Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Vegetable Juicing Benefits

By Scott Emily

Vegetable juicing has much the same benefits as juicing fruit with key differences. It's important to vary your juicing recipe to include a wide range of ingredients. Constantly look for new mixed juicer recipes and try to notice fruits at your local market that you've never tried before.

The great thing about juicing is that it people who normally don't like the taste or texture of certain fruits find it much more appealing when it comes in liquid form.

But the benefit of juicing vegetable differs in that fruits and fruit juices contain much higher levels of sugar than their vegetable counterparts. Another significant difference is that fruits lack the chlorophyll contained in vegetables.

Chlorophyll is what makes the plants green and what else it does for the plant is really not the topic of this writing. What it does for you, however, is. Chlorophyll does many things to keep the body running at peak performance. It helps cleanse the body and serves as an antiseptic as well as a stimulator for the cells. In an interesting way, it also helps the creation of red blood cells.

The true benefit of chlorophyll is that it helps the blood. All the cleaning and antiseptic stuff is what the blood is suppose to do. Chlorophyll, by being so similar to hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen and is what you are really benefiting, increases the amount of hemoglobin making your blood healthier and more effective. The body can convert chlorophyll to make hemoglobin and that makes the blood better at doing what it does.

Some of the immediate benefits of consuming sufficient amounts of chlorophyll include increased blood count, alleviating blood sugar problems, and relieving gastric ulcers. Simply, your blood does a lot to keep your body running smoothly and tries to balance out all the crap you put in your body. By consuming chlorophyll, you are giving your blood what it needs work properly.

We know that chlorophyll is what makes plants green. It is the powerhouse that converts sunlight into energy. The greener the vegetable, the more chlorophyll it contains. Ultimately, the highest concentration of chlorophyll comes from alfalfa, barley grass, and chlorella, as well as spirulina and wheatgrass. The only problem is attaining these products as they are not readily available to all areas.

Chlorella is important for another reason. So to get two major deficiencies covered in one food, eating chlorella is the way to go. Other than being high in chlorophyll, it is also high in vitamin B12 which is found in animal products but rare in plants. Especially if you are vegetarian, look for chlorella tablets as the produce itself may be hard to find.

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How to Make a Good Tasting Natural Colon Cleanse

By Michael Richardson

A lot of people who might benefit from a colon cleanse hesitate to do and because they think they have to taste bad. Some cleanses do taste pretty awful but it doesn't have to be that way.

While it's understandable that people might assume a colon cleanse with taste bad most are actually pretty good.

Many colon cleansing recipes are based on a foundation of natural whole foods. The fiber content is an important consideration. Organic foods are preferred. The fiber can be the soluble or insoluble and can come from a variety of sources.

Psyllium husks and ground flax seeds are used frequently, but so are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and grains. oats are well known for their high level of soluble fiber.

You very frequently will find spices and herbs as ingredients in homemade colon cleanse is. Since you use spices to season our food, it's not hard to imagine that some cleansing recipes might actually taste good.

Garlic is well-known for its healthful properties so many people include it in their cleansing recipes. If you like garlic as much as I do, this is a good thing. Ginger and cayenne pepper are the spices that are commonly used as well.

Many people really like cinnamon and these folks will be glad to know that cinnamon in fact has cleansing properties and as an ingredient in many colon cleansing recipes.they also may be surprised to know that it does a very good job of helping the body regulate but sugar levels.

Some schools of cooking routinely use many different spices, so meals prepared in this tradition have cleansing properties just because of the spices and herbs used in the preparation of the food.

Indian curries are particularly healthy. Traditionally, curries are highly varied. Every region of India has its typical style, and every cook within the region had their own variation. It to curry is made by mixing several different spices as the food is prepared.

Many curry recipes are vegetarian. Depending on the combination of vegetables used the cleansing properties can be further enhanced.

In my opinion, carefully prepared Indian food is one of the healthiest cuisines available.

Once you're familiar with high fiber foods as well as the cleansing properties of various spices and herbs you can adjust recipes you may already have or find on the web to suit your own tastes.

You may already have some cleansing recipes that you've tried. You may be able to incorporate some spices to suit your own taste.

Here's a simple example. I sometimes we use the Master Cleanse, which is basically it lemon juice diluted with pure water and cayenne pepper. One recipe I had for it also included maple syrup but I wanted to avoid the sugar. I tried adding a bit of cinnamon and leaving the maple syrup out. I thought that significantly improve the taste.

Also keep in mind that just drinking plenty of pure filtered water is a good cleanse itself. And of course we should at least minimize if not completely avoid toxins such as alcohol at all times not just for doing a cleanse.

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How to Lose Weight fast

By J Hunter

Lose weight fast by the numbers may not have really occurred to you before. It is easier to want fast results and just think that your scale is off, but with some real diligence, fast weight loss can be achieved.

Fast is a strange term. It means moving rapidly along a path that leads to somewhere, not an immediate arrival, but steady and sure. Immediate and unrestricted weight loss can harm your health. Go ahead cautiously and rapidly.

With your notebook as your constant companion, choose a beginning page for some simple math. For example: You are a female age 34 and weigh 150 pounds You are 5'2". Look at several weight charts in books or on the Internet. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company published a basic chart in the late 1950's which was somewhat lower than some newer charts. Therefore, you could be anywhere from 109-136 pounds and that would depend on age and frame. You would therefore think that you would like to lose at least 14 pounds or just a little less than 10% of your weight.

The first day may be frustrating as you drag your notebook around jotting down every morsel you consume, but you must. If you are like most people, you forget that half of brownie or that small handful of nuts. You remember meals, but often forget the tartar sauce, the extra butter on the noodles and the nibbling you did while preparing the meal.

Check out the BMR chart and find that for your current weight you need to maintain with 1427.3 calories per day. That's what it takes for you to support life and normal breathing and sleeping activities plus moderate movements.

Do you have your pencil ready? Consider that you should never go below 1200 calories a day. Your metabolism freaks out and stops working well if you go below that limit. Try then to eat 227 calories less per day. 227 calories divided into 3500 calories (what you must do without or burn to lose 1 pound) and your answer is more than 15 days to lose 1 pound. This is really slow. You have to boost that metabolism.

The best you can do will involve an increase in your activity level. It is just a matter of math and burning more calories than you need for maintenance. One half hour of walking will use 150 calories. Other activities are figured by the time you spend doing each kind. The more you burn calories, the faster you lose your unwanted weight.

SO by performing a few brief exercise workouts a week and cutting a few calories a day, we find that we can lose weight fast. Writing down the calories you consume will let you know what unecessary food you can cut out of your current eating plan.

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Monday, June 29, 2009

2 Simple Methods to Subdue Fat Loss Plateau

By Thong M. Dao

You were probably losing weight successfully for the first few weeks after you joined a new diet program, only to be stuck to a certain point later. Whenever we begin a dieting plan we quickly drop off some pounds, as most dieting plans are made to offer you 'quick fat loss'. Unfortunately enough, this 'fast fat loss' is generally 'short-lived' fat loss.

You'll slim down really rapidly for the first couple of weeks however then, you'll find out that the scale isn't declining any longer! You're not shedding any more pounds than what you've lost already! You have hit a situation commonly known as weight loss plateau! In that position, the sole cure is a thorough overhaul of your life style habits.

You have probably done the same sets of exercises as well as ate the same types of foods over and over again during those first few weeks when you were losing weight. As an outcome your body became used to your dieting and workout routine. If that took place, your fat loss techniques failed to produce any sustainable outcomes!

When you wish to go beyond this stage, you have to modify your dieting and workout regime. Here are two methods you need to follow to get out of the weight loss plateau.

1. Calorie-counting isn't the path to go: Once you calculate your energy, you essentially restrict the consumption of energy to an abnormally low degree. When you eat low calorie foods, there is no incentive for your body to increase your metabolic rate since it has to burn only a few calories. The consequence is that your metabolism all of the time stays at a really low degree. Once your metabolic process is down, you aren't capable to cut pounds!

So to burn off pounds and slim down with success, you must ignore calorie calculating and consume enough therefore your body is affected to maintain your metabolism at a higher degree. Your body needs fuel to burn fat, and it can get that fuel only from foods!

2. Exercise more: If you have been avoiding exercises altogether, or have been doing only light exercises, then you cannot lose weight. Fat loss is easier when you do high intensity exercises regularly. Rather than being frightened of workouts, attempt to enjoy them. Exercises are yet another powerful way of increasing your metabolic rate.

Follow these two methods and you will soon be able to acquire the slim body you desire!

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The Health Benefits of Citrus Juice

By Leanne Tyler

A lot of people do not have a citrus juicer at home but are discovering the benefits of citrus juice which is quite significant. Most people are aware of Vitamin C and some of its benefits. What a lot of people are unaware of, however, is that human beings are one of the few species on this planet that does not make its supply of this vitamin.

It has often been suggested that we suffer many of our illnesses such as viruses and cancer due to our lack of Vitamin C. It is responsible for fighting the free radicals that causes damage to the cells in our body. Thousands of years ago, the picture was slightly different as we ate much more fruit than we do today. We have hands that are designed to pick and grasp fruit and so this was an easy food source for us to obtain.

Due to this high level of Vitamin C intake in the past it is believed our body started to produce less and less until today when we produce none. In the modern diet the amount of fruit we eat has decreased substantially. Therefore, our intake of this important chemical has also reduced to a significant and inadequate degree.

Juicing has become a way for us to reverse this and start increasing our intake of vitamins again. It is also an enjoyable, fast and refreshing way to boost our health. It does not require any regular expense of Vitamins or supplements and is all natural.

Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling has been one of the greatest supporters of Vitamin C and the health benefits it has to give. The quantities that he advised to take in though were quite large. It is generally thought we do not need to take in this much on a daily basis. He believed that it would prevent many of the illnesses that we suffer from today.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, can be found in large amounts in oranges and lemons. Each orange slice contains about 70mg of this nutrient and overall about 50mg per 100 grams of fruit. The recommended daily allowance is only 60mg but this is the minimal amount to prevent scurvy, the classic illness that causes bleeding gums.

Investing in a citrus juicer or fruit juicer is an investment in your health. As you can see from this article, many of the essential nutrients we require can be obtained in this healthy, natural way.

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The Best Muscle Building Tips to Achieve Great Results in the Gym

By Ricardo d Argence

You don't need to be a bodybuilder to reap the benefits of weight training. Everyone should really do it, and integrate it into their daily exercise routine. It doesn't matter if you're just trying to be healthier or want to grow more muscles, these tips will help you reach your goal. It won't be easy of course, but then again, is anything?

Raise your Protein: Protein is an important part of this balanced breakfast, especially for building your muscles. Lacking the right amount of protein, you won't build up any muscle regardless of how much effort you put into the whole thing.

However, the question has always been how much is enough? The problem is that many of the best protein sources, such as milk and red meat, are also high in fat which you don't want.

The one cardinal rule for any bodybuilder that is really dedicated is to eat one gram of protein for every pound of body weight. This entails that if your total weight is 170 lbs, then you must eat 170 grams of protein each day to generate adequate muscle mass. If the fat content is an issue you could opt for other low fat protein sources like fish and even chicken instead of consuming red meat.

Permit time for recovery. There are some bodybuilders that actually become obsessed with working out and bodybuilding. You will be able to see them in any gym every single day performing these routines. You might be impressed at first, but take into account that they are likely hurting their bodies by exercising so rigorously.

There is a reason for this, and it's because body building, as medical research has shown, is not solely based on exercise. Your body needs to have a chance to recover a little bit, especially in between tough exercises. It also needs well balanced meals and plenty of nutrients. If you don't have these things then it's most likely that all of your efforts will go to waste and you won't buildup any muscles at all. Though you could probably expect a trip to the hospital sometime in the near future.

Make sure that you get adequate sleep. Though sleeping might seem like a waste of time, your ability to gain muscle mass depends on it. Most of the bodily functions that need to occur will occur while you're sleeping!

The major reason for that is pretty basic: the body has the ability to reroute the sources of energy to different jobs because during sleep it's not being used for anything else that it would normally need while awake. Among those processes is the synthesis of protein, and that is definitely needed for the development of muscles.

If you're one of those people who only sleep for a few hours at night, then your body isn't getting everything that it needs. You need to make sure that you actually get the full eight hours, and you also need to make sure that sleep is uninterrupted so that your body can do the repair work that it needs.

Use Compound Movements. Compound movements, such as lifting weights, are going to build muscle faster than other types of exercises which target isolated muscle groups, such as squats.

However, you need to know how to lift properly in order to receive the expedited muscle building benefits. Basically, what you need to do is choose weights to lift that feel heavy for you.

This doesn't mean that you should pick the heaviest weight available and struggle to lift it every single time. It does mean though that you'll need to feel your muscles working when you lift. You'll be able to tell when this is happening and you'll certainly reap the benefits of those efforts. To get this effect you need to select the weight which is just right for your needs. In the beginning you might have to use a lighter weight, though you may be able to use a heavier one. It all depends on who you are.

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Take Your Vitamins For Vitality

By Dr Jason Fowler

The New Food Pyramid - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently released a new, more individualized, food pyramid called MyPyramid. The USDA is offering many tools and tips on www.mypyramid.com. The traditional food groups include grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat and beans. An important new category, Physical Activity, has been added to the overall pyramid. Sample menus, vegetarian diets, and tips for eating out are part of the informative and fun materials provided by the USDA. "MyPyramid for Kids" reminds kids to be physically active every day and to make healthy food choices. "MyPyramid for Kids" posters and coloring pages are available for downloading on the MyPyramid site. "Steps to a Healthier Weight", dietary guidelines, and detailed information for pregnancy and breastfeeding are included, as well as steps for outlining personalized MyPyramid Plans.

People often wonder about taking vitamins. Should I bother? Are vitamins worth the money? Which ones should I take? In order, the answers are yes, yes, and ask your chiropractor to recommend the brand best for you.

Why should I take vitamins at all? The purpose of supplementation is to cover all bases -- to make sure they're covered. How can you be sure your diet contains all the cofactors and trace minerals needed to make your metabolism work correctly? And what about all the antioxidants that fight free radical formation and the phytonutrients that seem to have so much benefit in cancer prevention?

It would take a lot of effort to be certain that your diet contained sufficient iodine, magnesium, selenium, chromium, folate, and vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cyanocobalamin).Taking a supplement guarantees that these requirements have been met. It's simple, safe, and efficient in terms of both time and cost.

Which brand of supplementation is best? There's no right answer here, it's more of a practical decision. Youwill know if a specific brand is right if you feel healthier and more energetic after taking it regularly for four to six weeks. You chiropractor will assist you by providing expert information and recommendations. There are no peer-reviewed, hard statistical data suggesting that one brand is superior. "Results" here are qualitative, not quantitative. The important point is that vitamin/mineral supplementation is necessary to ensure optimal metabolic functioning and physical well-being.

What about using specific supplements for specific things, such as taking calcium supplements after a bone-density study has revealed loss of bone mass (osteoporosis)? Is this an effective therapy? Well, in the postmenopausal setting1, if you're not exercising, the calcium you take will simply be excreted. Completely useless. On the other hand, if you are exercising or begin an exercise program, the additional calcium will be useful in providing raw material for stronger bones, built in response to the stress of exercise.

What about calcium supplementation for younger women? Again, exercise is the key to forestalling osteoporosis2. Of course, this includes taking sufficient daily calcium. The recommended daily requirement for calcium is 1000-1200 mg. So, a vitamin/mineral supplement supplies 500 mg. A cup of yogurt adds another 250 mg. A glass of skim milk or a piece of low-fat cheese adds another 250 mg. Non-dairy sources of calcium include calcium-fortified orange juice, spinach, turnips, and sardines (with the bones). So, dietary sources plus your vitamin/mineral supplements provide close to the recommended dose.

Additional calcium tablets or pills can make up the difference.

Vitamin/mineral supplements are important for busy people. Supplementation ensures a consistent, optimal dose of necessary nutrients. Balanced nutrition, in combination with regular exercise, will help provide vibrant, glowing good health3.

1Rosen CJ: Clinical practice. Postmenopausall osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 353(6)595-603, 2005 2Swanenburg J, et al: Effects of exercise and nutrition on postural balance and risk of falling in elderly people. Clin Rehabil 21(6):523-34, 2007 3Speckerr B, Vukovich M: Evidence for an interaction between exercise and nutrition for improved bone health during growth. Med Sport Sci 51:50-63, 2007

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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Alcohol Should Be Avoided While Building Muscle

By Ricardo d Argence

It may seem hard to believe, but many people are not sure if alcohol has any kind of negative effect on muscle building. The answer is a resounding yes. Consuming alcohol definitely has an adverse affect on you workouts.

What is the first drink that most muscle builders reach for? Protein shakes! Protein is a key ingredient in muscle building and as such should not be interfered with. Unfortunately, alcohol impairs protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids in the system join together for the purpose of creating complete proteins. It has been shown that consuming alcohol can slow this process down by 20%.

Another factor in muscle building is the level of testosterone in the body. Ave you ever noticed that women do not build the same amount of muscle mass as men? This is because of low levels of testosterone; women have 15-20 times less testosterone than men do.

You may wonder what testosterone has to do with alcohol. Alcohol will decrease the levels of testosterone while increasing levels of estrogen in the body.

Everyone know that it's important to keep the body hydrated. When you consume alcohol, the kidneys have to work really hard in order to produce the massive amounts of water that are needed to process this toxin. The body does think of alcohol as a toxin. When this much water is produced so quickly, it is very easy to become dehydrated.

Nerves control muscles and nerves produce the stimuli to contract muscles from electrolyte minerals dissolved in water. Further more water lubricates the joints and protects them from injury during workouts.

Drinking alcohol robs your body of key vitamins. Vitamins like B, C and A, plus calcium and phosphorous are all depleted through the use of alcohol. When you consider that the most important vitamins to healthy muscle development are vitamins B and C, you can see this is just one more reason that drinking alcohol while muscle building is such a big deal.

When trying to build muscle, you need to deplete the stores of fat and increase the muscle mass. Alcohol works directly against this effort. Nutritionists will tell you that alcohol contains empty calories. Empty calories have no nutritional benefit at all. Alcohol also contains twice as many carbohydrates and calories as protein does.

While we are on the subject of calorie it is important to note that the calories taken in while drinking are the first ones burnt. This means that all other fat stores will remain and not be used for energy until alcohol calories are all burned. Not a good combination for a person wanting to build muscle mass and lose fat.

While we have looked at most of the major points on alcohol and bodybuilding; however, you have to consider the other affects of alcohol on the body. Prolonged use can lead to liver damage, diabetes and a host of other medically related problems. It will be increasingly difficult to build muscle if you suffer any one of these. Is it really worth the cost?

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The Necessary Buzzwords From Dietary Science

By Kathy P Bates

These days there are a lot of "buzz words" when it comes to nourishment. Science has found an large quantity of nutrients that were not acknowledged before. It is easy to get perplexed when you hear such words as phytonutrients, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and Omega fatty acids. What do they all mean?

Everyone is familiar with protein, fat and carbohydrates as they are just the simple classifications of food. Break them down and there are the crucial vitamins such as A, C, E, D, E and the B complex and the necessary minerals such as calcium, zinc, chromium and magnesium. But science has found that there are also hundreds of "micronutrients". These are nutrients that are necessary in less significant quantities but are still vital. This would include the phytonutrients, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and Omega fatty acids.

Phytonutrients are a non-mineral, non-vitamin, naturally occurring component of food that offers excellent health advantages. Significant phytonutrients include polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids and phytoestrogens.

Polyphenols are an antioxidant. They were in the past known as vitamin P, but the name changed as they were found to be very different from a standard vitamin. Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and antiallergenic properties. You can get polyphenols from most berries, tea, red wine, coffee, dark chocolate, pomegranates and more.

The orange-red pigment that is so familiar in nature and found in red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes and tomatoes is called Carotenoids. Carotenoids convert to vitamin A in the body, as they are a vitamin A precursor. Carotenoids can safeguard us from cancers and the negative effects of aging.

Anthocyanins are the pigment that is accountable for the deep purple black colors of many wholesome foods from blueberries and blackberries to purple cabbage and red wine. Anthocyanins provide health benefits against neurological diseases and aging, cancers, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infections based upon laboratory proof. You can find high concentrations of anthocyanins in red wine, berries and more.

Omega fatty acids are considered to be essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot produce them and they must be provided by our diet. They include Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. Our bodies require a constructive ratio of 1:1 for these vital fats, but the modern day diet provides very little Omega 3 and excessive amounts of Omega 6. It is imperative to supplement Omega 3's or deliberately add foods that are high in Omega 3's to our diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for healthy membranes and the proper progress of the eyes, a strong cardiovascular system and a strong immune system.

Nutritional science is finding increasingly more confirmation of the importance of these essential micronutrients every day. In order to get the peak nutrition you need to eat a selection of beneficial foods every day.

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How to Get By Gluten Allergy

By Maja Maartens

Gluten Allergy, Celiac disease, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an auto-immune illness of the intestines, which is initiated by gluten, a protein found in different cereal grains. As a result, individuals with celiac disease have to adhere to a gluten-free diet. Be sure to study the gluten allergy symptoms and if you suspect gluten allergy contact your doctor.

Where is Gluten Found? The key resource of gluten in the diet include wheat, rye, and barley. Oats may be accepted in quite small amounts by some patients with celiac disease, even though those with severe disease normally don't.

Dairy foods might not be tolerated when persons with celiac disease has active symptoms, since lactose intolerance frequently develops. However, this is due to the lactose sugar in the dairy foods, rather than the proteins, which can cause milk allergy.

What Common Foods are Gluten-Free?

Foods such as soybean flour, tapioca flour, rice, corn, buckwheat and potatoes are usually safe for people with celiac disease. See below for more information regarding a gluten-free diet.

Why Follow a Gluten Free Diet?

* Though if there are no apparent symptoms, celiac disease can cause serious vitamin and nutritional deficits, since the intestines may not be able to absorb important nutrients if gluten is being eaten.

* Rates of certain cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are much higher in people with celiac disease, and there is evidence that this risk is decreased with a gluten-free diet.

* People with active celiac disease are at increased risk for other auto-immune conditions, (such as diabetes mellitus type 1, Graves disease and Hashimotos thyroiditis) especially those with continued gluten exposure.

* Mothers with untreated celiac disease are at increased risk for having a low birth weight baby.

How to Follow a Gluten-Free Diet? First, reading all labels on prepared foods is vital. Do not eat any foods that contain the following:

* Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

* Flour or cereal products

* Vegetable protein

* Malt and malt flavorings

* Starches (unless specified as corn starch, which does not contain gluten)

* Various flavorings, which can be derived from cereals containing gluten

* Vegetable gum

* Emulsifiers, stabilizers derived from cereals containing gluten

Next, especially when eating at a restaurant, avoid the following:

* Breaded foods

* Creamed foods

* Meatloaf and gravies

The following are good choices for a gluten-free diet:

* Broiled or roasted meats (beef, poultry, fish)

* Plain vegetables

* Plain salads

* Potatoes (white, sweet, yams)

* Corn

* Rice

* Beans

* Fruits

* Breads and baked goods made from alternative flours (rice, soy, tapioca, arrowroot, potato)

* Breakfast cereals containing only rice, corn, grits or hominy (Such as puffed rice). Some people with celiac disease may tolerate oats as well.

Are There Other Suggestions Concerning Nutrition?

It is a good idea to see a dietician or nutritionist on a regular basis to ensure that your gluten-free diet is well balanced and meeting nutritional needs. Your doctor may also prescribe various vitamin supplements to make up for any nutritional deficiencies. Since bone loss is a common problem in people with celiac disease (due in part to vitamin D deficiency), frequent monitoring with bone density scans is recommended.

Consider buying a cookbook with gluten-free recipe ideas, and visit various sites specializes in the support of people with celiac disease.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. Please see your physician for diagnosis and treatment of any concerning symptoms or medical condition.

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Advantages of Natural Bodybuilding

By Ricardo d Argence

Are you ready to start moving toward the body build you desire? There are numerous options available to you today.

When it comes to developing the body you want, everyone has different techniques to suggest. However, you need to take time to learn about the human body as well as determine your specific needs. Slow natural bodybuilding is the best solution for getting the best results. You do not want to use potentially harmful methods.

Natural bodybuilding does not involve the use of drugs such as anabolic steroids and HGH. Natural bodybuilding is bodybuilding that makes use of natural supplements instead. You want something that is not as significantly risky as well as permanent results.

When you are looking at Natural Bodybuilding, you will find that it is a very natural process that evolves on its own. For a long time now, people have realized that pumping their bodies full of drugs and expecting this artificial enhancement to bear them up over the long run was a mistake. This has resulted in more and more attention being paid into what goes into our athletes and our star performers and you should think about what this means for your own regimen.

When you take the time to consider the numerous options of bodybuilding regimens available today, you will realize how essential natural bodybuilding actually is.

There is a concentrated focus on your daily food consumption while on the Natural Bodybuilding Diet. While on this diet, you will eat a great deal of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cuts of lean meat.

You want a diet that suggests meals of up to about 12 to 13 calories per pound of your body weight. Counting calories will show you that your meals should be broken down into approximately 20% healthy oils, 50% natural carbohydrates and 30% proteins.

Avoid consuming foods that include sugars and or are overly processed. Pay special attention to the role protein plays in your daily eating habits.

There are plenty of benefits to trying the Natural Bodybuilding diet. You will find that the results, even if they are a bit slow in coming, will be significantly more permanent than if you decide to get them though drugs or through artificial means. You will also find that because your body is doing all of the work naturally that you can learn a lot by listening to your body.

There are plenty of different issues that you will not have to deal with when you are going onto the Natural Bodybuilding diet, and you will find that your health stays the best that it has ever been!

When you take the time, you deserve to find out about the Natural Bodybuilding diet and then put it into good practice you will know you have made the best decision in your life concerning your good health while achieving the bodybuilding type you desire.

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Great Protein Drinks

By Samantha Carter

Whey protein shakes along with whey protein itself have grown massively in popularity recently. The ability to get large amounts of protein quickly into the system has led to a huge demand for whey protein and whey protein based products. One of the most popular uses of this supplement is to make very simple but very tasty protein shakes.

There is generally one standard way these protein shakes are made, you combine one or more scoops of whey protein (depending on how much protein you want) with your desired flavors and liquids and blend it. This is where it gets different, some people have it with banana, some have it with berries or anything else they can think of.

When people hear the word supplements, they immediately think steroids. That was the image that whey protein had initially. Now people have gotten wise to its massive benefits and general lack of side effects. Unfortunately it is still a little expensive but in time should drop even further.

Here is an example recipe:

Protein-Carb Almond Blaster Ingredients: Mix 2 Scoops of Vanilla MyoMax Meal or other protein with 10-12 oz of skim milk 1.2 cup of dry oatmeal 1.2 cup of raisins 12 shredded almonds 1 tbsp of peanut butter. Its like pudding!

And another recipe:

Protein-Carb Almond Blaster Ingredients: Mix 2 Scoops of Vanilla MyoMax Meal or other protein with 10-12 oz of skim milk 1.2 cup of dry oatmeal 1.2 cup of raisins 12 shredded almonds 1 tbsp of peanut butter. Its like pudding!

You should definitely try on out after or before a workout. You won't regret it.

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Tips To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

By Bangang Nkouppitt

Hypertension is a common disease nowadays, which, if it?s not treated corectly can cause many damages to the other organs of the body. People who suffer from high blood pressure need to lower blood pressure in order to neutralize the effects of hypertension on their body.

What if you had high blood pressure? There is the threat that you could be put on medication, which could be for the rest of your life. That doesn't sound very appealing, in fact, in reality it is not very appealing, especially when you take into account the amount of possible side effects that you could suffer from as a result of having to live with taking medication on a daily basis.

After studying the effects of several types of food on blood pressure, scientists have developed an eating plan called DASH " Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. DASH states that you should eat only fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and low-fat dairy products, and very few red meats, sweets and other foods that are rich in fats.

Have you had your lycopene today? If you ate a green salad with fresh tomatoes, you not only a good dose of this powerful antioxidant, but also took significant steps to reduce your blood pressure. A recent double-blind study conducted in Israel has confirmed that the hearts of healthy Italians have known for centuries - tomatoes (and tomato sauce) lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

Tomatoes are effective in reducing blood pressure, because they contain lycopene. This powerful antioxidant is still the subject of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli Lycomato to have higher concentrations of lycopene in each piece of fruit. Other antioxidants found in tomatoes make a super-nutrition in the prevention of heart disease. You can even help keep LDL cholesterol from oxidation which makes keeping the arteries and reduce the shift causing blood pressure to rise.

Work with your doctor to determine just how much weight you need to lose in order to see the most benefit, especially if you are extremely obese or have any other medical considerations that need to be taken into account.

The natural cure high blood pressure is much better than the medical alternatives. It is amazing how many medicines that are supposed to help you feel better actually make you feel much worse. This is why so many people are turning to natural cures for hypertension, and if you are reading this article I can demonstrate exactly what you need to do to get started.

To start though let us talk about a few things that you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt (or sodium) is one of the chief culprits in todays high blood pressure epidemic. Too much dietary fat is also a culprit as it promotes arteriosclerosis, weight gain, and other difficulties which lead to high blood pressure. Hence, two things to avoid in your diet are salt and excess fat, principally saturated or trans fats. So, what types of food should you have in your diet in order to help lower your blood pressure? Potassium is one of the key substances which is missing in todays American diet and which is very beneficial for your blood pressure. It helps lower blood pressure just as sodium assists in raising your blood pressure and so including sufficient potassium in your diet can help stabilize blood pressure.

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Have You Tried the Acai Berry Detox Diet?

By Tyler Adams

If you are feeling tired, run down, and sluggish, you may be experiencing the effects of built up wastes and toxins in your body. The acai berry detox diet can help to get re-energized. This cleansing diet is an amazing weight loss plan that will get rid of toxins and wastes from your body. Most often, the human body does an excellent job of removing toxins and harmful waste from your body. Even still, excess waste and toxins can accumulate in the body and cause your immune system to lag. You start to become more vulnerable to colds, flus, and stomach viruses. You can even find yourself putting on weight. Mix in added stress, and you have a bad situation made worse. An acai berry detox diet just might be the answer for you.

Acai detox diet supplements are very beneficial to the detoxification of the system. You can eliminate excess waste, and flush toxins from your body. This cleansing diet is such an effective weight loss program that it will get rid of toxins and wastes from your body. Generally, the human system does an adequate job of eliminating toxins and harmful waste from your body. Even still, excess waste and toxins can create a build up in the body and cause you to get sick. You become more susceptable to colds, flus, and stomach illnesses. You can even find yourself gaining weight faster. Mix in added stress, and you have a bad situation made worse. An acai detox diet just might be the right choice for you.

Ultimately because acai berries are so high in antioxidants, they will give you more energy, and a healthier body. Acai berries are also known to reduce your appetite. Many people overeat when they become stressed. The acai berry detox can ease this anxiousness, and suppress your appetite to prevent overeating. Combine the acai berry detox with regular exercise, and you will start to burn calories more efficiently and raise your metabolism.

Because acai berries are packed with essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, they can also restore your youthful appearance. You will notice when you begin the acai berry detox diet that your wrinkles and fine lines in your face will start to fade, your hair will be softer and fuller, and your skin will be clear and glowing. The acai berry detox diet can give your appearance that edge again. Give the acai berry detox diet a try today.

There may be a multitude of other detox diets on the market today, but which ones can you trust to work? Trust an all natural cure for what ails you. The acai berry detox diet is all natural, can restore your youthful appearance, help you lose weight, and give you an overall sense of energy and well being.

After your acai berry detox, start making permanent changes to your diet and eat more healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Add lean protein, and drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated. Try an exercise program and stick with it. Regular exercise will improve the functioning of your heart, respiratory system, brain, and it also helps with your digestive system.

Remember to consult with your doctor before beginning an diet or exercise program. Add a healthy diet, regular exercise, and an occasional acai berry detox, and you will reach your weight loss goals, feel strong and healthy, and dramatically improve your appearance.

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The Modern Juicer and How To Buy The Best One

By Mike Riley

Buying a juicer for the home can be very confusing and mind boggling sometimes, considering the fact that there are so many of them available these days. I first became aware of the the benefits of juicing after purchasing a Lalanne Power Juicer. There are many available and a lot of people end up purchasing an unsuitable one.

It is important to realize the reason for purchasing a juicer and then go ahead looking for one. To make the right choice it is important to understand the salient points between the different juicers such as those for fruit and wheatgrass. Before going out and shopping, writing a list of features you need is a useful thing to do.

There are various varieties of juicers around in the market. It can be confusing trying to decide between a centrifugal juicer, a masticating juicer, and a twin gear juicer. By far the most common and most affordable are the centrifugal juicers.

Due to the high speed of the centrifugal juicers they are most suitable for juicing vegetables and fruit. They are, however, not particularly suitable for foods like spinach, wheatgrass and lettuce. In order to prevent any of the juice going to waste it is often advisable to buy a single or twin blade machine. There are special types of juicing machines on the market for these types of foods. One of the most suitable types is the Miracle-mj 500 Juicer. They have the advantage of usually being quite cheap and contain no aluminium parts and are particularly easy to operate. With Masticating machines, the low speed units help produce high quality juice as a result of reduced oxidation.

I would advise checking the guarantee of any machine prior to purchasing. A good juicer will have a guarantee range of 5- 10 years. Also it is advisable check the blades and the quality of the blades as a lot will need replacing after two to four months of normal use. It is important to consider the yield that the juicer produces because this factor determines the output. Ideally you want less waste and more juice. A motor rating of about four hundred and twenty watts is recommended as heat produced from using a much higher power motor can often destroy the juice due to oxidation.

A branded machine such as the Lalanne Power Juicer is often a better buy than a non-branded machine. This is because, spares and replacement parts are often easier to source.

Other than making fruit and vegetable juicers, many more modern machines can be used for different functions. Surprisingly, they can be used to make many products including ice cream, nut butters and pasta. The modern juicer is truly a versatile machine.

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Friday, June 26, 2009

The Superfood Properties of Wheat Grass

By James Campion

Wheat grass is a grass which belongs to the large family of grasses such as rye and barley which we are familiar with. Most of the juice that is made from wheat grass, however, comes from grass grown indoors on special trays. Much of the dehydrated grass that is about 60 days old is mainly used as nutritional supplements.

The juice made from fresh wheat grass is frequently mixed with sprouted wheat berries to make a drink rich in chlorophyll. This drink is believed to assist in the prevention of cancer but is known to neutralize many of the toxins in the body, cleanse the body and reduce the rate of aging. A lot of people are aware of the health benefits of the juices after seeing those TV adverts for the Jack Lalanne juicer which extol the virtue of fresh juices.

A number of medical professionals have done studies to demonstrate that wheat grass can benefit many medical conditions. Like aloe vera, the herbal form, used as a medicine is believed to possess healing properties. It is interesting to note that cats and dogs when ill or sick will frequently be found nibbling on grass.

This juice is known to neutralize all the rotten food that forms toxins in our alimentary canal and the blood stream. Many of the enzymes that are found in the wheat grass have the power to detoxify most of the known toxins and additives produced in our normal daily diet.

Green plants are full of chlorophyll which is known to be their life blood. Cooking can kill the bulk of the chlorophyll and enzymes in the grass and, therefore, this is not advised. The most known fact is that most of the grass eating animals are spared from cancerous conditions as they eat chlorophyll in the fresh form. Chlorophyll does not detoxify the body itself but has enzymes present in it that do have the power to detoxify.

Many people who have purchased a Jack Lalanne juicing machine will understand all too well the benefits of juicing. The nutritious properties of a fruit juice will be boosted by the addition of wheat grass. These juices are full of many essential vitamins and minerals and can contribute to health.

The cleansing effect of fruit and vegetable juices on the body have been known for many years. Due to these cleansing properties many doctors advise drinking them when not feeling well. Weight for weight, wheat grass contains more protein than beans fish and eggs and more iron than spinach. This is a relatively little known fact.

A lot of people are discovering the health benefits and wheat grass could quite easily be considered one of the superfoods. Experience the wonders of this particular grass and try adding it to your daily diet today .

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Just How Important Is Clean Pure Water?

By Lee Jacobs

Many of us don't' realize the importance of drinking clean pure water. The human body is composed of over 70% water. Our health and well being is largely dependant upon the quality f the water that the body contains.

The break down of the body's make up in term of constituents stands at 72% water, 20% solid tissue and bone, and 8% a combination of chemical compounds. When this is looked at from a biochemical standpoint, it stands to reason that the quality of the body's fluids would have a significant impact on the overall well being of a person. Each life giving action that occurs in the body takes place in this body of water.

Many medically based discoveries have occurred during the last decade that has brought the capacity of the human body's ability to heal itself to our awareness. It seems the body can overcome nearly any pathology if given the chance. The body instinctively knows how to heal itself, and water seems to be the key.

Every cell within the body is governed by complex electrical signals sent via the nervous system stemming from the brain. Essentially, the nervous system is a complex array of miniscule "waterways". For instance, if we become dehydrated, the fluid within our nerves congeals, giving way to a congested mix of synthetic and organic contaminants that distort the vital signals within the body.

Scholars have now concluded that the distortion of these sensitive communications within the body are the cause of many degenerative pathologies and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Chronic Fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even Attention Deficit Disorder.

Medical studies have revealed that a small drop in body fluids, as little as 4%, can cause a loss of energy up to 30%. People that occasionally suffer from decreased energy levels could be experiencing this as a result of dehydration. If the body fluids drop by 15%, death is a possibility.

The statistics have it that more than 65% of people don't consume enough fluids, with many of us experiencing some degree of dehydration. Effectively this means that much of the populace is running at roughly 70% of our capacity, and in many cases less.

Conditions like ulcers, hypertension, arthritis, fatigue, sickness and headaches can be significantly reduced in many cases or entirely prevented by simply drinking an adequate amount of clean water.

It's important to clarify that clean pure water is what we are saying that needs to be consumed, and not fluids such as tea, coffee, colas and the like. This distinction is of utmost importance, as many fluids will actually dehydrate the system - we need to hydrate!

Each time we eat a meal, a certain amount of body fluid will be used to transport the nutrients form the bowel. Equally important, an adequate amount of fluid is required to flush the toxins that build up from any metabolic wastes from the body.

If we supply the body with the right minerals and nutrients and an adequate supply of clean water, it can overcome practically anything.

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The Acai Berry Diet, Weight Loss And The The Whole Story And Fallacies

By Evelyn L Morgan

One of the most valuable health discoveries of the recent past is the acai berry. This little berry has been discussed on everything from the TV talk shows, to books to blogs and websites. It has been touted as being valuable for everything from anti-aging to colon cleansing to weight loss.

The fact is that the acai berry is one of the most nourishing foods on earth. It has the utmost Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC level of any particular food. It truly has twice the antioxidant power of blueberries and even 10 times as much as red grapes.

Nonetheless, few of these claims have been confirmed factual in scientific and controlled studies. There is no scientific proof that the acai berry is of use to humans for weight loss. However, the acai berry is extreme in an antioxidant called anthocyanins. A controlled study with laboratory mice did prove that purified anthocyanins were of assistance for healthy weight loss is laboratory mice.

The acai berry is abounding in a full range of amino acids, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. All of these nutrients can play a role to healthful weight loss. The acai berry can add exceptional nutrition to our bodies and many times our bodies will release toxins and surplus fat when they receive high nutrition. There is nothing contained in the acai berry that would contribute to a colon cleansing but the high nutrition can help our bodies to naturally eliminate disproportionate waste products.

Acai berries can be of use to your weight loss goals in a mixture of ways. Advanced nutrition can give you a enhancement of energy that can help you stick with an keep fit plan. When your dietary needs are met, you tend to go through fewer cravings and mood swings. First-rate nutrition can give you the oomph you need to stick with a good for your health diet and exercise routine that can help you to lose weight.

The superior nutrition from these berries can help you to get enhanced sleep,which is useful in weight loss. It can also be an help to digestion, which can help your body to release waste and toxins more proficiently, which can help in weight loss.

There may not be detailed scientific evidence but many people have reported triumph with weight loss by including the acai berry in their diets. The wholesome dietary profile of these berries will benefit your body and it may very well lead to weight loss. Your body will benefit from great nutrition whether you actually lose pounds or not.

Many people have had immense success with the acai berry diet aside from the lack of actual scientific data. The high nourishment value is favorable to your body whether you actually lose fat or not.

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

What Role Does a Good Nutrition Plan Play in Muscle Gain?

By Ricardo d Argence

When you are in a place where you want to lose fat and gain muscle, or when you are thinking about seriously working towards bodybuilding, you'll find that the importance of protein is emphasized to you again and again.

You might find that you are told about protein enough that you start rolling your eyes. Yes, you know it is the building block of your muscles, but the issue is that so few articles will tell you why. It can be hard to take something seriously unless you know what it does and if you are looking to really make sure that your bodybuilding is effective, you need to consider how bodybuilding can work for you.

Consider what proteins are and what they do for you in a normal setting, even when you are not working out. Protein is an organic compound made up of amino acids and they are instrumental when it comes to both building up your muscle and repairing it after damage has been done. They contribute to the growth of your muscles over time and they will also help you make your body stronger.

When you want to look into what kind of foods are going to keep you healthy and strong, you often find that proteins make up a substantial part of the list. Any active person, not just body builders, are going to need to make proteins a part of their diet. If you engage in any sort of intense physical activity at all, you need proteins to function.

The reason why protein is so necessary for bodybuilders especially is due to the fact that bodybuilders put their bodies through a lot of different things on a regular basis. When you work out, your body needs a certain amount of repair.

If you can get the right amount of protein into your diet, you are going to be able to put yourself on a more balanced and effective path that will help you build up the muscle tone and definition that you are after, as well as the bulk.

Do you want to build muscle, and do you want to make sure that it lasts? This is where looking for good sources of protein comes in. Lean meat is going to be instrumental in your attempt to get the right kind of protein into your body as are egg whites. These materials are important when you want to get your body built up right and they can make a great breakfast to boot.

Remember that soya beans are also a great source of protein and that they have less calories in fat to be concerned about.

Protein shakes are a wonderful option for you when you want to make sure that you are eating healthy but don't feel like cooking at all. You can whip yourself up a shake as you walk out the door, and you can even take them as a powder or a capsule. There are many different options here.

Take the time to make sure that you make good protein the cornerstone of your bodybuilding experience; this can go a long way towards helping you down the path to a healthier, stronger you!

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The Powerful Effect Of Antioxidants On Your Fitness

By Tony K Graham

Even though our physical processes need oxygen, the expenditure of oxygen in our bodies causes oxidative damage. Free radicals are formed when our bodies employ oxygen. A free radical is a molecule that is absent one or more electrons. This makes the molecule vastly unstable and it can cause many troubles in our bodies. Antioxidants are nutrients that are found in food that are identified to slow or even check the effects of oxidative damage.

An antioxidant will come in and stick to a free radical by donating the missing electron. Most of the nourishing foods found in nature are plentiful in antioxidants and including these foods in your diet can improve your immune system and help to inhibit disease such as heart disease and cancer and other problems usually associated with aging.

Berries are some of the maximum antioxidant foods in the world. Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and grapes and cherries are all very high in antioxidants. Food is calculated for antioxidant power by what is called the ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale. All of the berries have a very high ORAC level but the tangible food that has the highest ORAC level is the acai berry. There are a few items that rank above the acai berry on the ORAC scale such as ground cloves and ground cinnamon but none are truly foods but instead spices and such. The acai berry surpasses every other actual food.

Other fruits that are high on the ORAC scale consist of citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes and the majority of the more tropical fruits like kiwi, mango and papaya. Apples, pears, plums, apricots and peaches are also outstanding sources of antioxidants.

Many of the familiar vegetables are exceedingly elevated in antioxidants. Spinach, Kale, Swiss chard, dandelion greens and other greens are exceptional, along with the cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

The orange foods are extraordinary in beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A. Pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash provide ample amounts of this very important nutrient. Beta-carotene is best provided by diet as supplements have been found to cause troubles, especially in smokers.

By consuming a colorful diet you will be sure to obtain an profuse supply of antioxidants. Most of the bright and colorful foods found in nature are loaded in antioxidants. Berries are deep purple and red. Pumpkins and carrots are brilliant orange. Spinach and broccoli are deep green. Tomatoes and watermelon are red. Color is a big indication to antioxidant power.

Research continues on antioxidants but it is showing ever more benefits for our wellbeing. Superior immune function can inhibit disease like cancers and heart disease and also avert common ailments connected with aging such as macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease.

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Learn About Mesotherapy

By El Bilson

Mesotherapy may be something you've heard about recently. But what exactly does this cellulite treatment involve? It is the injection of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and various medicines into the body. It has many different uses including:

* Enhances the weight loss process * Improve wrinkles and fine lines that come with aging * Get rid of scars left behind by stubborn acne * Smooths out stretch marks caused by weight gain and pregnancy * Reduces cellulite formation

Sound like something you might be interested in? Mesotherapy is practiced all throughout the United States. Although the procedure originated in France, this procedure is now available worldwide. Most major cities will have doctors that can give mesotherapy treatments. This treatment is becoming very popular at spas and skin centers around the world.

It is important to trust the person performing the treatment. Be sure to ask any question you may have and read up on the procedure you want to have before you go.

As with any cosmetic procedure there are certain risks involved with meso. It is not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However many people have had very positive results with meso treatments.

It is thought that meso is more effective in treating cellulite than liposuction. This is because it treats cellulite directly unlike liposuction which can potentially worsen the appearance of cellulite.

Another plus about meso is that it does not involve recovery time or extensive hospital stays. This makes it an appealing treatment for those who are crunched for time yet still want to look their best. The treatments can easily be done during a lunch break or after work.

As with other cosmetic procedures, results from treatment will vary from person to person. Several session may be needed to get you the results you're looking for. Most often though, patients report seeing results after just one session. This can be encouraging for those who may be skeptical about getting the treatments.

To keep your body looking great after the procedure, doctors recommend sticking to a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Also regular maintenance treatments may be necessary.

For the majority of patients, side effects will be mild to non existent. Bruising and soreness are often reported on the affected area. To help speed up the healing process, doctors recommend patients take the supplement arnica on a daily basis.

Overall, meso is a great way to improve your skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. This treatment is ideal for not only cellulite, but a wide variety of skin disorders.

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Jump Start Metabolism - How Metabolism Controls Our Weight!

By Dan Beckwith

Have you realized that some people can eat whatever they want and never gain weight? Or have you thought about why some people can lose weight on a diet and others can not? Maybe you need to jump start metabolism.

Your weight loss issues have to do with your metabolism. Each person has their own metabolic rate that is unique.

Our metabolic rate is the rate at which we burn calories or store them as fat, just to sustain life. We burn calories constantly - even while sleeping. Muscles burn calories even when we aren't doing anything physical, because of this muscles are said to be "metabolic reactive". One quick and easy way to jump start metabolism is to get more muscle.

More muscle in the body, means more calories burned. That is the reason why weight loss plans always require exercise.

The food we eat (healthy foods jump start metabolism, junk foods slow it down turning calories into fat) and our levels of activity are big determinants to our metabolic rate, but there are others. Here are a few:

Age and metabolism are related, since metabolism slows with age.

Stress is also influential. More and more studies are linking obesity with stress on the job and in the home. Aside from our tendency to eat more when stressed, it's been discovered that stress actually interferes with some of the normal processes in the body which in turn slows our metabolism. Seems odd, but yoga or meditation could be a key to jump start metabolism!

Another factor is sleep. Studies show not getting enough sleep or even getting too much sleep can interfere with metabolism. To jump start metabolism, most people should aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night.

Genetics play a role in metabolism. This is probably very obvious. Overweight parents tend to lead to overweight offspring. Some genetic health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can also play a role in weight. This is why seeing a doctor before beginning any weight loss plan is advised. It will remove any nagging doubts about your health before you undertake a program to jump start metabolism.

Most diets include advice about drinking plenty water. Most diets say it is to make you feel full so you don't overeat. While that may be a good idea, it is not the entire story as to why water helps with weight loss. Water helps in weight loss because it hydrates the body, flushes out toxins and keeps excess water stored in the body to a minimum. All of this leads to a speedier metabolism and more weight loss.

Want to know more about how to jump start metabolism? Check out all the information about your metabolism and losing weight at my website. Also get my FREE mini-course Fast Weight Loss Tips!

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Strengthen You Ab Muscles With Diet Plan

By Frank Powell

Regardless of your age, there is probably some interest in learning how to tone up your abs. If that wasn't the case, then you probably wouldn't be reading this article now. But getting rid of that stubborn belly fat in order to tone up your abs is probably one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. The key is to continuously perform abdominal exercises everyday and eat the proper diet.

Some individuals are blessed with toned abs while others are too conscious about their stomach bulges. If you have excess body fats, the muscles in your abdomen area become invisible. According to experts, if you want to tone your ab muscles, you need to give particular attention to you diet. 75% of your effort should be dedicated to improving your diet and the other 25% is for the ab exercises.

Dieting plays a critical role in the flattening of your tummy and strengthening of your ab muscles. However, there are quite a number of diet plans out there and you need to make sure that you are choosing the best diet plan for your body. But the secret to every diet plan is to eat certain foods that will breakdown your body fat while decreasing your calorie intake. It is a known fact that if your body does not get enough calories, then the body will begin to use the fat in order to generate energy. This is why having a healthy diet plan will shed off the layers of fat over your stomach.

If youre not sure about what foods to eat, you can consult your doctor or nutritionist. That way, you can be provided with meal plans and great advice on the right food choices. You need to learn the foods that provide fewer calories. Get enough information sources to increase your knowledge on proper dieting. Also, try to change your unhealthy eating habits. You cant possibly change overnight so try to introduce the changes gradually.

In order to tone up your ab muscles, it is imperative that you focus on abdominal exercises. The most general and basic ab exercise is the abdominal crunch, which is a really effective exercise for strengthening the abs. A lot of people also do ab crunches on an exercise ball in order to help them workout their abdominal muscles properly. There are a bunch of videos online that will help you to do ab exercises on the exercise ball. You can watch these videos for free on sites like youtube. Other effective ab exercises that you can do are leg lifts, jackknife sit ups, and v-ups.

Abdominal muscles require the most patience to see any results with. It can take months before you start seeing that flat tummy and firm ab that you desire. But if you stick with your workout plan of exercising and dieting, then you should have hard firm abs in a few months. Just work towards shedding off as much fat around your stomach so that you can work on toning your ab muscles.

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Muscle Building Workouts, How to Achieve the Best Six Pack Abs

By Ricardo d Argence

If you've ever spent any amount of time in front of the TV after the infomercials come on (that is, after midnight), no doubt you see that a lot of those commercials are promoting ab related products. You'll see diets, pills, machines, and exercise workouts that promise to give you those sixpack abs you've always wanted. There's no shortage of people who want to sell you a way to do it, but do any of them actually work?

In fact, most of these fads don't last. They're exposed for the fakes they are and people go onto the next "quick fix" or "breakthrough invention" that's going to give them the abs they want without much work. But if most of these fail, is there a way to truly get flat abs? Can you, really, get flat abs if you don't have them now?

Yes, you can get sixpack abs, but the simple fact is, you're going to need to use an approach that's been around for a long, long time. As hard as it may be to hear, you can't get sixpack abs quickly and easily. Instead, you have to adopt a healthy diet and you have to exercise.

In other words, there's no way to simply take a shortcut on this. It's true that you can probably drop a few pounds very quickly, but the weight is going to come back on just as quickly as it came off -- and you might damage your health, too.

Now that we know you're going to have to exercise, what types of exercises should you do? Should you just get on the ground and start doing thousands of crunches? Will this give you the six-pack of your dreams? Actually it won't do much at first.

Right now, your ab muscles are probably covered up by a layer of what could best be called "padding," or in other words, fat. So if you want to see your abs, you're going to have to get rid of the fat. How do you do that?

A lot of people think that they have to get on the treadmill and do cardio for hours at a time. However, this isn't true, either. In fact, the best way to burn fat quickly is by doing interval and weight training.

With weight training, you burn calories quickly while you work out, but you're building muscle, so you're going to burn calories when you rest as well. As muscles begin to develop, they're going to be burning extra calories, like little incinerators, so that they can keep rebuilding themselves. This will speed up your fat burning capacity, which in turn will decrease the amount of time it takes to burn a certain amount of fat off. Besides weight lifting or weight training, you can also do short bursts of sprinting-type workouts thrown in there, too.

And of course, you should also try to eat healthier. If you're always sitting on the couch, drinking beer and eating nachos, you're not going to get that sixpack.

Instead, if you want different results, you're going to have to do something different. To get that sixpack, change what you put in your mouth. Eat healthy foods and drink water. Put good fuel into your body, in other words, and it will perform for you and give you what you want.

Simply, most people can obtain a sixpack if that's what they want, but the mistake comes if you think it's going to be easy. You're not going to wake up tomorrow morning with a sixpack. Instead, it's a long process, depending on how much weight you have to lose to begin with. However, you can do it if you just stay with it.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

How to Control Hypertension with Herbs

By Yolande Koy

An increasingly common disease that is affecting almost one third of Americans, as shown by existing statistics, is hypertension. More commonly known as high blood pressure, the incidence of this disease has increased at an alarming rate since the turn of the century. The common factors of hypertension would be build-up on the arterial wall, rapid heartbeats and an increase volume of blood.

No one is safe from this insidious disease, as it does not discriminate among the world population. No matter your age, gender or race. The disease has managed to gain a stranglehold on the population due to the prevalence of sedentary way of life, bad eating habits and stress.

You can however treat hypertension or the the very least manage it by adopting a program for a healthy lifestyle incorporating, a balanced diet, exercise and herbal remedies. One of the most effective herbal remedy, which is also well known, is garlic. For those that would like to try a highly recommended herbalist combination, try garlic and raisin. Of course, it may be too much for those that only starting to use herbal treatments.

Something more palatable would be grapefruits. Although it has been a popular breakfast for some time now, not many people know the benefits of this great fruit. The elevated levels of vitamin P in the fruit make it a valuable fruit in combating hypertension. As a supplement to the grapefruit, you could take a carrot, another effective food to control hypertension.

The more exotic herbs beyond fruits and vegetables would include Garcinia, hawthorn berries and a superb herb for hypertension, Shepherd's Purse. The blood vessels are relaxed and cleansed with these herbs. Other than that, you could use an infusion of sarpagandha, Siberian ginseng, motherwort, mistletoe and lime blossoms. To give an extra boost, you may add one teaspoon of honey to the infusion.

Honey is another food that can be used to deal with high blood pressure. It is able to strengthen your blood vessels and heart. The simplest way of taking honey is to make a drink out of it. Just mix one tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey to make a refreshing breakfast drink. If you are feeling especially brave, replace onion juice for the lemon juice.

A balanced diet is essential in dealing with high blood pressure. Fruits are highly recommended, as are vegetables. Apples and bananas are easily obtained at any local supermarket. Spinach, tomatoes and leafy greens rank as some of the best. Beyond that, you can try fasting a day every week. Instead of eating your regular meals for the day, you take fresh fruit juices.

As a final point, stress is fairly common to everyone nowadays. It is however, important that you know how to cope and control the stress. There are many people that use yoga to help unwind after a hard day's work. Other than that, you could use the soothing smells of aromatherapy or a nice relaxing massage.

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Acai Berry -A Tasty And Healthy Fruit

By Dana Hawkes

It's only been a few centuries since the magic of this dark purplish round, grape-like fruit, became familiar to the whole world. Its availability and importance previously is believed to be known only to the rain forests of the Amazon, where it is a wild fruit. These berries have now become the most preferred fruits and recommended by almost all diet specialists and physicians. Many health conscious individuals are also becoming aware of its health benefits. The fruit is being exported in tons every year throughout the world.

Known to be rich in a series of vitamins and minerals, this fruit helps fight deadly diseases like cancer, pulmonary diseases etc. The vitamins present in the fruit being, A, B, B1, B2, B3, C E etc help in reducing the illness factors. The minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc are abundantly found in the acai fruit.

There is no doubt the berries cure people having hypertension and imbalanced blood sugar levels. In addition to vitamins and minerals, the fruit contains an acceptable amount of protein and fiber that makes it unique and healthy to consume.

Apart from uncountable health benefits, the acai berries also find a place in delicious cuisines, mouth watering deserts and chill ice creams. This contradicts the fad among people thinking all foods that are healthy do not taste delicious. The chocolaty flavor of the berries is simply irresistible to eat and make lip-smacking delicacies.

So what's more? Next time you order an ice cream in the five star hotels, make sure it is flavored with acai berry and go the healthier and tastier way!

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All About Weight Loss

By Dean Marcus

Many people have trouble with their weight. There are a great many factors in determining a persons weight. The type of food you eat will definitely have a large impact on your weight. Do you exercise? An active person is much more likely to have a healthy weight than someone who leads a less active lifestyle. There are also some factors beyond our control. This makes weight-loss much hard for some people. Do you have a desk job? We all need to work, some of us very long hours. What if you have a desk job that require you to work very many hours. This makes it very hard for a person to be active.

Some people can eat whatever they want whenever they want and stay thin. If you saw these lucky people anywhere other than the dinner table you'd think that they had an eating disorder. Its not fair is it? No, but life's isn't fair. If you want to be thin and healthy you are just going to have to work for it.

If you have more trouble loosing the weight than keeping it off, you may want to consider some help. There are many weight loss pills on the market that could be the push you need to reach your weight loss goals!

To reach a health weight you may want to use weight loss pills. These supplements, such as Clinicallix, aren't a permenant solution to weight loss but can help you get started or loose those extra few pounds

There are 3,500 calories to a pound. So for every 3,500 calories you burn off you will loose a pound of weight. This of course doesn't take into account how many calories you area taking into your body. So, if you want to loose weight make sure your burn more than you eat!

Let's face facts not only is it better for your selfesteme to loose weight but its also better for body. Overweight people have way more health problems than fit people do. This is something that a lot of people don't like talking about but its true.

You should do everything you can to make your weight loss goals as easy to attain as possible. If a weigh loss pill can help you do that it might be something you should consider.

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Acai Berry Products, The Most Significant Things To Look For

By Jennifer B Davis

The acai berry has taken the nutritional world by storm. You can find a excess of diverse acai berry products online and at health food stores. Since the authentic acai berry has one of the record nutritional profiles of any food ever found in nature, many products are trying to benefit from on this little berry's intense recognition.

Many good products out there entirely make use of the inherent nutritional value found in the acai berry. However, some products out there have utilized lesser processing methods. Thus they will not give you the full nutritional benefits.

The acai berry is exceedingly delicate, consequently it must be processed within 24 hours of leaving the tree or it loses most of its nutritional value. There are two main methods of processing these berries, a superior method and an mediocre method.

Freeze-drying is the excellent method of processing. The berries are removed from the tree and immediately flash frozen and dehydrated. The result is a powder that closely maintains the original nutritional value of the actual fresh fruit.

Spray-drying is an lesser mode of processing. It uses heat, which right away compromises the nutrition. After that they use maltodextrin as a drying agent. Maltodextrin is a short-chained sugar starch. When you buy a spray-dried acai berry product you are getting a blend of the dried fruit along with maltodextrin, instead of just the fruit.

Some companies are also using the words "proprietary blend" on the label. This means that they are combining the acai berry with other inert ingredients. It is not possible to know exactly how much acai berry you are receiving in a proprietary blend. There are products that tell you exactly how much acai berry is in the product, look for those first.

Be attentive of "other ingredients" such as magnesium stearate, maltodextrin, rice or silica. These ingredients are just fillers and flowing agents and they decrease the nutritional value of the product reducing the amount of the authentic nutritional value of the fruit.

In order to receive the supreme nutritional value make sure that the product you procure is freeze-dried powder with the maximum concentration of the authentic fruit.

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A Few Good HCG Tips

By Amelia Handley

While many are calling the HCG diet the weight loss cure...it's not worth anything if you can't successfully complete the program. It's a very low calorie, limited meal plan that works with the HCG to offer immediate and very noticeable weight loss. Here are some worthwhile suggestions to aid you as you aim for your weight loss goals:

1. Do not stray from the diet. The HCG interacts with the body to alter the physiological function and allow you to decrease the amount of fat and fat cells you're holding onto. But it depends upon a lack of fat and sugar in the body. So introducing even a small amount will cause a problem.

2. Keep ready made meals on hand. The hardest time to stick to a diet is when you're starving. And when you're on a 500 calorie diet (even with the fabulous distraction from hunger that the HCG provides) you're going to have moments when you feel like you HAVE to eat RIGHT NOW! So keep ready made meals on hand. Pull one of the recipes from the cookbook and make it or double it or whatever you think will work for you (and your family if you're feeding the group) and then take the leftovers and package them up in handy individual size servings.

3. Test various herbal teas and flavors of Stevia until you come up with a combination that you like. This is the only "limitless" item on the HCG diet in addition to water so if you like it you'll have a much easier time of it for the duration.

4. There are many seasonings allowed on the HCG diet. Take advantage of them. You can do a lot with lemon juice. And there's no need to eat plain, unseasoned boiled chicken unless you just prefer it that way. Try different seasonings and make sure you feel like you're getting a little bit of variety within the guidelines presented by the program.

Sticking to any low calorie diet is difficult. But the HCG diet is an extremely low calorie diet. The HCG keeps the body from going into starvation mode, but make sure to follow the tips you're give so you can keep from going into a psychological starvation mode!

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