IT IS right there at the kitchen sink. Usually it is readily available for all. It costs little, but can bring better health. It is one of our body’s most important nutrients. It is cool, clear water. Yet the simple advice to drink more water is often neglected by even health-minded people.

Did you know that about 70 percent of our total body weight is made up of water? So it is not difficult to see why we need plenty of water for our bodies to function in a healthy way.

Of course, our kidneys do a wonderful work. Equipped with millions of filtering units, the kidneys screen out impurities from the blood and return the purified fluid to the bloodstream. It has been estimated that we would need to drink thousands of cups of water a day if it were not for the recycled water provided by our kidneys.

But even with healthy kidneys functioning well, the supply of clean water in our bodies drops constantly and needs replenishing. Without sufficient fluid to flush out the by-products of cell metabolism, body cells can slowly become poisoned by their own waste.

Fortunately, much of the food we eat supplies a great deal of the water we need because many foods are made up largely of water. Take the egg as an example. You may not realize that an egg is about 74 percent water. A piece of steak is about 73 percent water, and a watermelon has a huge 92-percent water content. But even so, most of us would still benefit by drinking more water.

Writing in the Weekend Australian, Michael Boddy cites the experience of mountain climbers to support the claim that excessive fatigue can result from a buildup of poisonous waste in body cells. He says: “Swiss mountaineers failed to conquer [Mount] Everest due to lack of water, and water is why the British expedition under Sir Edmund Hillary was successful-they were made to drink twelve cups of water a day while on the climb.”

The same writer tells of a Harvard University experiment that also bears out the value of drinking water.

A small group of athletes was instructed to drink no water at all and asked to walk briskly at three miles an hour (5 km/hr). They kept going for about three and a half hours. Then their body temperature rose suddenly to about 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39° C.). Soon after, they collapsed from exhaustion. A second group followed the same routine, but they were allowed to drink water whenever they felt thirsty and as much as they wished. This group lasted for about six hours and then experienced exactly the same reaction as the previous group.

Then a third group was tested. But this group was monitored closely, and it was found that they lost about one cup of water every 15 minutes. By replacing this amount of water as it was lost, none of this group experienced the sudden rise in body temperature, nor did they reach the point of exhaustion. In fact, all of them claimed that they could have walked on indefinitely. So it seems that natural thirst may not be an accurate barometer of our body’s need for water. We might need more than thirst dictates.

Perhaps we could all improve our health by drinking more cool, refreshing, God-given water.

Irritable bowel syndrome or its shortened term IBS is one of the most common medical complaints. IBS occurs when the entrance to the bowel spasms or contracts. This causes changes movement of the bowel abdominal pain and trapped wind.

People who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome report high levels of discomfort due to bloating and pain. The cause of IBS is a mystery and there is no known organic cause to the syndrome. People who have suffered a bowel infection are more likely to suffer from the condition.

The most common theory of why IBS occurs is that IBS is caused by a bad interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. This makes it more of a psychological problem.

Treatment is a big issue with sufferers as there is no known cure. Once diagnosed with IBS the first step is to keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary helps to pin point a particular food that when consumed maybe the cause of the problem.

Medical treatments include taking antispasmodic drugs which target and relax the bowel.

There is an easy home remedy that can be used to help relieve IBS syndrome which is peppermint oil. Peppermint is widely used through food it’s a widely grown herb. It can be easily grown at home or in the garden.

Buying over the counter medications can become expensive when compared over a full year. By growing your own peppermint and extracting its oil you can make huge savings here is how:-

• Pick the leaves before the peppermint plant flowers
• Wash and dry with kitchen paper
• Breakdown the leaves in a bag gently with a mallet
• Transfer to a glass jar
• Repeat the process every 24 hours to extract as much as possible
• Add an safe edible carrier oil like almond or grape seed

Store the oil away from direct sunlight to take add to a food or take drops in the mouth. This is an easy home remedy for helping you cope with the effects of IBS.

Another home remedy for IBS is to eat more of the right kind of fibre. This can help the movement of your bowel but it will not relieve the pain symptoms.

Exercise such as yoga or walking can also help reduce the symptoms of IBS. Yoga can be practiced easily at home in the front room. For best results this should be done a minimum of twice per week for 30 minutes.

It’s summer and the heat is on. The rising mercury levels indicate arrival of summer. The seasonal fruit of summer is watermelon. Juicy pulp of this fruit cools body, quenches thirst and satiates taste buds. The main constituent (92%) of this fruit is water. But the remaining small portion of nutrients plays a big role in nourishing our body. Here are few health benefits of watermelon.

1. Watermelons are store houses of vitamins. These vitamins are very essential to maintain the health of body tissues. Organs like skin, Eyes, bones and brain are benefited when this fruit is consumed.
2. Researchers and scientists say that the water melon is a rich source of an amino acid called citrulline. Citrulline gets converted to arginine. Arginine is a precursor for nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels. Thus dilated blood vessels increase blood flow to injured tissues and hasten the healing process. This property also helps men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Men who suffer from erectile dysfunction are benefited by regular consumption of this fruit.
3. The juicy melons are rich in potassium. Potassium helps to control blood pressure. As there is a link between erectile dysfunction and blood pressure, men are doubly benefited by use of this fruit. Thus watermelon can be best natural remedy for erectile dysfunction.
4. The rich dietary fiber content in this fruit help in relieving the constipation. The soluble fibers aid in reduction of blood cholesterol. A plateful of Watermelon chunks can be used as desert and as well as herbal remedy for constipation.
5. Antioxidants are another treasure which we can harness from this fruit. These antioxidants lend a hand in preventing cancer.
6. Watermelon reduces acidity and provides alkaline environment to body tissues.

Home remedies with watermelon

1. In summer drink a glass of watermelon juice daily with a dash of salt. This quenches thirsts, replenishes water and salts which we have lost through sweat. Thus maintains water electrolyte balance.
2. Eat a bowl full of watermelon pulp before break-fast and lunch. The fiber content of this fruit fills the stomach and satiates hunger signals. Thus the consumption of regular diet reduces and helps towards achieving weight loss.
3. Wash the face thoroughly with soap or face wash. Pat dry skin and apply watermelon juice evenly on skin. Wash it off after 20 minutes. The beneficial constituents of watermelon help to close skin pores, heal acne- pimples and repair skin which is damaged due to sunrays. The juice tightens the skin and makes it wrinkle free. Why can’t you try this beneficial herbal face pack often?

So In summer a bowl of watermelon a day keeps the summer diseases away.

The salary of a licensed practical nurse varies by employer and by state. If you have been in the profession for a time, you know that several major factors such as experience, location and level of education play a crucial part of your value and LPN salary.

The Average LPN Salary
The annual average salary of a licensed practical nurse is at $42,000. The lowest 10% of LPNs in the profession earns around $30,600 or less, while the top 10% earns as much as $57,000 or more.

LPN can also choose to work part-time in some health care facilities. The average LPN salary per hour starts at $20. As they gain more experience and skills the salary per hour can go as high as $27.

Five Smart Tips to Boost Up Your LPN Salary
If you are seeking for ways to increase your income and enjoy the full benefits of the career, follow the five easy tips below.

1. Seek employment in a large health care facility
If you want to work at a health care facility that pays higher salary, submit your application to Home Health Care Services, private home health services, and other bigger establishments, which typically pays LPNs at about $38,000 per year.

In most cases, the size of a health care establishment has a direct impact on the total amount of salary offered to licensed practical nurses. Salaries typically can go as much as 20 percent more at a bigger health care facility compare to smaller establishments.

Along with the higher base salary offer, they also offer better employee benefits and career opportunities for pursuing further education, training and even a registered nurse (RN) license. General hospitals pay around $22,500 annually, which is the lowest average salary for LPN practitioners.

2. Work full time
Some LPNs for some reason or another choose to work part-time in a private clinic or hospital. Others work two part-time jobs thinking that this way they will be able to earn more. But that may not be the smart way to go. If you want to get higher wage, always choose to work full time employment.

The thing is, a full time job earns between $20 and $27 per hour. This would mean making a whopping 20% more income than working part time. Aside from that, full-time employees are also entitled to many other advantages such as paid sick leave, insurance and health benefits, paid vacations, tuition reimbursements, and other career opportunities.

3. Seek for continual education and training
This is a major factor that could increase your value as LPN practitioner. Many LPNs choose to become one as a stepping stone to become a registered nurse one day. With the advancement in technology today such as the Internet, anyone can now enroll in a course and bachelor’s degree program without even going to a classroom.
Augment your knowledge and skills by enrolling in online or offline programs on your own. You can also ask your employer if they offer any continuing education program and training for career advancement of the employees.

4. Work in a location that pays higher wages for health care professionals
Start finding work in a city or state that pays LPNs and other health care pros with the highest wages available. Most if not all of these cities or states in the U.S. have the higher cost of living. With that, here are our top five states that offer higher LPN salary:

• Connecticut: $53,00
• Nevada: $52,400
• Rhode Island: $52,000
• New Jersey: $51,400
• California: $51,100
Our top five cities are:
• San Francisco, CA: $61,230
• Salinas, CA: $59,240
• Oakland, CA: $58,430
• Santa Rosa, CA: $57,530
• San Jose, CA: $57,010

5. Choose between private and government health care facility
If you are a licensed practical nurse, you can find work anywhere in the United States where patients are being treated. In some cases, some nurses earn substantial income working for a private health care clinic like a family physician.

But, generally, the highest paid LPNs are working for government hospitals, nursing homes and other medical establishments. Home health care services also offer higher wages.

Other government agencies that pay substantial amount of wages and employee benefits are prisons and jails. These are some of the best job opportunities that are definitely worth checking into.