Hirst

Cigarette smokers are at danger of more than nicotine when they smoke. Tobacco smoke contains many different chemicals including benzene, formaldehyde, styrene, and carbon monoxide, all toxic chemicals with known effects. Nicotine is broken down by the body to an even more addictive and long lasting substance cotinine.

But what about the filters? The filters are usually made from cellulose acetate, and studies have shown that smokers commonly ingest and/or inhale some of these fibres. This happens because small fragments of cellulose acetate become separated from the filter at the end face. The cut surface of the filter of nearly all cigarettes has these fragments. This means that if you smoke a filter cigarette you are likely to have small fragments of plastic-like material in your tubes and lungs.

Dont let this be an excuse to go back to smoking unfiltered cigarettes. Cigarette smoke damages your heart as well as your lungs. Carbon monoxide and nicotine are the two chemicals in cigarette smoke that probably have the most effect on the heart. Carbon monoxide attaches to red blood cells, so that in smokers up to half the blood can be carrying carbon monoxide rather than oxygen.

Nicotine stimulates the body to produce adrenaline which makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure, forcing the heart to work harder. Other parts of the smoke appear to damage the lining of the coronary arteries and this leads to the build up of fatty material in the arteries.

Many smokers have switched to low tar cigarettes. It is the tar that causes cancer, but low tar cigarettes don't necessarily have less carbon monoxide and nicotine, so may be no less harmful for the heart. (This doesn't mean that you should go back to higher tar cigarettes, but it does mean that you can't believe that your health will be fine because you are smoking low tar cigarettes.)

My father's last words before he died of a heart attack were "I'm dying for a cigarette." He had no idea how true that was.

Jane Thurnell-Read is a writer and researcher on health, stress, alternative medicine, and happiness. Visit her web site http://www.healthandgoodness.com for tips and information on how to live a happier, healthier life no matter how busy you are.

How to learn Business English

The Automotive Industry is truly global now, with many alliances, shared platforms, and certainly thousands of air-miles! Increasingly Japanese and Koreans are having to communicate in English with their counterparts in the US, UK and Europe. English is a global language the other day I was driving along a British road, with a Turkish guest who was talking on his mobile to a Vietnamese colleague in France about a project for a French Customer built by a German Company: they spoke English.

I have sat in numerous meetings with overseas colleagues, discussing various international projects, only to watch my colleagues struggle with communicating ideas in English.

So we have established the need its very real and immediate what is the solution? There are a number of things that an employer can consider when looking to train his people to speak, write and understand English as she is spoken in the international marketplace:

1. Lessons in the workplace.

These have the advantage of being flexible, on-site, and relatively in-expensive, and that several people can be trained at once. The disadvantages are that students are readily distracted, being on-site, or that they are not taught by a native-speaker, and certainly that there are significant gaps between sessions, with little opportunity to practice.

2. Lessons in an English school.

Attending these, often in their own time, employees show commitment to the learning process, and are taught (often by native speakers) in classes of varying sizes and abilities.

3. Teach Yourself.

This route takes real commitment, but lacks flexibility you learn what is on the tape and where do you practice?

4. Learn in a foreign country in a language school

There are many language schools out there, in various parts of the UK, where students can learn in varying group sizes, and even one-to-one. Students generally stay with host families or in hotels and guest houses when not in lectures / classes.

5. Learn in a foreign country in a teachers home

We offer this service - whilst a little more expensive than all the other options, the student has individually tailored English teaching, one-to-one, with a native speaker. Plenty of conversation practise, individual attention, learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Andrew is a qualified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher, with 15 years experience of the global Automotive Industry as a Sales manager with an International component and systems supplier. For more information about learning English with Andrew at his home in the UK, visit the Lets Talk 2 website.

The African Hoodia Cactus

First, the African hoodia cactus is actually not a cactus but a succulent. But, it looks so much like a cactus that it is often called the African hoodia cactus. In actuality, its name is Hoodia Gordonii, or in technical terms it is Genus: Trichocaulon and its Family Name is Asclepiadaceae. But, that really is not what you came here to learn. What you probably want to learn more about is what the hoodia plant can do for you.

What You Want To Know

More than likely, to you the African Hoodia cactus is a slice of the perfect diet. You may have heard about the wonderful qualities that it claims. For one, by simply eating hoodia, you will suppress hungry. This leads to a decrease in the calories youll eat. In short, you eat much less, dont feel hungry and you end up losing weight. What could be better? The fact is, though, that hoodia can also help to increase your energy levels as well. With so much to offer, its amazing that not everyone is eating hoodia.

What You Want To Have

The African hoodia cactus has been eaten by native bushman for many hundreds of years. They ate it to withstand long journeys in which they may go several days without food. The hoodia would provide them with the energy they need and help to curb hunger pangs.

Today, if you would like to consume the plant, you may find it much more difficult to do so. The hoodia cactus is hard to obtain in straight form because of several things.

It is hard to cultivate. It can only be grown in the Kalahari Dessert region of Southern Africa. This means that you cant grow it yourself.

It has a patent on it. Although it has been consumed for hundreds of years natively, today, there are strict patents on most of the crops grown. That makes it expensive and hard to obtain, especially when the company that holds it doesnt want to provide it.

The African hoodia cactus is bitter tasting and not really pleasant to eat if you can find it.

So, whats the solution to getting the hoodia that can help you to lose weight? The best course of action for anyone looking to reduce their caloric intake through a natural substance like hoodia is to purchase and use a supplement containing the pure hoodia product. This is hard to find and costly, but the African hoodia cactus is well worth the trouble.

Everything you need to know about Hoodia and hoodia gordonii