Health and Fitness

Being active makes a person healthy and strong. It is not just for people who have a weight problem but for everyone who likes to stay fit.


There is a lot a person can do such jog or walk every morning, play basketball or any other sport with friends but if a person wants to have muscles and look lean, then one can sign up and workout in a gym.


People workout for 3 reasons:


The first is that the person is overweight and the only way to lose those extra pounds will be to reduce ones calorie intake and at the same time workout in the gym.


The second is that the person is underweight and the only way to add extra pounds is to have more calories in ones diet and workout.


The third is just for fun and to keep that person in shape.


The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and gain or lose weight.


Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.


Here are some benefits of exercising;


1. It is the easiest way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.


2. Studies have shown that it makes a person feels happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety.


3. An active lifestyle makes a person live longer than a person who doesn't.


Working out for someone who has not done it before should be done gradually. Endurance will not be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be beneficial to the person.


It is advisable to workout regularly with a reasonable diet.


A person can consult with a dietitian or a health professional to really help plan a good diet program. It starts by evaluating the lifestyle and the health of the patient before any program can be made.


Afterwards, this is thoroughly discussed and recommended to the person which usually consists of an eating plan and an exercise program that does not require the use of supplements or one to purchase any expensive fitness equipment.


A good diet should have food from all the food groups.


This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.


The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to gain or lose weight.


Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.


For people who don't smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation. 

The Benefits Of Water Soluble Vitamins B and C To Human Body

What are vitamins?


A vitamin is a small molecule that your body needs to carry out a certain reaction. Vitamins are essential in small quantities for all body functions including growth, repair of tissues, and the maintenance health. Most of us get enough of vitamins from our food, but it may be necessary for some people to take a vitamin supplement, because an ongoing shortage of vitamins will lead to failed health, weakness, susceptibility to disease.


The body needs at least 13 different vitamins to function properly: Vitamin A - Retinol; Vitamin B complex (B1 - Thiamine; B2 - Riboflavin; B3 - Niacin; B6 - Pyridoxine; B12 - Cyanocobalamin; B9 - Folic acid; B5 - Pantothenic acid; H - Biotin); Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid; Vitamin D - Calciferol (can be obtained through sunlight); Vitamin E - Tocopherol; Vitamin K - Menaquinone.


There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble (dissolve in fat) and water soluble.



Water soluble vitamins


Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by your body. These vitamins - vitamin C and all the B vitamins - need to dissolve in water before your body can absorb them. The water-soluble vitamins your body doesn't use are removed by your kidneys and come out in your urine. Because of this, your body can't store these vitamins in any significant amounts, so you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day to avoid depletion. You can't really overdose on water-soluble vitamins, unless you take truly massive doses.


Water-soluble vitamins are easily destroyed or washed out during food storage or preparation. Proper storage and preparation of food can minimize vitamin loss. To reduce vitamin loss, refrigerate fresh produce, keep milk and grains away from strong light, and use the cooking water from vegetables to prepare soups.



Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)


Vitamin B1 stimulates the appetite, aids digestion and the absorption of food, promotes growth in children, increases resistance to infection, essential for the proper functioning of the heart, nerve tissue and muscles. Age, fever, exercise, and weight gain all increase the need for this vitamin.


Lack of vitamin B1 may cause slower heartbeat, poor appetite, intestinal and gastric disorders, nervousness, poor lactation in nursing women, enlargement of the adrenals and pancreas, nerve degeneration, mental confusion, muscle weakness, wasting, edema and beriberi (disease of the peripheral nerves).


Food sources of Vitamin B1: fortified breads, meat and fish, liver, whole grains like wheat germ, cabbage, carrot, pineapple, celery, grapefruit, coconut, lemon, parsley, pomegranate.



Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)


Vitamin B2 helps release energy from foods, is good for the skin, for the healthy functioning of gastrointestinal tract, promotes good vision and. Aids in the assimilation of iron and aids in proteins metabolism.


Lack of vitamin B2 may cause May Retard growth in children, lack of stamina and vitality, digestive disturbances, cataract, loss of hair, reduced tissue respiration or exchange of gases between the tissues and the blood, tongue ulceration, cracks at corners of mouth, dermatitis around nose and lips, eyes sensitive to light.


Food sources of Vitamin B2: meat, eggs, dairy products, grapefruit, apple, apricot, cabbage, carrot, nuts, spinach.



Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3 helps the body turn food into energy. It aids in digestion, promotes normal appetite and healthy skin and is important for nerve function.


Lack of vitamin B3 may cause skin disorders, diarrhea, weakness, mental confusion, irritability.


Food sources of Vitamin B3: red meat, liver, poultry, fish, fortified hot and cold cereals, peanuts.



Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)


Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) is involved in energy production; aids in formation of hormones.


Lack of vitamin B5 may cause fatigue; nausea, abdominal cramps; difficulty sleeping.


Food sources of Pantothenic acid: liver, kidney, meats, egg yolk, whole grains, legumes.



Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)


Vitamin B6 is important for the brain and nerves to function normally. It also helps the body break down proteins and make red blood cells and helps body use fats.


Lack of vitamin B6 may cause skin disorders, dermatitis, cracks at corners of mouth, irritability, anemia, kidney stones, nausea, smooth tongue.


Food sources of Vitamin B6: potatoes, bananas, seeds, nuts, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables, spinach, fortified cereals.



Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)


Vitamin B9 helps the body make red blood cells, break down proteins, and keep the heart healthy, prevents birth defects of spine and brain, lowers homocystein levels and thus coronary heart disease risk. It is also needed to make DNA.


Lack of vitamin B9 may cause anemia, smooth tongue, diarrhea.


Food sources of Folic acid: dried beans and other legumes, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, citrus fruits, poultry.



Vitamin B12


Vitamin B12 helps to build DNA, aids in development of normal red blood cells, and is important for nerve cell function.


Lack of vitamin B12 may cause pernicious anemia, anemia, neurological disorders, degeneration of peripheral nerves that may cause numbness, tingling in fingers and toes.


Food sources of Vitamin B12: fish, red meat, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs.



Biotin (Vitamin H)


Biotin helps release energy from carbohydrates; aids in fat synthesis.


Lack of Biotin may cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, depression, muscle pains, anemia.


Food sources of Biotin: liver, kidney, egg yolk, milk, most fresh vegetables.



Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)


Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is needed to form collagen, a tissue that helps to hold cells together. It aids in wound healing, assists in bone and tooth formation, strengthens the blood vessel walls, is vital for the function of the immune system, improves absorption and utilization of iron and calcium, and contributes to brain function. It also helps prevent nutritional ailments such as scurvy.


Lack of vitamin C may cause rapid heartbeat and respiration, shortness of breath, general weakness, tendency toward disease of the heart and blood vessels, headache, tooth decay, sore joints and bones, peptic and duodenal ulcers, impaired adrenal function, scurvy, difficulty in knitting broken bones.


Food sources of Vitamin C: cabbage, cucumber, grapefruit, orange, lemon, papaya, parsley, pineapple, radish, spinach, tomato, turnip, carrot, rhubarb. 

The Health Effect Of Trans Fat

When the demand for butter exceeded the ability of farmers to supply this desirable fat . the search for a substitute started us on a road to trans fats, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Not until 20 years ago did we finally discover the dangers of trans fats.


How Did Trans Fats Enter our Food Supply?


In the 1860s butter was in great demand and there just wasn't enough to satisfy everybody. Emperor Louis Napoleon III offered a prize for a substitute ... and so, the first margarine was invented by a French chemist. It was created from clarified beef fat.


It wasn't until 40 years later that the process of hydrogenation was developed ... and the door to deadly trans fats was opened. Butter rationing during two worlds wars and the lower cost of margarine ... had more and more people switching to this butter substitute -- made from cheap vegetable fats.


When vegetable oils are hydrogenated ... their molecules are chemically re-arranged. This produces a fat -- trans fat -- that becomes semi-hard at room temperature. Basically, trans fats mimic the saturated fats that our taste buds love. We are naturally drawn to the taste and the consistency.


The semi-solid trans fats are great for baking ... and not expensive like butter or lard. This is a big plus for food processors ... and the reason trans fats are found in most baked goods -- as well as fried foods. While this cheap alternative to butter is a boon for the food makers ... it is a dangerous bust for consumers. In the US alone, an estimated 100,000 people die prematurely every year ... due to the use of trans fats.


So What's so Bad About Trans Fats?


Trans fats have the worst effect on your cholesterol levels of all fats. They drive up your levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol ... at the same time lowering your levels of heart-protective HDL cholesterol. Trans fats' overall effect on your cholesterol levels is ... twice as bad as the effect of saturated fats
Recently, trans fats have also come under fire for damaging the lining of your arteries. It's this damage that leads to hardening of the arteries and higher blood pressure. The linings of your arteries play a very important role in controlling blood pressure. When these vital linings become damaged, their function is impaired -- resulting in high blood pressure.


How Can You Avoid Trans Fats?


Although trans fats were first used in margarine ... most margarines have eliminated this deadly fat. But, they're still found in many baked goods and fried foods. In fact, because of their low cost and convenience -- trans fats keep foods from spoiling -- hydrogenated oils are being used even more.


Keep clear of donuts, French fries, pastries, fast foods ... even the seemingly healthy granola bar often contains this dangerous fat. Check labels carefully ... avoid any food that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.


Finally, a Little Help from the FDA


Fortunately, it is starting to get easier to find these dangerous trans fats -- and avoid them. As of January 2006, the FDA is requiring food makers to list the trans fat content  on the Nutrition Facts label found on all products.


Even a small amount of trans fats in your diet is bad for your heart health. Switch over to healthier fats today. Not all fats are bad for you. In fact, some fats will even help you lower your blood pressure. Olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish will give your body a good dose of healthy fats. 

Weight Reduce - How To Prevent Health Complications

These days we are becoming increasingly aware that we may be overweight or even obese and that this increase in weight can lead to health complications. Excess weight places a strain on our backs, heart and other parts of our body and health professionals advise us to take a closer look at our diet and lifestyle in general and make the necessary changes to control our weight. Exercise is one major consideration in any weight loss program and we often do not fit enough into our increasingly hectic lifestyles.

Exercise can come in many forms and can focus on toning different parts of the body as well as helping us to lose weight caused by excess body fat. Gyms are a familiar sight in most towns and cities and the vast array of equipment available can help us to control our weight and improve our overall fitness levels. This may not be everyone's ideal method of losing weight as you may feel self-conscious when surrounded by all those perfect bodies, but we all have to start somewhere in our fight against excess body weight.

Gyms aren't the only option available to us if we want to exercise more to lose weight. Simply walking more each day can provide us with an increase in activity that soon leads to us losing weight and feeling better. As our fitness levels increase we can then move onto jogging or even running. Believe it or not, climbing the stairs is one of the easiest and most effective exercises that most of us can do very easily. Not only does this help to shed some of our extra weight but also provides a great workout for our heart and cardiovascular system. Once you have broken yourself into exercise gently and begun to see your weight falling you may want to take up a new sport or other physical activity to further your weight loss.

The hardest part about exercise is actually starting to do it. Once you have made the effort to fit more exercise into your daily routine, and stick to it, you will find it becomes easier and almost automatic. If you become really enthusiastic about toning your body and want to begin weight training you must seek the advice of a professional trainer to prevent serious injury. 

The Importance Of Vitamins In Improving Health Benefits

What exactly are the health benefits of vitamins? We hear vitamins being mentioned all over the place, everybody telling you something different about how healthy they are for you or how you are supposed to get them into your diet and daily intake. However, sometimes people don't get into specifics and stay with broad generalizations. This can not only make it confusing for people who would like to know, it can also fail to emphasize the true importance of vitamins and their importance to your life.The health benefits of vitamins are even more far reaching, as certain vitamins are also antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that can neutralize the dangerous effects of free radicals. Free radicals are the by products of other reactions that can seriously damage healthy cells and tissues and can even lead to cancers. Vitamins C and E are both antioxidants, and are important to include in anybody's diet.


Your body makes vitamin D when sunlight hits your skin. Too much sun, as we all know, is a risk factor for skin cancer. Not enough sun, as not everybody knows, is a risk factor for dangerously low levels of vitamin D.Women who consume 500 IU of vitamin D a day from low-fat dairy products have a greatly reduced risk of developing breast cancer before menopause.It is known that the skin benefits of Vitamin E are significant especially for the skin suffering with acne. Usually, acne affects people with oily skin. Scientists are still not sure what exactly causes acne; some say it is genetic, and others argue that acne is caused by hormonal changes in a teenage body. Whatever the cause of excessive oil production is, the result is clogged pores and infection.Recent research shows the risk of cancer and heart disease is considerably lower in people who consume 5-7 serves of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables.Most people ignore other outstanding health benefits of vitamin D that is clearly beneficial to the immune system, also to our good humor and to our muscles. But, one of the health benefits of vitamin D that has been often neglected is the one that has to do with women skeleton and osteoporosis. In fact, the health benefits of vitamin D, from this standpoint, are even more important than calcium.


Vitamin A and vitamin B2 are both needed for healthy vision. Without getting enough of these vitamins you can suffer from a variety of vision problems. In the worst cases a deficiency can lead to a condition called night blindness where you cannot see in the dark.Vitamin A and vitamin D both help your body create strong, healthy bones. Failure to get enough of these two vitamins can lead to a number of bone related problems such as osteoporosis (which causes reduced bone density) and rickets (which causes your bones to swell and fracture).Vitamins are required by your body to perform a number of essential functions. However, many people are unclear when it comes to the exact benefits that vitamins can provide.