Author: Flash

5 Ways to Avoid Calf Cramps

If you are a runner, then I am sure that you will know about calf cramps.

Imagine this scenario if you will. Let’s say that you are 7.5k into a 10k run and the road starts to incline. Ever so slightly, but enough to put that extra strain on your legs as you try to maintain contact with the leaders. And the temperature? Well, it’s the morning, but it’s hot and liable to get hotter before the end. And to make matters worse, you were so desperate to maintain contact with the leading group, that you forgot to take on liquid at the last feeding station. And did you use tight fitting calf length socks? I know they are all the rage, but why did you do it?

So what do we have here?

  • Extra strain on muscles?
  • Dehydration?
  • Loss of essentials salts?
  • Restriction of blood flow?

All in all, I think that we are describing running calf cramps, waiting to happen.

I am not sure that anyone has definitive answer to the cause of cramps, but there are certainly several steps that you can take which could help save you from disaster during competition, in any sport.

1. A Proper Warm Up

Ok, I know you know, but did you do it? If not, then those cramps could be coming. Seriously, if you have been involved in any sport to any level, then you will be aware of the importance of a proper warm up. And I don’t just mean a brisk walk up the stairs to the changing room either! A proper warm up should include a routine that gently stretches your muscles to get them ready for the increased exertion, and gets your blood flowing around your body. Not only will a warm help prevent calf cramps, they will also help prevent some of the injuries that might occur when you put sudden strain on cold muscles.

And whilst we are talking of warm ups, don’t forget warm downs as well. Warming down after exercise can also help prevent cramping and reduce the risk of injury.

2. Train Hard, Run Easy

Have you heard this before? No? Well you should give it some thought, because it’s true. When you train for a sport, not only do you practice the necessary skills required to execute which ever event you are competing in, but you are also training your body for the rigours of the event. To given an exaggerated example, if you train for a sprint, and then try and run a marathon, your body won’t be ready. If you try it, I think you could be in for some serious cramps.

Remember, train hard, run easy.

3. Water is Sport’s Life Blood

Whenever you start to exercise, you start to sweat (or you should). Sweat is nature’s way of cooling you down when you get hot, so, it’s a good thing. And since your body is mainly made of water, then you should have plenty, shouldn’t you? Well, considering that you lose moisture from your body when you breathe, sweating does take a lot of fluid out of your system.

And your body will demand that it be replaced!

If you start feeling dizzy, or experience a rapid heart beat, then these could be signs that you are starting to dehydrate. I will take it as read that if your mouth and lips feel dry, then you should be taking water on board. It is not always possible to take on fluid during sport, but always have some available as soon as you are able to drink.

4. Sport Ain’t No Catwalk.

It’s true! Sport is not a fashion parade. If you think it is, then you are hanging out in the wrong place! There’s nothing wrong with looking cool whilst you compete, but be practical. Don’t risk injury (or cramps) by wearing clothing that is too tight, and that restricts your body’s movement, either externally or via blood flow. Believe me, I know. When I was younger, I used tie up’s on my socks whilst playing soccer (not as a fashion statement you’ll understand), just to keep my socks up and my shin guards inside my socks. Three quarters of the way through a game, my calves would tighten up, and I would roll on the floor in agony. Once it was understood, that I ‘only had cramp’, I was the object of much derision, but believe me, cramp is far from funny if you are the one suffering.

Wear appropriate clothing.

5. Eat Properly.

When you are sweating and working hard, not only do you lose water, you also lose nutrients. There is speculation that that athletes who get calf cramps could suffer from low levels of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. I am not suggesting that you do low level analysis of your breakfast cereal, but the message is clear. Look after your body, and your body will look after you.

Eat sensibly, and eat the right foods.

The Immediate Benefits of Quitting Smoking

When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes!

At 20 minutes after quitting:

  • Blood pressure decreases
  • Pulse rate drops
  • Body temperature of hands and feet increases

At 8 hours:

  • Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
  • Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:

  • Chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:

  • Nerve endings start regrowing
  • Ability to smell and taste is enhanced
  • Shortness of breath decreases

At 2 weeks to 3 months:

  • Circulation improves
  • Walking becomes easier
  • Lung function increases

1 to 9 months:

  • Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases even more

1 year:

  • Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker

At 5 years:

  • From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked

At 10 years:

  • Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
  • Risk of ulcer decreases

At 15 years:

  • Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
  • Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked

An American Empire

A small war is more than just a petite battle or a smaller-scale war fought by a small number of professional U.S. soldiers; believe it or not, small wars have contributed to the solidity of America’s notable military reputation. With disregard to other theories and beliefs, America has never been an isolationist power– it has “been involved in other countries’ internal affairs since at least 1805”; America’s small wars have played a large part in the development of what author, Max Boot, calls an American Empire.

There are many people who fear American hegemony, most of these fears root from misgivings due to the cold war; unfortunately, these people are a threat to the future success in any conflict the United States may go up against. Most of the opposition consists of people who are anti-Bush, citizens who would deem their beliefs liberal, and the media who is involved in the never-ending attempt to get rid of the United States’ current administration. The United States is almost like a team, the results are positive when it works together, and there is no inner turmoil. If there is all of this upheaval among citizens, no one is going to be satisfied with the results.

The facts, reinforced by Max Boot’s novel, The Savage Wars of Peace, are that small wars are more important than we have ever known, that is if we even knew about them while they were going on; surprisingly, small wars are commonly left out of histories of the United States.

Many critics voice that the United States should mind its own business, but at the same time the whole world expects the United States to intervene when there are international issues, or provide the most aid when natural disasters in places other than the United States territory occur. Is this an equally split argument? Maybe, unless there is a blatant truth to one of the sides.

Historically, Americans have had a responsibility to free foreign nations from any negative positions they have been put in, especially if the result is greater freedom. The United States of America is a true hegemon — the United States is the largest economy and has the most powerful military. In turn, the world expects the United States to battle terrorists, provide aid for natural disasters, and ultimately save the world.

Something that critics seem to ignore is that generally, most of the occasions in of which America has intervened, it has been for idealistic and humanitarian reasons, not for what critics normally assume, big business and corporate interests. Boot identified four distinct types of small wars:

  1. Punitive, “to punish attacks on American citizens or property, Protective, “to safeguard foreign territory”,
  2. Pacification, “to occupy foreign territory”
  3. Profiteering, “To grab trade or territorial concession”.

These small wars have been fought from the Barbary Wars in the early 1800s to the Gulf War in the 1990s, to present-day America, with Iraq.

If a state or country is in need of rebuilding, inevitably, it will get there with or without the help of anyone else. However, one opinion argues that logically, the help of a mother or father nation couldn’t hurt, and the opposition is wholly against the United States intervening. Protesters cross-country in the United States are demanding that we pull our troops out of Iraq. Truthfully, if the United States pulled out prematurely, negative consequences would follow, and no one would be satisfied. Application of Boot’s theory of limited war to the current situation in Iraq could be that of a positive one. It’s time to nurture a mutually friendly, sense of equality, but strong presence in each town. Now the chances of that actually happening currently, is another story!

Max Boot, makes a lot of relevant points in his novel devoted to small wars and the rise of American power, The Savage Wars of Peace. The United States Congress has declared war against other nations on only five occasions: against Britain in 1812, Mexico in 1846, Spain in 1898, the Central Powers in 1917 and the Axis in 1941, however, administrations have committed troops to battle at least double those occasions. Therefore, it would be safe to say the United States knew a thing or two about small wars. In fact, the Marine Corps produced a Small Wars Manual which contained an action plan, using all of the principles that worked successfully in previous small wars. The manual ultimately represents the concept that when a successful project is undertaken in a village, we must spread the word to other villages much more effectively than we have been doing. In plain words, the manual stated this Government has interposed or intervened in the affairs of other states with remarkable regularity, and it may be anticipated that the same general procedure will be followed in the future. The manual, written in 1940 stated that the plan used for the previous successful small wars, would be applicable to those in the future.

Boot claims that the troops need to re-train, learning small war tactics to apply for what is ahead. The United States lost Vietnam because it tried big war tactics in an area that small war tactics would have been more beneficial. Too heavy of a military presence is not the way to go into a country; right away you are invading as opposed to helping.

The American Empire has been built from the ground up, tackling whatever has been thrown its way. Whether it has been small wars, or even civil wars. America has a duty to keep on fighting small wars to contribute to the world’s security. Boot is ultimately writing to the American public outlining what should and should not be done. The Powell Doctrine, a post-Vietnam policy that for more than 200 years, the United States military has routinely violated. After Vietnam, instead of realizing that better strategies and tactics in fighting small wars should be learned, they came to the conclusion that they should avoid fighting altogether. The Powell Doctrine on many different levels makes sense, however, it follows the post-Vietnam mindset of if war must happen, the United States must win with overwhelming force, suffer few casualties and leave immediately. When possible, that is a great theory to go by, however when battle commences, troops must be in the mindset that they are there until the job is done. At the end of his book, Boot concludes, “In deploying American power, decision makers should be less apologetic, less hesitant, less humble. Yes, there is a danger of imperial overstretch and hubris — but there is an equal, if not greater, danger of undercommitment and lack of confidence. America should not be afraid to fight `the savage wars of peace’ if necessary to enlarge the empire of liberty.’ It has done it before.”

A Little Bit About the Atkins Diet

Sometimes we find ourselves ‘pigging out’ and taking in a ton of food. Probably, it’s your way of amusing yourself. You may have experienced something quite depressing. Therefore, you feel the need to divert your frustrations towards food. This is actually not a bad case. However, one should remember that doing this could lead to your waistline getting wider. You will have a bigger belly if you are not careful. You can also bet that the weighing scale will show that you’ve gained yourself extra pounds.

Gaining some weight is acceptable. Be cautioned though that too much gain weight will do you no good. You are risking a heart disease if you put on too much weight. Therefore, it is suggested that you take a diet if you realize you’ve put on a lot of weight because of your habit of eating comfort foods.

It may be observed that plenty of people nowadays engage themselves in different kinds of diets. A diet is followed by some people because they feel that they are overweight. Some ladies think that they are horizontally challenged. Taking a diet is no light matter. A person who wants to go on a diet must first know the different diet programs that are available to him/her before he/she commits to a diet plan. It is possible that a person might choose the wrong diet for himself/herself. Therefore, it is suggested that a person see his/her doctor before engaging in diet programs.

People with certain diseases should ask their doctors if a certain diet program will be harmful to him/her. Their doctors can give them advises regarding diet plans that these people would like to have. Different types of diets approach a weight loss issue in various ways. Some diets advise people to choose the type of carbohydrates that they eat. Other diets say that carbohydrates must be avoided all together. Thus, it is not advisable for a person to just pick a diet program that he/she thinks is right for her. A second opinion is very much needed especially if a person is sick. This is to ensure that the sick person will still be receiving the nutrients that he/she needs while at the same time, he/she will be able to lose a few extra pounds here and there.

A body needs all the nutrients that it can get. A person can’t function well without these nutrients. It’s not unusual for a person who eats too little to feel cranky. He/she will have little energy flowing through his/her veins if he/she doesn’t eat right. Life can get really tedious for someone who doesn’t eat much. Soon, a person might find himself/herself spending his/her time in bed. He/she has gotten himself/herself sick because of the very small amount of nutritious food that he/she takes in. Going on a diet and taking very little food intake is absolutely wrong. A person should take good care of his/her body. In conclusion, it can actually be said that people should take their diets in moderation.

There are several diets that a person can engage in. One of these is the Atkins Diet. This diet was developed by Doctor Robert Atkins. This diet is about taking in plenty of protein and fat food. However, people are told to eat just a small amount of carbohydrates for their meals. As one can assume, this diet is pretty controversial. But then again, it is a famous diet program that works for people who have tried it.

The Atkins Diet is actually established on the premise that people become overweight because they eat too much carbs. Therefore, this diet advises its followers to reduce their carbohydrate consumption. This diet is actually very different from the other diets that some dieting people follow. How come? It is because the Atkins diet allows its followers to eat food that are usually regarded as causes for people gaining extra weight.

Some of the foods that you can eat using the Atkins Diet include regular cheese, mayonnaise, butter, eggs, fowl, red meat, and fish. The foods that must be avoided in this particular diet are milk, white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. Basically, 3 cups of loose salad are eaten in the 1st two weeks for the diet program. Also, there is no need to count the number of calories you consume for this diet. Some vegetables are allowed after the 1st two weeks. A person will be surprised to know that one day, he/she has lost weight despite eating lots of fats and protein.

The Atkins Diet makes it possible for the human body to burn fats instead of burning carbohydrates. Weight loss happens when body fats are burned. Your belly, waist, thighs, and hips won’t have the bulges it used to have. You must admit that this is a delightful idea.

Some of you might be wondering how the body will function if it is lacking nutrients. Where does the body take its energy from if there is just a small amount of carbohydrates stored in a person’s body? You might be surprised to know that a person engaged in Atkins Diet enters a phase of ketosis.

Ketosis means that the body is getting the energy from carbon elements. The carbon elements are results of burned fats in the body. There is a lesser chance of an individual getting hungry when he/she has ketosis. Therefore, an individual won’t experience the urge to eat since he/she isn’t feeling any trace of hunger. However, it is important to know that ketosis has some side effects on the individual. A person may feel constipated. He/she may also experience halitosis. Halitosis is when a person has foul smelling breath.

It is suggested that some people might want to do some exercises before ketosis works for them. Followers of the Atkins Diet are also advised to take vitamins for the duration of the program. Vitamin supplements are needed since fruits and vegetables are not included in the diet plan.

Gay Marriages Discussed

You have definitely seen them holding hands. Sometimes, you may even see them kissing in public. You actually think nothing of it. Have you not heard people say things similar to “It’s all right with me as long as they aren’t hurting anybody .” For some, gay and lesbian public displays of love and affection are tolerable. There are others who believe that homosexuals should enjoy the same human rights as their straight counterparts. Some people however are very passionate when stating that homosexuals should truly have equal rights given to them.

However, some of these people will be speechless if you they were asked if homosexuals should be given the right to marry too. They may even answer that gay people shouldn’t be married to members of the opposite sex. Actually, more than 1/2 of the population of the US are not in favor of gay marriage despite the fact that almost 3/4 of their population supports gay rights.

Why is this the case? How can one support gay rights and totally oppose gay marriage at the same time? Probably, stereotyping plays a big role in this predicament. It is not unusual for gay people be stereotyped as being promiscuous. Some gay people appear to be too loud. One can’t help notice them in the society. Some people believe that homosexuals cannot handle relationships well. It is believed that the relationships, which homosexuals get involved in do not last long. Furthermore, some even think that such relationships are nothing serious.

It is true that some gay relationships do not last that long. However, don’t straight people engage in such relationships too? Besides, homosexuals only engage in shallow commitments during the early years of their lives. As soon as these people hit the marrying age, all they want is to find someone they can take care of and who will care for them in return. Some gay people who are already of age even complain that they can’t find members of the same sex that they can “bring home to the parents” because most of the good fish are already taken.

One must note that even homosexuals are capable of devotion, monogamy, and loyalty. You can even see gay people taking active participation in programs spearheaded by the neighborhood. Also, some homosexuals perform excellently in their field of work.

Some of you may be surprised to know that there are some benefits that will come as a result of gay marriages. What might the benefit of gay marriages be? Well, the occurrence of sexually transmitted illnesses will be minimized since the homosexuals are committed in marriage already. They will only have one sexual partner when they stick to their marriage vows. One must agree that having this benefit from gay marriages is a gift to mankind.

People are entitled to different opinions. Unfortunately, some people think that gay relationships are just about the sex. The case isn’t like this. Affection, love, and mutual attraction are the three things that homosexuals look for in a relationship. These three things are to be taken seriously. Sex is just a way to express one’s feelings for his/her partner. Definitely, it’s the same thing with heterosexuals, right?

Another reason why gay marriages encounter oppositions is that marriage, as some say, is for procreation. How can people of the same sex produce an offspring? If this is the case, should barren people be refused marriage too? This argument is surely not enough reason to stop gay people from marrying each other. Having offsprings is just one of the reasons why people get married. The most important thing is that people wishing to get married are in love and committed to each other.

Let’s say that gay couples adopt a child of their own. Some people think that gay people are not responsible enough to raise a child. Some would even say that having parents of the same sex will be unhealthy for the kid. How come pedophiles are allowed to marry and have children? They are more dangerous for the children, aren’t they? Even murderers have their own families. Why can’t gay people create their own family? Besides, it is a fact that children of gay couples are as healthy as children raised by heterosexual couples. Therefore, gay marriage could be granted if the children’s welfare and health is the issue here. Homosexuals, like heterosexuals, are just as able to provide for the needs of a child.

Also, the idea of two people of the same gender having sex is distasteful. Says who? You might be surprised to hear that some homosexuals think that sex between heterosexuals is hideous too! However, do the homosexuals say that heterosexuals should not be married? They don’t, do they?

Next, it is believed that a gay marriage will force the Church to wed couples that they have no intention of uniting in marriage. How can gay marriages force the Church? Besides, the Church can already refuse marriage to those they don’t want to wed. Some Churches can refuse marriage between couples of different religions, huge age gaps, etc. Therefore, gay marriages will not, in any way, force the Church to unite homosexual couples in marriage.

Furthermore, some believe that sex between homosexuals is quite unnatural. Surprise oh surprise! A belief in this thought will prove that a person is ignorant of the varying behavior of animals. It is a fact that homosexuality is found in a minimum of 450 species of the animal kingdom. Some animals even spurn potential heterosexual companions. Obviously, humans are not the only ones faced with the dilemma of homosexuality.

Gay marriage is something that must be given plenty of thought before one agrees or disagrees with this union. Remember that homosexuals are still human beings — capable of loving, sharing, commitment, and devotion. It is not unusual for them to request for marriage. After all, marriage is about trust, love, and companionship — something that gay people are searching for.