If you are reading this article you have a 75% chance of having a low vitamin D level in your blood. Many current research studies reveal that being deficient in D can lead to a variety of unwanted health conditions. Therefore, pay close attention to the information below. 75% of Americans are reportedly lacking the optimal amount of this particular vitamin.So what if you are low in D? What is all the big talk about? Research studies have concluded the following possible correlation between having low vitamin D levels, and your health: heightened stress fracture risk, decreased immune function, elevated blood pressure, weakened bones, muscle weakness/pain, depression, cancer, and heart disease. This list of unwanted conditions should get your attention!Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption, and regulates inflammation as well as neuromuscular control. Yes, it is necessary for optimal health and fitness.The deficiency challenge occurs because the vitamin is not found naturally in many foods, and we try to protect ourselves from sun exposure which assists our bodies in producing D. As far as foods are concerned you can find D in fish, cheese, milk, fortified cereals, beef liver and egg yolks.According to scientists, eating these particular foods, and getting sun exposure may not be enough to push out of the low vitamin D status. Panels of scientists now suggest we need more than the 400 I.U. currently recommended. After many studies the overall opinion is individuals should be taking in between 1700 – 2000 I.U. per day to help prevent these potentially unwanted health conditions.How in the world are people supposed to get that much Vitamin D? Along with eating some of the foods mentioned above, and limited sun exposure, supplementation is the answer.In order to prevent a low vitamin D level you should look into taking a multi-vitamin that has D3 in it. That way you will assure yourself of preventing these unwanted health consequences.Please don’t follow the thinking that the more of this vitamin the better. If you get too much of a good thing you can reach toxicity levels which may bring other unpleasant health consequences. Therefore, it is recommended to stay under 10,000 I.U. each day to be on the safe side. Make sure you read the back of your vitamin supplement label, and account for the other ways you are getting D.For those participating in fitness programs vitamin D is valuable for preventing stress fractures, muscle tears, muscle weakness, and in regulating inflammation for proper exercise recover. It plays a huge roll in achieving fitness results.I strongly urge you to get your vitamin D levels tested. 75% of individuals will need to significantly boost up their blood levels in order to prevent low vitamin D health consequences. You have been warned!
Low Vitamin D Hurts Health and Fitness
The Roles of Photography in Our Civilization
The 11th century is considered as the beginning of the history of photography as this was the period when an Iraqi scientist invented the camera obscura. In the 17th century, a portable camera obscura was created. The first permanent photograph was captured in 1826. This marked the birth of photography because previously, a way to preserve images produced by cameras has not been discovered.The first daguerreotype prints were produced on a copper plate and it was common for royal portraits to use this method. In 1840, the first intermediate negatives were produced so people could print a positive image. At last, the first color images were produced in 1861. There was an issue to produce green and blue, but as the technique improved, it was easily solved using three glass negatives, one for each primary color.Photography became popular to public in 1888 because one man, named George Eastman, marketed his camera that was easily used with only one push of a button. This was the same person who developed roll film and the famous brand Kodak. K was a strong letter according to Eastman and thus he created a word that started and ended with it. Even today, we can see his creation everywhere as the red letter Kodak with its yellow background becomes popular around the world.Digital photography marked its history in 1973 when a charge-couple device (CCD) was invented. It contained an image of 100 rows and columns, which became the basic of existing digital photography. Kodak developed the megapixel sensor in 1986 and afterwards the technology has developed rapidly into today’s photographic era. In fact, photography has become one of the most popular hobbies in the world.Even today, photography is still developing continuously. Cameras are getting smaller and we can even hide them in a shirt button. Motion picture also came from photography and right now there are many people who become moviemakers so we can enjoy a life-like look at our daily lives.Photography as a tool to create historyOur generations are facing great difficulties to uncover many events that have happened in the early history. What we have is only rough drawings on the walls of caves and there are very limited records of any event. Today, we have photography as a tool to create history for our future generations. With photography, we can maintain visual records so our future generations will know what is going on right now.If you want to find out more comprehensive information on photography, you should visit your local bookstore. You will find out about types of photography, the history of photography, and techniques to produce great photographs. The internet is also an easy and excellent source of information on photography.
Warrior Wisdom – The Warrior Lifestyle
What is the warrior lifestyle? The true warrior is a rare person in today’s world. He lives life with a different set of values compared with the rest of society. Even those who do share the same values, rarely live a lifestyle which adheres to those values to the extent that the warrior does. To most people, ethics are situational. They make decisions according to what is best for them, instead of what is right. This is not the case with the warrior. The warrior values honor, integrity, justice, and his sense of what is right, above all else. His ethics are not situational; they are his way of life.The warrior lifestyle revolves around a code of ethics which is non-negotiable. The warrior’s code of ethics, or code of honor, is taken very seriously. To the warrior, distinguishing between right and wrong is of the utmost importance. He sees right and wrong in terms of black and white. He knows that an action is either honorable or dishonorable. This is not meant to imply that honor is black and white; honor is not that simple.Those who live the lifestyle of the warrior know that whether or not an action is honorable, is determined by both one’s intentions and the situation at hand. This is not to be confused with situational ethics. The warrior’s ethics do not change according to the situation. His actions will change as needed, but his ethics remain set in stone. There is a big difference between ethics and actions. Ethics determine actions; actions do not determine ethics.The warrior lifestyle is concerned with what is right and what is honorable. A warrior’s ethics revolve around these two issues. Justice and honor are foremost on his mind. His thoughts are centered on “what is right,” not on other people’s opinions of what is right. He realizes that many people profess a belief in absolutes which they neither live by, nor truly believe in, when push comes to shove.The only absolute that the warrior lives by is that of what is right and wrong. If it is not right, he doesn’t do it. He determines what is right and wrong by his strict code of ethics, not some arbitrary laws or the politically correct standards of the day. The warrior doesn’t appear to be honorable; he is honorable. Sincerity is ingrained in this lifestyle. This is a lifestyle that is meant to be lived, not fantasized about or merely discussed.This lifestyle consist of much more than being trained in the art of war or the art of self-defense, although these are an important part of the life of the warrior. It also consists of the challenge to perfect one’s character. This is a process much like the Japanese concept of kaizen. Kaizen can be translated as constant, never-ending improvement. True warriors try to apply this concept to every area of their life. They seek to balance and improve each area – spirit, mind and body, on a daily basis.Each area of your life is important and should be kept in balance. Training men in the art of war or in the art of martial arts, without regard to character, only produces a dangerous man; it does not produce a warrior. In years past, the martial arts masters would not train someone fully until they felt assured of that person’s character. Today most schools will train anyone who can pay, regardless of their character or lack of character. This is dangerous information to give to just any and everyone who comes along. In my opinion, character should be a prerequisite, not only for martial arts training, but for many of the privileges which we enjoy in this country.I am asked often whether or not I believe that the term “warrior” should apply only to military men and women who have been in war or to trained and experienced fighters. Although I realize this is the literal definition of a warrior, I do not believe that this is the correct definition, not according to the many accounts from past warriors anyway. This literal definition of a warrior is not the definition that is used for our discussion of the warrior lifestyle in Warrior Wisdom. An ape can be trained to throw punches and kick, a dog can be trained to fight, but that doesn’t make either of them warriors. Being a warrior involves more than being trained to fight or being in the military; it involves character training as well. Character training is the true goal of Bushido, the way of the warrior.Please don’t misunderstand me; I have great respect for our military men and women. But I believe that anyone who has ever served in the military will agree that not every soldier lives by the character traits which are necessary for the warrior lifestyle, anymore than every martial artist or every person in general lives by these standards. I’m not taking anything away from those who serve our country. Every person who serves our country deserves our respect and gratitude, but service doesn’t necessarily indicate that a person is concerned with perfecting his or her character. It is rare to find people who take their ethics seriously today. It is common to find people who claim to take their ethics seriously, but I am referring to people who walk to the walk, not just “talk the talk.”Yes, the warrior is concerned with physical training and the martial arts, but he also knows that character training is the cornerstone of the warrior lifestyle. The true warrior should be trained in martial arts. His ethics require that he be ready to defend his family, friends, or himself in certain situations. In today’s world, you never know when you may have to use your martial arts skills. It is essential that you have this training to be as self-reliant and as safe as possible, but without a code of ethics, which is based on a deep understanding of right and wrong, there is no warrior; there is only someone trained to fight. There is a difference. Without the character traits of honor, integrity and justice, there is no warrior lifestyle.In short, the warrior lifestyle is for anyone who want to live a life of excellence; a life which adheres to a strict code of ethics. You must be willing to live your life based on honor, preparedness and what is right. This lifestyle requires that you put your ethics before your comfort, and that you put what is right before what is profitable. It requires filial duty, dedication to family and friends, and a willingness to help those in need. It requires independence in thought and action. This lifestyle is a decision, not a profession.This is just a brief introduction to the lifestyle of the warrior. Each of these points can be greatly expanded and I understand that not everyone will agree with my assessment. Even if you disagree with my definition of a warrior or the characteristics of the warrior lifestyle, you will still find the wisdom in this book to be very useful. Warrior Wisdom seeks to provide the reader with wisdom from throughout the ages that will help him live the warrior lifestyle. This lifestyle is not a goal to be achieved, but rather a road to be traveled. May you travel this road with honor.”Take a deep breath of life and consider how it should be lived.” Don Quixote’s Creed