My Fitness Forever

Supplements & Your Health

2011-08-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

A lot of grouping these days are disagreeable to get their well being punter. No concern where you channel, from TV to newspapers, you'll see stories most group and how bad their upbeat actually is. Flat though there are some divers companies out there that tender vitamins and supplements and swear that they testament convert your bouncing, you'll pauperization to explore what they request and trustworthy that you aren't meet symptom your money.

If you are perception to alter your eudaemonia, you'll pauperization to try some assorted vitamin supplements to happen which ones are the good for you. You should await at everything acquirable, and not righteous try a few to see what happens. Fast is the saint put to start, as it can piss the most improvements on your upbeat. Fasting can occurrence your embody, and change you experience a lot outgo as fine.

These days, a lot of fill eat way too overmuch sweets and sweeten, choosing processed products over well nutrient. Still tho' it isn't a bad artefact to revel sweets and coffee, you should never micturate a usance out of it. You can noneffervescent like your favourite foods as fine, though you should be hunt at the growing benefits of nutrient as fountainhead and anticipate of everything as a total.

If you include lusty foods specified as salads, vegetables, and product into your fasting, you'll be uptake flushed. Catalyst is also good to your eudaemonia, as it promotes the ontogenesis of your tough. Those of you, who are sincere around feeding bouncing but are unsafe where to signaling, should conjunction a nutritionist. They give be fit to bowman you where to turn, and how to achieve a fit diet that give attempt your life.

Alter tho' you may be eating flourishing or trying to eat whole, you'll belike see yourself wondering virtually vitamins and supplements and how such of an outcome they human on your fasting. Dieticians are paragon to enquire with these types of questions, as they can statement any questions relating to vitamins that you score. They can also narrate you which supplements are nonesuch to your welfare, and which ones you should permit in your diet.

Dissimilar fill will human various needs and requirements, making it important to get advice from a qualified professed. If you get the advice from a professional, you'll bed what you can add to your fast. If you try to do it all yourself without the advice of a grownup, you can end up not exploit sufficiency in your fast, or you could end up attractive something that you shouldn't be assumed.

Preparation is also essential to your fast and your welfare. Though supplements and vitamins give go a monthlong way, grooming will do a lot for your body. If you workout on a steady ground, and accept the moral supplements and vitamins with your fasting, you'll note that you bonk much push and you sense better than you ever fuck in your being with your new fast or locomote out and buy your new vitamin supplements, you should e'er break with your theologizer prime to see if he has any recommendations. You should also swear him what typewrite of take you are intellection on doing, and see if there are any complications with your eudaemonia. Getting a sensible style is e'er a large statement, although you should always consult with your theologist. This way, you'll copulate the superfine way to turn and how to go near feat in the physiologist contour of your lifetime.

Muscle Growths Secrets Revealed

2011-08-14T18:54:00.001-07:00

http://www.myfitnessforever.com/bodybuild.php

Free Weights VS Machine exercise

I want to reveal to you all of my muscle building secrets. Something you need to keep in mind and never forget
is that when you exercise, you are training for
life. You still may spend an hour a day in the
gym, although that will still leave another 23 hours
or so for your muscles to function without using
any fancy equipment.

Whenever you do any type of exercise, the movement
of your body during the exercise is known as the
range of motion. The more difficult the range of
motion is, the more effective the exercise will be,
because your body has to work twice as hard to
perform the movement.

Take for the instance the classic dumbbell bicep
curl. If you aren't familiar with the exercise,
it is performed by standing up straight with your
palms facing forward, and a pair of dumbbells held
down by your sides. You'll contract your biceps
to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulder height,
then repeat the exercise as many times as you wish.

Using that same movement for exercise on a bicep
curl machine, you should sit down, brace your
upper arms on a pad, grasp 2 handles that are in
front of you, then perform the same movement as
above to move the handles in an upward motion.

Now, looking at the muscle contractions in this
exercise, you are contracting essentially your
biceps if you are using the curl machine, and
that is pretty much all you are doing. When you
use the machine you are sitting down, which will
limit just how much your shoulders give. The
machine has several muscles used in this
exercise limited to the biceps, as well as
the muscles in your forearms and fingers.

Most of the time, when using machine weights, you
will always be limited as to what type of exercise
you can perform. You must always follow a strict
procedure, which is pretty much the same with
free weights. Unlike free weights, machine
weights offer a certain degree of resistance.

One of the best thing about free weights is the
fact that you move a little chuck around to
select the weight you want to use. Instead
of dragging it over to your exercise area,
you simply select it on the machine. When
you are tired during a workout, this can be
a blessing.

A lot of people argue in the fact that free
weights are the best for your body. While this
is normally true, many people out there feel that
machine weights are the best. There are pros
and cons with both machines, although free
weights have been around a lot longer and have
been proven time after time to achieve dramatic
results.

Body builders for example, have used free
weights over the years to build very impressive
bodies. If you ask most of them about machine
weights, they would probably laugh at you and
tell you that you need to quit joking around.

In a nutshell, free weights will use more of your
muscles than the machines do, which makes them
more effective overall. This doesn't mean
that the machines are a waste of use, as they
offer some great advantages. In some cases,
it is best to stabilize the muscles that are
being used in a movement, which is where machines
are the best to use.

The decision on which to use for you should be
based on what you hope to achieve with lifting
weights and where you plan to use the equipment,
such as home or at a gym. Both systems are
great for your body, although the free weights
are best to use if you want the best possible
workout, and always ensure that your muscles
are getting the right workouts they need.

http://www.myfitnessforever.com/bodybuild.php

Liquid Vitamin Supplements

2011-08-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Most people do not realise that the body can absorb the nutrients from liquid vitamin supplements easier than from tablets. It is estimated that liquid vitamin supplements are actually absorbed at least five times better than regular vitamin pills. Of course, there are many other benefits that liquid vitamin supplements have over pills. For example, the liquid vitamin supplements are easier to swallow. This alone makes liquid vitamin supplements preferable to pills, especially for children and anyone else who has trouble taking pills of any type.

Young children are often unable to gather sufficient nutrients from the foods that they eat but it is almost impossible for them to take vitamin supplements in pill form. Liquid vitamin supplements are ideal because they can be given by a dropper, straight into the child’s mouth or even added to their regular bottle of water or juice to ensure that they receive all of the vitamins that they need to grow. For exactly the same reason, liquid vitamin supplements are perfect for anyone who is unwell and not able to eat properly.

Despite the best efforts of most people it is likely that most are not getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from their diet and that is where liquid vitamin supplements are beneficial. The vitamins in many common pill supplements are actually packed too densely. This leads to a lot of the vitamins not being broken down and absorbed as they should do whereas liquid vitamin supplements do not have the same problem. The body is therefore able to absorb far more of the nutritional value from liquid vitamin supplements than it can from those in the traditional pill form. In fact, the body only absorbs about 10-20% of the nutrients from vitamin pills compared to around 80-90% that it can absorb from liquid vitamin supplements.

Another benefit of liquid vitamin supplements is that they often contain more than one type of vitamin and other nutrients. Vitamin pills traditionally contain only one which means that you are going to have to take a whole handful of vitamin pills to get the same benefits as you do from many of the liquid vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamin supplements offer far more convenience and effectiveness for supplying the body with the vitamins that it needs. The cost of buying the equivalent number of vitamin pills to obtain the same results is also far more than that of liquid vitamin supplements.

Free Weights VS Machine Exercise

2011-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Something you need to keep in mind and never forget is that when you exercise, you are training for life. You still may spend an hour a day in the gym, although that will still leave another 23 hours
or so for your muscles to function without using any fancy equipment.

Whenever you do any type of exercise, the movement of your body during the exercise is known as the range of motion. The more difficult the range of motion is, the more effective the exercise will be, because your body has to work twice as hard to perform the movement.

Take for the instance the classic dumbbell bicep curl. If you aren't familiar with the exercise, it is performed by standing up straight with your palms facing forward, and a pair of dumbbells held down by your sides. You'll contract your biceps to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulder height, then repeat the exercise as many times as you wish.

Using that same movement for exercise on a bicep curl machine, you should sit down, brace your upper arms on a pad, grasp 2 handles that are in front of you, then perform the same movement as above to move the handles in an upward motion.

Now, looking at the muscle contractions in this exercise, you are contracting essentially your biceps if you are using the curl machine, and that is pretty much all you are doing. When you use the machine you are sitting down, which will limit just how much your shoulders give. The machine has several muscles used in this exercise limited to the biceps, as well as the muscles in your forearms and fingers.

Most of the time, when using machine weights, you will always be limited as to what type of exercise you can perform. You must always follow a strict procedure, which is pretty much the same with free weights. Unlike free weights, machine weights offer a certain degree of resistance.

One of the best thing about free weights is the fact that you move a little chuck around to select the weight you want to use. Instead of dragging it over to your exercise area, you simply select it on the machine. When you are tired during a workout, this can be a blessing.

A lot of people argue in the fact that free weights are the best for your body. While this is normally true, many people out there feel that machine weights are the best. There are pros and cons with both machines, although free weights have been around a lot longer and have been proven time after time to achieve dramatic results.

Body builders for example, have used free weights over the years to build very impressive bodies. If you ask most of them about machine weights, they would probably laugh at you and tell you that you need to quit joking around.

In a nutshell, free weights will use more of your muscles than the machines do, which makes them more effective overall. This doesn't mean that the machines are a waste of use, as they offer some great advantages. In some cases, it is best to stabilize the muscles that are being used in a movement, which is where machines are the best to use.

The decision on which to use for you should be based on what you hope to achieve with lifting weights and where you plan to use the equipment,such as home or at a gym. Both systems are great for your body, although the free weights are best to use if you want the best possible workout, and always ensure that your muscles are getting the right workouts they need.

Salmonella: Ground Turkey Implicated In Outbreak That's Sickened 76, Killed 1

2011-08-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The government is scrambling to find the source of a salmonella outbreak likely linked to ground turkey that has killed one and sickened dozens more.

Finding the source of an outbreak hasn't been easy; the government has been chasing the illnesses for months. The Agriculture Department, which oversees meat safety, said it is still investigating who produced the meat, and the department hasn't initiated a recall.

California state health officials said Tuesday that the one death was in Sacramento County. Seventy-six people in 26 states have been made sick from the same strain of the disease.

The illnesses date back to March, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that cultures of ground turkey from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27 showed contamination with the same strain of salmonella, though those samples were not specifically linked to the illnesses. The agency said preliminary information showed that three of those samples have been linked to the same production establishment but it did not name the retailers or the manufacturers.

Though the government would not comment, a spokesman for the Minnesota-based meat company Cargill said Tuesday that it had been contacted by the Agriculture Department as part of the investigation.

"We have been contacted by FSIS for information about ground turkey processing, which we have provided for their ongoing investigation into Salmonella illnesses," said Michael Martin, referring to the department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

A spokesman for another large, Minnesota-based producer of ground turkey, Hormel, said Tuesday that the company had not been contacted by USDA about the current investigation.

The silence so far from government officials may be attributed to USDA rules that make it harder to investigate and recall salmonella-tainted poultry. Because salmonella is common in poultry, it is not illegal for meat to be tainted with the pathogen. Officials must directly link the salmonella illnesses with a certain producer or establishment, which is difficult to do because people don't always remember what they ate or where they bought it.

In this case, it appears that officials haven't been able to prove the link between the samples of salmonella they found – even though they are the same strain – and the 77 people who were sickened. The Food Safety and Inspection Service sent out an alert about the illnesses late last week telling consumers to properly cook their turkey, which can decrease the chances of salmonella poisoning. But the department has not given consumers any further warnings about the source of the tainted meat.

"Despite an extensive investigation by FSIS and CDC to date, there is little epidemiological information available at this time that conclusively links these illnesses to any specific product or establishment," FSIS spokesman Neil Gaffney said Tuesday. "Without specific enough data, it would not be appropriate to issue a recall notice." Gaffney said the agency was committed to finding the source of the outbreak and then take action to protect public health.

Art Caplan, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, said the government's handling of the outbreak raises ethical questions about why the public wasn't warned sooner.

"You've got to protect the public health. That's their first and primary value – not industry, not any other goal. They have to warn as quickly as they think there's reasonable evidence for concern," Caplan said.

He said uncertainty about the outbreak's source might explain the long silence, but he added, "The moral duty is to really get the word out as soon as you have evidence of a problem."

The illnesses are spread all over the country. The states with the highest number sickened were Michigan and Ohio, 10 illnesses each, while nine illnesses were reported in Texas. Illinois had seven, California six and Pennsylvania five.

The remaining states have between one and three reported illnesses linked to the outbreak, according to the CDC: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

A chart on the CDC's website shows cases have occurred every month since early March, with spikes in May and early June. The latest reported cases were in mid-July, although the CDC said some recent cases may not have been reported yet.

CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said Tuesday it can take three to four weeks to confirm a single case. Identifying an outbreak can take considerably longer than that when cases of foodborne illness occur sporadically, in several states, as has happened in the current outbreak, she said.

Dr. Mark Dworkin, a public health expert at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said it's not surprising that the government alert came months after the first cases were identified.

Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses where "everybody came together at a church supper and ate the same food" are easier to identify than those involving people in many states, he said. "The problem we have is our food is contaminated too often. It's not acceptable that such a large percentage of ground turkey has got such a potentially deadly pathogen."

Ground turkey is considered safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees during cooking. For turkey patties or burgers, internal temperatures on each side should be measured. The government also advises refrigerating meat promptly and washing hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat or poultry.

The CDC estimates that 50 million Americans each year get sick from food poisoning, including about 3,000 who die. Salmonella causes most of these cases and federal health officials say they've made virtually no progress against it.

The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening to some with weakened immune systems.

___

Tanner reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Ground turkey recall under way in California By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER

2011-08-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- Recalls of tainted ground turkey meat are getting under way in California, where one person has died in a national outbreak of salmonella illnesses that has sickened at least 76 people.

California Department of Public Health spokesman Mike Sicilia said Wednesday that tainted turkey meat from food manufacturing giant Cargill is known to have been sold here under the brand names of Kroger, Honeysuckle White and Riverside.

Affected retailers include WinCo, Food 4 Less and Foods Co.

State food safety chief Pat Kennelly urges Californians to check refrigerators and freezers and dispose of any tainted turkey in a sanitary fashion.

---

Cargill recalls 36 million pounds of ground turkey By Tom Watkins, CNN

2011-08-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation announced Wednesday an immediate voluntary recall of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey meat because it may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
Cargill's plant in Springdale, Arkansas, processed the suspect fresh and frozen ground turkey products between February 20 and August 2, the company said in a news release.
Federal health authorities said Tuesday that an outbreak of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg that has killed one person and sickened 76 others in 26 states appears to have been traced to ground turkey products.
The company said it has suspended production of ground turkey products at the processing facility until it can determine the source of the bacteria strain.
Other turkey products from Springdale are not affected by the recall. Nor are products from Cargill's three other turkey processing facilities in the United States.
"It is regrettable that people may have become ill from eating one of our ground turkey products and, for anyone who did, we are truly sorry," said Steve Willardsen, president of Cargill's turkey processing business. "We go to great lengths to ensure the food we produce is safe and we fully understand that people expect to be able to consume safe food, each serving, every time."
Consumers may return any opened or unopened packages of ground turkey items listed on Cargill's website (www.cargill.com/turkey-recall/) to stores where they were purchased for a refund.
About 5 billion pounds of ready-to-cook turkey meat are sold in the United States each year, said Joel Brandenberger, president of the Washington-based National Turkey Federation. That's nearly double what it was 40 years ago, he said.
It works out to 17 to 18 pounds of turkey per person per year, of which about 10% is ground, he said.
Each year, about 260 million turkeys are raised in the United States -- nearly a bird per person. Brandenberger predicted the recall will have little impact on turkey consumption. "The fact that the government and everybody involved worked through this issue pretty quickly to resolve it will maintain consumer confidence in ground turkey," he said.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service released a public health alert for frozen or fresh ground turkey products that underscored the importance of following cooking instructions and general food safety practices when preparing any raw meat or poultry.
It recommends meat be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 Celsius).
Infection with the bacteria can cause people to develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.
The sickness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.
But severe diarrhea can require hospitalization and, if the infection spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and then elsewhere in the body, the bacteria can prove fatal, according to public health experts.
The aged, infants and people with impaired immune systems tend to be at highest risk.

Yum-O! 5 Tips to Make Any Rachael Ray Recipe Healthier

2011-08-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

had a thing for Rachael Ray back in the day. When she first came on the Food Network she was fun, entertaining and very personable. She seemed, and still seems today, like someone you could sit down and have a fabulous meal with. Episode after episode, she’d show me how to make restaurant-quality “healthful” dishes in 30 minutes or less. After watching her cooking show for about a year, I purchased one of her cookbooks and made a few of the recipes. To quote dear Rach, they were “yum-o!”

Then I became curious. Exactly how many calories were in that seemingly healthy Rachael Ray recipe for Indian Tofu and Spinach over Almond Rice (Rachael Ray: 365: No Repeats, page 156) that I’d made five or six times? After doing the math, I calculated that there were, in fact, more than 1,000 calories in each serving.

Holy flippin’ tofu spinach! Betrayed, I closed my cookbook.

Until now. After some time away from RR (which has been pretty darn tricky with her magazine and talk show everywhere), I’ve decided to give her another go. And, I’ve found that you can easily adapt any recipe that Rach can throw at you—no matter how fried, EVOOed or cheesy it is.

5 Tips to Make Any Rachael Ray Recipe Healthy
1. Don’t follow the serving size. Most of RR’s recipes claim that they serve four, but the portions are beyond enormous, so feel free to cut the recipes in half or be prepared to feed an army. At one point, I made her salsa stoup (Rachael Ray: 365: No Repeats, page 22), and after four days of eating it for lunch and dinner, I still had some left. I still don’t want to eat that damn soup again.

2. Share the love. Invite over a few friends or your local Little League team after a tourney and give them some good old-fashioned 30-minute meal cooking. Erin and I have been known to split a healthy Rachael Ray recipe or two, so that we can actually enjoy it, not force it down on day five so that we don’t feel guilt about starving children in third-world countries.

3. Make the usual subs. This is a no-brainer. When you see full-fat anything, sub in the low-fat or non-fat version. Also switch out any red meat for lean ground turkey, chicken, fish or tofu when you can. Your fit bottom will thank you.

4. Half it your way. RR is very generous with the following ingredients: olive oil, cheese, nuts and bacon. In most instances you can reduce the amount of these goodies by at least one-third if not a full half.

5. Add the good stuff. Ms. Ray is pretty good about using fruits and veggies in her dishes, but you can never have too many. Get creative and add your favorite produce. Veggies=yum-o for real-o!

After implementing these tips, I was able to get my Indian Tofu and Spinach over Almond Rice down to 400 calories a dish. And, Mr. Fit Bottomed Girl didn’t even notice. Ha!

How have you made Rachael Ray’s recipes more health conscious? Tell us in the comments, yo! —Jenn

Rachael Ray Dunkin' Donuts Ad Pulled from the Air By: David Weiss

2011-08-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

As a long-time aficionado of the Food Network, I have to admit that even 30 seconds of Rachael Ray always seemed like an eternity in Hell's Kitchen for me, what with her giggling at her own half-witticisms, her cutesy jargon (yummo and sammys) and her corner-cutting, pedestrian recipes. For my money, Anthony Bourdain struck the right note when he referred to her as a "bobblehead" and "freakazoid."

"She's a friendly, familiar face," he railed, "who appears regularly on our screens to tell us that 'even your dumb, lazy-ass can cook this!' She's selling us satisfaction, the smug reassurance that mediocrity is enough."

Wow, and I thought I was the most dyspeptic man in the word-trade. You go, Anthony! Tell us how you really feel. "She's hugely influential, particularly with children," Bourdain told Outside magazine a few years back. "And she's endorsing Dunkin' Donuts. It's like endorsing crack for kids. Juvenile diabetes has exploded — half of Americans don't have necks, and Rachael's up there saying, 'Eat some Dunkin' Donuts…..now that's evil."

Okay, on an ordinary day I would take great satisfaction in reading such sentiments, especially from a guy like Bourdain, who calls 'em like he sees 'em without hesitation or fear. But this morning I got wind of the aforementioned donut chain pulling a recent TV spot because their beloved spokesperson, Rachael Ray, was wearing a scarf that conservative commentators alleged looked like a keffiyeh (a sometime symbol of Palestinian heritage). "Absolutely no symbolism was intended," a Dunkin' PR flack stammered, "However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial."

Thank conservative blogger Michelle Malkin for much of the furor. The smirking Fox News commentator claimed that Ray's accessory (as selected by a wardrobe person, and which turns out to be a paisley design) was "the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad." Other right-wing bloggers took on the teapot-tempest and applied enough pressure to force DD's corporate hand. The irony is, five years ago bandwagon-hopping Malkin praised the same company for its worker screening program and its strict adherence to immigration laws (check out Keith Olbermann's screed on Malkin).

So why would she now bite the hand she once kissed so tenderly? Because Michelle Malkin never met a Klieg light she didn't love, is a shameless self-promotion machine and a knee-jerk opponent of anyone whose ideology is two degrees left of center. Even if Ms. Ray's scarf bore a passing resemblance to a garment worn ubiquitously throughout the Muslim world, don't think Ms. Malkin was actually offended — she just found it a convenient opportunity to make headlines for herself. Remember, she's the same scurrilous individual who claimed that John Kerry's Vietnam War wounds were "self-inflicted," i.e., he shot himself!

Rachael Ray, all is forgiven. I will in future always refer to extra virgin olive oil as EVOO, I will feed my dog your "Nutrish" line of pooch-food and will even try one of your disgusting recipes (Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf Patties, anyone?). Hey, Michelle, you're invited for dinner that night. You too, Anthony! Rachael, you could make it a foursome — I'll even make hummus and tabbouleh as an appetizer! Salaam Alaikum to you fine folks — can't we all just get along?

Super Foods That Fight Depression

2011-08-02T11:00:00.001-07:00

We’ve all had the blues once in while. But when they happen on a more frequent basis, it becomes cause for concern. But there are ways to adjust your diet to help stabilize your mood. It’s imperative to eat meals at regular intervals in order to keep your serotonin levels in check, a chemical in the brain that has a calming effect. Good nutrition is your best defense for managing depression.

Carbohydrates are linked to serotonin production and lack of carbohydrates may cause changes in your mood. Here are more food ideas to help you combat depression and kick those blues.

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and mackerel are always a great choice for dinner. Omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent heart disease and stroke and may help prevent some cancers. Plus, salmon contains selenium, an important antioxidant mineral. Be sure to choose wild salmon at the grocery store or local fish market, since it contains more omegas than farmed, or Atlantic, salmon.

A recent study indicated that people who suffer from depression also have lower levels of the antioxidant vitamin E. So, though oil is high in fat and should be consumed in strict moderation, canola oil is rich in vitamin E. It’s a healthier alternative for sautéing foods and vegetables.

Dark green vegetables like spinach and peas are high in folate, a key player in the production of serotonin. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Fresh is always the best option, as canned versions tend to have lower nutritional value. Legumes are also high in folate and protein and low in fat, and are an excellent option for those who are vegetarian or meat-restricted diets.

Chickpeas are rich in fiber, iron, and vitamin E. For a simple snack, combine a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas with some minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and olive or canola oil in your blender or food processor. Add salt, pepper and other spices as you wish. The resulting hummus makes a healthy and hearty vegetable dip.

Chicken and turkey are both rich in vitamin B6, which plays a role in serotonin production in the body. They are both a good source of selenium and other vitamins and minerals, too.

And please, if you’ve been dealing with the symptoms of depression for a while, please contact your doctor to discuss available treatment options and medication that may be available to you.

You Really Are What You Eat

2011-08-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Recent dietary research has uncovered 14 different nutrient-dense foods that time and again promote good overall health. Coined “superfoods,” they tend to have fewer calories, higher levels of vitamins and minerals, and many disease-fighting antioxidants.

Beans (legumes), berries (especially blueberries), broccoli, green tea, nuts (especially walnuts), oranges, pumpkin, salmon. soy, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, whole grains and oats, and yogurt can all help stop and even reverse diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and some forms of cancer. And where one might have an effect on a certain part of the body, it can also affect the health of other body functions and performance, since the whole body is connected. With these 14 foods as the base of a balanced, solid diet, weight loss gimmicks and other fly-by-night programs can become a thing of the past in your life.

Conversely, the ill-effects of an unbalanced diet are several and varied. Low energy levels, mood swings, tired all the time, weight change, uncomfortable with body are just a few signs that your diet is unbalanced. An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of body tissues, growth and development, brain and nervous system function, as well as problems with bone and muscle systems.
Symptoms of malnutrition include lack of energy, irritability, a weakened immune system leading to frequent colds or allergies, and mineral depletion that can trigger a variety of health concerns including anemia.
And since the body is connected, realizing that an unhealthy body will result in an unhealthy spirit only makes sense. When we nourish our body with these superfoods and complement them with other nutrient-dense and healthy fresh foods, our spirit will be vitalized and healthy as a direct result.
Many modern diets based on prepackaged convenience foods are sorely lacking in many vitamins and minerals, which can affect our mental capacities as well, and cause irritability, confusion, and the feeling of ‘being in a fog’ all the time.

Superfoods can be the basis of a sound, healthy, nutritious solution to curing many of these ailments and more.

Fasting not needed before kids' cholesterol tests, study suggests By David W Freeman

2011-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

(CBS) Checking kids' cholesterol levels may soon be much simpler, now that a new study has shown that fasting is unnecessary before the required test."

"Cholesterol testing can be very difficult for families," study author Dr. Asheley Cockrell Skinner, research associate professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, said in a written statement. "When having to fast, this almost always means the child has to return on another morning for the test, which can be very problematic for busy families."

For the study - published in the journal "Pediatrics" - Dr. Cockrell's group looked at data on cholesterol levels in 13,000 children age three to 17 from a nationwide survey conducted between 1999 and 2006. They found that levels of total cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol were similar whether or not kids fasted for at least eight hours before their blood was tested, and that levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol varied only slightly.

The take-away message? Since fasting before cholesterol testing apparently isn't necessary, kids can probably be tested immediately during a visit to the doctor - whether or not the child's stomach is empty.

Current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for a fasting blood test to check cholesterol levels in kids as young as age two when there is a family history of high cholesterol or early death from hear disease. Cholesterol-lowering drugs should be considered for kids with high cholesterol, along with the use of reduced-fat dairy products and steps to increase activity levels and lose weight.

Fasting Doesn't Mean Fast Weight Loss

2011-08-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Other than physical appearance weight affects a person in many ways. This could be the overall quality of life, self-esteem, depression, health risks, and physical in-capabilities. There are a lot of positive changes once a person experience weight loss. It is for this reason why a lot of people are searching for a weight loss technique that will surely trim down those fats and get a super slim head turner body.

The first thing that an over-weight person should do is seek a doctor to recommend the best weight loss regimen. This will be done after a full physical examination, which leads to the determination of proper weight loss technique. And to lose weight fast and effectively four aspects of life should be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behavior and activity level. Fasting, although effective in loosing pounds short term, is not an healthy way of losing weight. In fact it is very dangerous to think this way. Fasting is a form of detoxing the body of parasites, bacterial, and any other toxins that may be harmful to a persons health. While this is beneficial it should only be done sparingly and for a short period of time. Your body can only go without vital food for a short period of time, until you start failing in health.

Here are fast long term tips that can change the life of an over-weight person:

First: Fast weight loss composes of a multi-faceted technique that consists mindset, exercise, and in other cases, diet supplements. Begin by learning a diet food plan that can easily be accustomed with. Incorporate an exercise plan that allows even at least fifteen minutes a day like brisk walking, running, swimming, and dancing.

Second: Set realistic approaches. The ability to focus and have proper mindset enables someone on a diet to quickly lose those extra pounds. With discipline and proper mind set, a dieter will never be discouraged and lose focus.

Third: Listen as the body speaks. Each and everyone's body metabolism reacts differently to different fast weight loss programs and plans. Try substituting one program for another to compensate the body's reaction. Exercise program must be suitable to one's body, as others are not able to exercise as rigorously as others can. If walking is all that can be done, then walk for this is proven the best exercise. Muscles burn more calories than fats so it's also best to put on a little muscle and looking good too.

Fourth: Eat more fibers for it makes a person full sooner and stays in the tummy longer, slowing down the rate of digestion. A single serving of whole grain bread moves fat through the digestive system faster. Grains turn into blood sugar that spikes the body's insulin level. Thus, making the body more energized and ready to tell the body when it should stop burning fats or start storing.

Fifth: Keep away from fried foods especially deep-fried as this contains a great amount of fat. Although fish and chicken appear leaner than beef, this white meat can contain more fat than when a beef is fried. It is recommended for those on strict diet to opt for grilled food as this does not have or contain less amount of fat after the food is cooked.

Sixth: Takes lots of fluid. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day keeps the body refreshed. Since weight loss depends on how the body eliminates body wastes, the body must stay hydrated.

All in all, discipline and consistency is still the best practice and the key to a rapid weight loss success. Light dieting, workout, and right amount of supplementation applied in a regular way everyday will result in faster weight loss than having a massive action only to be followed a return to old habits as this would only lead to gaining more weight than when the weight loss plan has started.

Fast Food Doesn't Have To Be Fat Food

2011-08-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Whether your traveling on the go or around the
home, you don't need to give up healthy eating
simply because you are on the run. The fact is,
healthy eating is even more important when your
trying to keep up with a busy schedule.

Having a good diet will help your body to handle
stress better. As you hustle about, a healthy meal
is probably the last thing you think about. The
following tips can help you eat when your on the go.

Restaurants
With tempting menus, large portions, and a festive
atmosphere, it's easy to skip healthy eating. It's
okay to splurge every now and then, although you'll
pack on a lot of weight if you make it a habit.
When you eat out at restaurants, always be smart
about it.

Airports
An airport can be a very stressful place, although
you shouldn't scrap your diet because of it. Eat
because you are hungry, not because of stress,
boredom, or to kill time.

In your car
Keep some healthy snacks in your car at all times,
so that when you get hungry - you have them.

At home
Evenings and mornings are busy times in most homes.
Making the time to eat can be hard, although you
shouldn't run out the door without eating breakfast
first. Cereal with milk, a banana, muffin, or even
a bagel is a great way to start the day.

Anytime you are on the go, always make sure that you
make the right food decisions. You can take healthy
food with you if you need to, so that you have it
when you need it. Eating healthy on the go is easy
to do, once you know how. Never sacrifice healthy
food for junk, as your body will regret it later.

Easy Ways to Make the Switch to Organic Foods

2011-07-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

If you are interested improving the way that you eat, you may also be interested in making the switch to organic foods. Although many individuals are able to do so with ease, it can take others a little bit more time. If you are looking for easy ways and tips to help make the switch to organic foods, please continue reading on.

The first step in making the switch to organic foods involves getting use to the cost. Many individuals who decide to go organic without first researching are put off by the costs, as organic foods do cost more. This is something that you should prepare for. If you decide to eat organic only foods, the cost increase in your weekly or monthly grocery bill can get quite high and add up overtime. Although organic foods are more than worth their costs, you should still prepare for the change.

In addition to preparing for the cost increase, you should also examine ways that you can save money when eating organically. For example, organic food coupons can be found on online coupon websites, as well as the websites of organic food manufacturers. Simply Organic and Earth’s Best Organic are known for regularly offering free printable coupons on their websites. Newspapers can also be examined. Also, familiarize yourself with stores in the area that are known for their affordable prices or great sales on organic food.

It is also a good idea to start preparing for the disappearance of many of the artificial additives that are found in many foods. Although many will notice a taste difference, that taste difference is usually an improvement with organic foods. Even still, it takes some people time to get use to. For example, soda, like Pepsi, is not considered organic. If you are interested in having a truly organic diet, you will need to eliminate it from your diet. This can be easier said than done for many, as they grow dependant on the caffeine and other artificial additives. That is why a quick and full change to organic food is sometimes advised against.

As stated above, a quick switch to organic foods doesn’t always work well for everyone. What you will want to do is consider making a slow transition, especially if you are dependant on a particular food or drink. Sometimes slow is the best way to go. Consider incorporating a few organic snacks, like organic crackers or organic fruit bars, into your diet on a daily basis. Next, start with one meal, like organic oatmeal for breakfast. After a week or a few days, replace another meal with organic foods. Do so until you are completely organic.

It is also important to remember that eating organically isn’t right for With that being said, do not let the taste of certain foods turn you away. You will want to examine and try as many food products as you can. You should have multiple brands and flavors to choose from. For example, Simply Organic and other manufacturers sell organic flavors, extracts, spices, and dinner mixes. Give as many of these items and flavors as you can a try until you are able to find something that you like. This is a nice approach to take because it is important to remember that there are a large number of benefits to eating organic foods.

A Look At Diet Fitness

2011-07-31T04:37:00.000-07:00

Many people nowadays are very much conscious about their own health and fitness. In addition to that, these people, and many others as well, are now having that desire to sculpt their bodies to ahieve that magazine-cover look. As a result, gyms, heatlth spas and other fitness centers have proliferated all over to cater to the needs of the fitness buffs and afficionados.

Even on television exercise machines, weight loss products, and other paraphernalia to improve fitness have more or less gained control over the airwaves and made their way into the households. But exerise is not the only way to build that body beautiful. It also entails certain amount of responsibility on the foods one chooses to eat. Being healthy and fit requires one to observe diet fitness.

Diet fitness is as essential as exercise itself. Diet for fitness provides the essential nutrition one needs to restore worn-out muscles and for healthy growth. Diet fitness should never be taken for granted. With the popularity of keeping fit, many different views, methods, programs and dieting strategies have been formulated by many professionals. Among these are high carb diets and high fat diets. Whih one is more effective and which one should one choose to follow?

First thing to know would be the fundamental differences between these two diet approaches. As the name implies, high carb diets concentrates on taking in carbohydrate-rich foods while high fat diets endorses fat-rich foods. High carb diets are utilized to glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is a glucose complex that provides large amounts of energy ready for use in anaerobic exercises.

Fats, on the other hand, is well-nown for being the richest source of calories. It actually contains 2.5 times more calories than carbohydrates and proteins alike. Studies also show that it takes the body 24 calories to metabolize carbohydrates while it only takes 3 to burn down fat. So which one to follow? A person can follow a high carb and low fat fitness diet or the other way around. It is absolutely not recommended to follow both at the same time; unless of course if you want to gain body fat.

But then diet fitness is not all about losing fat, one must also consider his diet in order to keep fat away. Research shows that sustainable loss of weight can only be achieved on a diet which suits the individual food preferences, lifestyle, medical profile and satiety signals.

Diet programs all over can help you shed off excess pounds, but only one diet can help you stay sexy, and it is the one that satisfies you most. Other important aspects of having a fit diet are moderation, balance and variation. One must be careful not to leave out important nutrients and other substances necessary for healthy body functioning. health organizations are clear about the amounts of nutrients an individual should have in the body.

Low fat high carbs, high carbs low fat; the question is not which diet program will work out but which is it that will work for you. Striving for a sexy and healthy body does not have to burden an individual, diet fitness does not have to mean sticking to the same kind of food for life. One may even try to be adventurous and try out new foods out there. Who knows? one may even discover spinach interesting.

Moderate Exercise To Fitness

2011-07-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and by the time you get home you see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? You refused and promised them that you will after you take you rest.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you would feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that this improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that. You will also feel that it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON'T you ever force your body! If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you need to start from day 1.

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and by the time you get home you see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? You refused and promised them that you will after you take you rest.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you would feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that this improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that. You will also feel that it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON'T you ever force your body! If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercise for a few days and then you can start again but you need to start from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

Making exercises as part of your daily routines will surprise you of how much calories you will lose. Doing these moderate exercises of the same amount every day can burn 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!