The Washboard Diet: Foods To Eat For Flat, Fab Abs

In addition to making our pants feel uncomfortably tight around the waistline, excess belly fat can be a sign we’re living an unhealthy lifestyle. The stress hormone cortisol causes fat to build up around the midsection, surrounding the organs and making it harder for the body to function properly. For this reason, controlling stress levels is the most important step we can take to flatten our stomachs.

Exercise also helps to tone the abs, so we train our muscles and try to build core strength with consistent workouts. But every fitness trainer in the world will tell you that exercise is only half of the picture: the other part is diet. This means you can do all of the sit-ups you want, but if you’re eating too much or consuming the wrong foods, you’re still going to have belly fat.

In addition to avoiding sugar, which is stored as fat when eaten in excess, there are foods everyone can choose to promote abdominal weight loss. Below are some favorite foods recommended by fitness and nutrition experts for reducing belly fat:

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
It seems counterintuitive for weight loss to eat many of the foods that are high in omega-3s, as they are often high in fat. But these fatty acids reduce inflammation in the body, which helps with the cardiovascular system, metabolism and the processing of food.

Avocados, olive oil, walnuts, flaxseed meal/oil, and salmon are all excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and the good fat in them increases feelings of fullness, which can control hunger, leading to less overall calories.

2. Lean Protein:
Protein is well known among athletes for building muscles, and the more muscle mass we have, the higher the resting metabolic rate— so it makes sense to include low-fat protein every day. Most trainers recommend multiple small meals with protein included for the best results.
Skinless chicken breasts, tuna in water, lean ground turkey and grilled fish are all great sources for this—or a light protein shake if you don’t have time to cook. Eggs are also beneficial, and vegetarians/vegans can enjoy tofu for animal-free protein.

3. Oatmeal:
Loaded with quick energy-giving carbohydrates, oatmeal is a very satisfying way to keep the stomach feeling full until lunch without a lot of calories.
The high fiber content of oatmeal provides satiety and promotes good digestion, which can eliminate constipation and bloating, both enemies of flat abs.
Chromium and magnesium have both been shown to reduce levels of certain hormones that encourage weight gain around the waistline, and oatmeal is also loaded with these nutrients.

4. Beans:
A favorite of those who don’t eat meat, beans provide filling fiber and satisfying, muscle-building protein without a lot of fat or calories.
Beans can be mixed into salads or just about anything to up the protein content, and are full of iron as well. Be sure to rinse canned beans and soak dried beans overnight to lessen the bloating effect they can have when improperly prepared.

5. Leafy Greens:
Spinach and kale are highly recommended for weight loss because of their exceptionally high nutrient and fiber content with minimal calories.
The fiber aids in digestion to allow abs to remain flatter, and the large amounts of calcium and vitamins K, A, D and E will boost metabolism by improving overall health.

6. Whole Foods:
Less is more when it comes to food choices, so skip the processed, packaged foods with long lists of ingredients and stick with simple, real fare.
When you fill yourself with chemicals, dyes, preservatives and additives, it taxes the entire system and increases inflammation, as the organs try to cleanse themselves of these toxins.
If the body has to focus all of its energy on clean-up and detoxification, the metabolism and every other process will suffer, leading to weight gain and poor health.

7. Probiotics:
Foods with healthy bacterial flora that promote good digestion and boost the immune system can help bust belly fat by keeping things properly moving through the gastrointestinal tract, and helping to prevent workout routine-ruining illnesses.

There are many yogurts enhanced with probiotics, as well as kefir, a probiotic-laden yogurt drink, but if you’re not a fan of dairy, probiotic supplements can be taken that work just as well.

Alcohol, salty foods and carbonated beverages are belly-bloating enemies of washboard fans, so avoid these to keep the stomach slim. Drink plenty of water to help burn fat faster, and try to eat some of the waistline-reducing foods above every day to have the flat, fab abs you’re hoping to achieve.

Read more »

The Best Candidates for Varicose Vein Surgery

Whether your varicose veins are painful or just unsightly, there’s a good chance that you would like to get rid of them. Varicose vein surgery is one of the best ways to get rid of varicose veins and most surgeries will be able to get rid of them permanently. However, not everyone will be able to get surgery because not everyone is a candidate for doing so. If you would like to receive varicose vein surgery you first need to find out whether or not you are a candidate for it. Below are a few of the factors you will need to consider before applying to receive varicose vein surgery.

Medical History
One of the first things that you and your doctor need to consider before you are able to get surgery for your varicose veins is whether or not you are a good candidate based on your medical history. There are some people who should opt not to have surgery based on past medical issues. Only your doctor will be able to tell you for sure whether or not your own medical history excludes you from getting surgery. When your doctor is examining your medical history it is important that you provide them with all of the information needed. This means that they should have access to your medical charts and should speak with you directly about any of the medical issues you have had in the past which could affect the outcome of your surgery. If your doctor does not talk to you about these things you may need to find one who will.

Current Health
If you have current medical issues other than your varicose veins you need to bring them up to your health care provider. You may not think that these issues will affect your surgery however your doctor is really the best person to make the determination. In addition to current health problems you may be experiencing, you should always let your doctors know whether or not you are taking any type of medication. Medication is a topic that few of us think about often, however if you are a candidate for surgery your current medication may or may not exclude you from it so it is important to let your doctor know.

Expectations
Lastly, you need to decide what your expectations are from the surgery before you ever have it done. There are some surgeries and treatments that work better than others. Additionally, some treatments need to be performed more than once for them to work. Try to get a good idea of what your expectations are so that when you talk to your doctor about what treatments are right for you it will help you decide whether or not you truly think the chosen treatment will reach your expectation level. In addition, it is always a good idea to remember that each treatment may leave you with different recovery times and pain levels. If you have a full-time job or if you simply are not ready to deal with the pain of recovery then you may need to choose a different treatment than you originally had in mind.

Deciding to get varicose vein surgery is not a decision that should be taken lightly. There are many factors which will decide whether or not you are a candidate for surgery, and one of the most important things to remember is that you want to take the time to think about these factors before you ever set foot inside a treatment room.

Read more »

Right Natural Remedies Information

Some people are afraid of taking medicines or doing surgical method. Most people are interested more in finding natural remedies to get better. All of us experienced different pains such as toothache, headache, muscle pain, etc.

There are a lot of ways to find the natural remedies such as reading magazines, browsing information from the net, or watching television. The best way to search natural remedies for me is to join some forum. There are active users who shared listed natural remedies for people to use.

Read on what people say about natural remedies; find some people who talk about the positive and negative effect before you apply it to yourself.

Tips
If you have headache and you try to look it on the web or search engines, such as google, yahoo or bing. The best keyword for me I think is natural remedies for headache or natural remedies for migraine. Be specific on what you are looking for.

Alternative
Another way to search the best natural remedies is to talk with some friends or relative. I think those who are ahead of you such grandma and grandpa knows more about natural remedies because at their era usually they use natural herbal remedies.

Another way to get the best information is to read some testimonial value and scientific research. Try to find people who uses and experience those method before applying it to yourself to avoid the risk and negative results.

There are tons of information today on the web, just be careful on what you read and what you get because some are not true and correct.

Because of the unstoppable expensive drugs all over the market, today, the interest of how to find a natural remedy increased. People now seek for the best and affordable ways to improve better.

Read more »

7 Healthy Ways To Deal With Stress In Recovery

Recovering from addiction is a very transformative time in your life. As you become accustomed to a new and healthy lifestyle, you will face thoughts and emotions that you may have spent years numbing with drugs and alcohol.

Although the changes you are making to your lifestyle while in recovery are ultimately incredibly positive, you will no doubt face stress and unease during this time as well. Here are seven ways to help deal with stress during recovery.

1. Meditate
Meditation is an incredible tool for those in recovery because it allows you to become intensely aware of your thoughts and it trains your brain to recognize unhealthy thoughts as they arise and subsequently dismiss them. Meditation has also been shown to alleviate depression and anxiety.

2. Join a twelve step group
Twelve step groups are an integral part of many people’s recovery for a number of reasons, one of which is that interacting with other recovering addicts offers a chance to share experiences and put problems in perspective.

3. Journal
Writing down your thoughts and feelings can greatly diminish feelings of stress and anxiety. Many problems may seem much more manageable once they have been written down. Journaling also helps keep you aware of the reasons you may be feeling stress.

4. Exercise
Exercise is a highly effective activity for anyone experiencing feelings of stress. Exercise encourages production of endorphins, which naturally elevate mood and bring about a feeling of calm. Exercise is also a great way to feel more in touch with your body as you return to health.

5. Get a pet.
If you do not have a pet already, you may want to consider getting one. Animal companionship has been shown to reduce stress and help provide a general sense of happiness and elevated mood. Even if you cannot currently take on a pet because of your current living situation, you may be able to visit a local dog park or volunteer at a shelter.

6. Spend time with happy people.
In recovery, you separate yourself from the people and situations that are triggering you to use. As you rid yourself of unhealthy influences, you can begin to cultivate the relationships you have with happy people, which will put you in a more balanced mindset.

7. Be mindful of the things you have accomplished.
Recovery is a lifelong experience, and strides toward health are not always made at the pace that we would like them to move at. Rather than becoming discouraged by setbacks or what you view as endless obstacles ahead of you, try to stay focused on the things you have accomplished already.

Once a week, make a list of the things you did that week that were good for you and promoted your mental and physical health. You may even want to post this list somewhere you can see it often, like on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
By taking the time to manage your stress, you will have a much less bumpy and much more enjoyable road to health.
Cindy Nichols is an an addiction specialist and treatment advisor and specializes in alcohol intervention programs at Recovery Now.

Read more »

How Ketogenic Diets Help Control Epilepsy

Approximately 1% of children in the United States have epilepsy, a condition characterized by repeated seizures. Although in most cases seizures can be controlled with medication, some children are unresponsive to medical intervention of this sort.


With few other treatment options available, some neurologists are turning to an old medical practice—dietary manipulation. While more commonly associated with a popular approach to weight loss, therapeutic ketogenic diets (those stimulating ketone production in the body) have also long been recognized as a method for controlling seizures in children with difficult-to-control epilepsy. First developed in the early 1900s, ketogenic diets were the standard treatment modality until antiseizure medications became widely available.

Ketogenic diets are intended to mimic starvation through dietary manipulation so that brain cells rely heavily on ketones instead of other energy-yielding substrates, such as glucose, for a source of energy. To deplete glycogen stores in the body, the child is first put on a 24-hour medically supervised fast, typically done
in the hospital. Without glucose to supply energy, the body turns to stored fat. Next, the child is fed a high-fat diet, providing approximately 80% of total calories from fat. In addition, carbohydrate-rich foods such as grains, fruits, and vegetables must be eliminated in order for the child to maintain a state of ketosis. Understandably,some parents have concerns about feeding their children a difficult and demanding diet consisting largely of high- fat foods such as eggs, cream, bacon, coconut oil, nuts, and cheese.

Doctors are not clear as to why a diet that mimics starvation helps prevent seizures in some children, although some theorize that forcing the brain to use ketones as an energy source makes areas of the brain more seizure-resistant. Nonetheless, the ketogenic diet has proved successful in some cases. Because it is such a dramatic change, however, this dietary plan must be implemented gradually. It also requires that parents work closely with a medical team that often includes a neurologist and a dietitian. Vitamin and mineral supplements are critical to ensure the child is adequately nourished. Because there is a potential that the diet can impair normal growth, the child’s height and weight are carefully monitored.Also, a very healthy option is to eat blueberries.

Ketogenesis, which occurs mostly in the liver, provides the body with an important source of energy during conditions of glucose insufficiency (such as starvation and diabetes). Only muscle, brain, and kidney tissue have the enzymes needed to metabolize ketones for energy. Nonetheless, ketones can spare the body from having to use amino acids to synthesize large amounts of glucose via gluconeogenesis. Although the use of ketones by the body has important survival implications, at times ketone production exceeds ketone use.
Clearly, maintaining a child on a ketogenic diet requires medical supervision. However, for the diet to be successful, it also takes parental involvement. Parents who use this approach to control seizures in their children recognize that it takes serious commitment and understanding to implement. It is not an easy diet plan to follow, but many parents feel that the benefits far outweigh the effort it takes to adhere to such a restrictive dietary plan.

Read more »

Allergies and Asthma: Must Know Facts

Comedian Robin Williams once said that “spring is nature’s way of saying Let’s Party!” However, if you or someone in your family suffers from seasonal allergies, it could seem like the only chance you get to socialize with others is in the waiting area at your family physician’s office.

Instead of the usual small talk and other banter you hear at normal social events, you are bound to hear a healthy amount of “Gesundheit”s and “bless you”s, or maybe even a “salud” or two. And even if your doctor prescribes medicine to eliminate your symptoms, it still doesn't eliminate the fact that your home could be filled with allergens.

Drying Out Seasonal Allergens
Removing mold from your home will go a long way towards reducing allergy symptoms. Although it’s not always possible to remove allergens from your home, mold is easier to avoid than most would think. Because of the moisture in your bathroom from people taking showers or baths and the fact that a toilet filled with water is in the room all the time, consider some kind of exhaust fan or other ventilation.
Basements are notorious for leaks, especially in the spring when melting snows and extra rainfall saturates the ground. In addition to sealing up cracks and using non-carpeted floor coverings like ceramic tile, cork, or linoleum, place a dehumidifier in the basement to help dry up the moisture. An air purifier is also a great idea because it pulls pollen, pet dander, and dust, and other particles from the air.

Turning Allergy Season into Neat Freak Season 
 If you’re obsessive about cleaning then you are your family’s best asset during seasonal allergy season. If you can’t remove the carpeting inside your home – for example, if your home is a rental – then consider investing in a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filtration. The importance of HEPA filtration is that it’s designed to capture some of the most minuscule particles that cause some of the worst allergy symptoms. Here are some other cleaning tips to consider for eliminating allergens from your home.

Wash bedding linens. Yes, you already do this but now you need to wash them a bit more frequently. And regardless of how nice your sheets smell after hanging on a clothesline and drying from the sun’s warmth, it’s not really worth the amount of pollen you bring into your home and subsequently breathe in while you sleep. 

Clean furniture. In addition to dusting down wood furniture with furniture polish, vacuum upholstered furniture. If necessary, send cushion covers out to be dry cleaned. It’s a huge step towards removing mildew, dust, pollen, and pet dander from your home.

Eliminate curtains. Just stick with mini-blinds or some other type of shade-style window treatment. When cleaning windows, don’t forget to wipe dust from the sills.

Speaking of windows, it’s necessary to keep them closed as much as possible from just before midnight to just after lunch. That’s because most pollen product begins just before dawn – before many of us are even awake – and doesn't end until mid-morning. Saving open windows for sunny afternoons and brisk evenings will help cut down on the amount of pollen that enters your home, but keeping them closed altogether is even better. It could even save on the amount of hay fever treatments you’re subject to during the season.

Stay Hydrated but Not Humid 
One of the best tips for fighting off allergy and asthma symptoms, and even the first signs of sinusitis or a cold, is to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. If you must drink something flavored, drink juice or something else that’s loaded with vitamins – especially vitamin C. Stay away from soda, coffee, and anything else that’s bogged down with empty calories and caffeine.

One time an acquaintance gave my family some terrible advice. They suggested we use a humidifier at night, claiming that we’d wake up breathing free and clear of any allergy and asthma symptoms. It was the worst advice ever! Not only did we wake up in worse health requiring the entire family to visit the doctor’s office, but we also had the added problem that the humidifier encouraged mold growth underneath the carpet in our hallway. We've since replaced that carpeting with hardwood laminate flooring, but it was a real nightmare.

Screening Your Home for Allergies 
If all else fails, considering hiring an environmental solutions company to screen your home for allergens. Once they let you know which allergens have invaded your home you will better know how to remove them. Pollen isn't the only culprit. Pets bring in fleas during the warmer months. Did you know people can be allergic to fleas? Thanks to a stray kitten that showed up on our doorstep and was too cute not to bring in the house, my family now knows all about flea allergy dermatitis. The itching and rash we attributed to pollen or perhaps the cat itself was really a reaction to the fleas. You will want to start by eliminating dust mites which can also cause a lot of problems.

If you suspect that you suffer from some kind of a seasonal allergy, then it’s best to consult your family physician. In addition to giving you a correct diagnosis, your doctor has your complete medical history and knows what medicines to diagnose to fix the problem. This is important because some over-the-counter products conflict with conditions such as heart and thyroid problems, diabetes, or with other medications you’re taking.

Read more »

Top Weight Loss MIstakes - Are You One of Them?

If you want to lose weight, knowledge is an important tool that can help you. You need to know about effective ways of how to lose weight. You can do this through research and a little trial and error. However, you also need to be aware of the common mistakes that you should avoid. Many of these mistakes are to blame for the very slow or difficult weight loss that most people experience. Here are the top 10 weight loss mistakes you should be aware of:

Not Having a Proper Plan
Not having a proper weight loss plan is just like trying to navigate an unfamiliar place without a map. You need to know how much food you should be eating. You also should have a good exercise plan that will help you burn calories. To determine the appropriate plan for your particular case, you can consult a dietician and personal trainer. You should also be proactive and learn about the right weight loss strategies to help you lose weight efficiently.

Unrealistic Expectations
This is one of the top mistakes of people who are trying to lose weight. They expect too much like losing 5 to 10 pounds in a week. You should only be losing around 2-3 pounds a week. The more excess weight you are carrying, the more weight loss you can expect. However, when you’re just carrying around 15-25 pounds you can only expect to lose around 2-3 pounds a week. Patience is very important when it comes to weight loss. When you expect too much, there is a high tendency that you will be disappointed and completely give up.

Skipping Breakfast
Breakfast is really the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast will only leave you weak and sluggish. Also, studies indicate that skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism making weight loss more difficult. You should eat a balanced breakfast that contains a high amount of protein, a moderate amount of slow burning carbohydrates and some healthy fat. A healthy breakfast will also help you make better food choices later in the day and prevent cravings for unhealthy food.

Starving All Day
This is one of the biggest weight loss mistakes that most people make. When you starve yourself, most normal body functions are negatively affected. Starving also slows down the metabolism as a coping mechanism. The tendency is that the body will hold on to its fat stores and use muscle for energy. Losing muscle mass will permanently slow down your metabolism making it more difficult to lose weight. Starving is the worst thing you could do for weight loss. When you starve yourself, it is more likely that you will give in to your food cravings which can completely destroy your weight loss program.

Underestimate the Effort
Most people who are trying to lose weight think it is very easy. This is a huge mistake that can get in the way of weight loss. You need a lot of willpower to change your dietary and exercise habits. You need a lot of practice to improve your discipline when it comes to eating and exercising regularly. You need to give yourself time to adapt and learn the best ways to lose weight for your particular situation through some trial and error.

Not Balancing Exercise and Diet
The best way to lose weight is by controlling your food intake and exercising regularly. Weight loss is all about consuming lesser calories than your body needs daily. Even if you exercise 3 hours a day but continue to consume excessive amounts of calories, you will not lose any weight and may even gain weight. You must find the balance between diet and exercise if you want to experience optimal weight loss.

No Exercise
Exercise is not necessary if you want to lose weight. You can lose weight even if you just limit calorie intake. However, exercise should be a part of your weight loss program. First of all, it will help you lose weight faster. Secondly, exercise offers many health benefits like strengthening your heart and muscles. Thirdly, exercise helps you look better like in the case of weight training which can give you muscles or curves. If you don’t have enough energy for exercise, you can utilize the best weight loss pills which can boost your metabolism and energy level aside from helping control your appetite.

Speed Eating
You need to eat slowly in order to savour your food and completely enjoy its flavour. You need to allow your body to feel full to prevent eating too much. Slow down and enjoy your food. Eating too fast usually causes overeating which prevents weight loss. You’re not in the military so it is okay to slow down and enjoy your food. Studies indicate that there is a very strong connection between speed eating and weight gain.

Eating in Front of the TV
When you’re eating in front of the television, there is a big possibility that you’re not concentrating on eating. You’re focused on what you’re watching and keep on eating. How many times have you experienced devouring an entire giant-sized bag of chips unknowingly while watching TV? Eating in front of the TV is one of the worst things you could do for weight loss since it usually leads to overeating. To completely enjoy your food, you should concentrate on every bite which will leave you more satisfied.

Comparing Your Progress to Others
You should never compare yourself to anyone else. Some people can lose weight easily but for most people it is difficult. This is because we all have different bodies. Our metabolisms also vary aside from our diets and exercise programs. If you know someone who lost 20 pounds in a month, you should not expect the same results. Doing so will likely leave you disappointed and may even result to you giving up on your weight loss program.

Conclusion
These are the most common reasons people don’t lose weight no matter how hard they try. If you are committing any of these mistakes then you are now aware of the changes you need to make. If your weight loss is very slow, you can utilize weight loss pills which can help you achieve faster and more considerable results. Look for products made with natural ingredients which are a lot safer. Also, you should look for a product that can help boost your metabolism, control your appetite and increase energy level.

Read more »

Supplements for Women Better Health

One of the most confusing health concerns for women is what type of vitamins should they be taking daily. Everybody needs certain nutrients that our bodies just don't have the ability to make on its own. Women, especially older women need vitamins to help give their bodies the nutrients necessary to function correctly. If you are a woman you must make sure the supplements you're taking are benefiting you when it comes to a variety of things like babies, bones, fertility, fetal development, weight loss, and certain illnesses. Take a look below at some of the most important vitamin supplements you should start taking as a woman.

Black Cohosh
Black cohosh supplements can help you control hot flashes you may experience during menopause. Black Cohosh will also help you ease symptoms of PMS, induce labor, lower high blood pressure, treat arthritis, stop dryness in the vagina, stop night sweats, stop sleep issues, stop headaches, and much more. You shouldn't take no more than 40mg of this supplement daily to avoid any side effects like headaches.

Omega 3
Omega 3's have overwhelming advantages for people who take them regularly. The more omega 3 fatty acids you intake the better your body will be at avoiding health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, infertility, premature birth, osteoporosis, and alzheimer's. Omega 3 contains some great anti-inflammatory properties that can help women improve the the health of their breast, heart, bones, infertility, premature birth, and are very beneficial for menopausal females that experience menopausal issues like hot flashes. If you are pregnant taking more omega 3 fatty acids will help reduce your chances of a premature birth.

The development of your baby's brain requires the omega 3 fatty acids. If you normally suffer from PMS symptoms omega 3 fatty acids can help you avoid the pain you experience each month and stop cramping. Every woman is at some kind of risk of breast cancer and omega 3 fatty acids can help prevent breast cancer cells from forming. If you are trying to get more shine to your skin and hair take more omega 3's to hydrate the cells of your body. Infertility is can be caused by a lack of eicosanoids, which can be increased through the intake of omega 3s. Women who take omega 3's daily decrease hormonal imbalances within the body and improve blood flow to the uterus. The chances of women developing bone weakening issues like osteoporosis is much higher then men. This means women should increase their daily intake of calcium in order to improve the strength of their bones. It is advised that pre-menopausal women take at least 1,000mg daily of calcium to maintain the health of their bones.

Folate
Folate is one of the eight B vitamins that can help women in a number of ways. Women over 40 that are expecting a child should increase their folate intake to help prevent birth defects that are normally associated with pregnant women at this age. Folate will help improve your brain function and prevent age related brain issues like Alzheimer's.

Probiotics
Probiotics supplements can benefit women in more ways than one. Probiotics contain healthy bacteria necessary for women to avoid certain health problems like yeast and urinary tract infections. Taking these supplements will help you maintain a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria to improve your overall health. You can take probiotic supplements once or twice daily to improve your bowel health. Try to tak a daily dosage of at least 5 billion colony forming units of probiotics daily.
If you have stubborn cellulite you want to get rid of check out How To Get Rid of Cellulite Info, which is a website focused on helping women eliminate unwanted cellulite quickly and effectively.

Read more »

MMA Sport and Diet Plan

MMA is a physically controlling sport that requires a lot of strength and body contact. It is therefore important to make sure that you are in shape through training and diet. As an MMA athlete it is vital to have a well-balanced diet to help you stay strong, full of energy and healthy.

MMA and Diet Plan
It is better to eat five or six small meals a day rather than three. Eating every 3 hours rather than every 5-7 hours has great results on the body that will help you achieve the physique you want for MMA. Firstly eating at regular intervals helps to speed up your metabolism so that you can digest your food quickly. This ensures that you have an active metabolism throughout the day rather than one that has to be rebooted each time you eat. As well as this it also helps you to produce a positive anabolic environment in your body. This is essential for building muscular strength and maintaining lean muscle tissue.

One of the most important things your body needs for muscle growth is protein, it is therefore important that as a trainer you are consuming enough of it. To do this you should have protein involved in every meal you eat throughout the day. It is also important however to provide your body with other important nutrients so that your body is not starved of them.

When consuming carbohydrates you should only do so at planned points in the day. The most important time to take them is in the morning with your breakfast and before and after you work out. Try not to consume any carbs with your last meal, this can hinder muscle growth as you sleep, the time it does it best.

Another important nutrient you need to include in your diet is healthy fat. Remember that fat is essential for protecting your inner organs from damage, without it you would be in serious danger of injuring yourself. Fats should be avoided post workout as they can prevent carbs you have eaten from being absorbed properly, thus preventing your body from fully refuelling and replenishing after a workout. Remember when consuming fats you only want to intake unsaturated fats. These come from food sources such as nuts, nut butters, olives, avocados, fish and olive oil. It can be difficult to keep on top of eating 6 meals a day however there is a solution. Protein shakes and bars are available for consumption and designed to provide you with all the nutrients you need. Substituting some of your solid meals for a shake is absolutely fine and much more manageable.

It can be difficult to keep on top of eating 6 meals a day however there is a solution. Protein shakes and bars are available for consumption and designed to provide you with all the nutrients you need. Substituting some of your solid meals for a shake is absolutely fine and much more manageable.Jake is a keen writer who has an interest in health and fitness. He currently writes for Deep Blue Fight Wear a company that specialises in MMA Fightwear.

Read more »

6 Unhealthy Habits You Need to Quit

Healthy people worked hard to make their bodies in tip-top form. They often watch what they eat and keep their bodies moving. Not only that they are not too keen on doing things that can damage the body. There are just habits that healthy people will never do. If you are looking to improve your health it pays to learn from healthy people. Here are some of the habits that you may be doing right now that healthy people don’t.

Skipping Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is the foundation that will fuel the body’s foray for the rest of the day. When the body wakes up from its nightly fast, the body needs to get enough energy to spring back to life. When you are too anxious to get to work fast to avoid getting late it is easy to neglect breakfast. Skipping breakfast drains the body with energy and causes the metabolism to go haywire. This will impact the body’s ability to burn calories which is not exactly good when you are trying to lose some weight. That is why most diet experts always tell dieters that skipping breakfast can do more harm than good. The trick is to eat smart and never skip the most important meal of the day.

Lack of Water
The human body is 60 percent composed of water. It comes as no surprise why water provides a lot of health benefits. When the body is hydrated it keeps the memory sharp, the mood stable and the risks of getting anxiety symptoms reduced. Water also makes the skin glowing and suppler. Water helps the body to eliminate the toxins that often cause a lot of diseases. Healthy people know that they need to drink at least nine to eleven glasses of water per day. The amount of water that a person needs to drink depends on the amount of activity and the temperature. Hot temperature can cause excessive sweating which zaps the body’s water reserves that can cause dehydration which is unhealthy.

Late night Eating
Those who have the habit of eating dinner early and fasted have greater chances of losing weight compared to those who eat late in the night and did not fast, at least it works for mice. Mice that even ate fatty foods lost more calories as long as they ate their dinner early and fasted. Scientists believe that the longer span between meals leads to better processing of the food. Eating late meals can cause indigestion which can lead to sleep interference which impacts the quality of sleep.

Lack of Exercise
The fact remains that all healthy people exercise regularly. Aside from weight loss and reducing anxiety symptoms, regular exercise offers other benefits for better health. Exercise can actually add more years to one’s life. Not only that, exercise can prevent certain chronic diseases which also keeps the heart healthy. Exercise lowers the risk of certain cancers including prostate and breast cancer. Unhealthy people are not in the habit of doing regular exercise. In order to maintain in tip top shape it is best to do at least 150 minutes of exercise per week or about 30 minutes per day most days in a week.

Eating too much Salt
Healthy people know that they should be keeping their sodium intake about 1,200 mg per day. Habitual fast food snacking which is loaded with sodium is something a healthy person would not do. Cutting sodium in the diet can actually improve the health and add more years to life. Healthy people often cut their sodium intake by eating fresh food and by preparing nutritious meals at home.

Not changing the Sink Sponge
This could not be ranking at the top of your priorities but healthy people often change their sponge on a regular basis. The kitchen sink sponge holds more bacteria compared to your own toothbrush. Gross? Yes, gross. Think of it as one sure way of getting sick. The sponge should be replaced at least every two weeks.

There are things that healthy people would be doing that an unhealthy one will never bother. If you want to maintain perfect health, take a look at what you are doing today and find out how it contributes to health whether good or bad. Ryan Rivera aims to help people achieve better health by giving them useful tips that make them healthy and anxiety-free. You can visit calm clinic for more information about anxiety treatments.

Read more »

Boost Your Metabolism with Detox Drink

As we get older, our metabolism gets slower. Fact is, studies have shown that metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after the age of 40.
What is metabolism anyway? Metabolism, involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that work together to convert the food we eat into energy so our bodies can function. The more efficient our metabolism, the better our bodies work in burning calories and the more fit we become.
The conclusion is to keep your metabolism revved. Keep a healthy diet of low calorie – high protein foods, exercise and build muscle if you can, stay active, detox every once in a while and of course hydrate.

Speaking of the latter, Detox works by jump starting your metabolism, a lot like a cleaning up your hard drive and reformatting your computer. Furthermore, the other important thing not to forget to do is to HYDRATE. And when you are hydrating it is important to do so with liquids that are enriched with the essential vitamins and minerals such as the drink below.

This drink is enriched with Cucumbers, Mint and Lemon.

Cucumbers are low in calories, with only 45 calories with the skin on. High in fiber and in vitamins C, K and A. It is rich in Potassium, Iron, and Calcium. It is also a diuretic, which keeps you from holding in water weight and flushing out unwanted toxins.

Lemons, aside from being naturally energizing, are excellent at hydrating, detoxifying, and oxygenating your system. It keeps your Ph in balance and your skin clearer. It is also good for your digestive system.
Lemons are also high in Calcium, Vitamin C, and potassium.

Mint freshens your breath! It cleanses the stomach lining while soothing the digestive tract and reducing irritated bowel syndrome. It aids in eliminating toxins from the body while cleaning out blood vessels as well.
You will need:

• Lemon
• 1/2 a cucumber
• a handful of fresh mint leaves

1. Slice the cucumber and lemons thinly. Keep in mind that the more slices you cut the more flavor you will be getting out of it.
2. Grab the handful of fresh mint.
3. Throw them all into a gallon of water and let sit over night (about 8 hours) for it to soak up all the vitamins and minerals.
4. Wake up and drink your detoxifying concoction throughout the day!
Samantha Samonte also writes for Culinary One, a website about culinary careers, cuisines trends and good food. Helping aspiring chefs find the best cooking schools in America. She spends the rest of her time living life to the fullest in the company of her laptop and creative writing prowess.

Read more »

Athlete's Health - How To Keep Athletes Healthy and Injury Free

As any athlete know, keeping the body in shape, eating the right food can help the body stay strong through long and grueling games or any athletic events. Anyone seeking to enhance their sports performance need to follow some basic tips to achieve peak performance. It can be through exercise, training or planning meals carefully to have the right balance of calories and nutrients to make the body going and strong. It is also important to know the right body conditioning to prevent injuries on and off the playing field.

The majority of all sports are good provided that the individual or athlete has appropriate preparation. Without proper preparation, any type of of sport can be dangerous or can turn out to be a bad experience especially for kids. Competitive sports follow rigorous training schedules and regimen that can be dangerous for a teenager or adolescent. Proper warm ups, stretching and strength training is important in preparing for any type of sports and injury prevention. Think of it as a car that needs to be warmed up in the morning for it to run as designed and without any glitches. A slow jog and followed by a specific sport warm up will suffice plus stretching all the major muscle groups will bring the needed blood supply and oxygen to the body. Whether an athlete is a runner, a ball player a serious weekend athlete, an amateur or professional, the workout routines will help with proper conditioning.

Proper nutrition and hydration are very important. Athletes need the right amount of protein. An athlete should consume at least 12% to 15% of the calories from protein. Calorie intake can also be adjusted by the nutritionist or team coach as required. Eat lean, high quality and low fat proteins to give the body energy increasing and muscle building nutrients. Consuming complex carbohydrates helps in providing sugar and energy. Endurance athletes can benefit from complex carbohydrates. Healthy fats from nuts, canola oil, olive oil helps in sustaining energy in the body.

Wearing the proper equipment during training and on the actual event itself can prevent further pain and injuries. This is a no brainer. Some athletes think that they are invincible. Ignorance and being stupid will only result in injury and humiliation. Any contact sport is dangerous and if the equipment does not fit or is not present, serious injuries and concussions will surely happen.

Stay hydrated. Always. Drink enough water to replace the fluids lost during any activity. Dehydration will greatly affect an athletes performance for it will sap all the energy stored in the body. An endurance athlete such as cyclists and runners will also benefit from drinking any sports beverage with water. Sports beverage contains electrolytes like magnesium, potassium and sodium that can prevent hyponatremia.

If the body is in pain, don’t train. See a doctor and a physiotherapist to check and treat the pain. Training through the pain is not just being foolish but it can also lead to a much worse condition or a permanent injury that will take longer to heal and can lessen the efficiency of an athlete. Training longer and harder have its benefits but the body needs its off days also. The off days will let the body heal itself. Over training will also lead to burn outs and possible injuries. Increase training at least 10% each week to let the body adjust accordingly. Get plenty of rest. It will give the body the time to heal and recover. Having regular sleep and off days in between training will help the mind to be more focused. If possible, practice cross training. It will help the body to be more fit and helps to strengthen the muscles that are not often used in a particular sport. It will help in enhancing an athlete's endurance, flexibility and prevent injuries.

Lastly, athletes should take advantage of sports medicine It deals with the physical fitness, prevention and treatment of injuries that are related to sports and exercise. There are times that no matter how well an athlete care for their injuries and health, it just doesn’t cut it. Most often professional and expert help is needed to achieve the best treatment. Sports medicine professionals are knowledgeable of all the injuries an its consequences if it's not properly treated. A monitored treatment by a physiotherapist and the specialist physician can do wonders.

Read more »

How to Get Libido Back After Menopause

Women’s menstrual periods normally stop upon reaching the age of 40s to 50s. Some women find it relieving because somehow it means they can make love and enjoy intimacy without worrying about pregnancy. But truth is that menopausal women may also experience declining sex drive which may get worse year after year. In turn, they and their partners become sexually unsatisfied and the relationship may ultimately suffer. Yeah, sometimes this could lead to divorce.

More Than the Physical Aspects

Menopause can bring in a lot of discomfort and health issues such as low libido. Experts assert that low sex drive is the effect of declining estrogen levels in the body. While men are relatively easier to diagnose when they have low libido, Dr. Glenn Braunstein believes that women’s sex drive is a more complicated case. It is not just about the physical factors that affect sex drives, emotional factors come into play as well. Depression, anxiety, mood swings are some of the aspects that need to be looked into in order to fully understand why menopausal women tend to lose interest in sex.

Rekindling the Fire

However, just because you've gone through the menopausal stage doesn't mean your sex life had ended too. Here are some tips that can help you put excitement into your sex life even after menopause.

• Follow a sound diet and exercise. What you eat and what you do with your body will significantly affect your bedroom performance. Cutting down on fatty food and consuming more fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can make you feel lighter. Exercise can help you lose weight and build lean muscles, help you build a positive self-image and feel sexier about yourself.
• Lubricate. Vaginal dryness is a big issue among many menopausal women as they tend to lose natural lubrication during this stage. Vaginal dryness may also make penetration not only uncomfortable, but also painful. However, there are several over-the-counter lubricants that can be purchased and used to make sex easier and appealing.
• Be game for foreplay. Foreplay is a vital part in lovemaking. It prepares the individual physically and emotionally to what lies ahead. It also builds stimulation that can excite a menopausal woman so she feels comfortable with the idea of sexual intimacy.
• Communicate with your partner. Nonverbal cues such as hugging and kissing are good ways to assure your partner that you are still into him. You may also want to verbally talk to him about the changes in your body, how it is affecting you and your relationship with him so that both of you will know how to address issues that may be creating a gap in your sex life.

Recommendation

Do not let menopause beat your sex life. It’s true that a lot of things are happening with your body, but that doesn't mean you have to give your sex life up. Sometimes, simple changes with your habits and perspective will lead you to profound bedroom glory.

Read more »

6 Great Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil is perhaps the tropics best kept secret. Virgin coconut oil has been getting a lot of great press as of late due to its supposed health benefits. Despite a propaganda attack that coconut oil is bad for health due to high saturated fat content; it seems that there is a difference.The saturated fat that is found in virgin coconut oil is not the same that is found in other oils. The medium-chain fatty acids are more beneficial to the body than the long-chain ones found in other cooking oils. Virgin coconut oil stands out because it has certain chemicals that have positive health benefits.Here are some of the health benefits one may enjoy from virgin coconut oil.

Better immune system

There have been studies that show consumption of virgin coconut oil can help the immune system. Virgin coconut oil has shown good anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. That is why people that have impaired immune system may get some benefit by taking some virgin coconut oil. A study made at the University of the Philippines showed that virgin coconut oil has proved the anecdotal reports of the anti-viral properties of virgin coconut oil. Dr. Conrato Dayrit, professor emeritus of pharmacology at the UP said that initial trials confirmed that virgin coconut oil can beneficially reduce the viral load of HIV patients. The secret lies on the lauric acid and it seems that it is effective in lowering down viral loads.

Better bad cholesterol levels

Lauric acid is also responsible in lowering the bad cholesterol levels in the body. The lower cholesterol is important because it will not cause adverse effects on the arteries that could cause it to harden and brittle which may increase the risk of strokes and even cause certain cardiovascular diseases. The medium-chain fatty acids that are found in virgin coconut oil easily pass through membranes and are not stored in the body as fat. It is easily converted into energy as it passes to the liver.

Better blood sugar levels

Virgin coconut oil can significantly lower blood sugar levels. It impact blood sugar levels in a lot of ways. The medium-chain fatty acids in virgin coconut oil stimulate metabolism the same way how exercise makes the body more efficient in absorbing insulin. Virgin coconut oil slows down the digestion of food thus delaying the release of sugars into the blood stream

Better weight loss

Do you remember that the medium-chain fatty acids can actually speed up the metabolism? MCFA is able to go through membranes and into the liver which converts the fat easily into energy. Since it does not get to be stored as fat in the body, this same idea can also speed up fat burning.

Better skin health

Virgin coconut oil has a generous amount of lauric acid, a rare kind of acid that is not found in significant amounts except in a mother’s milk. Lauric acid in breastmilk is nurturing, healing and good for babies. If lauric acid is safe for newborns then it should be safe for you too. The anti-bacterial properties of lauric acid can help get rid of eczema, dandruff, ringworm and even psoriasis. It is also good for moisturizing the skin and can protect it too using vitamin E from the harsh heat of the sunlight.

Better stress protection

People showing symptoms of anxiety and stress can get a lot of help from virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil has a significant amount of anti-oxidants that can help fight oxidative stress created by free radicals. Diet, exercise, meditation and virgin coconut oil can be a helpful combination as a cure for anxiety. Also, administration of virgin coconut oil can also help the elderly to prevent cognitive disorders that is associated with aging.

Virgin coconut oil has become a victim of a vicious attack which impaired its reputation. It does not get the respect it deserves because of the bad press. However, the scientific community is making amends to the injustice by publishing studies and reports attesting to the safety and the health benefits of coconut oil, with the hope that it will spread like wildfire.

Read more »

What Are The Real Risks Of Butt Augmentation?

Risky business
All surgical procedures carry with them a degree of risk. With specific surgeries come specific risks and hazards. Some procedures produce more consistent results than others. One of the most consistently satisfying procedures patients request is called the Brazilian butt augmentation.


What does it do?
Have you ever wished for a perfect hourglass figure, either for yourself or the woman in your life? A figure known for its small waist and a butt that looks like an upside-down heart, or a perfectly round apple? Even if you weren't born with an hourglass shape, you can have one now thanks to the innovative work of plastic surgeons.

How does it work?
There are two words women say often enough they bear repeating here. The words are “If” and “only,” as in “If only I could take the fat from my belly and put it in my butt!” Talented surgeons have a gift for turning patient’s dreams into reality. These “If only?” questions are the driving force behind the work of innovative surgeons the world over, and not just in plastic surgery.

The procedure
It starts with liposuction, itself a fairly non-invasive procedure, requiring only small incisions to be made in the patient’s skin around the tummy, thighs, hips, and lower back. A butt augmentation is more than just liposuction. The surgeon then takes the fat he removed and injects it into the patient’s butt. The procedure is a full sculpting of the lower back and buttocks area, with the goal to create the perfect hourglass profile for the patient's body.

What are the specific risks associated with Brazilian Butt Augmentation?
Although it occurs rarely, the biggest risk of the procedure occurs when the fatty tissue injected into the patient’s butt fails to heal properly. This happens when the new fat cells do not take and instead turn into scar tissue. This creates lumpiness and hard spots in the patient’s new butt. Some patients require revision surgery to fix the scar tissue. Patients can lessen the risk of experiencing this outcome by following their surgeon’s aftercare instructions to the letter.

The importance of hiring a qualified surgeon
Other than the standard risks inherent to all surgical procedures, rare risk factors like infection, bleeding, skin ulceration and nerve injury, probably the biggest risk comes with hiring an inexperienced, unqualified surgeon to perform the procedure. To get the best result, your surgeon needs to specialize in procedures like butt augmentation. Your surgeon should be able to show you before and after photos of his patients. When you hire a surgeon who doesn't specialize in the procedure you want, you’re essentially paying them to experiment with your body.

Other risk factors
Do you want to fall in love with your body, once and for all? Do you want to look in the mirror, turn around, and smile for once in your life? Do you want your great butt to turn every head on the beach? How about fitting into the clothes you love? Imagine what your yoga instructor and the pool boy will say. The results speak for themselves.
If these are risks worth taking to you, start researching surgeons in your area. And don’t be afraid to travel. It’s your body, and your appearance, at risk.

Read more »

Jump Rope Fitness: Burn Extra Calories

Short on time? Can't make it to the gym? Tired of jogging away the calories? Buy a jump rope and start using it! If you are not mixing in a healthy amount of jump rope activities into your workout schedule, you are missing one of the most useful and adaptable cardio tools ever made.

Jump ropes have become must-have gear because of their low cost, easy transport, and the benefits they provide for all users, no matter the workout goal. While jumping rope is primarily beneficial for calve muscles, it also works out other muscle sets throughout the body, benefits the heart, and is excellent practice for hand-and-eye coordination. While numbers vary, most workout-style jump rope activities burn around 11 calories a minute, one of the best calorie-burning rates around.

Basic jump roping is an easy workout. Form is very simple: Jump on the balls of your feet, swing your wrists, and jump lightly, focusing more on speed than on how high you are leaping. Your feet should only rise an inch or two about the ground for proper form. A bit of practice, and all your old childhood reflexes will quickly return – as an added bonus, jumping is kinder to your joints than running, too! The only challenge is finding out how to make jump roping a common part of your routine. Here are a few common ways to incorporate the mighty rope into your fitness life.

Brief Workouts in Tight Spaces: One of the reasons that athletes and fitness lovers carry a jump rope around is that they take very little space to use. Find 10 feet of space to practice, and that's all your need. The space by your bed, a blank section of garage space, a patio – they can all be used for an intense cardio workout with a jump rope in hand. This is especially handy if you are traveling (possibly for a sports events) or live in a small apartment with no way to run laps and no place to store a treadmill. Between 10 and 20 minutes is a healthy workout period for jump ropes, so you can easily slip in a training session before work, school, or dinner.

Intervals During Weight Training: For a more comprehensive workout, using jump rope sets during your weight training. Between each weight set, do a brief jump rope set, between 30 seconds and a minute. This will help you keep your heart rate up and increase your gains, making your workout much more powerful without tacking too much cardio time onto your schedule. Don't worry about perfect form at first, but keep an eye on your progress and start speeding up as your intervals become easier.

Mix it Up for Stronger Training: If you find that jump rope activities fit in well with your current lifestyle, start experimenting with more strenuous versions. To increase the effectiveness of your routine, start doing single-leg jumps, vary your speed and jump height, and incorporate other styles to provide a greater variance of exercise. Some people prefer to switch between normal jumping and "plank" jumping, in which you hold your body rigid while jumping. 

Fitness 19, a leading fitness center franchise that has a health club in Colorodo Springs CO along with other gym location.

Read more »

Diet For Eating Disorders And Underweight

There are different types of eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, emotional or binge eating, and night eating. The first step to overcoming an eating disorder is to identify the symptoms and then choose the right diet. The symptoms of eating disorders include insomnia, social withdrawal, irritability, and refusal to eat. Other signs and symptoms include low blood pressure, abdominal pain, irregular menstrual cycle, and irregular heart beat. Food is the enemy of people who suffer from anorexia. Sufferers avoid foods that are considered high-calorie and fattening.

A meal plan can be developed by a registered dietician after the specific eating disorder is identified. Anorexics, for example, consume low-calorie foods and skip meals. A balanced menu for patients with anorexia includes products from all food groups – protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The menu should include meat and fish, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. The key to recovering from an eating disorder is to combine the right diet with therapy. Therapists help patients to examine the reasons for skipping meals and engaging with anorexic or bulimic behaviors. In fact, people who suffer from eating disorders often adopt ritualistic behaviors. They use certain tricks to make people believe that they are eating (i.e. cut food into small pieces).

They also avoid certain foods or prefer to eat alone. To overcome the disorder, patients should try to change the way they act and think. If you think that some foods are fattening and are avoiding them, try to add them gradually to your daily menu. Once patients are in recovery, their nutritional requirements are not very different from those of a healthy person. They should eat nutrient-dense, healthy foods that are rich in protein, monounsaturated fat, and dietary fiber. Patients with eating disorders need sufficient amounts of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. The daily calorie intake and requirements depend on a variety of factors. These include genes, medical history, activity level, gender, weigh and height, age, and others. Registered dietitians and physicians can determine the calorie needs of a patient with anorexia or another eating disorder. In general, the patient’s fullness level and hunger should be taken into account to determine portion sizes.

Patients are often advised to eat colorful fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, and whole grains. It is best to avoid saturated fats and use unsaturated fats such as canola and olive oil. Patients should choose healthy sources of protein such as soya, fish, shellfish, poultry, and lean meat. Good sources of protein also include low-fat and non-fat dairies. Meals should contain a source of protein and complex or unrefined carbs – pasta, rice, or whole grain bread. Eat vegetables and fruits at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Consume foods with healthy fats at each meal. You can have salad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, olive oil, avocado, etc. A balanced diet of healthy fats, protein, carbs, and fiber will help you to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. Some nutrition experts also recommend taking supplements, especially if the patient is not eating enough yogurt, cheese, and milk.

Patients with eating disorders should stop dieting. They should consume nutritious food and learn healthy eating habits. It is a good idea to keep a journal and describe the types of foods that you eat. You may want to describe how eating and specific foods make you feel, when you eat, which foods you prefer, and so on. This way, it will be easier for you to keep track of your progress and notice if you are at risk of bulimic or anorexic behaviors. Find online health and food guide: http://www.lowcarbdietguide.org/

Read more »

Prevention and Treatment of Cancer – The Juicy Way

Whether allopathy aficionados, by which I mean the supporters of mainstream medicine, like it or not, alternative systems of medicine like naturopathy are here to stay, simply because people are enamored with these systems. Even when people use treatment methods prescribed by the western medicine, they take added help through natural methods for faster healing and palliative effect. In the case of cancer, among the many natural methods used for healing, juice therapy is one that is becoming growingly popular.

Any therapeutic procedure will lose popularity if the users are not benefitting from it. The very fact that more and more people are showing interest in consuming fruit and vegetable juices to fight a highly debilitating disease like cancer, speaks volumes for the efficacy of this remedy. Given below are the names of some of the veggies and fruits that have been found to be especially effective in cancer treatment.

The cabbage family of vegetables consisting of leaf vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc. is the most recommended ones for cancer juicing. They are also known as cruciferous (cross-bearing) vegetables because of the cross shape of their four-petal flowers.

The more common cruciferous vegetables are,

Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Collard greens
Cauliflower
Horseradish
Kale
Turnip
Watercress

To get the full spectrum benefit from these vegetables, they have to be consumed completely uncooked. Juicing is recommended because consuming raw is always easier when consumed as juice.

Carotenoids like beta carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein etc, which are plant pigments, are also effective in fighting cancer.

Some of the vegetables and fruits containing carotenoids are,

Carrot
Cantaloupe
Collard green
Dandelion
Kale
Green pepper
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Papaya
Romaine
Turnip
Spinach

Flavanols like proanthocyanidins are also cancer resistant agents.

Fruits and vegetables containing these polyphenols are,

Apple
Beet
Blueberry
Black current
Cranberry
Grape skin
Plum

Besides these, raspberry, strawberry, tomato, and pineapple are also cancer preventive.

Many of the fruits and vegetables listed above are commonly available so that the users can extract fresh juice as and when required. However, there are some bottled juices of less common fruits, which have also been found to have anti-cancer properties. These are,

* Goji berry (also known as wolfberry) juice. The fruit has been in use in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

* Mangos teen juice. This fruit is grown mainly in Southeast Asia.

* Noni Juice. The fruit noni is grown mainly in Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Australasia.

If you would like to have the juice of a particular fruit or vegetable that is not locally available, there is no choice other than to rely on bottled juices. However, some of the nutrients and almost all the dietary fiber are lost during the process of bottling so that it is best to take freshly extracted juice as far as possible.

For the juicing regimen to be effective, you have to be careful not just about the quality of the juice but also about all the things that you eat while you are on the juice therapy. Foods that contain chemicals like artificial food colors and flavors should be avoided. Further, while meat is definitely not recommended for consumption while juicing, it is best to avoid even dairy products and stick to a vegan diet. Harvest Nutrition is a blog for people that want to lead a healthier life through whole food nutrition.

Read more »

How Does Cancer Impact Reproductive Health In Women?

Suffering from cancer is one of the toughest ordeals for any person; however to be unable to rear a child after cancer can be even tougher for a woman. Women who have suffered from cancer are at a juncture of life where although they have survived their disease, they are unable to reproduce. The thoughts of not being able to be a parent are harrowing; however the right knowledge will help you overcome the problem. There exist many misconceptions surrounding the issue, which will be discussed further in the article.

Getting Pregnant

After you have finished your cancer treatment, most oncologists suggest waiting 2 to 4 years before planning parenthood. This is because majority of recurrence occurs within this time frame; therefore it is to ensure that you are healthy enough to support yourself as well as the growing fetus. However, every person’s medical situation is different, thus your healthcare provider will be able to guide you properly.

As a woman, treatment via chemotherapy and radiation, may cause your eggs to be genetically damaged, it is thus advisable to wait until those eggs leave your body and are replaced by better ones.

Menopause

There is a misconception that women who reach their menopause cannot conceive; in reality even if you have hit your menopause, you have the ability to get pregnant. You may not be able to get pregnant the natural way, but you can use the frozen eggs, frozen tissues or embryos. While in menopause, you may require hormonal injections in order to prepare your body for the pregnancy. If your uterus is healthy, you should not face any difficulties.

Miscarriage

There is an increased risk of miscarriage in those women who have received radiation to their pelvic region. Miscarriage, low birth weight and preterm delivery are some of the common problems faced by women who have received radiation to their uterus. A specialist will evaluate your uterus and guide you regarding which is the right time to conceive.

Complications are also common if you have had fertility sparing gynecological surgeries. For example, those who have had a radical trachelectomy, continuous monitoring is required during the course of pregnancy and the delivery too is usually a cesarean-section birth. Also, if your cervix was removed, you have higher chances of miscarriage and preterm delivery. You must be in consultation with your oncologist in order to assess the risks. You can also consult a high risk obstetrician before trying to get pregnant.

Health Risks

Radiation and chemotherapy can cure you of cancer, but also cause long-term health risks. Some of these risks may cause damage to your heart or lungs which in turn make it difficult to carry a pregnancy. It is therefore important that you consult your oncologist for the long-term risks associated with your treatment plan. For example, many patients during pregnancy are recommended regular echocardiograms in order to ensure that their heart functions normally during the pregnancy term.

Children at Risk

Most cancer survivors worry whether their children too will be susceptible to cancer. But it is an unwarranted worry as research shows that a parent with cancer does not cause the child to be susceptible. The child is at the same risk as that of the general population. However the risk may increase if the cancer is genetically linked; but a small percentage of cancer are known to be genetically linked. Thus the risks are not higher, as is the preconceived notion amongst cancer survivors.

As a woman cancer survivor, you will have to assess the various risks especially that of recurrence and decide as there are chances that you may not be around after your child is bought into the world. Although it may be highly emotional, it is necessary to weigh all the options and address the problems before conceiving a child as the child’s future depends upon your present decisions.Get relevant information to help patients combat the deadly disease.

Read more »

Accurate Home Blood Pressure Reading

Would you base your whole life on a snapshot of you at a party?  No!  Then why would you base your entire lifestyle around one blood pressure reading at the doctor’s office?

Like an unflattering snapshot, a single blood pressure reading at the doctor’s office may not be an accurate depiction of you and your health.

Why?  The doctor’s office is hardly a relaxing place; the sounds, the smells, the uncomfortable exam rooms...  Not to mention the fact that you have people sticking things in your ears, demanding “samples,” and verbalizing what is wrong with you.  The doctor’s office is actually one of the worst places to take a blood pressure reading.

Blood pressure readings taken at home are more accurate. First, at home you are in a natural, semi-relaxed state. Second, readings can be taken more often and tracked to get an accurate pattern.  Third, you can check when it is convenient for you.  Learn how to get an accurate reading and determine your true blood pressure with these tips and guidelines. 

Designed by a leading natural health remedy database.

Read more »