25
March

What Are Negative Ions All About and Is There Something To It?

An Article From Mark’s Apple about negative ions and is there something to it?niagara

 

Anyone who’s been through a health store has heard about ions. If it’s not someone offering samples of ionized water, it’s someone selling ionized bracelets. It sounds wacky, woo-woo, crazy, and as if it belongs firmly in the same realm as crystals, magnet therapy, and cryptozoology (although the kid in me is still holding out hope that both Squatch and Nessie are found), but is there actual science behind this negative ion stuff, or are the people who buy into this stuff totally off their rockers? Today, we venture into what some might consider the realm of the non-scientific to discuss negative ionizers – both the natural kinds (like waterfalls) and the man-made variety (negative ion generators).

Let’s get to it:

 

Hi Mark,

I’m almost scared/embarrassed to even ask you about this, but here goes: my friend, who’s into crystals, homeopathy, and other types of alternative health modalities with less than concrete supporting evidence, has been talking my ear off about negative and positive ions. She’s got her entire house decked out with negative ion generators and she’s always trying to “avoid positive ions.” I’ve even seen her ducking past air conditioners. Is there anything to this, or is she crazy?

Thanks,

Beth

Maybe. Let’s take a look.

But first, lest we fall into the trap of talking about abstractions (a la “toxins”), let’s define our terms. What are ions?

Ions are atoms or molecules in which the number of electrons is different than the number of protons. In other words, an ion is a negatively (more electrons than protons) or positively (more protons than electrons) charged atom or molecule. Positively charged ions are called cations, while negatively charged ions are called anions. Because they are either positively or negatively charged, ions are “mobile.”

Negative ions generally appear in natural settings in greater numbers than positive ions. For instance, negative ions are generated by moving water – rivers, waterfalls, crashing waves, even showers and fountains – and the presence of negative ions is actually used to identify potential sources of water on other planetary bodies, like Enceladus and Titan. Waterfalls are probably the greatest producers of negative ions, thanks to the violence with which falling water breaks apart on both hard and aqueous surfaces (PDF). Plants also produce negative ions, especially when exposed to intense light during photosynthesis.

Okay, that’s great and all. Everyone likes waterfalls and all, but does the fact that they generate lots of negative air ions have any bearing on our health?

They can certainly exert “physiological effects” on living things. In fact, that negative and positive air ions could have physiological effects on people was once a field of serious study, but after snake oil salesmen released a slew of air ion generators with the promise that they’d cure cancer, heart disease, and just about every malady under the sun in the 1950s, the reputation of the field was forever tarnished. Research continued, but its name was sullied, and little serious attention was paid to its findings. The result is that anytime anyone even mentions “ions,” they’ll get laughed out of the room or immediately branded a nut job. And that’s a shame, because there is something to this stuff.

Even if some modern skeptics pride themselves on discarding an idea that sounds a little kooky without doing any actual research, that doesn’t mean evidence doesn’t exist. Let’s see what the research says:

Mood

Not everyone with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can afford to slumber amidst the babbling mist of a nearby brook with the gentle caress of the day’s first sun softly nudging them awake. It’s ideal, but studies indicate that simulating those conditions with negative ion generators, naturalistic dawn simulating lights, and someone blowing raspberries at your face can be just as effective at combating SAD as bright light therapy (okay, maybe not that last one).

Chronic non-seasonal depression has also been shown to be improved with negative ion therapy. High density ion therapy was far more effective than low density ion therapy.

Negative ions (along with bright light and auditory stimuli) reduced subjective measurements of depression, improved mood, and reduced anger in both depressed and non-depressed college students.

Stress

In a study on the salivary responses of people completing a 40-minute word processing task on the computer, exposure to negative air ions reduced the rise in salivary chromogranin A-like immunoreactivity (a marker of stress and anxiety) and improved performance.

Breathing

The trachea is the windpipe, the passage through which air travels into our lungs. Along the trachea are cilia, tiny organelles which keep airborne particles from passing into the lungs. If cilial activity is inhibited, as in cystic fibrosis, more foreign particles are introduced into the lungs. If cilial activity is uninhibited, the junk is kept out of the lungs and discharged later via saliva and mucus. Research shows that negative ion exposure increases cilial activity in the trachea of humans and monkeys, while positive ion exposure inhibits it.

Another study in asthmatic children found that exposure to positively ionized air exacerbated their asthmatic response to exercise.

All told, there does appear to be something to it.

Maybe that’s why sitting around a campfire with your buddies surrounded by towering examples of plant life feels so good. Toss in a nearby river gurgling over stones, throwing mist up in the air? You’ve got a potent recipe for negative air ions. Could that be whycamping out in the great outdoors is so rejuvenating and so energizing? Sure, you could argue that camping is just a way for us to get away from the madness of work and city life, get some fresh air and exercise, and reconnect with our Primal selves… but there has to be a physiological mechanism for that. What if negative ions play an important role in that mechanism? What if part of what we’re “getting away from” is the glaring lack of negative ions?

How to Get Exposure to Negative Ions

The best way to get exposure to negative ions is of course going to be the old, natural way. Go to the beach (and play in the water, don’t sit bundled up on the shore). Climb a mountain. Go for a hike. Spend an afternoon reading a great book in a garden, surrounded by plant life. Swim underneath a waterfall. Heck, even just stepping outside the stifling stuffy air of your office, turning off the AC and lowering the car windows, or letting some cross breeze into your house will help.

Take a shower. The closest thing many of us get to moving water is our regular showers. And that’s not so bad. Moving water is moving water, and showers do a good job of producing negative ions in their own right.

Another way is to design a negative ion-generating garden, using running water (preferably a waterfall or fountains) and plenty of green life. This method is a mite more involved than simply buying a generator or visiting natural sites of negative ion generation, but here’s a study in which researchers mapped out the distribution of positive and negative ions across a sample garden (PDF). It should give you an idea for your own garden. The important factor appears to be the presence of running water, since the negative ions were highest right around the waterfall.

For your home or office, I highly recommend a negative ion generator. Many of them aren’t terribly expensive. For, say, 50 bucks you can enrich your stale office in negative ions and filter out impurities to boot. Give it a shot, especially if you don’t spend time in the natural settings where negative ions predominate. If you’re stuck inside all day, bathed in air conditioning, a negative ion generator is worthy of serious consideration.

Or, if you’re handy enough, you could always just make your own ioniser.

Products with negative ions such as bracelets, yoga mats and towels that are infused with negative ions work.  The best is an ionizer but without that wear a bracelet or use the yoga mats or towels.  They really work.  The materials in these products are the minerals and materials that emit negative ions. They are crushed and added in powder form to these products.  Try them and “Be a Believer”.

 

Anyway, I’d like to hear about your experiences with negative ionizers (and negative ions in general). Have you noticed anything? Let us know in the comment section!

 

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23
March

Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes

There’s something in the air that just may boost your mood — get a whiff of negative ions.

WebMD Feature                                                                                                                                                      \
May 6, 2002 — There’s something in the air and while it may not be love, some say it’s the next best thing — negative ions.

Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

And these are a few of the reasons we see negative-ion generators being sold in stores and all over the Internet, but do they really work as well as antidepressants? Can they also relieve allergies by filtering out dust mites and dander?

It’s too early to tell for sure, experts tell WebMD, but that’s not to say there is not some sound science behind the concept.

Science 101

Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions — Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

“The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods,” says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. “The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on,” he says.

Vitamins of the Air?

Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.

“You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window,” Howard tells WebMD. “Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove.”

In fact, every home has a built in natural ionizer — the shower.

But when it comes to springing for that negative-ion generator you saw advertised in the local paper or on the web, buyer beware, says Columbia’s Terman.

“There is a major problem with advertised units,” he tells WebMD. “Output levels are not … specified in a way that could advise antidepressant dose.”

And, he says, the cost of apparently equivalent units ranges from $100 to $1,000.

“The safest course of action, in my opinion, would be to use units that have been demonstrated effective in our clinical trials and trials to come,” he advises WebMD readers.

Room air circulation, heat and humidity, the proximity of grounded devices that may emit counteracting positive ions (such as computer monitors) may affect output levels (of a negative-ion generator), he explains

“We have tried to minimize the influence of these factors by adding grounded wrist-straps [commercially available] or grounded bed sheets [not yet available] for connection to the ionizer,” he says.

The possible interaction of negative-air ion therapy and antidepressant drug or light therapy for seasonal depression has not yet been investigated, he says. ”It stands to reason, for example, that drug … dose could be tapered [even to zero], if the patient responds to negative ion exposure.

“I would advise anyone who experiences clinically significant depression to try negative-ion therapy only under doctor’s guidance, and that doctors read up on this methodology before OKing such a trial, especially if the patient is already receiving other treatment,” he advises.

What About Allergies and Asthma?

Harold Nelson, MD, professor of medicine at National Jewish Medical Center in Denver, was so excited when he first heard of negative-ion generators 20 years ago that he went out and bought one to study among allergy and asthma patients.

Unfortunately, the findings were “not terribly encouraging. We couldn’t demonstrate anything,” he tells WebMD. “I was disappointed. I had high expectations and they did not pan out, ” he says.

The best bet for people with allergies and/or allergic asthma is to try to eliminate exposures, he says. “If you can’t, or if you still have symptoms, then medication is the next step and fortunately we now have excellent medications,” he says.

 

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12
October

Why Include Negative Ions In Yoga Mats and Yoga Towels?

Yoga Mats and Towels That Include Negative Ions

Why are negative ions in BeBalanced Yoga mats and towels so helpful?

The friction created when your body touches ION material in BeBalanced yoga mats and towels releases high concentrations of negative ions into the environment.

An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge.

A negative ion is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge (since electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged).  Ions, both negative and positive, are naturally occurring in the environment.

Negative ions offer many health benefits, while positive ions can take them away. It is very important to have a balanced level of ions, or a surplus of negative ions, as having more positive ions than negative can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.  Also, they tend to sap energy from your system.

Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy. More mental energy tends to lead to more physical energy.

Negative ions help recovery from physical exhaustion and fatigue – achieved by increasing oxygen levels in the blood.

Negative ions stabilize brain function – effect – relaxation and calmness perfect for yoga.

Indoor environments create positive ions and need an external source to create negative ions to offset the effects of these positive ions.  Negative ions are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water.

You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall.

Negative ions are vital and that makes ION yoga mats and towels so helpful.  Energy bracelets and watches also help.

It all starts with negative ions controlling the positive ions and BeBalanced Products are negative ION carriers and enablers.

 

Do you see what I mean about “Negative Ions”?

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23
August

Negative Ions Are So Vital To Your Daily Life, Include Them Daily.

Have you been getting your dose of negative ions?   You have to!!  They make you look and feel better.

We need exposure to negative ions to be more positive in our life. I know, it sounds a little backward at first, doesn’t it? Negative ions are invisible molecules that clean the air around us by attaching themselves to positive ions (from dust, smoke, electronics, car exhausts, our breathing, etc.), so they’re not just floating around for us to breathe into our system. Generally the more populated a city is, the fewer negative ions and the more positive ions.  This is why I love golf so much or any form of outdoor activity that gets me to grass, water or the mountains.  These are negative ion hotbeds.

Negative ions help relieve stress, increase vitality, strengthen the immune system and so much more.That’s why we all feel so incredibly good after being at a waterfall, in the mountains or at the beach. The human body is meant to be absorbing negative ions on a regular basis, so it’s no wonder why there are so many health problems related to fatigue, depression and immune disorders. It’s no wonder why so many people find it incredibly hard to let their true nature shine. Most people aren’t exposed to nearly enough negative ions. All the technology around us has virtually eliminated the positive ions in the air — unless you live at a beach with no cars or electronics or out in the wilderness or mountains, etc.).

Often people think they can escape pollution by staying indoors. It’s quite common for indoor environments to be just as, if not more than, polluted as outside. When you look around most bedrooms or offices, there are at least a couple of electronic devices. Think about it … laptops, mobile phones, televisions, lights, heaters, electric blankets and so many of the countless electronic gadgets available these days. They all release positive ions galore! Even man-made fibers in carpets, clothes and furniture all reduce the level of negative ions and increase the positive ones in the environment. The house you live in or the place you work at could very well be more polluted than outside! Combine this with other pollutants (if you live in a populated area) and you can almost guarantee that you’re getting exposed to way too many positive ions. This over-exposure to positive ions contributes to the body being in toxic overload, unless small steps are made to make your environment richer in negative ions.

Here are some tips to help bring more negative ions into your life:

-Use Himalayan rock salt lamps or an ion generator or purifier in your house and in your office, if possible. These lamps and purifiers mop up positive ions and help bring back natural harmony to your environment.
-Place potted plants (real ones) throughout your house and office. It’s very common for modern houses to be more polluted than outside, so enjoy bringing the beauty of nature into your home.
-Connect with nature. Get barefoot and walk on raw earth. The earth is charged with negative ions! Our feet are conductors to absorb negative ions, so go outside and experience a lovely barefoot walk. Simply walking on the earth is so healing.
-Spend time at the beach or a waterfall. There’s a reason why we feel so good after being at the beach or at a waterfall. Because of the crashing pure water, these precious parts of the planet are especially charged with negative ions.
-Use natural, preferably organic deodorants, body washes and creams. You can even use Himalayan rock salt soaps, which are quite mainstream now.
-Use organic sheets, towels, clothes and dishwasher and laundry detergents, if you really want to go the extra distance in your efforts to increase negative ions and decrease positive ones in your life.

-Use negative ion products such as bracelets, necklaces, yoga towels, yoga mats, basically any product that includes negative ions in their composition.  It will help energize you and allow you to perform exercise and daily activities in a more focused and energized way.  

Make the incorporation of including negative ions in your daily life as if you are taking vitamins or eating the right food.  You will exercise longer and harder, feel more rested and generally more in tune with life.  It’s your mini way of visiting the mountains or the beach.

So, if you’re not feeling as good as you know you could feel, it may be as simple as looking at the environment you’re in and making some small changes here and there. To me, it’s all about getting back to our true nature, which is full of joy and vitality. We’re meant to connect with nature, not pollutants, so in gratitude for the body we have been blessed with and in gratitude for the amazing planet we live on, do yourself a favor and bring some negative ions into your life.  You will look and feel better.

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31
March

What Are Negative Ions and How Do BeBalanced Energy Bracelets and You Benefit!!

The Benefits Of Negative Ions

Ions  are electronically charged atoms or molecules that exist throughout our environment – air, water, food, drinks. Many years of research has proved conclusively that ions have major impacts on health and wellbeing.

Interestingly, negative ions – those with excess negative charge – tend to have good impacts on health, while positive ions have bad effects. Negative ions are generated from evaporating water, among other sources. This is why many people experience mood uplifts while walking along a beach, or standing near a waterfall.

Positive ions may be generated by electric discharges – storms, electronic equipment (including computers), electric trains, air conditioning, etc., creating the depressive feelings most of us know only too well.

Tourmaline, germanium and other mineral gemstones have been recognised for thousands of years as possessing metaphysical benefits. These benefits are significantly enhanced when the size of the crystals are reduced – thus increasing the surface area of the crystals. The increase in the surface area of such gemstones as Tourmaline – results in a higher stream of beneficial negative ions being produced.

BeBalanced Energy bracelets are specially manufactured using soft silicone embedded with thousands of these tiny negative ion producing tourmaline and germanium crystals. When these crystals are combined with a unique combination of other natural minerals, the negative ions produced is significantly increased and in turn – enhances the health benefits one can obtain from wearing a Power Ionics necklace or bracelet.

The diagram above illustrates how the thousands of tiny crystals are embedded into the soft silicone in order to produce the high-stream of beneficial negative ions produced by Power Ionics necklaces and bracelets.

BeBalanced Energy watches and bracelets combine these negative ions with holograms to magnify the benefits.  Go to http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com and check out these unique products.

 

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27
September

Negative Ions – What Are They? Why BeBalanced Products Work For Many! Holograms too!!

The purpose of the ion bracelet is the possible reduction in  pain and restoration of  body energy.  Golfers, for example, may use a bracelet to help relieve stresses in their wrists, which can help  them to improve their golf swing.

Other specific effects the bracelet is said to have include: restoration of important balance of ions, warming of feet and hands, greater focus and concentration, and improved recovery of athletic fatigue.  They vary in every individual.

The bracelet uses yin-yang therapy and what is known as the “auto-induction” principle. The yin-yang ideally works by giving off specific alternating  electrical currents and these currents result through interactions between positive and negative ions. 

Positive and negative ions are found everywhere – from the air, from the ground, and in our bodies. In salts, such as common table salt, the molecules are connected with ionic bonds. Once the bond is broken, which might be caused by water, wind or some outside force, the salt forms a cation and an anion. Cations are positively charged ions and anions are negatively charged ions. These different types of ions circulate through our bodies and serve as everything from the constituents of our PH level to chemical signals for protein. Through the auto-induction principle, the BeBalanced bracelet can absorb the static electricity given off by the body in order to seek balance between these ions.  Pain is caused by an imbalance when organs lose some of their energy.  As energy is reduced, it may fall within the bracelets level of frequency and the bracelet will give off an opposite from of energy.  This process may return the organ or tissue’s energy to its original state, thus negating the pain.

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Most of the negative ion technology that has been created is based in Japan, and is usually grouped with holistic remedies. The primary reason the product sells so effectively is the mass media craze concerning their apparent “health benefits.” Once the word “negative ion” has been stamped onto a product, it sells extremely well and thus marketers exploit this label. Thus the products are continuously sold.

BeBalanced Energy bracelets can help provide the energy stimulation you need in the daytime and the balancing effects of ion normalization to produce restful rejuvenating sleep at night.  It is so comfortable you don’t even realize you are wearing one. What you will notice is the benefits from these impressive power bands!!  Be a believer!!

Our products incorporate health sustaining minerals into a comfortable wearable item whether the BeBalanced bracelet, combination bracelet/watch or the BeBalanced necklace. These minerals naturally counter electrical interference from modern hi-tech devices and buildings while also working to neutralize the harmful effects of pollutants that accumulate within sealed indoor environments.  They maymake you feel better.  Many people say so. Become a believer and they will work even better!!!

Interestingly, negative ions – those with excess negative charge – tend to have positive impact  on health, while positive ions have negative effects. Seems the opposite of what it should be, doesn’t it?  Negative ions are generated from evaporating water, among other sources. This is why many people experience mood uplifts while walking along a beach, or standing near a waterfall.

Positive ions may be generated by electric discharges – storms, electronic equipment (including computers), electric trains, air conditioning, etc., creating the depressive feelings most of us know only too well.

In summary, some of the benefits some people may find from wearing BeBalanced Energy bracelets include:  improved flexibility, a greater range of motion, diminished pain, less emotional tension and improved awareness.   BeBalanced Energy products help to restore the body to its natural state and the positive effects are different for everybody.

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

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29
October

The Basics of Negative Ions , Simplified So You Understand The Concept

Negative Ion Basics

Ions are electrically charged natural particles in the air, formed by the gain or loss of one or more electrons, as cations (positive ions), which are created by electron loss, or as anions (negative ions), which are created by electron gain. Negative Ions can be generated by lightning, ocean surf and waterfalls, or even by rubbing two different materials against each other due to the fact that some materials tend to gain electrons from things they come in contact with. Negative ions are abundant in mountains and forests, since all plants give off some ions.

Health benefits of negative ions:

  • Life-giving oxygen molecules are negatively ionized
  • People surrounded by negative ions show a pattern of brainwaves that suggest increased alertness and relaxation
  • Negative Ions relax persons in severe pain.
  • Negative ions could destroy and extract from the air certain types of bacteria that cause cold, influenza, and respiratory infections
  • High concentration of negative ions make air refreshing to breath in. (Such high concentration can be found in the mountains, near waterfalls and seashores.)
Believe it or not, negative ions are the best most positive ions and the reverse is true for positive ions.  Work at increasing your exposure to negative ions whether being outside more and wearing products that contribute to adding negative ions to your environment.
 

4 comments

7
October

Negative Ions Are so Positive It’s Confusing.

There’s something in the air and while it may not be love, some say it’s the next best thing — negative ions.

Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

And these are a few of the reasons we see negative-ion generators being sold in stores and all over the Internet, but do they really work as well as antidepressants? Can they also relieve allergies by filtering out dust mites and dander?

It’s too early to tell for sure, experts tell WebMD, but that’s not to say there is not some sound science behind the concept.

Science 101

Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions — Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

“The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods,” says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. “The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on,” he says.

Vitamins of the Air?

Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.

“You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window,” Howard tells WebMD. “Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove.”

In fact, every home has a built in natural ionizer — the shower.

So there is something to the whole concept of negative ions.  BeBalanced has concentrated negative ions in their newest BeBalance Energy bracelet.  The concept is expanding.  Just watching a recent golf tournament where Paul  Azinger is involved in WearEnergy Golf shirts which use the concept of negative ions in their golf shirts.  So take advantage of all these products because they all will have positive impact on your energy level, balance and power.

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5
October

Balance Bracelets and Athletes Review- Better Performance?


ESPN The Magazine

Roll your eyes. Go ahead. Get it out of your system. Because when we tell you pro athletes such as Ryan Howard, Paul Pierce and David Ortiz believe, much as Wonder Woman did, that a bracelet gives them superpowers, you’re going to think they’ve lost their minds. Or joined a cult. Or been paid off. Truth is, many pros are convinced that a colorful silicone bracelet just makes them better. They feel they maximize energy,  improve balance and relieve stress!

Illustration by Justin Wood

So yeah, roll your eyes. Then brace yourself for something even more bizarre: The jocks who believe in the potency of performance jewelry may be onto something.

That’s not to say the products work for the reasons their makers say. It’s hard to find a scientist who can make sense of the claim that the electrical frequencies emitted by a mylar hologram disk in each bracelet “resonate with and respond to the body’s natural energy field,” maximizing balance, strength and flexibility. But if there’s one point that new age devotees and wonks in lab coats agree on, it’s this: Never underestimate the power of belief. When an athlete believes in a bracelet’s magic, the brain can enable the body to do thrilling things. Science calls it the placebo effect. You’ll call it amazing.  Who can make complete sense of the negative ion principle or who in fact can make sense of the power of magnetic bracelets.  The thing is if you believe they work.

SINCE THE BEGINNING of sport, athletes have looked outside themselves for an edge. In ancient Greece, Olympians sacrificed oxen to satisfy the gods. Roman gladiators entered the arena with their dominant foot first. Yogi Berra used the same Yankee Stadium shower during any winning streak. Michael Jordan wore UNC shorts under his Bulls uniform in every game for 13 years. And before Wade Boggs stepped to the plate, which he did more than 10,000 times in his 18-year career, he carved the Hebrew letters for the word chai (“life”) into the dirt with his foot. And Boggs isn’t Jewish.

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Such rituals and superstitions may seem silly, but our belief in their power has been seared into us through evolution. “We are hardwired to look for patterns and causes for events,” says Tor Wager, a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado who specializes in neuroscience. Seeing patterns and causal connections is what helped our hunter-gatherer forebears survive.Weeds moving. Must be lion. Run! (Folks who guessed wind more often than lion were more likely to get eaten.)

Of course, life is full of randomness: droughts, disease, bloop base hits. But to pattern-seeking brains, this is jarring. Everything must have a cause, we tend to think, and when that cause isn’t obvious, we often ascribe agency to God, totems, charms, whatever symbol is handy. Lion didn’t see me. Must be lucky spear.

And so it is that Tim Lincecum has worn the same hat — without washing it — since his debut in 2007; that Penguins center Sidney Crosby doesn’t call his mother on game day, because the three times he has he’s gotten hurt; that Rockies slugger Jason Giambi wears a gold thong to lift him from hitting slumps. In a profession subject to so many strange breaks and fluky bounces, it’s hats, phone calls and thongs that become the explanation for the unexplainable. These beliefs can calm and improve focus. A recent study, for example, found that volunteers who had lucky charms with them — from stuffed animals to photographs — were more confident and performed better on a memory game than those who did not.

Thing is, for a symbol to convey power, its user must believe in it absolutely. Doubt ruins the deal. Which brings us back to the brainchild of Troy and Josh Rodarmel. The brothers, both former college athletes, grew up in Mission Viejo, Calif., with parents who believed in nontraditional, holistic healing practices like acupuncture. Their father, John, also worked for a firm that sold pricey minerals and gems, such as tourmaline, that have been used in Eastern medicine for aeons because the frequencies they emit supposedly boost a person’s life force, or chi. As the brothers explain it, in 2006 they found a way — after much experimenting — to burn these frequencies, through a computer program, onto a mylar hologram that could be placed on a lightweight wristband. “We didn’t discover this technology,” Josh says. “We just wanted to know if we could produce a similar product affordably to help athletes perform their best.”

Once they created a workable prototype, in 2007, the brothers began handing out the bracelets to athletes. They started with Josh’s former high school teammate, Mark Sanchez, QB at USC at the time, as well as Josh’s Yale football teammates and Troy’s SoCal surf buddies. “The initial feedback was amazing,” Josh says. “The benefits were different for everyone, but they always had to do with an increase in performance.” Now the $30 bracelets are everywhere, from the NBA Finals to the Super Bowl, in gyms and on playgrounds. In 2009, one company alone  sold more than 2.5 million bracelets in 30 countries, dwarfing sales of the $25 to $85 Phiten necklaces (760,000) and the $40 to $1,200 Q-Link pendants (40,000).

But more than the backstory or sales figures, the best marketing tool for balance bracelets whether BeBalanced or others  is The Test. Borrowed from applied kinesiology, The Test is a three-step exam of a person’s balance, strength and flexibility. First, a subject is asked to stand on one leg with his or her arms held firmly out to the sides. The tester then pushes down on the arm that’s on the same side as the raised leg (i.e., right leg, right arm) until the subject loses balance and falls to the side. The subject then puts on the bracelet and repeats the test. Next, as the subject holds his arms by his sides, the tester tugs down on one of the subject’s cupped hands, again trying to force him off balance, first without the bracelet, then with it. Finally, the subject extends one arm in front of his face and twists at the waist to rotate his body as far as possible. Then, with the bracelet, the subject rotates once more.

A wearer of the bracelet shows improvement in how long he can stay balanced in the first two tests and how far he can stretch in the third test — at least if you believe all the online video demos. “I can’t tell you how the test works,” says Broncos rookie Tim Tebow, who started wearing a balance bracelet shortly before the 2010 NFL combine, where he tied the record for vertical jump by a quarterback. “But when I took the tests, I was like, Wow, that’s crazy. They work.”

Or maybe not. Maybe the subjects are just demonstrating the improvement that comes with doing anything a second time. Maybe the testers wittingly or unwittingly apply pressure in subtly different ways to produce better results (push a subject’s arm slightly away from him, and he’ll fall; push slightly toward him, and he’ll stabilize). Maybe it’s the power of suggestion at work. And maybe the whole thing — from the mylar holograms to The Test — is a huge crock.

Then again, maybe it doesn’t matter. What does is that the company’s story is convincing to athletes. This allows the bracelet to work in a way science can validate — through the placebo effect. “It is unlikely these products can do anything to an athlete’s muscles or have a significant effect on their ability to react to commands coming to the brain,” says Reza Shadmehr, professor of biomedical engineering and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. “But they could affect commands coming from the brain.”

This is the placebo effect in action. Doctors have long noticed that certain patients can be helped by giving them inert treatments — a sugar pill, say — they are told are potent. Placebos, in fact, have proved effective in treating everything from depression to sexual dysfunction. And while researchers have only recently begun to study their application in sports, early findings are phenomenal. In one study, 43 cyclists were told they were testing the effectiveness of a new carbohydrate supplement. The cyclists who performed best were those who believed they’d ingested the carbs, not those who actually did.

Christian Peterson/NBAE/Getty ImagesLamar Odom is one of many athletes who are balance bracelet believers.

Here’s the psychology behind the physiology: When a person thinks he’s being treated for a condition, a response is triggered in the brain corresponding to that belief, and it often produces measurable results. For example, if a person thinks he’s taking a painkiller, this activates the release of soothing endorphins and dopamine — and this happens even if the pill is made from sugar. Such a placebo also decreases activity in pain-sensitive regions of the brain and increases activity in the parts that regulate emotion (pain is “felt,” after all) and expectations (anticipating relief is itself a relief). Finally, the placebo reduces activity in the spinal cord pathway that processes pain.

All in all, a powerful set of reactions begins with nothing more than a thought. Conditioning can boost a placebo’s effects even further. One study showed that if an athlete is given morphine to increase pain tolerance in the days leading up to competition but a placebo on the day of the event, the athlete receives the same benefit from that placebo as he would have from the real drug.

To learn whether balance bracelets  can induce a placebo effect, we conducted an experiment of our own (see page 120), which offered some confirmation that it does. Of course, our “lab work” wouldn’t pass muster with The New England Journal of Medicine, so a more legit study is needed to prove the effect. But Wager, the psych professor, says that if a person believes she is stronger or more flexible when wearing the balance bracelet, her brain chemistry will be altered as a result of those thoughts, leading to less stress and more focus and allowing her to try harder. “It is possible,” Wager says, “that believing in something can change the assessment by the brain of what is possible. If you think something is possible, you can exert more effort toward doing it, pay more attention and be less anxious. If you believe you are stronger when you wear this bracelet, then you are.”

Still, there’s a flip side to any placebo, whether sugar pill or frequency-emitting bracelet. Once you reveal the illusion, the magic vanishes. In fact, just by having read this story, there’s a chance you’ve made yourself immune to any balance bracelet effect

Which doesn’t mean athletes will ever stop believing. One recent study suggests that people with a higher dopamine profile — like athletes — have a greater response to placebos. Which isn’t hard to believe. Consider: During the first round of last season’s NHL playoffs, Flyers strength and conditioning coach Jim McCrossin bought balance bracelets for the entire team. By the end of the postseason, 15 players were still wearing them. “It was split,” McCrossin says. “Of the 15 guys, half thought the bracelet made them feel more balanced and tougher on the ice. But the other seven or eight said they didn’t feel a difference. They didn’t think they worked.”

So why didn’t those guys take them off?

“Because,” he says, “what if?”

That, in a nutshell, sums up the power of belief. It also suggests its downside: When an athlete assigns his success to something outside himself, he may just lose faith in his own ability. “I think superstitions hold you back,” says motocross icon Travis Pastrana. “All you need is hard work and to be more prepared than everyone else to be your best.”

The truly enlightened athlete, Pastrana suggests, learns to employ the power of belief without ritual, superstition or magic jewelry. Put your faith in a bracelet, and you’re in trouble if it breaks. Put your faith in yourself, and no one can take it away.

 

There must be something to all this.  What do you have to lose!!  The bracelet is inexpensive.  Try it, it may work for you and it may not.  That’s for you to decide.  When you do check out the bracelets from BeBalanced Energy.  Here’s the link to the site.  

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

Many people buy several colours and change colours depending on their outfits or moods.  Many people wear them to bed or 24/7 and others only wear these bracelets when participating in sports.  Some schools and amateur hockey teams are performing almost science experiments on the effects of the bracelets.  The technology was really developed in Eastern  countries such as China and Japan.  They are trues believers!!

One product that people really seem to love is the combination watch and balance bracelet.  The ion/hologram effect is included in the bracelet and its a watch which makes it practical. Many people love them when partcipating in sports or working out.  

 

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

 

 

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27
September

BeBalanced Bracelets Include Holograms, Here’s a Review of The Benefits

Hologram  technology, as in BeBalanced Bracelets,  is based on the reality of frequencies. Albert Einstein said that everything in life is vibrations. BeBalanced holograms are in effect, is their  own frequency — just like a radio station is a frequency. The use of frequencies has been around for ages: from ancient metals to modern EKG’s. The guys who made BeBalanced and other bracelet manufactures learned how to transfer this particular frequency onto a medium — this hologram — to make it possible for everyone to benefit from it. When you put BeBalanced bracelet  next to your body, it resonates with the frequency in your body — similar to how you tune a guitar with a tuning fork. So it helps you tune your body to that particular “pitch” and the energy in your body — or the Chi as they say in Chinese — is at an optimal level; increasing balance, concentration, flexibility, blood flow… BeBalanced Energy bracelets help your body work to its maximum potential.  They vary from individual to individual. 

Frequencies are used in MRI’s in hospitals, they use frequencies to cure tumors. Everything has its own frequencies — from an earthquake to this spoon — everything is resonating. It sounds weird and wonderful, but it’s a fact and it’s the basis of this whole universe that everything has its own frequency

A triangle formation is best. Like, one over your heart and one on each wrist. A Harvard professor did some testing and found that’s what works best. You could have one on one hand or a million on one hand and it wouldn’t make a difference — but if you spread them around, it increases its effect. Also, we could put one card on the table and 20 of us could put our finger on it and it would work the same. It’s not like we’re sucking something out of it. It’s simply tuning what’s in us already. It’s not emitting anything magnetic or electrical, you’re not putting anything into your body. It’s like if you had a tuning fork in a room, everyone could tune their guitar to that pitch.  Many people wear a necklace and a balance bracelet on each wrist.  I personally think just the necklace and bracelet is sufficient.

Sanuk Sandals has inserted them into sandals. A brand called Levity in California is using them. A sailing company called Gastro puts them in all their jackets, because it completely stops seasickness and motion sickness. The US military has been looking into it. NASCAR drivers are using it. Outside of physical sports, where balance, flexibility and strength are affected, they’re also finding it helps with focus and concentration. So race car drivers, golfers…guys like that are really getting into it. There’s been talk with surf brands like Billabong and Rip Curl, but nothing solid yet. The testing some of these companies want to do before they use them is pretty extensive. Like, surf companies want someone to swim with white sharks wearing them, just to make sure it doesn’t attract them.

Does a hologram wear out over time?

As long as the hologram is intact, it won’t wear out. This one could sit here for {{{100}}} years and the frequency would still be intact. As long that hologram isn’t ripped or damaged — which isn’t gonna happen with water, heat, washing, ironing — it’ll last you for life. There’s stickers, credit cards, wristbands, necklaces, we’re about to do a range of jewelry. But there’s so much potential: Silicone inner soles are being made in Japan, deck grips are being made over here in Indo, someone’s talking about making leashes. It’s endless really. The only thing is, it needs to be within a few inches to start working. When it comes into contact with your biofield, which is about 2-3 inches from your body, then it resonates the frequency and starts working.

Again, I say be a believer.  Try it out and see how you feel.  Do you really have anything to lose?  Why do so many atheletes wear them and I mean professional and amateur alike.  It’s not for the money.  Many of them are afraid not to wear them.

BeBalanced Products say the main ingredient to their products other than silicon are the negative ions added to the materials.  The holograms are an added benefit.  You have to be a believer for any of this speciasl technology to work. If you aren’t, it won’t. Simple as that.

BeBalanced is one of the few manufacturers that combine the ion technology and the hologram technology in their products.  Two for the price of one.  They don’t charge anymore for their bracelets and necklaces.  BeBalanced will be the dominate brand in the energy balance field with this phenomenal technology.  Join them and so many others.

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

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27
September

Benefits Of BeBalanced Wristbands, Negative Ions and Holograms Combined

What are the benefits of my BeBalanced wristband?
Some of the benefits people find from wearing a BeBalanced wristband include: improved flexibility, a greater range of motion, diminished pain, less emotional tension, and improved awareness. BeBalanced products work to restore the body to its natural state and the positive effects are different for everybody.  For some, there might not even be an impact, but if you believe, it probably will.

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

Can I get my wristband wet?


Yes. Our technology works in water and the products can be hand washed and air dried. Do not machine wash or tumble dry.

Can I wear it when I go to bed?
Yes. In fact many people have told us they experience a deeper and more sound sleep while wearing it at night.

Can I wear it 24 hours a day?
Yes, but every person is different. Some people prefer to wear their wristbands 24 hours a day while others wear it only while participating in daily activities.

Does my wristband need to touch my skin?
No, it does not need to touch the skin; however, it does need to be within contact of the body’s natural energy field. Generally this ranges from one to three inches from the skin. However this will vary from person to person.

Tourmaline, germanium and other mineral gemstones have been recognised for thousands of years as possessing metaphysical benefits. These benefits are significantly enhanced when the size of the crystals are reduced – thus increasing the surface area of the crystals. The increase in the surface area of such gemstones as Tourmaline – results in a higher stream of beneficial negative ions being produced.

BeBalanced bracelets and necklaces are specially manufactured using soft silicone embedded with thousands of these tiny negative ion producing tourmaline and germanium crystals. When these crystals are combined with a unique combination of other natural minerals, the negative ions produced is significantly increased and in turn – can enhance the health benefits one can obtain from wearing a BeBalanced necklace or bracelet

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

There’s mounting evidence on negative ions’ mood-boosting power.

  • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sometimes called winter depression, has been remedied by negative ion treatment.
  • Normal children (in one experiment, Year 4s) showed boosted memories
  • Patients with sleeping problems, (broken sleep, late wakening) were helped
  • In a carefully controlled experiment with approved methods of measuring mood levels, researchers reported ‘reductions in irritability, depression, tenseness, and improved calmness and stimulation’ after negative ion exposure
  • Reaction times are improved
  • Psychomotor performance is boosted
So try out one of these bracelets!  What do you have to lose.  They are priced under $ 40 and consider the possible benefits you can derive.  Be a believer!!  That’s so important in anything you do in life.    If you’re a believer, the benefits could compound!!!

http://www.BeBalancedProducts.com

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