Kategorie: English

One of the biggest weaknesses of the traditional commercial diet is the lack of iron that exists in its stringent and often excessively limited eating guidelines. In order to lose weight, many unsuspecting women get bamboozled into taking part in weight loss programs that cut out many of the nutrients that they need. Iron is one of the primary
casualties of such diets and weight loss plans.

The plot thickens for women in particular due to the fact that their bodies regularly lose iron during menstruation. Therefore, eating a low-calorie, low-iron diet in an effort to lose weight only makes the problem more severe.

It is generally suggested that women supplement their diets with an iron supplement such as the Vitality multivitamin offered by Melaleuca, the Wellness Company. This is particularly important during periods of heavy exercise and training that are typical aspects of any weight loss program or general effort to lose weight even when a special program is not in use.

One thing to be on guard for, however, is excessive iron supplementation by iron-deficient (non-anemic) women. There is a disorder known as hemosiderosis which results from large deposits of iron made in the liver that causes a glitch in the proper metabolism of the iron itself. Avoiding prolonged large doses will eliminate the risk of this particular disorder.

Below are a few recommendations from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) that will help you to make sure you get the adequate amount of iron intake in your daily diet, whether on a program to lose weight or not:

• Eat foods with a high vitamin C content with all meals. Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron. (examples: salsa; chili peppers; oranges)
• Include dark meat chick and/or turkey in the training diet. Both of these are rich in iron
• Vegetable proteins such as split pea soup or chili beans with lean meat help the iron in those meats to properly absorb
• When eating starchy carbohydrates such as cereals, breads, and pastas, gravitate to those labeled „enriched“ or „fortified“ for their higher iron content.

Recently I published an article about the importance of exercise in fighting against the bone-brittling disease osteoporosis.

There are actually 3 primary factors that may put someone at risk for osteoporosis—women in particular:

• lack of calcium
• hormonal deficiency (estrogen in particular)
• lack of physical activity

So in addition to exercise and hormonal factors, a woman’s diet is extremely important in guarding off this very debilitating condition.

One of the reason’s why we do not recommend most traditional diet plans and programs is because the over-restrictive eating guidelines often eliminate or seriously limit the consumption of some very necessary vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy and strong.

You never want to get to a point where you are sacrificing health merely to lose weight. In fact, any weight loss program
worth half its salt will make sure that the recommendations made for your daily diet intake are well balanced and full of all the nutrients that you need.

The most important time to get an appropriate amount of calcium is between the ages of 14 and 24, when peak bone mass is obtained. Then after that bone continues to develop until about age 35 to 40, at which time the bone mass that a woman has will strongly determine how much at risk she may be
for bone fractures in her later years.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that women intake 1,000 mg (1g) of calcium daily, and then increase their daily dosage to 1,500 mg (1.5g) post menopause.

Sadly, only an estimated 25% of women in any age group consume the recommended daily amount of calcium to guard against osteoporosis. And when they go on diets and weight loss programs, they tend to consume even less.

Lowfat dairy prodcuts such as milk (skim milk is a better option), yogurt, and cottage cheese are all excellent sources of dietary calcium. For those who are lactose intolerant or who wish to generally stay away from dairy products, non-dairy alternatives fortified with calcium will do as long as they contined the recommended daily allowance (RDA). The nondairy product Lactaid added to lowfat and nonfat milk may also work to help you meet your desired goal.

In your efforts to lose weight, make sure that the weight loss program that you use includes calcium-rich food choices. And if it does, you will need to add them yourself. No matter what weight loss program you are on or what other means you use to lose weight, here are some good ideas recommended by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) that you may add to your daily diet in order to get the amount of calcium you need while you lose the weight.

• Prepare canned soup with skim milk instead of water
• Add nonfat dry milk to soups, stews, and casseroles
• Add grated lowfat cheese to salads, tacos, and pasta dishes
• Eat yogurt as a snack, or use it to make low-calorie dressings
• Choose calcium-rich desserts, suhc as lowfat cheese and fruit, frozen nonfat or lowfat yogurt, and puddings made with skim milk
• Drink hot chocolate in the winter made with skim milk

It is a well known fact that exercise and weight loss make you both look and feel better. Another bit of common knowledge is that to lose weight, control your diet, and exercise regularly gives you a healthier heart.

In addition to the previously mentioned benefits of proper diet and exercise are several other very specific health benefits of having a regular exercise and weight loss program.

One additional health benefits of exercise and weight loss activities is guarding against osteoporosis, the disease that makes the bones weak and brittle with age.

Weight-bearing activities like walking, ellyptical machine, and jogging, have been shown to strengthen the skeletal system and lower the risk of the development of this very debilitating disease.

The primary reason for this is that exercises that force the body to bear weight make the bones more dense over time as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle, in which the bones get weaker and more brittle due to a lack of force placed against them.

In women in particular, the low estrogen levels that often accomopany menopause and/or very sporadic menstruation make the problem even worse as the bones lose a lot of their mineral content and weaken accordingly.

In addition, such activities that many take part in to either lose weight or maintain an already healthy body composition have also been shown to aid in preventing further development of the disease for those who have already been diagnosed and have received clearance from their doctor.

Despite the urgings of national health organizations for women to have annual or biannual mammograms after the age of 40, uncertainty and controversy about the procedure persists. Based on cumulative evidence, screening mammography has become standard health care in many countries. However, the value of the procedure has been challenged by two Danish researchers who reviewed the major clinical trials of screening mammography declared that five of the seven trials were flawed and that none demonstrated that it saved lives.

The report, originally published in the Lancet in January 2000, was written by Peter Gotzsche and Ole Olsen from the Nordic Cochrane Center in Copenhagen. It found that most of the seven studies reviewed were invalid, in part because they failed to assign women to screened and non-screened groups. The two studies that did randomize women correctly, the researchers said, showed no value to mammography. Cancer experts from around the world overwhelmingly denounced this report. Even the researchers’ own institution distanced itself from the report, stating that the findings had not been submitted to the Nordic Cochrane Center’s usual rigorous review.

After the storm of criticism, the Danish authors have reevaluated their original data and declared that it „confirmed and strengthened“ their original conclusions, stating that „screening mammography is unjustified because there is no reliable evidence that it reduces mortality.“

Many women are now wondering if they should continue to have annual mammograms. After all, for many years women were told to do self examinations of their breasts, but recently that advice was discontinued after a large study found it completely ineffective at reducing the death rate from breast cancer.

However, other experts have challenged the iconoclastic report and contend that mammography is lifesaving. The American Cancer Society found no reason to alter its recommendation for annual mammographic screening for women over 40 years of age. The National Cancer Institute found that the screening test contributed to a pronounced drop in the death rate from breast cancer. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, concludes that 28 to 65 percent of the sharp decrease in breast cancer deaths from 1990 to 2000 was due to mammograms. The remainder was due to powerful new drugs to treat breast cancer.

In the era since mammography has become widely used, the size of tumors at the time of detection has declined along with the death rate from breast cancer. During the early 1980’s, when only 13 percent of women in the United States received mammograms, the average tumor size at detection was about three centimeters. By the late 1990’s, 60 percent of women were having regular mammograms, and the average tumor size had shrunk to two centimeters, according to data from the Cancer Society and the National Center for Health Statistics.

This seemingly small difference in tumor size is extremely significant in terms of prognosis. On average, the larger a tumor is, the longer (or faster) it has been growing, with a subsequent correlation between tumor size and metastasis. More aggressive, debilitating treatment must be undertaken against large tumors, and even with this, survival chances of women with large tumors are worse than those of women with smaller tumors.

Of course, there are always exceptions, and some small tumors are aggressive and spread early, while some larger tumors are slow-growing and remain localized. Currently, it is impossible to distinguish between them by mammography. Even after biopsy and microscopic exam, it is difficult to predict how a tumor will grow.

There have been claims made that the recent reduction in breast cancer mortality, nearly 2 percent a year since 1990, is due to improved drugs and treatment. However, there is evidence that early detection has made a major contribution. A 29-year follow-up of breast cancer deaths in two Swedish counties published in 2001 revealed a 63 percent decline in the death rate from breast cancer in women who were offered mammography, and no decline in the death rate in unscreened women, even though the same improved treatments were available to all.

Currently, all major U.S. medical organizations recommend screening mammography for women 40 and older, claiming that the procedure reduces breast cancer mortality by 20 to 35 percent in women ages 50 to 59 and slightly less in women 40 to 49 at 14 years follow-up.

Mammography is an imperfect screening tool. It sometimes produces false-negative results: in women under 50, mammography is likely to miss 20 to 25 percent of existing cancers, and in women over 50, it misses 8 to 10 percent. Because of this, when a woman or her physician feels a suspicious breast lump that does not appear on a mammogram, it should be examined by some other means, such as biopsy.

Weight gain is a lot easier as you grow older particularly as the motivation to exercise also wanes, but you can turn it around it does not matter how old you are. You should start to weave some sort of exercise into your daily life.

One type of exercise that you should consider to do is weight training, also known as strength training or resistance training. Weight training will not only help with losing weight but will also trim and tone your body. Age does not matter it has been shown that women as old as 70 who have started to weight train and have improved their body strength within a very short while.

Weight training is an important element in fighting flab; maybe it is the most important. If you do aerobic exercise you only burn fat during the exercise but with weight training you burn fat even when you have finished. The body is still burning fat for up to as much as twelve hours after finishing the exercise whilst it is building the muscles worked, so you can still be burning fat while you are resting. But that is not the end of the story.

A body full of muscle uses far more calories than a body full of fat, so you will find that you will need to eat more to maintain your weight and your muscle. You do not need to worry that you will bulk up like a body builder, as you do not have the right makeup to do this, as a woman you will only elongate and define your muscles, and build lean muscles.

When you first start to weight train you might find that your weight will actually increase. This is because muscle is heavier than fat but as muscle is smaller so you should notice the body getting smaller even if the scales do not show an decrease in weight.

The additional benefits from weight training are:-

1. It helps to strengthen and increase the density of your bones because the act of the muscles pulling and flexing the bones helps to lay down more bone fibre.

2. Stronger muscles helps your body to be more steady and so helps to prevent falls.

3. It has also been found that it can fight the build up of abdominal fat by lifting weights at least twice a week.

Finally when weight training make sure that you change your routine around so that the body can not get use to the routine. It only takes the body about six weeks for it to learn how to work efficiently if keeping to the same routine and therefore you will stop seeing any weight or body changes.

So have fun and start weight training to lose weight and tone your body.

It is now known that stress can actually stop you losing weight especially around your middle. Stress can cause your body to secrete high levels of cortisol hormone into your bloodstream, because of your body’s „flight or fight“ response to stress. Stress can be either psychological (mental and emotional) or physical.

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands and is actually important for the regulation of blood pressure, the immune system and many other functions. Cortisol can be good in small amounts but high levels can lead to an increase of abdominal fat, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and can also increase your bad cholesterol levels and decrease your good cholesterol levels.

High levels of cortisol can also decrease your bone density, leading to osteoporosis and loss of muscle tissue, which will also slow down your metabolic rate, and it can also increase your blood pressure along with other problems.

Each of you will react differently to stress; some of you will produce more cortisol to a particular stress while others will produce less. It has been found that those of you that produce more cortisol will actually eat more food as well, in particular carbohydrates.

What you need to do to combat producing too much cortisol is to learn ways to relax and also to maybe change your lifestyle.

Relaxation can be achieved in a number of ways either by exercising, mediation, yoga or breathing to start with.

Maybe one of the easiest and simplest ways is breathing. This is done by gently breathing in through the nose, gently expanding your abdomen and then gently expelling the air through your nose pulling in your abdomen at the same time. Whilst breathing out the air you need to focus on that breath. After several breaths in and out you should start to feel yourself relax. You need to practice doing this exercise a few minutes a day to start with building up to five minutes in the end. You can also practice this when you are feeling stressed or when things are getting on top of you. Just a few minutes can slow your body down and help it to feel relax.

Life style changes can be like changing your eating habits for a healthier diet, getting enough sleep, or even organizing your time more efficiently so that you do not feel so stressed. Also looking after your body will help your body to cope with stresses that you come across during your day.

So if you are exercising frequently and eating properly but still not losing any weight especially from around the middle then maybe you are suffering from high levels of cortisol caused by stress. Look at ways to solve the problem and hopefully then you should see a difference in your weight and around your middle.

When it comes to health insurance, many people don’t exactly know everything that there is to know about the subject. That only stands to reason, it is not something that is easily understood because of its complexity. For instance, when you visit the doctor you may be asked to pay something that is called the „co-pay“, and other times you may not have to do anything at all depending on your plan. Let’s look at some of the ways that health insurance is paid for.

Often times, your employer will sponsor your insurance and you only have to pay what is known as a „co-pay“ or co payment. The co-pay is a set amount that is determined by your insurance company when you receive covered services. This is a significantly smaller fee than you would be paying without the co-pay. Many companies offer this type of payment option because it is easier on the employee to pay this way.

You may consider opening what is known as a Healthcare Savings Account (HSA). This will assure that you always have a location in which to retrieve payments for various medical expenses. The HSA is a pre-tax savings account where a portion of your pre-tax income, determined by you, is deposited into an account automatically. Since this account comes from your paycheck pre-tax, that means it will lower your overall taxable income. This means you are saving money in terms of taxes and saving lots of money towards your overall health care costs.

For certain disabled individuals and those above the age of 65, Medicare is also another way to pay for health insurance. While they will not pay all of your healthcare expenses, they will pay for most of them. Medicare, however, doesn’t cover prescription drugs and nursing homes. It is important that you check the different types of restrictions that may apply. There are low-cost prescription discount cards that have been proven to save people who require costly medications on a regular basis over 50% of what they would have been paying without any health care.

Paying for health insurance doesn’t have to be complicated as long as you understand just what is going on in terms of where you stand with your plan. Discuss any questions you may have about the plan before committing to one. While one plan may be right for many people, it does not always mean that it will fit your specific needs.

Water filters, purifiers and water filtration systems convert ordinary tap water into perfectly safe drinking water. They remove impurities and contaminants by means of a fine physical barrier or a chemical process.

Health benefits of a water filter:

A water filter or water purifier is very beneficial for healthy living. Ordinary water contains numerous contaminants including bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, minerals, and man-made chemical pollutants that cannot be seen with the naked eye. These contaminants not only cause the water to taste bad, but are also very harmful to your health.

A water filter kills all of these organisms and filters out the contaminants to make the water fit for drinking. Thus water filters save us from many dangerous bacterial and viral diseases that spread due to the contamination of water.

The working technique of water filters is based on sieving, ion exchanges and other processes. A water filter can eliminate particles much smaller than the holes through which the water passes.

Alkaline water ionizers provide alkaline water. The following are the health benefits of alkaline water:

• Promotes optimal physical performance.
• Protects DNA from oxidative damage.
• Alleviates blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
• Betters liver function exams in hepatic disorders.
• Betters gastro duodenal ulcer and prevents recurrences.
• Betters allergic disorders such as asthma, urticaria, rhinites and atopic dermatitis.
• Betters hypertension and hypotension.
• Betters serum bilirubin levels in newborn babies.
• Impressively suppressed the growth of cancer cells transplanted into mice, demonstrating their anti-cancer effects.

The following are acid water health benefits:

• Electrolyzed oxidizing water inactivates Escherichia coli and Listeria on plastic kitchen cutting boards.
• It reduces bacterial load of treated alfalfa sprouts between 91.1% and 99.8%.
• It can reduce food borne pathogens.
• It is a useful disinfectant for hospital infections.

Water filters and purifiers can be purchased at water filter stores and online. The Pur water filter and Brita water filter are the two well-known brands of water filters.

Here’s a question you’ve heard many times before:

How many glasses of water do you drink each day?

Two, three, four… more? You’ve heard it so often because it’s a very important question, prompting you to think about the amount of water you consume, urging you to drink more…

Get the basics right, like eating a balanced diet, regular moderate exercise, rest and relaxation, fun and laughter, and life can be free of illness and poor health. Water consumption is one of these essential basics. If you want long-term good health, read on, we’re going to give you all the evidence you need to encourage you to drink water, as recommended by the experts: 6-8 large glasses a day!

Why you need a fresh daily supply

At any one time, between 55 and 75% of your body weight is water. Your body’s need for water is second only to it’s need for oxygen! Take a look at why you need so much of this life-giving liquid:

It assists the digestion, absorption and elimination of the food you eat

It assists the excretion of waste from your bowel and kidneys

It regulates your body temperature 24/7

It lubricates your joints and membranes

Blood is your body’s transport system, constantly distributing nutrients around the body

Your blood is made up of approximately 92% water

Body secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water (your digestive system produces approximately 1.7 litres of saliva each day)

Because of these many important tasks, in normal conditions your body needs between 1 and a half to 2 litres of water daily, in order to function optimally. This daily amount is also affected by your size, diet, how active your lifestyle is and even the weather conditions! The list below shows how your body loses water:

Through exhaling, perspiring and elimination (urine, faeces) your body lose 1.7 litres daily

In hot weather, perspiration increases so more water is needed to help regulate body temperature and keep you feeling cool

During cold weather, additional moisture is lost through breathing

For each hour of physical activity, you need and extra 1-3 glasses of water

Central heating has a drying effect, so you need to drink more, or turn down the heat

DID YOU KNOW?

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Lack of water can lead to over eating, this is because your brain doesn’t differentiate between hunger and thirst, so when you think you are feeling hungry, chances are, your body really needs water, so drink a large glass of water before you eat. In most cases, you will probably find this will satisfy what you thought were hunger pains.

Are you Dehydrated?

You can probably appreciate by now that many, many people are walking around in a constant state of dehydration! So is your body gasping for water? How would you know? You can check for yourself below – we’ve started with the most common symptoms, right through to the more severe symptoms:

Headaches A major function of water is to flush toxins from the body. Your brain is 75% water, so even being slightly dehydrated can cause headaches.

Poor Concentration/Fatigue If your body is overloaded with toxins and not enough water to flush them out, you will feel less energetic while your body struggles with the toxins.

Constipation Water speeds the process of elimination adding bulk to the stool, so drinking adequate fluid assist the flow and regularity.

Reduced urine Output/Dark Urine The kidneys filter waste products out of the blood. Amazingly, approximately 180 litres of water is recycled by the kidneys daily! This process relies on an adequate fresh supply, without it, output of urine is reduced, waste products become more concentrated, resulting in darker urine.

Furry tongue/bad breath If not enough fluid is passing through the mouth to wash away food particles, bacteria builds up in the throat and mouth, and on the tongue as a white film of fur.

Dry Mouth Saliva lubricates the mouth, dehydration reduces the amount available.

In More Severe Dehydration

Muscle Cramps This happens when not enough oxygen is getting to the muscles via the blood stream because of insufficient water in the body.

Skin If there is not enough water to feed the skin, it loses elasticity. Test by pulling the skin on the back of your hand, it should snap back instantly.

Eyes Sunken eyes and dark skin around/under the eyes are a sign of severe dehydration.

Get Into a Life-Long Water Habit

Your aim is to drink water consistently throughout the day. Avoid drinking too much water at once, or too fast, because it will pass through you with little benefit to your body. For the first few days you may experience more frequent trips to the toilet, this is because your body isn’t used to being so well hydrated and needs time to adjust. You should also begin to notice a reduction in weight and centimetres, as your body’s water stores become redundant and gradually release their cargo!

TIP If you don’t have a water cooler/dispenser at work, take a two litre bottle with you each day – it will also help you monitor your water intake.

Water is your body’s life force, without it, you would literally dry up!

WATER RETENTION

Don’t overlook water retention… The less water you drink, the more the body will try to store water for later use. This will result in water retention as the body cells swell with their precious water stores, giving the appearance of ‚extra weight‘

TAKE ACTION NOW

Choose your Source Wisely

Some fluids work against hydration

COFFEE – TEA

Coffee and traditional teas contain caffeine, which produces increased urine output and is therefore a dehydrating agent. The more you drink, the quicker water will pass through your body.

DIET DRINKS

Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. These sweeteners send confusing messages to the brain that food (energy) is on the way to the stomach, but because sweeteners contain no calories, no energy arrives, so the brain sends out hunger messages until food finally arrives. People who drink diet sodas on a regular basis therefore tend to eat to much.

FRUIT JUICES

We generally think of fruit juices as being good for us, but in reality, they are sugar water. fruit is always far healthier when eaten in it’s whole, fibre and nutrient-rich form. if you do drink fruit juice, dilute 50/50 with water to reduce the sugar content. Beware of fruit cordials/squashes, which are usually sugar-saturated or contain artificial sweeteners – check the labels.

It is an accepted fact that exercise is an important part of any successful weight loss plan. Every muscle you have can burn calories, so the more you work them, the more calories you burn. So, don’t just depend on dieting alone. Move that body and do some exercises to achieve that weight and that body you have always dreamed about.

Walking is great exercise to lose weight. Moreover, it does not require any expertise or equipment and you can do it free anytime you feel like it. However, to be beneficial, you should do it regularly.Make walking a daily habit or at least 3 to 5 times a week depending on your schedule.

Before you start walking, do some warm up stretching exercises. Stretch only as far as you feel comfortable so as not to pull any muscles. Start with a modest goal, like 15 to 20 minutes at a leisurely pace. Gradually extend the duration and the speed. Walk up one or two gentle slopes. Your walk should be comprised of three segments: warm-up, exercise pace and cool-down.

Walk with your chin up and your shoulders held slightly back.
The heel of your foot should touch the ground first. Roll your weight forward.
Swing your arms as you walk.
To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further and walking for longer periods of time.
Walk on soft ground whenever possible.
Quench yourself, drink 8 to 10 ounces of water for every 20 to 30 minutes of the activity.

The more you walk, the better you will feel. Plus, walking also uses more calories; thus, burning more fats. Its benefits include giving you more energy, making you feel good, helping you to relax, reducing stress, helping you sleep better, helping control your appetite and increasing the number of calories your body uses.

To lose weight, it’s more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness leading to more miles and more calories spent on a regular basis.

Many studies show that walking is good for your health, but sometimes it helps to get out of the „around the block“ rut and into something more challenging and fun.

Long-distance walking events help get you in shape–and if you walk for a good cause, your stroll can raise funds for groups that need it. An added bonus: Walking as part of a team can increase the enjoyment, keep you focused and build great friendships.

But what is a walking team? In the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, teams include two people or dozens-women and men, neighbors, colleagues, family, spouses or new acquaintances, from the same town or across the country-who share a commitment to taking personal steps (literally) in the fight against breast cancer.

One team that takes humor in stride is the „Back of the Pack Walkers.“ It consists of nearly 10 women who come together each year for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. They walk in memory of a friend, Robyn Cain, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2004. Team Captain Candi Hoffman says that „after spending so much time together, training and at the Walk, I consider the girls on my team to be some of my closest friends.“

„Team Maureen“ is a fixture at the Avon Walk Chicago, with team members participating as walkers, volunteers and cheerleaders, all in bright green shirts. According to Donna Lahey, „Team Maureen“ Walker Captain, the 2006 team has 64 members from age 1 to 81. The team is named for Maureen Buescher, who died of breast cancer in 2002. It includes family and friends who walk for their own health and the health of all women.

Mike McElduff has put a unique spin on the team concept by leading „Team Peggy’s Spirit,“ named for his mother, at all eight Avon Walk events across the country from April to October. „Peggy’s Spirit“ includes McElduff’s siblings, friends and solo walkers who are seeking camaraderie as they tackle the long walk.

There’s a workout that you do every day, even if you don’t know it. Of all the ways to stay fit, walking is the easiest, safest and cheapest. If you’ve been walking most of your life, you may be an expert at it already. It’s a natural movement-no fighting the way your body was designed to move-and there’s almost no risk of injury. You can start with little more than a good pair of walking shoes. Best of all, it’s an activity you can enjoy either by yourself or together with friends and family.

Walk expert Leslie Sansone has been putting a bounce in people’s steps for the past 25 years. With her energy and enthusiasm, Leslie teaches people of all ages and shapes how to get fit, stay fit and feel better about life, simply by walking. Her In-Home Walking workout is a system of walking that can be done in the comfort of your own home. It’s all in the newest DVD in her „Walk At Home With Leslie Sansone“ series, „Advanced 5-Mile Walk.“

A one-mile brisk walk burns almost as many calories as a one-mile run. Even a moderately paced stroll has health benefits. In fact, according to a recent Harvard University study, walking as little as an hour a week, at any pace, reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. Longer and more vigorous walking produced a greater risk reduction. Here are some tips to get the most out of your walks:

• Walk whenever you can. Park a little further away than usual, or if you use public transportation, consider getting off a stop earlier or later than you normally would. If you’re only traveling a short distance, consider walking the entire way. Where possible, use the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator.

• Make topography your friend. Walking uphill burns more calories than flat ground and helps build strength and stamina. Surprisingly, walking downhill can be harder on your body than going up, so slow down and keep your knees bent.

• Hand weights, up to 10 percent of your total weight, can help you reach your exercise goal.

• Try a walking workout in your own home. You don’t need a treadmill-any space in your home where you can take just a few steps can be as good as a track. Simply find walking programs that are easy to follow, can be performed in a small space and do not require expensive equipment, and you’re off.

It’s a fact, America is becoming obese at an alarming rate and the rest of the world is following close behind. We are eating more (and more of the wrong stuff) and exercising less or getting no exercise at all. Our health is in steep decline and doctor and hospital visits are at all time highs. Just a brisk 30-minute walk a day can begin to turn that around.

You name it, we have it, and it’s getting worse. Heart and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, out of control blood sugar levels, diabetes, obesity, and more. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends getting at least 20-30 minutes of moderate activity each day and many of us are falling far short of even that.

Studies show the average person takes about 3000 to 5000 steps a day, and some even much less. Let’s face it, we just do not get the exercise our ancestors did a hundred or so years ago and we tend to eat more refined foods. For some of us, most of steps we take are from the easy chair in front of the TV to the fridge so we can fill up on snacks. For others, like me, we sit at a computer all day as part of our jobs.

Many fitness experts recommend we walk 10,000 steps a day to maintain our weight and overall good health. 10,000 steps are approximately 5 miles, give or take depending on the length of your stride. You will need to purchase and wear a pedometer to count how many steps you take each day. Follow the directions that usually come with the pedometer. Do this for a week or two and you will get a good average step count. Your goal is to reach 10,000 or more steps each day. There is nothing magical about 10,000, but it will put you in the right ballpark.

As a general rule, a person will burn about 100 calories walking a mile, depending on age, size, and fitness level. The heavier you are, the more calories you will burn.

Become creative on ways to increase your steps. At work, go for walks at lunchtime. Go for walks with your spouse or children. Walk the dog. Walk to the store instead of driving, or park at the far end of the parking lot. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. For me, I take brisk 2-mile walks around the neighborhood twice a day everyday (aerobic walking). Just do whatever works best for you, but do it! You will need good walking shoes and socks to prevent injury when walking for exercise (like aerobic walking).

Go to your favorite search engine and type in “10,000 steps” to learn more about this life saving, life changing program. The information is abundant.

As we all know, vitamins are very important when it comes to keeping your heart healthy. You need to eat the right foods of course, although you also need to supplement the food you eat with the necessary vitamins your body needs to stay in shape and keep your heart working healthy for a long time to come. If you don’t consume the right nutrients, you won’t be doing your heart any favors – and may end up having problems later on in life.

The first vitamin that comes to mind for most people is vitamin E, a vitamin that is essential to improving the overall health of your heart. When taken correctly, vitamin E will stop the cholesterol in the body from harming the arteries that surround the heart. Anytime cholesterol oxidizes, it sticks to the sides of the arteries and can lead to blockages which can cause heart attacks or other serious problems with the heart.

To help you keep your heart healthy, most doctors recommend that you take additional supplements that contain vitamin E. They may also suggest that you eat foods that are naturally rich in vitamin E, such as nuts. Nuts have high amounts of vitamin E, and most of them taste great. You can find other foods that contain vitamin E as well, although nuts have the highest amounts.

In the past, research has shown Vitamin E to help those who have already suffered the wrath of a heart attack. This vitamin helps to prevent heart attacks in the future by opening up the arteries and eliminate blockage. Those who have had a heart attack in the past are always encouraged to add more vitamin E to their diet.

What many aren’t aware of, is the fact that you can use vitamin C to boost the effects of vitamin E. Vitamin C is known as an antioxidant, which prevents the damaging effects that cholesterol has on the body. Along with preventing cholesterol from damaging the body, vitamin C also helps vitamin E with it’s functions – such as protecting your arteries and your heart.

By taking both vitamin C and E as a combination, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier heart. Overall, this is the easiest way that you can be sure you aren’t damaging your heart, especially if you have had a heart attack in the past. If you have a history of heart disease or heart problems in your family, these vitamins are essential to your diet. Even if you are just concerned about the health of your heart, these vitamins will give you the peace of mind in knowing that you are eating for a healthy heart.

As far as your dosage goes, it will vary from person to person, although 400 international units of vitamin E and C are the recommended amounts for most people. On it’s own, vitamin C can be tolerated in large doses, without imposing any harmful effects. You can take around 500 mg of it twice a day, and ensure that your heart remains healthy.

To be on the safe side, you should always make sure that you get the proper amount of vitamins in your daily diet. Taking additional vitamins and supplements isn’t a bad idea either, especially if you are trying to boost the health of your heart. Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, which is why you should always take care of it. If you eat the proper diet and take the necessary vitamins – you’ll be well on your way to keeping your heart healthy.

These days, we all know that taking vitamins is an easy way to start pursuing a healthy and disease free way of life. In the past, vitamins were used with diets, although they weren’t near as sophisticated as they are today. The vitamins of today are far more sophisticated and geared towards certain aspects of your body and your health.

Even though some people may not realize it, food doesn’t give you all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Although you may be following a healthy diet, you won’t receive everything your body needs to carry out daily functions. You can buy high quality food if you wish, although it isn’t the preferred way to fix this type of situation. No matter what you choose to eat, you still won’t get the vitamins and nutrients you need.

If you have any type of restrictions with your diet, it can be even more difficult to get the vitamins and nutrients you need. Those who suffer from food allergies especially, find it even harder to get the right amount of vitamins. Even if you have a small appetite, you can be at a major disadvantage to getting everything your body needs. Smaller appetites get full a lot quicker, making it harder to eat the foods you need on a daily basis.

No matter how you look at it, you won’t get everything your body needs from food. To get the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need, you’ll need to use supplements and vitamins. Vitamin supplements are the easiest way to give your body what it needs. You can use vitamins and supplements in your normal diet, although you’ll need to choose them accordingly with what you need and what your diet consists of.

Even though there are many vitamins that you can benefit from, one of the most important is B12, which can raise your energy levels and help with your immune system. Some other vitamins you’ll need to include in your normal diet are vitamin A, C, D, and E. These vitamins are very important to your body, as they help with many different functions. Vitamins C and E are among the most important, as they help with your skin, hair growth, and the way your body functions.

To ensure that your body remains at it’s best, you should make sure that you get the right amount of vitamins with your diet. You can find vitamin supplements locally or on the Internet, with hundreds to choose from. You should also include selenium and colostrum in your daily diet as well, as these two vitamins will help you with your health. If you take the right vitamins with your diet – you’ll find that your health and energy will always will remain at their top levels of performance.

Vitamin E is one of the natural antioxidants, proven to help your body fight several health problems and to fend off some of the natural signs of aging. Severe deficiencies of Vitamin E are rare, though some people may not be getting the full recommended daily allowances of many vitamins, including Vitamin E.

There are two recent advances in the understanding of Vitamin E that could ultimately impact a reduction in the tendency for some people to experience heart problems and cancer. Studies are still inconclusive and there seems to be several opinions as to the ultimate outcome of the benefits of Vitamin E to seriously impact these two major health concerns. Whether Vitamin E will ultimately become a viable treatment for those at high risk for heart disease and cancer remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, the benefits of Vitamin E as an antioxidant to help fight aging continue to be touted. Vitamin E supplements are also prescribed in some cases to help those adults at risk for developing cataracts.

Some manufacturers of cold sore medications include Vitamin E to help speed the healing process. A combination of Vitamin E and aloe vera seems to be a very popular remedy that many claim to be very effective in the treatment of severely chapped lips, cold sores and minor infections.

Two groups of people seem to be most at risk for low levels of Vitamin E in the body. Some people have trouble absorbing all fat-soluble vitamins and may show symptoms of deficiencies of several vitamins, including E. Babies who are born prematurely may also be at risk for some time following birth. Some other factors may play a role, including the tendency toward extremely poor eating habits and even some genetic disorders.

Oils tend to be high in Vitamin E with sunflower oil being near the top of that list. A single tablespoon of sunflower oil may provide up to a quarter of the daily recommended allowance for Vitamin E. Corn oil is another viable source. Peanuts, sunflower kernels and almonds are also good sources of this important vitamin.

While there are many uses and effects of sufficient daily consumption of Vitamin E, there continues to be a focus of using Vitamin E as an anti-aging agent. Nearly a decade ago, results of studies indicated that this vitamin slowed the aging process in laboratory experiments. Today, anti-aging creams and cosmetics often include Vitamin E.

Most people associate Vitamin C with the ability to fight off colds and infections. There’s a medical basis for that association because Vitamin C is known to be necessary for a normal, healthy immune system.

While Vitamin C intake is fairly simple to accomplish today with either foods rich in this vitamin or Vitamin C supplements, that hasn’t always been the case. Scurvy was once a real health concern, associated with low levels of Vitamin C in the body. The problem was rampant in areas of the world where fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C content were rare, or where people couldn’t afford to have those vegetables as part of their daily menu.

Oranges and other citrus fruits are among the more common food sources of Vitamin C. The papaya is probably the fruit with the single highest natural Vitamin C content. A medium papaya provides more than the daily recommended allowance for Vitamin C for any normal, healthy person.

Because most people associate Vitamin C with citrus fruits, you may not realize that there are some other non-citrus sources of Vitamin C. If you simply don’t like oranges or grapefruit, you can still find fruits that are high in Vitamin C to add to your diet. Strawberries and cantaloupe are among those fruits. There are some other foods that are also good sources of Vitamin C, such as peppers.

Vitamin C has also been found to be a natural antioxidant, meaning that it helps the body fight off specific health problems and diseases and may even slow some of the signs of aging. Some people think that Vitamin C will keep you from getting a cold, but the vitamin’s natural aid to the immune system is the only real aid when it comes to colds. Instead of taking Vitamin C after you’re coming down with a cold, the best course is to be sure you have sufficient levels of Vitamin C all the time.

An important fact about Vitamin C is that the body doesn’t store this vitamin as is the case with some vitamins. That means that you need to give your body new sources of Vitamin C daily to be sure the body maintains a sufficient Vitamin C level.

Most professionals seem to agree that getting Vitamin C naturally is best. But if you’re not getting sufficient amounts of this important vitamin, vitamin supplements are a good idea. Manufacturers have met the demand for more options when it comes to vitamins, including Vitamin C. You’ll find tablets, drinks and chewables, all packed with enough Vitamin C to keep your body ready to fight off the infections that naturally come your way.

The word ‚vitamin‘ has its root in ‚vitamine‘ that means vital amine. Vitamins are powerful organic compounds found mainly in the food that we eat. Vitamins are essential for all human beings because they help cells and tissues to perform basic functions. Basically, vitamins are required for the growth of the body.

There are two types of vitamins- the water soluble vitamins and the fat soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins are also called hormones. All the commonly known vitamins are water soluble vitamins, of which vitamin C or ascorbic acid is the most common. Earlier it was believed that all these vitamins belong to one group called B complex as they were all found in the same source. Later they were categorized as different vitamins.

Vitamin A, B1, B3, B5, B9, D, E, H, K, P, Choline and Inositol are some of the other vitamins. Few of these vitamins are known by their biological names, like vitamin B1 is known as thiamine and vitamin H, Biotin.

Vitamins form an essential component of the balanced diet that we eat. People with chronic illnesses are advised to take vitamin supplements by their doctors. Pregnant women and people suffering from bowel disorders need to watch out their vitamin intake. Bowel disorder retards the absorption of fat soluble vitamin. Folic acid is prescribed for a person suffering from thalassaemia. Patients with pernicious anemia have to be given injections of vitamin B12 because of its acute deficiency in their body.

We need small amounts of these vitamins on regular basis to help the body function smoothly and remain healthy. These vitamins help the organs to carry out their individual functions. In the absence of these vitamins, our body falls sick and suffers from vitamin deficiency diseases. There are enough vitamins present in our foods but if we don’t eat a balanced diet the external supplements will do the needful.

Vitamins are useful and mandatory for the body, but excess of everything is bad. Even vitamins taken in excess can cause severe damage to the body. For instance, the body needs only 400 to 800 units of vitamin D in a day. If this amount is exceeded, too much calcium gets absorbed by the bloodstream, which can damage the kidneys. Moreover, supplements can never replace the healthy diets, so it’s better to take vitamin-rich diet than take supplements.

Last word of caution: Do not take vitamins by gathering information from here and there. Consult your doctor. Remember, little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Our body’s circulatory system is made up of the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries. This circulatory system transports oxygen, nutrients, water and blood throughout our bodies as well as assists in the removal of waste products. Obviously keeping this system in tip top shape is essential to its efficiency and to our health.

One of the things we can do to help keep our circulatory system healthy is to make sure that we are properly nourishing it with healthy diet filled with vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin C is responsible for strengthening the walls of the blood vessels throughout the body. This has to do with its role in the production of collagen, which is an essential connective tissue. Copper is a mineral that is necessary for the process of making the body’s connective tissue. Biotin is critical to the health of the circulatory system, as well as to the circulatory system’s performance, as it has a function in a number of essential enzyme processes.

Vitamin E helps to promote the healthy functioning of the circulatory system in a couple of ways. It helps to dilate the veins and it has a role in the controlling of blood clotting. Another important aspect of Vitamin E is its antioxidant properties, something that it shares with Vitamin C. These vitamins, with the help of other antioxidants, serve in the essential capacity of bringing free radicals, which if left unchecked can damage body tissue, under control.

Potassium, long known as being beneficial to the heart also serves other parts of the circulatory system. One important function of potassium is to control blood pressure and fluid stability in the circulatory system. Sodium shares in these important functions of maintaining the blood’s balance and pressure. We hear so much about the negatives of sodium that it’s easy to forget that sodium is, in reality, a mineral that is essential to the body’s functioning, particularly in the circulatory system. The key to sodium is moderation, a little is necessary but too much could be dangerous.

It’s apparent that the circulatory system is essential to a healthy body. It makes sense to support its functions with a diet that meets the recommended daily levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Because the proper balance of nutrients is so vital to the functioning of our bodies and its supporting systems, choose your nutritional supplements carefully. Choosing top quality ingredients will insure that you are doing your body good and not spending money unwisely. Make your circulatory system happy, feed it!

If you are a person who is interested in developing an appropriate diet for health living, there are three items that you should include in your overall eating regimen:

— vitamins
— nutritional supplements
— water

The foundation of a diet for healthy living needs to be appropriate food choices. You need to eat an appropriate balance of fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat meat products. You need to avoid food items that contain trans-fats as well as refined, processed sugars.

Once you have established the appropriate menus for your overall plan for healthy living, you will want to consider how vitamin and other nutritional supplements can support your food selections and choices. It is vital to keep in mind that vitamins and nutritional supplements are not designed to replace healthy food choices. Rather, these products — as the moniker “supplement” indicates — are designed to supplement your basic, healthy food choices and selections.

Along with proper food choices and the addition of vitamins and nutritional supplements, drinking an appropriate amount is absolutely necessary to maintaining an appropriate weight and to pursuing a healthy diet, a diet for healthy living.

As a general rule of thumb, an adult who is not significantly overweight should consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water each and every day. (Soft drinks, coffee, milk and other beverages are not to be utilized as part of the total water intake amount. However, some herbal, decaffeinated teas can be used towards your overall water intake count on a given day.)

A person who is overweight will need to consume more water. Some experts suggest that (in addition to utilizing vitamins and nutritional supplements) a heavier person should take in not only the base eight glasses of water daily but should also drink an additional 8-ounce glass for every ten pounds he or she weights over and above his or her “ideal weight.” Of course, if a person is morbidly obese, there is a line of water consumption that cannot be crossed. You can only consume so much water — however, you do need to bear in mind that the more you weigh, the more water that you will need to drink each and every day.

Finally, in addition to using vitamins and nutritional supplements to enhance any workout or exercise regimen that you include in your overall healthy living plan or scheme, you need to increase your intake of water when you do exercise.