal, or individuals with malabsorption problems.

Osteomalacia may also affect people whose diets are extremely low in fat such that adequate bile cannot be manufactured and vitamin D cannot be absorbed. This condition can be caused by kidney failure. It is difficult to diagnose osteomalacia and it often misdiagnosed as osteoporosis.

Less severe deficiencies may result in loss of appetite, a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, diarrhea, insomnia, vision problems, and weight loss. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study which reported there are indications that vitamin D deficiency is much more widespread than previously thought. This is especially the case in older adults.

In a group of people who had few risk factors for deficiency, 57% were found to have below-normal levels of vitamin D and 67% of those who reported a vitamin D intake below the RDI had moderate to severe deficiencies. Vitamin D should be taken with calcium and avoid mega doses of vitamin D to avoid toxicity. Toxicity can occur from taking over 65,000 international units of vitamin D over a period of two years.

One fine Saturday afternoon you were minding your own business when you receive a knock on your door. You halt your usual potato chip munching session to see who in the world would have the gall to disturb you when you are so busy piling on the calories. You look at the envelope that was slid under your door and you discover the horrific truth: your mother just enrolled you in a year-long gym membership. You reel, you cry, you drop down on your knees because of the insult-you're a perfectly fit, 290 pound individual that needs no stupid gym to give you unreasonable fitness expectations!

Now seriously, your relatives are probably just worried about you. But if you really don't want to spend those countless hours pumping iron or sweating away at the treadmill while your money flows out like water from all the energy bars and isotonic drinks that you're buying. So if you really don't want that membership to continue, here are a few ways to cut loose:

- Have It Canceled: This is probably the most obvious way to end any kind of ties you have to that gym, and probably the best way to normally go about this business. The worst thing about this though is that you are sometimes required to pay a cancellation fee as well as your monthly dues. You may need to sign waivers and other documents before you're full steam ahead. So if you don't mind the momentary hassle, this is the best way to go.
- Wait It Out: A lot of gym memberships have this clause that if you keep you account inactive, they will cancel your membership altogether. In this case, just waiting it out will prove to be the best thing. You get to concentrate on other things you like while the gym admin does all the hard work for you.
- Buy Exercise Equipment: If you want to cancel your gym membership but still want to keep up the health-conscious lifestyle, you can consider buying your own gym equipment. You don't have to make a veritable gym out of your living space but knowing that you can still be healthy after you cancel your expensive membership is a very motivating thought.

Realistically there are an infinite number of Muay Thai Techniques that can't possibly be explained just in writing. Although reading about certain kickboxing techniques and how to do them will be beneficial and help you with your game, there is no substitute for practice at the gym, hitting the pads or kicking the bag.

So when reading through these basic muay thai techniques just keep in mind that you must practice these techniques and not just read about them to become competent and efficient in each and every move.

And you can't brag to your friends that you know muay thai just from reading about it, no one will respect you if you do... just keep that in mind.

First off before getting into detail about each muay thai technique, you should understand the 8 points of attack. In muay thai you have 2 fists, 2 elbows, 2 legs and 2 knees, all which are used to punch, elbow, kick and knee respectively. Easy enough right?

What should my stance look like?

If your just beginning and your unsure about how your stance should be, here's a tip... be in athletic fighting position (knees bent, hands up near your chin) and have your weaker leg slightly in front of your stronger leg about shoulder width apart.

For instance, if your a righty (orthodox stance) you should have your left leg forward... and vice versa if your a lefty.

Make sure your on the balls of your feet so your able to move freely without stumbling and expanding too much energy.

Punches

There are 4 basic punches when it comes to muay thai kick boxing... you have the jab, cross, hook and uppercut.

The Jab - is performed with your lead hand, or the one closest to your opponent. If your a righty, your jab will be with your left hand. The jab has many purposes are gauging distance, setting up a combination and frustrating your opponent, so its important to have a decent jab.

To jab you snap your arm out and keep it straight so its quick and decisive.

The Cross - is a power punch and it will be thrown with your stronger hand so naturally it will have more power behind it. A common combination to throw is a 1-2, or a jab-cross.

To throw a cross you snap your hips while extending your arm straight out towards your opponent. It's important to use your body and not just your arm when throwing your punches.

The Hook - is also a power punch and comes from the side to hopefully break your opponents guard. A common combination is the 1-2-3, or jab-cross-hook.

The hook can be thrown with your left or right, but in a fluent combination such as the 1-2-3, you usually will be alternating hands. For instance if your a righty you will jab with your left, cross with your right and then hook with your left.

When you hook your elbow is parallel to the floor so your punch is coming from a side angle and is aimed at the ear or chin of your opponent. Make sure to use your hips!

The Uppercut - is usually used when in closer range or when moving forward. It's key not to just use your arm when throwing any punch because otherwise it will lack power and not harm your opponent.

To throw an uppercut you punch vertically upwards and try to hit underneath the chin or solar plexus. It's an effective punch because it comes at a different angle from other punches and is hard to see.

Elbows

Elbows are a unique and dangerous form of attack and are one of the most essential kickboxing techniques to learn. It can be used as a glancing blow to cut your opponent or used as a power move to break your opponents nose or clock him on the chin.

Elbows are thrown in a hook, uppercut and overhand motion. So the hip movements are just like punching but your leading with your elbows rather than your fists.

Knees

Knees are great for attacking the body and doing damage while in the clinch. Just like any other punch/kick/elbow make sure your using your hips and thrusting your body into the movement.

It's important to stand up on your toes and step forward into the attack with your hands up. As you throw your knee make sure your head is back to stay away from counter punches.

Kicks

Muay Thai kicks are essential to becoming efficient at muay thai kick boxing. When you kick your power comes from your hips. Your toes are your pivot point, so make sure your up on your toes when throwing muay thai kicks. You want to land kicks with your shin not your foot.

Roundhouse - The roundhouse has 3 targets, the legs (inner and outer), the ribs, and the head. To throw kicks takes practice, especially with the weaker leg... for you have to switch your stance for a second to throw with your weak leg.

You swing your leg against the target while your hips and torso are twisted in the same direction.

Push Kick - The push kick is used almost like a jab. It keeps your opponent at bay and can knock them off balance. You lift up on your toes and use your front foot (for a quicker attack) to push at your opponents sternum.

Clinches/Throws

Unlike western boxing the clinch is one of the most important muay thai techniques to know because it is often where most of the damage is done throughout the context of a fight. While in a clinch your trying to keep your head up to stay away from knees, and at the same time trying to knee your opponent in his side of stomach.

Your able to throw your opponent to the ground as well, but not allowed to use hip throws or sweeps.

The key is to stay relaxed!

Like I said before muay thai techniques can't be learned by just reading about them, they must be learned by performing them. To become proficient at kickboxing techniques you must practice all the 8 points of attack with 100% effort 100% of the time.

One of the most common injuries in football is an injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL). The MCL holds the inside of your knee together, and keeps your leg from collapsing inwards. This ligament can be damaged by a blow to the outside of the knee pushing inwards. MCL strains and tears are fairly common in football. Mostly the center and the guards are ones who get this injury, due to the grip trend on their cleats (sometimes a helmet hits their knee). The number of football players who get this injury has increased in recent years. Usually the player can continue playing, perhaps with a brace.

Since most sports are full contact sports, injuries are common among players, especially football players. Of course, any sport has its number of injury to players. However, there are ways to prevent them while playing. If you're prone to knee injuries, then wearing a knee brace is one way to help prevent any injury to your knees. Another way is to properly warm the muscles and joints before you start playing, especially football since it is such a contact "knock em' down" sport.

Using stretching routines will warm up the muscles nicely before any type of sport specially the ligaments in your legs and arms. Ligaments are the easiest to injure no matter what sport you're playing. Muscles take more of the impact if you're playing football, but you can still end up with pulled muscles if they aren't warmed properly.

Besides doing stretching exercises you should also include some of these exercises into your warm up routine:

Do at least 10 reps of each:

Knee hugs - bring knees up to your chest

Backward lunge - step back on the toes of your foot

Forward lunge - step forward on the heel of your foot

Lateral squats - instead of down squats, squat to the side

Adding these to your normal warm up routine will warm up the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints. Stretching, of course, are the best to warm up the legs and arms, so you don't acquire any injuries. Even jogging can cause injury if you don't warm up the body first. If you're playing football, then warm-up routines are quite necessary to prevent injury.

In addition, wearing a knee brace can help prevent the twisting motion that causes the damage. Though, wearing a knee brace is a little awkward to begin with, the more you practice wearing it, the easier it will be to play with it on your knee. There has been great advancement in the industry of athletic knee braces, making it easier to help prevent these common injuries.

Nutritional therapy is the science and philosophy of utilizing the healing power of nature and using it in a positive way, not only to cure illness but also to prevent it altogether. Nutritional therapy supports the self-healing process and avoids the use of chemical medicines wherever possible, although in some case technical intervention is needed and conventional medicine still saves lives. Nutritional therapy uses dietary methods, vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies, for the treatment to prevent ill health.

Through history many eminent figures embraced the nutritional medicine movement. Irwin Stone, Frederick Klenner, Linus Pauling and Carl Pfeiffer, each of these respected doctors and scientists fully supported the use of nutrition as a treatment for disease. Adam Hoffer, an eminent psychiatrist, believed that large doses of nutrients could have a beneficial effect on conditions like schizophrenia, many skeptics frowned at this, but he experienced a lot of success, and research of his methods and practices continues today.

Nutritional therapists recognize that even a minor deficiency can become a chronic or even an acute condition. A healthy immune system can destroy an isolated cancer cell, however if the immune system is weakened by nutritional deficiency the cancer-causing agent can mutate and develop into full blown non-curable cancer. Nutritional therapists, unlike orthodox nutritionists and doctors, believe that nutritional deficiency are extremely common we cannot assume that a modern diet is capable of building and maintaining a healthy body and mind.

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The first stage of digestion is in the mouth our food is mixed with saliva and must be well chewed. Saliva contains the enzyme called 'salivary amylase' which starts of the process of starch digestion.

The second stage is when the food leaves the stomach and enters the duodenum the acidity stimulates the liver and pancreas to release bicarbonate. This makes the food more alkaline.

In the third stage the alkaline created in the second stage is needed for the liver and gall bladder to release bile salts. Bile salts help to emulsify and reduce fat droplets. The alkaline also triggers the pancreas into action, which releases its own digestive enzymes.

Amylase for starch digestion
Protease for protein digestion
Lipase for fat or lipid digestion

In stage four components are, in a healthy person, then absorbed through the wall of the duodenum and small intestine into the bloodstream in the case of sugars and amino acids or into the lymphatic system in the case of fats. Blood then carries the nutrients to the tissues where assimilation can begin and the nutrients can be used for their various purposes in the maintenances of the body system.

Vitamins are absorbed from food in a similar way. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are absorbed along with the fats in the lower part of the intestines. The water-soluble vitamins are absorbed from the upper part of the intestine, the jejunum, with the exception of Vitamin B12, which must be combined with a protein called 'intrinsic factor' secreted by the stomach. In the case of minerals, some forms of minerals require an acid environment for absorption. Absorption rates can vary from nutrient to nutrient, and individual to individual.

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Nutritional therapists agree that a diet consisting of fresh food, which is unrefined, minimally processes an lightly cooked to preserve the maximum nutrients is the best for health. In order to protect itself from disease the body has its own built in security system, the immune system.

The immune system is a complex network of on lymphocytes these are white blood cells formed in the lymph tissue, macrophages which are large scavenger white blood cells, antibodies that are proteins that can react with specific germs and tiny neutrophils, basophiles andeosinophils.

The immune system is an amazing system that when working properly has the ability to kill off invading cells a good diet is vital for the systems health and performance. If the immune system does not receive a wide variety of vitamins and minerals it is unable to perform all its tasks properly.

Apart from a shortage all the vitamins and minerals there are other factors which can damage the immune system these include processed foods (white flour, sugar oils and margarine) these can block immune system functions. Studies have shown that just one teaspoon of sugar in an infection will reduce neutrophil phagocytosis by 50% within half an hour and the effects last up to five hours. Fats and cholesterol levels are raised and antibody response is slow and phagocytosis inhibited. Fasting has been shown to increase phagocytosis by up to 50%.

THE THYMUS GLAND

The thymus gland responsibility is to make sure that T-cells form and perform correctly. Thymus hormones keep the lymph nodes on their toes by reminding them of their function are to fight bacteria and reject foreign cells.

Nutrients that stimulate thymus function are:

Arginine an amino acid
Vitamins A, C, E, and B6
Selenium
Zinc
Magnesium.

BETA CAROTENE

Beta Carotene is an extremely powerful antioxidant, which protects the thymus against damage and shrinkage. Beta Carotene strengthens immune barriers, the skin and mucous membranes, and increases killer T-cell activity. Although beta-carotene is a form of vitamin A, the safety margin for its supplementation is much higher as it is relatively non-toxic. Studies have shown that gross excess of this nutriment may lead to a lower level of vitamin E status. Vitamin A is found in foods of animal origin but its precursor beta-carotene is present in fruit and vegetables

Deficiency symptoms, spinal infections, respiratory infections, scaly skin and scalp, poor hair and sight, pain in the eyeballs and dry eyes, eye ulceration, burning and itching eyes.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin is known as L-ascorbic acid, anti-scorbutic acid and ascorbyl palmitate.
This vitamin improves the rate of all immune cell production. Vitamin C completely protects blood fats against free radicals. It is an anti-oxidant, promotes iron absorption from food, maintains healthy collagen, provides resistance to infection, controls blood cholesterol levels, makes folic acid active and produces anti-stress hormones.

Deficiency symptoms include weakness and lassitude, muscle and joint pains, irritability, bleeding gums and gingivitis, loosening of the teeth.

Best sources of vitamin C are Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, watercress, cabbage, mustard tops, all other fruit and vegetables.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin it occurs naturally as cholecalciferol D3 found only in foods of animal origin. It is also known as the sunshine vitamin as substantial amounts are produced in the skin by the action of the sun. Vitamin D promotes absorption of calcium and phosphate from the food.

Deficiency symptoms include rickets, Osteomalacia, tetany, osteoporosis, celiac disease, allergies, depression and anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and over-activity. Vitamin D is a detoxifying agent in lead, mercury, aluminium and cadmium poisoning. Cold and flu.

Best sources of vitamin D are cod liver oil, kippers, mackerel, canned salmon, tuna, eggs and milk.

VITAMIN E

Known as tocopherol it is a fat-soluble vitamin it functions as an antioxidant, reduces oxygen needs of muscles. It is an anti-blood clotting agent, blood vessel dilator and maintains healthy blood vessels.

Deficiency symptoms in children: Irritability, water retention hemolytic anemia. In adults: Lack of vitality, lethargy and apathy, lack of concentration, irritability and muscle weakness and decreased sexual interest.

Best sauces of vitamin E are cod liver oil, roasted peanuts, olive oil, green leaf vegetables, pulses, tomatoes, meats, fruits and root vegetables.

VITAMIN B1

Water-soluble vitamin. It is a member of the Vitamin B complex. B1 is also known as thiamine. It acts as coenzyme in converting glucose into energy in muscles and nerves.

Deficiency symptoms include easily fatigued, muscle weakness, loss of appetite and nausea. Digestive upsets and constipation, impaired memory and lack of concentration, tender calves, tingling and burning in the toes and soles.

Best sauces of vitamin B1 are brown rice, wheat germ, nuts, wheat bran, Soya flour, oat flour, wholegrain and whole meal bread.

VITAMIN B2

Water-soluble vitamin has a strong yellow color, enough to cause high-colored urine but is harmless. Vitamin B2 acts as a coenzymes flavin mononucleotide and flavin dinucleotide in converting protein, fats and sugars into energy. It is needed to repair and maintain body tissues and mucous membranes. Acts in conversion of tryptyphane to nicotinic acid along with vitamin B6.

Deficiency symptoms are bloodshot eyes and feeling grit under eyelids, tired eyes, sensitive to light, cracks and sores in the corners of the mouth, inflamed tongue and lips, scaling of the skin around the face, hair loss, trembling, dizziness, insomnia and slow learning.

Best sauces of vitamin B2 are cheese, eggs, wheat bran, meats, Soya flour, yogurt, milk, green vegetables and pulses.

VITAMIN B6

B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, member of the vitamin B complex, known as pyridoxine
Vitamin B6 is needed for formation of nerve impulses, blood formation, energy production, anti-depressant and anti-allergy.

Deficiency symptoms include splitting of the lips and inflamed tongue, scaly skin on the face, inflamed nerve endings, migraine, mild depression and irritability. Breast discomfort and swollen abdomen. Puffy finger and ankles.

Best sauces of vitamin B6 are wheatgerm, wheat bran, oatflakes, Soya flour, bananas, wholewheat, nuts, meats, fatty fish, brown rice, potatoes, vegetables and eggs.

VITAMIN B12

Contains cobalt this is why it is known as cobalamin. Water-soluble vitamin. It is a member of the vitamin B complex. Known as anti-pernicious anemia vitamin. Needs unique mechanism involving specific protein in the stomach called Intrinsic Factor and Calcium.

Deficiency symptoms include smooth, sore tongue. Nerve degeneration causing tremors. Psychosis and mental deterioration. Hand pigmentation in colored people. Typical symptoms of anemia.

Best sauces of vitamin B12 are beef, lamb, white fish, eggs and cheese.

VITAMIN K

Fat-soluble vitamin, derived from coagulation (Danish) Occurs naturally in foods as vitamin 1, also as anti-hemorrhagic vitamin. Intestinal bacteria produce it as vitamin K2. Synthetic vitamin is K3,

Deficiency causes in babies poor transfer of vitamin across placenta in pregnancy, low levels in human milk. Sterile intestines. In adults, malabsorption of fats, lack of bile salts. Celiac disease, antibiotic therapy and live disease of all kinds

Best food sources: Cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, string beans, meat, potatoes and pulses (beans).

CALCIUM

Calcium is a very important mineral it is present in the skeleton and teeth, in the nerves, muscles and blood. Calcium in the blood is essential in the process of blood clotting. In the nerves, muscles, including the heart, it is necessary for nerve impulse transmission and good muscle function. Assists in the process of blood clotting, controls blood cholesterol levels and assists in the absorption of vitamin B12

Deficiency symptoms are in children rickets, excessive sweating of the head, and poor ability to sleep, constant head movements, bowlegs, knock-knees and pigeon breast. In adults Osteomalacia, bone pain, muscle weakness, delayed healing of fractures, which is also a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.

Best food sauces are hard cheese, soft cheese, canned fish, nuts, pulses, root vegetables, cereals, fruits, whole-meal flour, fresh fish, and human milk.

MAGNESIUM

The name is derived from the Greek city of Magnesia where there are large deposits of magnesium carbonate. The functions of magnesium are for growth, cofactor in hormones, and cofactor in many body processes including cell replication and energy production. Co factor in vitamins B1 and B6.

Deficiency symptoms are weakness, vertigo, tiredness, convulsions and nervousness, muscle cramps. Tongue jerks, hyperactivity in children, irregular heartbeat, palpitations and low blood sugar.

Best food sauces are Soya beans, nuts, whole-wheat flour, brown rice, whole-meal bread, rye bread, dried fruits, vegetables, meats bananas and green leaf vegetables.

MANGANESE

Manganese is an essential trace element its functions are growth, maintaining healthy nervous system. It is a co factor in energy production, female sex hormones and for vitamin B, C and E. It is important for development and maintenance of healthy bones.

Deficiency symptoms: diabetes, heart disease, schizophrenia, muscle wasting and weakness and rheumatoid arthritis.

Best food sauces are cereals, whole-meal bread, nuts, pulses, fruit, green leaf vegetables, root vegetables, meat and fish.

SELENIUM

The name is derived from the moon goddess Selene it is an essential trace mineral needed for the preservation of normal liver function, protects against toxic minerals, promotes male sexual reproductive capacity in production of prostaglandin's, maintains healthy eyes and sight, healthy hair and skin. Maintains healthy heart. May protect against cancer. Protects the body as an anti-oxidant. Works with vitamin E in the production of ubiquinone.

Deficiency symptoms are Keshan Disease and White Muscle Disease.

Best food sauces. Fish and muscle meat whole-grains and cereals, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.

Dr. Thienna Ho was born in Saigon, Vietnam, in April of 1968, just three months after Viet Cong Forces attacked that city during the infamous Tet Offensive. Eleven years later, her family fled communist Vietnam in a 50-foot wooden boat carrying 285 passengers. During their harrowing ocean voyage to Indonesia, this vessel was attacked five times by pirates. Less than a year later, Dr. Thienna's family immigrated to the United States and settled in San Francisco. She went on to earn a number of academic degrees, including a BA in Economics, a BS in Microbiology, a Graduate Certificate in Genetic Engineering, an MA in Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in Scientific Nutrition. She also has performed significant additional study in the fields of chemistry, biology, and molecular biology.

Dr. Thienna is the founder of THIENNA, INC. She is the World Leading Authority on Human Skin Color. After seven years of independent scientific research, Dr. Thienna solved one of the most enduring mysteries on earth that had intrigued scientists for centuries-the causes for the variation in human skin color! She is here to talk about that work and her new book "Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color."

Tyler: Welcome, Thienna. I have to admit I'm very curious to talk to you because you claim in your book that people have the ability to change or control the color of their skin. To begin, will you tell us how you first discovered this possibility?

Thienna: Thank you for having me here today. It is a treat. Tyler, this question is a very emotional one for me to answer as my mother just passed away last year and I want you and everyone to know how much I love her regardless of what I am about to say. I must admit I am very embarrassed to say this, but I was envious of my mother and siblings for having been born with beautiful light complexions, and I was the only child born with dark skin in the family. Since I was about four years old, I already knew that neighbors and friends always praised them for their beautiful fair skin but not mine. I learned at an early age from my family that my dark skin looked "dirty and unclean"-because my skin tone was so uneven that I counted at least seven distinct shades and the skin on my elbows, knees, feet, and ankles was embarrassingly alligator-like, rough, thick and dark ashen gray in color. I actually hated my skin. Every time, I looked at my mother, I longed to have her beautiful fair skin.

During my adult years here in the U.S., I tried every skin product under the sun to lighten and even out my total body complexion, but these products only darkened my skin color even more! When I was studying microbiology at San Francisco State University as an undergraduate student and genetic engineering as a graduate student, I was disappointed to discover that scientific research had not reached the stage that would help me to alter my skin color. I was so frustrated that I made it my mission to learn everything I could about the science of the human skin so that I could solve my own skin problems and eventually help others who had the same problems that I did and this was how I solved the mystery of human skin color.

Many people are skeptical that I was born dark. I must say I had to have a problem to solve a problem and to passionately see the world the way I see. People said, "Vietnamese people are not dark" and if I were dark it was because I must be hanging out in the sun! And when I moved here, the weather is colder so I would naturally get lighter or get back to my natural color. Well, this did not apply to my case. See the photos in my book and on my website http://thienna.com/thiennaphotos.html of when I was 12 years old and a photo taken with my brother when I was 18 years old. There was not much of a difference in my skin color after six years of living in the U.S. and I did not expose myself to the sun. Even when I was 30 years old, my skin color was the same from avoiding the sun.

In my book, I will prove to you that genetic heritage, solar radiation, and how close you live to the equator, do not have as important an influence on the development of skin color as we previously believed. You will learn that not all people native to the equator are jet black and not all people native to the Polar Regions are exactly white. Thus, living under a sun-deprived environment will not guarantee the development of light skin. You can cover your body up all you want and avoid the sun; you will still be dark unless you know my method!

Tyler: And what is the secret, Thienna? How does a person change his or her skin color?

Thienna: One of the most important factors in the determination of skin color and one that is commonly overlooked is the amount of sulfur in your skin. When skin of any color has less sulfur available for its use, it develops a darker shade. When skin of any color has plentiful supplies of sulfur available for its use, it develops a lighter shade. Thus, by changing the amount of sulfur in the pigment-producing layer of your skin, you can change your skin color!

What I must point out here is we need sulfur to survive. Sulfur is a natural mineral that is as fundamental to life as water and salt are. It is the eighth most abundant chemical element in all life forms and the third most abundant mineral in your body. You cannot live without it. Sulfur is found in every cell in your body. Your body needs sulfur to create skin, hair, nails, muscles, bones, and teeth. Without sulfur, your body cannot regulate its blood sugar or transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. Your body also requires sulfur to digest, absorb fat, and to excrete cholesterol. Therefore, factors in your lifestyle and diet do affect the amount of sulfur that your body uses.

In my book, I teach people how to enrich their diet with sulfur-rich foods and how to adopt behavior patterns that will maintain high sulfur levels in the body in order to lighten one's skin color or to maintain a flawless complexion.

Tyler: Thienna, I admit I've never heard sulfur discussed when we talk about minerals and vitamins and our body's makeup. Why haven't we heard more about sulfur in the past? What is an example of a sulfur-rich food?

Thienna: Sulfur is not extensively studied in human nutrition. It is solely required by your body to neutralize and eliminate toxins to keep you HEALTHY! Your survival depends, I believe, strictly on how well you combat poisons/toxins before they damage your tissues which could potentially lead to chronic illnesses or cancers and what not. It is one of the most overlooked essential nutrients for our body. Why we have not heard of it? Haha... That is a great question. Example of a sulfur-rich food is cabbage.

Tyler: You said a person's distance from the equator doesn't make a difference in their skin color. Are the diets of certain people, such as Europeans, more full of sulfur than those of people in Africa? Is geography in any way responsible for skin color?

Thienna: Diet and lifestyle of the Europeans play a good part in the development of their skin color but more importantly the secret is in the book. There is a loophole that helps them save more sulfur for the body.

Geography is not at all responsible for the outcome of skin color. Take for instance, 2 population groups: one lives at 4,500 feet above sea level and the other at 8,000 feet above sea level where every 1,000 feet, there is a 6% increase in the intensity of UV radiation. You would assume that the group that lives at 8,500 feet would have darker skin but this is not the case. As a matter of fact, the group who lives at 8,500 feet has white skin and the group who lives at 4,500 feet above sea level has brown skin. I am referring to the cases in my book-the Hotan and the Hunzakuts. These are not isolated incidences. There is no lack of variation in human skin color no matter where you look. To sum up, as long as the sulfur intake outweighs the toxin intake, light skin development is favored regardless and visa versa.

Tyler: Thienna, how radical of a color change is possible? Can a South African be made to look like someone from Finland or vice-versa?

Thienna: From my own research and feedback from people who have been practicing my Natural Fairskin Method for the past 2 years, people got many shades lighter, like myself. For example, they can go from a brown to a light brown, a dark olive to a light olive and light olive to the light range in a period of 12 to 18 months. As for me, I have been practicing my method for 7 years; I was able to go from a dark olive to the light range. As of today, I cannot say that my Natural Method can make a South African to look like someone from Finland or vice-versa because people are still testing the method and only time will tell.

Tyler: What sort of evidence is there that this change is possible?

Thienna: There are many intriguing scientific evidences in my book, which show you that skin color is not fixed and the skin lightening process could be a very recent phenomenon (recent would mean a few thousand years). Take for instance, recent genetic research showing that the ancestors of modern Germanic people did not have light skin. Visual evidence left by artists 10,000 years ago from caves in France show men with dark brown skin hunted light brown deers. Other fascinating evidence can be seen in recent research of short lived creatures! Believe it or not, research showed that even a single nutrient can affect the color development of the furs or coats of animals! You have to wait and read my Nature's Proof from my book. It will knock your sock off!

I am also a proof right here and people who have used my method can testify to this too. And whether you have used my method or not, you may have unknowingly directed the development of your own skin color to a certain degree! Some people do get lighter with age and some people get darker with age.

Tyler: You claim to have lightened your own skin. Will you tell us a little bit about this change and how much of a change you actually made?

Thienna: Well, people often thought that I was Cambodian but now they think that I am Japanese. It is definitely a visible change! I do apologize if I offended anyone with labels. I must say skin color is one of the hardest and most touchy subjects to talk about and I am always in the line of fire. I hope people will understand where I came from, why I did it, and not be judging me before they read my book. I am glad I was born into this perfect situation which has propelled me to solve one of the most puzzling scientific mysteries on earth.

Tyler: What are the most common reasons why people use this change of skin color?

Thienna: For esthetic reasons and I will leave it at that. It is the same like someone likes to have a tan.

Tyler: Thienna, without meaning to offend anyone, may I ask if people have reacted to your work as having some sort of racist agenda?

Thienna: Absolutely! They think my work is evil. As evil as the theory of evolution! As you know, science has no moral judgement. If we stray from logic, we cannot solve anything.

Tyler: That's a perfect response, Thienna. Of course, we have heard of white men who dress as black men to see if they are treated differently. In your own experiences, have people treated you differently than they used to because of your lighter skin? May I ask why you think your family even made your skin color an issue?

Thienna: Tyler, this is a very interesting question indeed. To be honest, in my own experiences, I never had any problems whatsoever with how people treated me when I had a dark complexion. People genuinely love me and I can feel their love and kindness. However, it is strange enough to say, but many women just do not like me when I am lighter. I am sure it is nothing new whether I am dark or light, there is a war among women since eons which I will not go into. As for men of color, I will not comment on this as I can only listen, learn, and provide solutions that would help us all.

Again, I love my mom greater than the ocean, the sky, and the stars altogether and I would go to the ends of the earth for her in life and in death. When she left me, she took my heart and my soul. My mom is my everything but she is not without flaws. As to my dark skin color, I truly believe it was not intentional and not directed toward me at all. But if you are growing up hearing how dark skin is dirty, eventually, you know you are dirty as well. That is as much as I want to share for now. Maybe one day I will tell my story. I must say I am proud of myself. With struggles come rewards. I would not change anything and I don't have any regrets. Although I do hold grudges through eternity. Anyway, this is the spice of life. I live, learn and see life with all its beauty and its ugliness. This is what makes life the more interesting and beautiful.

Tyler: What methods can be used for people who are aging, concerned with such signs of old age as liver spots?

Thienna: They can practice my Natural Fairskin Method and their liver spots will naturally lighten. My Natural Fairskin Method utilizes diet and lifestyle alone without the use of toxic chemicals, drugs, or steroids to undo any skin problems. Some may say...well, I do not want to get lighter than I already am. I want to emphasize that you need sulfur to keep your skin clear and vibrant. To have a therapeutic skin lightening effect, you need a lot and I mean a lot more sulfur in your diet. In a nutshell, if you have a great surplus of sulfur in the body after the body uses the sulfur for all the necessary biological processes, the sulfur can then be allocated to your skin. Skin lightening is a side effect of a high sulfur intake. This is why you can control your own skin color development depending on how much sulfur you give your body and how much you save for use by your skin. If you do not want your skin to lighten, do not eat too much sulfur! But eat enough to keep your skin nice and clear into your old age!

Tyler: What about people who have suffered from serious skin damaged from sun exposure over the years. Is there hope for them?

Thienna: Damaged skin, either from toxic chemicals, poisons generated from the body or sun-damaged skin, is very difficult to correct. However, people can use my method to undo the damage to their skin to a large degree and restore its youthful vibrancy. Using toxic chemicals to correct the damaged skin may make the situation worsen in many cases. Chemical peels and other methods such as microdermabrasion may help correct the damaged skin to some degree but people still need to change from the inside out so the underlying problems will not surface again.

Remember, what you put in your body, on your body, or what affects your body from your environment will affect the mechanism that controls your skin health and its color. It does not matter where the source comes from; in the end, toxin is toxin and the body will use sulfur to clear toxins from the body, leaving less sulfur for the skin which in turn affects your skin health.

Tyler: Having a tan and using tanning salons has been a big fad in the United States in recent years, yet we are constantly warned about skin cancer. Is there another way to tan the skin naturally?

Thienna: Yes. There is a chapter in my book about how to use diet to tan your skin naturally. There is no need to expose your skin to the dangerous UV rays! Indigenous people of the world are always darker than their modern counterparts in the developed world. You will have to read the book to see what they do to achieve their dark complexions and maintain their dark complexion for thousands of years even if they live in sun deprived environment!

Tyler: In referring to indigenous people, did you find in your research that any previous cultures had the knowledge you have found-that some ancient culture perhaps had worked out the secret of skin color?

Thienna: Definitely ancient cultures do have the wisdom and the knowledge as to how to keep their skin color light but they do not know why scientifically. For instance, to make the skin lighter, ancient Egyptian women bathed themselves in milk. The Tibetans would avoid eating butter, the South Indians would avoid drinking black tea, for the Chinese, don't eat too much soy sauce if you don't want skin of the same color, etc...

In this book, I show you the science behind "the how." Any questions that you were curious before are all in this book. Even if the answers are not written in this book, the book will speak for itself effortlessly.

I have to point out that sulfur has been used since the ancient times to treat skin ailments. What I found that was truly interesting to me was how sulfur is portrayed in Ancient Christianity. Christianity conceptualized sulfur as the fuel that produces the fire of hell and in the New Testament, Hell is called the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Sulfur was known in the ancient time as a substance that cleanses pollution and purifies the sin.

Tyler: Thienna, you also comment that the poorest countries tend to have the darkest skinned people. Why is this?

Thienna: Your body's toxin-clearing mechanisms greatly depend on sulfur... Meaning whatever you put in your body, on the molecular level, it will affect your sulfur status. Changes in your skin color are the result from changes in your environment, diet, behavior, lifestyle, culture, tradition, cooking methods and emotional and psychological factors such as stress.

I discovered that, everything else being equal, a population group exposed to relatively low levels of toxins over a long period of time will have a lighter skin color than a comparable group exposed to high levels of toxins over the same period. Toxins rob the body of sulfur, which leaves less sulfur for the skin.

This is why skin color is not uniform within a population group either. This is difficult for me to say but the wealthy, high status people often have a lighter complexion than the less wealthy people even if they share the same genetic makeup. City people are also lighter than their ethnic counterparts. This is not just my observation but skin scientists also observed this phenomenon. (I must warn people about our discussion. It could be really disturbing?.

Tyler: You promise, Thienna, to give us the answers to some intriguing questions, including why do some African-American celebrities seem to get lighter over time. I have to ask, what do you think has happened to Michael Jackson's skin color?

Thienna: Some African-American celebrities do get lighter over time because money and status take a load of stress off their body, mind, and soul. They eat and live well and also do what they passionately love. Fewer toxins bombarded their bodies. Thus, these factors naturally enhance the development of lighter skin color. When we do not have money, it does not come with just the emotional and psychological stress of everyday life but we eat cheap and malnourished foods laden with toxins. (If you listen to the latest news...foods and merchandises from cheap retail outlets are packed with poisons!-I'm not going to name names-and who are the buyers?) Our skin naturally gets darker with time and if we keep on this pattern from one generation to the next, the skin of population groups just get darker and darker overtime until it reaches equilibrium. Let me explain something very important here. Most of us are taught as a fact that the sun is one of the major contributing factors that affects how your ancestors and you develop your skin color and that is...the closer you live to the equator the darker your complexion and the closer you live to the North Pole the lighter your complexion. This is not so! Skin color is not uniform worldwide wherever you look. You can remove the sun altogether and you still evolve to have a dark complexion. Other factors mentioned above (diet, lifestyle, behavior, culture, and tradition) can have as much or greater an influence on the development of skin color than the sunrays and not to mention genetics!

As for Michael, I do not know him but I will say this... Michael would have naturally gotten lighter by many, many shades over time with his money and power. That is all I can comment on about Michael.

Tyler: I have to admit when I first heard about your book, I felt skeptical about the matter. Will you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you put into the book so we are more convinced?

Thienna: The findings presented in "Unlocking The Mystery of Skin Color" are the results of my extensive research in the fields of molecular biology, chemistry, genetics and nutrition as well as my own personal observations and experiences. I applied the strict standard of scientific method to solve my skin problems and my research is backed by over 500 reputable scientific sources. The advantage of applying the scientific method is that it is unprejudiced. My results are reproducible by anyone who wants to determine whether my results are true or false in human or even animal models. Since 2005, many people worldwide have applied my method and they got the same results as I did. I am very confident to say that I did it. I solved the mystery of skin color!

Tyler: Thienna, who has been your biggest influence?

Thienna: I have to say that my dad has the biggest influence on me. Because I was born with a dark complexion, my dad always pushed me harder than my other siblings to sharpen my mind. He provided all the vehicles for me to excel since I learned to walk-from music, sport, dance, and down to my education. He made me believe in myself-an immeasurable value that helps me excel both in work and in life.

Tyler: Thank you, Thienna, for joining me today and sharing these amazing techniques to change skin color. Before we go, will you tell us what additional information about "Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color" readers might find at your website?

Thienna: At my website (www.thienna.com), people can find additional information about my company, what I do and of course questions and answers about the book from readers. I also provide nutritional supplements to assist individuals to obtain a healthy, clearer, and brighter complexion...that is if people cannot follow my Natural Fairskin Diet strictly, they can supplement their diet with my dietary sulfur.

Tyler: Thank you, Thienna, for the fascinating information. I wish you lots of luck in your continued research.

The scouting process for the draft runs primarily from September through mid- April. The athletic testing portion of the evaluation process takes center stage starting in February. However, how NFL draft prospects perform in actual football games is what matters most. Here is a closer look at some of the notable prospects in the Notre Dame- Michigan State contest and their impact on the outcome:

TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame, Senior: The big Irish tight end did not catch a pass (1 drop and drew 1 pass interference penalty), but contributed in other ways. Eifert gave effort as a blocker and helped Notre Dame ice the win in the 4th quarter with a good seal block on a 4th and 1 run. He is not a punishing blocker, but Eifert can bend his knees and has some tenacity. Notre Dame did not look his way very often in the passing game. Notre Dame moved him around a bunch, but was content to throw elsewhere. The team's freshman quarterback spread the ball around a lot and did not force the ball to Eifert. The talented tight end might have been less than full strength after sustaining a mild concussion the previous week against Purdue.

ILB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, Senior: Te'o led an impressive Irish defense with 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass break-ups and a fumble recovery. This was a match-up that suited the Notre Dame middle linebacker very well. The Spartans' offense revolves around a big running back. The Notre Dame defensive line dominated Michigan State's offensive line and Te'o had no problem finding Le'Veon Bell. Te'o diagnosed plays quickly and did a good job of wrapping up and securing the tackle. The veteran linebacker displayed excellent range when defending outside runs. He also was very aware in pass coverage and was quick to limit run-after-the-catch gains. Michigan State's big tight end, Dion Sims, caught 6 passes for only 52 yards (8.7 per). Te'o did a fine job of mirroring Sims and tackling him right away.

RB Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State, Junior: The big back and focal point of Michigan State's offense was limited to 77 yards on 19 carries (4.1 per). Bell was also pedestrian in the pass receiving department (4 receptions for 20 yards (5.0 per) and had a couple of drops). Notre Dame frequently stacked the box against Bell and dared their young quarterback to make them pay by completing passes downfield. He could not and Bell found very little running room. The talented junior flashed good speed for a big man on outside runs, but never could burst into the secondary for a big gain.

Bell, like most big backs, was much easier to tackle because Notre Dame frequently was able to hit him before he could build-up momentum. Bell normally has decent hands, but he dropped a couple of passes and seemed to be pressing to make something happen. He utilized his trademark hurdle to elude one tackler, but he should not get in the habit of trying to hurdle defenders. Bell is a big back who has to consistently run behind his pads to fulfill his potential in the NFL. A power back with light feet has to be careful not to become too finesse-oriented. Bell did a solid job in blitz pick-up. Overall, Michigan State's offense proved to be too limited to give Notre Dame's defense problems. Every talented back runs into a defense that limits him. It will be interesting to see if Bell responds by running with extra determination. The good ones do not like to be stopped and take it personally.

DE William Gholston, Michigan State, Junior: The very talented Spartan defensive end had a relatively quiet 5 tackle, 1 tackle for loss performance against Notre Dame. Michigan State moved Gholston around, but the Notre Dame offensive tackles did a solid job of staying in front of him. Gholston is quick out of his stance, but was predictable with his pass rush moves. He relied primarily on a bull rush and could use some variety (rip and a club move) to keep offensive linemen guessing as to what is coming. He also played high at times, which limited his use of leverage.

However, Gholston's considerable physical gifts were very apparent. His huge wingspan allowed him to trip up a Notre Dame back to prevent a 1st down in the 4th quarter. He displayed the quickness to beat his man to the inside and flush the mobile Irish quarterback. Gholston helped stuff the run several times by overpowering the blocker in front of him. The Michigan State defensive lineman has the build to be an ideal 3-4 defensive end in the NFL. The true junior played hard throughout the game. His ability is similar to Calais Campbell's and there is plenty of upside to his game.

CB Johnny Adams, Michigan State, Senior: The two-year starter was beaten deep early for a touchdown. Adams located the football in the air, but could not elevate and get an arm up to knock the pass down. He ended up interfering with the Notre Dame receiver who still made the touchdown grab. Adams was later penalized again for interference. His aggressiveness was a double-edged sword in this game.

Adams is an effective blitzer and likes to help in run support. He was able to jump a route and break-up a pass in the 2nd quarter. The Michigan State cornerback struggled at times to disengage from blocks. Adams finished the game with 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup and a sack. He looked more like a zone cornerback at the next level than someone a defensive coordinator would want to leave in man coverage on an island.