Source: Marks Daily Apple

Unfortunately, good health comes with a price. There are health related realities that every man must face when they reach a certain age. In order to remain active and vibrant, managing these realities must become a priority. Devoting sufficient time and energy towards proper healthcare, however, becomes harder as one gets older. Careers, family and a host of other factors drain time and energy. By taking just a few key factors into consideration and changing certain behaviors, it is more than possible to improve or sustain a healthy lifestyle for many years to come.

DIET SUPPLEMENTS

A man in his 40s has a greater chance of acquiring illnesses that younger generations don’t have to be concerned with. Cardiovascular disease, for one, may have lethal results if contracted. For this reason, every effort should be made to prevent such diseases from developing. Integrating organic dietary supplements is a great way to boost immunity in middle aged men. Vitamin E and C, in addition to fish oil packed with omega-3, are good starting points. Because bone and joint illnesses like osteoporosis are common in older men, supplements with natural calcium should also be considered when developing a supplemental diet.

SMARTER EATING

Being 40 means taking control of eating habits. Ingesting whatever you want, whenever you want begins to have serious consequences. Healthy eating habits are intricately woven into the benefits of a proper supplement diet. Ten fruit and vegetable servings can go a long way with older men. Risky foods, on the other hand, should be avoided or reduced. Take sodium for instance. Foods high in salt, which had little or no effect in youth, become harder to process as men get older. The amount of sodium in a diet should be cut significantly to reduce harmful or unwanted developments. With less salt, water retention decreases, which in-turn lowers the chances for elevated blood pressure. Fat is another risk that should be avoided or reduced at all costs. Consuming too much fat has proven links to heart disease. Simple choices, like using margarine instead of butter or cutting away fat from meats prior to consumption, are easy ways to avoid problems down the road. This article is a good resource for additional dietary information.

PROPER EXERCISE

Possibly the most well-known deterrent to poor health in middle-ages and older is consistent exercise. Working out regularly has very significant benefits associated with it, including reduced chances of heart disease, slower artery hardening, weight reduction, and even slowing the aging process itself. With all these advantages, exercise is by far the hardest for men in their 40s to adopt. Time commitments and the overall effort involved often make a workout less than desirable. Getting started, however, and making a habit of it will quickly change even the most skeptical of minds. This article is a helpful workout plan to get you started today.

Life does not have to stop as men get older. With a positive attitude and proper care, a healthy, energetic lifestyle can continue or even begin. With just a little work and discipline, middle aged men can make this new slogan valid; 40 truly is the new 20!

Tattoos: Making a Permanent Mark on the World

The modern word “tattoo” was derived from the Tahitian word “tatatau” or “tattau” meaning to hit or strike.

Tattoos in the Ancient World

● The Iceman from the Italian-Austrian border – earliest known example of tattoos

○ Discovered in 1991
○ Iceman is carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old
○ Iceman’s tattoos consist of dots and small crosses on his lower spine, right knee and ankle joints

■ These locations correspond to areas of strain-induced degeneration
■ They may have been applied as therapy to alleviate joint pain

● Egyptian tattoos date back to 2000 B.C. – considered the oldest examples before the discovery of the Iceman

○ Evidence suggests that Egyptian tattooing was predominantly for females
○ These females were once thought to be royal concubines

■ One has been revealed as a high-priestess named Amunet

○ Some archaeologists believe the tattoos were meant to ward off sexually transmitted disease
○ Some believe the tattoos played a more therapeutic role

■ A permanent amulet for pregnancy and birth

○ The tattoos were usually distributed around the abdomen, on top of the thighs and breasts

■ Abdomen – Net-like dots were applied

● these would expand during pregnancy – amulet of safety

■ Thighs – Small figures of the household deity, Bes

● Bes was the protector of women in labor
● suggests a symbol of safeguarding during birth

■ These explain tattoos as a mainly female custom

● The Scythian Pazyryk of the Altai Mountains – another ancient culture which used tattoos

○ 1948 – a 2,400 year old frozen body of a Scythian male was discovered in Siberia

■ His limbs and torso were covered in ornate tattoos of mythical animals

○ 1993 – a Scythian woman with tattooed mythical creatures on her shoulders, wrists and thumb, was found in a tomb in Altai
○ 450 B.C. – Greek writer, Herodotus, stated Scythian and Thracian tattoos were a mark of nobility

● Ancient Britons were also thought to use tattoos as a mark of high status

○ their tattoos were often of diverse shapes of beasts
○ Romans named one Briton tribe “Picti” – “the painted people”

● Greeks and Romans often used tattoos as a mark of “belonging”

■ Belonging to religious sects
■ Belonging to slave owners
■ A punitive measure to mark some as criminals

○ Roman soldiers also adopted the practice of tattoos
○ Tattoo fashion spread across the Roman Empire

■ With the emergence of Christianity, tattoos were looked on as disfigurement
■ Tattoos were banned by Emperor Constantine (A.D. 306-373)

● Native Americans, such as the Cree, used extensive facial tattoos

○ Six mummified Inuit women from A.D. 1475 were discovered with facial tattoos

■ Examination revealed five of the women had been tattooed in a line

● Lines extended over the eyebrows, along the cheeks
● Some also had a series of lines on the chin

Tattooing Tools; Old and New

● Tools that are thought to have been used for ancient tattooing

○ 1450 B.C. – Small bronze instruments resembling wide, flattened needles
○ 3000 B.C. – a sharp point set in a wooden handle
(both above discovered by archaeologist W.M.F. Petrie)

● 19th century Egypt – they also used several flattened needles

○ According to English writer Wlliam Lane (1801-1876)
○ Tattooing was performed with several needles tied together. The ink was a mix of soot or oil and breast milk of a woman

● Today’s tattoo tool is an electronically powered machine resembling a dental drill. It injects ink into the skin.

● The machine moves a solid needle up and down to puncture the skin
between 50 – 3,000 punctures per minute.

● The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter deep and deposits a drop of ink into the skin with each puncture

● The tattoo machine has remained relatively unchanged since the 1800’s

○ invented by Samuel O’Reilly and based on the autographic printer

■ an engraving machine invented by Thomas Edison

● The ink is deposited into the second layer or skin; the dermis
● Non-sterile tattooing can lead to diseases such as Hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV and syphilis

Drawing Lines to the Modern World:

● Today, the country with the most tattoos is Brittain with an estimated 20 million designs

○ 2013: David Beckham unveiled his newest tattoo in China

■ The Chinese characters say, “Life and death are determined by fate, rank and riches decreed by Heaven.”
■ Beckham reportedly has a total of 15 tattoos

● Most tattooed man: Lucky Diamond Rich

○ Lucky holds the Guinness World Record for the most tattoos
○ He has spent over 1,000 hours being tattooed by more than 100 artists
○ Lucky has been 100% tattooed including his eyelids and between his toes

● One of the strangest modern tattoo is the eyeball tattoo

○ David Boltjes was the first to let his prison mate stab him in the eye with this unconventional, untested tattoo method
○ The tattoos change the color of the sclera (white part of the eye)

● Not just for skin: One of the newest tattoo methods is tooth tattoos

○ Dental technician/tattoo artist, Steve Heward founded Heward Dental Labs
○ He and his team of artists/technicians paint minute works of art onto dental crowns
○ The price is anywhere from $75 – $200 USD

Statistics about tattoos today

● Americans spend $1.65B on tattoos per year

● Percentage of US adults with at least one tattoo

○ ages 18-25: 36%
○ ages 26-40: 40%

● 45m Americans have at least one tattoo
● There are 21,000 tattoo parlors in the US
● Average cost of a tattoo is $45 (small) to $150/hour (large)
● 32% of Americans claim to be addicted to ink
● 11% have had a tattoo removed
● 43% consider personal meaning to be the most important factor
● 29% say their tattoos make them feel rebellious
● 31% say tattoos make them feel more sexy

Sources:

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/tattoo.html?c=y&page=6
• http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/tattoo4.htm
• http://www.statisticbrain.com/tattoo-statistics/
• http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/lifestyle/4618889/Britain-is-most-tattooed-nation-in-the-world.html
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/25/david-beckham-tattoo-china_n_2948080.html
• http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/10000/most-tattooed-person

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Whether the cause is willful deception or simply a tragic mistake, contaminated food is a very real and present danger – and one that can have deadly consequences.

Incidents range from the inclusion of nasty ingredients to the addition of hazardous substances that should never have entered human digestive systems. For example, in the wake of the recent discovery of horse DNA in European beef products, concerns have been raised over the potential ingestion of dangerous drugs such as phenylbutazone, which is an anti-inflammatory often used on horses to relieve pain and high temperatures.

From arsenic-tainted milk to mercury-poisoned fish, these are 10 of the most shocking and devastating food contamination cases in history.

10. Toxic Oil Syndrome – Spain (1981)

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In 1981, a disease known as “toxic oil syndrome” broke out in Spain that was caused by contaminated cooking oil. The consequences were serious, with the illness leading to the deaths of over 600 people. In response to the crisis, the Spanish government offered free olive oil in exchange for the hazardous oil.

The contamination is believed to have occurred when low-cost industrial colza oil from France was imported into the country. The colza oil was then refined and sold by street vendors as olive oil. Symptoms of the disease resembled a lung infection that weakened immune systems and was accompanied by skin problems. The condition was resistant to antibiotics, and there are numerous conspiracy theories associated with the case – all of which has added to its notoriety.

9. Arsenic-Contaminated Beer – England (1900)

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In 1900, a strange epidemic broke out in Manchester that went on to affect Liverpool and other areas of England as well. All of a sudden, even moderate and light drinkers were experiencing complaints usually associated with alcoholism. Symptoms included stomach pain, pigmentation of the skin, and impaired motor function and reflexes. The cause of the contamination was traced back to sugar that had been made with arsenic-contaminated sulfuric acid. According to reports, more than 6,000 people were affected by the outbreak and about 70 people died. In the end, over 100 breweries were involved in the scandal, and they responded by working into the night to recall and dispose of the tainted beer.

8. Poison Grain Disaster – Iraq (1971)

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In 1971, ingestion of toxic grain contaminated by a mercury-based fungicide led to over 6,500 people being sent to hospital and as many as 650 reported deaths in Iraq. The disaster was caused by grain imported from the US and Mexico that had been treated with the dangerous fungicide – which was meant to be planted, not eaten. Largely due to problems understanding the foreign-language labels of the grain, rural Iraqis ate it – with devastating effect. People who consumed the grain suffered a lack of sensation in the skin, bad physical coordination, loss of sight, and even brain damage. The World Health Organization was still investigating the incident as recently as 2002.

7. Aflatoxin-Contaminated Maize – Kenya (2004)

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A tragic incident took place in Kenya in May 2004 when maize grain was contaminated with alfatoxin. Aflatoxin is a seriously poisonous carcinogen that is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. A. flavus occurs in the presence of high levels of moisture, and the contamination is thought to have occurred due to inadequate storage and drying procedures after heavy rains around harvest time. The case led to 317 incidences of liver failure, and 125 people died. A similar occurrence happened in 2010 that left no less than 2.3 million bags of grain unusable.

Scientists have in fact developed a cheap, harmless and natural way to combat the problem. Using biocontrol technology, they introduce harmless strains of A. flavus into an infected field, and these outcompete the dangerous strains.

6. Milk Scandal – China (2008)

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The first reports of the deadly Chinese milk scandal broke on July 16, 2008 in the country’s Gansu Province. Dramatically, 16 babies developed kidney stones after being fed powdered milk produced by state-owned dairy company the Sanlu Group. The cause was found to be the addition of melamine to milk and baby formula.

Following an inquest, it was discovered that the Sanlu Group had ignored reports of ill babies in 2007 and only began carrying out tests the following year. According to health officers and media accounts, the company tried to cover up the scandal and suppress any negative publicity. Estimates have it that by November 2008, the contamination had affected up to 300,000 individuals, with 54,000 babies hospitalized and six dying due to kidney damage. It’s thought that melamine was added to the milk to make it seem higher in protein.

In the wake of the scandal and resulting court cases, prominent government officials were forced to resign. There were also two executions, and a suspended death sentence, two 15-year prison terms and three lifetime sentences were handed out as well. Alarmingly, officials were still confiscating melamine-tainted products as late as 2010.

5. Minamata Disease – Japan (1956)

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Minamata disease affects the nervous system and is caused by acute mercury poisoning. Symptoms include weakened muscles and impaired senses, and severe cases can result in madness, paralysis, coma and death. The syndrome was first recognized in 1956 in a small Japanese coastal city called Minamata. The source of the problem was the release of mercury-tainted waste into the sea by the Chisso Corporation, which went on between 1932 and 1968.

The toxic chemical built up in sea creatures, which then poisoned the people who ate them. For years, cats were witnessed “dancing” in the street – though in reality, they were having convulsions before they went crazy and perished. Locals referred to the condition as “dancing cat fever.” But it wasn’t just animals that suffered. According to data from 2001, 2,265 people have been affected by the case, of whom 1,784 died. As of 2004, the Chisso Corporation had shelled out $86 million to compensate victims.

4. Morinaga Dried Milk Poisoning – Japan (1955)

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Another contamination case that rocked Japan in the 1950s was the occurrence of arsenic-tainted milk powder. The contamination happened at Morinaga Milk Company in Tokushima, where arsenic was accidentally mixed into the common preservative disodium phosphate, which was then added to milk powder. The initial reaction of those afflicted was diarrhea and vomiting, which made a specific cause hard to determine. This deadly episode affected as many as 13,400 and resulted in at least 100 deaths.

Morinaga’s head of factory production was sentenced to three years jail time at the end of what became one of the 10 longest legal cases in history, stretching over 18 years. The incident led to protests, and victims and their families formed alliances, demanding compensation.

3. Toxic Illegal Alcohol – India (2011)

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In 2011, a serious problem arose in West Bengal, India when toxic illegal alcohol led to the deaths of as many as 143 people. It’s thought that the alcohol was corrupted by the addition of methanol, ammonium nitrate (a fertilizer), or both. Each of the two substances is toxic to humans, and effects can include heart and respiratory difficulties.

Black market alcohol is a big problem in India, and toxic alcohol-related deaths are quite common. Even so, the breweries in West Bengal often operate without any interference from authorities and frequently bribe police. This contamination case at least led to 10 arrests. A man involved in the illegal alcohol trade told the BBC that a contaminated shipment was from a very greedy man who had mixed the alcohol with water and then added pesticide for “flavor.”

2. New Delhi Mustard Oil Contamination – India (1998)

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This next incident first came to light in New Delhi in 1998, when mustard oil (a popular cooking oil) was mixed with poisonous Argemone mexicana (Mexican poppy) seed oil. The effects were devastating, leading to an outbreak of the condition “epidemic dropsy,” which causes severe swelling, mainly of the legs. Other symptoms include breathing problems, diarrhea, nausea, headaches and glaucoma. As well as India, other countries that have experienced spates of epidemic dropsy are Madagascar, Fiji, South Africa, Mauritius and Nepal. With the exception of the South African case, all the epidemics were caused by A. mexicana-contaminated mustard oil.

The 1998 New Delhi episode claimed 60 lives, and as many as 3,000 individuals spent time in hospital. In the years since, there have been further outbreaks of the disease in India, but the 1998 incident is still the most severe so far.

1. Poisoned Wheat – Afghanistan (1974)

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From 1974 to 1976, an outbreak of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (a liver disease) occurred in rural Afghanistan. This incident was caused by wheat – which was then used in flour to make bread – that had been contaminated with charmac seeds. The contamination led to around 1,600 deaths and afflicted up to 7,800 people in total.

As recently as 2008, a similar case in the same country affected more than 100 people and killed 10. Charmac is a weed, and its seeds contain substances known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are released by plants to protect themselves from being eaten. Ingestion can often have toxic effects – as the Afghanis experienced firsthand to their cost.