What Causes Jet Lag?
What Causes Jet Lag?
Jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many millions of travelers every day, whether traveling on business or for pleasure. In one recent survey of international business travelers, seventy four percent of those questioned said that they suffered frequently from jet lag.Jet lag affects people of all ages, although its symptoms vary widely from person to person and tend to be more severe the older you get. Jet lag symptoms also tend to be worse if you are already suffering sleeping difficulties in advance of traveling.Jet lag also increases with the number of time zones crossed during your journey. If the time difference between your starting point and destination is just two or three hours, then you are likely to experience little or no jet lag. However, once your journey extends across more than three time zones you will begin to experience the symptoms of jet lag, which will tend to worsen as the number of time zones increases.So what causes jet lag?Jet lag is caused by a significant and rapid change in time zones which result in a difference between the local time and the time recorded by your body's internal clock.Let's say that you leave London at 11 o'clock on a Monday morning flying to Bangkok. The flight lasts twelve hours and you arrive in Bangkok at 11 o'clock that same evening London time. However, because you have flown across several time zones the local time in Bangkok is five o'clock on Tuesday morning.By the time you've cleared immigration and customs and taken a taxi to your hotel, it's probably getting on for seven thirty in the morning and breakfast is being served at the hotel. However, as far as your internal body clock is concerned, it's still only one thirty in the morning and your body wants nothing more than to crawl into bed.Your body contains its own internal clock which takes its time from the environment responding to such things as temperature, humidity and, most importantly, the normal daily change from daylight to darkness. These environmental factors cause your own body clock to run, much like your mantle clock, on a series of twenty four cycles, often referred to as your body's circadian rhythms.Much as our lives are controlled by time today, your body clock is also responsible for many of your body's functions. In particular, your body clock tells your body when it is time to shut down for sleep and when it is time to wake up and start the day's activities.By flying across several time zones and placing your body clock out balance with local time you upset the whole rhythm of your day, giving rise to such things as problems sleeping at night, staying awake during the day and eating when you wouldn't normally eat. This, in turn, leads to jet lag.Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders ? http://help-me-to-sleep.comDonald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including "Jet Lag ? A Natural Approach". Learn more about jet lag and pick up your free copy of "How To Get A Good Night's Sleep" to discover the secret to curing insomnia.
Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home – Home-Improvement
Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home
In addition to causing destruction, water damage also has an adverse affect to the indoor air quality of your home.
Damage from water can cause wood rot, insect infestation and mold .The obvious causes of water damage are leaking roofs, windows, doors, foundation cracks and visible plumbing leaks.
These are fairly easy to detect, enabling a quick repair before maximum damage occurs.The not-so-obvious culprits are moisture behind finished basement walls that are insulated with fiberglass; poor grading around foundation walls and air leaks that occur between the living space and attic.Insulating finished basement walls with fiberglass is not a good idea.Fiberglass will absorb water and not allow it to travel through the wall, preventing a drying effect.Some people think installing a plastic barrier in the wall is the answer, but this approach only traps moisture.
A better way is to use rigid insulation (also known as blue board).This insulation is semi-permeable and allows moisture to travel through the wall, allowing it to dry.
Water can also enter the basement if the grade of the land is pitched toward the house.Grading the soil away from the house and adding rain gutters will guide rainwater away from the house.Openings from the house to the attic and poor ceiling insulation in houses located in colder climates can lead to ice dams that cause water to back up into the house.Air leakage from the house to the attic will carry moisture in the form of humidity into the attic that can form water on the underside of the roof leading to rotting and mold.Typical leakage points between the house and attic are:leaky attic hatches
holes drilled for plumbing pipes and electrical wires that penetrate the attic and are usually not sealed
Recessed light fixtures that are not the airtight type
Exhaust fans that vent directly into the atticFor those who live in warmer climates, water damage can occur within your walls because of poorly designed air conditioning systems.Systems that are oversized (a larger capacity than necessary)will not remove enough humidity which leads to high moisture levels that condense on cooler surfaces.Duct systems that are imbalanced can draw outside humidity through walls that can produce water in the walls.Mitigating these problems requires a professional.Repairing the attic problems listed above may seem simple enough, but trying to do it yourself doesn't guarantee you really fixed the problem and can sometimes lead to other problems.Hiring an insulation expert who specializes in building science (also known as a building performance specialist) will ensure the job is done properly and safely.These specilaists come equipped with tools such as blower doors, pressure guages, etc. to quantify the measures taken for the repairs.The same goes for the air conditioning specialist, he should have duct diagnostic tools to test your ductwork to be sure it is properly designed and performing efficiently.
If you are unable to find someone in your area, go to www.energyconservatory.com.They are manufacturers of the required testing instruments and they will have contractors in their database they can recommend.In addition to taking care of the water damage, your home will be more comfortable, you'll save money on your energy bills and improve your indoor air quality.Ed Bishop is founder and president of Enhanced Living Inc., a Troy, NY-based design-consulting and contracting company. A pioneer in residential contracting, Ed is a thirty-year industry veteran trained in the "House Is A System" approach to HVAC design. He was formerly a building analyst instructor, providing certification training for New York's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
What Causes Golf Back Pain?
What Causes Golf Back Pain?
Why it that back pain is such a common complaint in golf and amongst golf players on any course?Does golf back pain have something to do with the game or do most players bring back pains acquired elsewhere into the game?
While it is true that there are golfers who started having back pains and related problems long before they set foot on the course, there is clear evidence that golf does cause back pain, especially to those who do not exercise and condition their bodies for the game.One reason is that many of the back pains are aggravated by playing the game for long periods.So why do many golfers continue to suffer in silence and yet simple golf specific exercises can permanently cure a golf back pain for good?The following powerful, but simple exercise has helped many golfers gain more endurance to play golf the whole day without experiencing the usual nagging lower back problems that are extremely common on the course.This golf back pain exercise also does an excellent job in adding endurance and strength to the muscles and usually makes such a tremendous difference in your strength that you have to try it to believe and experience the impact for yourself.This exercise that cures golf back pain is done by lying flat on the floor on your stomach with your hands at your sides. You then raise your chest and upper body as well as arms and legs as high as you can.You do this so that your stomach supports the weight of your entire body. Hold the position and go for a count of 10. Doing this simple exercise for 2 sets daily will completely eliminate your low back pain for good.Keeping yourself golf fit by getting involved in a good golf specific exercise program will keep any golfer free from golf back pain.About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at his golf fitness site - Perform Better Golf.