Sports N Health

Football – or soccer, as many of us call it – is the most widely played sport in South Africa. What people love about it is the pace, the rhythm, the commitment. The most obvious sign of this play is the number of goals. The vuvuzela is here to stay and, in the interests of people, it has to be a good thing. Every World Cup needs its distinguishing features. And really, they’re not that bad.

From zeenews.com:

It is time for FIFA to introspect what the World Cup really means? Is it only a tournament of 32 teams or something else? Why was it decided to give this World Cup to Africa? According to my experience, World Cup football is perhaps the greatest carnival under the sun, where people from all over the world over unite with spontaneous burst of emotions and spirit, irrespective of their different backgrounds.

This was the first World Cup on African soil and came with a promise to be an exceptional show. At the same time South Africa had a point to prove that they were capable of hosting such a big event successfully, which they have indeed done, but World Cup 2010 turned out to be a simple competition, not a spectacular carnival. One reason for this might be that the Africans are too impulsive or in South Africa, fear prevailed over the joy. All the emotions of South Africans vanished soon after the exit of “Bafana Bafana”, and after the departure of Ghana, they simply detached themselves from the tournament. Some excitement would have still been there, if Latin American giants Brazil and Argentina could have made it to the semi finals. Two-third of the football fans who gathered in South Africa were from these two countries and from Mexico, another Latin American outfit. Since their departure, World Cup is looking forward to a scheduled completion, without much galore and glory. In Cape Town, the picture perfect city and the host of first semifinal, I found it really difficult to get around. One could not understand anything unless someone provided information, but the people around seem to be least bothered.

Perhaps, FIFA thought that the first ever World Cup in Africa would boost the development of soccer in this continent. But they should have taken into account that in a country like South Africa, where law and order is always an area of concern with an undercurrent of xenophobia, might affect the spirit of the game.

So the expected jubilation of the football fans from different countries was missing. Even before the semifinal, one could hardly find colourful supporters around. And the much spoken about ‘Vuvuzela’ orchestra ceased to resound, turning to silence with the exit of the host country.

I am in search for the known faces of the World Cup. Can someone help?

Football seems to suffer from poor attendances but there are still grounds for regarding it as one of the most exciting games. What can we do to encourage more people to support their national teams?

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Los Angeles based billionaire James Otis is putting blood report of Mahatma Gandhi for auction within a week. The report contains hemoglobin level, blood color index, and red blood cell count of Mahatma as recorded ten days before his assassination by Nathu Ram Godse.

Otis is expected to use money raised from the auction to fund the non-violent overthrow of the dictatorial regimes of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

A yellowed sheet of paper containing the results of a blood test conducted on the Mahatma on January 21, 1948, at Irwin Hospital (now known as the LNJP Hospital) lies in a bank locker owned by Otis, who is a descendant of the man who invented the elevator.

Otis last made headlines in March 2009 when he put up for auction Gandhi’s iconic spectacles and Zenith pocket watch dating back to 1910, for which liquor baron Vijay Mallya coughed up $ 1.8 million ( Rs 9.3 crore at rates prevailing last year).

With the money Otis raises from the present auction, he says he will fund the non-violent overthrow of the dictatorial regimes of El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

The announcement by the maverick art collector and documentary filmmaker was met with predictable anger by the more vocal descendants of the Mahatma.

Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, vicechairperson of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, says, “The blood report is a personal document. I really don’t know how to react to this. Otis says he is very wealthy. If so, why doesn’t he use his own money to fund non- violent struggles, instead of resorting to such auctions?” The place for the blood reports, says Bhattacharjee, is a museum and not an auction. But the Mahatma’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, says he couldn’t be bothered about the auction.

Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, vicechairperson of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, said Otis is expected to keep auctioning valuable items belonging to Mahatma Gandhi.

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Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, has made calls to global governments for initiating efforts to improve women’s health or risk missing an UN-set deadline for reducing the number of maternal deaths.

Ban, speaking at Women Deliver, the largest international women’s health conference in a decade, said health issues pertaining to women and children have been the slowest of the UN Millennium Development Goals to make progress.

From News.yahoo.com:

“Women are dying because their lives are not important enough to policymakers around the world,” said Guttmacher Institute president and CEO Sharon Camp.

She noted that while less than 12 billion dollars were spent last year to promote maternal health — a sum she said should be at least doubled — “Wall Street bosses paid themselves twice that in bonuses last year.”

At the conference, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged 1.5 billion dollars in support of family planning and programs that support nutrition and fight the deaths of newborns and of women in childbirth.

The philanthropic group hoped to set an example for world governments to follow.

“It’s not that the world doesn’t know how to save the 350,000 mothers and three million newborns who die every year,” Melinda Gates said as she announced the grant.

“It’s that we haven’t tried hard enough.”

An initial grant of 94 million dollars has already been made for projects in India, and 60 million dollars have gone to Ethiopia, with the rest due to be disbursed over the next five years.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged a contribution of 1.5 billion dollars in support of family planning and other programs supporting nutrition and reducing the number of deaths of newborns and of women in childbirth.

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If you cannot find a reason good enough to leave the iPod at home, there is bad news for you. A recently concluded study has claimed that listening to iPod for an hour daily could cause irreparable damage to your hearing.

It was disclosed by scientists in Europe that listening to music on the headphones could have a temporary impact on the hearing ability due to the damage caused to the hair cells in the outer ear.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

Scientists in Europe have shown that listening to music on headphones for an hour can have a temporary impact on people’s hearing because of the damage caused to the hair cells in the outer ear.

Participants in the study had their hearing tested and were then asked to listen to pop or rock music for six one hour long sessions using two different types of headphones and at varying, preset volumes, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported.

After each session, the scientists measured the responses of the 21 men and women aged between 19 and 28 to a very short sound and then two sounds of different frequencies to see how clearly participants could hear the tones.

It is highly recommended that you put off the headphones and iPod after enjoying them for a short while else the consequences can be fatal.

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According to a new study, parents can contribute to a significant extent to behavior and social skills of their wards by being more involved with their children across elementary school.

This study was based on information related to 1,300 children from 10 U.S. cities who were followed from birth to fifth grade and was carried out under the guidance of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

From in.news.yahoo.com:

The study aimed at learning how parent involvement affects children’s academic, social, and emotional well-being in elementary school. The children studied were mostly White and about evenly divided by gender.

According to the findings, parents’ involvement – visits to the school, encouraging educational progress at home, remedied children’s problem behaviors (including both aggressive and disruptive behaviours as well as anxiety and depression. At the same time, their so-called pro-social skills (such as cooperation and self-control) improved.

Their involvement however, did not affect achievement possibly because it wasn’t specific to academic performance of the child.

“The study shows that parents continue to wield considerable influence on children’s development through elementary school,” according to the researchers. “Therefore, the study has implications for policies to encourage involvement.”

The study was published in the May/June 2010 issue of the journal Child Development.

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Despite the cell phone industry crying foul, San Francisco has probably become the first city in the world to make health warning labels mandatory on mobiles from next year.

A legislation passed in San Francisco could mean cell phone shops in the city will be displaying health warning labels in order to prominently show the radio-wave emission levels of various different models they sell from next year.

From Beta.thehindu.com:

The law requires that mobile stores to display the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) levels — that is the amount of radio-frequency energy absorbed by the body per unit of body mass — of every phone either on the handset itself or on a poster within the store.

The legislation was passed despite opposition from mobile phone industry representatives, who argued the measure could be seen as supporting the view that higher emissions might be linked to health risks.

According to U.S. Federal Communications Commission rules, cell phones cannot have a SAR greater than 1.6 watts per kilogramme.

Gavin Newsom, the Mayor of San Francisco, will be signing the ruling into law after a public comment period of ten days.

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TOPS Club, Inc. (Take off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, recently suggested a variety of tips and ideas in order to provide much-needed guidance on improving a man’s health.

These tips are just on time for National Men’s Health Week from June 14-20, and Father’s Day on June 20.

From Strausnews.com:

Foods just right for men

We hear a lot these days about how important it is for women to eat certain foods containing specific nutrients. What about men? Are there foods men should eat for better overall health? The answer is an unequivocal, “Yes.” In fact, there are several foods and nutrients men should consume most days of the week for optimum health, as outlined by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, authors of the “YOU” series of books.

1. Fiber – Men need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber each day. While that can be daunting, fiber is found in a number of sources, like grapefruit, soybeans, and whole grains. If you’re looking for whole grain products, make sure the ingredients read: “100 percent whole grain” or “100 percent whole wheat.”

2. Folate – Men can significantly reduce their risks for some kinds of cancer by eating food rich in folate. Take a supplement or add dark, leafy greens and orange juice to your diet. Men are advised to look for the words “folate” or “folic” on food labels and to get at least 800 mg each day.

3. Tomato sauce – It takes 165 raw tomatoes to equal ten tablespoons of tomato sauce. This juicy red fruit contains lycopene, which can help fight cancer. Instead of eating all those tomatoes, enjoy ten tablespoons of tomato sauce per week and decrease the chances of arterial aging, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, and other conditions.

4. A handful of nuts – Men should eat walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts to get the powerful omega-3s, healthy fats with multiple benefits. It’s good practice to snack on some before eating foods like pasta or corn on the cob. The fat in the nuts helps the stomach slow down and the body to more effectively process the sugar from the carbohydrates in those meals.

5. Fish – Men also should consider eating a serving of fish three times a week. Tilapia, salmon, flounder, cod, and mahi-mahi are all good choices. They’re high in protein and low in fat and carry a low amount of mercury, a chemical that can increase the risk of heart disease and impaired memory.

The first TOPS meeting is free of charge and interested people can call 800-932-8677 or visit TOPS website.

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation On Tuesday (18th May, 2010) announced 78 grants of $100,000 each to assist research in 18 countries of the world with an aim to promote family health.

Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Programme, said Grand Challenges Explorations continues generating unique ways for tackling health issues on a global scale.

From economictimes.indiatimes.com:

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday announced 78 grants of $100,000 each to support research in 18 countries in a bid to promote family health.

The grants will cover development of a low-cost cell phone microscope to diagnose malaria, study of the strategic placement of insect-eating plants to reduce insect-borne diseases, and investigation of nanoparticles to release vaccines when they come in contact with human sweat.

“Grand Challenges Explorations continues to generate unique and creative ways to tackle global health issues,” said Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Programme.

Yamada also said that some of the ideas would result in new innovations and solutions in due course that will save many lives.

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Blogsnreviews, one of the most admired sites today on website reviews, recently awarded Sportsnhealth as the best site on sports and health. Our site outscored many sites on the web and won by a huge margin as it was empowered by hundreds of unique articles, news, blogs, and videos on bodybuilding, health and you, health supplements, reviews, sports and health, sports and you, videos, and steroids and sports. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our site visitors, once again, for extending their wholeheartedly acceptance and support. We also assure you all that we will keep the spirits high in the times to come so that our relationship bond becomes stronger than ever.

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Diversified group Avantha announced on 19th May 2010 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire US-based Pyramid Healthcare Solutions for $20 million.

Avantha Group said in a statement that it has acquired 100 percent stake in PHS for an enterprise amount of nearly $20 million.

From Economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Diversified group Avantha on Wednesday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for acquiring US-based Pyramid Healthcare Solutions for $20 million.

It has acquired 100% stake in PHS for an enterprise value of about $20 million, Avantha Group said in a statement. While $14.5 million has been paid upfront, the balance will be given after two years, it added.

The $4-billion Avantha Group has many entities, including Ballarpur Industries, Crompton Greaves, Avantha Power & Infrastructure, Salient Business Solutions and Avantha Technologies, under its umbrella.

The Avantha Group comprises of many entities, namely Ballarpur Industries, Crompton Greaves, Avantha Power & Infrastructure, Salient Business Solutions, and Avantha Technologies.

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Reviewallblogs.com, an eminent name in the world of website reviews, recently awarded Sports and Health for its contributions in segments of bodybuilding, sports and health, steroids and sports, and health supplements. Big thanks to all our site visitors!

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In an attempt to compare how two varying approaches in terms of offering follow-up care to health fair participants impacted blood pressure control, researchers from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) conducted a study looking at data on 100 middle-aged men and women from low-income immigrant communities who had their blood pressure checked at a health fair.

From Eurekaalert.org:

The study looked at data on 100 middle-aged men and women from low-income immigrant communities in Los Angeles who had their blood pressure checked at a health fair. Some were assigned to a community nurse who held office hours at a church, provided patients with in-person counseling on lifestyle modification, and helped them make doctors appointments. Others were assigned to research assistants who aided them solely by phone in scheduling appointments with physicians. One-quarter of the participants had not been previously diagnosed with hypertension.

The researchers found that while patients in both groups showed improvement in systolic blood pressure, those in the phone-assisted group had twice the improvement (an average 14±15 mm drop) of those in the nurse group (an average 7±15 mm drop). While it is unclear what caused the more pronounced short-term improvement in the phone-assisted group, researchers suspect these participants saw a physician sooner and had more adjustments to their medications within the four-month study period.

Assisting health fair participants with making an appointment to see a doctor led to a significant improvement in blood pressure. Health fairs can play a role in identifying people with treatable chronic conditions in low-income immigrant communities and can provide an opportunity to connect people with medical care.

The study appeared in the current online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. It was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program and the Older Americans Independence Center at UCLA funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging.

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We are indeed exhilarated to have FantasticReviews.net featuring our reviews by the readers of SportsnHealth.net. Our continuous mission has been to deliver best health information and advice to our readers and to have our review featured on FantasticReviews.net is the best award we could ask for it. Our gratitude and thanks to all our readers for appreciating our work so much.

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If you are overweight and tired of all the hype regarding the latest diet fads, this educative blog on the truth behind weight loss is a must-read for you.

If you really want to burn those extra kilos under the belt and want to opt for “magic” pills then we are sorry to let you know that there are no such fat burning pills. There is nothing like instant weight loss options in this world and if some one has been telling you about these magical options then it is all misleading advertising.

The only way by which you can lose weight and remain in good shape is by having a nutritive diet and complementing it with regular exercises and active lifestyle. Only a combination of diet, exercises, and active lifestyle can bring positive changes that would be benefiting you for the rest of your life. In addition to that, it is important for you to note and remember that a positive attitude and a sense of well being can help you considerably in the attempts to lose body weight. This means that there is no need for you to blame yourself or destiny for those extra kilos. Moreover, unrealistic expectations could derail your efforts and must be avoided at all times. This means that you need to have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins and spend some time toning your body. This can be at the gym or by walking for 30-40 minutes per day. Try to create weight loss plans that are realistic and reward yourself each time you achieve the plan.

All in all, it is you and not those so-called magical fat burning pills that will work. Act now and let your determination guide you in the right direction, the truth behind weight loss!

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