Calculating one’s Body Mass Index, or BMI, has become a popular way of categorising you into either underweight, normal, overweight or obese parameters. This method was devised by Adolphe Quetelet from Belgium as early as the mid 1800’s and the parameters are set as follows:
Below 18.5 – Under weight (A BMI of 17 qualifies for anorexia)
18.5 to 25 – Optimal weight
25 to 30 – Over weight
30 + – Obese
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The Açaí berry (pronounced “a-sigh-ee”) has long been used amongst South Americans and by natives in the Amazon Rainforest for a variety of applications and cures. In recent years, the Western world has caught on to its benefits and potentials and it is now being used for a variety of illnesses and conditions. In addition, it is being used for weight loss.
As research continues, the Açaí berry becomes increasingly trusted to treat and cure a variety of conditions. In fact, the official list of conditions for which the Açaí berry is recommended totals 59. These include combating the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, increasing energy, libido and strength, loss of weight, prevention of dizziness, headaches, cancer, tumour growths, morning sickness and allergies, fighting against arthritis and inflammation, improvements in sleep, vision, healthy cholesterol levels, mood, digestion, menopausal symptoms, lymphocyte counts, workout recovery and circulation, as well as the general aiding of your body to work at optimal levels.
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The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormone, which is instrumental in the regulation of the body’s metabolism, or rate of burning energy. This is a function that takes place in both humans and animals. The metabolism works by ensuring that a specific amount of oxygen travels around the body at a specific rate. Your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) is this rate when you are resting. An ill functioning thyroid may be responsible for lowering the activity of this BMR and, thereby, causing your metabolism to slow down significantly. To see if you have any symptoms, read further…
Those wanting to lose weight, get fit or maintain their fitness levels are urged to keep on walking. This form of exercise boasts countless benefits. Diets may be effective over the short-term, but eating plans need to be coupled with regular cardiac exercise for weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy mass to be sustained.
One of its major selling points is that it can be executed at your convenience and personal pace. Whether you can manage 15 minutes before and after work or an hour during the day, it will ultimately benefit you and add to your fitness regime. Your pace is determined by your age and existing fitness levels. Walking is so effective because it uses most of the large muscle groups in one activity, and this applies regardless of the speed or length of time of your walk, providing these are within your reasonable capabilities. Best of all, it is FREE!
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The makers of weight loss diet pills maintain they only use natural products in these tablets which apparently have a beneficial effect on longevity, however they also contain alcohol. Nevertheless, never take weight loss diet pills of any sort without checking with your doctor first and don’t forget that they should never be used as a method to avoid cutting back on your daily calorie intake. Even if they do contain natural ingredients and you bought them over the counter, it does not change the fact that you should check the potential negative effects listed as they often warn against pans in the chest, impotence, depression, hair loss and even fever.
Never crush weight loss diet pills to mix in drinks or soups so take them whole with a full glass of water. You are also advised to drink about eight glasses of water every day while you’re taking these pills as the diuretic effect they have means that you will urinate more frequently, although don’t be alarmed by this, merely make sure you do not become dehydrated.
An increase in the number of diet pills you take will not automatically improve the effectiveness of the tablets, although could in fact merely make the bad effects worse and place you in greater danger. Although you’re taking these tablets, regular checks of your heart rate is important as it should be on or below 8 six beats per minute, however if it rises to over 90, which you will know because you’re keeping a check then you should cease taking the weight loss tablets.
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Maintaining a regular, effective fitness regime requires energy in the same way that a motor requires fuel. If we maintain high levels of physical activity but do not eat enough of the correct foods to sustain ourselves, our bodies are put at risk, and suffer many negative consequences as a result. Muscles and tissues that are not properly supported by nutrition become strained through a lack of energy.
Energy is received by eating the right proportions and combinations of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats and maintaining a healthy fluid consumption throughout. If you are exercising regularly, exerting yourself significantly, ensure that most of your calories come from carbohydrates. In fact, you should aim to get up to 65% of your calories from carbs and only about 15% from proteins. These carbohydrates should be made up of fresh fruits, vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes and beetroot), brown rice, barley, wholewheat bread, etc… The best proteins are found in lean meat, chicken / turkey, beans, lentils, peas and nuts.
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Though excess weight problems could be traced back to health problems like defective thyroid or hormonal instability, but food still remains the first reason for gaining weight. If you think you simply cannot cope with your body weight any more, it is better to have a close look at weight loss food.
Several foods help you keep a perfect body weight, and also help you to burn fat effectively. There are several classes of weight loss food you should have a look at, and here are only a few in each of them to assist you have an idea about how different a lose weight diet can be.
The basis of most everyday dishes made by weight loss foods could include Brussels cabbage, boiled beans, peas, lentils and pasta. When you enjoy a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce with some low-fat veal added to it, you can look away from counting calories.
For making sure that you consume low calorie foods, eat white fish with boiled vegetables or even some mashed potato as accompaniment. Low fat fresh sweet cheese, yogurt and tofu are other clear examples of regular weight loss food, combined with oats porridge and dark rice, which are also worth mentioning as ideal for any diet.
Importantly, when it relates to including fruits or vegetables to your diet, there is frankly, no end to the variety you can select from. Of course there are grapefruit’s, oranges and lemons, which form the base of various diets, but then, there are also apples, which can do wonders to our metabolism. Water melon, strawberries and kiwi pass all the trials for food that will assist you lose pounds. Grapes are another fruit which are good for shedding weight, although bananas and figs are known for their high-calorie content. There is nothing quite like adding vegetables like cucumbers, celery, lettuce and tomatoes when you are preparing a weight loss plan on a extended basis.
Cakes, burgers, sandwiches and corresponding fast foods are to be missed out at all costs from your weight loss food list – because for all you are aware, these foods could be responsible for some of your health matters.
Nevertheless, there are some great reduced-fat sources of energy you can take advantage of in special products such as low fat ice-cream and cookies, dark chocolate, reduced-fat mayonnaise – and the list could go on. In case you want such foods to be part of your weight loss food program, then read the food labels correctly to know about the composition and calorie count.
Images of Mexicans donning surgical masks in a bid to prevent swine flu infection may make Canadians wonder if they should follow suit. But except in certain health-care settings, experts say such a step isn’t warranted – at least not yet.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Andrew Simor said surgical masks are recommended for staff in the close confines of hospitals and long-term care centres to prevent transmission of flu viruses and other microbes from patients to care providers.
The risk of health-care workers contracting influenza from an infected patient is increased because of prolonged close contact and medical procedures that may cause the patient “to cough and splutter all over you,” said Simor of Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
But when it comes to the public at large, wearing masks would have little benefit, he said. “Those things don’t happen as you’re sort of going about your daily business buying groceries or watching a movie.” Read more »
Chromium supplements have been in the US news lately because of medical research and clinical trials to determine how this essential element benefits your body. While the research continues, 120 micrograms of chromium per day appears to be safe and beneficial for most people. If you examine the label of your multi-vitamin, you’ll probably find that it contains less than this amount; this is because most of the chromium we take into our bodies is through foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products.
Chromium should be a part of your daily nutritional intake; it is needed to metabolize fat and regulate your blood glucose (sugar) level. It is your pancreas that produces insulin, and chromium plays a major role in enhancing insulin’s action in your body. This is especially crucial if you suffer from type 2 diabetes. In many cases, chromium can actually prevent the adult onset of this serious illness.
Your body stores chromium in your spleen, liver, kidneys and bones. Unfortunately, this significant amount of chromium (120 micrograms) is seldom found in today’s rapidly-paced society where it’s easier to grab a burger and fries from a fast-food restaurant than to carefully balance our meals and the amount of nutrients we need each day. As a result, more and more Americans are developing hyperglycemia and diabetes. Read more »
Testosterone is the primary male hormone. It is the hormone that gives you your male characteristics. It is the most significant androgen. Androgen in Greek refers to "man maker".
This can explain the significance of testosterone in men. But testosterone production begins declining after the age of 30. Though this decline is gradual, effects can felt sharply by the time you reach 40.
Listed below are some easy tips to enhance testosterone production and secretion naturally:
1: Focus your weight training on compound exercises- Intense exercise forms the core of testosterone enhancing efforts. Compound exercises stimulate multiple muscle groups at a time. This is very good for testosterone production. Some of the compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, bench press, barbell rows and chin ups.
2: Include Essential Fatty Acids in your diet- EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) such as flax seed oil promote more testosterone production in the body. They are also the best healthy fats you can consume for a muscle building diet. Oily fish such as sardines, salmons and mackerels are the best source for getting your essential fatty acids. Most poeple think that fat is bad for them and that they should avoid fat altogether but one thing that you need to understand is that all anabolic steroids are produced in cholesterol and so your diet should contain adequate amount of essential fatty acids such as Omega 3.
3: Avoid too much soy- Soy increases the level of estrogen which affects testosterone production adversely and this is why you should avoid having too much of soy.
4: Avoid drinking too much alcohol- Drinking excessive alcohol as well as smoking can lead to lower testosterone levels. You must therefore, quit drinking alcohol and smoking.
5: Get quality sleep time- Not getting enough sleep will raise cortisol levels, and this means lower testosterone levels for you. Plus, getting at least 7-8 solid hours of sleep every night has many other benefits. Getting enough sleep is not just good for your testosterone levels but also for your HGH production. It is interesting to note that HGH or human growth hormone which is associated with keeping you young is released in pulses during the first few phases of REM or deep sleep. People who sleep less or are sleep deprived often look tired and older than their years and this is largely because their HGH production affected negatively due to sleep deprivation.
6: Decrease stress in your life- Decreasing stress has a very positive effect on your testosterone production. Though there are immense pressures on all of us to perform whether at work or at home, try to reduce stress and relax. This is going to help you a great deal.
Over and above, there are some natural or herbal supplements that can enhance testosterone levels naturally.
