Tammie's Take~

5 Things You Should be Looking for When Buying e-Juice

Reviews · August 30, 2018

Most people who make the switch from regular cigarettes to e-Cigs do so for health and safety reasons. They assume that using a vape pen will automatically be safer than smoking, and in most cases, they’d be actually right. But if you assume that all e-Juices out there are safe, you’d be sorely mistaken. Not only are some products out there low quality, but some can actually be downright toxic. This is why it’s essential that you know what you’re getting into when buying e-Juices online or anywhere. In this article, we’re going to give you a few things you should be looking for when buying e-Juices.

Flavor

Flavor is usually the first thing people look at when buying e-Juices, and they’re also one of the things that attract so many people to e-Cigarettes in the first place. In addition to menthol and tobacco, you can find e-Liquids in a wide variety of flavors, like coffee, strawberry, mango, cherry, watermelon, vanilla, and the list goes on. Some brands like Broke Dick even have elaborate flavors like marshmallow cereal and banana cream pie mixed with peanut butter. It’s up to you to experiment and look for what works for you. Some may have a preference for classic flavors while others might look for something more experimental. Try to look for vendors who offers mix and match packs so that you can try different flavors and find out what you like the best.

Throat Hit

Besides flavor, throat hit is something you should also be on the lookout for when choosing e-Liquids. Throat hit refers to the sensation you get when the vapor hits your throat when you inhale it. While this is commonly associated with cigarette smoke, this can be also found when vaping and will usually vary depending on the type of e-Juice you’re getting. Anything with a nicotine concentration of 8 to 16 mg/ml and over will have a significant throat hit usually. Also, some of the additives that are added to e-Liquids, such as cinnamon, grain alcohol, menthol and capsaicin, which is the compound that makes peppers spicy, all contribute to the throat hit.

You should also take a look at what type of carrier liquid is used in the composition of the e-Liquid you’re choosing. Usually e-Juices use vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol as a carrier liquid to produce vapor and carry the flavor. Mixes with higher concentrations of vegetable glycerin will usually produce the most vapor while those with propylene glycol will have a harsher throat hit, so be on the lookout for that.

Strength

Strength or nicotine concentration is another thing you should be considering when buying e-Liquid online. This is especially important if you were a regular smoker and are transitioning to e-Cigs. If you were used to very strong cigarettes, or if you were a heavy smoker, then you’ll probably need something stronger to satisfy those cravings. If you used to smoke full flavors cigarettes, then you might want to look at something in the 18 to 24 mg/ml range. If you were smoking ultra-lights, then something around 6 mg/ml should be enough for you. You should also know that there are non-nicotine options out there as well. These are great for those who want to vape for the fun of it or those who already kicked their nicotine habit.

Safety

As e-Cigs are becoming more and more mainstream, tons of new manufacturers are selling e-Liquids these days. However, not all manufacturers abide by the same rules and regulations while some don’t obey any rules at all. It can be difficult sometimes to know exactly what’s in your e-Liquids and in what conditions they were mixed.

You should ask the seller where exactly their e-Liquids were manufactured, whether it’s in the US or abroad. You should also enquire as to which type of facilities they were produced in. e-Liquids should be mixed in a sterile environment, so try to know in what type of environment the company you’re thinking of buying the e-Juice from are manufacturing their products. The information will often be on their website, but if they’re a legitimate supplier, they’ll be more than happy to tell you where and how their liquids are produced.

You should also be looking at the packaging materials they’re using. If the bottles look cheap and the labeling is dodgy, then that should be a clear red flag right there. Look for clean bottles with safe packaging. This is a sign of a company that actually cares about their products.

You should also look at reviews from other vapers and see what they have to say about the company. Were they satisfied with the products? Was the quality consistent? Did they get weird smells, flavors or after effects? Good companies are usually well known by regular vapers, so if you keep hearing a particular brand popping up either for their quality of for bad products and practices, that’s usually the sign of a good or bad supplier.

Value

And finally, you should consider how much bang for your buck you’re getting on your e-Liquids. You should compare a few suppliers and see how much they’re selling their liquids for. However, you should never compromise quality for a good deal, so always prioritize quality when buying e-Juices. Look at what type of ingredients they’re using and also try to check if they offer multiple pack options. You’ll usually get a better deal if you buy in bulk, so always be on the lookout for that. And also, beware of extra cheap liquids from dodgy sources; in most cases, if the deal is too good to be true, you’re either getting some low-grade product or something that could actually harm you.

Finding the right e-Juice for you is all about finding your preferences and knowing what you’re looking for. However, make sure that you only buy from reputable suppliers and know exactly what’s in your e-Liquids for your own safety.

How to Maintain Good Health Abroad

Reviews · August 24, 2018

While illness and disease can strike at any time, it’s often the case that individuals return from vacations in worse health than that which they went out with! Whether it’s the change in climate, a lack of hygiene or a whole new set of germs and bacteria that can quickly cause all kinds of illness, there’s something common about the holiday bug or the travel sickness that it’s best to attempt to mitigate against where possible. This guide will help you do just that, preparing you for the worst health eventualities so that you’re able to enjoy your vacation in good spirits and fine health.

Hygiene

Different countries are home to different bacteria. However, thanks to this simple observation, you’ll be able to understand how so many people find themselves ill while abroad even though they eat carefully and take extra precautions. What you’re ultimately attempting to avoid when keeping good bodily hygiene in a foreign country is the invasion of foreign bacteria into your body, through a cut in the skin or the saliva in your mouth. Often, it’s your hands that carry germs, and those spread as you touch yourself over the course of a day.

Be more wary than usual about where germs are transferred and how bacteria grows on your body and the bodies of others. Use an alcoholic hand sanitizer at regular intervals during the day, especially just after taking public transport, after shaking hands with multiple people, and after handling something that you feel others have handled that day. Be discreet, so you don’t appear to be rude, but do ensure that you’re keeping your hands clean at the very least. It may just save you a bout of poor health with you’re away on your holiday.

Sexual Health

For those who enjoy a sexual encounter while they’re abroad, there are some important things to note before, during and after the liaison. First and foremost, there are some important injections to receive from your doctor before you fly out. Each of these injections can protect you from the likes of Hepatitis A or B, which can be contracted sexually. It’s best to go to your doctor to ask which injections you out to receive so that you don’t come home with an illness from your holiday.

You should also always wear protection when having sex abroad, as you’ll be at increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease when you’re away from your home country. If you do find you’ve brought home an STI, you’ll need to visit your doctor as soon as possible for advice. You’ll be able to read more about the steps you’ll have to take if you contract HIV while abroad, including medications that’ll help you live with the disease. STIs or STDs don’t mean the end of your life, but they are an unfortunate repercussion of being unprepared.

Diet

Being abroad on holiday often goes hand in hand with indulging in excessive qualities of fine food, perhaps at the breakfast buffet, continuing all the way through to the cocktails at the hotel bar. There’s no reason not to indulge yourself a little while abroad, but there’s two reasons you should moderate your eating ever so slightly. The first is that you may happen to eat some poorly prepared food that leaves you terribly ill for a number of days. The second is because, of course, the weight you gain on holiday and the health problems this causes don’t simply go away when you touch down in your home airport.

Foods to watch out for on vacation include unwashed salads and curries or stews left out for a number of hours without adequate heating. It’s in these that germs can live and spread rapidly, causing food poisoning. Reheated rice is also a frequent kicker, as well as poorly-prepared fish. Be wary, and remember, if it looks a little bit rough, it almost certainly is! Tap water (and cubes of ice formed from it) should be avoided in every country you visit. Instead, favor the bottled water you’ll be able to trust.

Preparation

A successful holiday abroad is all about the preparation, from which hotel you’ll be staying in, how you’ll get from place to place, and how you’ll get home at the end of all your adventuring and exploring. But as you’re drawing up your itinerary, excitedly planning your trip, don’t forget to throw together that all-important first-aid kid. This kit should be complete with medications, plasters and bandages, and anything else your doctor recommends you before you fly. It can’t hurt to take little more than you feel you ought to; it always pays to be prepared.

The same goes, more specifically, to the nation-specific medication you’ll need to take with you depending on national advice forums or, indeed, your doctor’s research and recommendations. Malaria is the biggest example of this medication that you’ll need in an array of countries that experience the surge of the mosquito-borne disease. Bring your health and travel insurance documents with you too so that you’re prepared for the very worst eventualities, like being helicoptered to your home country following a road traffic accident.

Spend

A small additional tip that’s tried and tested when traveling abroad is not to spend money at the cheapest establishments, whether they are hotels, restaurants, cafes or bars because they always seem to have a serious problem when it comes to cleanliness and quality of service. Try to visit those place that are busy with locals enjoying food and drink. It’s a sure way to guarantee you’re not going somewhere famous locally for making unsuspecting tourists sick up their guts. To check reviews of establishments, you could also check out TripAdvisor and its equivalent websites and apps in order to prevent you and your holiday party from visiting an infamously unhealthy restaurant or hotel.

Everyone wants to enjoy good health while on their well-earned vacation, so do bear in mind these tips to keep you on a healthy keel while enjoying your time abroad.

Reasons To Use Crossfit To Reduce Your Stress Levels

Reviews · August 24, 2018

Everyone will get stressed from time to time; it’s a natural part of being alive! There will always be situations that induce a level of worry and concern, and in most cases that is a good thing. Having small amounts of stress and the hormones that it produces (such as cortisol) in our bodies means that we can be more alert, and ready for anything. It can push us to do better, to hit deadlines, to ensure that we are working at our best. In most cases, that stress won’t last for long, and once the ‘danger’ is passed, your body and mind will return to normal.

For some people, however, that is not the case. For these people, stress is a chronic condition, and it never goes away. This is when stress becomes a problem because suffering with it long term can affect both the body and the mind. Mental health can be affected, blood pressure is raised, the heart can have problems, and you will feel terrible in general. Using exercise such as CrossFit to reduce your stress is important: here is why.

Acne

You may have hoped you left acne and skin conditions behind in your teens, but when you are stressed you may find that you have breakouts, no matter how old you are. It is a visible sign that you are stressed, and can be a good cue for you to seek help and find ways (including CrossFit) to reduce your stress levels.

Acne most usually occurs when you are stressed because you will be touching your face more. This is a comforting action, and you may not even realize you are doing it, but although it may comfort your mind, it can also spread bacteria to your skin, and this is a contributing factor for acne.

It isn’t just the constant touching that causes problems either. Studies have shown that hormone level changes can have a physical impact on your body, including your skin. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol is in your body, and this reduces the amount of serotonin. Serotonin helps to regulate the condition of your skin and hair, so it should be no surprise that you develop acne when that regulation is lessened.

Hair Loss

If you have noticed that there is a lot more hair in your brush each morning, or that it seems to be falling out whenever you touch it, or even if you spot a growing bald patch (in both men and women), then stress could well be the contributing factor. You can read more here about this and other reasons for hair loss.

Hair loss due to stress could be due to an increase in adrenalin, which is something that certainly happens when you are suffering from stress. That adrenalin will become cholesterol if it is not used (which it won’t be because you are making too much of it), and too much cholesterol will increase your body’s testosterone levels. This is what contributes to your hair falling out as it can impact how (and even if) your hair grows.

As well as this, stress can often mean that we don’t necessarily take care of ourselves in the way that we should. Skipping meals or eating a lot of processed foods can certainly have an impact on our overall health, and could indeed mean that we lose more hair as a result.

Headaches

Another reason to exercise and de-stress as much as possible is that stress causes headaches, and these headaches can (depending on their severity) be completely debilitating, resulting in many days of lost work or school. A stress headache presents in the forehead and extends to the back of the head and can extend down to the neck and even shoulders, causing generalized pain.

Chronic Pain

If you’ve ever woken up in the morning and felt a twinge of pain or an ache that wasn’t there when you went to bed, what have you thought? Did you assume that you had slept in a strange position and your body was suffering because of it? It seems a likely reason, and in some cases, it will be the truth. However, in others, it could be down to stress. Stress results in chronic pain over time, and this can mean that your mobility is severely restricted if nothing is done.

Studies are still ongoing as to the exact relation between stress and pain, but it does seem that there is a link and that reducing your stress levels can reduce the amount of pain you are feeling assuming there are no underlying medical issues that are contributing such as injuries or general aging.

Constant Colds

Constantly feeling as though you have a cold is another sign of being stressed. This is because chronic stress levels can have a negative impact on your immune system, lowering its defenses and allowing all kinds of bugs to attack your body which, if it had been functioning correctly, would never have been allowed to affect you. Although you may not feel like attending a CrossFit class when you’re suffering from a cold, exercise is a known stress reliever, and alleviating your stress levels can help you in so many different ways that it is worth trying to see how you feel afterward.

Insomnia

Lack of sleep is something that no human can stand for long. Not being able to sleep means decreased productivity and concentration levels the next day, which, if it goes on for a long time, can seriously affect your work and home life in a negative way. However, it is not just this practical side of things that is a problem when it comes to insomnia, which is another symptom of stress. Not getting enough sleep means that the body never gets a chance to fully heal itself, and that can result in other long-term ailments such as type II diabetes, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, and obesity.

Uh-Oh, Home Improvement Blunders To Avoid!

Reviews · August 22, 2018

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More and more people are buying into the DIY culture. After all, not only is it a good way to save money around the home but it also enables you to add your own personal stamp to your property. It is something to be proud of. Nevertheless, this is only going to be the case if you carry out the task properly. You are not going to be proud of your DIY efforts if it results in a massive hole in the wall or even bigger problems! With that being said, continue reading to discover some of the biggest improvement blunders people make so that you can avoid them.

Carrying out work that is out of your depth

There is only one place to begin, and this is by taking on work that is out of your depth. Not all home improvement tasks can be carried out on a DIY basis. You need to pick with care. For example, if it is something to do with your home’s pipework, you really should look at hiring the best plumbers in your area. The same applies to electricians and re-wiring. These are the sorts of tasks that should only be carried out by those who have specialist experience. Not only would any errors cost you a fortune, but they could be a health and safety hazard too.

Diving right in

Yes, you are excited. Yes, you want the project to be complete as soon as possible. However, rushing any home improvement task is likely to result in a home improvement nightmare. If you are hiring a professional company, make sure they have a good website and take the time to read reviews that have been left by others. If you are going to do some DIY, make sure you have thorough instructions, all of the equipment needed, and that you have planned the job properly.

Not understanding the complexity of the job

This is where a lot of people go wrong when it comes to tasks around the home. They assume it is going to be an easy job, which will be complete by the end of the day. Two weeks later and their property still looks like a war zone.

Budget misjudgments

Finally, you did not think we would get to the end of the blog post without mentioning financial errors, right? No matter what sort of task you are planning to carry out around your home, you need to plan it to perfection, and this includes financially too. A lot of people are guilty of underestimating the costs. You don’t want to run out of money, do you?

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding four of the most common mistakes that people tend to make when it comes to carrying out improvement projects around the home. The last thing you want is for your home improvement task to turn into the opposite. Avoid a nightmare scenario by using the advice that has been provided above. Good luck!

Rain Can Do What? 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Rain

Reviews · August 21, 2018

Rainfall is an interesting phenomenon. People often take it for granted, and sometimes it seems very simplistic. However, rain, and the storms that sometimes accompany it, are very complex, and specific storm tracker software exists that can help analyze these storm systems. There are characteristics of rain that you may not be aware of. Below are some of these examples of lesser-known facts.

Disappearing Moisture

It is possible for rain to fall from the sky but never hit the ground. In some areas where the weather is extremely dry and hot, the moisture can evaporate before it touches down, which can cause plant life to suffer.

Some Rain Isn’t Water

Rain is usually associated with water since that is what people know. However, on some other moons and planets, there have been instances of rain being made up of different elements, such as sulfuric acid.

Speedy Drops

Raindrops fall at a speed of anywhere from 18 to 22 miles per hour. They would actually fall much quicker, but the atmospheric conditions cause friction with the water, and that slows it down to this speed.

It Can Bring Lightning

There is often a correlation between the amount of rain and the amount of lightning. The reason is that lightning most often forms in clouds. There are lightning detection systems for use during thunderstorms.

It Is Odorless

Oftentimes there is a certain smell when it rains. The interesting thing is that the smell you notice is not actually the rain itself. There is a substance from the rain that combines with plant oils in the soil, and that is what creates that “rain smell.”

Understanding Rainfall and Weather

Rainfall is a very mighty force of nature, one that allows the earth to exist. There are many aspects of it that can be analyzed with storm tracker software. Find out more about these tools that can give you further insight.