Tips for Healthy Living

How to Lose Weight for Busy People

November 2nd, 2008 : Category: lose weight fast

It is a challenge to lose weight in this modern, on-the-go time that we live in. Busy people often times choose fast food over a home cooked meal or drive a short distance over walking. However, it is as simple as choosing the healthier alternative to get you to consume fewer calories, burn more calories, and ultimately lose weight. In addition, there are natural supplements and vitamins available give your body that extra assistance to lose weight . You don’t have to commit a large amount of time in order to lose weight.

Here is a list of 10 quick and simple ways of how to lose weight for busy people; these tips will not take much more than 30 minutes extra out of your day. Joining a formal weight loss program or hiring a personal trainer can be costly in both time and money. These weight loss tips will show you the results and fit into your busy lifestyle. Whatever you are willing to commit is at your discretion; you know your body and limits best so only do what feels right to you.

1. Make a written commitment to yourself. A big step in losing weight is making the mental commitment in order to stick to your weight loss goal. Write down your goal officially and maybe choose a timeline in which you wish to achieve your goal. Post it on your refrigerator or mirror as a constant daily reminder. This should not take more than 5 minutes.

2. Tell your friends about your goal. Peer motivation is proven to help people in meeting their goals. Tell some friends or family about your weight loss goal and ask them for your support. They’ll be sensitive to your dietary needs and also act as supporters by simply asking how your progress is. Maybe they’ll even want to join you and then you have a friend to exercise with. Find time to bring it up during your regular conversation.

3. Write in a dietary journal. You’ll be more accountable for the food that you eat if you keep a log of everything that you eat on a daily basis. Simply carry a small notebook with you and write down the foods that you consume. You’ll be less likely to have that extra cookie if you know it’ll be recorded in your journal. This should only take a few minutes after each meal.

4. Drink about 8 glasses of water. Staying well hydrated is known to increase metabolism and hence burn more calories. It is also necessary to keep your muscles hydrated when exercising in order to effectively build muscle. This should not take more than 5 minutes.

5. Choose walking over driving whenever you have the chance. When given the opportunity to walk to the store or to run errands, choose walking over driving. That extra travel time can be put towards your exercise time. This is also the environmentally friendly alternative since you’ll be burning calories instead of gas. The time sacrifice depends on the distance but this can be counted towards your exercise time.

6. Eat a healthy breakfast. It is proven that having breakfast helps with metabolism throughout the day and can also control your appetite. Have some fruit, low sugar cereals, oatmeal, or yogurt. Try to skip the bacon, sausage, and pancakes. Or you can have a quick cereal bar on the go which should not take more than 5 minutes.

7. Skip dessert. Sweets are delicious but they are also high in sugar and calories. Trade in that cookie for a piece of fruit or have some yogurt instead of ice cream. There are healthier ways to get your sweet fix without the guilt. This takes no additional time out of your day.

8. Order salads at restaurants. Next time you find yourself choosing from a menu, order the salad. They can be quite delicious as well as good for you. Avoid creamy dressing and toppings such as fried chicken. Do say yes to vegetables, nuts, fruits, and healthy protein. This takes no additional time out of your day.

9. Exercise for atleast 30 minutes a day. It’s easy to make the excuse that you don’t have time to exercise but set aside atleast 30 minutes a day for some activity. Exercise can range from sports to running to yoga. There are a variety of fun and creative ways to get your exercise time in without necessarily going to the gym.

10. Take natural supplements and vitamins. There is a great selection of supplements out there to provide weight loss support in the form of appetite suppressant, increased metabolism, or reduced fat absorption. Examples of weight loss supplements include Fucoxanthin, cider vinegar, and hoodia. This takes only a minute out of your day.

Related Blogs

No Comments »

Super Antioxidant

October 13th, 2008 : Category: Super Antioxidant

Super Antioxidant

What is a super antioxidant?

A super antioxidant or antioxidant is a general name for substances including all of the vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids and minerals that help protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals. It is called a super antioxidant because of the nature in which it helps prevent disease in humans. Antioxidants accomplish this by reducing the damaging effects of from oxidation of free radicals.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals originate from oxygen molecules in your body that become electrically charged from natural cellular activity and from outside factors that you’re surrounded by, including radiation from your environment and tobacco smoke as well as many other harmful environmental factors. These free radicals try to steal electrons from molecules in your body like DNA and cells, causing damage as it goes through your body. These dangerous molecules cause a chain reaction of free radicals that damage cells and play a part in the aging process and the development of diseases such as cancer.

How do super antioxidants fight dangerous free radicals?

Antioxidants help to stop the free radical chain-reaction by giving their electrons to the free radicals, thereby neutralizing them so they are unable to cause more oxidative damage to the cells in your body.

How are super antioxidants able to stop this chain-reaction?

Super antioxidants end the chain-reaction by giving up their electrons instead of other molecules giving them up. Super antioxidants are able to do this without being negatively affected because they do not become reactive after losing electrons, effectively stopping free radicals from doing any more damage once they have been neutralized.

What diseases are associated with free radical damage?

Several degenerative diseases are linked with free radical damage, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, stroke and cognitive impairment. Aging is also associated with the damage done by free radicals. The nature of super antioxidants makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of occurrence of these diseases.

Where are super antioxidants found?

Super Antioxidants can be obtained easily through safe supplements from NutraYoung as well as through your normal diet. Some of the most well-known antioxidants are:

Vitamin A: carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach, pumpkin, liver, sweet potatoes, collard greens, eggs, apricots, mango, dairy and fish

Vitamin C: bell peppers, red pepper, parsley, guava, kiwi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, persimmon, papaya, strawberry, orange, lemon, cauliflower, garlic, grapefruit, raspberry, tangerine, spinach, tomato, grape and pineapple

Vitamin E: asparagus, avocado, olives, spinach, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and fortified cereals
Carotenoids: beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, carrots, pumpkins, leafy green vegetables, red fruits, tomatoes, fucoxanthin and seaweed

Polyphenols: berries, teas, beer, grapes, olive oil, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, walnuts, peanuts, fruit skins, pomegranates and wine

How does this information help me live healthier?

Now that you know about free radicals and super antioxidants, you have an extra incentive to eat a well balanced diet full of colorful fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Eating healthy will not only help your body gain super antioxidants and fight free radicals, but it can also help you lose weight fast.

No Comments »

Vitamin D a Key Player in Overall Health of Several Body Organs, Says UCR’s Anthony Norman

October 10th, 2008 : Category: Osteoporosis / Bone Health, Physical Health

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Essential for life in higher animals, vitamin D, once linked to only bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis, is now recognized as a major player in contributing to overall human health, emphasizes UC Riverside’s Anthony Norman, an international expert on vitamin D.

In a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Norman identifies vitamin D’s potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity. In addition, access to adequate amounts of vitamin D is believed to be beneficial towards reducing the risk of cancer.

Norman also lists 36 organ tissues in the body whose cells respond biologically to vitamin D. The list includes bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and the uterus.

According to Norman, deficiency of vitamin D can impact all 36 organs. Already, vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle strength decrease, high risk for falls, and increased risk for colorectal, prostate and breast and other major cancers.

“It is becoming increasingly clear to researchers in the field that vitamin D is strongly linked to several diseases,” said Norman, a distinguished professor emeritus of biochemistry and of biomedical sciences who has worked on vitamin D for more than 45 years. “Its biological sphere of influence is much broader than we originally thought. The nutritional guidelines for vitamin D intake must be carefully reevaluated to determine the adequate intake, balancing sunlight exposure with dietary intake, to achieve good health by involving all 36 target organs.”

Vitamin D is synthesized in the body in a series of steps. First, sunlight’s ultraviolet rays act on a precursor compound in skin. When skin is exposed to sunlight, a sterol present in dermal tissue is converted to vitamin D, which, in turn, is metabolized in the liver and kidneys to form a hormone. It was Norman’s laboratory that discovered, in 1967, that vitamin D is converted into a steroid hormone by the body.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 200 international units (IU) for people up to 50 years old. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old and 600 IU for people over 70 years old. Norman’s recommendation for all adults is to have an average daily intake of at least 2000 IU.

“To optimize good health you must have enough vitamin D,” he said. “Vitamin D deficiency is also especially of concern in third world countries that have poor nutritional practices and religious customs that require the body to be covered from head to toe. Ideally, to achieve the widest frequency of good health by population, we need to have 90 percent of the people with adequate amounts of vitamin D.”

About half of the elderly in North America and two-thirds of the rest of the world are not getting enough vitamin D to maintain healthy bone density, lower their risks for fracture and improve tooth attachment.

“There needs to be a sea change by various governmental agencies in terms of the advice they present to citizens about how much vitamin D should be taken,” Norman said. “The tendencies of people to live in cities where tall buildings block adequate sunlight from reaching the ground, to spend most of their time indoors, to use synthetic sunscreens that block ultraviolet rays, and to live in geographical regions of the world that do not receive adequate sunlight all contribute to the inability of the skin to biosynthesize sufficient amounts of vitamin D.”

Found in minute amounts in food, vitamins are organic substances that higher forms of animals need to grow and sustain normal health. Vitamins, however, are not synthesized in sufficient amounts to meet bodily needs. Therefore, the body must acquire them through diet or in the form of supplements.

Because it is found in very few foods naturally, milk and other foods (often orange juice) are fortified with vitamin D.

While deficiency of vitamin D impacts health negatively, ingestion of extremely high doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition in which the blood’s calcium level is above normal. The highest daily ‘safe’ dose of vitamin D is 10,000 IU.

“More than ever we need to increase the amount of research on vitamin D, with more funding from government agencies and pharmaceutical companies, to meet the challenge of preserving or improving the health of everyone on the planet,” Norman said.

Norman is the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Ernst Oppenheimer Award from the Endocrine Society; the Mead Johnson Award and the Osborne and Mendel Award from American Institute of Nutrition; and the William F. Neuman Award from the American Society of Bone & Mineral Research. He is a fellow of the American Association Advancement Science as well as the American Society for Nutritional Sciences.

A grant he received in the late 1960s from the National Institutes of Health to study vitamin D has been renewed consecutively for 41 years, totaling more than $9 million.

Source: http://www.info.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1938

Related Blogs

No Comments »

Lose Weight Fast With Fucoxanthin

October 5th, 2008 : Category: Physical Health, lose weight fast

What is fucoxanthin?

People lose weight fast with fucoxanthin, an ingredient found in seaweed that naturally reduces fat by increasing your metabolic rate. Fucoxanthin is a compound that is found naturally in red, green and brown seaweed, all of which is commonly used in Asian foods like sushi and miso soup. As you age your metabolism gets slower and normal dieting doesn’t give you the results you expect anymore. Fucoxanthin is an easy way to lose weight fast.

Does fucoxanthin help you lose weight fast?

Although it is known that fucoxanthin studies have shown to be effective for fast weight loss in animal studies, there have been recent studies done on human subjects that also showed this. There have been recent studies in both humans and animals that showed taking fucoxanthin supplements helps to reduce body weight as well as significant losses in visceral fat, decrease in liver and abdominal fat, and an increase in energy expenditure. Subjects taking the fucoxanthin supplements lost an average of 14 pounds, 11 pounds more than the placebo group. There are numerous studies being conducted on both humans and animals to determine the efficacy of fucoxanthin for fast weight loss, but also for its other benefits which includes being a super antioxidant.

What are the other effects of fucoxanthin?

Fucoxanthin, as a carotenoid it helps to protect cells from the damage done by free radicals. Studies have also shown that fucoxanthin promotes the creation of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Fucoxanthin has been shown to decrease insulin and blood glucose levels, an anti-diabetes effect, in animal studies. Scientists believe that this is because it promotes DHA production. The omega-3 fatty acid DHA is the healthy substance that is found in fish oil and fish like salmon.

Weight-loss tips:

Healthy weight loss should be taken at a conservative pace, with drastic starvation diets and other unhealthy tactics to be avoided. Fucoxanthin can be used to aid healthy fast weight loss in combination with eating a healthy balanced diet and normal exercise.

A good way to keep yourself motivated for fast weight loss is by keeping track of your progress with a weight loss chart.

Everyone wants to lose weight fast, but keeping that weight off should be the ultimate goal. Keeping a regular exercise routine with at least thirty minutes of cardio everyday will help you keep in shape. Using supplements like fucoxanthin can give you that extra bump and motivation to continue eating healthy and working out regularly.

You should also identify unhealthy foods in your diet that you can eliminate in order to maximize long-term results. Choosing less-fatty foods and increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables and fiber in your diet can go a long way. Calorie-counting on a daily basis isn’t entirely necessary, but identifying high-calorie items that are consumed on a regular basis like sodas or juices with your lunch can help you find the reason for that 5 or 10 pound gain in weight. Small changes in your diet and daily habits can result in large losses in fat and weight loss.

No Comments »

Sex Eases Pain of Arthritis at 70

September 30th, 2008 : Category: Arthritis / Joint Pain, Physical Health

In a new study, researchers found that today’s 70-year-olds are having more sex  and enjoying more satisfying sex — than ever before .The study, from Gothenburg University in Sweden, showed that self-reported levels of sexual satisfaction among 70-year-olds in Gothenburg has been on the rise, from 58 percent of 70-year-old men reporting satisfaction in 1976-77 to 71 percent reporting sexual satisfaction in 2000-01. Among women, the increase was from 41 percent to 62 percent during the same period.

“There is no question that people in their 70s today are like people in their 60s from the last decade,” said Judith Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist, sex therapist and faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College.

Because the study was based on interviews, it is subject to the honesty of the septuagenarians who were interviewed, but even if this is merely a rise in talking about sex rather than actual sex that is on the rise, Kuriansky sees that alone as a positive. “If they’re more comfortable talking about it, they’re more comfortable doing it,” she said.

The longer life spans of women can prevent many from having partners late in life, but Kuriansky said she has a suggestion for women facing that problem. “Sex therapists like myself encourage people to be self-pleasuring,” she said. “If you have no partner, you can continue to be pleasured by yourself.” Kuriansky said that the sexual climaxes have the added benefit of easing the pains associated with arthritis. The article, “Study Shows Sexual Satisfaction at 70 Improving” appeared at July 10th on the website “ABC News”

Source: Teacher’s College, Columbia University (http://www.tc.columbia.edu/news/article.htm?id=6686)

Related Blogs

No Comments »
Copyright © NutraYoung.com 2009, all rights reserved.