Sponsored Links
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion machine, constantly burning fuel, disposing of the waste products of combustion, and constantly rebuilding tissue by replacing worn out, dead cells with new, fresh ones.
Every seven years virtually every cell in the body is replaced, some types of cells having a faster turnover rate than others, which means that over a seven year period several hundred pounds of dead cells must be digested (autolyzed) and eliminated.
All by itself this would be a lot of waste disposal for the body to handle. Added to that waste load are numerous mild poisons created during proper digestion. And added to that can be an enormous burden of waste products created as the body’s attempts to digest the indigestible, or those tasty items we all love - “junk food.” Add to that burden the ruinous effects of just plain overeating.
The waste products of digestion, of indigestion, of cellular breakdown and the general metabolism are all poisonous to one degree or another. Another word for this is toxic.
If these toxins were allowed to remain and accumulate in the body, it would poison itself and die in agony. So the body has a processing system to eliminate toxins. And when that system does break down the body does die in agony, as from liver or kidney failure.
The organs of detoxification remove things from the body’s system, but these two vital organs should not be confused with what hygienists call the secondary organs of elimination, such as the large intestine, lungs, bladder and the skin, because none of these other eliminatory organs are supposed to purify the body of toxins. That is the job of the liver and kidneys.
But when the body is faced with toxemia, the secondary organs of elimination are frequently pressed into this duty and the consequences are the symptoms we call illness.
The lungs are supposed to eliminate only carbon dioxide gas; not self-generated toxic substances.
The large intestine is supposed to pass only insoluble food solids (and some nasty stuff dumped into the small intestine by the liver).
Skin eliminates in the form of sweat (which contains mineral salts) to cool the body, but the skin is not supposed to move toxins outside the system.
But when toxins are flowed out through secondary organs of elimination these areas become inflamed, irritated, weakened. The results can be skin irritations, sinusitis or a whole host of other “itises” depending on the area involved, bacterial or viral infections, asthma.
When excess toxemia is deposited instead of eliminated, the results can be arthritis if toxins are stored in joints, rheumatism if in muscle tissues, cysts and benign tumors. And if toxins weaken the body’s immune response, cancer.
The liver and the kidneys, the two heroic organs of detoxification, are the most important ones; these jointly act as filters to purify the blood.
In an ideal world, the liver and kidneys would keep up with their job for 80 years or more before even beginning to tire. In this ideal world, the food would of course, be very nutritious and free of pesticide residues, the air and water would be pure, people would not denature their food and turn it into junk.
In this perfect world everyone would get moderate exercise into old age, and live virtually without stress. In this utopian vision, the average healthy productive life span would approach a century, entirely without using food supplements or vitamins. In this world, doctors would have next to no work other than repairing traumatic injuries, because everyone would be healthy. But this is not the way it is.
In our less-than-ideal world virtually everything we eat is denatured, processed, fried, salted, sweetened, preserved; thus more stress is placed on the liver and kidneys than nature designed them to handle. Except for a few highly fortunate individuals blessed with an incredible genetic endowment that permits them to live to age 99, most peoples’ liver and kidneys begin to break down prematurely. Thus doctoring has become a financially rewarding profession.
Most people overburden their organs of elimination by eating whatever they feel like eating whenever they feel like it.
Eating is a very habitual and unconscious activity; frequently we continue to eat as adults whatever our mother fed us as a child. It is therefore not surprising that when people develop the very same disease conditions as their parents, they wrongly assume the cause is genetic inheritance, when actually it was just because they were putting their feet under the same table as their parents.
Read More at: http://www.XTherapist.com
No comments
“Unless that apple tastes like the best apple you’ve ever tasted in your life, unless that treat or slight deviation in your diet tastes like a dish prepared by a professional chef ? you ain’t doing it right?unless you are always on the brink of hunger ? hunger so deep and intense that eating a single piece of fruit or having a bagel with a hint of jelly is a transcendental taste experience, than you need to redouble your diet effort. There comes a point in deep dieting where the slightest stray from your day to day eating routine results in what I’d call, amplified taste.”
This statement was made by a well known professional bodybuilder I interviewed in 1982 just prior to a major competition; he carried a 4% body fat percentile weighing 232 pounds with 19-inch arms and a 31-inch waist.
“I would love just one sip of that beer?but of course that is ridiculous; I cannot have even one sip of that beer ? not that it wouldn’t be incredible?that sip would taste so incredible? As soon as this competition is over in three days I can have all the sips of beer I want - and I shall!”
This man won the Mr. Olympia competition within a week. Denial and discipline are dietary keys but an overlooked aspect is acquiring “amplified taste phenomena.”
“When Douglas MacArthur liberated General Wainwright’s survivors of the Bataan death march in 1945, they treated the emaciated survivor’s to a banquet consisting of the first real food these men had eaten after four years of brutalization and starvation. A major literally fainted away and fell to the floor in a fit of taste euphoria after he took a single sip of cold, whole milk.” –William Manchester, American Caesar
Hunger and heightened taste are inexorably linked. You can improve your quest to effect a total physical transformation by purposefully getting in touch with hunger. Okay, so maybe you don’t have to take it to the extremes used by those competing in professional bodybuilding competitions or perhaps you need not develop the taste deprivation sense of a concentration camp survivor, but getting in touch with hunger could be the missing piece of the dietary puzzle. Hunger and taste amplification could bust you through to the next level. Progress need be visible, tangible and statistically verifiable. A sensible fitness program has twin goals: add muscle, strip away body fat.
Like a sculptor paring marble into a sleek and defined finished product, we lift weights to build muscle and we diet and engage in cardio to melt off unhealthy and unsightly body fat. The culmination of all our training and diet effort is a muscular, fat-free physique. When proper exercise and precision eating are combined in a balanced way they create a physical synergy wherein the sum of the individual parts exceeds realistic results. When synergy is achieved (a direct result of a precise balance between progressive resistance training, cardiovascular training and precision eating) rapid physical transformation happens incredibly quickly. To trigger true transformation, not imagined or infinitesimal, nutrition and exercise must weave together in a delicate ballet.
Intense effort must be offset with nutrient-based regeneration: proper nutrients need be consumed in proper amounts at the proper time. Carefully consider the relationship between taste and hunger and if you scratch below the surface you will see that hunger can be used to manipulate powerful primordial urges. Can you use hunger in such a way that primitive hardwiring can be used to advantage instead of as a detrimental binge trigger? Yes but this is a high-wire act without a net. Getting in touch with hunger can be both smart and productive; hunger amplifies the sense of taste and hunger makes us appreciate what we get when we get it. Hunger is multi-leveled and multidimensional.
One trick of the bodybuilding trade is to purposefully induce intense hunger in order to achieve an amplified sense of taste. By carefully preserving this heightened taste sensibility we eat less and appreciate it more. A binge becomes eating an entire apple instead of an entire half gallon of ice cream. Once true hunger is achieved, we reintroduce foods into back our diet?slowly, carefully?savoring them and appreciating them ? never overwhelming the taste buds and never exceeding our reduced capacity. In doing so, we prolong the amplified taste sensation.
Take three days and gradually, imperceptibly, eliminate solid food. At the end of 72-hours fruit juice and protein shakes are all that is consumed. Adhere to this for another 24 to 72 hours. After the fast period, reintroduce foods one at a time. At this juncture, the taste buds are so alert, tactile sensibility so dramatically elevated that food never tasted better. By not going hog-wild, by reintroducing foods in a controlled fashion, we purposefully preserve hunger. By coming in low and light and precise in our portion size, quantity and quality, we maintain the precious amplified taste sensation.
By purposefully preserving hunger we also ensure rapid and complete nutrient assimilation and improve food utilization. Go on a fast to acquire a deep and intense sense of hunger and don’t go crazy coming off the fast. Reintroduce foods and once the food is reintroduced, reintroduce exercise ? gradually and slowly. Put it all together and you force the human body to oxidize stored body fat in order to fuel caloric shortfall.
Once this physiological phenomenon of taste depravation takes hold, it will continue until the individual does something to derail this marvelous heightened state. Professional bodybuilders purposefully put themselves into this amazing metabolic state and stay there for weeks on end, resulting, ultimately, in a body that is virtually fat-free while still retaining 90% of hard-earned gym muscle. Let’s expropriate these tactics for our own purposes.
ACCESSING THE HUNGER ZONE
When you decide to come off the juice and protein shake fast, add back, in order:
Coming off the liquid fast, regardless the length of time you are able to maintain it, be it 24-48-72 or more hours, the first foods you taste will have a taste intensity that need be savored and preserved. That first piece of fruit you taste coming off the liquid fast will rival the descriptive ecstasy our IFBB pro bodybuilder used when recounting eating his apple. Depravation heightens taste sensitivity and as long as you don’t overwhelm this amplified sense of taste, as long as you avoid eating too much or too often, you can maintain the taste ultra-sensitivity and thereby ’stay hungry.’ Hunger as we use the term, denotes the proper combination of calories and activity and results in an elevated metabolism.
For all intents and purposes think of the metabolism as the body’s thermostat. By turning up the thermostat we increase the number of calories burned while at rest. An accelerated metabolism allows us to eat often and eat a relatively high number of calories. The trick is not allowing ourselves to go berserk and begin recklessly consuming an excessive amount of calories derived from impure sources ? saturated fat, sugar or alcohol. The body’s delicate metabolic gyroscope will be knocked off its pivot point and the accelerated metabolism becomes sluggish and inefficient unless great care is taken.
Get in touch with hunger on a periodic basis ? we all need to have sludge eliminated and the primordial sense of amplified taste reestablished. So take a tip from the pros and get hungry in a systematic fashion every once in a while.
Marty Gallagher is a former strength and fitness columnist for washingtonpost.com. He is also a former national and world champion powerlifter. Marty has written for world-renowned publications, including Powerlifting USA, Muscle & Fitness, and Muscle Media. His website, http://www.martygallagher.com, assimilates years of accumulated knowledge from the athletic elite and makes them accessible to the average person. The “Purposeful Primitive” way is deceptively simple, yet profoundly effective in the pursuit of fat loss, building muscle, increasing strength, and improving health. Read about diet basics, strength training secrets, bodybuilding, and physical transformation in Marty’s daily blogs.
No commentsThe training of our eye doctors in this country is very comprehensive there have been major advances in treatment of eye disease and even laser surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism is available today. But it doesn’t really correct the underlying problem of why it is there to begin with. Eye care in this country is symptom oriented. In our training as eye doctors we’re taught that once something goes wrong with your eyes there is not much that can be done to help reverse the condition. Vision problems are multiplying at epidemic proportions in our society. The eye care industry is a multi-billion dollar business. Glasses, contact lenses, and eye surgery are the major tools of that industry and these enter the lives of virtually all of the citizens of the Western world. Aldous Huxley wrote in his book The Art of Seeing", that if everyone who had deficient vision had broken legs, the streets would be full of cripples.”
Patients come in year after year, their eyesight getting worse. Conventional eye care professionals just give them stronger and stronger glasses. Something is wrong with this picture. Cataracts are present to some degree in nearly all adults over the age of 70 years old. These patients are told, “Let’s wait until the cataract “ripens”(gets worse), and then we can remove it surgically.” Something is wrong with this picture. Patients with macular degeneration and glaucoma are told, ” We’ll watch it and try to keep it under control.” The amount of children in our schools being labeled learning disabled and/or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is increasing every year. Where is the much needed prevention, education and rehabilitation? something is wrong with this picture as well.
People think that eye problems are just a natural course of life’s process, but people’s vision can improve. When people are given so called “corrective” lenses they are being sold a false bill of goods. “Corrective” lenses don’t really correct anything. Most of the time when people get their glasses it usually causes more dependency on them along with the eyes losing some of their natural flexibility. I’m interested in an aggressive prevention program so that many eye conditions can be prevented and corrected.
So what’s is wrong with the conventional treatment for certain eye conditions. Let’s look at nearsightedness and glaucoma.
For example, if you need glasses the eye doctor will prescribe them and you will thank them then pay them for the eye examination and glasses. In a couple of years or sooner the prescription may not be good enough for you to see clearly so you will come back get another examination and probably get stronger glasses and thank them and pay them again.
If you have glaucoma, a similar same thing happens. You come to the office and you may get eye drops to help stabilize the pressure and are told that you will probably be on these eye drops the rest of your life. Where is the prevention, and or rehabilitation?
We have to look at vision the same way that Chinese medicine looks at disease. We look at not if “X” causes “Y “but what is the relationship between “X” and “Y”. The eye is an extension of brain tissue and it reflects what your thinking and feeling. The eyes help us adapt to the world and they give us an indication of how we are adapting to the world. It is the primary way we take in information.
For instance, nearsightedness doesn’t just happen. Did you know that 90 percent of accountants are nearsighted, but less than 10 percent of farmers are? That’s because accountants spend a lot of time focused on up close tasks and farmers are usually looking out across the fields. The brain says “if you make me do close work all day, you will have to give up something” and that something is the ability to see at a distance, so obviously how we use and abuse our eyes affects what happens to them. This concept is not usually taken into consideration by most eye doctors. In nearsightedness, I use the analogy of training for a marathon. If your are going to graduate school, law school, medical school, etc. and there is an extremely large amount of reading that needs to be done, so we need to keep our eye muscles flexible in order to handle the amount of close work more easily. Also proper posture, lighting, taking vision and body breaks and proper nutrition all play a part in helping our eyes.
Now in glaucoma let’s say your 55 years old and you have borderline high intraocular pressure which is a possible early sign of glaucoma. The doctor will test your visual field to make sure your peripheral vision is not affected and if your visual field and optic nerve looks normal and the pressure is borderline. The doctor will usually just say come back in 3 to 6 months and we will watch it and if it gets to high we will give you medication. Again very rarely is there anything given preventively to help lower the pressure.
But many things can help, such as paying attention to the following:
1. Stress- in glaucoma as far back as 1818 researchers linked stress to glaucoma. One study showed that glaucoma patients tend to be perfectionists, nervous, anxiety ridden and/or hypersensitive. In Chinese medicine glaucoma is linked to the liver meridian. The emotion associated with the Liver anger/frustration. I may suggest to a patient with glaucoma, that instead of suppressing anger, feel it, but don’t fear it. I tell them to try meditation, tai chi and psychotherapy and remember to smile.
2. Smoking- avoid smoking, it more than doubles the incidence of cataracts , glaucoma, and macular degeneration, by stressing the nerve cells in the macula and reduces the quality of blood circulation
3. Physical Exercise- research has shown that glaucoma patients who take a brisk 40 minute walk 5 days a week for three months can reduce their eye pressure by approximately 2.5 mm.
4. Diet-fruits and vegetables, drink 8-10 glasses of water per day but not with food-30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after a meal optimally, avoid sugars, fried foods, alcohol, caffeine.
5. Nutritional supplementation-alpha lipoic acid-200mg, vitamin C-3000 mg, Coenzyme Q10-100mg, essential fatty acids-omega 3’s-1500mg-black currant seed, flax see, cold water fish-salmon mackerel, magnesium- 500 mg-to help relax the smooth muscles that are what regulates the outflow of aqueous humor from the inner eye.
6. Body work-chiropractic, massage therapy, cranial-sacral etc
My philosophy is that people are more than an interesting set of symptoms that must be treated with the proper drug or glasses. We function on several levels; emotional, spiritual, and physical. It is important to take all of these levels into consideration when treating a patient, because merely treating the physical symptoms of the condition does not address how that condition impacts and emerges from all of those levels of your being. So in treating the eye all these factors must be taken into consideration.
Let’s start with nutrition, because more than 25 per cent of the nutrients we absorb from our food go to nourish the visual system. The diet plan I prescribe emphasizes a variety of whole foods, because the body does not use each vitamin or mineral in isolation.
The diet I recommend includes the following: 1) whole grains including brown rice, millet, spelt and buckwheat, 2) sea vegetables such as dulse, nori and hijiki because they are high in minerals, 3) fresh fruits and vegetables such as kale, collard greens and spinach. These greens are especially good for the eyes since they have amounts of lutein, which is a carotenoid that studies have proven helps protect the macula of the eye and the lens of the eye. This is particularly important for macula degeneration.
But no matter how wholesome and pure our food might be, there are factors that affect its nutrient content. How it is grown, how it is stored, and how it is cooked. Your age, health, activity level and stress also can affect what your body needs and how well it uses the nutrients from your diet. This is where supplements come in. I routinely recommend vitamin and mineral supplements to my patients
Besides relieving pain, acupressure can rebalance qi throughout the body. I’ve found acupressure to be very beneficial in the treatment of eye disease and I recommend it since a patient can do it themselves.
Both eye and physical exercise are extremely important in the treatment and prevention of eye conditions because it raises oxygen levels in the cells and increases lymph and blood circulation. From a Chinese standpoint, eye problems mean there is a stagnant energy and exercise helps get rid of the stagnation. This increased circulation revitalizes the organs and glands and speeds up detoxification of the body. I recommend that you gently build up to aerobic exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes per day, four days a week.
The following are some important tips to keep our eyes vibrant and alive.
Don’t keep your eyes focused in one place for a sustained period of time. Change your focus, look up and out a window if possible, just keep your eyes moving, sustained contraction of the eyes leads to contraction of the entire upper body. And don’t stare that also causes tension in the visual system.
Get at least 20 minutes of natural sunlight a day minimum. The eyes are light sensing organs so its important to get sunlight so that they can work optimally.
Quit smoking!!! This is probably the number on eye irritant. Somokers have a 50 to 100 per cent increased risk for every eye disease.
Avoid sugar; it depletes the body of the nutrients the eyes need. And avoid alcohol since it causes stress to the liver, which is where Vitamin A is processed.
For more information on how to keep your eye healthy contact us at http://www.naturaleyecare.com or 1-888-735-8475
Dr. Grossman is one of the leading holistic eye doctors, has been in practice for over 27 years, and is the author of a number of 5 books on natural eye care including the following: co-author of Magic Eye - A 3D Guide (Andrews and McMeel, 1995), Natural Vision Care - An Encyclopedia (Keats Publishing) printed in April, 1999, Greater Vision (McGraw Hill) printed in September, 200, and "Natural Eye Care: A Comprehensive Manual for Practitioners of Oriental Medicine", which is a 230-page manual describing both the Western and Eastern approaches to preserving eyesight for over 20 specific eye conditions. His newest book was just released in June, 2004 and is entitled Beyond 3D : Improve Your Vision with Magic Eye by Marc Grossman (Author), Magic Eye Inc. (Author)
Dr. Grossman lectures nationally on topics such as Natural Vision Improvement, Vision and Nutrition, Psycho-Emotional Aspects of Visual Conditions, Vision & Learning, Holistic Integrative Visual Therapy, and Chinese Medicine and Vision Care.
No commentsResearch from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has now proven that women who eat the most whole grains lose more weight and maintain that weight loss better than women who eat the least amount of whole grains.
In a twelve year study of over 74,000 nurses, ages 38 to 63, the researchers discovered that women who ate the most whole grain foods weighed less than those who ate the least. The Harvard scientists concluded that the high whole grain group of women had a 49 percent lower risk of gaining weight. The women eating the most whole grains also had a much lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.
For many years now, nutritional research has recommended the consumption of nutritious whole grains because they’re rich in vitamin E and other essential oils, B complex, protein, minerals and high quality fiber. But, this is the first time that whole grains have been proven to have such a major effect on both weight loss and optimal weight management.
Although some popular diets lump all carbohydrates together, this study proved there is a major distinction. As I’ve said before, “All carbohydrates are not created equal.” In the Harvard study, women who ate large quantities of processed, refined grains tended to be obese, whereas women who ate the most whole grains weighed less than all the other women in the study and had less tendency to gain weight.
So, be sure to include 100% whole grain breads and cereals in your weight loss program. Read the labels. Look for the coarsest, least processed whole grains. Sprouted and stone ground are best. And make sure that high glycemic sweeteners are not high on the ingredient list. European style rye bread or hearty rye crackers are also good choices. The coarser the grain the better. The same goes for cereal. Old fashioned oatmeal should be your choice rather than oat flakes or “instant’ hot cereals. Avoid ‘puffed” cereals also, even though they might claim to be 100 % whole grain. My favorite breads are “Ezekiel” from Food for Life. They can usually be found refrigerated at most major health food stores.
This latest research shows that you can eat hearty whole grains, enjoy these low glycemic carbohydrates and stay trim and healthy. Because now we can say for a fact that whole grains help prevent weight gain.
Moss Greene makes it easy for you to create buoyant, vibrant health. Learn the simple things that make a big difference in how you look and feel. To receive your free newsletter visit: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3859.asp
No commentsBiological oxidation involves transferring electrons from one oxygen molecule to another. Sometimes an electron escapes. When this happens the "free" electron is called a free radical. Free radicals constantly form almost everywhere in the body at an astonishing rate. Free radicals can be enemies or friends. Our body’s internal environment must interact with them the right way, or they can cause serious damage. The key is to maintain the optimal balance between free radicals and antioxidants.
Antioxidants are a group of compounds that are produced by the body, or occur naturally in many plants. Antioxidants are the free radical police of the body, on call 24/7. Antioxidants protect us from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Populations that consume large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, tea, and red wine enjoy increased longevity and decreased risk of serious diseases. Scientific literature suggests that dietary supplementation with single nutrients may not be beneficial, but that whole food supplements that contain a naturally occurring blend of nutrients is preferred. The literature has documented that the interaction of combined nutrients can produce a total effect that is synergistic. The effects of the blend are greater than the sum of the effects of individual nutrient.
Australian Bush Plum ? is a small deciduous tree found in Northwestern Australia. During the wet season the plant produces small plum like fruits that look and taste like gooseberries.
Nutrient analysis indicate that the fruit contains small amounts of vitamin B1 and B2; it also contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and phosphorus. With the average vitamin C content of 3.0 ? 3.5% (range= .2 to 5.9%) the bush plum provides the most concentrated natural source of vitamin C known. The typical bush plum contains about 2907 mg vitamin C per 100 grams of edible fruit.
Grape Skin Extract ? Recognition that whole food extracts contain a full complement of naturally occurring phytonutrients stimulated studies of grape skin extracts. Resveratrol and Quercetin are the most extensively researched grape skin phytonutrients.
Resveratrol ? Scientific studies indicate that resveratrol has a wide range of potentially important physiological activities. It can function as:
·a potent antioxidant
·an inhibitor of tumor initiation, promotion, and progression
·an inhibitor of cycloxygenase, a tumor promoting enzym
·an anti-inflammatory agent
·a phytoestrogen
Quercetin ? The biological effects of quercetin and its derivatives have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help protect against many different diseases. Studies suggest that quercetin and its derivatives protect low-density lipoproteins from oxidation, thus preventing atherosclerotic plaque formation. By inhibiting platelet aggregation and promoting vascular smooth muscle relaxation, these flavonoids also may prevent stroke, hypertension, and other damaging cardiovascular events. In addition, they have anti-viral and anti-cancer actions as well.
The preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that a diet rich in flavonoids supports good health. Because many people consume insufficient amounts of flavonoid rich foods, and because cooking causes significant losses of flavonoids (35-82%), supplementation seems appropriate.
Green Tea Extract ? The health benefits of green tea have been recognized for centuries, and scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of drinking this popular beverage. Both in vitro and animal studies suggest green tea and green tea extracts elicit a broad range of health promoting effects, particularly in supporting cardiovascular health and protecting against infections and cancer. Current studies indicate that a daily tea intake of 6 ? 10 cups is required to obtain benefits. Because it may be difficult for many of us to drink so much tea every day, supplementing with tea extracts makes sense.
Glutathione is produced by our bodies and is the key antioxidant. It protects us from many types of pollution. It protects our DNA and RNA from free radical damage. Glutathione also protects us against cellular damage caused by heavy metals, cigarette smoke, pesticides, benzene, solvents, dyes, phenols, nitrates, and smog.
According to a study done at the University of California glutathione is poorly absorbed when taken orally. Therefore our diet, or taking a glutathione supplement, cannot provide us with sufficient quantity. So how do we get it? A glyconutrient complex has been scientifically shown to increase glutathione levels in healthy tissue. It will increase glutathione levels by 50% when tissues have been subjected to direct toxic chemical assault.
This fact was demonstrated in a study done by three different laboratories simultaneously, each being unaware of what the other labs were doing. The final result clearly demonstrated that this glyconutrient complex raises glutathione ? not just in healthy tissue, but also in response to a toxic chemical assault.
It is apparent that supplementation with single nutrients may not suffice, and that whole food extracts containing a variety of naturally occurring nutrients are preferred. Independent studies have shown that a synergistic combination of the above ingredients results in a 36% increase in serum antioxidant activity.
If you would like to receive more information on antioxidants please e-mail Dr. Enders at glycodoc@goldenkeys.net. Please put "antioxidants" in subject line.
No commentsWhat if a trusted friend were to tell you about an investment where you could not possibly go wrong…what would be your reaction? And what if there was a virtual mountain of credible information that supported the investment claims…wouldn’t you be inclined to take advantage of the opportunity and not miss out on the rewards? Although the answer to these questions seems apparent, when it comes to investing in our health and quality of life we often choose to ignore what obviously works. Take for example, exercise…
Physical fitness may be the ultimate investment opportunity. Think of it this way. If you are willing to make the commitment (investment), you will feel and look healthier, have an abundance of energy, be more self-confident, more productive and discover a more joyous and fulfilling life. These are rewards that money cannot buy and the substance of high quality living. And, the investment of exercise becomes even more attractive when you consider that there is absolutely no down-side risk. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. How much better can it get? How many times can you remember ever having a better offer? The honest answer is probably never, and yet many of us fail to act on this extraordinary opportunity. We simply choose to procrastinate or ignore the proven benefits of exercise!
Here are a few reasons that sometimes inhibit our willingness to “step out” and make a change or take a chance:
- Sometimes our vision gets clouded. We lose tract of what is really important. When this happens, it’s time to forget the trees and look at the forest. Try to focus on exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Sometimes we get so caught up in the detail that I forget where I’m going.
- If we look at the “big” picture, it can seem overwhelming. And the bigger the task, the more overwhelming it can seem. Break the task apart into smaller pieces. Want to lose 50 pounds? Go for 10 pounds, five at a time! Need to start an exercise program? Begin with short, simple exercises and slowly expand your routine. The absolute worse approach to exercise is to overdo it when first starting the program. We seem to have this all or none mindset where we end up killing ourselves the first few times out. We end up stiff, tired, disillusioned, and then quit. Moderation is the key.
- Have you ever not wanted to start something for fear of failure? Take the first step and acknowledge the fear, then the next step will come easier. Fear of the unknown scares us so much we don’t want to even begin. Once fears are acknowledged, they usually quiet down. Taking the first step allows us to go past the fear and on to the next step.
- Sometimes we start to think that a task is unpleasant or boring. Just like any other activity, this can also be true for exercise. There are days when we just plain lack the enthusiasm and motivation to continue. It’s part of human nature. On days like these focus on ‘why’ you are doing it. Think about all the people you care about and who may need and rely on you. What would happen if you became ill or disabled and was unable to work for a period of time, or worse, if you were out of the picture completely. How would things change? If something happened tomorrow, how would your family or business manage without you? What do you want your life to be like in the future? There are many tasks or chores we do, that we may not like, but are necessary to live a happen and productive life. Focus on the bigger picture.
- Indecision can be defeating, but doing “anything” is better than doing nothing. There are no wrong choices and very few choices that can’t be undone or done again. Can’t decide on a particular exercise program or routine? Pick a few exercises and start with something simple. If you don’t like it, go on to the next exercise.
- When you lack the confidence to start something new, take a deep breath and try to figure out why. Are you hesitating because you really lack the skill or is it just imagined? If it’s real, try to find out where to gain the skills you need or find someone with the right skills who can help. In the case of exercise, finding a qualified personal fitness trainer can sometimes do the trick, but be wary…some PFT’s are overzealous and tend to start newcomers on programs that are too strenuous.
- Life just seems too busy to find time for some activities. Large, uninterrupted chunks of time are very hard to come by. And if we’re honest, when they do come, we’d rather do something totally pleasurable! Exercise has to become part of your routine. It can’t be an option. Make it a high priority just the same as your career, and other areas of interest. You will be surprised at how easy exercise becomes when approached this way!
- Have you ever subconsciously (or otherwise) invited distractions so that you have a “good” reason not to get something done? Sometimes it’s the simple things like answering the phone or sitting down to watch that “one” TV program, that distract us. When you find yourself doing this, take control of the situation and make a conscious decision to do what you are avoiding.
To reap the benefits of exercise, or any other health related endeavor, you must agree to become a willing participant. This will require due diligence on your part. And remember, as you embark on your mission you are investing in something near and dear to your own heart…your life and a future of healthy living.
Author: Arnel Ricafranca
Arnel Ricafranca
Fitness Expert/ Master Trainer
Founder of Fitness VIP
Located in Randolph and Stanhope NJ
http://www.fitness-vip.com
AskArnel@gmail.com
REDUCE YOUR WEIGHT
Now you are not very far from losing your excess fats and unwanted weight. You know to get something you usually have to lose anything and in this case to get success you are going to lose your weight and I hope you would like to lose it.
This article will teach you the best diet schedule that will make smart 95% depending on how well you follow it. I have tried this schedule on many fat people including me and believe me I always got positive results. I lost my 10 kg weight in just one and half month. There is nothing I could say about it.
DIETS
The diet sheet that follows have been constructed to illustrate the quantities and qualitative aspects of diets required for the treatment obesity and diabetic mellitus. The quantities given in standard diet sheet will obviously require some modification in relation to the size, age, sex and occupation of the patient. In the dietetic treatment of most diseases it is unnecessary to weigh accurately the amounts of the different food eaten. Under these circumstances sufficient accuracy will be secured by the use of household measures as illustrated in Diet 1 and by the term small, medium and large helping for meat, chicken or fish. A small helping weighs approximately 30-60 grams (1 to 2 oz), a medium helping 60-90 grams (2 to 3 oz) and a large helping 120 grams (4 oz) or more.
The qualitative content of the diet, i.e. the actual food consumed, will vary widely. The examples detailed here are suitable for person whose food habits are those of the western world. If they are to be effective therapeutically, diet prescriptions must be carefully adapted to take account of national, cultural and local eating habits.
LOW ENERGY (CALORIE) DIET
Suitable for adults with obesity with or without diabetes. Approximately: Protein 60 grams. Carbohydrates 100 grams. Fat 40 grams. Energy 1000 kcal (4184 kj)
EARLY MORNING:
Cup of tea, milk from allowance, if desired.
BREAKFAST:
1 egg or 30 g (1 oz) grilled lean bacon (2 rashers) or cold ham or exchange with margarine or butter from allowance. Tea or coffee, with milk from allowance.
MID-MORNING:
Tea or coffee, with milk from allowance, or free drink from group A3 1 cream cracker or water biscuit.
MID-DAY MEAL:
Clear soup, tomato juice or grapefruit, if desired. Small helping, 60gram (2oz) lean meat, ham, poultry, game or offal or 90 gram (3 oz) white fish (steamed, baked, or grilled) or two eggs or 45 gram (1/2 oz) cheese. Salad or vegetables form group A1 as desired. 40 gram (1 1/3 oz) bread (white or brown) or exchange, with margarine or butter from allowance if desired. 1 portion of fruit from bread exchange list below Tea or coffee with milk from allowance.
MID AFTERNOON
20 gram (2/3 oz) white or brown bread or exchange, with margarine or butter from allowance.
EVENING MEAL:
Clear soup, meat or yeast extracts, tomato juice or grapefruit, if desired. Small helping, 60 gram (2 oz) lean meat, ham, poultry, game or offal or 90 gram (3 oz) white fish (steamed, baked, or grilled) or two eggs or 45 gram (1/2 oz) cheese. Salad or vegetables form group A1 as desired. 40 gram (1 1/3 oz) bread (white or brown) or exchange, with margarine or butter from allowance if desired. 1 portion of fruit from bread exchange list below Tea or coffee with milk from allowance. BEFORE BED: Tea or coffee with milk from allowance. 1 cream cracker or water biscuit ALLOWANCE FOR DAY: 200 ml (1/3 pint) milk semi-skimmed or skimmed. 15 gram (1/2 oz) margarine or butter EXCHANGE FOR 20 GRAM (2/3 oz) BREAD 2 cream crackers 1.5 of any crisp bread 2 water biscuits 1 oat cakes 1 Potato (size of hen’s egg) 1 Portion of fruit form list below Fruit List: 1 Medium apple, 1 orange, 1 pear, 1 small banana, 10 grapes
GROUP A: Foods Which May Be Taken As Desired
? VEGETABLES:
Artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, French beans, runner beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, courgette, cucumber, endive, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard and cress, onions, parsley, pumpkin, radishes, salsify, seakale, spinach, swede, tomatoes, turnip tops, vegetable marrow, watercress.
? FRUITS: (stewed without sugar or raw)
Any fruit fresh, frozen or canned in natural fruit juice but not avocado, dried fruit or fruit canned in syrup.
? DRINKS:
Water, soda water, tea or coffee ( without milk or sugar ), lemon juice, tomato juice, diabetic fruit squash, diet cola, clear soup 9 chicken or beef cubes may be used )
? MISCELLINOUS:
Saccharine or any proprietary sweetening agents ( except sorbitol ) salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, herbs, spices, gelatine, Flavorings and coloring may be used.
GROUP B: Foods Which May Be Avoided
All fried foods, Sugar ( brown or white ), glucose, and sorbitol. Sweets, toffees, chocolates, corn flour, custard powder, jam, marmalade, lemon curd, syrup, honey, treacle. Tinned, frozen or bottled fruits. Dried fruits, e.g. Dates, prune e.t.c. , Cakes, buns, pastries, pies, steamed or milked puddings. Sweets or chocolates biscuits, scones. Cereals, e.g. rice, sago, macaroni, barley, spaghetti. Breakfast cereal, porridge. Ice creams, fresh or synthetic creams. Table jelly. Evaporated or condensed milk. Peas, parsnips, beetroot, sweet corn, haricot beans, butter beans, broad beans, lentils. Nuts Salad cream, salad dressing, mayonnaise. Tomato and brown sauce or any thickened sauce. Sweet pickles and chutney, Thickened soups, gravies. Alcoholic drinks e.g. beer, wine, sherry or spirits. Sweetened fruit juices, fruit squash, coca cola and other sweet, fizzy and ?soft drinks? Starch reduced products, ?diabetic? foodstuffs. Sausages. All foods must be served without thickened gravies and sauces. All foods may be baked, grilled, boiled or steamed ? but not fried.
I hope you would follow this diet sheet to get best results. I, Alan John, have always tried to guide and help people as much as I could whether it is matter of health or computer. Visit My Homepage to get more Help And Tips
No commentsWhen you are in the season of the mosquito, it is looked upon with horror for those who suffer allergic reactions. But even if you do not get these reactions it is still looked upon by most as an unpleasant, unavoidable summertime irritant. No one wants to be bitten, especially with the threat of West Nile and other diseases. But what can you do?
The first step is to get yourself educated. Knowing what draws the mosquito to its host and what you can do to lessen being bitten can make your summertime outings and barbeques that much more enjoyable.
Here are some of the things that can attract the mosquito to you:
1) Dark clothes and flowery prints attract mosquitoes. When you go out, wear light colored clothing.
2) Sweet smelling perfumes, hair sprays and suntan lotions are an attraction. It is best not to be wearing any type of fragrance when you go out.
3) They also detect us from the carbon dioxide we breath out, (from as far as 75 ft away). It is recommended that if you must do anything strenuous, that it be done indoors. You do not want to promote heavier breathing because you are making yourself more of a target.
4) Mosquitoes are also attracted by the heat and sweat from your body. The heat mixed with our body chemistry determines whether you are likely to be bitten or not. There actually are people who rarely get bitten, and others who seem to be magnets for them. Studies are currently being done to determine what chemical compounds can be isolated so effective repellants can be made in the future.
5) Mosquitoes are more likely to bite you in the morning and at dusk. There are mosquitoes that can bite you throughout the day but the general rule is stay indoors in the morning and around dusk.
There are things you can do around your yard to control mosquito population. It takes only about a cup of water for mosquitoes to breed so if you have any water being pooled anywhere, take the steps necessary to make an unfriendly environment for mosquitoes to breed. You will be helping yourself and your neighbors.
For the last 50 years we have mainly relied on the controversial DDT sprays, which have been effective if used as directed, but we are now at a stage where some of us want a more natural approach to mosquito control. There are herbs that help in the control of biting insects. When you are looking for a product, check to see if any of these herbs are listed in the ingredients. The most effective sprays usually take several of the best herbs and put them together. Here is a list of tested workable herbs:
Oil of cedar, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, rosemary, goldenseal, tea tree oil, calendula, soybean, plus garlic and brewers yeast. It also appears that mosquitoes don’t like B vitamins, in particular thiamine which is B1. If you eat brown rice, brewers yeast, wheat germ, black strap molasses, or fish, these will supply you with B vitamins. Or you can take a good vitamin B complex before your outing. This should help ward off those biting insects. Avoid eating sweets, fruits such as bananas and all sweet fragrances as these can attract mosquitoes.
You can control the biting insects with diet, vitamins and herbs. Eat well and please look for a good (preferably natural) product that has proven insect repellants to help you through the summer. May you have a bite free experience this year.
Resource reference, James F. Balch MD, Nutritional Healing, second addition.
About the Author:
Willie Jones
http://www.promosquitocontrol.com
Willie is a researcher, freelance writer that studies various subjects of interest to provide information to the public.
No commentsYou have two main windows of opportunity when your training. One is 30 minutes before you train (pre-workout meal) and another comes about 30-60 minutes after your workout is over (post-workout meal). The pre-workout meal should consist of a starchy carb and lean protein. The starchy carb will supply the energy you need to get through an intense workout. The protein provides the much needed fuel for your muscles, so they keep a positive nitrogen balance. A great pre-workout meal would be consumed 30 minutes before your workout and would consist of 1 cup of natural oatmeal with one scoop of protein powder. Try to stick with whey protein. Mix it with some water and microwave the dish for about 2 minutes. Stir it up and eat it with a big glass of water.
Your post-workout meal should be consumed as quickly after your workout as possible. This should consist of a simple sugar to spike your insulin levels and rush glycogen back into your muscles which are screaming for fuel by now. Try to stick with either dextrose or maltodextrin as your main source of simple sugar. These can be found in your MRP (meal replacement powder). Also, add another supply of protein to the mix. If you are using a post-workout dextrose based drink, add another scoop of whey protein to it and shake it up. If your drinking an MRP, you should be perfectly fine. Shoot for around 20-30 grams of protein before your workout and 30-50 grams of protein after your workout.
Kris Bierek is a fitness specialist for the health and fitness site http://www.ShapeFit.com where you can find FREE fitness tools like fitness newsletters, dieting tips, weight loss help, exercise questions and a free fitness analysis to help you get into the best shape of your life!
No commentsDo you want more energy? How about more of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes that your body craves? Try eating fruit for breakfast! Fresh fruit ? apples, grapefruit, strawberries, cherries, oranges, kiwi, melon, and grapes all count. In fact, any fruit works ? and there are so many to choose from. Eating fruit for breakfast will get you on the road to having a healthier body right away without having to pump a lot of iron at the gym or take sketchy supplements.
Why diet on fruit for breakfast you ask? Well, to make it simple, fruit in its raw form is exactly what your body needs for energy. It is easy to digest and the sugar from fruit (glucose) is in the form that your body can easily turn into energy. Instead of your body putting a lot of energy towards digestion and turning the food into a useable form of fuel, it is already in an easily digestible form. The energy goes straight to you. Eating nothing but fruit until lunchtime ? however much you want, is a sure fire way to lose weight and become more healthy, almost immediately.
How about a glass of juice ? is that the same as eating an orange? Not really and here is why. Most juice that you purchase at the grocery store is pasteurized. This means that it is heated to a high temperature to kill any bacteria and make the shelf life longer. During this process of heating, many of the wonderful enzymes in the juice are destroyed. Not to mention that many juices are filled with preservatives and sweeteners and are made from concentrates ? not the same as eating a fresh orange to your stomach or body! You’re better off with the real thing!
Try making a smoothie ? here is a recipe that I find very refreshing.
Blend all ingredients until smooth ? and then enjoy! Making these delicious treats are a healthy way to start the day, improve your health, and lose weight!
If you’re not sure about eating fruit for breakfast ? try it and see how wonderful you feel. If you aren’t convinced, eat a normal breakfast ? eggs, pancakes, or a bowl of cereal and see how you feel after eating fruit for a week. It will probably shock you with how tired and lethargic this food makes you feel in the mornings. So, get your metabolism started the right way in the morning ? enjoy a bowl of fresh fruit and start to feel better the old-fashioned way! Bon Appetite!
Robb Ksiazek is a successful author and publisher for the informative Body-Mass-Index-4U.com. He believes in simple solutions in the quest for a fulfilled life through mind, body, and soul.
No comments