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How To Heal A Coldsore

2010-06-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

This post is about how to heal a cold sore as opposed to my last post which was about getting rid of a cold sore fast with the focus being on the early stages of cold sores (other wise know as a fever blisters) when they are just starting out.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m a firm believer in natural methods of treatment whenever possible. When it comes to the best cold sore treatment; I’m sure it must be a natural treatment.

This time I will assume that your cold sore has already blistered and in fact, may have popped open. Although each treatment won’t work for everyone, here’s how to heal a cold sore.

Keep It Covered

.The sore can be covered by something as simple as petroleum jelly. Some say Carmex works well. Still others recommend Neosporin so that there is little chance for a secondary bacterial infection.

Some even say that toothpaste works the best. No, I’m not kidding!

Keeping the sore covered is very important at this stage because when the sore breaks, this when the virus can spread.

Aloe is also a very popular way to keep the sore covered. Break an Aloe leaf directly over a cold sore and make sure the gel from the leaf covers the sore completely.

Honey can also be a good substance for covering cold sores because has antiviral properties.

Keep It Clean

Wash the area frequently with soap and water. You could also try hydrogen peroxide. This will disinfect the area while cleaning it. Dry with something disposable like a paper towel because a washrag could cause the virus to spread. You want to dry it right away because keep water and saliva create an environment that is conducive to the virus growing.

Once the sore breaks, be careful not to touch it and be sure to throw away anything like a paper towel or cotton swab that does touch it. The last thing you want to do is spread the virus around and start all over again.

Along these lines, get a new toothbrush after your cold sore episode has ended. You don’t want to give the virus back to yourself.

Lysine vs. Arginine

Lysine for cold sores is a very popular treatment. Lysine is an amino acid that inhibits the growth of viruses. Arginine is also an amino acid that promotes the growth of viruses. To heal a cold sore properly the level of Lysine in the body should be increased while the level of arginine should be decreased.

Lysine supplements are available. You should take up to 1,000mg three times a day during an outbreak. Also you should avoid foods that are high in arginine like chocolate, almonds and peanuts and eat food that are high in Lysine like fish, meat, milk, eggs and cheese.

Lysine lip balm is also available for topical use with some good results reported in a study at the Southern California University. These good results are somewhat puzzling since the Lysine molecule is too big to enter skin cells easily and most other people say that Lysine only works when taken internally.

Once they heal their cold sore, some people take 500 mg daily of Lysine as a preventative.

Zinc

I’m sure that everyone reading this has heard of Zinc. This can be used internally or externally, but most people have the best luck using it internally.

Lemon Balm

This is a topical cream that proved in a study conducted in Germany that patients who used this, saw their cold sores heal in half the time. Lemon balm has become a very popular way to treat a cold sore

Calcium

Most people have a cold sore flare up because of stress. When you are stressed out, you’re adrenal glands start pumping out chemicals that turn the fluids in your body from alkaline to acid in just a matter of minutes. This makes an ideal environment for the viruses to thrive. Calcium is a buffer chemical. In other words, calcium, which is alkaline, can neutralize more than its weight of an acidic substance.

Some green vegetables are also alkaline. Try to avoid acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus fruits and you’ll be able to heal a cold sore much faster.

The bottom line is that calcium and alkaline foods can not only help to heal a cold sore, but can also help to prevent future outbreaks.

Caution: Calcium and alkaline foods may boost your immune system. Talk to your doctor first because you may be taking medications that depend on a weak immune system.

Licorice

This is for real. Licorice has a chemical in it called glycyrrhizic acid that will stop the cold sore virus so that you can start to heal. The only problem with this is that I’m talking about real licorice. Not the artificial kind that you find in most candies. Check the list of ingredients of any product. You’re looking for the words, “licorice mass”. If they’re there, you can eat it.

You could also sprinkle licorice powder directly on the sore.

Heat

It’s common knowledge that you should use ice when you feel a cold sore outbreak coming on, but what a lot of people don’t know is that to heal a cold sore after it has broken open, you should use heat. Hear draws more blood up to the skin cells. Viruses don’t like the blood and the heat so they will retire back to the nerves. The increased blood flow also helps the skill cells to rejuvenate.

Isopropyl Alcohol

This is a may be a home remedy for cold sores, but it is a very hazardous one so it should only be done under a doctor’s supervision. The alcohol has very strong fumes so a fan should be set up close to the face. Some kind of goggles should also be worn to keep the fumes out of your eyes.

The alcohol should be applied directly to the sore. This really hurts at first, but some people say that this really helps to heal their cold sore.

Conclusion

If you want to know how to heal a cold sore, there are quite a few techniques out there.

As I said before, I believe that natural treatments are the best. I’m fairly certain that a home remedy for cold sores will work best for you.

If you agree with me that natural is best, then be sure to check out this information about the book Cold Sore Freedom In 3 Days by Grace Melgarjo.

Disclaimer

I am not a doctor. Be sure to discuss it first with a licensed medical practioner before beginning any form of treatment.

How To Get Rid Of A Cold Sore Fast

2010-04-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

Of course you want to know how get rid of a how to get rid of a cold sore fast fast. Who wants to that ugly blister on their face? You’d have to be crazy not to want to get rid of it as fast as possible. This article will talk about the different ways to treat cold sores so they disappear as fast as possible: both with pharmaceuticals and home style natural remedies and the ways to prevent future outbreaks from occurring.

I am just reporting what I have learned. What I have written here is not meant to be medical advice. Before beginning any regimen of treatment it is advisable to consult a licensed medical practicianer.

I would like preface my remarks by saying that in every aspect of both Western medicine and Alternative medicine, there are no treatments that work for 100% of the patients 100% of the time. You will have to pick the right treatment for you. It may be one of the treatments below. It may be a combination of these treatments or it may end up being something your grandmother told you.

I think that we’ve all heard the ads on TV for the latest, greatest drug. As a side note, (I don’t think you’re supposed to notice) the ads usually talk about some horrible side effects (some even mention death as a side effect) that can happen to some people. This from a drug that’s supposed to help you! For this reason I will focus heavily on the natural treatments for cold sores.

Cause

To better understand the treatments, it’s important to understand the cause.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Usually it’s the type 1, although sometimes it can be the type 2. Anyway, the virus lives in the roots of the nerves that are close to the skin.

They lay there dormant until an event such as stress, a cold or even the sun triggers the virus to become active.

Why stress? What happens during stress?

During stress, the body’s fluids change from alkaline to acidic in a very short time. Most diseases occur when the body is in an acidic state. This may be due to the fact that the immune system is weakened by an acidic body.

The immune system is also weakened by a cold. That’s one reason that we really have to take care of ourselves during a cold.

Once the immune system is weakened, the virus is free to become active in the cells near the skin (usually close to the mouth). The virus cells grow and replicate until they rupture the cell and the virus then invades other nearby cells. This rupturing is why cold sores are so painful.

Doctor prescribed medications:

An antiviral drug that may be prescribed is acyclovir

Other drugs that may be prescribed are Zovitrax and Valtrax.

Because of potential side effects from any prescription medication I wouldn’t recommend them or any other doctor prescribed drug unless the natural treatments failed.

Over-the-Counter medications:

One of the most popular medications right now is Abreva. Some people swear by this medication and some say it doesn’t do much good at all. Others in use are Zilactin and Ziladent.

Many over the counter medications contain benzocaine; a painkiller. The pain of the cold sore is reduced so the patient thinks that the medicine is working, but really it isn’t doing anything to cure the cold sore.

Temporary pain relief can also be had from Oragel orAmbesol.

Other over the counter pain medications that will give temporary pain relief are ibuprofen, acetaminophen or even aspirin.

Natural Treatments

Ice

Easily, the most common of the natural treatments is ice. Ice should be used on the spot where you first feel the tingling and/or itching of a cold sore that is coming on. The cold of the ice will actually cause the virus to return to a dormant state in the nerve cells. Instead of using ice; frozen tea bags would be even better since the tannic acid in tea has anti-viral properties. Ice should not be used after a blister has broken because this will cause healing time to be longer.

Heat

Once the cold sore breaks open; you should no longer use ice, but use heat instead. To do this place a heated tea bag against the open sore. The heat will cause the body to send more oxygen to the scene which helps the body build new cells, plus the tea has the tannic acid that will help fight the virus.

Keep It Covered

This isn’t so much a treatment, but it is something that you must do to keep the virus from spreading and therefore prolonging your episode. You can cover the sore with petroleum jelly, Carmex, or any other lip balm.

Lysine

This can be purchased OTC because it is considered a supplement. Take 3,000 to 5,000 mg per day during an outbreak and also take it if you know that you will soon experience an event that would normally trigger a cold sore.

Tea Tree Oil

Make a drink out of water (one cup) tea tree oil (2 drops), violet, herbal sage, ginger powder and 2 sage leaves. Drink this tea 2-3 times per day and your sore should be gone in about 3 days.

Use extreme caution however, some people say that tea tree oil is toxic if taken internally, but they recommend that it be used externally on the sore twice a day.

Calcium

It’s important to take a calcium supplement while you are having an outbreak because your body is most likely acidic. Calcium will help get you back to an alkaline state where the virus will have great difficulty thriving.

Garlic

Like calcium, garlic is very alkaline and therefore good for fighting just about any problem. Garlic should be crushed and applied directly to the sore.

Zinc

Zinc is used to fight the common cold virus, but it also works well in fighting the virus that causes cold sores. An effective way to fight cold sores is to use Zicam nasal spray because you can not only spray it on the sore, but when you also take it internally; it has proven to be quite effective.

Use as many of these remedies as you can until you find out what works best for you.

Left untreated, a cold sore will last anywhere from 10-14 days. If you try these treatments, you should be able to get it down to 3 days.

There are many other treatments that are used by small numbers of people. These are just some of the more popular.

Cold sores are a very serious business; to get some more information read the book called, “Cold Sore Freedom In 3 Days” by Grace Melgarejo

Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link so I will be compensated if you buy the book.

Additional disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am just reporting what I have found out. Please consult a licensed medical practitioner before beginning any course of treatment.

Finding An Alternative Treatment For Prostate Cancer

2009-08-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

You don't have to look too long before finding an alternative treatment for prostate cancer. Before I discuss my treatment, I feel that I should talk about just what the prostate is and what it does.

The prostate is only in men because it is a sex organ. It produces a man's seminal fluid. The location of the prostate is unfortunate because it's just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. The trouble with this location is that if there are any medical problems with the prostate, they can translate into urination problems for the man.

The alternative treatment for prostate cancer that I'm going to talk about has it origins clear back in 1924 when Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg in Germany first wrote that cancer cells were anaerobic. In other words, they only existed in the absence of free oxygen. He said that this was the cause of cancer. He proved it by giving cancer to a group of animals over a period of 48hrs by injecting them with acidic fluids, therefore, expelling any oxygen from their bodies. For some reason, his findings have largely been ignored by the cancer research community.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men in the US. Fortunately, prostate cancer is often caught early by ordinary blood tests and by digital rectal exams during routine physicals. Another feature of prostate cancer is that it usually progresses slowly. This allows the patient plenty of time to plan out his treatment and also means that malignant tumors don't have time to spread. This gives the patient time to consider an alternative treatment for prostate cancer. Traditional Western medicine treatments usually include radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or surgery. All of these treatments are meant to kill the cancer cells, but, unfortunately, healthy cells are also killed. It also has been proven that surgery doesn't have any affect on the five year survival rate.

The alternative treatment for prostate cancer that's based on Dr. Warburg's findings involves that ingesting of calcium and alkaline foods to raise the ph of the bodily fluids so that oxygen is present in all of the cells. All calcium is good for raising the ph of the body, but coral calcium is the best because it is already 100% ionized, so it's much more usable by the body. If you have prostate cancer, you should take six coral calcium capsules per day. To facilitate the absorption of the calcium, you should also take 5,000 I.U.'s per day of vitamin D. Have you ever noticed that milk has vitamin D added? This is why.

The use of calcium to treat cancer might sound ridiculous, but the idea is gaining traction all the time. In the October 13^th, 1998 issue of the New York Times there was an article entitled, "Calcium Takes It's Place As a Superstar Of Nutrients". This article talked about a study that was reviewed by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The journal reported that "increasing the calcium induced normal development of the epithelial cells and might also prevent cancer in such organs as the breast, prostate and pancreas".

If you do get rid of the cancer using the alkaline method, it will come back if you don't stop doing whatever caused the cancer to appear in the first place. As part of an alternative treatment for prostate cancer, you should closely examine your diet to see if you can eliminate foods that are very acidic. A case in point is soda pop. It is not only very acidic, but also is high in phosphates which leach calcium out of the body, usually lowering the ph. Even tap water is usually acidic because of all the additives that are in it to "purify" it.

Most foods are acidic. This is nature's way of helping us with digestion. The secret is to consume the foods that are less acidic than others and to consume the foods that are acidic when they start out, but then are alkalizing after digestion (like lemons). To find out which foods have which properties, get a hold of a good food chart. They can be found online. Get several charts because I've noticed that some charts don't agree.

If you would like to read more about alternative treatment for prostate cancer or other cancers, get the book called "Cancer-Free" by Bill Henderson.If you buy the book, I will be compensated, however, it will cost you nothing to read the informaion about the book or to sign up for Bill's free newsletter.

If you would like to read my Ezine article entited:"Alternative Treatment For Prostate Cance r", please click on the link in this sentence.

Tell Me More About An Alternative Treatment For Pancreatic Cancer

2009-08-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Because of its location; just behind the stomach, the pancreas is impossible to observe and hard to treat if anything goes wrong. Being hard to treat only extends to conventional treatments. There is an alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer that works in such a way that it doesn't matter where in the body the pancreas is. Another problem with using conventional treatments on pancreatic cancer is that pancreatic cancer is usually very aggressive and fast moving, so it has usually spread to other parts of the body by the time it is detected.

Before we go any further, we first need to look at what the pancreas does. To understand pancreatic cancer, we have to understand what the pancreas does. Cooked food has no enzymes because they have been killed by the cooking process. The pancreas helps out by secreting an enzyme called trypsin to digest cooked food. Trypsin also eats holes in the walls of cancer tumors so that white blood cells can enter the cancer tumor and destroy it, (by the way, we all have cancer cells); so if we're eating a lot of cooked foods, we have little or no enzyme protection against cancer tumors because we're using all of our trypsin to digest our food. If our immune system is also in bad shape, then we have no more defenses left!

You have probably heard of the other function of the pancreas, especially if you are diabetic or know someone who is diabetic. That function is to produce the insulin so we can break down the glucose in our bodies. If the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, then it is necessary to take supplements.

So what is an alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer? Believe it or not, it all started hundreds of years ago back in the time of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. Hippocrates said that his cure for cancer was garlic and onions. At first look, this might seem ridiculous, but we have to dig deeper into why this would be true.

Another important insight came in 1924 when Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg wrote in a paper that cancer cannot survive in the presence of oxygen. He believed that his findings would revolutionize cancer research, but he was wrong. His findings did not become part of conventional medicine or research, but instead his findings became an alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer or just about any other kind of cancer you can think of.

Back to Hippocrates, it just so happens that garlic and onions both belong to a small group of foods that are naturally alkaline (have oxygen present), so Hippocrates may not have known why it worked, but he was right when interpreting his results.

All cancers have in common an acidic body. Terminal cancer patients usually have a ph of 4.5. This is extremely acidic. This acidity is important because an acidic liquid tends to expel oxygen. An alkaline fluid tends to hold on to oxygen. In the alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer that I'm going to talk about involves having the cancer patient make his bodily fluids alkaline instead of acidic. This can be done by eating foods that are either outright alkaline or foods that become alkaline after being processed by the body such as lemons. Unfortunately, most of our foods are acidic. For this reason, it may be necessary to also ingest an alkaline supplement such as calcium.

Calcium is definitely alkaline and has many other benefits to the body. One of its benefits is that calcium acts as a buffer. It's called this because just a little bit of calcium can neutralize a lot of acid. Calcium is also necessary for proper cell division. Over 100 years ago, it was found that calcium is necessary for proper heartbeat. The list of calcium's benefits goes on and on.

All calcium is good, but coral calcium is the best. Its calcium is ionized so its absorption rate by the body is 100%. If marine grade coral calcium is used; it's even better because it also has up to 80 types of microbes that will help with digestion in the small intestine. This is important because it takes some of the workload off the pancreas.

To facilitate the absorption of calcium it's necessary to also take Vitamin D. In their book, "The Calcium Factor" Dr. Carl Reich and Robert Barefoot recommend at least 5,000 I.U.s per day of Vitamin D along with six capsules of coral calcium to treat pancreatic or any other kind of cancer.

Another way to raise alkaline levels in the body is by using cesium chloride. It has a very high ph (14) and its molecules are very large, therefore its molecules get trapped inside the cells making them alkaline. This creates an environment where the cancer can't survive. Since cesium is so alkaline, it is very caustic. It is so caustic that it should only be used under a doctor's supervision.

Western medicine knows that cancer patients have acidic bodies, but it tends to ignore this fact. Western medicine is focused more on finding patentable treatments like chemotherapy so that money can be made. Western medicine also doesn't focus on the causes, only treatments. With the alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer that I'm talking about, the cause, an acid body is addressed. Yes, a lot of people are cancer free after undergoing a conventional cancer treatment. What doesn't get a lot of publicity is that a many of those people have cancer again after less than five years because they didn't address the cause of the cancer

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy only deal with the cancer itself. Even if you successfully use these treatments on your pancreatic cancer, you are likely to have a relapse in less than five years because you haven't treated the cause. If you ask people that have survived more than five years after having pancreatic cancer, you may find that they have "cleaned up" their life and they've changed their diet so that ends up being more alkaline.

For more information about an alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer or other cancers, click on this link and get the book called "Cancer-Free" by Bill Henderson. If you end up buying the book, I will be compensated, however, it will cost you nothing to read the information or to sign up for Bill's free newsletter.

To read more about an alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer at Ezine Articles, please click on the link in this sentence.

The Best Alternative Treatment For Cancer

2009-08-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Why do I think that this is the best alternative treatment for cancer? Easy, because it is full of common sense. So what is it? It involves making the bodily fluids alkaline as opposed to acidic. Huh? You see, people that have cancer usually have acidic fluids in their bodies. The idea of this treatment is simple; make those same fluids alkaline instead. This is an idea that you'll never hear from big pharma because there are no drugs involved to get a patent on. Worse then that, big pharma knows that there are many alternative ways to treat cancer, but they would prefer to keep making billions of dollars off the chemotherapy drugs that they sell.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine underwent chemo for throat cancer. He told me that they give you chemo until you're right on the verge of death, then they stop. When I talked to him he was still pretty weak and couldn't even walk very far. It was obvious that he was having some pretty serious side effects.

I have found that the best alternative treatments are the ones that make a lot of common sense. In the alternative treatment for cancer that I have mentioned, oxygen is used to kill and prevent the further growth of cancer cells. This not a new idea. As early as 1924, a Dr. Otto Warburg wrote that cancer cells were anaerobic. In other words, they can't live in the presence of oxygen. Dr. Warburg thought that future cancer research and treatment would utilize this finding, however he was to be disappointed. His findings were quickly forgotten while cancer research went off in other directions.

An alternative treatment for cancer that would involve Dr. Warburg's research would involve raising the ph of your bodily fluids to an alkaline level. Why do this? A ph of seven is considered to be neutral, anything above this is considered to be alkaline and a ph below seven is considered to be acid. An alkaline fluid has oxygen in it, while an acidic fluid tends not to have any oxygen, so cancer couldn't live in an alkaline body which would have oxygen in all its fluids, while it can thrive in an acid body which wouldn't have any oxygen in its fluids.

When you were born, your bodily fluids had an alkaline ph of 7.4. The only acids in your body were the stomach fluids and the urine. As you age however, you're body may have become acidic because of the foods you've eaten and/or the stress you've been under. Unfortunately, most food has an acid ph. This is an attempt by nature to help our stomachs break down and digest our food. Even tap water usually has an acid ph because of all the additives it has such as chlorine. If you are truly interested in an alternative treatment for cancer, you can control your ph happens because some foods, particularly, some green vegetables are actually alkaline and some foods that start out acidic become alkaline after being broken down. A case in point is lemons. Lemons are very acidic because they have citric acid in them. Yet, after being broken down in the stomach, they become very alkaline.

All attempts at alkalizing the body can be for naught, however, if stress is present. Stress can turn a body from an alkaline state to an acidic state in just a few minutes. This is because the adrenal glands pump out cortisone when the body is under stress. Cortisone is acidic and spreads all over the body causing the whole body to become acidic. You can see the link between stress and health by looking at Air Traffic Controllers. Everyone knows it's a stressful job and everyone knows they have a lot of health problems. So if you have cancer and stress, you first need to eliminate stress or you'll never eliminate the cancer.

There are food charts available; however, I've noticed that some charts don't agree with others, so you should look at several charts when deciding which foods to use when alkalizing your body. Even if you have a good food chart, it may be hard to always eat alkaline or alkalizing foods. This is where supplements come in. One of the best supplements is calcium. All calcium is good; however coral calcium is better and marine grade coral calcium is the best coral variety. It features 100% absorption plus it has almost eighty varieties of microbes that help the body with digestion. Coral calcium can be purchased over the counter anywhere that vitamins are sold. I buy mine at a grocery store.

In addition to raising your body's ph with coral calcium, if you have cancer you should also use cesium chloride. Cesium chloride has a ph of 14 and its molecules are so big that it can enter a cancer cell through the food inlet channel, but it can't get out through the smaller exit channel. Therefore the cancer cell becomes alkaline and the cancer can no longer survive.

If you are interested in an alternative treatment for cancer, get the book called "Cancer-Free"by Bill Henderson. I like Bill's attitude of wanting to help people. To get the book or to read more information, please click on this link: Cancer-Free If you buy the book I will be compensated, however, the information is worth reading and it won't cost you anything to sign up for Bill's free newsletter. To read my article over at Ezine Articles entitled, An Alternative Treatment For Cancer That You Probably Never Heard Of, please click on the link in this sentence.

Blog Claim

2009-07-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

I want to claim my blog. The number is kucwzb396m.

The Topspin Backhand-Why?

2009-07-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

I guess I should start off by answering the title. The reason you need to learn the topspin backhand is so that you can score points. And that's the name of the game is to score points. Maybe you have a good topspin forehand, well that's not the side your opponent is going to hit the ball to. He's going to hit it to your backhand because for most people, just making any kind of backhand shot is an accomplishment, so he'll be hoping that you're in that boat. Imagine his surprise when you not only make a well hit return, but the ball seems to fall out of the sky and drops down close to the net, but on his side. You can do this if you master the topspin backhand. I'll tell you how to become the master of the topspin backhand in this article.

A lot of the topspin backhand is just like the regular backhand, but you will be holding the tennis racquet with a different grip. The proper grip to use for the topspin backhand is called the Continental grip. In the Eastern grip the "V" between your thumb and forefinger will be centered on the #1 bevel on the racquet handle. In the Continental grip, this "V" is moved all the way to the left on the #1 bevel

As I said before, this stroke will be almost the same as your regular backhand. The big difference is that when you bring the racquet across your body, you bring it to a position below where the ball is going to be. If the tennis ball is coming in low, you may even have to bend your knees so that you can get your racquet even lower. When the ball arrives, go ahead and make a swing at the ball. You will actually be swinging up at the ball. This puts topspin on it which will cause it to curve towards the ground. After you make contact, go ahead and make your follow through and don't forget to look momentarily at your contact point before you watch the balls trajectory.

The end result of the topspin is that the ball is spinning in such a way that it curves to the ground. I'll say it again, it's not sneaky; it's called strategy. You want to hit the ball where your opponent can't get it and the topspin backhand might just come in handy for that.

I know that a lot of people would rather watch demonstrations of a skill than read about it, so I've made a website where I sell links to tennis backhand videos. It's called, "Tennis Backhand Videos". I also have a Squidoo lens about the topspin backhand. It's called, "How To Hit A Topspin Backhand". My Squidoo lens also has a couple of videos that demonstrate both the one-handed and two-handed topspin backhand. I have even more information in my article over at Ezine articles called, "The Topspin Backhand-A Sneaky Stroke?"

How To Hit A Backhand? Is A Good Question To Ask

2009-07-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Most people ask how to hit a backhand when they first start playing, but they rarely ask for advice on the forehand. This just confirms for me and a lot of other people that the backhand is far more complicated. Why is it more complicated? I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with forehand being a very fluid natural motion and the backhand being an awkward, unnatural motion. No wonder so many new people ask how to hit a backhand. I will attempt to explain it in the next few paragraphs.

For the sake of this tutorial, I will just assume that you are a right hander. If you are a left hander, just make the appropriate reversals. I will also assume that you are using the one-handed backhand because some of the directions are different for the two-handed backhand. You can always add the two-handed backhand if you need more power.

The first thing is to use the Eastern grip

If you're playing a game and tennis ball goes to your backhand side, it's important to keep both eyes on the ball. This isn't easy to do, because you have turned your body to run to the ball, but it's important because you need both eyes to determine depth perception in relation to the ball.

When you are running to the ball, you will be temped to use large steps. Try to resist the temptation to do this. Try to use small steps so you won't overrun the ball.

When you move to the ball, your shoulders and hips should be perpendicular to the net. You should keep them in this position while hitting the ball.

While you are running to the ball, start bringing your right arm back across your body. Your arm should be slightly bent, but your wrist should remain straight. Use your left hand to steady the racquet while you are waiting for the ball.

Once the ball starts to arrive, let go with your left hand and start your swing. Keep the face of the racquet perpendicular to the ground as you swing and gradually straighten your right arm. By the time you hit the ball, your arm should be straight. Rotate your hips and shoulders during the swing, this where your power comes from.

It is important to follow through with your swing even after you hit the ball. You should end up with a straight arm pointing in the direction of the net and your racquet should be above your head.

Even after hitting the ball, keep your eye on the contact point for half a second or so before you look up at the ball trajectory. This will help with your follow through.

Now that you know how to hit a backhand, it's important that you practice your backhand each time you play. Remember, the only way you'll get better is to practice. Knowing how you're supposed to do something and actually doing it are two different things. If you practice, you will get better. I guarantee it!

I know that a lot of people would rather watch demonstrations of a skill than read about it, so I've made a website where I sell links to tennis videos. It's called, "Tennis Backhand Videos". I also have a Squidoo site about the backhand. It's called, "How To Hit A Backhand". My Squidoo lens has a couple of videos that demonstrate both the one-handed and two-handed backhand. I have even more information in my article over at Ezine articles, it's called, "How To Hit A Backhand-It's A Simple Question".

The Eastern Backhand Explained

2009-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

When most of us started playing tennis, we were too busy leaning a new skill to worry about the names of the strokes involved. When a friend of mine said that I should be using the Eastern backhand, I had no idea what he was talking about. After some asking around, I found out that since I already use the one-handed backhand and I'm using the Eastern grip, I'm already using the Eastern backhand. This Eastern grip that they talk about is the same grip that I use for my forehand, so I guess I'm in luck. If I had been using the two-handed backhand, my friends probably would have shown me a different grip. Anyway, it turns out that if you are using this Eastern grip, then you are doing the Eastern backhand. In the next two paragraphs a couple of ways to make this Eastern grip.

From now on, all descriptions will assume that you are a right hander. If you are a left hander, just make the appropriate substitutions. Perhaps the easiest way to make the Eastern grip is by what is called the "shake hands method". To make this grip, hold the tennis racquet in front of you with the left hand. At this point, the face of the racquet should be perpendicular to the ground with the handle pointing towards your waist. Wrap your right hand around the face of the racquet with your thumb touching the strings on one side and your fingers touching the strings on the other side. Slide your right hand down as far as it will go on the handle. It will appear that you are shaking hands with your racquet, hence the name, "shaking hands method".

The second method that I want talk about is also very simple. Hold the racquet in your left hand just like in the "shake hands method", but instead of sliding your right hand down to the handle; grab the handle with your right hand. The "V" between your thumb and forefinger should be centered on the top bevel of the handle. Now you have the Eastern grip.

I know that a lot of people would rather watch demonstrations of a skill than read about it, so I've made a website where I sell links to tennis backhand videos. It's called, "Tennis Backhand Videos". I also have a Squidoo site about the Eastern backhand. It's called, "The Eastern Backhand Grip". My Squidoo lens has a couple of videos that demonstrate both how to make the grip and use to use your backhand..

Backhand Tips Are Necessary

2009-07-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

I say backhand tips are necessary because just about every tennis player has a problem somewhere in his backhand and if he's not too proud, he should ask for some tips. Oh sure, some people get the tennis ball over the net using unconventional strokes, but it's nothing they could teach. They might not know what they did. And if the ball comes to them in the same exact way, they might not get it over the net this time because they don't have time to recall what they did last time. That's what it's all about is time. If a hard hit ball is streaking to your backhand, you're just worried about being able to make the shot period. This is where some quality backhand tips come in. If you practice some quality tips, you're body will know what to do when that ball comes screaming over the net. Thus, you will have saved time and you can worry about more important things, like making it the ball in the first place.

Every player is different, but if you follow these backhand tips, you will get better.

Here are some tips that can help improve your backhand right now:

1 First, you have to get to where the ball is going. Your opponent will try not to hit the ball right to you. Run to the ball with small steps instead of large ones, you don't want to jam yourself up by getting too close to the ball.

2 You've probably heard the old saying, "keep your eye on the ball". Well it should be, "keep both eyes on the ball". You need to see the ball with both eyes so that you have depth perception.
3) Keep your racquet face perpendicular to the ground at all times while preparing for your backhand and while swinging.

4) Practice your backhand; don't be afraid to use it. Only practice for about five minutes at a time though. If you practice longer, you may get tired and start making mistakes.

5) Don't push yourself, don't expect you're backhand to get better over night. It will take some time. Be satisfied with just gradual improvement.

8) When you wind up, keep your wrist straight and your arm slightly bent. When you're wound up and ready to swing, use your free hand to steady the racquet in the proper position. During your swing, gradually straighten your arm until it's completely straight by the time you make contact with the ball.

9) It's really important to keep your eye on the contact point after the tennis ball has left.

10) Some people find that their backhand shots are very weak. If you need more power try using the two-handed backhand, but be aware, your feet must be well planted before you make this shot or else you will end up off-balance.

11) Also very important is your follow through after you hit the ball. Ideally, you'll end up with arm straight pointing towards the net and your racquet a little above your head.
12) As you hit the ball, you should step into it with the foot that is closest to the net. This foot should end up at about a 45 degree angle to the other foot.

The whole idea of these backhand tips is make your backhand better. A stroke that you're not afraid to use. The bad news is that it will take some practice. Remember though, practice is an investment.

I know that a lot of people would rather watch demonstrations of a skill than read about it, so I've made a website where I sell links to tennis backhand videos. It's called, "Tennis Backhand Videos". I also have a Squidoo lens about backhand tips. It's called, "10 Backhand Tips". My Squidoo lens has a couple of videos that demonstrates tips for both the one and two-handed backhand. I have even more information in my Ezine article titled, "Backhand Tips Are For You".

Two Easy Backhand Tennis Drills

2009-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read right, these two backhand tennis drills are easy. There's no running involved, so you'll still have wind for your regular game. If you're not doing some kind of practice, your probably not going to get much better even you play every day. Why do I say that? If you're playing often, it might seem like you are getting better, but you may be developing some bad habits along the way. To avoid developing bad habits, you should step down once in awhile and do some backhand tennis drills. I suggest practicing on the backhand because that's one of the hardest strokes and therefore one in which you most likely to develop some bad habits. The two backhand tennis drills that I'm going to talk about in this article are the "backhand volley" and the "drop and hit drill".

For both of these drills, I will assume that you are using the one-handed backhand.

The first of the backhand tennis drills is called the "backhand volley". This drill is called a "volley" because the tennis ball never touches the ground when it's on your side of the net. The student should use the following steps to practice with the "backhand volley".

The first thing to do is make sure you are holding the tennis racket with the Eastern grip.
Begin the drill by walking up to the center of the net and touching your stomach to the net.
Back away from the net using three good size steps (shorter people should go ahead and take short steps; taller people should be a little further back than three steps).
As you're moving to hit the ball take one step forward.
After you hit the ball, your racket should end up over the spot where you took your first step back from the net.
If you're right handed, hold the all the way to you're left, ready to use your backhand.
Keep your wrist straight and you're arm slightly bent when you bring them back. You need to keep the wrist straight to prevent injury to the wrist.
By the time you contact the ball, your arm should be straight and also, the face of the racket should be perpendicular to the ground during the entire swing.
You should be able to stop the racket just before the ball makes contact. Since the ball still has a lot of momentum and you are standing close to the net you should be able to just let the ball bounce off your racket face and go over the net. This is the perfect time to concentrate on making the ball contact the center of the strings.

Getting the volley down will be very good for your game. If you can rush towards the net and return the ball before your opponent's expecting it, you have a very good chance of scoring a point.

The second of the backhand tennis drills you can use is called the "drop and hit" drill. I hope your friend is a good friend, because once again you will need his help.

Once again, you will need to use the Eastern grip.

Where you stand for this drill will be a little different because you should stand on the baseline.
You should be facing to the side as you would be when getting ready to hit a backhand. Have a friend stand in front of you and have him gently tennis balls to you so that they bounce once before you hit them with your backhand.
As you hit these balls, take a small step forwards into the ball and practice rotating your hips and shoulders, that's where your power will come from when you use your backhand. If you need even more power, try the two-handed backhand.
You may not need this power right now, but when you do need power, it's nice to know how to make it.

You should try to incorporate practicing these two drills each time you play. It doesn't sound like fun when you here the word "practice", but you will start playing better.

I know that a lot of people would rather watch demonstrations of a skill than read about it, so I've made a website where I sell links to tennis videos. It's called, "Tennis Backhand Videos" . I also have a Squidoo site about backhand tennis drills. It's called, Backhand Tennis Drills. My Squidoo lens has a couple of videos that demonstrate both of the drills above. I have more information in myi article over at Ezine articles called, "Backhand Tennis Drills Will Make You Improve".

Home Made Electricity

2009-06-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

How would you like to lower your electric bill or maybe even eliminate it all together? Sounds too good to be true? Well up until a few years ago it was. Costs have come down and several companies are now in the business of helping homeowners lower their electricity cost by showing them how to make their own electricity.

If you had a creek or small river running through your property you could dam it up and put together your own hydro power system. The ones I've heard of usually involve a cooperative of nearby landowners because of the high costs involved. Even after you get over the technological and financial hurdles though, there are still the water rights to worry about.

Two of the most common ways to make home made electricity are by using solar power and/or wind power. Previously, these two alternative energies have been expensive too, with one solar panel or wind turbine costing two to five thousand dollars.

Fortunately, homemade electricity isn't nearly as expensive because you can trade what is referred to as "sweat equity" for the dollars you would have spent if you bought solar panels or wind turbines that were already built.

There are now several companies that offer this alternative. One of the best is Earth4Energy. They sell complete plans for homemade electricity. These plans show you how you can build your own solar panels or wind turbines for less than a $200. outlay for parts, so you can see that your "sweat equity” is worth quite a bit in this case.

No matter how easy you make it for someone to build something though, there are always some people who are afraid to build or they don't think they have enough time. Earth4Energy has an interesting idea involving these people. They say that you could build several wind turbines in a week. You could then sell those turbines for $500.each. Your profit would be about $300. per unit. This looks like a very interesting idea for a business.

The cost of electricity keeps going up. My electric company raised their rates last fall a full 14% even though oil prices were plummeting and the cost of everything else was dropping. It looks like DIY electricity would be a smart "sweat equity" investment for me and for many others that are tired of electric rates that only go up. I would be sticking it to my electric company, but I don’t mind; they've been sticking it to me for years. I believe that in 20 years, most houses will have either solar or wind power or both.

To read more, see our article at ezine articles. Thank You