While the World Cup this year may end up being the most watched event in the history of television (estimates say 800 million people are watching), I have found the tournament so far disappointing. What happened to all the goals? Here are some theories.

First off, I have to say I am a little disappointed with the action. The goal scoring is way down. Most of these games have either ended 1-0 or 1-1. As of today, only two teams have scored 3 goals in a game and as of this morning, no player had scored more than one goal. Here are some theories.

The ball. This year's world cup has introduced a different soccer ball, which might possibly explain why goals haven't been going in. I doubt it though, as shots on goal are way down as well.

Another possible cause of the lack of goals is teams are just playing better defense. There have been less shots on goal, so its possible.

I don't know if it's an American thing, but every soccer fan I have spoken to cannot stand the noise makers. If we as viewers are constantly distracted by the sound, how can the players not be? Plus, I don't see how it benefits either team, it's a pretty constant noise flow.

Since this is the first World Cup tournament hosted in Africa, it is possible that many of the teams are simply not used to the change in weather and altitude.

There have been a few shining moments in the tournament so far, however. The United States and South Africa both showed up in their first games, tying the favorites England and Mexico, respectively.

Unfortunately for South Africa, it looks like they will not make it out of the first round. The host country played brilliantly against Mexico the other day, resulting in a 1-1 tie. But today they lost to Uruguay in a crushing 3-0 loss.

Read more of this writer's work on items including the left handed ergonomic keyboard and pda bluetooth keyboard.

Posted under depression

The consequences of not exercising after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis include elevated levels of stress, higher blood pressure and bad cholesterol.

Heart disease is a big killer these days, and diabetics are more at risk than those who do not have the disease, making exercise a top priority for the diabetic patient.

Some people worry about the word "exercise", particularly as many are overwieght, and the thought of going to a gym horrifes them. Simply walking a set distance every day can make a vast difference.

I bought a local large scale ordnance survey map and planned a route that measured 2 miles. I find that I can walk this is about 45 minutes and I generally do it before work in the morning. My wife takes a train every morning to work which again is a 2 mile round trip.

I have been doing this for about 2 months now, and have found my weight reduced and my stress levels are way down.

If you are an animal lover, now may be the time to get that dog you always wanted. Be careful though, they are a 10-20 year commitment, but if you do get one, you have no choice but to walk, so you no longer have to rely on willpower alone!

However, you do have to be careful if you suffer from certain diabetic conditions:

Diabetic Eye Conditions

You need to be careful here, and there are some forms of exercise that should be avoided. For example, any exercise that increases blood pressure, jerks the head or increases the air pressure (diving for example) should not be undertaken, or any exercise that requires your eyes to be below your heart, toe touching for example.

Disease of the Kidneys.

You need to be careful with kidney disease, or neuropathy as it is called. An increase in blood pressure, particularly when doing hard exercise for long periods, should not be allowed.

Clogging of the Arteries, or PAD.

PAD can show itself very quickly in diabetics, although it is not exclusive to diabetic sufferers. However, diabetics are far more likely to develop the disease. It's symptoms are a pain in the legs when walking.

The result is pain in the legs after walking a certain distance. The way to exercise with this condition is to walk a distance just short of the distance at which pain begins and rest. Then having rested walk the same distance again, and then rest again. Keep repeating this process.

The good thing is, that as you continue to exercise like this, blood vessels will be encouraged to grow in your legs, reducing the pain.

Toby was found to be a type 2 diabetic over 2 years ago. He is determined to stay active, and help others with his own experiences of the disease. He also has many interests, visit his latest website about ryobi 18v battery at http://www.ryobi 18v battery.net

Posted under blood pressure

If you are a gout sufferer, it is paramount to resolve theunderlying reason of your outbreak. If you know what causes gout then this helpful information may enable you to control and avoid future outbreaks.

So, the million dollar question - what causes gout? Gout is the outcome of a build up of uric acid in your bloodstream. When the uric acid reaches a stage where enough of it cannot be excreted (normally) in urine, it forms microscopic crystals of urate which lodge in the joints affected by gout. These needle shaped crystals being alien to the body speedily spark an immune reaction resulting in the associated intense pain and inflammation.

Uric acid is by and large a harmless by-product formed when the body metabolises foodstuffs containing purines. Purines are found both naturally in the body as well as in some foods and in alcohol. Purines are converted to uric acid as they are metabolised.

In a well human two thirds of uric acid is created by the kidneys the rest being produced by your digestive process. Usually the uric acid dissolves in their blood and passes out of the body via the kidneys as urine. Produce too much or excrete too little uric acid and the build up may cause microscopic crystals to develop resulting in the gout spate.

There are various factors which may bump up the amount of uric acid in your blood. These fall into one of two categories:

Lifestyle factors such as gender, diet, job, exercise levels and mental situation.

Men are on average up to four times more liable to develop gout than a female. This is somewhat due to uric acid levels increasing during puberty which then stay increased when in comparison to a female. Diet is also possibly the biggest single factor. As we have already mentioned, diet high in purines can spark gout. High purine foods include offal and organ meat, beef, lamb, seafood and a lot of alcoholic liquids. Red wine in the past has incorrectly been labelled with a poor reputation with gout sufferers, beers however are demonstrably worse than most other alcoholic beverages

Medical conditions which are known to increase levels of uric acid, such as high blood pressure and poor kidney function.

Some medicines can spike your uric acid levels, and therefore intensify the risk of developing gout. Treatments such as low-dose aspirin, some diuretics, niacin, chemotherapy have associations to gout, while some antacids such as allapurinol can actually make gout worse before improving things.

There are also a lesser number of medical conditions which have the same affect. Some of these are common and include conditions such as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, reduced kidney function, hyperlipidaemia and vascular disease.

It can be tricky to verify the exact causes of gout as the symptoms can be many and varied. One thing however is glaringly evident; avoiding foods high in purines, keeping well hydrated and moderate amounts of exercising can reduce the chances of a gout attack.

Simon Cliffe has been an web writer for over 10 years writing on a number of subjects. He has been affected by gout since his mid to late 20's and has spent time researching if gout can be prevented or be cured. His detailed website discusses gout causes and remedies. If you want to discover how to Cure Your Gout be sure to visit the site and learn What Causes Gout

Posted under arthritis