Cheaper than You Think

Filed under:World Of Nutrition, Life Of Health, Fitness Portal — posted on March 12, 2010 @ 8:28 pm

A popular misconception is that distilled H2O heats quicker than tap H2O many somebodies believe this unsafe.
distilled water is when all the impurities are removed from the water by what is known as desolation. You distill water by boiling it. boiling water and then capturing the steam in a specialised apparatus is part of the process. Deionising is a similar technique but it does not completely remove impurities.. Such methods, which are used by many, do not completely purify the water.

Distilled water is used in a lot of everyday things - cooling systems for vehicles, lead acid batteries, and steam irons.
It has lately started becoming Neccessary to use distilled water in aquariums. When the water harbour chemicals which are found inside tap water,many enthusiasts choose to use distilled water when filling their tanks. Fish can be killed if you use tap water high in chlorine
filling your tank with large quantities of distilled water ain’t cheap and it is surprising how the costs mount up. Savy Saltwater tank owners save dosh by distilling their own, by improvising although it is relatively easy to do. using a gas or power stove you can boil your own water or any other cooking utensil competent of holding water.. Getting the steam and cooling it is then required., cooling options often utilized include copper tubing. Copper is a fatal substance for invertebrates which live in coral reef, so tubing made of some other material will be required. if all else doesn’t work a pan and two lids will suffice. upon water boiling you will see the condensation on the lids from the pot - distill water is this outputted product. With the second lid, cover the pot and then the condensed can be poured into a cup. Remain this process until you have adequate H2O for your tank.It does take a while so patience is neccessary for this approach.
It really does come down to whether you give the time and can be bothered making the endeavor for something that could reap rewards in the long run.

Herbology for Body Cleansing

Filed under:World Of Nutrition, Life Of Health, Beauty Care — posted on January 24, 2010 @ 5:46 pm

Herbology is coming back as a prised therapeutic modality and a wide assortment of medicinal herbs are making their way into grocery and health food stores. Medicinal herbs are generally available in capsules or in tinctures, that can be conveniently taken any place with merely a few squirts below the tongue. These are a small collection herbs that are most central to a cleansing program.

Milk Thistle is a powerful anti-oxidant herb that heals the liver, encourages the flow of bile, and behaves as a comprehensive tonic to a variety of other organs. Milk thistle hastens the maturation of new liver cells.

Red Clover is a light cleansing agent and has anti-bacterial properties. Red clover is not only a blood purifier, it is also an appetite suppressant, and a sedative.

Dandelion is a mighty liver tonic, a diuretic and a very effective blood cleaner. Dandelion minimizes cholesterol and boosts the function of the spleen, stomach, pancreas and kidneys.

Burdock Root is both a tonic and a diuretic. Burdock moves out impurities from the blood, and it helps in regenerating efficient liver, gallbladder and kidney function. Burdock root also fortifies the immune system with its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Yellow Dock is a blood purifier. It improves both colon and liver function. It is also curative for anemia, the gall bladder and the spleen.

Echinacea enhances the immune system by killing bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes. It is also an excellent lymph cleanser.

You can look for combination blends of these herbs, and there are numerous detox herb tonics available now. If you use the herbs separately, be sure not to use too much. Most of these herbs are very strong, and the aim of detoxing the body is to offer it rest and rejuvenation. This is why a safe, natural body detox program is essential. In our attempt to rid the body of toxins, we should be aware that we don’t overdo it. This will protect your body and reduce the side effects that are normal with cleansing.

Freshly Made Goodies from Cheryl and Co

Filed under:World Of Nutrition, Food Center — posted on January 8, 2010 @ 7:41 am

Cheryl & Co can delight your friends and family with fabulous cookies. This company offers a large selection of choice baked goods and you can send these to any address in the United States. Each of their fantastic gift boxes, baskets, or brightly colored tins is beautifully packaged and is then delivered straight to the recipient’s door. It’s a comforting and quick way to make the special people in your life happy. The story of Cheryl & Company began back in nineteen eighty one in Columbus, Ohio. And, seven years afterwards, they had evolved to include a mixture of puddings and gifts. Before long the company had set up a mail-order catalogue, and then opened a section especially for corporate clients. Their internet site proved a marvelous success story and these days they are one of the 1800Flowers.com family, who offer a range of floral and gourmet gifts globally. Quality is of the utmost importance to this cookie provider. The bakery guarantee their bakery items are always received in excellent shape perfect for consuming right away. Everything produced by Cheryl and Company is free from unnatural colorings and flavors. You can pick from much loved goodies such as triple chocolate and oatmeal raisin, and some more unique flavor combos, such as honey apple pecan.

Alternatively, why don’t you include some brownies or even top class chocolates? You can purchase hampers full of carefully chosen types of cookies and brownies. On the other hand, simply pick out a gift box or tin and then choose the recipient’s preferred flavors. The fabulous brownies are available frosted, with nuts, filled with fruit, and also in tiny taster sizes. Pick out brownies, cookies, or other delightful treats in classy containers to say thank you to to a special customer or supplier. A playful or novelty cookie selection is a fantastic way to let family know you are thinking of them. Expectably, for Christmas and other holidays, they have especially made options just for the occasion.

It doesn’t matter if you want to send a Holiday cookie selection to an old friend, to show your appreciation or simply a token to show someone you care, Cheryl & Co have just the thing to brighten up their day.

Vitamins: Fat Or Water Soluble?

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on May 25, 2008 @ 2:04 am

Vitamins are organic substances essential in small amounts for the body’s normal growth and activity. They are obtained naturally from plant and animal foods. Vitamins have two classifications, fat- or water-soluble, depending on the materials in which they dissolve.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins:
Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K. These vitamins are stored in the body’s fat tissues before they are absorbed in the blood stream. Because the body stores these vitamins, it is not always necessary to get a fresh supply each day. Caution should be used when taking fat-soluble vitamins to avoid the potential of harmful, toxic levels.

Fat-soluble vitamins are required for the maintenance of healthy bones, skin and hair and for bringing nourishment to the cells. Vitamin A is essential for vision, especially night vision. Vitamin K is essential for the formation of blood-clotting proteins.

The major dietary sources of these vitamins are green leafy vegetables, deep orange or yellow fruits and vegetables, cod liver oil, sardines, butter, egg yolks, fortified milk, almonds, wheat germ, peanut butter, corn oil, sunflower seeds, and liver.

Water-Soluble Vitamins:
Water-soluble vitamins include B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and vitamin C, as well as folic acid and biotin. Water-soluble vitamins, unlike fat-soluble vitamins, are not easily stored in the body and are often lost from foods in the cooking process. It is therefore important to include these vitamins in a daily dietary regimen.

B vitamins are involved in fat and protein breakdown. The B vitamins are required for healthy nervous system function, healthy skin, hair, eyes and liver function. Some of the B vitamins require other B vitamins to work correctly in the body.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is important to the body in the production of collagen, creating connective tissue and supporting our organs. Other functions include protecting the fat-soluble vitamins and preventing scurvy.

The major dietary sources of these vitamins are cereal grains, meat, poultry, eggs, fish, milk, legumes and fresh vegetables. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, guava, red bell pepper, papaya, orange juice, broccoli, green bell pepper, strawberries, cantaloupe, tomato juice, mango, potato,
cabbage, tomato, collard greens, spinach, Brussels sprouts, turnip greens, cauliflower, blackberries, and blueberries.

Laura LaGuardia is a contributing editor on www.teddycare.com/Vitamins/ to the Health Information Resources site at www.teddycare.com .
This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s resource box and url links remain intact.

But Isn’t Meat Protein Superior to Plant Protein?

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on May 7, 2008 @ 1:50 am

Haven’t you always thought that meat protein was superior to plant protein, and that you had to eat meat protein to get “complete” protein for your health and fitness?

And the only way you could get so-called “complete” protein from plant foods was to mix and match certain plant sources of food?

This is certainly what we were all raised to believe, isn’t it? In fact, most Americans, to this day, still believe in the superiority and the absolute necessity of animal protein for health and fitness.

In spite of what the egg, dairy, and meat industries, along with our government and many experts, have told us all these years, meat protein is not superior to plant protein: protein is protein is protein is protein, no matter what source provides the protein.

Whether a certain essential amino acid, the building block of protein, is provided by a plant or animal, it is the same amino acid.

Furthermore, contrary to what many people accept as truth, we do not have to mix and match plant proteins to make a so-called “complete” protein.

If you have any doubts about getting enough protein through plant foods, just look at the animal kingdom.

How many elephants, cows, horses, giraffes, or apes eat cows, chicken, or fish to get enough protein?

How many of these large mammals mix and match plant sources of foods to get complete proteins?

If these animals with great, big strong muscles can eat a diet of plant foods, and not a large variety at that, and get plenty of protein, so can we.

When in doubt, look to nature for answers; not to those people or industries who have an economic interest in certain sources of food, such as the meat, egg, dairy, sugar, and cereal industries.
You may be familiar with the popular book from the 1970s, Diet for a Small Planet. This book promoted the theory that we have to mix and match plant proteins to get “complete” proteins, such as eating rice and beans together at the same meal.

Here is an interesting fact that you may not be aware of.

The author of this book, Frances Moore Lappe, rescinded her “mix-and-match” theory in the early 1980s. She herself said that she had unintentionally misled her readers. She acknowledged the fact that we do indeed get enough protein by eating a variety of plant foods, without consciously combining certain plant foods at one meal.

Do you wonder why you have never heard that plant sources of protein are complete in themselves? Perhaps it has something to do with the power of commercial interest groups.

The World Health Organization recommends that our diets consist of 5% proteinthat’s all.

Oranges have plenty of protein8%. Romaine has plenty of protein34%. Oatmeal has plenty of protein15%. Brown rice (8% protein), cantaloupe (9%), carrots (10%), cucumbers (24%), tomatoes (16%), spinach (49%), broccoli (33%)all of our fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans have plenty of protein for human health and fitness.

The fact is, sometimes it’s hard to hear the truth above the roar of the egg, milk, and meat industries, the cultural norm, and our own attachment to the foods we have learned to love to eat.

But, if you listen closely with an open mind, you will become more and more skilled at sorting fact from fiction.

More importantly, as you become more aware, you will consciously make healthier food and lifestyle choices for the lifetime reward of health and fitness, comfort, mobility, joy, hope, and purpose.

Leslie Van Romer - EzineArticles Expert Author

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Vitamin B: Types and Sources

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on April 9, 2008 @ 4:36 pm

Commonly referred to as vitamin B complex, these are water soluble vitamins, several of which are deemed extremely important for carbohydrate metabolism. The most important types, their functions and sources are:-

B1 or Thiamine helps in the conversion of carbohydrate into energy. Thiamine also regulates the functioning of the heart and formation of healthy nerve cells. Lack of this vitamin can cause beri beri. Although many foods have thiamine, few provide it in the concentrated amounts required by the body. Rich sources of Thiamine are pork, liver, heart and kidney meat, brewer’s yeast, eggs, green leafy vegetables nuts, berries and legumes. The consumption of enriched wheat germ and cereal can eliminate Thiamine deficiency.

B2 or Riboflavin, like Thiamine, helps in the release of energy and in conjunction with the other B vitamins assists in the growth of the body and production of red cells. Its deficiency can cause skin lesions and sensitivity to light. It is commonly found in liver, milk, meat, dark green vegetables, whole grain and enriched cereals, pasta, bread and mushrooms.

B3 or Niacin helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It also helps in the release of energy from foods like carbohydrates. A deficiency of Niacin causes pellagra. The best sources of niacin are liver, poultry, meat, canned tuna and salmon, whole grain and enriched cereals, dried beans and peas, and nuts. Niacin is also made by our body from the amino acid tryptophan.

B6 or Pyridoxine helps in the absorption of proteins. It also plays a role in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of the brain functions. Lack of Pyridoxine can cause skin problems, dizziness, nausea and even kidney stones. Foods like whole grains, cereals, bread, liver, avocadoes, spinach, green beans, and bananas are rich in this vitamin.

B12 or Cobalamin is essential in minute amounts for proper metabolism and formation of red blood cells. Since it is primarily found in meat products, vegetarians are advised to take vitamin B12 supplements.

Other B Vitamins

Folate works in conjunction with Vitamins B12 and is required by our body for the formation of body proteins and hemoglobin. It is also necessary for the synthesis of DNA which manages heredity as well as tissue growth and cell function. Pregnant women are advised to have supplements of folic acid to avoid birth defects like spina bifida. Dietary sources are organ meats like liver, kidney and heart, leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and brewer’s yeast.

Pantothenic acid, is another B vitamin. It plays an important role in the metabolism of food, synthesis of hormones and cholesterol. It is found in abundance in a variety of foods and also manufactured by intestinal bacteria

Biotin, another B vitamin is essential for the formation of fatty acids and the release of energy from carbohydrates. It is commonly found in all food types and is produced by intestinal bacteria.

Jack Smith writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intact, the bio remains in full and the rel=”nofollow” tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you - Please visit anorexia-help

Eating Close to Nature

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on March 30, 2008 @ 9:29 am

Recent findings have concluded that a majority of our illnesses; mental and physical, can be traced back to the way we eat. In two words: “Junk Food”.
Most people know this. So why do we do it to ourselves?
Do we all have a long a painful death wish? Why?

I believe in a majority of cases this has to do with exposure to these foods throughout our lifetimes. They become habit. A habit that seems to be the most difficult to break as we have to eat, and they do seem most convenient in our fast paced world.

We are living in a “throw away society” where our values seem to be forgotten. The best foods for our bodies are vegetables and fruits. How easy is that? They come without fancy expensive wrapping, they are environmentally friendly, people are not dying from consuming them over a course of years, and at the end of the week, they don’t leave piles of garbage and recycling at the end of your driveway.

However it is easier to drive up to a window and mindlessly stuff a fried burger down your cake hole, and drive away with no thought or dishes to clean up.

Our bodies seemingly take on the role of garbage can, all because of convenience and the constant media push.

Very similar to drugs or alcohol, Junk Food becomes habitual. The solution sounds easy enough “eat close to nature”. You need five to ten servings each day of fruits and vegetables. It takes a little bit of time to prepare your own meals but once you get used to it, you start turning your nose down to all those packaged foods. Once you get back to a natural way of eating, then you can start to be picky about organic foods including meats.
Here is a very easy recipe for a healthy meal.

Enjoy!

Chef’s Veggie Burger

1 cup mushrooms and onions

1/2 cup corn and peas

1/2 cup diced peppers

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 cup cooked brown long grain rice

whole wheat bread crumbs

4 eggs; egg beater equivalent

cornstarch

pepper

garlic

olive oil

Saute vegetable and rice together and season to taste. Brown, then place in bowl.
Add liquid egg and mix thoroughly.
Dust with bread crumbs and cornstarch until a very thick burger like consistency.
Season with pepper and garlic to taste. If you like fresh herbs, you can add them too.
Form into patties about 1/2″ thick and grill or pan fry them (with little oil in the pan) in a nonstick pan.
Add tomatoes, lettuce, onions and whatever other condiments you like.

Kate Woods is an athlete, a mother of three, and an award winning entrepreneur. She resides in Canada. Her web page is http://optimumhealth.blogodyne.com

Vegetable of the Month Club

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on March 23, 2008 @ 10:55 pm

We should eat more vegetables. But knowing doesn’t translate into doing.

So let’s keep it simple. How can we get more of those wonderful veggies into our wonderful bodies?

Adopt a vegetable of the week or month. Experts say it take us that long to form a habit.

Start with an easy vegetable, say the carrot.

Consider the carrot’s statistics: Carrots are crunchy like potato chips, but without the salt. And you definitely can’t “inhale” an entire bag of carrots like you can with chips because carrots fill you up much sooner! That’s a good thing, right?

Next time you’re at the grocery store, buy a bag of carrots. Try the bite-size baby ones. No prep time!

When you get home, divide the big bag into smaller, sandwich-size bags and put them in the refrigerator. Take one with you to work each day. Need a snack? Reach for a carrot bag.

Then progress to other veggies–cucumbers, spinach, cauliflower.

Sure, you’ll have to get creative with some of them. A little dip goes a long way toward making some vegetables more palatable.

Got a salad shooter? Haul it out, dust it off, and run broccoli, zucchini, and spinach through it. Any vegetable will do. A food processor works, too, just put the appliance in a spot where you can use it easily on a regular basis.

Once you’ve shredded or julienned your vegetables, add a couple spoonfuls of your favorite dressing and you’ve got a tasty salad. Throw in some mandarin oranges or a diced apple for a little sweetness and zip. Chopped nuts or sunflower seeds add extra flavor.

Be sure not to go overboard with the salad dressing. A couple spoonfuls should coat all of your vegetables.

Eat a vegetable salad every day for a month and see how good you feel!

Try some shredded veggies in a sandwich and decrease the amount of meat.

Do you need to consume the vegetables in their raw state? No, not at all. Cooking enhances the nutrition of many vegetables, including carrots, and often aids digestion.

So why not cook up a delicious, nutritious pot of vegetable soup. Great news for the culinary-challenged: Making delicious vegetable soup doesn’t require “Iron Chef” status. Just add the vegetables of your choice, some seasoning, and water, then let it simmer.

Traditional soup vegetables include onions, carrots, and potatoes, but experiment with different, more exotic varieties.

Put the soup in a crock pot or slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious supper.

Add a small amount of beef or chicken for flavor if you prefer, maybe an ounce or two.

Leftovers make a quick, nutritious lunch the day next. Pack in a thermos to take with you and skip the cholesterol burger and fat fries.

Start your own Veggie of the Month Club. It’ll be a healthy tradition!

Looking for diet and weight loss tips? Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise. Click here: http://www.lose-weight-diets.com

Minerals For Your Children: Minor Yet Important

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on February 24, 2008 @ 9:22 pm

As one of the essential nutrients, minerals have an influence on your children’s growth and development as well as their health.

Even though the body needs only a little amount of minerals, compared to carbohydrates for example, they have an important role in our body. Without minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and the other nutrients can hardly carry out their functions. Let’s find out where the minerals come from.

Just as vitamins, the body needs minerals to run the process of children’s growth & development. They are also needed to take care of health, including shaping strong bones, producing hormones and maintaining heart pulses.

There are some kinds of minerals required in more than 100 mg per day like calcium. Though, the body only needs a little amount of zinc (less than 100 mg per day), for example.

The body needs the minerals everyday. Among so many important minerals for children, let’s see some of them and how they give benefits to our children.

1. Calcium (Ca)

Benefits:
- good for teeth and bones development
- avoids children from osteoporosis in the future
- controls blood coagulation and muscle contraction
Sources: milk and its processed products, like cheese, butter, yoghurt, and ice cream. Calcium is also available in soy bean and salmon.

2. Iron (Fe)
Benefits:
- helps forming hemoglobin (the color substance in red blood which functions in transferring oxygen from the lung to the whole body)
- important for energy forming and enhancing body immune system
Sources: beef, egg yolk, fruits, bread

3. Magnesium (Mg)
Benefits:
- has an important role in the process of energy metabolism
- controls the vital function of the body, like heart pulse, muscle relaxation, and avoids blood coagulation
- forms bones and teeth together with calcium
Sources: nuts, avocado, meat, milk, chocolate

4. Potassium/Kalium (K)
Benefits:
- produces energy
- controls heart pulse
Sources: banana, avocado, vegetables, cereals

5. Phosphor (P)
Benefits:
- with calcium, phosphor avoids bones and teeth calcification
- controls energy transfer in metabolism
Sources: beef, fish and poultry, egg, cheese, milk, and nuts

Our body, just the same as our children’s, needs a sufficient amount of minerals everyday. It requires a different quantity from every mineral.

For instance, your toddler has to consume at least 500 mg calcium per day, while he or she just needs about 75-100 mg of magnesium per day.

You really need not to file and calculate each mineral whenever you feed your children. How to tell if the children get the sufficient amount of the minerals then?

No need to be confused. The key is in the feeding pattern. Arrange your children’s menu so that they get various kinds of food, which are rich in numerous important nutrients, by giving them alternately.

There’s no food contains complete nutrients. However, one kind of food can contain more than one essential substance. For example, cheese is a great source of calcium and phosphor, besides protein and fat. Though, it doesn’t contain potassium/kalium.

Therefore, as long as your children obtain a great variety of nutritional food in a balanced quantity, just believe that the minerals needed by their body are accomplished.

Adwina Jackson is a wife and mother of a young boy. She’s also the editor of Inspiring Parenting, an online source of valuable parenting information. Please visit Inspiring Parenting for helpful and free parenting info.

Asperger’s Syndrome - Does a Gluten-Free Diet Benefit?

Filed under:World Of Nutrition — posted on December 15, 2007 @ 5:34 pm

A gluten-free, casein free diet is recommended for Asperger’s Syndrome children and adults. Often parents feel rather overwhelmed with such a restrictive diet, and only opt to embrace it as a last resort. The results produced by the diet varies markedly - but the keyword here is RESULT. You can expect some result.

Children with autistic spectrum disorders usually have gastointestinal problems as well, such as reflux, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting and hiccups. It is know that the proteins found in wheat, rye, oats, barley and dairy products (gluten and casein) aren’t completely broken down in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. These undigested proteins can leak into the bloodstream, potentially interfering with neurological processes by having an opiate-like effect upon their systems.

It’s suggested that these undigested proteins (peptides) can reach toxic levels, with the Asperger child seeming to “crave” milk and wheat products. Symptoms of gluten/casein intolerance include red cheeks and ears, dry skin, runny nose, headaches, hyperactivity, tantrums and malformed bowel movements. Does this sound familiar?

So what results can the diet produce? Parents report a variety of outcomes, including - improved sleep patterns, improved speech and communication, improved focus or attention span, improved social skills, improved personal hygiene habits, improved fine motor skills, improved intestinal function, increase in affection shown, reduction of tantrums and irritability.

So a gluten-free, casein-free diet is definitely worth considering for your Asperger child. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the restrictive nature of the diet. I suggest simply starting slowly and eliminating one group (either gluten or casein) at a time. Once you’re comfortable without wheat or dairy products, the you can tackle the next element. If you see a desirable result from eliminating one component, you may decide not to go any further.

For our family simply substituting gluten-free flour in all recipes I used was a simple but highly effective action. I’m a home-baker, so in any cakes, biscuits, slices and desserts I just substituted gluten-free flour in my usual recipes. I didn’t add any extras like Xantham gum, and didn’t have any failures.

Finding an alternative to bread was our biggest obstacle. The gluten-free varieties just weren’t the same, so instead we excluded bread altogether. The gluten-free pastas on the market are excellent, but do tend to cook slightly quicker.

I suggest you email all the major distributors of snack foods, such as muesli bars and fruit slices and ask for a list of their gluten-free products. This helps with easy identification at the store. Eating out is difficult at first, but if you mention you’re gluten-free most restaurant or cafe chefs will gladly prepare something gluten-free. (Of course, this rules out the fast food chains who aren’t so obliging!)

For our family the diet finally eliminated all our son’s known trigger foods such as peanut butter, chocolate and caffeine in sodas. We stayed on the diet strictly for 10 months before gradually reintroducing gluten. We have seen no return of the eliminated characteristics in our son (all of those mentioned above). We have continued to use gluten-free pasta and flour in our cooking.

I believe that the gluten-free diet had a detoxifying effect not only on our Asperger Syndrome child, but on all of us, and the benefits have been obvious. So be adventurous and try a gluten-free/casein-free diet for your Asperger child….you may be nicely surprised!

©Nelle Frances

Nelle Frances is the mother of a 15 year old with Asperger’s Syndrome, a Special Needs Educator and Author of the Ben and His Helmet series of books for Asperger children. She is also an active member of 5 Asperger’s Syndrome Support and Advocacy Groups. For more information and Support Strategies visit http://www.nellefrances.com.


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