I can guess the color of your baby’s eyes without even looking at them. Their eyes are baby blue.

You inherit the color of your eyes from your parents. Melanin is a protein that produces the brown pigmentation for your hair, skin and eyes. This coloring protein has not been fully deposited into the baby’s eyes at birth and may take a while for it to fully develop.

As the melatonin increases with age and exposure to sunlight occurs, the color of their eyes will change. The more melanin the darker the eye color. So people with dark brown eyes have a lot of melanin in the iris and those with blue or green eyes will have less.

Your baby’s eye color can change several times. The most significant changes occur between the ages of six (6) months and nine (9) months. Your baby’s eye color will most likely become permanent by their first birthday. So enjoy those baby blues while you can.

Giving blood can save up to 4 lifes. Most of the time we think of blood being used or needed for emergencies, but it is also used for people with cancer, heart disease and sickle cell anemia. One person can donate one pint of blood which could be used to save up to 4 people. Anybody over the age of 17 and who weighs at least 110 pounds has the ability to give blood. Giving blood is easy and can give you a great feeling knowing you have potentially helped save several lives.

Before donating blood it is suggested you do the following:

• Drink plenty of water and/or juices
• Eat a good breakfast or lunch
• Avoid eating exceptionally fat foods beforehand
• Wear comfortable clothes for easy access to veins

Not only are you doing a good thing for others, you are also creating a few benefits for yourself. If your blood has a high viscosity, or resistance to flow, repeated blood donations may help the blood flow in a way that’s less damaging to the lining of the blood vessels and could result in fewer arterial blockages

Also, you’ll receive a free mini check-up. Before you give blood, you’ll first have to complete a quick physical that measures your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin levels. After your blood is collected, it’s sent off to a lab where it will undergo 13 different tests for infectious diseases, like HIV and West Nile virus. If anything comes back positive, you’ll be notified immediately.
So give the free gift of life which may help save a life of someone’s loved one, give blood.

Choosing the right public restroom stall can have an impact on your health. Several studies have shown that each stall has different levels of contamination. Selecting the correct stall can make a difference.

The center stalls seem to be the worst. These stalls have more exposure to the floating droplets of water that are expelled during the flushing process. These droplets can carry germs, urine and feces which land on the toilet seat and handle.

Most people want some type of privacy and will bypass the first stall and select one that is further from the door. This means the end stalls receive more activity and create more opportunities for contamination. Now you can’t catch an STD from a toilet seat, but you can become ill by touching contaminated surfaces and then neglecting to wash your hands.

The best stall to choose is the one that is closest to the door or the first stall as you enter the restroom. This stall is usually used less and doesn’t receive as many of the floating contaminates. Another benefit, because of their frequency of use, is they usually have more available toilet paper.

In any event, always practice safe hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water after using the restroom. Use a paper towel when opening the restroom door, an when you’re finished, stand before you flush. When toilets are flushed, a fine mist of water containing contagious bacteria can spray upwards.

Echinacea is one of the best-selling herbal products in the U.S. Many people believe that Echinacea can help boost the immune system and reduce the length and severity of colds. In a recent health study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, showed no significant reduction in the length or the severity of cold ailments with the use of Echinacea.

This study consisted with over 700 patient between the ages of 12 and 80. This blind study had individuals taking Echinacea, a placebo or no pills at all. In the end patients taking Echinacea did report a slight improvement of about 1/2 day in the duration of the symptoms. They also reported a slight reduction in the severity of the cold symptoms.

The researchers found that these slight patient improvements did not achieve enough of a statistical difference to prove the claim that Echinacea helped in the reduction or severity of a cold.

Although the benefits of Echinacea for the common cold are in doubt, the risks seem to be low and a small increase in white blood cell production has been documented. But there are some mild side effects to consider. The most common side effect is upset stomach. Some people have allergic reactions to Echinacea.

This can cause:
• Rashes
• Worsening asthma (if you have asthma)
• Anaphylaxis (a life-threatening emergency that can cause difficulty breathing)

If you or your loved one starts to experience any of these side effects, consult your physician . If loss of consciousness or difficulty in breathing occurs, call 911immediately.

Hard to believe that a college basketball tournament can have an effect on your sexual health. But recent studies have shown that scheduled vasectomies increased 3-fold during the month of March. Especially during the weeks of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament known as “March Madness”.

Many men have found out that the first week of the NCAA Basketball Tournament is a great time to schedule an outpatient vasectomy procedure. Post-operative care of a vasectomy, is at least 3 to 4 days of non-stress related work or movement. Time scheduled off work and a reprieve from the honey due lists, makes this a perfect time to sit in front of the TV and watch a sporting event.

Several urologist have even taken to offering discounts, free pizzas and a bag of frozen peas to reduce swelling, starting before the first round of games. If you’re contemplating a vasectomy, you may want to begin calling early to reserve your spot before the NCAA tournament starts in mid-March.

MATTHEW PHILLIPS – SR DIRECTOR OF SALES,
SOUTHEASTERN US/ LATAM / Federal

I am fired-up to announce that Matthew Phillips has been promoted to Sr. Director of Sales for the Southeastern United States & Latin America for XtremIO, effective immediately.

Matt has a Master’s Degree in kicking the crap out of Pure Storage and demonstrated an intense level of operational command over his business, achieving the #1 Global leadership position across nearly all metrics in 2014. Prior to EMC, Matt had racked up over a decade of top performances in both the start-up world, and integration space in the Silicon Valley.

A core favorite, he’s won the hearts and minds – as well as the respect of his peers through unparalleled passion, and tactical execution. We look forward to him spreading that love across the Southeast in 2015 as he and his team go to market. When he’s not engaging EMC’s enemies, Matt can be found at home in the Carolinas with his wife Melanie, and newborn son Cooper.

Michael J. Wing
Global Vice President