0 Fish Oil and Omega-3s

Lately we've been getting many questions about fish oil and more specifically omega-3 fatty acids. While we believe that everyone should be taking a fish oil supplement due to it's numerous health benefits, there are a few things to consider when looking for an Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement.

Total Omega-3 Amount

Research has shown that to receive the benefits of fish oil you need to be taking a supplement that contains at least 1000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, however the benefits are more specifically seen from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid & docosahexaenoic acid... I know you were dying to know what those letters stood for). EPA and DHA are essential fatty acids that your body needs but cannot produce on its own. So, you need to make sure the supplement you are taking contains at least a combined total of 1000 mg of these two fatty acids.

Gel Cap or Liquid

Next question, should you be taking fish oil in gel cap or liquid form? It really doesn't matter, we prefer gel caps over liquid for the main reason that a big scoop of liquid fish fat just doesn't sound all that appetizing.

What Time of Day?

Again, this really doesn't matter and is more a matter of personal preference. We do recommend that whenever you take it that you take your full daily dose all at the same time rather than splitting it up throughout the day, because you will get busy and forget.

Vitamin D?

Many fish oils come with Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) added. Is this right for you? Well, it depends how much natural sunlight to you get on a daily basis? If you live in the northeast, like us, it's probably a good idea to take a fish oil supplement with Vitamin D through the winter months. During the summer months, or if you are privileged enough to live somewhere that has sun year round, you probably don't need the Vitamin D. Just make sure you get outside in the sun a little each day and your body will make its own Vitamin D. If you are taking a Vitamin D supplement currently check with your doctor first before taking fish oil with Vitamin D added.

Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratio Balance

Some fish oils come with fancy sounding name like Ultra Omega-3,6,9 or Complete and use clever marketing to make it sound like getting three different types of omega fatty acids is better. The truth is this is just fancy marketing designed to get you to dig a little deeper into you pocket and buy a more expensive version. By adding Omega-6 fatty acids to your supplement you can actually hinder the benefits of Omega-3, especially if you are taking the fish oil to help with inflammation. You see Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory and Omega-3's are anti-inflammatory. While Omega-6's are beneficial when we are fighting an infection or injured they are not something that we want a high amount of in our system because they will cause more inflammation, which can lead to health problems.

On a side note, we want to have an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of ideally 1:1, but our body can function well at 4:1. The average American has a ratio of between 10:1 and 20:1 and is chronically, systemically inflamed. Adding Omega-3's will help to improve your ratio, but as long as the supplement you choose doesn't contain Omega-6's. If this is the case they may just offset each other. To improve your ratio even further the removal of grains from you diet, which is why the average Americans ratio is as high as it is, will help to get you closer to a 1:1 ratio.

Hopefully this answers some of your questions. Please feel free to post your questions and comments.

Josh Proch is co-owns Defined Fitness, the Pittsburgh area's #1 fat loss and fitness gym, located in Wexford, Pennsylvania. For more information call us at 724-934-2000 or visit us online at http://www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7358835

0 Motivation for Fitness Beginners

Motivation for beginners -- Getting it all done.

Have you ever thought of yourself standing on a beach and then turning all heads around you?? Have you ever thought of wearing a tight fitting shirt and then feeling very pleased with yourself to wear it because it fits you perfect?? If not then this article is not for you, you may try reading the other sections. If yes then this is a must read for you. And I assure you, that spending your time reading this page is definitely worth your time. I am hoping that you guys would be pretty well pumped up after reading this.

What do you think is motivation?? It's basically a driving force which arises within you and which helps you tremendously to achieve your goals. Now this definition can differ from person to person. A lazy potato couch might define motivation in terms of junkies like crunchies, potato chips, soft drinks etc. On the other hand an industrious person might define it in a better manner saying that it is that force which keeps you going in your quest for success. But then there is only one winner and that is the industrious person. That's because success never comes easy, it always comes along with hard, hard and hard work!! There are a few things in everyone's life that a human being tags as their most prized possessions. I believe the most prized possession that we all have till date is nothing other than our very own human body! The human body is the mastermind behind all success stories of elegant personalities. This might sound a bit weird/different to some (whatever you choose to call it) but its fact! I have always believed that if you have to succeed in life then you should always start with taking care of his/her body.

Get up early, wake up fresh and look at yourself in the mirror. Then you have to ask yourself "Am I really somebody in this life?? Have I achieved enough greatness to inspire people?? Do I have that burning desire in me to make it big??"

Exercising was never so much in trend as much as now. Today it's a real pleasure to see teenagers going to gyms and pumping hard despite having very busy schedules. That's what I call true "DEDICATION". Because that outlines your attitude towards your own body. Such people "LEAD". They aspire to become true leaders in life.

Why bodybuilding??

I hear nerds telling me "Bodybuilding isn't rocket science". True. It isn't for the faint-hearted either. Like it is said in the bodybuilding circles "It's not a sport, it's a life style". And it truly is a life style. Bodybuilding is a full time job, you can't just finish off your workouts and call it a day. You are never really "DONE". You have to be focussed on your goals and keep awareness about your body. Hard work always has its results. Always. It may not be soon, it may not be next month either but it will happen. "PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE" - That's the key. Bodybuilding brings about discipline in your life which helps you organize yourself and behave in a certain manner. Not only do you get tough physically but you also get tough mentally.

Apart from this, regular exercising keep you fit and fine but it also boosts a lot of self confidence but it also inculcates a lot of self respect in yourself. If you do not have self-respect for yourself, if you do not have respect for your decisions in life, then it's almost a cinch that you will never make it to that landmark which you have always dreamt about all your life. Remember it's you and only you who can change your life and make it a better one. People around you can only guide you or at the most warn you about the adversities that you might face in your life. The rest lies in your own hands, in your very own hands... You might choose to end everything right here or you might choose to start and create a new history. The choice is always yours; it always has been that way. You might be lying in your bed warming your back while you know you are going to miss your workout if you do not get up instantly.

Even then you choose slumber over sweat. People often ask me, "What's going to happen if I miss my workout for one day?? One day is not going to kill me!! "But you know one day missed out of practice takes one day longer to get better!! So people don't procrastinate! Procrastination is one of our favourite passions which are quite definitely an ignominy!! Focusing on your fitness goals is very important and you should never ever lose focus, no matter what happens!!! Don't stop, doesn't stop... Go on! One more rep, one more rep and then another one and then another one till you can't do another! You are wholly responsible for taking care of yourself so do be a responsible man and take care of yourself. Just like Sir Abraham Lincoln said "If you try 99 times and fail 99 times, you ought to get up and try once again for the 100th time..That's what makes you a real man!!" Always remember that great things were never accomplished easily... All great deeds require a great deal of hard work and a lot of perseverance...

Am I too old to start training??

Age - This one word has become an excuse for too many now. When I advise elderly people to start building, I usually get the same dull answer "I guess I can't do this. I am too old to." But that's what he thinks. Nothing can be standing as an obstruction in your mind when it comes to chasing a goal. You have to look through them. You have to visualize the person you are trying to become. Only cowards try to hide their faces when it comes to applying themselves in some real life situation. So I guess you got to choose which category you belong to. You are never too old not to start off. You can start anytime, anywhere. You're "WILL" and not your "age" decides who you would become. So before its too late and your

fears of staggering with a stick becomes a reality, pick yourself and get to the gym. After you see those results in the mirror, you will surely be thanking yourself for all those troubles you had to go through. People have made it through several kinds of difficulties in their lives. There are endless obstacles in my own life too. And I do admit that I get drifted away at times, but I soon dust myself up and get back to work on track. You should know where you belong, what you are chasing, who you want to be. Go on, and believe in your track of life. Belief is all you need to succeed.

Conclusion:

Quoting Sylvester Stallone, one of the greatest machismo icons of the world of all times-"It aint about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward!! That's how winning is done!!" So people if you want it, you have to be willing to take it! Nothing in life comes easy, nothing at all!! Your attitude is what determines your future and never your dad's bank account or your backdrop or your family social heritage!! Let nothing come in your way of success! Work, work and work incessantly and make it all happen just like the way you wanted it to be!!! Go, get out in the open, fight with your life, and live the life of your dreams! You are all destined to be great... Have faith!!! Have faith!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7348343

0 Successful Loss Fat and Vitamin D

Diet is an important factor in losing weight, in addition to controlling food intake, the nutrition of the food for reducing weight is also very important. The latest study finds that the deficiency of vitamin D can put burden on you for losing weight. Therefore, how do we lose weight in a simple way? Hurriedly to look at the relationship between vitamin D and weight loss, adjust your diet methods for reducing weight! 
For the people who want to lose weight, vitamins are of great help. People are generally familiar with the antioxidant effect of Vitamin C, but most people don't understand whether vitamin D can decide the success of weight loss or not. When you try to reduce weight by controlling calories, vitamin D plays a decisive role. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, which has been confirmed, but the fact that a lack of vitamin D can be the factor for lose weight with failure has only been discovered recently. 
A research shows, if one is lack of vitamin D, he is bound to get fat relatively easily. 
Researchers in the United States published a new study suggests that a lack of vitamin D in women is susceptible to obesity. Vitamin D is required for human body to manufacture leptin. Leptin is a kind of hormones for people to control appetite. It will make people feel full after a meal to restrain eating. If the content of leptin in human body keep a continuous reduction, appetite will be more and more obvious, thus it is more likely to suffer from obesity. 
According to the study of annual meeting in American medical association of the endocrine, it shows that the concentration of vitamin D may be the key factor in influencing obese people to effectively lose weight. 
The University of Minnesota takes 38 overweight men and women for experimental object, let the experimenters absorb less heat than daily needed 750 calories, then add and subtract the intake of vitamin D, insist to reduce weight for 11 weeks, test blood. After a series of experiments, the results show that vitamin D deficiency may cause fat. While losing weight, under the premise of controlling calories, the predecessor of vitamin D -- 25 vitamin D3 (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) will increase 1mg each 1 ml and weight loss will increase of 0.196 kg than in the normal state. 
From the above results we can see clearly that vitamin D deficiency will cause obesity. Therefore, you have to pay much more attention to the relationship between vitamin D and weight loss.

by Skyto1314

0 Top Best Diet Supplements!

An allotment has currently been perceived and said about the lemonade diet. How to detox the right way through this though is the more important topic. The lemonade detox diet is generally a productive way to lose heaviness. This is the major reason why it is quite well liked these days and why its use has remained and continued through the decades. The natural components furthermore make it more appealing to persons who are dead sick and exhausted of processed nourishment and even constructed tablets that have synthetic components that are in the long-term hurtful for the body.

There are three top diet tablets online if you are looking for high value content and low price. Major quality of these peak diet tablets is the influence on appetite suppression, fat binding and metabolism levels. Unique Hoodia, Proctor and Storm are renowned as peak diet supplements that can be get effortlessly. Benefit is that you can order these weight loss tablets online without prescription. Furthermore they play very significant function in heaviness decrease labor.

weight loss looks like it's gaining acclaim as being a great way to help people lose weight fast. It will be a strong diet aid helping you burn fat like a furnace and reveal the body you know you're capable of having. It is worth taking a closer look if you're really serious about weight loss. Don't give up on yourself! Even if you've tried other products that didn't work, this one will. It's a proven winner with weight loss.

Recent and one of the best answers to heaviness decrease is fat binding; it is also very apt for obese persons. This aspect enables persons to consume fat nourishment because fat binds itself to other fat cells, liquefying them into a bigger mass. In the course of this progression users body does not identify that this new subject is not fat for digestion so it dispose out this structure as foreign matter. Experts say that fat binding turned into safest and healthiest weight decrease response online today. It is advised accepted technique and it is risk-free. Proctor is advised for the number one fat binder enhancement today.

Proctor, Storm and exclusive Hoodia are the best choice for dieters because they have no edge effects and they are natural diet pills. You do not have to consume those three natural pills at the identical time. Never the less one of these diet pills is absolutely vital for your new gaze. Furthermore, you must work out your designs with your diet.

0 Getting the Most Out of Your Diet, the Right Way!

Proper Nutrition

In order to grow, repair and to rebuild, resources have always been a constant need in order to maintain any great construct. Simply put, the human body is no exception. It requires the basic essentials like calories in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. As well as nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals and water.

Maintaining the proper amount of nourishment for the body isn't always an easy task, but can be acquired through a balanced diet and proper supplementation. By doing this, you can greatly reduce the amount of fatigue, light headedness and muscle soreness you might have experienced in the past. By choosing nutrient dense foods, the challenge of meeting these nutritional needs may be much easier accomplished.

I can't stress enough how often this is over looked, being most important aspects of healthy dieting is the concept of opting for more "nutrient dense foods". These foods are very important when dieting because they are relatively low in calories for a higher amount of nutrients, allowing your body to get what it needs while dropping the weight.

Starting a diet is easy and starting a new workout program is a simple task. Many people do fine initiating there goals, but most never actually follow through with them? Ever notice how packed the gyms are after new years? Its ridiculous!!Take notice that by march, the new found herd of devoted gym zombies has actually seemed to have disappeared. why you ask? Because everyones new year resolution was to lose weight and finally obtain the body that they have always dreamed of having.

The mistake most people make when starting a diet and/or exercise routine, is that they often try making too many changes in too little amount of time. Lets say that you decided to quite smoking, do you honestly believe most people could just stop cold turkey? No! Quitting takes time and there is often a few failures involved, but eventually if that person trully wants to..they will quite!

Making a lasting changes in life must be thought out and approached with true caution. The sooner you accept that there will always be failures in your strive to be perfect, the sooner you will understand that you will always have the opportunity to learn from those failures. Instead of hating your diet and exercise routine, be sure to find something that you actually enjoy! You will find that making steady progress will be much easier when you forget how much time it is you have been putting into following your goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7349452

0 3 Healthy Food Recipes That You Have Never Heard Of

Recipe #1: Using Herbs for a Healthy Soup - A Spring Dock Soup Recipe

Despite the fact that green dishes bring pleasant spring mood, they are also a source of many vitamins. Novices in the kitchen should start preparing not only delicious but also healthy dishes. The recipe for spring dock soup is perfect for novice cooks; it is fast and delicious, and very easy to prepare!

Required products for the soup from the dock are:

- About 30 dock leaves,
- bunch of green onions,
- large carrot,
- handful of spaghetti pasta or rice,
- 1 egg,
- ½ cup yogurt; and
- salt and pepper.

The healthy cooked soup is enough for six servings. Here are the steps to prepare:

First of all, cut the onion and carrots and put them fry in preheated oil. Clean well dock leaves as removing stems and thicker "veins" of leaves, then cut and add them to the carrots and onions to stew.

Add about 1.5 liters of hot water, salt and pepper. When the rice/spaghetti is ready, leave the dock soup boil a little more until they are fully cooked (10-15 minutes).

Now, here comes the most complicated moment for any novice in the kitchen - liaison! But do not panic! It turned out that the most important thing in liaison of the soup is nothing but patience! Have patience, remove the pan from hot-plate and leave soup cool. Mix well the eggs and yogurt and when the soup is cooled, take a few spoons of broth and add them little by little to the yoghurt and egg, mixing carefully. Now it's time to pour the liaison into the soup. This should also happen slowly while mixing again. You can reheat the soup, but just a little. In no case should the soup be allowed to boil because the egg will get curdled.

That was it! The spring dock soup is ready. Before serving you can add yogurt or sour cream, soup for better taste. You are ready to feel the delight of this healthy cooked soup!

Recipe #2: Tasty Dietary Zucchini in Yogurt Sauce

Required products for the Zucchini and the sauce:

- 4-5 pc. zucchini,
- 1 tablespoon oil,
- 2 cups of low-fat yogurt,
- 1 bunch of dill,
- salt and pepper; and
- 2-3 sprigs of garlic.

Wash the zucchini and cut it into thin ring slices without peeling. Put the slices in the fryer and cover them with a spoonful of oil. Fry them for a few minutes. For those who prefer using outdated methods - place the zucchini slices on a baking sheet in a large pan, add a tablespoon of oil and bake them in the oven until ready. Pour the two cups of yogurt into a bowl, chop finely dill and garlic and mix them with the yoghurt. Add pepper and salt. After that put the dietetic and crispy zucchini and then mix again.

Recipe #3: Whole Grain Muffins With Carrots

It is not necessary to fully exclude sweet foods from your meals but just to limit them. As you know they can make you feel happy and more vital. So, when you are hungry for sweets do not go to the shop to buy waffles but try to cook something in a healthy way. Here is our idea for healthy cooking of muffins.

And the necessary products are:

- 2 cups whole wheat flour,
- 1/2 cup white flour,
- 1/8 teaspoon salt,
- 2 teaspoons baking powder,
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg,
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves,
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon,
- 2 eggs,
- 1 cup yogurt,
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil,
- 2 tablespoons applesauce,
- 1/2 cup honey,
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots; and
- 2/3 cup raisins.

Method of preparation:

Mix the whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mingle the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce and honey. Pour the mixture into the flour one as stirring with a wooden spoon. Add grated carrots and raisins. Put a little butter on the muffin trays and pour the mixture in them. The oven should be preheated (200 °C); put the muffins for about 20 minutes. You can try if they are ready by pinning them with a toothpick-if it is dry, you can take them off.

Enjoy the sweet and healthy cooked pleasure!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Radi_Deneva

0 Dieting and Fitness - The Social Factor

Almost everyone at some point in their lives has made a pledge to get into shape and to lose weight. However, while so many of us have at some point set out with this intention, the number of people who have been successful in this attempt is much lower.

So what's the reason for this? Some people will say it's genetic and that they don't have the right genes for losing weight or gaining muscle, and others will point to time or lifestyle factors. Whatever the confounding factors though, the thing that prevents a diet (as long as it's a healthy and normal diet attempt) from working always boils down to this: the person didn't stick at it long enough. And the same is true with training programs.

There are many reasons for this - most of which are psychological and would take a long time to solve, but in many cases there is also a very large social element which has a lot to do with whether or not we manage to stick to our training or diet. Here we will look at how this comes into play, and what we can do about it.

Social Eating and Drinking

Most people I know put on weight when they begin a new relationship, and I understand this process because it happened to be to a degree when I was younger. The main reason for this is simply that I now eat a lot more chocolate or cake - sometimes I'll buy my girlfriend a box of chocolates and of course she'll want to share it, and other times she'll suggest that we have something nice for pudding during our evening in and to refuse would be a little antisocial. Here there is a social pressure to eat more sweets than I normally would, and this is on top of the usually urges I might get during the day. Now I'm eating when I crave a chocolate, and when she craves one.

Likewise in groups this can be bad - and of course many of us will drink alcohol, or we will share cake or something to eat where again refusing would be seen as being the 'party pooper'.

So what's the solution? Well partly of course it's simply being aware of this problem and then using your willpower to refuse regardless of how it makes you come across in the group. At the same time though it's also a matter of making sure that everyone knows you're on a diet and of explaining to them why you want to lose weight and what that entails. When they understand this it will be much easier for them to accept when you refuse to eat something sweet. The other solution is to just be really strict with yourself the rest of the time and to save your rewards for when you're in company.

The Plus Side of Friends

Friends and family aren't all bad though, and they can actually sometimes help you to lose weight or get in shape by giving you the moral support that you need. To benefit from this, try and get your friends and family to join in with your new health regime and this way you'll help them too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7351576

0 How to Use a Folding Bicycle

There are many different ways that a folding bicycle can be used. Most models are standard size and look similar to a regular bike, but they can be folded down to about one-third of their regular size. Whether for recreation, commuting or shopping, riders can use these bikes as a primary source of transportation that is conveniently stowed away once they arrive at their destinations. People can also take them along in the trunk of a car and go for a ride at whim.

Portable
The bicycle folds into a portable state in less than a minute. From a standing position with the kickstand down, the rider lowers the seat and folds down the handlebars. A lever unlocks and releases the frame, folding it into thirds. It can be stored in a car trunk as is, or covered with a custom nylon bike bag for easy portability. Typical folding size is about 31 inches by 12 inches by 31 inches.

Commuting
Riding a bicycle is good exercise and is also environmentally-friendly. It also helps the rider to avoid traffic snarls, using it as a primary source of commuting or as a link to public transportation. A folding bicycle often has a luggage rack, which is helpful for bringing a briefcase or other supplies to the office. Some styles come with a bungee cord to attach bags and other items to the luggage rack.

Recreation
When choosing a foldable bike, look for one that has several gears and a quick thumb shifter for gear adjustments on the fly. Fenders on the front and rear and a brush guard provide trail protection. Some models come with an ergonomic design and a gel saddle for comfort. When driving to a favorite park or bike path, the folding bicycle can be stowed in the car until it's time to ride. The bike unfolds quickly. On some models, dual levers lock into place without any tools and the bike is ready to use in seconds.

Shopping
Rather than vying for a parking space in a vehicle, the folding bicycle is convenient for door-to-door service at the mall. Shoppers can lock it up at a bike rack or fold it up and take it inside. Most styles with an aluminum frame range from 30 to 35 pounds.

When choosing a folding bicycle, riders should select one that is lightweight and folds to a compact size without tools. A luggage rack with bungee cords and a nylon bike storage and carrying bag are accessories that offer convenience and portability for work, school, shopping or recreation.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about folding bicycle, please visit http://www.kettlerusa.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_M_Harrell

0 How Can You Improve Your Health and Fitness With a Hearth Rate Monitor?

In today's hectic and busy world, we all follow a stressful lifestyle and so, our physical well-being is critically affected. Thus, it has become more important today to watch our health than ever before. With little time for exercising and daily workouts and healthy foods keep vanishing from our plates, we are more prone to become obese, and maintaining of our overall fitness is a crucial challenge in today's world. The whole scenario points out that for any person today, achieving a fitness goal seems to be a daunting task and today one needs a helpful device, called a Hearth Rate Monitor to help check the status of our health and accordingly choose an exercise regime to stay fit and healthy.

Health Benefits of Hearth Rate Monitor

A Hearth Rate Monitor or Hearth Monitor is often considered as a helpful device for someone who is acutely affected by an obesity crisis. The device is designed specifically to calculate your cardiac rate. This helps in strengthening of your muscles when you try to improve your cardio respiratory endurance after learning about your cardiac rate. Using the device, one can work out for improving his physical performance and can boost his cardio respiratory stamina. Thus, the device can significantly aid someone in raising his energy level, maintaining a healthy heart and keeping a tab on the body fat.

Whether you jog, walk or cycle every day, a pedometer can measure the distance covered by you in each case and a Hearth Rate Monitor will measure your cardiac rate and thus will give you an idea about the calories you burn following your workout. It will also check your endurance level. Many advanced levels of hearth rate monitors will also allow you to measure your gradual fitness progression, which can urge you to keep up your daily workout regime in the anticipation of bettering results over time.

Not only running and walking, it can also help monitor heart rates of people who carry out power workouts such as dumbbells and kettle bells. The Hearth Rate Monitor can help you measure the rest time between different sets of exercising and thus you can be able to maintain the level of intensity during such type of exercises. Knowing the exact resting time during your exercising can help you to improve your performance level and can be very useful in weight loss and achieving a high energy level.

How to Wear a Hearth Rate Monitor

A Hearth Rate Monitor is designed in a way that can be strapped around a person's waist or his chest area. Today, these devices are available in very compact sizes or may look like a mobile phone or a handheld gadget that many people love to carry along all the time. One can easily carry them along with mobile devices. Today, modern and advanced Hearth Rate Monitors are available with Bluetooth features that allow users to send results to several computing and mobile devices. This way you can share your heart rate easily with your fitness expert or your doctors, who in turn can guide you further.

To save now, go to our web site http://www.StopwatchesWorld.com and subscribe to our privacy protected newsletter and get 5% Discount Coupon to use Right Away!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7306397

0 How To and How Not To Exercise For Teens

If you're a teen, you may not be sure how to exercise to get fit, stay healthy or, lose or gain weight. The good news is, there's a lot of variety to choose from that will work. That being said, it helps to learn about the different ways you can exercise so you can get results, reach your goals, and avoid getting hurt.

The best thing about exercise for teens is that just about anything that gets you moving around will burn calories. You should try to get intense workouts in for about 60 minutes a day at least 3-4 days a week and regular, more moderate activity during the rest of the week.

Cardiovascular exercise should always be included. This includes sports like football, soccer, basketball, baseball or softball, etc. It can even include fast walking, jogging, bike riding, swimming or running after the bus.

Strength training is another necessity to include in your teen workout program. This type of training helps you build strength. It can include structured weight training workouts with exercises like squats, bench press, or crunches using weights, machines, or even your own body weight. You may already weight train if you're in athletics but, if not, you can add this type of activity to your teenage exercise routine to enhance your results.

A big key is just to stay active. Aside from playing a sport or other activities like running or riding your bike, you should also include regular activity into your day. Some examples are active games (like Wii or DDR), taking walks, wrestling with your friends or throwing a ball at the park. This is something you can do every day just to keep moving.

Not all exercise is right for teens. Power lifting is not suggested. This type of training involves explosive lifting for a one rep max. This type of exercise isn't recommended for teens because it's difficult to use good form and can close your growth plates early.

Too much exercise can be bad for you. Exercising too much can lead to getting hurt, overtraining syndrome, and, for girls, a change in menstrual cycle. It's sometimes hard to know how much is too much, since everyone can tolerate a different amount of exercise. A good way to tell is if you no longer can get motivated to exercise you may be overtraining. Always listen to your body.

Don't be unrealistic with your expectations. While it's okay to have goals to improve your physique, we can only change so fast. If you want to get big, then it takes a lifetime of consistent exercise. If you want to lose weight, then it is possible with proper diet and exercise but usually only at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week.

Joshua "Coach" Kozak has been a fixture in the world of health and fitness for over 10 years. My favorite website for workout for free and the best exercise teenagers online

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_J_Kozak

0 3 Ways to Get Essential Vitamins

Take a Daily Multivitamin

Whether it's a busy lifestyle or poor food choices, sometimes we don't get the nutrients our bodies need for optimal health. A daily multivitamin is an efficient, convenient way to resolve nutritional deficiencies. For the nearly 40 percent of adults in the U.S. that take a multivitamin, the benefits certainly pay off.

When it comes to vitamins, too much isn't necessarily a good thing. Stick close to the standard recommended doses and you should be just fine. Beware of mega-dose vitamins and mega-fortified foods as too much may increase health risks. And another thing - since most multivitamins contain all the folic acid you need, steer clear from super-fortified foods like cereals, protein bars, and other foods with large amounts of folic acid.

Stock Up on Vitamin D

Vitamin D doesn't just keep bones healthy - it can help lower the risk of colon and breast cancer, heart diseases, and infectious diseases. Very few foods naturally contain Vitamin D, so in order to get the recommended 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, an additional vitamin D supplement should be taken with your multivitamin.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Multivitamins definitely help close nutritional gaps, but there is nothing like a well-balanced diet to provide all of your nutritional needs. Healthy food choices favoring fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and lean meats is the way to go. Make sure consumption of red meat and unhealthy fats are kept at a minimum. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a healthy meal should consist of the following:

Here is a breakdown of health benefits from Vitamin B Complex Multivitamins

Mega B Complex, The Breakdown.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) helps the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, which in turn is used to produce energy for carrying out various body functions. B1 is also essential for the breakdown of fats and protein. As a powerful antioxidant, B1 helps protect you from the ill effects of aging. It ensures proper digestion, improves memory, and helps with the production of red blood cells. B1 restores deficiencies caused by alcoholism and improves appetite.

B1 deficiency symptoms may include lethargy and/or irritability. A loss of memory, sleep, appetite, or weight might also indicate B1 deficiency.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps ensure that energy is produced efficiently. B2 helps in the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, which also fuels bodily function. B2 aides in the development of new body tissues, so it can help with hair and nail growth, as well as improve skin conditions such as acne. B2 also assists in the development of new cells. It plays an important role in regulation of growth, reproduction, and thyroid activity. B2 helps with absorption of minerals and other B Vitamins such as B1, B3, and B6.

B2 deficiency symptoms include bloodshot eyes, high sensitivity to light, burning sensation of eyes, parched lips, inflammation in the mouth, and sore tongue. Some other common symptoms include dull or oily hair, premature wrinkles, and split nails.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is used to improve the appearance or severity of some skin conditions. One of its largest benefits is an increase in high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol). It is also helpful with energy, digestion, production of sex-related hormones, and mental health.
B3 deficiencies are very rare.

B6 (Pyridoxine) speeds up chemical reactions that occur in the cells of the body. This makes processes run more efficiently so that energy produced is done so using the least amount of resources possible. B6 also assists in the production of B3, so it is a necessary vitamin for managing cholesterol levels. It helps bone marrow manufacture healthy red blood cells as well. B6 boosts the immune system and makes it function more efficiently. Other health benefits include improved metabolism, hormone control, skin conditions, cardiac and kidney function.

B6 deficiency symptoms may include fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, cracked lips, insomnia, and swelling in the mouth and tongue.

B9 (Folic Acid) is a significant component for improving human heart conditions. It helps to control the level of cholesterol deposits on the heart. B9 aids in removing homocysteine, which is one of the major causes of heart attacks at early stages. Homocysteine is also responsible for causing strokes. B9 has long been considered essential for reducing the occurrence of cancer in the human body. It is considered a muscle building component, as it aids in growth and maintenance of muscle tissues. It is also an effective component in the formation of red blood cells and a significant contributor to the formation of skin cells.

B9 deficiency symptoms may include anemia, loss of memory, restricted growth of brain and nerves, paranoia, weakness, and skin cracking.

B12 (Cyanocobalamin) plays an important role in performing useful tasks for maintaining good health of the human body. It helps to maintain different types of cells. Repair and maintenance of red blood cells are largely dependent upon B12. It is also helpful for relieving the body from fatigue and weakness thus improving the overall stamina of the body. B12 may also help reduce cholesterol while controlling the level of triglycerides for proper function of the heart.

B12 deficiency symptoms may include deadness in hands and feet, loss of memory, poor coordination while walking, insomnia, drowsiness, constipation, and headaches. Other symptoms may include swelling in the tongue, mouth soreness, weight loss, nausea, or fatigue.

B7 (Biotin) is a catalyst for extracting energy and a number of metabolic reactions such as providing energy by breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. B7 may help maintain healthy skin and hair. It may also aid in the growth and maintenance of muscle tissue and the growth of bone marrow. Since B7 helps break down extra fat for energy, it is also helpful in weight loss. B7 is another B vitamin that is helpful in reducing cholesterol. It will also help maintain the proper level of sugar in the blood.

B7 deficiency symptoms may include fatigue, depression, pain in muscles, hair loss, loss of appetite, dermatitis, and dry scalp.

B5 (Pantothenic Acid) plays an important role in maintaining good health. It acts as a synthesizer in the formation of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, antibiotics, and stimulation of adrenal hormones. In regulating adrenal hormones, B5 can be helpful with stress and anxiety. It helps regulate the level of cholesterol in the body. B5 is also helpful in maintaining healthy skin and hair. It may reduce body fatigue and weariness by building stamina of the body to perform well in various tasks. B5 can help strengthen the immune system and help the body to fight against a number of infections and diseases.

B5 deficiency symptoms may include lack of feeling or flaming pain in the feet, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, anemia, vomiting, contraction of muscles, or abnormal skin developments.

What are some ways you make sure you get your essential vitamins and minerals?

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0 Tips For Teenage Weight Loss

I get a lot of messages from teens with a variety of questions about exercise and weight loss: Is it safe to workout? How many times a week should I exercise? How can I lose fat? There aren't always easy answers to these questions, but there's one thing working in your favor: The younger you are, the easier it is to lose belly fat. Weight loss often comes easier to young, strong bodies with faster metabolisms, and the earlier you start, the easier it is to keep going as you get older.

Here are some tips for teen weight loss:

Walk, bike, or skate anywhere you can including school. Ask your parents if you can go to a fitness center with them or if there's a local community club where you can exercise. Check online to see if you can find free workouts on YouTube. If you hang out at the mall, then walk around instead of staying in one spot or eating crap at the food court.

Create a new plan where you walk, skate or run every day when you get home from school or on the weekends. If you don't want to work out outside by yourself, ask your friends or a family member to go with you or use an exercise video in your own room. Do some chores. Raking leaves or sweeping the driveway can actually burn calories while getting you brownie points with your parents. You can take the dog for a walk or jog.

Do You Really Need to Lose Weight?

This may seem like a dumb question, but not everyone needs to lose weight. Too often, teens focus on getting their weight down to see their six pack. You need to remember that you don't have to have a ripped 6 pack to be healthy. It's easy to have a distorted view of what your body should look like, especially if your models tend to be, well, models, celebrities, or other people who are often known more for how they look than what they do.

It's important to understand what ideal weight is and, even more important, that your scale weight doesn't always display whether you're healthy or not. It's best to ask your doctor. The scale doesn't accurately tell you what you've gained or lost, so using a scale as your only method of tracking progress isn't always the best idea. Before you decide to lose weight, take some time to research if you're really overweight or if the media is just making you think you are.

Joshua "Coach" Kozak has been a fixture in the world of health and fitness for over 10 years. My favorite website for workout for free and the best exercise teenagers online

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0 Healthy Food Tips: Protein Rich Foods for Vegetarians

Research suggests that healthy individuals should eat 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Athletes and bodybuilders need approximately two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Vegetarians have a difficult time getting the recommended amount of protein. Even though there are plenty of meat substitutes on the market, most of them are highly processed and contain harmful ingredients. The best vegetarian protein sources are minimally processed or unprocessed. Protein supports the proper functioning of the body, stimulates the production of red blood cells, and promotes the growth and repair of body tissue.

Here are some of the best protein rich foods for vegetarians:

Quinoa

Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that is contains all of the nine essential amino acids. One cup contains about eight grams of protein. Its texture is much like that of rice. This food has almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. It is also a great source of magnesium, iron, lysine, manganese, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).

Beans

Vegetarians can use beans as their main source of protein. The most popular and healthiest types of beans include black beans, lentils, haricot beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, butter beans, and split beans. They also contain high amount of fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates. You can get seven to 10 grams of protein per half cup of cooked beans. These vegetables are comparable to meat when it comes to calories. They support weight loss and improve digestion.

Seitan

This popular meat substitute is processed from wheat gluten. You can marinate it at home or buy it already seasoned. Seitan contains over 31 grams of protein per three ounces. This protein rich food is also referred to as wheat meat. In both quantity and quality, the protein in this food is similar to that in beef.

Nuts

Nuts are rich in protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. 100 grams of nuts contain 25 grams of protein. This nutritional power food is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. Regular consumption of nuts lowers cholesterol levels, prevents coronary artery disease, and reduces the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancers.

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0 Bodybuilding Supplements - What To Use?

We should all aspire to fitness, and health but those who are involved in bodybuilding have the aim of bulky muscles along with an eye catching physique. Intense training and balanced diet is the main requirement to maximize the benefits of bodybuilding. There are many people who use dietary supplements, and other things to attain the physique they dream for.

Bodybuilding supplements are especially designed to ensure the achievement of targets they are designed for, however there is a wide range of supplements each one is with the different goal as some supplements are designed to gain weight while others are to burn the extra fats of the body similarly there are many other functions of these supplements.

There are a lot of supplements so among the wide range there are many supplements that are known by common population while some supplements are just known by bodybuilders. Bodybuilding is not an easy thing to do so when a person gets involved in bodybuilding many essential nutrients depleted from the body such as amino acids, protein, fats etc

When these supplements are used they not only work to restore the lost nutrients, but also help the body to recover rapidly so that the body can restore its shape, energy, and nutrients efficiently, and quickly. The popular supplements of bodybuilding regimen are given below, and the reason of popularity is the benefits these supplements offer to the bodybuilders.

Protein

Protein is the most important supplement for bodybuilders because the main focus of bodybuilders is on muscles, and muscles are made up of protein so it is essential to suffice the body with adequate amount of protein. It is the macronutrient that comes from different sources such as egg, rice, peas, hemp etc. The most important type of protein is derived from the milk of cow when it is converted into cheese.

Whey protein is popular due to its high biological value as the muscles need amino acids to build, and repair and they can be provided by consuming whey protein. Whey has some other characteristics as well that make it popular such as it digests,and absorbs in the body quickly so when the bodybuilder needs immediate supply of protein to the body after workouts supplement of whey is a great source.

These bodybuilding supplements are available into different forms, but the most popular form of supplement is powder because it is easy to carry, and mix into liquids so bodybuilders are convenient with the supplement into powder forms on field or on go.

Glutamine

Glutamine is also an important amino acid that is naturally present in the body, and it is beneficial to the body because it helps preventing the effects of hard training to immune system, and muscles.

Creatine

Creatine is also useful to bodybuilders, and often used by bodybuilders to boost up their performance, and increase muscle mass.

 by Ultralife

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0 3 Easy Home Remedies for Weight Loss

Most people who try to lose weight always complain about one thing, they all say that it costs too much and the only people who lose weight are celebrities or rich people. They don't know that they could actually lose weight without spending a cent or little money. The most obvious way to lose weight without spending money is by doing simple exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. Another method that might not always be so obvious is by trying to make use of "Home Remedies".

People all over the world have used home remedies to lose weight for many centuries. Most of them are safe to use and the best part is that they don't cost as much as most gym memberships. Many people use home remedies that have not being tested, so they end up having serious side-effects which could be dangerous to your health. Today we are going to look at 3 home remedies to lose weight which have been tried and tested all over the world.

1. Green Tea- is a home remedy that is easy to make and is the perfect answer to give your metabolism a boost. Some doctors have even proven that green tea actually has some properties which help suppress hunger. You could buy them as leaves, or you could buy them over the counter as capsules, it makes no difference how you prefer to prepare it because this remedies also helps with body pain, could prevent heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, and it lowers your cholesterol. Try to drink 3 cups a day.


2. Apple Cider Vinegar - is a type of vinegar made from apple must that makes your body feel filled or satisfied for longer than usual. When preparing, you should add 2 teaspoons to a glass of water and drink. You can also find it as an ingredient in salad dressing and chutney. Try not to use Apple Cider Vinegar for more than 3 months in a row because it could be dangerous. This vinegar is also good for your sinus, lowers your cholesterol, removes acne, and helps with flu.


3. Hot Water, Lemon, and Honey- is great to mobilize fatty deposit in the body. Try to take this mixture as soon as you wake up and after every meal. The vitamins and minerals you find in honey is a great to give you a boost of energy. To prepare you must mix one teaspoon of honey with the juice of two tablespoons of lemon with hot water and mix.

If you would like to read more on this subject click here or if you want to read more on healthy living click here

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