Man Talk

How to change your mindset and improve your sexual stamina

2008-09-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons men suffer from premature ejaculation—which simply means reaching orgasm before they ideally want to when they have sex—is because they have a negative mindset. And it’s not surprising when you think about it. Our minds rule our bodies. If we are sad, we cry. If we are happy, we smile and walk confidently. And, yes, if we have the wrong mindset, we guys can climax too early during sex. Here’s how it works.

Let’s take an imaginary guy called James, who reaches orgasm too soon. He knows this and is very, very conscious of the fact that he wishes he could last longer and satisfy himself and his partner more. He’s been sexually active for a few years, it doesn’t really matter how long – the point is, he’s not happy with his performance.

Fast forward to a sexual encounter. Even before foreplay has begun – as soon as the opportunity or chance to have sex has arisen – in the back of his mind is the nagging thought, “This time I’d like to last longer than I have in the past, but will I ejaculate too soon?”. Already, either consciously or subconsciously, his performance is tainted with negative emotion. It’s providing extra pressure he really doesn’t need. Before sex he was thinking about foreplay, during foreplay he’s thinking about how he’s going to satisfy the female, and all the while at the back of his mind overshadowing his thoughts is that question, “Am I going to ejaculate too soon?”. This technique focuses on bringing you into the present and avoiding the negative emotion that’s brought on by thinking about what has happened in the past, or what might happen the next time you have sex.

Totally aside from sex, you can witness how we operate on auto-pilot. Everyday, we’re taking ourselves out of the present and into the future when we really don’t need to. Walking down the street you’re thinking of work, at work you’re thinking about sex, during sex...well, we know what you’re thinking about during sex. The point is, to fully relax and focus and enjoy sex for long periods, you need to be in the present. Inadvertently thinking about what might happen – ejaculating too soon – takes your focus off what is actually happening: you’re moving up the stimulation scale. This in turn hampers your ability to identify how close you are to an orgasm, making its prevention impossible.

This technique has one simple goal: to increase your self-awareness and bring you back into the present during sex. It’s used during the plateau stage of sex, the hard part, where keeping control of yourself is the most important and difficult. What you need to do is, every now and then, ask yourself a couple of simple questions in your head. “Do I feel tense or relaxed?” and “How close am I to reaching orgasm?”. It’s really important you say the questions in your head and not just “think” them. Actually say each word. The first question uses a simple psychological principle to relax you and bring you into the situation at hand. If, after asking yourself if you feel tense, you notice your shoulders are tight, or that you’re tensing your stomach when it’s not necessary, you don’t need to think of what to do next. Your shoulders automatically drop and your tense mid-section relaxes. Asking yourself the second question, “How close am I to reaching orgasm?” is something you should be doing throughout sex – identifying where you are on the stimulation scale. This brings you into the present and focuses you, but actually saying the question in your head once in a while is doubly effective!

Edward White is an expert on teaching men how to last longer in bed, delay and control orgasms and totally overcome premature ejaculation and has written a book that guarantees you instant results in as little as a few hours from now. Check it out now. Click Here!

Why Can’t You Last Long Enough In Bed?

2008-09-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

If you can’t last as long during sex as you’d like, then you aren’t alone. As much as 75% of the male population has trouble with premature ejaculation—so it’s by no means rare. What is rare, however, is seeing a guy solve his problem with rapid ejaculation using the right techniques and tactics. Perhaps this is because most men don’t know exactly what it takes to reverse their run of bad bedroom luck and turn their sex life around by increasing their sexual stamina.

The best place to start when solving your own case of ‘coming too quickly’ is identifying the real reasons you struggle to last long enough during sex. Read the following options.

You have a hard time controlling when you climax when you’re masturbating and when you have sex with your partner.

You only struggle to control when you ejaculate when you have sex. You have no problem doing it when you masturbate. When you have sex, you can’t last more than about 2 minutes before coming.

You have no problem with premature ejaculation when you masturbate, only when you have sex. When you have sex, you can usually last longer than 2 minutes, but less than 8 minutes.

If option one sounds the closest to your situation, then your premature ejaculation is probably being caused by an underlying case of hypersensitivity and sensational unawareness. This means that your penis is extremely prone to become over-stimulated as soon as sex begins and that you have a hard time really noticing when you’re close to and about to pass the ‘point of no return’, which—once passed—means that you’re going to climax no matter what you do.

If you chose option two, then you probably have less hypersensitivity and more sensation unawareness. This means that your penis does become very stimulated when you have sex—which can make it hard to refrain from coming early—but that your main problem is that you aren’t fully aware of the different stages of arousal you go through before you come. This means you need to train your body and your mind to recognize when you need to take action during sex to prevent yourself from coming too early.

If you chose option 3, then your case of premature ejaculation isn’t too severe, but it is nevertheless something you probably want to get rid of. You’d like to double or even triple the amount of time you’re able to have sex for. To do this, you need to learn techniques that involve strengthening your PC muscle, heightening your arousal awareness and improving your sexual technique.

Whatever the cause of your personal problem with premature ejaculation is, it can almost always be improved or even fixed when you have the right knowledge and the correct attitude.

Edward White is an expert on teaching men how to last longer in bed, delay and control orgasms and totally overcome premature ejaculation and has written a book that guarantees you instant results in as little as a few hours from now. Check it out now Click Here!

Pain In The Scrotum

2008-09-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Minor injury to the scrotum does not usually cause lasting harm, but sudden severe pain which can be due to torsion (twisting) of one of the testicles inside, can cause permanent damage. A painful, tender scrotum, sometimes with swelling, may be due to an infection (epididymitis). You may also have a fever and pain passing urine. Other causes of pain, include mumps and rarely, testicular cancer.

Warning!!
Seek immediate medical help if:

You develop sudden or severe pain in the scrotum
Pain after an injury to the area, persists for more than one hour
You have had a mild pain for more than 2 days
You think you have epididymitis
You find a lump in the scrotum or testes

What You Can Do For Yourself

Try the following home treatments alone or in conjunction with treatment from your doctor.

To relieve pain and swelling, apply an ice pack (such as a bag of frozen peas or crushed ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a wet towel) to the testicles. Hold for about 10 minutes and do this twice a day.

Lie on your back with a rolled-up towel placed between your legs and under the scrotum to lift it and relieve discomfort. When moving around, wear an athletic support or two pairs of close-fitting underpants, especially if the testicles are swollen.

You can also take a painkiller. Painkillers can be used to reduce pain and swelling in the scrotum and also fever. Take an inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen or ask your pharmacist/chemist.

When the pain has eased, check your testicles regularly for lumps.

Testicular Self-Examination

All men should examine their testicles regularly to detect lumps or other changes that may be an early sign of cancer.

Examine yourself once a month after a warm bath when the scrotum is relaxed. Check for any lumps or swellings. Both testicles should be smooth except along the top and back, where you will feel a soft tube (epididymis) that carries and stores sperm. To examine your testicles; carefully roll your fingers and thumb across the entire surface of each testicle in turn.

Compare one testicle with the other if you are not sure whether one feels normal (it is unusual to develop cancer in both testicles at the same time). if you notice any changes in either your testicles or your scrotum, consult you doctor promptly.

My Penis Is Painful

2008-09-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

The skin on the penis is thin and delicate and is easily injured or irritated. Minor bruising and chafing may occur after playing sports or after sexual activity.
Soreness at the tip may be due to poor hygiene or irritation from soaps or spermicides, or result from infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Other symptoms of a STI include a rash, discharge from the penis, and pain when passing urine. Pain that occurs only when your penis is erect or during sex, may be due to an overtight foreskin.

Warning
Seek immediate medical help if:

You have a painful erection that lasts long after arousal has passed
You have difficulty rolling your foreskin forwards again after it has been retracted
You suspect that you have a sexually transmitted infection
You are not sure what is causing the pain
Pain in your penis persists, or you develop new symptoms.

What You Can Do For Yourself

There are several actions you can take that will ease pain and help prevent soreness:

Keep your penis and foreskin clean. Have a bath or shower every day. If you have a foreskin, wash underneath it with water and unperfumed soap. Dry the end of your penis thoroughly

Wear loose underwear to avoid discomfort.

If the head of your penis gets inflamed or sore during sex, apply a water-soluble lubricating jelly beforehand. Lubricating jellies are widely available and will make sex more comfortable. Use it to help prevent soreness that may develop because of irritants or vigorous activity.

Wash your genitals after intercourse. If you think the problem is due to the condoms you use, switch to a non-allergenic type or one with a different spermicide.

If you have a small injury on the tip of your penis, let it heal completely before having sex again.

If you think you may be sensitive to soaps and washing powder, use only non-biological powder for your underclothes and avoid fabric softeners.

If you have a sexually transmitted infection, bathing with salt water will help relieve symptoms (see practical tip, below). Tell your partner you have a STI; they may also need treatment.

Practical Tip

Gently bathing your penis 2 or 3 times a day in warm, salty water, will help relieve soreness, swelling, and inflammation.
Add a handful of salt to bath two-thirds full. If you are finding urination uncomfortable or painful, pass urine while lying in a warm bath, and shower yourself and the bath afterwards.

Premature Ejaculation Problems

2008-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is a common sexual problem, especially for young men, in which a man reaches orgasm and ejaculates with minimum stimulation, just before or shortly after penetration.
The problem is sometimes due to excitement and/or anxiety and often occurs at the start of a new relationship and resolves itself over time.

Other causes of premature ejaculation include psychological factors such as marital and relationship issues; fear (associated with concerns regarding getting caught or discovered, sexually transmitted diseases or potential pregnancy); and guilt (believing the activity is sinful e.g., premarital or extramarital sex).

However, recurrent premature ejaculation can be physically and emotionally frustrating for both partners and may harm a relationship.
Stress and depression aggravate the condition; some men become so anxious they become impotent. Only very rarely is the cause a prostate or nervous system problem.

Premature Ejaculation Problems Haunt Many Men. But Learning Ejaculatory Control May Be Easier Than You Think. Find Out How?

What You Can Do For Yourself
Because anxiety is a major part of premature ejaculation, talking about the problem with your partner may help to resolve it. There are also several techniques you can try.

If you are in a long-term relationship, share your feelings with your partner. Discuss the problem calmly and good-humouredly when you're not engaged in sex. Don't blame yourself or feel guilty.

Some men find wearing a condom dulls sensation sufficiently to delay ejaculation. Some types of condom have a desensitizing lubricant inside that contains a mild topical anaesthetic. These may be even more effective. Don't try using anaesthetic gel without a condom - it will reduce sensation in your partner, too.

Try using the squeeze technique to help you control ejaculation. (see practical technique below)

Focus your attention on your partner's pleasure during foreplay and delay penetration for as long as possible. If your partner is close to or has reached orgasm before penetration, you will both feel less anxious about premature ejaculation.

During intercourse, distract yourself by thinking about something totally unrelated and rather dull: count backwards in threes or think about work.

Try experimenting with different sexual positions. Having your partner on top, for example, may be less stimulating and help you delay ejaculation. Engaging in coitus while on your back gives the partner control and allows you to feel more relaxed and allows you to guide your partner. Controlling ejaculation while on top of your partner (the missionary position) is much more difficult.

Breathe deeply. One very easy way to stay relaxed while making love is to breathe deeply. The body has a natural tendency to breathe deeply during sex. But many men fight it. They think they should stay in control by not breathing deeply and making the little love-moan sounds that go along with it. But when men work to control their breathing, they often sacrifice ejaculatory control. Try breathing deeply. Let your breath go. Many men are amazed how much this one little change improves their premature ejaculation.

Practical Technique

The squeeze technique is a method of preventing premature ejaculation and can be carried out by you or your partner.
When you feel you're about to ejaculate, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the shaft of the penis just below the head on the upper and lower sides. This causes your erection to be partially lost, temporarily preventing ejaculation.
By practising this technique regularly, you can achieve greater control over ejaculation, and this will boost your sexual confidence. Eventually, you will no longer need to use the technique

Premature Ejaculation Problems Haunt Many Men. But Learning Ejaculatory Control May Be Easier Than You Think. Find Out How?

Impotence Issues

2008-09-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Erectile dysfunction (ED) or male impotence is defined as the inability of a man to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient for mutually satisfactory intercourse with his partner. Most men experience occasional difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection, often because of stress, tiredness, drinking too much alcohol, or a recent illness.

Trauma to the pelvic blood vessels and nerves is another potential factor in the development of impotence. Bicycle riding for long periods has been implicated, so some of the newer bicycle seats have been designed to soften pressure on the perineum (the soft area between the anus and the scrotum).

Temporary impotence is unlikely to be a cause for concern if you are still able to achieve an erection by masturbating or if you sometimes wake with an erection.

Long-term impotence can be due to illnesses, such as diabetes and circulatory diseases, or drugs, such as diuretics and antidepressants. It may also be caused by anxiety or depression, or relationship problems. As you get older, it may take longer to get an erection and it may be less firm.

Warning

See your doctor if:

You suffer regularly from impotence or if you are taking a prescribed drug that may be causing the problem.
You think impotence may have a physical cause.
You have tried all the measures listed below and they are not helping.

What You Can Do For Yourself

There are several things you can do that may help you overcome temporary impotence.

Don't judge yourself harshly. If you are stressed or tired, for example, because of money worries, work, or recent illness, tackle the underlying problem.

If you are in a long-term relationship, talk to your partner. Share your worries and work together to try to solve the problem. It may help if there is less pressure on you to 'perform', so if impotence is making you nervous about sexual intercourse, try ways of sharing intimacy that reduce sexual anxiety. (see practical technique below).

To help relieve anxiety, try practicing deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises.

Reduce your alcohol intake; even better, avoid it altogether. Drinking too much alcohol can cause difficulty in getting an erection; recreational drugs can have a similar effect.

Stop smoking, or at least cut down if you smoke heavily. Young men who smoke, double their risk of long-term impotence in later life.

Practical Technique - Reducing sexual anxiety

Worrying about getting an erection can set up a cycle of 'performance anxiety'. One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is to take things slowly.

Take the pressure off. Take turns to explore your partner's body using stroking and massage. You should agree there will be no touching of genitals or breasts at this stage. This will help you both relax.

After several of these sessions, allow genital and breast stimulation, but refrain from intercourse.

Continue relaxed and leisurely stroking and massage until you begin to get erections again and feel comfortable about proceeding to intercourse.

Spend plenty of time touching and stroking your partner's body. Take things slowly and learn to relax.

Vacuum devices:
Specially designed vacuum devices to produce erections have been used successfully for many years. They are safe and relatively inexpensive. They work by using a manually generated vacuum to draw blood into the penis to create the erection.
The typical vacuum device consists of a plastic cylinder that is placed over the penis, tension rings of various sizes, and a small hand pump. Air is pumped out, causing a partial vacuum, which creates the erection. Once an erection is obtained, a tension ring, which acts like a tourniquet to keep the blood in the penis and maintain an erection, is placed at the base of the penis. This technique is effective in 60-90% of men. It is not recommended to leave the tension ring in place longer than 30 minutes.
If your impotence is more than just a temporary one you could try a vacuum device or one of the other natural health products or equipment available

Urinary Problems

2008-09-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Many urinary problems in men that start in later life are due to enlargement of the prostate gland, which lies beneath the bladder.
This condition is usually non-cancerous, but sometimes it is due to cancer.

The prostate may constrict the bladder outlet, causing symptoms such as an urgent or frequent need to pass urine (including at night); a weak flow; dribbling afterwards; and a feeling that your bladder has not emptied completely.

Warning

See your doctor if:

You develop pain or swelling in your abdomen and can't pass urine.
You have problems when passing urine, especially if there is blood in the urine or you feel a burning sensation.
You are taking an over-the-counter or prescribed medicine that may be making the problem worse, such as decongestant or anti-depressant.

What You Can Do For Yourself

Use these self-help measures alongside treatment from your doctor to help minimize urinary problems.

Drink 6-8 glasses of fluid a day so your urine doesn't get too concentrated and cause irritation. Avoid drinking too much over a short time, however, as this may cause a sudden urge to pass urine.

Pass urine only when your bladder feels full. Take your time so that your bladder empties completely. Sometimes sitting on the toilet is more effective.

If you often need to get up at night, drink less in the evening and stop drinking a few hours before bedtime. Empty your bladder before going to bed.

Reduce your intake of tea, coffee, cola and alcohol. These drinks make your bladder fill quickly and cause a sudden or urgent need to pass urine.

Avoid carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and juices and spicy foods, as they may irritate your bladder.

Excess weight puts pressure on your bladder. So, try to lose some weight if you need to do so.

Taking regular exercise can help to reduce symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate; while a sendentary lifestyle tends to make them worse.

Discus Fish Secrets – Reviewed

2008-08-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

As most of you may know caring and breeding discus fish is a bit of an art form. Many people try and fail in doing this every year as they are not aware of the assistance and optimal conditions that is required to do this. How do I know this? Well I’ve been there myself!

For years I had tried to breed discus fish only to be disappointed by my attempts. Every occasion I tried the fish would lay their eggs and then just eat them. My fish would also die for no apparent reason also. This became a bit an expensive hobby and I was nowhere near my ambition of breeding discus fish as a business, as I wanted.

I needed help so I turned to the aquarium where I had bought the fish but they were no help. They sold me that they only sold the fish and didn’t breed them. This became a typical answer with several others that I had tried and I was becoming a bit disheartened to say the least. So one night as a last resort I sat down in front of the computer and had one final look to see if I could find the answers I wanted over the internet.

What I found after only a couple of minutes was the answers I had been looking for. You see I found a link to this book called Discus Fish Secrets by a breeder called Rob Clark. He’s been caring and breeding discus fish for over 10 years and had compiled his knowledge into a quick and easy guide. He cuts out all the unnecessary filler that most guides have and just gives you the information that works.

And oh did it work! Within just a few weeks I had my tanks set up correctly and my fish had started to breed. I followed Robs guide word for word and it has now helped me realise my dream of breeding discus fish succesfully. I now have over 100 discus in my fish house!

Now like most people, I was little sceptical about buying information online. We’ve all heard of so many scams out there but I cannot recommend Discus Fish Secrets enough. This really is the real deal and in my opinion you get far more than you pay for.

Verdict:
If you’re having trouble caring or breeding for your discus fish then Discus Fish Secrets will be the answer to your problems. The information contained in this guide is concise and informative. I have used this information first hand with exceptionally great results and cannot recommend it enough. You can check it out for your self here. Go Now!

How to Care and Breed your Discus Fish ...the correct way!

2008-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

More manuals over the years have been written about keeping and breeding discus fish than any other exotic fish. This is because they are very popular with pet owners.
Discus fish are very sensitive creatures. If you want to keep long lasting discus fish you need to be aware of there preferred living conditions and feeding and breeding habits.

Discus is a native of the calm and warm Amazon River. Keeping discus fish requires the pet owner to have the right information about what to expect and what to offer them to make these exotic creatures happy. These fish keeps changing their behaviour according to the environmental factors.

They are generally shy but if your planning to keep discus fish you will notice that they become quite aggressive to there own kind this is because of breeding territory protection. In this type of situation only the strong discus will survive and the weak get attacked.
Its best to keep to keep discus fish in groups of six individuals, this is considered an ideal minimum. By keeping them in groups it will increase confidence in group members and lower the risk of 'misbehaviour'. Keeping discus fish can bring lots of challenges and rewards at the same time too.

Here are some quick tips for you...

Pairing: Discus fish really don't take well to arranged marriages, the best way to get a pair together is to buy a group of young unrelated fish of the same colour type and let them pair up themselves. This might happen from when the fish are half grown, spawning usually occurs when there ¾ of their adult size. The fish will usually remain a pair for the remainder of their lives.

Spawning: Discus will choose a near vertical smooth site, which they clean and then the female will lay anywhere from 80-400 eggs the male then fertilises them. It can take between 50-60 hours for the eggs to hatch and another 36-48 hours until they are swimming freely.

Breeding Tank: It’s best to keep the breeding tanks simple and to have a simple air powered filtration, spawning sites (terracotta cones, broad leafed plants or slate) and no substrate. The water needs to be very soft so the eggs can develop properly. The quality of the water needs to be excellent and have a temperature of about 84-88 degrees farenheit.
A suitable tank size is 24 x 18 x 18.

Feeding and Conditioning: The parents will need a good and varied diet not just to condition them to spawn, but to provide nutrition when they are feeding their fry. Large water changes, a temperature rise and heavy feeding is often a good spawning trigger.

Fry Rearing: It's a good idea to give the fry additional feedings of small foods such as (BBS) baby brine shrimp whilst with parents. You will notice after about 3-6 weeks the parents will be exhausted, also the fry will be growing fast so it's a good idea to remove them.
This is where lots of tanks and water changes are needed to achieve a decent growth rate. I used to grow circa. 40 fry to just under 2" in a 55G tank, and this required heavy water changing. The discus market is saturated with fish, so it's best to grow 20-50 excellent fry than 80 runts. Growth is reasonable, but not spectacular.

So if you're thinking about breeding discus fish I hope these quick tips have been of some use to you.

Remember it pays to do your research. You can learn everything you need to know about discus fish, just Click Here!

Exercise and Arthritis

2008-08-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Did you know exercise can help to reduce joint pain?

Try walking or swimming everyday for 5 or 10 minutes, gradually increasing the amount of time you exercise.

Try stretching exercises such as yoga, for movement and posture.

Wear shoes that fit well and are designed specifically for the activity you are taking part in; well-cushioned soles reduce stress on weight-bearing joints.

Don't push yourself too hard. Too much exercise - particularly anything that jars the knees, hips or other joints, can lead directly to osteoarthritis.

If you experience extra pain, you may be overexerting yourself and should cut back or change to a less physically demanding activity.

Alcohol

2008-08-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Did you know:

That driving with a hangover may be as dangerous as drinking and driving, because competence may be reduced by as much as 20%, even though the alcohol has left the bloodstream.

That the hops which give beer its distinctive bitterness and aroma, come from a vine which is a relative of cannabis.

That gin originated as a medicine in Holland. Its name comes from the Dutch word for juniper - jenver - which was originally added to the rye distillate for its diuretic properties.

Bananas

2008-08-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Did you know:

Weight for weight, dried bananas contain about 5 times more calories than fresh ones
India produces more bananas than any other nation
In East Africa bananas are fermented to make beer

Shocking Figures

2008-08-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

Did you know there are now over 200 million asthma sufferers throughout the world?

Rates of Asthma are five times higher in the developed world than in developing countries.

Reasons given by the World Health Organization, are increased dust mites, which thrive in centrally heated environments, and car exhaust fumes:- minute particles known as pm10s, which are concentrated in diesel exhausts, are inhaled and lodge deep in the lungs where they irritate the sensitive lining.

Fight Infection

2008-08-07T00:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Garlic can help to fight infections?
It has both antibacterial and antiviral properties and may also reduce the risk of blood clots.
You can help to combat 'garlic breath' by chewing fresh parsley!

The Food of Love?

2008-08-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know that aphrodisiac powers have long been attributed to oysters?

This is most likely because of their zinc content. Oysters are the richest source of zinc there is. Just one serving of six raw or steamed oysters, provides over 5 times the recommended daily amount.

Zinc is neeeded for sperm production and is reputed to enhance libido.

Casanova is said to have consumed an average of 40 oysters a day!

For sure, a lack of zinc is known to cause infertility and impotence, but be careful, as too much zinc, can produce a toxic effect.

Yoghurt Power

2008-08-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know eating yoghurt can combat the after-effects of taking antibiotics?

Live yoghurt restores the friendly bacteria in the gut which are often destroyed by these drugs

Cloudy Water

2008-08-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

O.K. So you're probably thinking this must be a blog about water; well its not. This is going to be my last post about water...at least for now. Anyway this is really useful information so here goes.

Odours And Cloudy Water
Sometimes water straight from the tap has an unmistakable chlorine odour. If this happens, fill a jug with water, leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour or so, and the smell of chlorine will usually disappear.

If tap water looks cloudy or has small particles floating in it, the reason could be that work is beng carried out on nearby mains. If this happens try running the tap until the water clears. Otherwise you can boil the water for several minutes and allow it to stand so that any sediment sinks to the bottom, then decant it carefully so that you leave the sediment behind.

Blue Water Warning

2008-07-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

Did you know that:

Bluish stains in the sink below the tap may be a sign of high copper content in the drinking water?

Copper is a valuable mineral, bit it is poisonous if too much is absorbed. The ingestion of large amounts of copper is believed to cause cirrhosis of the liver, but don't get frightened now because the amount required for that to happen should be considerably higher than the amount we ingest by drinking tap water.

Hymn number 36

2008-07-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

I had to share this one with you all. Smile awhile.

A minister was completing a Temperance Sermon.
With great emphasis he said,
"If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river".
with even greater emphasis he said,
"And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river."
then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he said,
"And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river."

Sermon complete, he sat down.

The song leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing,
"For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #36,
"Shall We Gather at the River."

What's In A Bottle

2008-07-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Did you know that many of us think that bottled waters are purer and healthier than tap water?

In fact, bottled waters often contain higher levels of bacteria - albeit harmless - than mains water, which contains chlorine to prevent bacterial growth.
Moreover, many 'mineral' waters contain levels of mineral which are no higher than tap water.

'Spring' and 'table' waters can legally come from any source, ranging from natural springs to mains taps. Suppliers transport, blend, filter and perhaps carbonate these waters before bottling them for sale.

Some people drink bottled water because they believe that it will be low in nitrates, but this is not necessarily true. Levels vary greatly between brands: from under 1mg to 32mg per litre.
Legally there is no limit on nitrate levels in natural mineral water, while the upper limit allowed in all other types of water is 50mg per litre (the same as tap water). Always read the label on the bottle.

Finally, bottled waters and certain soda waters can be high in sodium, which may contribute to High Blood Pressure. Check the labels, because levels of sodium can vary from a negligible 0.5mg per 100ml, to an unhealthy high 114mg per 100ml.

The chief justification for drinking bottled water is that you prefer the taste. It can also be sensuble precaution against water-borne diseases when travelling in areas where tap water may be contaminated; in that case use it to wash fruit and vegetables and clean your teeth as well as for drinking.

Ok, I know this was not exactly bite-size, but it was useful; was'nt it? Your comments are welcomed.