Enhance Your Flexibility

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise - cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training - it's pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring.
However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.
How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines:
Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better that nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What's more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you'll experience. A qualified personal trainer, physical therapist or health professional can design a functional flexibility program specifically for you.
Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment. An individualized stretching program is best to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion).
Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulder, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training.
Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body's signals and don't push too far. Avoid bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous.
Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries will need to take special precautions.
Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching.
Warm Up First. Don't forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 to15 minutes is a simple way to do this.
Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching.
Stretch Your Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
It's Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance.
Do It Consistently. It doesn't help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs - they're dedicated practitioners of regular stretching and you rarely see them getting the kind of joint or muscular injuries that humans get!
Shoulder and Trapezius Stretch
** Stand upright with shoulders back, chest out, and feet hip-width apart.
** Clasp your hands behind your buttocks.
** Slowly lift your hands up and away from your body until they have reached the furthest comfortable position.
** Keep your chest out and your chin in without hunching over.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your chest and anterior shoulders, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
Lying Quadriceps Stretch
** Lie face down on a mat.
** Lift your right leg up towards your buttocks.
** Reach around with your right hand and grasp your foot. -Slowly pull downwards, stretching your quadriceps to the furthest comfortable position.
** Hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
Shin Stretch
** Using a wall or chair as support, place your left foot behind your right foot, with the top of your left on the ground.
** Extend the bottom of your left shin as far forwards as possible. Slowly lower yourself by bending both legs.
** Once you have stretched your anterior tibialis to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.
Hip, Gluteus and Back Stretch
** Sit on the floor with both of your legs extended in front of you.
** Bend your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee.
** Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, and extend your right arm behind you with your palm flat on the floor for support.
** Slowly twist your upper body to the right while looking over your right shoulder.
** Lightly apply pressure with your left elbow on the outside of your right knee as you twist. Be sure to keep your upper body straight.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your hips, buttocks, and lower back, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch sides and repeat.
Calf Stretch
** Put the sole of the top half of your right foot against the wall. Slide your right heel as close towards the wall as possible.
** Slowly lean forward towards the wall stretching your calves. Once you have stretched your calf to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.

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Gingivitis

A very common disease of the mouth that I am sure that we have all heard of by now called Gingivitis, can be quite stressful and rather irritating. You can prevent this oral disease by the means of appropriate dental hygiene.
These appropriate measures call for brushing your teeth at least 3 times a day, flossing whenever you get the chance (mostly recommended after eating meals or any sort of food), and one of my favorites, mouthwash.
These dental hygiene methods will enhance the chances of you to not develop Gingivitis. Usually any oral disease from the mouth is caused by inappropriate dental hygiene (to put it simply, people who do not really pay attention to whether they brush their teeth or not).
My personal favorite dental hygiene method is mouthwash.
Mouthwash not only kills plaque and Gingivitis, but it also kills most of the germs in your mouth, while lowering the risks of developing an oral disease.
If you start to enhance how often you perform oral hygiene you will find oral diseases to be a lot less of a concern or hassle. If your case is severe enough and you develop a disease from it, go in and make an appointment with your dentist and I am sure that you will get everything straightened away.

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Could You Answer These 15 Questions

More than 106 million American adults have a blood cholesterol level high enough to require medical advice. High cholesterol claims thousands of lives every year and the really sad thing is that it’s treatable as long as you don’t ignore it.
The chances of you not having this condition are slim to none ... most Americans do have cholesterol, it’s a natural part of our physical makeup. Like everything in nature, it only becomes a problem when there is an imbalance.
The 15 questions that most people ask about cholesterol are:
# 1 - What is cholesterol?
# 2 - How does it affect my health?
# 3 - How do I know if I’m at risk?
# 4 - Is there a test that will tell me if I have it?
# 5 - How does it affect my lifestyle?
# 6 - What are my LDL and HDL levels?
# 7 - Will I need medication?
# 8 - Is it affected by diet?
# 9 - What can I eat?
#10 - Will it go away with exercise?
#11 - Should I take supplements?
#12 - Is it possible to get rid of it?
#13 - What are some of the treatment options?
#14 - When is medication necessary?
#15 - Are natural treatments effective?
Do you know the warning signs for high cholesterol?
Are you aware of your LDL and HDL levels … do you even know what they mean?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions and how to lower your cholesterol, you owe it to your family and yourself to find out. You can find the answers to all these questions in an outstanding book titled "Lowering Your Cholesterol [http://www.lifestyle-health-news.com/downloads_cholesterol/cholesterol_sales.html]. Now is the time to take control of your cholesterol and your life.
Sadly, thousands of men and women ignore the warning signs until it’s too late!

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Nothing But The Truth

By far the most widespread inquiries were from women commonly afflicted by "diet resistant" fat deposits on their hips, thighs, and butts concurrently self diagnosed as "cellulite". The reported conditions were uncannily uniform; adjectives such as "cottage cheese," "dimpled," "bumpy," and "gravel like" were common. The letters also lay claim to the fat's stubborn nature, that no amount of diet or exercise would get rid of it.
All in all, the women writing these letters were at their wits end, frustrated that they were cursed with this deferent fat called cellulite that just won't go away.
Well ladies, you are not alone. Millions of women, to varying degrees, are covered with cellulite making it the most common diet related problem. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each year on creams, potions, Luffa sponges, liposuction, special massages, and the like in an effort to rid the body of cellulite all to no avail. None of the available cellulite remedies work --because there is no such thing as cellulite!
In the mid seventies a Swedish doctor discovered if he attached a name to a common cosmetic problem and created a remedy for it, vanity would drive his bank account to a level he could hitherto only dream about. Boy was he right!
Almost immediately the concept of cellulite caught on. For nineteen ninety five and ten minutes each night before bed, one could apply a special cream to the afflicted area and then rub themselves raw with a long, course, natural sponge known as a Luffa and the cellulite would go away.
Well the only thing that went away was the Swedish doctor, in the direction of the setting sun driving his new Ferrari, giggling--probably still to this day --about all of the digits in his Swiss bank account. In our minds this was probably one of the greatest deceptions of all time, it's more than 30 years later and people still think that cellulite is a viable excuse for a fat cheesy butt.
I realize that you're probably a bit mad right now - we're telling you something different that you've been led to believe for so many years - sometimes the truth is shocking, but you can use this truth to help you reach your goals much faster. So if you're still convinced that cellulite is an honest medical condition, grab a medical dictionary the next time you visit the library and look it up. All you'll find where the word should be is a space.
If you want to use the term "cellulite" to describe how the fat on a woman's lower body looks, fine. We'll accept that, however, the fat termed "cellulite" is no different from the adipose tissue residing under the skin in any other area of the body.
If there is no physical difference then why does it look different? Good question. First, you have to understand something about the skin. It's very elastic, stretching when you move, closely following the rest of the body. In doing so it must also be attached to the body. For example, the skin covering the fingers is attached to the muscles and bone by fibrous cords called irabitclae that are far less elastic than the skin itself.
Since the connective tissue is not as elastic as the skin, it will only stretch so far while being acted on by the force of expanding fat cells. Once the cords reach their limit, and the fat cells are still expanding, the cords stop and the skin in between keeps going. The point where the connective tissue is attached to the skin is the low point of a dimple. Put a bunch of these dimples together and you have what looks like a pillow case full of gravel.
Why is cellulite so hard to get rid of? Another good question, the answer pertains to the gender specific deposits of fat. To put it simply, the areas of greater fat concentration appear to be the last to go. In order to get rid of the look of cellulite you must get rid of the fat that is causing it. Remember in the realm of normal people twenty to twenty-five percent body fat is normal for a woman, while fifteen to twenty percent is normal for a male. Most of America exceeds the upper limits of their respective group creating a forum for a whole lot of cheesy looking fat.
Dieting can be deceiving; we've seen women who appear skinny up top yet are hauling around quite a load down below and scream cellulite when they can't diet it off. Even though their collar bone is sticking out and their arms are skinny, their body fat measurements are still quite high.
The bottom line is that dieting down is tough work indeed and you MUST have follow a proven system to get this fat off - otherwise you'll end up more frustrated than anything else. It's a lot easier to give up and blame a disorder than it is to religiously pass the bulk food section at the market and actually do 30 minutes of aerobics every day. If the diet and activity level of an average American were analyzed it would be very clear why cellulite is so common.

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Ruin Your Summer Fun

I love summer! Summer is my favorite season of the year. I love playing sports outside and walking on the beach. I especially enjoy being at an outdoor barbecue. Maybe you enjoy summer activities as well. Imagine with me for a moment being at an outdoor barbecue. Just a little distance away from you there's a swimming pool full of kids who are having fun playing, laughing and splashing in the water. In another spot there might be a horseshoe game playing. You can hear the "clank" of the horseshoes hitting the posts as the players are trying to get a ringer. And of course there's the barbecue grill. On the grill might be hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken or steaks. The only thing better than the smell coming from the grill is the taste of the food when it's time to eat. Can you just imagine the fun that you will have this summer?
Now fast forward with me a few hours. You are at home and your skin is starting to itch. Just before bedtime you're taking your shirt or blouse off to get into your bed clothes and just the material rubbing up against your skin is painful. When you do go to bed that evening you toss and turn trying to get into a position that isn't painful so that you can go to sleep. However, you spend hours awake only thinking about the pain that your body is experiencing instead of the tremendous fun you had that day. What is the reason for this itching and pain? You have probably guessed it. You have a sunburn!
Fortunately you can do something about it before it happens. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided us with some steps that we can take to help reduce our chance of having to deal with sun damage. These seven simple action steps are as follows:
1. Limit Time in the Midday Sun - The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Whenever possible, limit exposure to the sun during these hours.
2. Wear a Hat - A hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection to your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck - areas particularly prone to overexposure to the sun.
3. Cover Up - Wearing tightly woven, loose-fitting, and full-length clothing is a good way to protect your skin from the sun's UV rays.
4. Wear Sunglasses that Block 99-100% of UV Radiation -Sunglasses that provide 99-100% UVA and UVB protection will greatly reduce sun exposure that can lead to cataracts and other eye damage. Check the label when buying sunglasses.
5. Always Use Sunscreen - Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 or higher liberally on exposed skin. Reapply every 2 hours, or after working, swimming, playing, or exercising outdoors. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off, sweat, or spend extended periods of time in the water.
6. Avoid Sunlamps and Tanning Parlors - The light source from sunbeds and sunlamps damages the skin and unprotected eyes. It's a good idea to avoid artificial sources of UV light.
7. Watch for the UV Index - The UV Index provides important information to help you plan your outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun. Developed by the National Weather Service (NWS) and EPA, the UV Index is issued daily in selected cities across the United States.
Why am I telling you about these simple action steps that can help protect you from the sun? I want you to have fun this summer. I want you to have fun this summer under the sun.

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Reducing Blood Pressure

Recent research underscores the importance of a healthful lifestyle including a fitness regimen for both the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Often, changes in diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure without medication, especially for people with mild to moderate blood pressure levations. Sometimes diet and exercise can even reduce the need for medication, and thereby reduce side effects and lower costs.
If you are already taking medication for hypertension, it's important to discuss your lifestyle changes with your doctor, and continue taking your medication as prescribed. If lifestyle changes result in improved blood pressure, your doctor will want to work closely with you to reduce your dosage in a safe and effective manner. Following are some of the most important things you can do to prevent and control hypertension.
Reducing your sodium intake is a major factor. Many people with hypertension find that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure as well. Learn which foods are high in sodium, and avoid them as much as possible.
Regular exercise is the most important hypertension-prevention habit for three reasons:
First, it helps prevent and control hypertension. Formerly sedentary people who begin exercising regularly experience, on average, a drop of six or seven points in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Second, active people have lower death rates than their sedentary friends, even when they have the same blood pressure. Research has shown that exercise reduces risk for cardiovascular and other disease. Exercise also helps prevent obesity, another hypertension risk factor.
Third, regular exercise provides the foundation for successful behavior change programs. Exercise makes you feel good and feel positive about yourself. Stress reduction is one of the greatest benefits of exercise. Stress not only raises blood pressure, but it makes you less inclined to stick to your positive eating plan, your
smoking cessation program or your decision to cut down on your alcohol intake.
Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains increases your intake of important minerals such as calcium and potassium, not to mention vitamins and fiber. One study found that volunteers consuming a diet high in these foods and low in fats (such as the diets created by our on-staff nutritionist) reduced systolic blood pressure by four points, and diastolic by three points. This small but significant reduction was accomplished with diet alone. Add exercise, stress management and weight loss for people who are overweight, and blood pressure reductions often improve much more.
Eating well and exercising regularly are the cornerstone.
Deprivation programs are out! Don't focus on weight loss; focus on a healthy lifestyle. A little weight loss may occur by cutting down on "junk food," eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, and increasing physical activity. Even a relatively small loss, such as 5 to 10 pounds, can reduce blood pressure. The most important goal is the development of healthful habits that stay with you for a
lifetime, so that the weight stays off. Weight cycling (repeatedly losing and regaining weight) may raise your blood pressure and be harmful to your health.
Reducing stress is another lifelong task. Take a stress management workshop, develop your sense of humor and read some good books. Develop coping techniques that increase your resistance to stress related illness. And don't forget the importance of exercise for stress reduction.
Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake will make a profound difference in your health. You should strive to drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation, if at all.

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Ways to Fight Bad Breath

Bad Breath haunts a lot of us, and we can easily admit it. Bad Breath is quite an easy case to treat when it comes to bad oral heath (so do not worry about it). Everyone develops bad smelling breath every now and then, especially after we get done eating food. There are simple ways to fight breath that stinks by means of appropriate dental hygiene.
Common dental hygiene that actually works quite well is the old "brush your teeth 3 times a day," routine. Even if you simply brush your teeth 2 times a day you will be well off. A simple remedy for bad smelling breath after you eat is to chew on a stick of mint gum or purchase some mints.
I can also personally recommend that you use mouthwash, as it not only kills bacteria, plaque and gingivitis but it also makes your teeth whiter and smell great. If you simply use good dental/oral hygiene you will be less likely to develop severe cases from Bad Breath such as Halitosis (a chronic disease of unpleasant smelling breath).
Do not worry about it though because it is very common to get bad breath that does not smell too pleasant, even if you do keep the appropriate dental hygiene methods. If you have a feeling that you have a case of severe Halitosis (no matter what you do, your breath stinks horribly), you may want to set up an appointment with your dentist.

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Four Powerful Keys To Healing

Here is a simple process to become pro-active with your health.
Many people with an illness waste a lot of time on future events that have not or will not happen. A future event is anything not in the NOW. For example: I might not feel like going out tonight because I am might be tired (notice the words-might be tired).
I had a friend that was HIV (diagnosed with AIDs) and every statement he made was like this: "Let's go to the beach today because I might be dead tomorrow."
Starting today be aware of your words because they have power. Here is an easy technique to focus on all the good in your life and NOT on what may or may not happen in the future.
Write this format on a piece of paper:
Statement
Pro
Con
Turnaround
Action
Example One
Statement
I am always in pain.
Pro
I have friends that always sympathize with me and I get attention.
Con
I wish I could spend more time with my grandchildren.
Turnaround
I felt great this morning.
(NOTICE: I did not say, "I was pain-free in the morning" because that would still be focusing on the pain.)
Action
Pick-up the phone and say Hi to your grandchildren. Ask them how THEY ARE---focus on the good and positive of other people. DO NOT talk about how much pain you were in before.
In addition after you have worked with one statement you can also take a sentence from your PRO or CON list and apply it to this format. Pick the ones that have the most "charge" or emotions attached to them.
Example Two
Statement
I have friends that always sympathize with me and I get attention.
Pro
I feel like I am needed.
Con
I feel useless.
Turnaround
I get attention by listening to other people.
(This is NOT about having a pity party and sharing negative stories. Focus on the good and positive aspects of the day. Take action and direct the conversation to a place of joy.)
Action
I do things that are helpful around the house.
This simple process is easy to do and it works. The best way to starting using this process is today. Be aware of what you are saying and then immediately write it down.
To help you stay in the moment say, "I am healthy whole and complete and I love myself for who I am right here, right now."
Remember, be pro-active with your health and keep all conversations positive. Make a sign that says, "No Whining Allowed" to remind you of your commitment to health. People will notice you have changed. Focus on the good in your life and the beauty around you. Soon you will be feeling better, doing more and living a more fulfilling life.

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Phytochemicals for Your Immune Health

My mom used to dress the dinner plate in full matching regalia; yellow squash nestled next to green asparagus. Red and yellow peppers tossed around the salad added spectacular color. Now dear mom knew these foods were healthy and she loved to decorate my plate with the colors of the season; but did she know that these wholesome foods contain phytochemicals?
Phytochemicals are the active substances in plants that give them their color, flavor, odor, and protection against plant diseases. Phytochemicals work as powerful antioxidants, which can increase our resistance to disease and boost immunity.
While most research focuses on the anti-carcinogen effects of phytochemicals, the results are equally important to those who just want to boost their immune system or help reverse the aging clock.
Scientists at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRC) rated 60 fruits and vegetables for potency of antioxidants, which stabilize cells and help fight the damaging effects of free radicals, which are molecules that weaken the immune system. Antioxidants can help keep cancer, heart disease and other degenerative conditions at bay.
The top scoring fruit in the HNRC study was blueberries followed by strawberries, prunes, black currants and boysenberries. The deeper the color, the better for you. Many of these antioxidants also have anti-inflammatory properties, and some naturally reduce blood cholesterol.
It's important to fill your diet with all the colors of the food rainbow. Eat the blues, reds, purples, oranges, yellows, and greens.
Fresh or Frozen Produce?
It's okay if you don't have time to steam your own fresh veggies, studies by the FDA and the University of Illinois show that frozen fruits and vegetables are nearly as nutritious because they can wait to be picked until they're at the peak of freshness.
Fresh produce is usually picked early, before it's ripe and fully nutritious, so that it ships well.
But if you're lucky enough to grow your own fruits or vegetables, or you can buy straight from a farm - then that's where you'll find the most nutritious fruits and vegetables!!!
What about supplements:
The value of most supplements is, at best, ineffective. The power of phytochemicals seem to be lost when removed from food. Except if you're fortunate enough to find a high quality 'greens drink'.
Click Here to get more info on our green drinks and other supplements!!!
Drinking one glass of a quality 'greens drink' supplies more than 5 servings of powerful, phytochemical rich nutrition.
Other Phyto Foods :
Phyto foods come in many varieties and for all palates. Among the most common sources are:
FRUITS: Apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, grapes, kiwi fruit, lemons, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, plums. GRAINS: Barley, cornmeal, whole grain, quinoa, brown rice, wheat germ. NUTS and SEEDS: Flaxseed (a small brown seed used in cooking), macadamia, pecans, sesame seeds, walnuts. VEGETABLES: Asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, dark leafy greens and lettuces, mushrooms, onions, green and dried peas, sweet and hot peppers, white and sweet potatoes, pumpkin, soybeans, watercress, winter squash, tomatoes. And a host of others.

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Keep Good Oral Health

Oral Health is basically the overall health of your mouth. How your gums, teeth and breath are. If you do not perform correct and appropriate dental hygiene, you may end up developing an oral mouth disease. Some cases are severe, while others have ointments that can easily treat the more mild cases. The condition that you keep your mouth in will determine what your Oral Health is like, and what it will be like for future reference.
In order to keep a good dental hygiene you must follow all of the basic steps that are recommended by probably every single dentist that you have come across. Every time you set up an appointment, you always hear them ask you how many times you brush your teeth a day.
If your reply is once, you can expect them to raise an eyebrow at you and tell you to bump it up to three times a day. If you do not brush your teeth very often you are possibly at risk of developing serious oral diseases.
There is a possibility that you can develop Halitosis, Gingivitis, Gum Disease, Tartar, Plaque and other diseases that may even be more severe such as rotting teeth (you would really have to be against brushing your teeth for that one) if you do not brush your teeth. Also use other hygienic methods such as flossing and using mouthwash, anything you can do to help your mouth will just take you one step further away from having to worry about any sort of risky Oral Health.

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