Ultimately, your ability to shed off unwanted weight will depend on two fators – your eating habits and the amount of energy you burn during the day (exercise).

In this article we try and identify super-foods and eating habits that can help you shed weight, quickly.

Calorie counting has gotten some bad press by some diet programs. In actual fact, it’s imporyant to keep an account of the amount of food you put into your body if you’re trying to lose weight so by all means, count the calories as you eat. It’s a good idea to have an idea of the calories that most food items have. If it is a packed thing then the label is sure to have the calories that the substance has.

Be sure to burn out those extra calories by the end of the week. If you feel that you have consumed more calories than you should have during the week, it happens you know, and then make sure that you work off those extra calories by the end of the week.

Stay away from fried things. Fried things are an absolute no-no. The more fried things that you avoid, the lesser weight you will gain. Fried things are called so because they are fried in oil or fat. And even if the external oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil in it so stay away from it.

Do not skip meals. The worst thing you can do while watching you diet is skip a meal. It has just the opposite effect of what you want. You need to have at least four regular meals every day.

Fresh vegetables are better than cooked or canned vegetables. Try to eat your vegetables raw. When you cook them, you are in fact taking away nearly half the vitamins in them. And canned vegetables too are processed and are not nearly half as good as fresh vegetables. When you buy your vegetables it would be a good thing to see if the label says that it is pesticide free.

Nothing more than an egg a day. Eggs are not such a bright idea. It would be best to reduce your intake of eggs to maybe three in a week. But for those of you die hard egg fans, you may have up to one egg a day but nothing more than that.

Make chocolates a luxury and not a routine. Chocolates are not or at least they should not be a part of your diet. So do not indulge too much in them. Even the bitter chocolates are not good for you because though the sugar is less there is still the cream in them.

Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day. This is a fine way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay. Change the items included in your diet every day. This is an excellent way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay and it helps you to experiment with a variety of dishes and there by you do not get bored of your diet.

If you can say no to alcoholic beverages please do. Alcoholic beverages too are not good for you. Beer can be fattening and the rest of the alcoholic drinks may not be fattening by themselves but after a couple of swigs you will be in no position to watch your diet and your appetite too will be something to battle with.

Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking. It’s always best to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not to wait for your self to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but that does not mean that it should be the most filling meal of the day.

50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates. It is a myth that you should try and avoid carbohydrates when you are on a diet. Rather the other way round I should say. Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates. However, try and steer clear of refined carbohydrates such as white bread and crisps. Wholesome carbs such as grains are a far healthier option and tend to require more energy to break-down than refined carbs.

25 to 30% of your diet should be proteins. Various processes and activities are going on in our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up, recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see to it that 25 to 30 % of your diet consists of proteins.

Fats should only be 15 to 20 %. You need only this much of fat in your diet so keep it at that.

Try and adopt a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet is undoubtedly better for those of us watching our diet. There are a lot of advantages of keeping to a vegetarian diet but I don’t want to sing an ode to vegetarianism now. What I would suggest is keep to a vegetarian diet as much as you can. Make a non- vegetarian diet a week end event or something if you find it impossible to give up eating all those animals.

Choose white meat rather than red. White meat, which includes fish and fowl, is miles better than red meat, which includes beef and pork for those trying to lose weight.

High Fiber multigrain breads are better than white breads. Remember how I told you to increase the fiber content in your food; well this is the answer to that. It is not only better in terms of the fiber content but also in terms of the protein content as well.

Reduce your intake of pork. Pork is not something that can help you to lose weight. So the lesser pork you eat the better chances you have of losing weight. And remember that pork includes the pork products as well, things like bacon, ham and sausages.

Limit your sugar intake. If you can’t have things unsweetened go for sugar substitutes. These things are just as sweetening but are certainly not fattening.

Graze 5 to 6 times a day. Instead of sticking to just three meals a day, try grazing. Grazing means try having 5 or 6 smaller meals instead of three king sized meals. It is an excellent way of having smaller quantities of food.

These potent eating tips (along with suitable exercise) will help you to maximise your ability to shed weight in the shortest possible space of time.

Frasier Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/super-foods-that-kickstart-the-weight-loss-process-in-your-body-91060.html

Posted on November 9th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drinks | No Comments »

I have had bad health since I was a child. Up to now, I can’t ever recall exceeding the 125 lb mark or outgrowing 25 inch waistline pants. I’ve had backaches, toothaches, typhoid, fever colds etc repeatedly growing up. My worst enemy of all, however, was asthma. Ever since we were toddlers, me and my sisters exhibited a propensity towards developing asthma. Luckily, they were able to grow out of it eventually. I can recall my sister having her last ever asthma attack at 18 years old and almost nothing after that. I though, have to be a lot more careful. Up to now, if I fail to get a decent night’s sleep in 2 days, I just know I’m going to get sick.

We’ve had a family doctor, who is a family friend and a relative. He was already quite old when I got to know him, a little less older than my grandparents. He has been treating our family (our whole clan probably) and guess what, he never lets us pay. Whenever someone in the family comes down with something, we call him and he drops by to check up on us for free. Almost everybody who is sick dreads visiting the doctor, but with us, it feels like he is just a friend visiting. After the checkup, injections or whatever is needed to be done, we all go to the kitchen and have some coffee and snacks and talk about things. Of course we had tried to give him his consultation fee a number of times but he just refuses.

We fondly called him Doc V.D., that was his initials and as you can imagine, it also stands for something else so his friends jokes about it a lot! He passed away around 4 months ago and we sorely missed him. He was a good doctor and a good friend.

He used to be the only doctor who treated our family and everything he said, we took for gospel. However, my mother had her doubts. I’m still not entirely sure up to this day if what she did was right or wrong.

The good doctor prescribed a medication for my asthma, the generic name is betamethasone. I cannot mention the brand name . I got started on it when I was 5, even earlier says my mom. On really bad attacks, I would be on this every 4 hours. Now what is so bad about this?

My mom, along with some relatives were convinced that my health never recovered because I was exposed to a lot of strong medication when I was young. Her older sister too, was given strong medication which included betamethasone, which we also suspect was the cause of her slight disfigurement. So whenever the doctor prescribed the drug, my mom would cut the dosage in half. If the attack wasn’t so bad, she would do away with the drug altogether.

Betamethasone is classisfied as a glucocorticoid steroid used to treat a number of disorders ranging from respiratory, muscular, skeletal, gastrointestinal to skin conditions and many more. Basically, corticoid steroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Steroid hormones are steroids which act as hormones, hormones being chemicals which are released b.y cells that affect cells in other parts of the body. Everyone practically knows what steroids or “roids” are by now right? Most athletes and bodybuilders who desire immediate gain in muscle mass or performance turn to steroids. But not all is well and good, steroids are so potent they can easily create an imbalance in the body (an understatement) which can lead to death.

Now how could our good doctor, who always had our well being as his utmost priority, prescribe such a drug to such a young child? Let me jump to another story…

I was in a forum the other day, arguing about the merits of alternative medicine. The guy who I was discussing with was so adamant, claiming that there is no such thing and at best, what alternative medicine provides is a placebo effect. I think we were on different wavelengths on the discussion, perhaps what he had in mind was crystal therapy and such while I was just talking about cures and medicines one can find in the kitchen and the garden. Anyhow, here’s my thing against most synthetic and commercially produced medicine:

1. Big pharmaceutical companies are profit driven organizations while alternative medicine in not a profit driven endeavor. Information on how to heal oneself is readily available everywhere while synthetically produced commercial medicine are prohibitively expensive, trademarked and proprietary.

2. Despite all the funding, research and ultimately, agressive marketing for commercial medicines, a lot still manages to get recalled. Usually somebody has to be gravely ill or die first before the recall gets initiated. Alternative medicine, especially Chinese Traditional Medicine has been around for centuries and uses ingredients readily found in nature. I don’t think TV and other media would have been there back then for this to get advertised. A lot of people has professed and still professes to being healed, this being another reason why western medicine finds it hard to penetrate China and neighboring countries.

3. Yes, alternative medicine is fast becoming a multi-million dollar enterprise in the US and other western countries. Even big pharmaceutical companies are getting in on the act much like Shell and other big oil companies are going into renewable energy. But sometimes you just instinctively know when someone is earnestly interested in healing you PERMANENTLY and when someone just wants you to be perpetually dependent on a drug which at times, makes you feel well.

There are so many more arguments to be said but lets focus on the useful stuff first.

I got into thinking and came up with several reasons why our doctor prescribed the drug I mentioned earlier.

It is possible that since he was already old, he failed to keep up with the newer innovations in the medical community. Highly unlikely because as far as I know doctors are required to attend seminars to be updated…

The agent and the pharmaceutical company he was working for who endorsed the drug to our doctor failed, or intentionally kept information about the side effects of the drug. Of course, the information would be printed on the brochure, but take a look at this example:

Did GSK trial data mask Paxil suicide risk?

At times, only the information that would not scare off people are put on the brochure.

Ironically enough, I also have a cousin who works as a medical representative for an international pharmaceutical company. I have confirmed that indeed, these drug companies give doctors cash incentives, free vacations, gift baskets etc etc etc just to prescribe their drug, only their drug.

Pretty scary huh? Well you have a fighting chance. Here is what I propose you do.

If you are really unsure about the drug or the course of treatment given to you by your doctor, ask for a second and third opinion. Here’s another funny story…

My youngest sister is another one who is suffering from multiple afflictions. One minute there’s colds and cough, at times bruising or rashes, warts, fevers and and the all time favorite: asthma. At 15, she complained of a sharp pain near the diaphragm. My parents took her to an internist ans said she had problems with her spleen and she had to had an operation! My mother was shocked but went ahead to another doctor to ask for a second opinion. This time, the second doctor gave her a combination of laxatives and told her to drink cranberry juice, dismissing it as nothing more than cramps. Occam’s Razor, we opted to for the laxative and juice treatment. She has been well ever since.

Another one. My dad is a diabetic. Some time ago he was having problems with his legs retaining fluids because of his heightened glucose levels. They had it checked up by a doctor who prescribed some albumin tablets. So they went shopping for those and found them to be prohibitively expensive! Went to another doctor. This doctor recommended just taking egg white instead along with this korean jade bed thing treatment. I myself was skeptical about this and just recommended the albumin tablets. We compared and contrasted the cost of both methods and found that egg white and jabe bed treatment would be much cheaper. Lo and behold, after several sessions the swelling indeed go down!

There is nothing wrong with taking commercially made medicine. My point only is this, if you are going to take medicine, do your research first. Get a consultation from a trusted doctor, then a second opinion, then research the facts on the Internet and library before proceeding with the treatment. If you find some conflicting information, consult again with your doctor. I am sure that if he has your best interests in mind, he will welcome your input.

A good doctor is also open minded. After all, where do you think most medicines come from? From Nature of course! He should be humble and open minded enough to propose course of treatments which are the cheapest and least invasive. A lot of alternative medicines and methods are now being accepted as legitimate medical treatments. For example, honey or Manuka Honey is now being used to treat burns:

Honey as a topical antibacterial agent for treatment of infected wounds

As always, your best weapon would be awareness. One has to read, compare and contrast before making a decision. Studies can be manipulated, people can be bribed, sometimes but not all the time.

As for my asthma, I have been using Ventolin (Salbutamol) for several years now but fortunately I haven’t had an attack for around a year already. If I feel like I’m coming down with it, I make sure to get some rest and sleep, drink plenty of ginger tea, eat well. Only when worse comes to worse do I use the inhaler. It is still full now but already about to go into expiration so I must be doing something right.

Shannon
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/you-your-kids-and-medication-756736.html

Posted on November 9th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drink effects | 7 Comments »

I need a picture of a sports drink like a bottle or can or whatever but without the label stuck on it.

Thanks so much!!!

then go buy one and take the label off

Posted on November 7th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: sports energy drink | 2 Comments »

I don’t care who you are…we all would love to look in the mirror and see flat, lean, sexy midsection. But truthfully, most people are going about the wrong way. Hundreds of crunches and endless hours of cardio…still they don’t get the results they want.

Sound familiar?

So here’s what I have for you…your very own “No Crunch Abs Blueprint” workout.

But before I reveal the fat attack, let me erase the top 4 misconceptions on getting 6-pack abs:

Myth #1- “I want to lose weight so I can see my abs.”

WRONG!

The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Let me explain…your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to skyrocket your metabolism, which in turn is what will eradicate fat cells and build muscle 24/7. By changing your body composition, you will be setting yourself to reveal the 6-pack everyone craves.

For example…let’s say you lose 15 pounds.

That’s good…but hold on a moment. What if losing those 15 pounds came at the expense of losing some precious, lean muscle tissue burned away by all that long slow cardio and caloric restriction (ie: useless diets)? Guess what…when your muscle goes bye bye, so does your metabolism. Your performance goes down and you lose muscle tone. Not sexy.

But if you lose 15 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or even increase lean muscle tissue, you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose body fat.

That’s why I do NOT encourage you to get on a scale. That little evil machine has far too many variables it doesn’t understand inside your body, such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women, your menstrual cycle. The last time I weighed myself was at the doctor’s office…and not because I wanted to. You really shouldn’t either.

Instead of getting caught up in those 3 little numbers on a scale, focus on fat loss – not weight loss. It can be so discouraging (and misleading), especially for you women.

Next, focus on clothing size reduction (how do your clothes fit), before and after pictures (take some right away), and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking (go ahead, check yourself out when you finish your shower).

Myth #2- “Ab exercises burn tummy fat.”

WRONG!

Spot reduction doesn’t work. I’ve said this before. You can’t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away…it does not work like that. Put down those stupid magazines that tell you otherwise.

Think about the last time you saw people working out at the gym. You see almost everyone doing some crunches or one of those useless crunch “ab machines”. If that really worked, everyone who jumped on the “crunch bandwagon” would have flat, sexy abs. Take look around, you know that isn’t the case.

So put down those silly fitness magazines that tell you to burn belly fat by doing this ab move or buy this ab gizmo…save your money and listen to what I’m telling you…spot reduction does NOT work!

The most surefire plan is to burn as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Also be sure to use compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to curl to presses). These movements burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups.

Focus on these movements first and then if you have time (and desire), you can do some extra core work.

Myth #3- Crunches and sit-ups are the best exercises to trim fat and show off your abs.

WRONG!

Ok, so you want to show your “rectus abdominis” aka your “abs”. Since the dawn of fitness magazines, we have been brainwashed to believe the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these exercises traditionally get you to feel “the burn”. However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position; your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.

So, an efficient workout would focus on “stabilization” exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital- front to back, frontal- side to side, and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (some know these as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these “inner” ab muscles is the key to optimal posture, better performance and helping to prevent lower back pain or even injury.

Myth #4- Do lots of long, slow cardio in the “fat burning zone” will torch tummy blubber.

WRONG!

There is a ton recent research and real world examples that support the fact that aerobic training for fat loss alone simply does not work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid, long lasting fat loss plan. Period. If you hear or see anything to the contrary…hogwash!

In addition, interval training (which is what we focus our boot camp workouts on), will have you alternating between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery…which is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise.

Please note that you can perform both interval strength training and interval cardio training to combine the best of both worlds. I’ve got more on this later…

Now the myths are debunked, excuses are over…let’s snap into reality and layout your No Crunch Abs Solution Blueprint!

The No Crunch Abs Blueprint:

Zone 1: Lose the fat that is covering your abs so that you can actually see them.

How? Eat supportively to elevate your metabolism. Take a closer look:

- Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.

- Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day (3 meals, 3 snacks- half the size of your meals, workout nutrition)

- Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies

Here is a Sample One-Day Menu:

Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon, 100% Whole Grain Toast

Mid-Morning Snack- Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice (Raw Almond are my favorite)

Lunch- Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad (keep the dressing light)

Mid-Afternoon Snack- Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Dinner- Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (keep portion size appropriate)

Pre-Bed Snack- Protein and Flax Shake

- Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender and an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement

Zone 2: Exercise to lose fat and elevate metabolism

How?

Perform 3 “total body interval strength training” routines a week.

Here’s a 20 minute sample (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down).

50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit- You will alternate between 50 seconds of maximum effort and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout:

Exercise # : Exercise Category : Exercise Variation
1 : Double-Leg: Bilateral Hip-Dominant : Hip Extensions
2 : Push: Horizontal Push : Push-up Variation
3 : Single-Leg: Unilateral Knee-Dominant : Single-Leg Wall Sit
4 : Pull: Horizontal Pull : Body Weight Rows
5 : Core: Linear Stabilization or Trunk-Dominant : Upper Body Twist Variation

Perform up to 3 (20 minute) cardio interval training workouts on your off-days.

Here’s a 20 minute sample (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down).

30-30’s Intervals : You will alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 s of active recovery. You will perform this 1-minute round up to 20x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio mode of choice (jump rope, spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between the following body weight cardio exercises:

Exercise # : Body Weight Cardio Variation : Body Weight Cardio Exercise
1 : Linear Locomotion Emphasis : Stationary Running
2 : Lateral/Rotational Locomotion Emphasis : Jumping Jack Variation

Zone 3: Train your abs based on their true function: STABILIZATION

Today our boot camp workout has been awarded the most loved and most hated core workout. No crunches, no sit-ups…simply using different planes of motion to full train every muscle fiber within your core. Give it a shot…there are variations for beginners to advanced, something for everyone.

The Power Pillar Workout – Interval Style

This 20-minute total body core workout focuses entirely on increasing your pillar stabilization. The “pillar” of your body collectively consists of your shoulders, hips, and core. It is your body’s powerhouse, foundational to all movement.

For each exercise below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one minute active rest and transition before moving on to the next exercise listed.

For maximum benefits, you must seek to maintain a tight pillar position during all movements by actively sucking your belly button to your spine, squeezing your glutes, and keep yourself in a nice smooth “plank” position, similar to that of a diving board.

Exercise#1- Front Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#2- Left Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#3- Right Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#4- Back Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

The end has come for traditional sit-ups, outdated crunches, boring cardio and ineffective exercise routines. Follow what I have here and you’ll be revealing your lean, sexy 6-pack before you know it

Curtis Hoekstra
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-health-articles/scottsdale-fitness-camp-reveals-how-to-get-lean-flat-abs-without-doing-a-single-crunch-756246.html

Posted on November 6th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: power drink | No Comments »

A healthy diet plan helps reduce the risk of disease and boosts recovery. It helps in maintaining a healthy metabolism, so food is converted into energy as efficiently as possible. This is the reason why healthy bodies tend to lose weight faster. Healthy eating is especially important in mid-life and later life. In addition, a healthy diet maintains a healthy digestive system which helps us enjoy a wide variety of foods as well as reduces the risk of indigestion and other gastrointestinal complaints.

There is no single healthy diet, meaning there is no set percentage of fats, carbs and proteins. That said, the healthiest diet includes foods from all the main food groups. In general, the healthiest:

• Fats are unrefined vegetable oils
• Proteins include fish, lean beef and chicken, beans and soy foods
• Carbohydrates include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans
• Dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble, comes from beans, apples, oats, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Dos and Don’ts while dieting

Too often, diets focus on denial, banning “unhealthy” foods and restricting food choices. Limiting food choices and severely under fueling one’s body can trigger binge eating, defeating all weight loss goals. So the best attitude would be to keep an open mind on the “Don’ts” but concentrate on adopting and inculcating the “Do” philosophy with complete passion and enthusiasm.

Processed foods must be eaten in moderation because they have a lot of “empty” calories. The result is that you will end up eating a lot more calories than you are supposed to. In addition, most of the processed foods are flavored which means your body will crave for that food even if you are full.

One should try to eat foods that are natural and low in sugar, saturated fat or trans fats which most people who are unaware of weight loss and obesity facts tend to indulge in. Foods that speed up the metabolic rate and that actually help in weight loss are:

• High Fiber Vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grain foods – This helps the body use more calories digesting them than there are calories in these vegetables.
• Non-Farmed Fish – It is high in Omega-3 and proteins. Farmed fish do not have as much Omega-3.
• Berries – These are good for weight loss because they are low in calories but high in fiber and nutrition. If you crave sweets, then Berries are an excellent substitute.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This increases the testosterone level which indirectly speeds up the metabolic rate.
• Egg Whites – High in slow digesting protein known as casein, protein feeds the muscles and muscles burn fat.
• Water – It prevents you from feeling empty and hungry. Also, remember that cold water helps you burn more calories. This is because the body will have to spend energy to bring the water up to the normal body temperature.
• Skin less chicken and lean meat.

You should avoid:

• Refined foods such as white bread, white rice etc.
• Ready made meals and junk foods
• Foods containing preservatives or coloring
• Chocolates, cakes, biscuits, ice creams etc.
• Sauces that are high in calories
• Alcohol, especially Beer as it has a lot of empty calories

Some information on high calorie, protein and vitamin food

Calories are needed to provide energy so that the body can function properly. The number of calories in a food depends on the amount of energy the food provides. The number of calories a person needs depends on age, height, weight, gender, and activity level. People who consume more calories than they burn off in normal daily activity or during exercise are more likely to be overweight.

High Calorie foods include:

• Cornflakes
• Pasta
• Breakfast wafers
• Potatoes
• Bread
• Raisins
• Rice

Proteins should account for 10-20% of the calories consumed each day. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are found in a variety of foods.

Proteins are essential for the:

• Structure of the red blood cells
• Proper functioning of antibodies resisting infection
• Regulation of enzymes and hormones
• Growth
• Repair of body tissue

Protein containing foods include:

• Meat, milk, cheese, and eggs (complete protein foods with essential amino acids)
• Whole grains, rice, corn, beans, legumes, oatmeal, and peas
• Peanut butter

Vitamins are required for the regulation of the body’s metabolic functions, and are found naturally in the foods we eat. Many foods are fortified in order to provide additional nutrients. Vitamins come in two varieties: fat soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body for long periods of time, while excess amounts of water-soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine.

Vitamin containing foods include:

• Cheese
• Roast beef
• Mozzarella
• Tuna fish, sardines
• Peanuts
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Margarine and butter

Importance of eating high fiber (roughage) food

Fiber is an integral part of the eating right puzzle. Eating foods that are rich in fiber is essential to the health of your digestive tract. Fiber works in several ways to aid with the removal of waste from the body. Fiber also works to soften stools and with constipation being a concern for many people, this is very important.

There are many foods that are naturally high in fiber and incorporating these into your diet is a good idea. Whole grains are rich in fiber. These should be consumed each day to increase your daily fiber intake.

Another group of foods that are good sources of fiber are fruits and vegetables. Berries are especially rich in fiber. This includes raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. Pears and apples with their skins left on can also add to your daily fiber intake.

If you prefer to add dry fruits to your diet than you’ll want to look at items such as dried apricots and raisins. Sprinkling these in a salad or eating them as a snack is beneficial and contributes to your fiber intake.

Vegetables can also be full of fiber. Many types of beans can add a substantial amount of fiber to your diet. Broccoli, green peas and spinach all contain fiber too. Eating one or two servings of these vegetables each day helps you ensure that you are getting the fiber that your body needs.

Another way that some people add to their fiber intake is through fiber rich drinks that are available easily. Fiber is important to your diet regardless of your age. Choose fiber rich foods that you enjoy and you will automatically reap the benefits of a fiber rich diet.

Marco Frankle
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/essential-nutritional-foods-are-a-key-to-effective-dieting-745909.html

Posted on November 6th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drinks | No Comments »

The best supplements of whatever nature are those that are natural, have no side effects and are not toxic. This essentially means that for any supplements to qualify to be categorized among the best supplements of vitamins for instance, they should have a combination of the above-said qualities. A good example of vitamin supplements can be found in the Bcaa plus G lemonade which has been enhanced with L-Glutamine. L-Glutamine is an active component in muscle size building and strengthening. This supplement contains amino acids which have proved to be responsible for promoting quick recovery after intense exercise and training while cutting down excess fats. It’s also enriched with vitamin B6 whose purpose is to enhance the utilization of the amino acid in the muscle tissue and in the process building the ideal muscle with a lean muscle mass.

Another of the best supplement in the multi vitamin and mineral category is the food-based TwinLab which has a total of eighteen essential nutrients. These natural components mostly fix cardiovascular health and general health problems. Extractions from super foods like wheat grass and alfalfa have been included in this supplement because they are mostly neglected even though their importance cannot be gainsaid. Within TwinLab there are several brands which have different nutritional components, they include the Allergy A & D which is designed for individuals with fish oil and fish allergy, TwinLab B-100 100 caps and TwinLab B-100 50 caps.

The Acai energy pack is also one of the best supplements of vitamins which like many is made from the organic ingredients which have simply been added to water in the form of an energy drink. It’s a combination of organic super-fruits Acai, six more super-fruits and natural compounds of the green tea, vitamin B and traces of B12, all this delivered in an organic soluble rice bran base. The tight curves Multi vit also fits the definition of the Best Supplements of vitamin because of its nutritional values which have been formulated to cater for the supplementation needs of the reproductive needs of active women.

Lewis Dylan
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/best-supplements-of-vitamins-1236787.html

Posted on November 6th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drink effects | 4 Comments »

With almost daily reports about the obesity crisis, millions of people are concerned about the best ways to lose weight. Almost every magazine has a monthly story about the most promising new diets and weight loss plans and people are confused about which story to believe. Here are the top five weight loss tips that remain true throughout almost every fat diet and scientific study. Each of these tips will assist in weight loss if the dieter is committed to making progress.

First, the key to healthy weight loss is to drink enough water every day. Most people know that drinking water will help flush the toxins from their body and promote fat-burning, but still they don’t do it. The average person should drink 64 ounces of water a day. In addition to helping cleanse the cells and hydrate the body, drinking water helps suppress the appetite. When the stomach is full of water, it isn’t asking for food. In addition, many people mistake feelings of thirst for feelings of hunger and snack when they should just get a drink!

The second key to weight loss is to keep a food diary. Many people snack and over eat without realizing it, because they believe a bite here and there does not add up to much. Unfortunately, it does! When forced with the possibility of writing down every bite they take or lying to themselves, most people find it easier to resist the last bites of dinner left in the pan or the last piece of chocolate cake.

The third thing to remember for healthy weight loss is that size and amount matter. Learning proper portion control is difficult at first and a few hunger pains, but when combined with a decision to eat more slowly, it can result in rapid, healthy weight loss. Study after study shows that people eat more when more food is placed in front of them, so an easy way to eat less is to see less. Measuring the food on a dinner plate and eating at the table, away from the temptation of seconds, can lead to measurable weight loss in no time.

Will power and the desire not to admit how much they eat will help many people with weight loss, but some people only eat when they are truly hungry and still over eat. That’s why the fourth tip for healthy weight loss is to find a good appetite suppressant. There are many drugs like caffeine and ephedra that suppress the appetite, but there are also healthier, natural ways. One of the most popular natural appetite suppressants is hoodia, an African cactus that helps defeat hunger.

The fifth and final key to healthy weight loss is exercise. Many people hoping to lose weight and live healthier lives complain they cannot exercise, either because they do not have the time or because their bodies are not healthy enough. The most simple way to overcome these difficulties is to add walking to daily weight loss activities. Many plans that suggest adding walking encourage people to take 10,000 steps a day, take the stairs instead of an elevator or walk 20 minutes briskly every day.

All of these ideas are good, but sometimes unrealistic depending on just how out of shape a person is. If these ideas are too time consuming, start by simply hiding the remote control. Even the five steps to turn the channel or turn the television off are better than simply sitting on the couch.

Eric Cho
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/top-5-ways-to-lose-weight-119758.html

Posted on November 3rd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: power drink | No Comments »

It’s no secret that there are hundreds of diet pills on the market today some good some average and some just a plain waste of money. Lipitrex however might just be the one that stands out above all others.

Lipitrex is a hot new weight loss product that helps you lose unsightly fat by speeding up your natural metabolism, suppressing your unhealthy cravings,
and encouraging the production of lean muscle tone. Listed below are the all-natural active ingredients found in Lipitrex and how they help you achieve the results you desire.

Caffeine: A commonly occurring ingredient found in lots of foods and beverages such as tea, coffee and chocolate, caffeine helps your body burn fat more quickly and boosts your energy levels.

Chromium: Chromium is used to build lean muscle tissue, burn fat and regulate blood sugar levels.

Citrus Aurantium Extract: Also known as bitter orange, citrus aurantium extract helps increase the rate at which fat is removed from the body. Citrus aurantium is also being studied for its appetite suppressant
qualities.

CLA: Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a natural fatty acid that helps block the storage of fat in the body, decreases weight caused by hormonal and adrenal imbalances, and assists in the production of lean muscle tone.

Guarana: Commonly found in the popular “energy drinks” on the market today, guarana is a natural energy lifter, fat burner and appetite suppressant.

Licorice Root Extract: Licorice root has been used for a long time to assist in the suppression of fat accumulation in the body. Licorice root also has
anti-diabetic properties that help encourage healthy blood glucose levels in the body.

Magnesium: Magnesium is used to encourage healthy blood sugar levels. Magnesium also helps your body produce the energy molecule known as ATP.

Pinnothin: Pinnothin is an ingredient found in a special Asian pine nut that encourages the release of an appetite-suppressing hormone in the body.

Vitamin B5: Essential to a healthy body, Vitamin B5 is used by your body in the burning of carbs and fat, and also has stress-relieving properties.

Vitamin B6: Another vital nutrient, Vitamin B6 works to regulate homocysteine and encourages the assimilation of proteins and fats in the food you eat and helps your body process them more quickly and easily.

Now that you know how each of the all-natural ingredients found in Lipitrex help you burn fat and build muscle, don’t delay. The sooner you begin taking
Lipitrex, the sooner you can achieve the lean, healthy, beautiful body you’ve always dreamed of!

Gary Stephens
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-does-lipitrex-help-you-lose-weight-31782.html

Posted on November 3rd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drinks | No Comments »

Naturopathic experts highly recommend colon cleansing as a way to help clear up any eczema flare ups, lower blood sugar readings, clear up sinuses, give you more energy and help you to sleep better at night. Colon cleansing is a natural eczema remedy that you should seriously consider rather than depend on topical corticosteroids every time you have a flare up.

An unhealthy diet results in toxin build up in your body. Unhealthy food includes fast food, highly processed food with preservatives or fried food. When you eat these excessively, the overload can seriously impact your body’s ability to eliminate waste. Naturopathic experts say that an internal toxic build up results in problems that you observe externally on your skin. Colon cleansing can help remove the toxins and waste, and assist you in your recovery to healthy skin.

For colon cleansing, you can try using herbs. Traditionally herbs such as Aloe leaf, Senna, Cascara Sagrada, ginger and Cayenne pepper have been used. Some of the plants that have been traditionally used include barberry, fennel and garlic. These herbs and plants can eliminate impurities from your body by promoting proper bowel movement.

If you suffer from severe eczema, you may wish to purchase some colon cleansing herbal recipes from health stores. These recipes can be a lot easier than creating your own colon cleansing recipe for natural eczema relief. However, regardless of what you choose to use, you need to make sure that you follow the instructions carefully so that you do not become dehydrated and to minimize any side effects.

You would find that probiotics are also included in the numerous colon cleansing programs and packages. Probiotics are known to increase the number of good bacteria that live in your digestive system, while helping them to flourish and fight the bad bacteria. Some studies show that when you use probiotics over an extended period, you can experience better skin.

Another form of natural eczema remedy is to simply increase your fiber intake. Consuming more fiber aids in easier bowel movements and this helps you in the removal of waste and toxins from your body. For breakfast, consume such foods as wheat germ, oat bran or rice bran cereals and for all meals include plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should get between 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day.

Lastly, an important part of getting a natural eczema remedy is to drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water everyday. This helps you to help flush out the toxins. It is best that you drink filtered water rather than water right out of your tap. You need water that is as pure as possible. Distilled water would of course be great as well!

Evelyn Lim
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/natural-eczema-remedy-through-colon-cleansing-149142.html

Posted on November 3rd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: energy drink effects | No Comments »

There is a big hidden secret behind most people’s inability to find a God fearing spouse. It is such a deep secret that even those who are supposed to be happily married are finding that there’s no honey or spice in their relationship at all.

The good news I am going to share with you here is so powerful that you will begin to attract a God fearing partner in a short period of time.

The Secret Uncovered

Most people you see, whether physically married or not, are already married in the spirit realm. Yes, they are married to invisible sexual spirits which can molest and torment them, and make their life a living hell.

This is why some people find themselves having sex in the dream.

Sexual spirits that attack women are called incubus and those that attack men are called succubus.

This problem of evil spiritual marriage is a universal one. Most people are suffering in silence.

Once a spiritual marriage is in place, invisible forces will neutralize anything you do to find the spouse of your dreams – on legal grounds.

And if this type of invisible marriage is in place, it will be difficult to meet or keep the right partner.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Life can become really frustrating to anyone who has an evil spiritual relationship in place without knowing it.

Why?

Because they have the power to control, rule, dominate, abuse, manipulate, plunder and dispossess one of every good thing earmarked for him by God.

The main purpose of a spiritual marriage is to convert the victim’s life to a garbage dump. It imprisons one’s marital, social, business, financial and spiritual life.

It makes progress impossible, no matter how many positive confessions you make.

Thankfully, Jesus has given us a way out of this dilemma.

The solution

There’s a powerful 3-part prayer that you can use to deal with this situation and ensure that you begin to attract a God fearing, loving and caring spouse in as little as 30 days.

Those who have prayed these prayers seriously in the past have even reported breakthroughs in as little as 10 days!

(Please note that your results will vary, depending on your spiritual maturity and persistence in prayer.)

Here are the 2 big things you have to be aware of if you want this to work for you.

1. Make sure you are not having sex outside marriage.

2. Repent of all past sexual sins, one by one, and ask for forgiveness.

Once you’ve done that, then go through these steps and pray the prayer below.

It is part I (of 3) and it should be prayed for 3 days.

How to Pray

1 Sit comfortably or walk about, don’t kneel.

2 Focus your attention on the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Avoid distractions; if they come don’t concentrate on them.

4 Spend a few minutes in praises to the Lord.

5 Confess any known sin to the Lord, one by one.

6 Ask the Lord to bring to your memory the legal ground or the open doors that forces of spiritual wickedness are using to gain entrance into your life.

7 Enter into this period with aggressive prayer. ALL prayer points are to be prayed repeatedly, with determined aggression.

(Please Note: If you want to see quick and dramatic results, add fasting to your prayers, unless you are medically unable to fast. And pray at the MIDNIGHT HOUR.)

The Prayers

This is the foundational prayer. It consists of 10 steps.

Step ONE
Start with praise worship. Praise God and worship him with songs.

Step TWO
Confess out LOUD these Scriptures promising deliverance.

Luke 10:19: Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Obadiah 17: But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Ephesians 1:7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Romans 16:20: And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Colossians 2:14,15: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Galatians 3:13,14: Christ had redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

2 Timothy 4:18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 12:11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Step THREE
Confess your sins to the LORD and ask for His forgiveness. Confess the sins of your ancestors and ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to wash you clean with the blood of Jesus. Receive His forgiveness with thanks. And declare that you forgive yourself as well.

Step FOUR
Break covenants and curses to destroy their legal hold by praying these simple prayers (don’t be fooled by their simplicity, they are deadly and devastating in action!). Spend time on them.

(a) I break any curse against my marriage in Jesus’ name.

(b) I break any covenant against my marriage in Jesus’ name.

Step FIVE

Bind all the spirits associated with those covenants and curses, like this: “I bind all the spirits attached or connected to the covenants and curses I have just broken in the name of Jesus.”

Step SIX
Lay one hand on your head and the other on your stomach or navel and begin to pray like this: “Holy Ghost fire, burn from the top of my head to the soles of my feet in the name of Jesus.” After a while, begin to mention every organ of your body, one by one, like this:

Holy Ghost fire, burn and purge my heart
Holy Ghost fire, burn and purge my kidney
Holy Ghost fire, burn and purge my womb
Holy Ghost fire, burn and purge my liver
etc, etc, in the name of Jesus.

Please don’t be in a rush here. Pray until you actually begin to feel the heat. Because the fire will come if you concentrate on this with your body, soul and spirit.

Step SEVEN
Begin to saturate yourself with the blood of Jesus, like this:

(a) Blood of Jesus, enter into my spirit, soul and body in Jesus’ name.

(b) I drink the blood of Jesus.

Step EIGHT
It is now that you are able to demand firmly, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that any spirit that is NOT of God should leave you immediately. You demand it forcefully, like this: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I come against all you hidden spirit spouse and I bind your activities in my life. You can no longer hide below the surface because I now recognize what you’ve been doing; release me in the name of Jesus.”

After saying this, you STOP TALKING; open your mouth and nose and take three to seven deep breaths and expel them forcefully through your mouth and nose. Don’t be surprised if you see strange things begin to happen.

THIS IS A CRITICAL STAGE! Repeat it again and again; issue the command, and repeat the breathing in and out.

Step NINE
When you’ve finished with step 8, ask for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, like this: “Holy Spirit, fill me afresh to overflowing in the name of Jesus.”

Step TEN
Close the session with high praises to the LORD. Give Him thanks. Before you finally wind down, pray these 3 important prayer points:

(1) O Lord, surround me with your walls of fire in Jesus’ name.

(2) Let the blood of Jesus cover me now in Jesus’ name.

(3) O Lord, surround me with your angels day and night in Jesus’name.

This prayer could take up to 1 hour.

Be blessed as you pray.

Elisha Goodman
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/for-christian-singles-14-prayers-to-find-a-godly-spouse-102915.html

Posted on November 1st, 2009 by admin
Filed under: power drink | No Comments »