Health & Fitness

Control Cholesterol Naturally

2009-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Blood Cholesterol is produced by our body for several purposes.In some people it is produced more than is required by our body,especially when the diet contains saturated fats. Saturated fats in the diet force the body to make too much cholesterol. The cholesterolmay become high when our diet is rich in saturated fats that are found only in animal products. Plant foods do not contain any cholesterol, but the animal foods are loaded with cholesterol and fats. Most of the fast foods are very rich in fats, monounsaturated fats. If youeat lot of meats and fast foods, then the chances are that you have high cholesterol. You should get your blood cholesterol checked. Remember that without your blood cholesterol report, you can not know if you have high cholesterol.
Blood cholesterol can be both good and bad. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol & HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol is knownas "bad cholesterol" because it gets deposited on the walls of thearteries as plaque, and restricting the flow of the blood. The HDL cholesterol, known as the "good cholesterol" helps remove the plaquefrom the arteries. Both the types of cholesterol are produced by ourbody for certain functions and are always present in our blood. The problem arises when the cholesterol is produced more than is required by our body. The following are the desirable levels of cholesterol in adults:
Total Cholesterol: below 200 mg/dlLDL cholesterol: less than 130 mg/dLHDL cholesterol: more than 35mg/dL
HDL cholesterol of less than 35mg/dL is a risk factor for heart disease, even if your total cholesterol is within limits. Both LDL and HDL cholesterol can be improved with regular exercise and eating low fat cholesterol friendly foods.
To take better care of your heart and reducing your risk for heart attack, you must understand the complete facts about cholesterol and howto control cholesterol.
Note that you do not always need to take medication to lower cholesterol. There are several natural heart friendly foods that are good for controlling cholesterol without any medication. Good eating habits and some exercise can control your cholesterol and triglycerides naturally.
You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines orelectronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyrightinfo.
Copyright 2004 P. Mehta http://www.fatfreekitchen.com

Hemorrhoid Creams Give Relief

2009-10-19T03:21:00.001-07:00

Hemorrhoids are something that no one ever wants to deal with, and they especially don't want to talk about them. Hemorrhoids are becoming a prevalent health concern in today's society. This condition is becoming more common due to the modern life that many people are living today. Not exercising or eating enough fiber make it difficult for the colon to work properly, and hemorrhoids can be an effect of that unhealthy life. If they're treated in the beginning, they will not cause too much damage, but if left untreated they can cause more problems and pain later on.
Hemorrhoids are varicose veins that are caused by pressure being put on the blood vessels around the anus. These cause pain, itching, bleeding and swelling during bowel movements and sometimes while doing other things also. There are two different types of hemorrhoids, internal and external hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids are found inside the anus while external hemorrhoids are found at the opening of the anus and can hang out. There are many reasons why hemorrhoids develop. The most common reasons are constipation, being overweight, poor diet, not exercising enough, manual labor, and pregnancy. Depending on the severity of the hemorrhoids, there are several ways to treat hemorrhoids. The ways to treat hemorrhoids range from hemorrhoid creams all the way to surgery. The treatment that most people, whether suffering or not, are familiar with are hemorrhoid creams, like the over-the-counter product Preparation H.
Hemorrhoid creams are just topical treatments that help relieve the symptoms, but they don't eliminate them completely. The main ingredients found in these creams are petroleum jelly, glycerin, cocoa butter, benzocaine, pramoxine, benzyl alcohol, dibucaine, and dyclonine. The creams are really just to provide temporary relief, but some can provide a more permanent solution. The strained blood vessels are calmed down by rubbing the hemorrhoid cream around the outer rectal area. Not only does this soothe those vessels, but it relaxes the tissue so flare ups aren't as common. You can find creams in your drugstore or online.
While some people don't understand the prevalence of hemorrhoids or what they are, everyone knows they don't want to deal with them. There are ways to prevent hemorrhoids from even occurring by eating better (especially fiber) and by exercising regularly, but some things can't be helped like the kind of job you have or if you're pregnant. Fortunately, there are products like hemorrhoid creams on the market to help soothe the discomfort.

Osteoarthritis of the Knee - Does Osteoporosis Play a Role?

2009-04-03T04:54:00.000-07:00

First, lets distinguish between the two.
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease that results in decreased bone density and an alteration in the bony architecture. It does not directly cause pain. A more simple definition would be " a bone disorder that results in decreased bone strength and an increased risk of fracture."
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the loss of articular cartilage and results in pain, stiffness and decreased mobility.
Because both are common in the older age group, the two often get confused. Many times I have heard people blame their pain on osteoporosis when this is not the case.
The concerns with osteoporosis are the increased risk of future fracture, with osteoarthritis, it's pain, deformity, and loss of mobility.
There are of course many people unfortunate enough to have both of these common disease processes active at the one time. However, different diseases take different approaches to address them.
Osteoporosis needs to be treated with dietary changes, calcium and vitamin D supplements, and medication such as bisphosphonates - talk to your doctor about these.
Osteoarthritis needs to be addressed via a program of weight loss, exercise, analgesia and if required,surgery.
It is common sense to target both conditions simultaneously if required. As a general rule, osteoporosis treatment does not get in the way of arthritis treatments. Many good hospitals now include an osteoporosis risk profile questionnaire as part of their treatment of osteoarthritis.
Many people do not realize they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture - it creeps up silently.
Osteoarthritis is anything but silent with a gradual increase in symptoms,the primary one being pain.
These two separate diseases of the bone don't directly affect each other but commonly occur in tandem. A knowledge of both would be beneficial for the majority of patients.
Remember that osteoarthritis is 'wear and tear' of the joints. If you are looking for a miracle cure you will be disappointed. Anyone claiming to cure arthritis with a tablet, herb or gel is preying on those in chronic pain. What you need is the information to make the correct decisions. Some decisions stay with you for life!

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5 Stretching Exercises to Grow Taller

2009-03-28T01:17:00.000-07:00

1. The Hang With this you can easily gain 1-1.5 inches and its the simplest of them all to do. You simply need to hang your body down from a height. Whether you hold onto a pull up bar, goal posts, a tree, bus shelter - anything at all. You just need to hang for a few minutes at a time. This gives the discs in your spine time to decompress. It's also great for re-aligning a bad posture as your body is being stretched into its natural shape. This is using gravity to get taller rather than letting it make you shorter.
2. Indian Push Up This goes by many names including the Hindu push up and yoga push up. As you can probably guess it comes from an Indian yogic movement where you push your self in an arc so rather than going straight up and down you go from back to front too.
3. Twist The objective with this exercise is to twist the spine and this is a movement people will often find quite difficult initially as the spine has grown very inflexible with time. The lower spine especially suffers from compression due to our seated position most of the time. Stand in a doorway facing the frame of the door. Plant your feet firmly into the ground and using the frame as a leaver push your body around as much as it will go. Its important to push your head too and stretch your entire spine from bottom to top. Do this in both directions to ensure balance.
4. Shoulder Lift Lying on your front with your face in the floor (don't twist your neck to the side!). You'll feel your shoulders and arms pull the the floor due to gravity. If you lift your shoulders and arms entirely off the floor for a count of 10 then let them fall. Repeat this movement 5 times every morning and evening you'll gain an inch after 3-4 weeks. This works by working a muscle that is often very weak in the majority of people. The muscle in the centre of the spine becomes slack due to sitting at office desks all day and hunching over things. When it gets weak it lets your body sag and you lose height.
5. Sleep The final exercise is a bit of a cheat as there's far more the getting tall through exercises than just this little selection but I wanted to finish with one of my favourites. Sleep is fantastic at increasing height but you need to get enough of it to truly benefit. You've probably heard that during sleep you get taller as your pine decompresses. It's true but if you don't get enough sleep then your mood and lack of proper spinal recovery will cause you to hunch, ruin your posture, compress your internal organs and crush your chances of getting taller. Getting at least 7 but preferably 8 hours of sleep per night are essential to get that height you want.

The Body Mass Index - Is it Useful Or Useless?

2009-03-17T02:22:00.000-07:00

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool that is used to determine if a person has a healthy weight for their height. To calculate it you take your weight in kilograms and divide that number by your height in meters. You take that figure and then divide that by your height in meters again. This will give you a number and you can use the table below to see how you fair.
BMI
Underweight Below 18.5 Normal 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight 25.0 - 29.9 Obesity 30.0 and Above
Whenever you go to a doctors or health club for an assessment this has a habit of cropping up - so is it really any good?
As with a lot of tools in the health and fitness industry you will have strong advocates who swear by it and you have strong advocates who swear at anyone who uses it.
The truth, as with most things, is somewhere in the middle.
By itself, the BMI is quite limited and needs to be used in conjunction with other assessments to gain a full picture of your health.
The main reason for the limitation is that it doesn't take into account the persons body type by that I mean if someone has a skinny-fat type body it's possible they can have a figure in the healthy range whilst someone who actively works out and is lean could be in the overweight category due to the extra muscle.
From the above two types, which sounds the healthiest to be? skinny-fat but at a healthy weight or lean and muscular but registering slightly over weight
So what else should you use with the BMI to gain a better picture?
1)For a start take your waist measurement - no sucking in either! For men anything over a 40 inch waist circumference is bad - diabetes and heart disease territory. In women it's anything over 35 inches.
2) Take your blood pressure. You can get a home kit quite cheaply or pay a visit to your doctor for a check up. As a guide a reading of 120/80 is normal and consistently reading over 140 / 90 is classed as high blood pressure.
3) Measure your heart rate. Take a stop watch and time yourself for 30 seconds to see how many times your heart beats and multiply that figure by 2. In adults the average is around 70 for males and 75 for females.
4) If you go to a gym, they can administer a body fat test. This will give you a rough indication of the amount of body fat you are carrying in proportion to lean mass. I say roughly because no method is 100% accurate.
By itself, the BMI is one dimensional and doesn't have any real meaning. By incorporating the four tests described in this article in conjunction with the BMI, it will give you a more accurate picture of how you are doing health wise

Liquid For Your Active Body

2009-03-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

It has always been recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day under normal conditions. This helps your body maintain hydrated and keep your body fit and functioning properly. The more activities you are engaged in the more water and fluids your body will need and it would be prudent to drink water even before you get thirsty. Keeping yourself properly hydrated should not be taken lightly since oftentimes, people tend to underestimate the liquids lost in their bodies and end up finding themselves in the hospital.
Here are some hydration tips to take note of:
1. Remember that your daily water intake does not only come from pure water, you also need to consider other liquids such as tea and fruit juices and coffee whose main ingredient is still water.
2. When doing extreme activities and exercise it is not enough to just be drinking water. Other nutrients and electrolytes are also removed from your body and would need replacement. This is why sports drinks have been developed to help replenish these vital electrolytes that are lost by the body. These are situations where you can not just rely on water alone to keep you hydrated and you would need these special drinks to help your body stay in top condition and well hydrated.
3. One good practice you can do is take water before and after sleep for even in sleep your body loses liquid.
4. And when you are subjected to high temperature take cool water since it is easier for the body to absorb cool water than warm water. This does not only keeps you hydrated during the hot season but also helps cool your body.
Myths and misconceptions about Hydration
There are certain beliefs that are now being proven to be totally wrong with regard to keeping our body properly hydrated.
1. A situation like we should only drink when thirsty is a big misconception since we should be drinking water even before we get thirsty. The feeling of thirst already signifies that we have lost vital fluids and electrolytes in out body and the body is calling out for hydration.
2. Often people would not want to drink anything before exercising since it makes them feel heavy. This notion can result in your body being dehydrated. It is recommended that one should drink one to two cups of water at least 30 minutes before engaging in exercise.
3. We should also keep drinking even after we are no longer thirsty. Quenching your thirst does not automatically mean that you have hydrated your body well enough.
Dehydration and Over hydration
Preventing yourself from becoming dehydrated is as important as preventing yourself from over hydration. Most often is the case of dehydration than over hydration and normal people would often suffer more on dehydration. However certain individuals like athletes can suffer from excessive water where the sodium levels in their blood would drop to critical levels causing body harm. This can lead to brain, hearing and muscle damage, with the victims often exhibiting symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and confusion. These symptoms are also similar one who is suffering from dehydration.

Summer Body Tune-Up

2009-03-12T03:30:00.001-07:00

With winter behind us and the summer months ahead it is time to remove the snow tires from your car and shed the pounds off of your body. Just as you would detail your car, you can tone your body to looks it's finest. A well toned body needs proper fuelling and to run smoothly has to be driven regularly. So drive your mind around the following three key factors that will help you and the body that is your vehicle look and feel their absolute best this summer.
Strength Training (Detailing Your Vehicle)
Strength training by lifting weights will cause an increase of lean muscle mass in the body. This increase speeds up the body's metabolic rate allowing it to burn more calories throughout the day, even at sub-maximal work levels and rest. Strength training is also an excellent way to strengthen your bones and help prevent osteoporosis commonly associated with aging. The most efficient and time saving method of strength training is to perform compound exercises which promote the use of multiple joints in a single exercise and are functional to movements used in everyday life. Examples of functional, compound exercises include squats, dead-lift, lunges, bench press and lat pull down. These kinds of exercises will not only tone your body but will also help you maintain a healthy body weight, improve your posture and increase your muscular strength and endurance.
Healthy Eating (Fuelling Your Vehicle)
Whatever you do, it is most important to avoid those fad diets at all costs. Manipulating caloric intake by eliminating essential nutrients such as carbohydrates will result in low energy levels and end up driving you crazy. Not to mention that once you go off your diet you pack back on the pounds twice as fast and in greater numbers than before. The easiest way to deal with weight loss concerns is to cut back on portion sizes. This does not mean skipping out on meals either, which can be far more detrimental to your weight loss goals than anything else. Eat, do it often, but always in moderation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with healthy snacks in between, is ideal. This will keep your metabolism up, helping you burn fat throughout the day. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Drink more water, cut back on processed foods, red meats and fast food. When consuming alcohol, do so in moderation. Never skip out on breakfast but avoid eating within a few hours of going to sleep. Last but not least, learn to read food labels and try and make it common practice. Dieting is only a temporary solution but changing to healthy eating habits once and for all is permanent.
Cardiovascular Exercise (Driving Your Vehicle)
Cardio refers to the heart while Vascular refers to the lungs. Cardiovascular activity can involve any type of exercise or activity that raises a person's heart rate and speeds up their metabolism. Performing regular huffy puffy exercise has a number of proven health effects, especially on the heart. It strengthens the heart as a pump, making it more efficient resulting in a lower resting heart rate. Other benefits include lower blood pressure, increased lung capacity and oxygen intake as well as lower cholesterol. Between popular options like running, cycling, stepping and rowing there are plenty of things to choose from both at the local gym and in the great outdoors for exercise. The key is to find what you enjoy best and make it a regular habit to perform these exercises/activities a minimum of 3 to 5 times a week for roughly 20 to 30 minutes a day. Remember, any type of cardiovascular exercise will improve a person's fitness level and aid in their weight loss goals, just as long as it is done regularly.
Your body is your vehicle and your heart the motor. You need to drive it to keep it running strong. A well detailed body will keep heads spinning as you drive to the beach this summer. Only the best fuel for your vehicle. You wouldn't put cheap gas into your sports car so fuel up on healthy foods to keep your engine burning strong. Hard work this spring means cruise control this summer.

Excessive Hand Sweating

2009-03-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

When we think about how to get free from sweating, we will have to think about different kinds of excessive sweating. Some basic information about the factors that cause such excessive sweating should precede any systematic attempt to control it. As a lot of people frequently inquire how not to sweat, any detailed information about this widely found ailment will come in handy. If you suffer from a sweaty palm, here are some points you will find extremely helpful.
Excessive hand sweating is also called 'palmar hyperhidrosis.' It is in fact the most common form of excessive sweating. It is actually a hypersympathetic activity as it is caused by heightened activity in the sympathetic chain, which is part of the autonomic nervous system located within the chest cavity.
One peculiarity of excessive hand sweating is that the victims start showing the signs at a very young age and the problem gets severer by the time adulthood sets in. There may be a slight consolation in the fact that nearly half of the patients will have a family history of this condition. Though the condition is prevalent throughout the world, there are differences as to the intensity of the problem. Quite often it has a strong psychological or emotional impact on the sufferer.
Effective treatments to stop sweating as far as hand sweating is concerned take into account the fact that this abnormal condition is primarily psychological but aggravated by an emotional stimulus. Treatments for sweating include everything from the application of lotions, pills and herbal medications to electric currents and acupuncture. Mild cases find cure often with Drysol, Drionic, Oral Medications, Maxim, or Botox. As a last resort even surgery is recommended sometimes. The first thing the sufferer is to understand is that it is not incurable, that it can be brought under control if he or she knows how to get free from sweating. Even when it is not completely cured, one will have learned how to limit sweating.

Tips to Transcribe Difficult Terms

2009-03-07T00:20:00.001-08:00

Materials that are full of technical, financial or specialized terminology may be unfamiliar to the transcriptionists. It may be necessary to listen to words, terms, sentences or even a whole section several times in order to transcribe them properly. In such circumstances, it helps enormously if a glossary of keywords can be provided in advance or words can be spelt out while dictating.
If you are working with a new author or in a new area of business, you would be wise to get prior information about vocabulary and difficult words that may crop up. These words may not be specialist terms but may just be terms that are specific to the particular recording to be transcribed. Getting such a glossary avoids you using incorrect words throughout a document. Also, if you have a prior knowledge of a topic and information on the kind of words or names that may come up, you will find it easier to decipher words that on the first hearing you may think are audible.
Knowing how to spell difficult names or words will help not only to make the final version of your document more accurate, but it will make your task more enjoyable. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing a word time and time again and having no way of checking whether you are transcribing it correctly. This is particularly the case with people's names because no dictionary, specialist or otherwise will help you check the accuracy of the spelling.
If you are transcribing the recording of a meeting, you might wish to ask for a glossary, which contains the following- 1. The name of the attendees 2. The name of the project being discussed and related projects 3. Name of other people and organizations who are closely involved in the project 4. Relevant addresses, place names, property names 5. Technical phrases, jargons, abbreviations that may be used during the course of meeting
Create your own glossaries as you work. In addition to requesting a glossary from the authors, you may find it helpful to note down, as you transcribe, any words that you find difficult to hear or spell for your own future reference. In this way, you can create your own on-going glossary that you can refer to and add to any time-in financial, medical or legal terms.

Kettler Exercise Bike - The Best Recumbent Exercise Bike?

2009-03-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

A Kettler exercise bike can be a great way to get yourself back into shape, or to keep the one you've already worked for. Depending on the type of bike, and the program you choose to follow, a great deal of lower body muscle can be built, as well as physical endurance and aerobic exercise. A stationary bike is also a good way to help recover from some forms of muscle stress, but be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
But exercise doesn't stop at traditional cycling designs, either. A recumbent exercise bike uses more comfortable seating, and allows the user to push using more of their lower body. This style of exercise bike is better for building strength in your upper legs and lower abdomen, pushing away from your body in a more lateral way than you would with a regular upright exercise bike. This type of stationary bike is used quite often for physical therapy sessions, but caution should be used for people who are not accustomed to the physical stress of this type of exercise.
One such model, the Kettler TRT307 recumbent exercise bike, combines computer technology with recumbent cycling to give you an exercise program that is guaranteed to provide you with satisfactory results. I like the futuristic design, personally, but there are a lot of great features for this one, including the one-touch program monitor.
For others, the Kettler RX7 recumbent exercise bike has just the features they require. Instead of the vertical pressure used for regular exercise bikes, the recumbent uses more of a horizontal pressure, using a different set of muscles. For many forms of physical training, a recumbent exercise bike makes more sense than a traditional bike, and some forms of training will actually require you to have one.
A Kettler exercise bike has enough features and programs to be important in a home exercise program. The space-saving design means the bike can be stored easily when not in use, but it is still built with the durability required for use in commercial settings, such as a fitness gym.
Now, Kettler exercise bikes are not the cheapest stationary bike. You can expect to spend a little more to get such a blend of technology and performance, but if physical results are what you are looking for, it is more than worth the investment to buy equipment that is both durable and of high quality.

Review of "Why We Buy - The Science of Shopping"

2009-03-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

Paco Underhill published his book "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping" in 1999. Today it remains a modern classic for understanding the psychology of consumer purchasing behavior.
Here is a summary and critique the book's main points:
1. Purchasing behaviors can be studied: Underhill and his team opened the eyes of CEO and retail managers everywhere with their unique approach of meticulously observing people as they shopped. They brought techniques from anthropology and merged them with economics to create a new science.
2. Retailers still have much to learn about why people buy: Most CEOs that Underhill spoke with knew a whole lot about how store revenues but very little about what actually made customer purchase. For example, one CEO he spoke with believed that about 99% of people who visited their stores made purchase. When Underhill revealed that the correct statistic was only 48%, the CEO was needless to say enthralled with the possibilities.
3. Sellers can benefit from understanding buyer behavior: Buyers have a certain way of walking through a store. A specific way of using their hands, looking at signs, taking breaks while shopping. Sellers who understand these behaviors can gain a huge competitive advantage.
4. You can always sell more: Your best customers are your current customers. Find ways to upsell. Entice them to the back of the store. Keep them in the store longer.
5. Women and men shop differently: For example, men tend to go into a store, look at a large shelf of items, pick one, and quickly leave. Meanwhile, women are actually more information-intensive, reading the label for each possibility before making a purchase.
6. People use all five senses to decide on a purchase: The more of the five senses to which a seller can appeal, the better. People want verification with their whole body before buying a product.
7. Shopping on the Internet is different: Okay, this one is a "well, duhhh, Mr. Underhill" today, but remember this book was written in the late 1990s. Underhill does list some truisms about the advantages of shopping on the Internet which are helpful reminders.
Underhill's book certainly opened my eyes to what retailers know and do not know about what makes people buy. My only problem with his book is the writing format. Underhill's writing is actually pretty good, but it lacks periodic summaries of main points to really drive home the reader's understanding.
By reading "Why We Buy," you will get an informative, if sometimes wandering, read through the psychology of buying.

Womens Health Fitness

2009-03-03T04:06:00.001-08:00

Type in a couple of womens health fitness keywords into Google or any one of the many search engines and what do you get? You get some great sites related to womens health fitness and more

There are tons of womens health fitness websites some are little more than advertisements but many others provide a terrific supply of information relating to womens issues. Scientific research, data from studies, health conditions, nutrition, and fitness, as well as prevention and treatment information.

It's important for women to get accurate information about issues that directly relate to their health and that includes the latest on womens health fitness. What was thought the best advice only a year or so ago has now been improved.

For example today it is a well known fact that women suffer heart attacks at the same rate as men but they often present differently to emergency wards to many go undiagnosed. It has also bee shown that womens health fitness is critical to keeping women healthier especially after menopause when their natural protection dwindles.

Studies have also shown that women health fitness can make a big difference in a womens ability to maintain here weight. It seems after 40 women get the privilege of a few extra pounds suddenly appearing around the waste line and so with some proper exercise routines you can better defy mother nature.

Womens health fitness is finally getting the same attention that mens has for decades. Suddenly we realize that besides helping to keep the pounds off women also need to make sure that they are taking care of their cardio workouts.

This brings us to another subject - weight loss. For many women this is an ongoing battle that's not easy to resolve. Many would love to convince you that you need all kinds of diet pills to lose those pounds when really what you need is much simpler. You need to ensure that the calories you are burning exceed the calories you are taking in.

There are plenty of excellent health fitness resource sites for women and there are just as many terrific magazines that are full of helpful exercise tips, nutritional tips, and all kinds of tips to have you looking and feeling great. And isn't that what all women want? To look and feel their best?

Women may a great deal more attention to how they look and feel then men do. In general women are much more in tune to the signals their bodies are sending them and they are also much more interested in health fitness and how it affects their overall well being.

Men are more interested in fitness to great a buff, polished look although slowly they are beginning to recognize and understand the value of a cardio workout. Women on the other hand have long understood how their health fitness and their overall well being were directly related. And for one to have a terrific overall well being they needed to have a good health fitness ethic.

So the only question that remains is which type of health fitness program best suits your own personal lifestyle and goals.

Lose Weight by Drinking Beer

2008-04-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Want to shed that beer belly? Why not try the low-carbohydrate approach? Following the philosophy of today's most popular low-carbohydrate books, dieters gradually increase the early restrictions of their daily carbohydrate intake while excess weight continues to come off, once again enjoying starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta ... in moderation, of course.

But what about beer? Is it possible to include moderate amounts of regular brewed beer in a low-carbohydrate diet? One stumbling block that some beer drinkers find when trying to shed weight on a low-carbohydrate regime is the reliance on light beer with its minimal carbohydrate content (and some might say taste). Is it possible to move beyond the restrictions of light beer and on to one of your full-bodied favorites?

Don't bother looking for the answer to this beer drinker's quandary in the many low-carbohydrate diet books that can be found on store shelves today. Not one of these books addresses the possibility of moving on from light beers to regular brewed beers while the pounds continue to melt away.

Why not? If you're a beer drinker, the answer might be obvious. There are no carbohydrate listings on the cans or bottles of regular brewed beer because the government feels that "... nutrition information on labels [of regular beers] is unnecessary and unwarranted." Brewers of light beers, however, have to not only prove that their products are lower in carbohydrates and calories than their big brothers by listing the carbohydrate and calorie count on beer containers, they must also include the nutritional values of the lighter brew.

Is it right to know the carbohydrate and calorie content of what's in your Twinkie but not in that bottle of Czechvar imported beer sitting in front of you? Not if you're a beer drinker on a low-carbohydrate diet!

For the benefit of anyone who's considering using the low-carbohydrate approach to shedding unwanted pounds, here's a list of some popular beers with their carbohydrate contents. All carb values are for twelve-ounce servings:

Anchor Steam 16.00,
Bitburger Pils 9.05,
Boston Beer Summer Ale 15.85,
Budejovicky Budwar (Czechvar) 13.49,
Cooper's Genuine Draught 7.02,
Coors Blue Moon Belgian White 12.87,
Corona Extra 13.99,
Grant's Scottish Ale 12.70,
Harpoon IPA 12.00,
Leinenkugel Original 13.90,
New Belgium Fat Tire 13.66,
Pete's Strawberry Blonde 13.70,
Pilsner Urquell 14.70,
Warsteiner Premium Fresh 12.78,
Spoetzl's Shiner Summer Stock 10.50.

For more information on the carbohydrate count of more than 350 worldwide brands of beer, go to www.drinkbeergetthindiet.com.

Bob Skilnik is a Chicagoland freelance writer who has written for the Chicago Tribune, the Collector Magazine, the American Breweriana Association’s Journal and the National Association Breweriana Advertising’s Breweriana Collector on the subjects of beer, brewery history and breweriana. He is a 1991 graduate of the Chicago-based Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the United States, with a degree in Brewing Technology.

His interests in beer and brewing were cultivated while serving as a German translator in West Germany for the United States Army. Skilnik is the Associate Editor for the ABA Journal and The Tap newspaper, and a member of the Society of Midland Authors and the Culinary Historians of Chicago. He has appeared in the Chicagoland area on Media One’s television program, The Buzz, WTTW's Chicago Tonight with Bob Sirott and Phil Ponce, Chicago’s Public Radio station, WBEZ , Springfield, IL's WUIS Radio and the WOR Morning Show with Ed Walsh in New York. Skilnik's national television appearances have been on the Cold Pizza morning show on ESPN2 and Fox News Live.

Weight Loss with Negative Calorie Foods

2008-04-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

You gain weight when your calorie intake is more than your calorie expenditure. But if this calorie equation is reversed, then it results in "negative calorie" balance in your body. In this negative calorie case, you expand more calories than you take in, resulting in a decrease in the stored calories in the form of body fat, and you experience a weight loss. About 10% of daily caloric intake is used to process foods in the body. You can expand more by doing physical activities.

There are certain foods that show negative calorie effect because the body has to expand more energy to extract calories from these foods. The negative calorie foods need more calories to break down the foods and digest than the calories the foods actually contain. The extra calories are taken up from the stored fat in the body. Thus the negative calorie foods (may also be called as minus calorie foods or fat burning foods) are ideal for reducing the body fat and for losing weight.

Let us take an example. A piece of dessert consisting of 300 calories may require only 150 calories to be digested by our body, resulting in a net gain of 150 calories which is added to our body fat! So if you eat 100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you have burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food. These 50 calories are used up from the stored fat in your body!

These foods are widely available in nature. Some of the foods from the list of negative calorie foods (about 100 in number) are: asparagus, broccoli, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, carrot, garlic, papaya, spinach, turnip, zucchini, apples, oranges, lettuce, grapefruit, pineapples, strawberries, and raspberries.

It is a great idea to eat these negative calorie food items to your full satisfaction without counting calories. Include these foods in your daily diet and plan your diet according to food pyramid. You will be amazed to see the fast weight loss results. You can follow negative calorie diet plan for safe and permanent weight loss.

20 Effective ways to lose weight

2008-04-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

1. Take it one step at a time

Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruit and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.

2. Find a friend

It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.

3. Use weights

Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller ( but probably weigh more).

4. Eat fewer carbs

Don't eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.

5. Set a goal

Set a deadline to lose the weight and write it down. For example, ' By Dec 14/04 I will weigh 150 lbs or less'. Put it somewhere you will see it daily.

6. Give up soda

If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If you find it hard to stop completely, cut back at first and drink water instead.

7. Grill or boil

Avoid fried meat, grill and use lots of spices. You will get used to it and probably enjoy it more.

8. Don't buy junk food

When you go shopping, don't go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep your home 'junk food free' so you won't be tempted to indulge.

9. Eat breakfast

Consume most of your calories early in the day and always eat breakfast. Don't eat after 8pm and not only will you avoid those added calories but you will sleep better.

10. Give yourself a treat

When you tell yourself that you can't have something you want it more. Give yourself a treat once a day ( ie. half a cookie) and you won't feel you are missing out.

11. Use smaller plates

Trick yourself into believing that you are eating more by using a smaller plate.

12. Drink lots of water

Drink water when you are feeling hungry and you will get that 'full' feeling.

13. Don't eat everything on your plate

Many times we eat just because it's there. Pay attention to when you have had enough.

14. Eat five or six meals a day

Eating more frequently will keep you from getting too hungry.

15. Plan your workout sessions

Write your workout sessions in your journal or planner.

16. Stay away from fad diets

Fad diets don't work. If you lose weight fast chances are that you will gain it back ( and more) just as fast. It takes time to put it on and time to take it off.

17. Do several workouts a day

While you are watching TV do crunches and leg lifts.

18. Measure your food

If you decide to have junk food for a snack - be sure to measure and control what you eat.

19. Keep pre-cut vegetables

...and ward off those cravings.

20. Create Good Habits

It is a known fact that when we do something twenty-one times it becomes a habit. Create good eating habits

Weight Loss with Calcium

2008-04-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

by Priya Shah

Are you dieting your way to bone loss?

Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis? Popular diets may promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead to bone loss.

And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones, according to a study by ARS researchers in California. (1)

The study looked at the eating behavior of women between the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as "restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall bone strength and health) than women who said they weren't concerned about what they ate.

"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy." advise the researchers.

Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.

Why is calcium important in weight loss?

Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role in fat storage and breakdown.

Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss . In fact, study after study has shown that the people with the highest calcium intake overall weighed the least, and the people with the lowest calcium intake had the highest percentage of body fat. (2,3,4)

When overall calorie consumption is accounted for, calcium not only helps keep weight in check, but can be associated specifically with decreases in body fat. A low daily calcium intake is associated with greater tendency to gain weight, particularly in women. (5)

Researchers found that adolescent girls who consumed more calcium weighed less and had less body fat than girls who consumed the same amount of calories from other sources. (6)

Previous studies have shown that a higher calcium intake can block body fat production in adults and preschool children (7), but this was one of the first studies to show that it might have the same effect in body-conscious preteen and teenage girls.

But aren't dairy products fattening?

Some dieters consider dairy products to be fattening, but the evidence suggests the opposite is true.

Consumption of calcium-rich dairy foods can actually help to reduce and prevent obesity. Over 20 recent studies show that milk products actually contribute to weight loss.

A new study in obese adults, presented at the First Annual Nutrition Week Conference, showed that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day could reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 70 percent. (8)

The study provided clinching evidence that calcium in low-fat dairy products can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery and help keep your weight under control.

In another study, obese subjects placed on a high-calcium diet, with yogurt as the calcium source, showed markedly greater fat loss than those on a low-calcium diet. (9)

Numerous studies have shown that dairy calcium is more effective in reducing body fat than other forms of calcium. (10)

Why does diary calcium work so well?

Researchers believe that other nutrients found in milk products act in synergy with calcium to reduce fat more efficiently.

Glycomacropeptides (found in whey proteins derived from milk) in particular, are known to create feelings of satiety and fullness and decrease food intake. (11,12,13)

Foods that are a good source of calcium include cheese, milk, ice cream, baked beans and other dried legumes, dried figs, broccoli, most dark-green leafy vegetables, and soft fish bones like those in canned salmon.

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

References:

1. April 1999; Agricultural Research magazine
2. Zemel MB et al. [2000. FASEB J 14:1132-1138.]
3. Zemel MB. 2002. [J Am Coll Nutr 21: 146S-151S.]
4. Shi H et al. [2001. FASEB J 5:291-293.]
5. Jacqmain M et al. [2003. Am J Clin Nutr 77:1448-1452.]
6. Novotny R et al. [2003. Poster Presentation, Experimental Biology Meeting, April, San Diego, CA.]
7. Carruth BR and Skinner JD. [2001. T Int J Obesity Relat Metab Disord 25:559-566.]
8. Zemel MB et al. [Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90.]
9. Zemel MB et al. [2003. FASEB J A1088:679.3]
10. Heaney, R.P., Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J. [Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.]
11. Gibbs J, Young RC, Smith GP.J Comp [Physiol Psychol 1973 Sep;84(3):488-95]
12. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA, Schneider BS, Grinker JA. [Science 1981 May 8;212(4495):687-9]
13. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA. [Physiol Behav 1981 Jun;26(6):979-83]

Weight Loss - It's in Your Head

2008-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. “Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It’s so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I’m such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower.” It’s no wonder you’ll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you’re using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to “I’m such a pig” which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with “Pigs are animals and I am human. I don’t have to be perfect.”

Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding “distorted” thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people’s values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. “I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.”

All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. “I’ve ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can’t stay on a diet and I’ll just always be fat.” Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior… maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. “I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.”

Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of “I ate those fries which are so bad for me” to “I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.”

Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which “looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago” tell yourself “my body has given life” or “my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.”

The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you’ll have greater weight loss success.

Body Building Tips for Teens

2008-04-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Teenage body builders are becoming more and more common.
And why not? Getting ripped is a great way to improve your
self-esteem, get the respect of your peers, attract the
girls (a big motivator for most teenage guys) and give you
a healthy interest. It's also a good way to find an older
man to mentor you in more than just body building. And
besides, if you're considering a career that involves a lot
of muscular strength, having a good set of muscles will
count in your favour at the interview and help you in your
job. I'm not just talking pro bodybuilding or sport as a
career, either. Military, police, firefighting,
construction, forestry, security and agriculture are all
career areas where the muscular strength and mental
discipline developed by teen body building will all be a
real asset (and even if you want to be a teacher, body
building can help. Wouldn't you have had some serious
respect for a teacher who had body builder muscles?). The
teen years have some advantages when it comes to body
building. During this stage of life, your male hormones
(androgen and testosterone) are at a naturally high level
like they will be at no other stage in your life. What's
more, your HGH (human growth hormone) levels are also
peaking right now. Older bodybuilders have to take
supplements to get the levels you already have. Your body
wants to pack on muscle as you transition from being a boy
to being a man, so let your instincts rip and get ripped!
Top tips:

Don't take steroids

They are illegal and will do your body serious damage. You
will get caught. Period. Eat well. You've heard your
mom bang on about "eat up your meat/greens/

potatoes to grow
big and strong" when you were little. She's right. To
build big, powerful muscles, you will need to eat right.
Avoid takeout foods and eat plenty of good food ' complex
carbs like wholemeal and potatoes (and popcorn), lean
protein, fresh fruit and veggies. During the teen years,
you will naturally crave proteins, so maybe consider
protein supplements so you don't eat the cupboards bare
every day. A-Z Nutrition has a range of protein
supplements like shakes and bars at low prices that will
suit a teen's budget ' you'll be better spending your money
here than at fast food outlets. Just hide them from your
little sister ' they taste great!

Balanced workouts

At your age, focussing on just one body part per workout is
a bad idea. You can put some serious strain on your bones
and joints that you will regret in later years. Go for
whole body workouts at this stage. You won't be a teen for
long ' the "chest on Monday, back on Wednesday, legs on
Friday" type of workout is for when you're out of this
initial stage.

Aerobics

Yes, you will see the older body builders standing around
and resting in between sets and exercises. However, you
can overdo the rest times. It is important to boost your
cardiovascular fitness as well as your strength, as this
increases stamina and bloodflow. As you are doing a whole
body workout at your age, you should do some cardio daily.
Try running or cycling, or use some of the cardio-type
machines at the gym. Supplements. You will not need any of
the dietary supplements designed to raise your testosterone
level or HGH levels, as these are already at a peak at
levels that the older guys envy. The one exception to this
one is the zinc products, as zinc helps with skin problems
such as acne as well as overall health. Stick to basics
such as multivitamins and protein supplements. Coaching

A good coach will show you how to lift right so you don't
injure yourself. He/she will also be there with good
advice regarding diet and nutrition, exercise plans and
other tips. If you absolutely can't afford a pro coach,
then find an older guy at the gym who looks like a serious
bodybuilder to act as your mentor. He'll be flattered, so
don't be shy.

Stretch

You will need to be flexible and you will need to warm up
your muscles before doing weights or any exercise. Do
plenty ' this is one exercise you can't overdo.

First things first

Before you start pumping iron, pump yourself. Start off
with push ups, chin ups and dips before moving onto the
metal. What's more you can do these anywhere and they're a
good way to impress your buddies at school.

Time

Your workouts should be less than an hour. At your stage
of development, an intense workout should be over in 20-30
minutes. If you are not exhausted by this stage, then you
are not working out intensively enough. Go all the way.
When using weights, aim to use the full range of motion.
You may see more advanced bodybuilders using only a half
range occasionally, but this is for advanced strength
training only. Teens need to be able to work all their
muscles, ligaments, joints and bones throughout the entire
movement. So no cheating or excuses.

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WorldClassNutrition is a leader in discount nutrition
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Acne Treatment

2008-04-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

Well if you have Acne marks on your skin and you are searching the internet or asking friend to give you any tip so you could get rid of the Acne Condition. You have tried many Acne Treatment Creams or are scared to try them because of the side effects well you do not need to worry anymore. The cure of Acne is very easy and is available without purchasing expensive Acne Treatment Creams.

The Expensive Acne Treatment were not good and you have wasted your time and money using them which instead of doing good has done more harm. Thus now you want to get rid of Acne using some natural remedies which doesn’t require application of any cream of light. Well in this article I will try to explain the most efficient ways where you can get rid of Acne in matter of weeks if not days.

The first and most efficient way of treating Acne is to create a mixture of Rose Water and Lemon Juice. This will efficiently treat Acne and will also be helpful in removing the marks which are left behind on your skin as result of the Acne Condition. The method of creating the mixture is very easy. Take equal amounts of Rose water and Lemon Juice mix them together for a while and with a cotton sponge apply that on your skin generously, then leave it for at least 20 minutes and then wash your face with warm water and that’s it.

Another good home treatment for Acne is orange zest apply that on your skin and wash off after 30 minutes

or so and you could get rid of the Acne Marks.

Finally, a good way to get rid of Acne is to apply mashed garlic on to your skin and after half an hour or so remove it with slightly warm water.

If you could use three of these methods regularly for some times you could very easily get rid of Acne.

However, if you are looking to find more of such ways which are not used or even known to general public then do visit http://212articles.com