Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Is There a Special Vitamin Supplement For a Woman?

By: Beverly Taylor

Women have special health needs at different stages of our lives. We may need a specific vitamin supplement for a woman at one stage of our life and need something completely different at another period. Doctors often prescribe vitamin and iron supplements for a woman who is expecting. If she does, take them as directed and do not alter the dose. While a lack of a particular vitamin can cause deficiencies, too much can result in toxicity.

When a vitamin supplement for a woman is recommended or prescribed it is because it contains the specific vitamin or vitamins a woman’s body needs. Your doctor will take into the account the amount of calcium and other nutrients that you need on a daily basis and make his recommendation.

You should familiarize yourself with the different vitamins and their role in your health. You want to know in what foods you can get certain vitamins and how much of each of the vitamins that your body needs. If you are taking a vitamin supplement for a woman because you are pregnant, you’ll want to investigate whether or not you’ll need one after you give birth.

If you have a disease or a condition that dictates you take a special vitamin supplement for a woman it may be something you always have to deal with. Your doctor can certainly advise you on this. However, in most cases, pregnancy notwithstanding, you should be able to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from a balanced diet. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check the levels of certain vitamins in your system and whether or not you are deficient.

It is important to note that vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. An excess amount of these vitamins are stored either in fatty tissue or the liver until needed. Because of this, toxicity can occur if too many vitamins are taken. While that rarely happens when we get our vitamins solely from the foods we eat, it can and does happen when we combine too many vitamin supplements with our diets. Discuss this with your doctor if you think you need a vitamin supplement for a woman.

Once you realize the different roles vitamins and minerals play in our overall health, it’s actually fun to keep up with the amount we are ingesting, either through the foods we eat or through supplements. In doing so, you will most likely find that your overall diet improves and the need for any additional supplements will be minimal.

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

How To Choose A Quality Diamond Ring and Diamond Jewelry

You are about to make a very important decision. You are going to buy a diamond. Whether it is an engagement ring to start a new life with someone special or a pair of earrings to signify twenty five years together, a diamond is something special. You want make sure you are getting the best quality diamond for the money you are spending. So, how do you know you are not wasting your money? Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping for that diamond ring.

The very first thing you are going to want to look at is your budget. In years past, the rule of thumb was that you spend two months salary on a diamond ring. However, that rule generally no longer applies. Today, with people living together before the question is asked, it is much more a question of how much your budget will handle.

After you know the price range you are looking for and can afford, you can then move on to the four “Cs” of diamonds. Color, cut, clarity and carat weight. Let’s take a look at the first one.

Color is the overall color of the stone. Traditionally, diamonds will rage from colorless to yellow. The less color in the stone, the more desirable it is. This typically has a relationship to the purity of the gem, although some people prefer the yellowish tint to a diamond stone. I personally think the yellowish tint makes it look old and not as clean as it should be.

Cut is very important to how the diamond will shine. If it is well cut, it will capture all available light and reflect it back to the height of its potential. If the diamond is cut too shallow, it will not gather light. If it is cut too deep, it will take light and not reflect it back. There are various different kinds of cuts, and a knowledgeable jeweler should be able to explain this to you as well as show you the same piece in different cuts so you can see the difference for yourself.

Clarity refers to how flawless the stone is. Diamonds that are flawless are going to be very rare and, therefore, very expensive. Usually, you can get more bang for your buck if you go down a couple of points on this category and get either a near flawless stone or one that has no visible incursions to the naked eye. Of course, the more visible the flaws, the less expensive the diamond. When you exmaine the gem with the naked eye, you should not be able to see "scars" or blemishes within the stone. If you can see scars but only when wearing a jeweler's "loop" (the magnifying monacle microscope that any quality jeweler has on hand, which you can ask to borrow to examine a stone), then it is probably worthy of your consideration.

The last of the four Cs is carat. This is how big the diamond is. It is worth mentioning that the larger stones are more rare and are more expensive. Because of this, you can get the same amount of total carat weight for less money. As an example, two half-carat stones are less expensive than a single full carat ring.

When shopping for the perfect diamond ring, the setting will also come into play, as well as what type of metal the ring is made of. Gold is traditionally the metal of engagement and wedding rings, but silver; white gold and platinum have started to become more popular in recent years as well. This is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, although you want a quality setting.

One more thing to look for when shopping for a quality diamond ring - a quality jeweler. They will help you decide what your budget should be and show you a wide range of what you can afford. They will be able to tell you more on the four Cs, show you a variety of settings and help you through the buying process so you are comfortable with your purchase. Don't be afraid to ask the jeweler to borrow his "loop" for a minute so you can get a close view of the diamond you are considering.

About The Author

Jon Arnold is a computer engineer and long-term world traveler who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about diamond rings and diamond jewelry at his web site at http://www.diamond-jewelry-ring.com/.