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Low Carb Facts

2008-06-22T10:29:00.002-05:00

All About Low Carb Diet
By: Bertil Hjert

Low carb diets, also known as low carbohydrates diets can be defined as dietary programs that limit intake of carbohydrates consumption for weight control. These foods are usually replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats.

People who want to cook low carb meals have some great options when it comes to creative cooking. You can go for large amounts of meals, poultry, fish, cheeses and different types of salad greens to make a good low carb diet plan. This diet is extremely beneficial in losing weight in a short period of time.

It is really exciting to know that you can close a good amount of pounds and also involve in to digging your teeth in to a good amount of exciting foods. There are several tasty options under low carb meals that you can easily, plan for weeks together without having to repeat a particular food item. For starting a low carb diet, you need to have a vision to lose weight.

Experts feel that people with hyperinsulinemia are good candidates for the low carb diet. This diet is known to be the only effective and available treatment for hyperinsulinemia.This is a disease that ultimately results in insulin resistance. It is also related to several symptoms and disorders.

The condition is also known as syndrome X.A low carb diet is also know for its positive effects on diseases such as high blood pressure, high triglycerides, hypoglycemia, high LDL cholesterol, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, binge eating, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you are on a low carb diet, you must know that food items made from white flour and sugar are not allowed in low carb diet.

Most of the fruits in this diet are prohibited. However, you still have a choice of eating certain fruits. The number of carbohydrates per grams allowed on a daily basis varies from one person to the other. Some may require 25 grams or even less amount of carbohydrates in order to lose weight. There are others who can easily lose weight by consuming about 50 or 60 grams on a daily basis. Here is a list of all the low carb food that you can enjoy.

Remember that low carb diet is a high fat diet. So, when you feel hungry, you can eat a lot of fat to curb your hunger.

a) Meat You can have almost all types of meat whether white or red. Make sure that you don’t eat liver. Also do not include any sort of filler or breading when meat is cooked. You should read label for carb info when using canned meat.

b) SeafoodYou can indulge in fish and shellfish

c) EggsYou can prepare eggs the way you want

d) Cheese Only 4 ounce per day is allowed.

e) FatYou can include mayonnaise, butter, cream and margarine in your diet.

f) VegetableOnly low-starch green vegetables are allowed. Stay away from potatoes, carrots, peas and corns.

g) FruitsDo not have fruits with high glycerin such as bananas, pineapple, watermelon and pineapple.

For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about DIET and WEIGHT LOSS please visit POPULAR DIETS and LOSE WEIGHT

The Benefits Of Green Tea

2008-06-10T18:37:00.002-05:00

The Major Benefits of Green Tea Antioxidants - By: Colin Holcomb,

Green tea contains many beneficial nutrients and compounds, one example is the antioxidant. Green tea contains four primary polyphenols and these give rise to the green tea antioxidant. In recent studies these powerful antioxidants have been shown to fight viruses, slow aging and have an overall beneficial effect on a persons general health.

Catechins which is a part of the four primary polyphenols has been shown in recent clinical tests to destroy free radicals which has far reaching effects for the body. If left, free radicals could damage the body at the cellular level which leaves the body susceptible to cancer, heart disease and degenerative diseases.
About the Green Tea Antioxidant

The ability to protect the brain and fight against diseases such as Alzheimers has also been found to be a benefit of green tea antioxidants. A recent study shows this to be true since high doses of green teas ingredient EGCG reduces the formation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain of mice that developed Alzheimers disease.

EGCG is a flavonoid type of antioxidants that is typically found in plants and has been connected with many health benefits, including protecting against cancer and heart disease. EGCG is an important antioxidant in green tea that is proven to be the most primary explanation for why green tea is beneficial to a persons health.

The polyphenols in green tea claim to also contain antioxidants that are more potent such as Vitamin C and E. EGCG is better at protecting the cells and genetic material, or DNA, from damage than Vitamin C by 100 times and Vitamin E by 25 times. The damage to cells and genetic materials has been linked to health problems such as cancer, heart disease and other potentially life threatening illnesses.

The antioxidants that are found in green tea are important to acknowledge and understand. You should also know the positive aspects you can get from the components of these antioxidants that help your health and well-being.

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Colin Holcomb is the writer of Green Tea Information. He also writes on green tea home remedies and different types of green tea product.

WHY YOU NEED A VITAMIN SUPPLIMENT

2008-06-09T09:43:00.001-05:00

Why You Need a Vitamin Suppliment - By: Steve Dolan,

Vitamin Supplements

Most of us are aware that taking a vitamin supplement could be good for our health. But if you've ever checked out the supplement counter at your local health shop, you might think it's all just too hard to work out.There's a huge range of choices, and it's hard to fight that little voice you've heard that says if you eat three balanced meals a day, you're already getting all the vitamins and minerals you require. The problem is, most of us don't eat a healthy diet. We spend long hours at work, have family commitments, other things we have to do, maybe throw in some time for fun - and it seems like planning and preparing a healthy meal just doesn't happen.

The truth is, a good nutritional intake is always a better option than taking supplements. Fresh foods are full of vitamins and minerals, and they're easily absorbed into the body. Eating plenty of calcium, proteins, fats, fiber and carbohydrates, sourced from a variety of healthy foods, is definitely the best option. But as most of us already know we're falling short in that department, or perhaps we specifically want to address a health concern, taking vitamin supplements can be a good choice to make.

Many foods are enhanced with extra vitamins and minerals today. The packaging of breads, pastas and cereals generally contains nutritional information, including the recommended daily allowance of the various vitamins and minerals contained in the food, and what percentage of that is contained in a standard serving. As an example, let's take calcium. Women in particular need to make sure they get their recommended daily allowance of calcium, partially for good health now, but also to avoid osteoporosis in later life. It's recommended women consume between 1200-1500mcg of calcium each day. This should come from a variety of sources, including cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream (yum!) and if required, supplements. Most supplements only contain around 30-50% of the daily calcium requirement, so you do still need to source it from other foods.

Another interesting example is Vitamin D. When you're out in the sun, you absorb Vitamin D though your skin. That's pretty simple, but the problem is that most of us don't spend enough time outdoors every day. It can be difficult if you live a long way north, where days can be very short, or in a hot climate where damage from the sun's rays is a major concern. That's when a Vitamin D supplement can be beneficial.

It's not as simple as just grabbing a bunch of supplements off the shelf and hoping that will do the trick. You need to understand what vitamins and minerals your body needs, and determine whether or not you're likely to be getting sufficient amounts from your current diet. Read up on what effect certain vitamin deficiencies can have on your health, and methods for identifying a possible deficiency. Lots of information is available on the Internet, but it's also good to visit your local health shop, or consult a nutritionist or naturopath. Take the time to improve your intake of vitamins and minerals, and you'll be glad you did.

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Steve Dolan is an athlete who understands the need for correct nutrition and how viatmin suppliments help. click on Vitamin Suppliments to find out more

Vitamins For A Healthy Heart

2008-06-09T09:38:00.002-05:00

Vitamins For A Healthy Heart - By: Galina Samitova,

As we all know, vitamins are very important when it comesto keeping your heart healthy. You need to eat the rightfoods of course, although you also need to supplement thefood you eat with the necessary vitamins your body needs tostay in shape and keep your heart working healthy for along time to come. If you don’t consume the rightnutrients, you won’t be doing your heart any favors - andmay end up having problems later on in life.

The first vitamin that comes to mind for most people isvitamin E, a vitamin that is essential to improving theoverall health of your heart. When taken correctly, vitaminE will stop the cholesterol in the body from harming thearteries that surround the heart. Anytime cholesteroloxidizes, it sticks to the sides of the arteries and canlead to blockages which can cause heart attacks or otherserious problems with the heart.

To help you keep your heart healthy, most doctors recommendthat you take additional supplements that contain vitaminE. They may also suggest that you eat foods that arenaturally rich in vitamin E, such as nuts. Nuts have highamounts of vitamin E, and most of them taste great. You canfind other foods that contain vitamin E as well, althoughnuts have the highest amounts.
In the past, research has shown Vitamin E to help those whohave already suffered the wrath of a heart attack. Thisvitamin helps to prevent heart attacks in the future byopening up the arteries and eliminate blockage. Those whohave had a heart attack in the past are always encouragedto add more vitamin E to their diet.

What many aren’t aware of, is the fact that you can usevitamin C to boost the effects of vitamin E. Vitamin C isknown as an antioxidant, which prevents the damagingeffects that cholesterol has on the body. Along withpreventing cholesterol from damaging the body, vitamin Calso helps vitamin E with it’s functions - such asprotecting your arteries and your heart.
By taking both vitamin C and E as a combination, you’ll bewell on your way to a healthier heart. Overall, this is theeasiest way that you can be sure you aren’t damaging yourheart, especially if you have had a heart attack in thepast. If you have a history of heart disease or heartproblems in your family, these vitamins are essential toyour diet. Even if you are just concerned about the healthof your heart, these vitamins will give you the peace ofmind in knowing that you are eating for a healthy heart.

As far as your dosage goes, it will vary from person toperson, although 400 international units of vitamin E and Care the recommended amounts for most people. On it’s own,vitamin C can be tolerated in large doses, without imposingany harmful effects. You can take around 500 mg of it twicea day, and ensure that your heart remains healthy.
To be on the safe side, you should always make sure thatyou get the proper amount of vitamins in your daily diet.Taking additional vitamins and supplements isn’t a bad ideaeither, especially if you are trying to boost the health ofyour heart. Your heart is one of the most important organsin your body, which is why you should always take care ofit. If you eat the proper diet and take the necessaryvitamins - you’ll be well on your way to keeping your hearthealthy.

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Galina Samitova - Who is Living a healthy Life with Veriuni nutritionals. www.ezinfocenter.com/8386375/VNU

Nutrition,just what does it means?

2008-06-04T12:31:00.002-05:00

Nutrition just what does that means?What comes to mind when you hear the word "nutrition"? It is something that deals with the food we eat. Maybe it deals with more than the food we eat. How much thought have we or do we give to our physical state.

Lets be honest, most of us as long as we feel fine we are under the impression that all is well. There are more important things that we can be dealing with than to spend time thinking about health concerns.

We beleive that the only time to concern ourselves about health problemsare when they arrive. I have an article on nutrition below read it and let me know if you agree or disagree with. Or just what are your thoughts on nutrition.

Nutrition What Are The Nutritional Needs?
by Nishanth Reddy
Fitness wellness guidehttp://www.fitness-wellness-guide.com/

Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body's healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA's involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.

But what is our responsibility in the nutrition game? Do we understand what our nutritional requirements are, how to fulfill those requirements, and how to look for real nutritional value in our foods?
I'm not sure that nutrition has been successfully addressed in its own right. We hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that we need "nutritional value" from our food choices. But what really is nutrition when applied to our daily bodily functions?

Today, we must determine how much nourishment we need, how much physical exercise we need, and how best to accomplish those ends. Calorie needs, nutritional needs, physical needs, and education about those needs now is information we should all understand, at least as it applies to our individual self.

If you will visit your local doctor, library, or fitness center, there is massive amounts of information available to help educate and to help you make good health choices, no matter what the age group.
Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all it's necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.

If you were to take a cross section of the population, and check for adequate levels of the most used and fortified vitamins and minerals, you would probably find that as high as 80% or the population is lacking in a least one of the vitamins and minerals.

Now, that doesn't sound too bad, until you stop to think, what if it's calcium? A calcium deficiency brings on osteoporosis, a deteriorating of the bone. This disease alone costs millions in medical expense to the population.

Can you see how a little more cooperation and open-minded participation on the part of our medical field could result in far fewer health problems? It would also have provided the general population with a viable way to discern their nutrition, vitamin and mineral needs, accurately.
So how do we determine that we are providing the essential nutritional needs?

That knowledge comes by educating ourselves about what our individual needs are, the needs of our family, and then taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods we buy, that we prepare, and that our families consume.
Quite often, our vitamin and mineral needs outweigh our caloric needs. In those instances, we turn to manufactured vitamins and minerals to fill the gap. This is a part of our nutritional needs, also.

Nutrition is one of the most complex areas to gain useful knowledge about, because there are so many components, and because each person has their own individual needs.
Women needs differ from those of men, and older women's needs differ from those of a young girl. As we age, our needs constantly change; therefore continual education about nutrition is a fact of life. The nutritional needs of a cardiac patient are different than those of a healthy, middle-aged hiker.

Can you see the complexity of the situation now? What we really need is to develop a scale that determines the nutritional needs of our bodies on a cellular level, so that as we age, as our physical condition changes, or our health changes, we can recalculate our needs, based on cellular changes and content in our body.
Individuality is the key to understanding each person's nutritional needs, and then working to educate us is the key to fulfilling those nutritional needs. Good nutrition should be the ultimate goal of every person alive.

---Nishanth Reddy, is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on how to be fit and healthy visit his website at http://www.fitness-wellness-guide.com
>> Article Source: http://www.Marketing-Seek.com
Please Note: The author of this article has authorized its distribution with the requirement that it be published in its entirety, without changes, including the author's resource box. Please respect the authors' wishes by getting their permission to reprint their articles if they so request.

THINKING HEALTHY

2008-05-28T19:30:00.002-05:00

Do You Have Healthy Values? How Important Is Your Health To You?

As it goes in todays society everything is done at a rapid pace. Most Americans wants everything fast; everything has to be quick fast and in a hurry. Even our food there are not as many home cooked meals as there was when I was growing up in the early 1960's.

Have we decided that it is more important to make a living than it is to make a life. A lot of us work between 50-70 hours a week and never give it a second thought. We also do not give any thought as to what this is doing to our bodies.

Most of us do not eat a well balance meal, let a lone three. Just think about it how does a normal day for you goes. Do you start most days off eating a hearthy breakfast. Is lunch for you a quick burger from Micky D's or do you set down and eat a well balance lunch. Now what does dinner consist of who is in the mood to cook dinner after 10,12 or 14 hours days.

Are you trading your healthy values for monetary ones? What good is wealth without health? Really what good is having the money and not be healthy enough to enjoy it.

We have to draw the line some where, but where do we draw it?We all want the finer things in life for ourselves and our children, but do we know when enough is enough. Included in those finer things of life should be making sure that health is one of our main priorities.

It is said that "money can't buy you love" the fact is nor can it buy you health. One of the main things that should be taught to our children at an early age is that they should be concerned about their health while they are young. Not to wait until health issues start knocking at the door. The time to be concerned about your health is when you are young.

I started seeing a doctor annually at 40 years old; I am 53 now and my health is pretty sound. I can not say the same about some friends and associates who happen to be younger than I am. I have been blessed to not have had any type of sickness or illness. I have been cooking for over 30 years and have never been a fast food junkie.Where does it all fit in our daily lives? What is the answer at days end?Healthy values involves healthy eating and in the end results you will enjoy healthy living.
Check me out at Healthy Values

Is Nutrition Important For Overall Health?

2008-05-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

Is Nutrition Important For Overall Health?

Nutrition is vital to human life and as a result we need to uncover as much information about it as possible. This article reveals incredible insight in regards to nutrition and its components.

By Eugene Williams

Our bodies need 45 nutrients and more, these substances are involved in the creation of every molecule in the body. Macronutrients or protein, fats and carbohydrates are broken down through metabolism to give our bodies energy.

What Are Nutritional Supplements?

Nutritional supplements are vitamins, minerals and other food components that can possibly be used to treat illness and also support good health. Plant compounds known as phytochemicals (found in soybeans and tomatoes) have some possible disease battling properties. Supplementation is a primary way to overcome the over tilling problem and thereby helping to maintain sufficient nutrient levels. Zinc supplementation has been researched and shown to reduce the duration of the common cold and decrease the incidence of acute diarrhea in children.

These days over tilling the soil where we grow our crops has made it difficult for us in America to obtain the adequate nutrients we once had in our fruits and vegetables. As a result, we actually need to consume more tomatoes, cucumbers and spinach to get the same amount in one of those twenty, thirty and forty years ago.

What Role Does Vitamins And Minerals Play Inside Of Us?

Vitamins and minerals play an essential role in our body’s basic growth, metabolism, and development. Vitamins and minerals assist the body in carrying through with various tasks. As you may know a vitamin is not a source of energy in and of itself, it can provide the mechanism the body needs to unlock energy stored in food. Furthermore, there are some vitamins and minerals combos that work together such as the mineral zinc and vitamin A. Zinc enables the body to use vitamin A to promote good vision. A lack of vitamin a may lead to night blindness, which consists of the eyes having difficulty adjusting to darkness.

Therefore zinc supplementation may prevent this condition by keeping Vitamin A functioning normally. Supplementation can help to aid in the progress of your muscle and fitness development.

What Is Important About Good Nutrition?

Heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes have been shown to be influenced by eating habits. As a result, dietary changes can help to possibly treat and prevent these conditions. For example, decreasing simple sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose) can prevent diabetes, and high fiber diets (especially soluble fiber) can help control diabetes. Another example is decreasing fat and cholesterol intake and adding whole grains to the diet can prevent arteriosclerosis (plaque build up in the arteries), which can lead to heart disease or stroke.

Researchers have found that in a study of 20,000 men, one fishmeal per week was linked to a 52% reduction in the risk of sudden death from a heart attack. Fisn is relatively high in omegga 3 fatty acids and can possibly protect the heart from arrhythmias.

Below are a few studies done on nutrition

Iron supplementation in iron-depleted women improves aerobic training ability.

Low birth rates and early baby deliveries can be prevented in some cases by eating small amounts of fish that contain omegga 3 (wild salmon).

Lutein and zeanxanthin in the diet may reduce cataracts and protect against colon cancer.

Flavonoids (found in citrus fruits, apples, onions, carrots and broccoli) may protect against certain types of lung cancer.

A complete muscle and fitness training program along with a good nutritional supplements can help produce overall good health.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practioner/ patient relationship with its readers

Nutrition plays a vital role in our lives. For a more detailed look at how nutrition affects men go to http://www.born-again-health-and-fitness.com/muscle-and-fitness.html

Article republished from Copy & Paste Articles

Live A Longer And Healthier Life

2008-05-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

Live a Longer and Healthier Life

by Herlan Westra

An unexpected research finding with great practical significance is that experimental animals live longer with much lower rates of disease when they consume less than the recommended daily allowance of calories. The finding is unexpected because we associate less-than-optimal nutrition with poor growth and health, and common sense tells us that we do better if we are well nourished. In fact, most of us may be overnourished, and too much of a good thing may be doing us harm.

An adequate diet is one that provides not only enough calories but also all of the nutrients necessary for efficient metabolism without any excesses that promote disease. What constitutes a good diet is a matter of controversy, and much of the controversy is based on emotion rather than reason.

An average person needs less than 2,000 calories daily, with 300 to 400 of the calories coming from fat. Present labeling laws are helpful in determining your caloric intake, but maintaining your weight or losing weight is much more complicated. The FDA supports two ways to diet: increase exercise and decrease the intake of food.

Dieting Can Make You Fat

That's it? The secret to a long and healthy life is diet and exercise? Not really! Metabolism slows down during a diet, and the body burns fewer calories, causing more fat to be stored as a protection against extended "famine." When the food supply is restored, the metabolism is slow to respond, and the body stores even more fat. In humans, this yo-yo phenomenon is harmful - starvation diets simply fool the body into starting a famine cycle. Once the diet is over, we are back to where we started, or worse.

Granted, exercise programs help keep the metabolism active, but most of us are about as committed to our exercise programs as we are to our diets. We fall off the exercise program at the same time we end the diet, increasing the yo-yo effect. Then how should we combine dieting and exercise into a healthy life?

First we need to modify our diets, lowering caloric content without greatly reducing the amount or the appeal of food we consume. The best way of lowering caloric content is by cutting the fat content in our diets. Fat has almost twice as many calories per gram as protein and carbohydrate.

Second we need to restrict caloric intake either by fasting or by eating a limited diet one day a week. Our body's metabolism will not react quick enough to begin a "famine" cycle during a one-day diet. Fasting should include plenty of liquids, with enough fruit juices to maintain a minimum caloric intake. When fasting, reduce the intake of supplemental vitamins and minerals, as some supplements may become toxic if not consumed with adequate amounts of food.

Vitamin Supplements

Our bodies don't benefit from the food we eat, but rather by what is digested, assimilated and eliminated. The food is taken in, broken into smaller and smaller parts until it can be absorbed and the by-products discarded. Enzymes digest all of our food and make it small enough to pass through the intestines into the blood. Enzymes are a part of every metabolic process in the body, from the working of our glands to the proper functioning of our immune system. Enzymes require vitamins and minerals to do their work.

Many manufactured vitamin and mineral supplements, because they are fractionated (broken down into basic elements), are treated as toxic waste in the body. Some minerals in an unnatural form can accumulate and cause harmful effects. Fortunately, many commercial vitamin and mineral supplements are so badly formulated that they pass right through our digestive systems without breaking down and being absorbed. Unfortunately, we haven't received the benefit that we paid for.

Many people are now using all-natural herbal forms of vitamin and mineral supplements. Because these are in a natural form, they are more easily absorbed than manufactured supplements. They are also much less concentrated than manufactured supplements, and so are often safer. However, it is always best to consult with your personal physician before taking any nutritional supplement.

The proper supplements, combined with proper diet and exercise, can help you live a longer and healthier life.

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Herlan Westra is the editor of Rhode Island Foghorn Online Magazine, which provides information and entertainment for a rapidly-growing audience nationwide. Herlan welcomes suggestions for future articles.

Get Back To Basics

2008-05-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

Get Back to Basics

by Dr. Robert Osgoodby

WARNING!! Always seek the advice of a Medical Doctor before starting, or making changes in your diet or exercise program.

If you want to build a strong healthy body, proper nutrition is a keystone for your success. What constitutes proper nutrition? Great question! Unfortunately for John Q. Public, the greatest challenge is not a lack of information, but too much information. If you study the "experts" you will find endless contradictions and false conclusions that create uncertainty, and leave most people confused and clueless. We are in an information frenzy that makes it hard to know which way to turn.

On any given day you can walk into a bookstore and find several books on the best-seller list, prescribing totally different solutions for proper nutrition. One expert tells you to cut out carbs, another tells you to eat more carbs, the next tells you to eat more protein, while another tells you to eat less protein.

With this nightmare of mixed messages, no wonder why millions of people are left in the dark on which plan to follow. This month's newsletter is dedicated to share some basic fundamental truths for optimal nutrition for decreasing body fat percentage, increasing energy and building muscle. Let's get started.

1. Don't Starve Yourself - This is one of the most common misconceptions and mistakes most people trying to lose weight make. If your trying to shed fat, drastically decreasing your caloric intake in an effort to lose weight or get "cut" is almost as destructive to achieving your goals as eating large amounts of ice cream and fried foods for every meal! Studies show this type of dieting actually decreases your basal metabolic rate, which is the last thing you want to do if you are looking to lose weight and decrease your body fat percentage. On this type of diet, most of the weight you lose is not fat - it's lean body mass. You are actually keeping your fat and burning your muscle!

2. Eat At Least Four Meals A Day - By eating four to six small healthy meals a day, properly spaced, you will burn fat at a faster rate. The traditional "three square meals" is antiquated advice that will slow down your metabolism and increase body fat storage. Studies have shown, eating four to six small meals a day promotes optimum food absorption, stable blood-sugar levels, and increases your metabolic rate. A meal can be as simple as a serving of fruit or vegetables, a small baked potato, a cup of yogurt, or a meal replacement shake.

3. Monitor Your Portion Sizes - Instead of worrying about what ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat you should be eating, concentrate on portion control. Most people's focus has been distorted by the huge emphasis placed on cutting fat intake. Fat is a necessary component in a healthy diet. The fact is, most people just eat too much. A good rule of thumb is that a portion should be no larger than your clenched fist.

4. Design An Eating Schedule - Most people eat when it's convenient, not on a schedule. This type of behavior slows your metabolism and sabotages your body transformation efforts. To get optimum results, you should eat four to six small meals a day, spread three to four hours apart. Your initial reaction to this principle may be there is no way this can be incorporated into your busy schedule. With a little bit of pre-planning and commitment, it can be done. You can cook up to one week's worth of food on the weekend and refrigerate and freeze it. Broil your chicken breasts, put them in a food storage bag and throw them in the refrigerator. Make a huge salad! Take your Tupperware out of storage and pack several small meals to take to work with you. Another thing you can do is make sure your cupboards and refrigerator are overflowing with quality sources of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. This will also help you stick to the plan and not cheat during the week.

5. Drink 8 To 10 Glasses Of Water A Day - Believe it or not, water actually helps you control your appetite. If you find that a portion of food has not satisfied your hunger, drinking a large glass of water will help alleviate those nagging hunger pangs. The vast majority of your body is comprised of water. Water is an essential transport vehicle for an array of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It also helps eliminate waste products in your body including uric acid, ammonia, and toxins. Another misconception is that if you are retaining water, you should decrease your water consumption. This is just not true. One of the best ways to get rid of water, is to drink more water. Just like starving yourself decreases your basal metabolic rate, water retention is another example of your body's survival mechanism.

If a golfer or football player's performance decreases, getting back to the basic fundamentals can help them regain their edge. The advice in this month's newsletter is simplistic and fundamental, but sometimes you have to go back to the basics to get back on track.

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Dr. Osgoodby was a finalist in the "EAS Body for Life" Contest. Stop by his web page at http://bestbodyever.com to see his before and after pictures and subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

Living A Healthy Life

2008-05-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

Living a Healthy Life

by Sara Schell

In the fast paced world that we live in it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We’re so busy racing through our day to day lives – family, friends, work, social engagements – that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down. What are some simple things that we can do to improve our quality of life?

Drink Drink Drink…

You’ve heard it a million times and you’ll probably hear it a million more – drink more water!

Think about it: The human body is 72% water. A 5% drop in fluids creates a 25-30% loss in energy. A 15% drop in fluids causes death! At this point in time 66% of us aren’t drinking enough water, so over half the population isn’t running on all six cylinders to begin with – before things like bad air, bad food and stress take their toll.

It’s not really a difficult thing to remedy. Just drink one glass of water every half hour or so – or 10-12 glasses of water per day – and you’ll notice a huge jump in your energy levels.

Living Food – Loving Life!

A little known fact is that heating food above 116°F destroys much of the nutrient content. Considering that we already aren’t eating enough veggies, that’s a fairly substantial problem. Nutritionists recommend five serves of fresh vegetables per day. How many of us are actually taking that advice?

A great way to get the nutrients found in fresh veggies without spending all day at stove or eating raw celery sticks is to juice your veggies. Make sure that you own a good juicer (some juicers expose vegetables to heat created by friction during juicing, which breaks down important enzymes), grab some fresh vegetables and drink your way to good health. It takes a fraction of the time (there’s no cooking involved, for one thing) and it’s convenient. You can take your juice to work and even give some to the littlies for school lunches!

Wheatgrass in particular is an excellent source of nutrition. It’s high in chlorophyll (sometimes described as ‘plant blood’ because it closely resembles human red blood cell molecules) and has over 100 elements that the body needs. Fresh grains are another excellent source for vitamins and minerals.

Energy In – Energy Out

Exercise is another dirty word for most of us. The thing is, exercise doesn’t have to be horribly time consuming or mind-numbingly boring. There are plenty of options.

Years ago gyms usually offered weight rooms, aerobics classes and maybe a tydro-circuit. Now you can add water aerobics, yoga, pilates, dance-ercise, step classes and a whole range of new workout options.

If you don’t really have the time or money for the gym, or prefer to spend your mornings/nights at home, then try an exercise bike or walker. I’d be lost without my exercise bike – I set it up in front of the television and peddle away merrily during my favourite shows.

If, like me, you suffer from illness or injury or your level of fitness is quite low, you might like to consider some invaluable advice that I got from my doctor:

Once you’re physically unfit, and particularly if you’re also unwell, it can be a mammoth battle to just do the most minimal amount of exercise in a day. The danger is that inactivity leads to further loss of energy, which becomes a self-perpetuating cycle until you can barely get off the couch.

An excellent way to get back into a physical routine is to start slowly. Ridiculously slowly, it may seem. For the first couple of weeks, walk/ride for 5 minutes per day – exactly 5 minutes, no more, even if you think you could continue. When the 2 weeks are up, increase to 7 minutes, then 10 minutes, 12 minutes… continue to gradually increase your activity until you’re at a level that you’re comfortable with.

It may sound a little silly, but it works. In effect, you trick your body into producing more energy. You’re building your exercise time up so slowly that your body doesn’t really realise what’s happening. Follow this method and, before you know it, you’ll be comfortably exercising within your limits every day.

So, folks, that’s the basics. If you can rearrange your life a little to allow for better eating habits and a little exercise, and if you remember to just drink a glass of water every half hour or so, you’ll be well on the way to living a healthy life. On a final note, don’t forget to take some quiet time for yourself. Meditating is an excellent way to minimise stress. You don’t have to sit around for hours, just give yourself 5 minutes of quiet time every day – even in the shower, if that’s the only place where you can get time out – and have a little catch up with yourself.

And, last but by no means least, laugh! In fact, laugh like a loon – the louder the better! You’ll be amazed at how much such a simple thing can lift your spirits!

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Written by Sara Schell. spellcast_advertising@yahoo.com.au

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Are You Really Healthy?

2008-05-24T12:24:00.002-05:00

What is Good Health
by Thomas Eldridge
There are many ideas, and opinions, on what constitutes good health, or what a meaningfully healthy lifestyle feels like or looks like. It could be said that health should be a natural condition, or at least a consistent state of well being. But what is this natural condition? There are some people who accept pain and discomfort in the body as a necessary part of living. This pain is considered to be a motivator, something for the body to fight against. They accept this condition because they observe that there are so many people with health complaints and so few people free of problems. It is even taken for granted today that dying of a degenerative disease is acceptable if the person had led a 'good life'.

My parents both died of cancerous type diseases. I seem to be the only one who is not saying, but they 'lived a full life'. Keep in mind that I am the one nobody can understand. I am not quite the black sheep. I am the different one who stopped eating sugar thirty years ago. No one could understand why I would go to so much trouble to read food product labels trying to find something that did not contain sugar. Today it is many times worse because of all the sugar substitutes in our food products. If I were reading labels today I would choose sugar before the sugar substitutes if I had no other choice. My choice today is to not buy any processed food products. I believe that my continuing good health depends on me making my own food from simple organic ingredients. I seldom read food labels these days because I buy very little with a label on it.

Is good health some sort of perfection? In homeopathy good health is said to manifest when a person's "vital force" is being expressed by perfect functioning of all parts of the body and by a sense of general well being. This holistic approach to health states that nature, of which we are an important part, has a constant tendency toward what is best for it. This vital force of nature reaches its masterpiece in the human body and the human consciousness. Harvey Diamond in his part of the book Fit for Life II: Living Health states that humans are "constructed for health and happiness." Life on earth lived in its ultimate achievement is a constant and unshakeable zest for well being and enthusiasm, says Diamond. I have a lot of respect for the diet that the Diamonds recommended. It still is an excellent diet for cleansing out toxins. I am not a great fan of being all that you can be, going for it all or pursuing excellence as a lifestyle. To me this is a short road to burn out and premature grey hair. I was unconsciously going for it all in my younger years. I worked very hard. I cannot say that I experienced good health or happiness back then.

If we wanted this 'ultimate achievement' of good health our goal would be to reach old age and maturity without aches and pains, to be well-balanced and spared emotional traumas and stress-related illnesses. To have zest for life we would wish to be like the beaming, healthy-looking 90-year-olds featured in vegetarian magazine articles. Working out at the fitness club at 91 years of age could demonstrate the principle that the best condition for the body is resilience and flexibility. To take up piano lessons at 83 years might demonstrate an absence of constricting contractions in body and mind. The problem is that we tend to extrapolate these stories into believing that this example of 'good health' is the best way to go. Pushing yourself into the gym when you are exhausted and should be resting is not good health.

It seems apparent to me that for millions of years people lived in some sort of harmony with the natural forces of nature. Good health was some sort of consistent state of being. Otherwise, how would we be here? If we were always in poor health for millions of years I cannot see how we would have survived. A long time ago the dinosaurs disappeared suddenly. Today species of plants and animals are becoming extinct at an accelerating rate. Throughout history at least some of us must have maintained an instinctive natural knowledge about how to live healthily enough to allow our species to continue. How we are doing today is a mute question. Are we going to continue to survive or is our current acceptance of sub-marginal health a sign of something?

Perhaps it is time to take a look at what this instinctive natural knowledge of good health might look like in our modern culture. I feel that it is not that much different than it has been for millions of years. This 'knowledge' probably includes simple things like sunshine, pure water, sleeping when the sun sets, relying on wholesome foods from nature, having daily alone time in the outdoors and living physically active lives in communities of loving supportive people.

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Thomas Eldridge is the founder and director of The Center for Highly Sensitive People. The motto of the Center is 'Sensitivities are a Blessing, Not a Weakness'. You can find more information at http://www.thomaseldridge.com. If you enjoyed this article you can go to http://www.thomaseldridge.com/email.htm and subscribe to a weekly email newsletter of similar articles. You can contact the author directly at thomas@thomaseldridge.com.