Living Fit, Healthy and Happy: October 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

Could Vitamin B12 Be The Secret Weapon In The Battle Against Depression?

By Steve P Smith

Vitamin B12, occasionally also known as cobalamin, is one of the most important and most intensively studied of the B complex vitamins. This group of vitamins is known as the B complex because of their biochemical similarity and because of their close interaction and interdependence in the performance of their numerous vital functions. So the B complex vitamins are commonly found together in various common food sources and, each being water soluble, will also be excreted together from the body. A deficiency in one of the complex is therefore almost always accompanied by a corresponding deficiency in each of the others.

But all of that said, the consequences of a deficiency are different in the case of each individual vitamin, and deficiencies of B12 are particularly associated with cardiovascular disease, a type of anaemia, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and depression.

Vitamin B12 is required for the body’s manufacture of the essential amino acid, methionine and its associated enzyme, methionine synthase, an inadequate supply of which may lead to an excess of homocysteine, a naturally occuring protein within the body, which is well known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

But it is also now known that sufferers from Alzheimer’s disease are often found to have low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood as well as the raised levels of homocysteine which are also associated with more common vascular dementias. In fact a number of studies have suggested that low B12 and high homocysteine levels may as much as double the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Although conventional medicine remains reluctant to accept any causal link, it might well seem to the “intelligent layman” who takes an interest in these matters that such a link is more likely than not. And this is particularly so when it is remembered that vitamin B12 deficiency leads to a reduction in the synthesis of methionine, which is known to be essential for the methylation reactions which are in turn vital for the health of nerve cells and neurotransmitters.

Research has also noted a strong associative link between vitamin B12 deficiency and depression, that widespread and disabling, but still poorly understood and defined condition. In fact different studies have suggested that up to 30% of patients with depression severe enough to require hospital admission may be deficient in vitamin B12, and that elderly people found to be deficient in the vitamin are twice as likely to suffer severe depression as those with normal blood levels.

Again the conventional “wisdom” prefers to regard these findings as an observational association rather than evidence of a causal link. But it has been argued that such a link may be due to B12’s acknowledged role in the synthesis of methionine and its associated enzymes, which are vital for the effective performance of certain neurotransmitters whose absence is known to be a factor in depression.

Evidently Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and depression are all conditions which become more common and more severe with advancing age, so perhaps it should be no surprise that deficiencies of vitamin B12 are also much more frequent in the elderly population. In fact as many as 10 -15% of the over 60s may be severely deficient, but a far higher proportion than this are likely to fall below the threshold required for optimum protection against these justifiably dreaded diseases.

However, these deficiencies are unlikely to be caused by an inadequate dietary supply. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 is only 2.4 mcg a day, an amount which should be readily obtainable, except perhaps for those following a strict vegetarian regime, given that a single 3 oz serving of fish or red meat may provide this quantity. For those with a taste for it, sea food may provide a great deal more, and chicken, turkey, eggs, milk and cheese are also useful, though less lavish, sources.

But good absorption of vitamin B12 from food is heavily dependent on the normal stomach acid and digestive enzymes, the quantity and effectiveness of which decreases substantially as the body ages, and on the presence in the stomach of a specialised protein known as Intrinsic Factor. The correct action of Intrinsic Factor requires the presence of adequate calcium in the body, another nutrient in which the elderly are of course notoriously likely to be deficient.

Absorption of B12 from supplements is much less problematic, however, because stomach acid and digestive enzymes are not required to release the vitamin from its protein bindings. So this is a rare case in which even conventional medical “wisdom” recognises the value of supplementation, at any rate for the over 50s.

So given that relatively small amounts of these vitamins are required by the body, and that no toxicities or adverse side effects have been reported, there really seems no reason to run the risk of a deficiency.

About the Author: Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/VitaminB12-2.htm

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This article discusses the many roles that vitamin B12 plays in the maintenance of optimal health. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Beans And Their Great Health Benefits

By Cole D. Carson

Beans are an often-overlooked source of incredible health benefits. – They have a lot of carbs, leading people to believe they should be avoided and seen as a weight gain risk only. Nothing could be farther from the truth though, as research has shown that the carbohydrates found in most beans are of the complex variety. Complex carbohydrates are not contributors to any sort of weight gain, instead providing the brain and muscles with a lot of good, stable energy supplies.

Beans actually contain a wider variety of healthy nutrients than most foods. These include calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium, folate, and alpha-linolenic acid. These nutrients work together on several key areas of the body promoting total health. Beans also happen to be good sources of complete proteins, which is rare in plants. Plants, while having many different nutrients, often lack complete proteins of any kind. This is unfortunate, as protein is a vital ingredient to the healthy and normal functioning of the human body, and the most readily available sources of protein have negative effects on the heart. Beans, however, are plentiful in protein.

More important than their simple nutrition, beans are generating a lot of talk because they offer protection from many illnesses found in America today. Extensive studies have shown that regularly consuming beans can help you significantly lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. How much? A study done at Michigan State University found that people eating beans regularly had as much as a 22% reduction in their likelihood to suffer from a cardiovascular disease, and the powerful energy-providing nutrients in beans can help the body more effectively manage its energy sources, aiding in weight-loss. This also can help boost your energy levels throughout the day, making you more active.

Also contributing to beans increasing popularity with the health-conscious is their high amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidants, of course, are nutrients that guard the body against free radicals. Free radicals are agents that attack and damage the body, causing many undesired illnesses and effects. The most extreme of these, of course, are premature aging, and cancer. This means that beans, while protecting you from the development of cancer, may also help you both look younger and feel younger with increased energy and the benefits of antioxidants.

So which beans are the best for you? Studies done at Michigan State University have concluded that “dry” beans are the best. Overall, though most all beans contain similar nutrients and benefits, some of the best are considered to be Lima beans, Navy beans, Kidney beans, and Pinto beans. Ideally, it is recommended that you get about 3 cups of beans per week in order to maximize their wonderful health benefits, but scientists have shown that as little as 1 cup of beans consumed each week will yield impressive results.

Beans are wonderful sources of nutrition that haven’t truly been recognized until now. Once thought of as a fattening food that gives you gas, beans are now being correctly hailed as nutritional giants that pack a lot of benefits in a tiny package. New science and extensive research has done a lot to increase our understanding of the bean, and fortunately for us, beans come in limitless varieties. This makes it easy to get them in your diet, and you can find them anywhere.

About the Author: Cole Carson is a successful entrepreneur and internet marketer. Why drink Goji Berry Juice? It tastes great and is good for you! Check out our Goji Health Juice resources!

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This article discusses the many nutritional benefits of beans. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Bench Press Essentials

By Chris

In some gyms, the bench press in the peacock plumage of exercises, where people brag about how much they can lift and “What you bench?” is as commonly heard as “Come here often?” is in low-rent singles bars.

But no matter how you feel abut that particular kind of gym rat, the fact is that the bench press should be a central exercise for anyone looking to build their upper body. But while doing the bench press, like in doing any exercise, the focus shouldn’t be on big numbers, it should be on proper technique.

When you lie on the bench, make sure both your feet are planted flat on the ground. When you grab the bar make sure your thumbs on the opposite side of your fingers. Doing a “monkey grip,” with your thumbs on the same side as your fingers increases the odds of the bar suddenly rolling out of your hands, and onto whatever soft, easily crushed flesh that might be below it. So give the boys down at the emergency room a break and always grip the bar with your thumbs.

Before you raise the bar from the rack line it up with your nose. This will put you in an optimal position to lift. After you lift the bar from the rack, hold it in the top position and breathe in deeply. This will puff out your chest and give you better leverage for the actual lift.

As you lower the bar to your chest, keep your arms completely under the bar for optimum control. Try and avoid tilting your wrists. This is not only dangerous, but it might put unnecessary strain on your joints. As you lift the bar back up, keep your body flat on the bench and feet flat on the floor.

Sometimes people new to lifting try to get better leverage by arching their back and lifting themselves on their toes, but they are only asking for aches and pains, and possibly serious injury.

Like in many weight exercises, the goal isn’t to lift the bar up and down as quickly as possible. You should keep a consistent tempo through each repetition. A good rule of thumb is to make the whole repetition at least four seconds. So, for example, you might have the concentric phase last one second, the bottom last one second, and the eccentric last two seconds. Consult with a personal trainer to see what tempo will best help you reach your goals.

Since most people are injured during the bottom or transition phase of the bench press, pay extra close attention to this time. Sometimes lifters, perhaps a bit too confident in the durability of their chest, bounce the bar against their chest in order to get some momentum in getting the bar to go back to starting position.

It’s sad that this has to be said, but it’s never a good idea to slam heavy things into your body. If your upper body is tired, there’s no shame in just reducing the weight on the bar.

Bench pressing is like any other exercise: the people who want to boost their ego will concern themselves with “how much,” and the people concerned with getting results will concern themselves with “how.” This is not to say that gradual improvement and strength is a bad thing, but lifters should never lose sight of why they are working out in the first place.

About the Author: Chris McCombs is a Orange County personal trainer specializing in fat loss and muscle toning. His website www.socalworkout.com contains valuable tips on fitness and “how to” style exercise videos.

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This article offers some tips on the basics of the bench press that will improve your form and avoid possible injury. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Get Some Sleep!

Get Some Sleep!

by healthy_blogging

Many of us have done this-burning the midnight oil studying for midterms and finals; taking on a second or third job with late hours to earn extra income for the family; coming home after a late night game, date or midnight feature at the cinema; etc. Sometimes we postpone sleep because we want to get as much activity into our waking hours as possible. The downside to this is that when we deprive ourselves of sleep we invite a host of health problems.

Mounting scientific evidence suggests an inverse relationship exists between lack of sleep and weight gain. Case in point, researchers at the University of Chicago recently discovered that when people do not get enough sleep, it affects circulating levels of hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. They observed that levels of leptin, a hormone that provides the body with a feeling of fullness, decreased while levels of another hormone, ghrelin, which triggers hunger actually increased which led many of the sleep deprived test subjects to select foods high in calories and carbohydrates (1). Similarly, data collected on 1,024 individuals involved in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, found that persons who got less than five hours of sleep per night experienced a marked increase in ghrelin with a corresponding decrease in circulating levels of leptin (2).

What is the significance of these two hormones and how to they regulate appetite and weight? Leptin is secreted from white fat cells and is responsible for telling the brain that we have had enough to eat (3). If, for whatever reason, the brain does not receive signals to stop eating, a person will continue to consume food even when it is no longer necessary or safe to do so. In most cases the end result of excess eating would be unwanted weight gain. Ghrelin, sythesized by gastric cells, is the hormone that tells us that we are hungry (4). When individuals get less sleep, they produce more of this hormone (4). This would actually make sense because metabolic and physical activity will be greater when a person is awake thus energy demands would also increase. This biological adaptation was beneficial to our prehistoric ancestors during a time which harsh environmental conditions and lack of technology would have forced them to work harder to hunt or gather food necessary to their survival. In modern times, however, such fluctuations in these hormones is contributing to health related problems which could drastically impair our quality and quantity of life.

So what can we do about this problem? One thing we can all do to help ourselves is to get more sleep. Since lack of sleep has been linked to a weight gain if people get more sleep per night over time they should begin to lose weight. This isn't to suggest that people should spend an excessive amount of time sleeping, but a healthy seven to eight hours of sleep per night would do the body some good. Of course the precise number of hours we require will differ. For example, infants and children require more sleep than adults (5). A person's individual physiology will also influence just how much sleep they will need in order to function at a normal pace.

Here are some tips for making it easier to get a good night's sleep.

avoid intense physical exercise one hour before bedtime because physical exertion releases hormones that speed up the body's metabolism
remove any visual or auditory distractions that would interfere with your ability to go to sleep
think pleasant thoughts. Dwelling on your problems won't make them go away and losing sleep over them will make them more difficult to solve
avoid caffeinated beverages before bedtime because caffiene increases metabolic activity
budget your time so that you can do several important tasks during your waking hours while allowing enough time for rest and relaxation

It isn't always easy to put off til tomorrow what you can do today but if you want to reduce your chances of obesity related diseases then this is a good place to start. Besides, people who don't get enough sleep tend to be grumpier than those who are well rested. Another tidbit of information that you just might find useful. According to the National Highway Traffic Administrations statistics each year an estimated 200, 000 automobile accidents are the result of drivers not getting enough sleep (6). That, of course, translates into damage to body and property, higher insurance premiums, and possible legal penalties for unsafe driving. Moreover, sleep deprivation makes a person more prone to depression, and increases stress on the cardiovascular and immune systems (7). So a good night's sleep will be a boost to your mood, and alleviate physical and mental stress, too. With all of this in mind, it becomes increasingly obvious how important a good night's sleep is to our health and well being.

References

1. Sleep Loss Boosts Appetite, May Encourage Weight Gain. ScienceDaily. Dec. 7, 2004. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206210355.htm

2. Sleep Deprivation Tied to Shifts in Hunger Hormones. Scientific American. Dec. 7, 2004. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=sleep-deprivation-tied-to&ec=ypi

3. Leptin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin

4. Ghrelin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin

5. How Much Sleep Is Needed? http://www.drgreene.com/21_2182.html

6. Sleep Tight. Benefits of a Good Night Sleep. http://www.mass.gov/gic/mentalhealtharticles/mentalhealthsleep.htm

7. Sleep Habits: More Important Than You Think: Chronic Sleep Deprivation May Harm Health. webMD. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-habits

Monday, October 27, 2008

Aerobic Exercise

By Christopher William M.

The word aerobic means "with oxygen" and the body's aerobic arrangement is heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles. The gain of aerobic is founded on how well or how much your body can pass on oxygen to your muscles thus using it for energy. If you regularly do aerobic workouts it will increase your power to take in more and carry that oxygen and it will amend your aerobic capability.

Your life will be longer and healthier with enhanced well being only through a good aerobic exercise program. You can benefit to a large extend if you do your aerobic exercise regularly. This will be so even if you do the exercise for a short duration and the intensity being low. Just keep a log so that you can keep tract of your progress and know where you stand in terms of fitness.

The basics are that you start an aerobic exercise which you can enjoy and consistently do it without any interruptions. You can listen to your favorite music when you are at your aerobic workouts.

Benefits of aerobic exercise:

The actual benefits of aerobic exercise are achieved by raising your heart rate. You have to breathe hard for a longer period of time to get the benefits. While you are at your aerobic workouts your body tends to produce more energy and it transports more oxygen to your muscles. As your heart beats faster the blood flow increases.

Some of the common benefits of aerobic workouts are:

• Aerobic workouts boost your mood and strengthen the muscles of your heart.

• It also helps you to maintain your weight.

• It completely changes your life style.

• Aerobic workouts even aid in lowering your blood sugar.

• It helps in increase of your stamina.

• Aerobic workouts also help you to manage your stress.

• It even relaxes you after a stress full day.

Aerobic work outs are good for general health and fitness. It also helps the mental and emotional well being of a person. During the aerobic work outs your body produces many hormones. The hormones thus produced helps rebuilding your body. You start feeling better and better as days go by.

During aerobic work outs your body expels beta-endorphins. These are the body's raw painkillers and they are sometimes known as opiates. It also stimulates the production of norepinephrine. This body chemical helps you to eliminate depression.

Aerobic exercise heats the body and brings out more sweat. This heat calms the muscles and the sweat removes the toxins out of the body. Since toxins accumulated in the body results in many health problems.

To reap the benefits of an aerobic exercise you have to do it at least three times in a week and at least for a minimum of 30 minutes at one time. This 30 minutes work outs can be done in three sessions throughout the day.

Aerobic exercise need not necessarily be work outs at the gym or exercise with music. It also means walking, jogging, skipping, riding etc. So it would be a good idea if you could keep on changing your pattern of workouts.

About the Author: Christopher William M. is an Irvine personal trainer. Chris owns Positively Fit Inc., which services personal training to all of Orange County, CA. You can learn more about Chris at http://www.socalworkout.com/

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This article discusses the many health benefits of aerobic exercise. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Nutrition Facts: Carbohydrates, Sugars And Cholesterol

By Connie Limon

Vegetables and fruits are rich in nutrients, low in calories and high in fiber. Diets high in vegetables and fruits meet vitamin, mineral and fiber needs without adding a lot of calories. Diets rich in vegetables and fruits have been shown to lower blood pressure and improve other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

The American Heart Association continues to recommend the following to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease:

• Consume an overall healthy diet

• Aim for a healthy body weight

• Aim for recommended levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides

• Aim for a normal blood pressure and blood glucose level

• Be physically active

• Avoid use of and exposure to tobacco products

• Drink alcohol in moderation

A healthy diet includes:

• Eating a variety of whole (fresh, frozen, or canned) vegetables and fruits

• Eat more deeply colored vegetables and fruit such as spinach, carrots, peaches and berries (they tend to contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than others such as potatoes and corn)

• Choose whole fruits over juice most often (whole fruit contains more fiber)

• At least half of your grain intake should come from whole-grain foods

• Reduce intake of beverages and foods with added sugars (primarily to lower total calorie intake and to get enough of the nutrients your body needs)

Recommended servings per day for a healthy person needing 2,000 calories each day includes:

• 6 to 8 servings of grains (at least half of the servings should be whole-grain foods)

• 8 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits (about ½ cup counts as a serving)

Cholesterol:

Cholesterol is an important part of a healthy body, however, high levels of cholesterol in the blood, is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people do not need to consume extra to get enough.

Some of the excess dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams. If you have heart disease, they recommend limiting your daily intake to less than 200 milligrams. Everyone should remember that by watching how much cholesterol they take in each day can help significantly lower total dietary cholesterol intake. Especially watch foods high in saturated fat.

Regular physical activity is helpful in increasing HDL cholesterol in some people. Higher HDL cholesterol is related to a lower risk of heart disease. Physical activity also helps control weight, diabetes and high blood pressure. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Tobacco smoke is among the six major risk factors of heart disease. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol levels and increases the tendency for blood to clot.

Source: American Heart Association

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 4-2007.

About the Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visit http://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superior quality, safe and effective products inspired by nature, informed by science and created to improve the health of people, pets and the planet.

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This article discusses the American Heart Association's recommendation for a heart healthy diet. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Coenzyme Q10: The Anti-Oxidant In Every Cell

By Steve P Smith

In human beings, coenzyme Q10 is the most common occurring form of coenzyme Q, needed by and found in every cell in the body. Perhaps its primary function is to ensure the production of adequate energy within the cell mitochondria, but coenzyme Q10 is also a powerful anti-oxidant, and is particularly important because it is the only fat-soluble anti-oxidant which can be manufactured within the body. Like other fat-soluble anti-oxidants, such as vitamin E, coenxyme Q10 is vital for the protection of fatty structures within cells from the damage and degeneration which may be caused by oxidative reactions and free radical activity.

But the anti-oxidant role of coenzyme Q10 doesn’t end there. It’s also important in stimulating the anti-oxidant activity of vitamin E, and the two nutrients are together vital for preventing the oxidation of Low Density Lipids (LDLs), the blood fats better known as “bad cholesterol”, widely recognised as one of the key risk factors for heart disease, still the major cause of premature death in the Western world.

Blood levels of coenzyme Q10 are lower than those of the other vital anti-oxidants, vitamins C and E, but the nutrient is found in greater concentrations both in muscles and the major organs of the body; the liver, kidneys, brain and especially the heart. But the extent to which levels of coenzyme Q10 within this organ are correlated with disease remains a matter of dispute. Orthodox medicine is predictably cautious and maintains that more research is required before any definitive statement of coenzyme Q10’s benefits can be made.

Nutritional therapists, however, argue that patients with heart disease have consistently been shown to have substantially lower levels of coenzyme Q10 in their hearts than their healthy counterparts. It is also clear that supplementation with coenzyme Q10 has been effective in increasing tissue concentrations of the nutrients in such patients. Logically enough, conclude the nutritional practitioners, it follows that supplementation should improve outcomes for heart patients, and some reported research with daily doses of 100mg does indeed suggest significant benefits, particularly where problems seem to lie in the heart muscle itself.

It is particularly important to note that levels of coenzyme Q10 in the hearts of older individual are significantly lower than those of younger people, as the body’s production of the nutrient declines markedly from around the age of forty. Experiments on older rats have shown that supplementation with coenzyme Q10 can significantly increase concentrations, with improved heart protection in consequence, but conventional medicine still declines to accept the obvious analogy with regard to human health.

Likewise, there is controversy surrounding the potential benefits of the anti-oxidant activity of coenzyme Q10 in preventing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a major precursor of deadly heart disease. What is clear, however, is that coenzyme Q10 is effective in reducing the oxidation of dangerous LDL cholesterol, which is a known risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. It should perhaps be no surprise, therefore, that coenzyme Q10 supplements have been shown to retard the development of this condition in small animal experiments. But whilst admitting that these results are encouraging and exciting, orthodox medical opinion continues to insist that more research is necessary before a definitive statement of the benefits of coenzyme Q10 for human health can be made. To the interested layman, however, there seems little reason to suppose that the results of the animal experiments would not also be reflected in humans. And certainly this is the conclusion which many nutritional practitioners have reached; regularly recommending doses of anything up to 400 mg of coenzyme Q10 a day.

The case for supplementation with coenzyme Q10 for sufferers from atherosclerosis and other heart conditions has been strengthened by recent research showing that one of the side effects of the popular statin drugs commonly prescribed in these circumstances is to reduce blood levels of coenzyme Q10. Conventional medicine does not accept that this reduction will necessarily have adverse consequences, but if it is accepted that coenzyme Q10 has the benefits detailed above, the conclusion seems clear enough. This is not of course to suggest that statin drugs should not be taken, but that it may well be wise to supplement with coenzyme Q10 at the same time.

As noted above, the other major factor reducing concentrations of coenzyme Q10 in blood and tissue is simply the ageing of the organism itself, as the body’s ability to synthesize coenzyme Q10 declines dramatically in the later years of life. Given the importance of the nutrient as an anti-oxidant, this is of particular concern in the context of the onset of degenerative diseases. It seems that coenzyme Q10’s fundamental role in the production of energy may make it important as a fat burner, thereby helping in the battle against obesity and related conditions such as diabetes.

Nutritional practitioners even claim that the anti-oxidant and energy producing qualities of coenzyme Q10 make supplementation with the nutrient an important weapon in the fight against cancer, perhaps the ultimate degenerative disease.

But like all the body’s nutrients, coenzyme Q10 functions best in the presence of adequate amounts of all the others; and it is particularly important to ensure, through supplementation if necessary an abundant supply of the other vital anti-oxidants, vitamins C and E.

About the Author: Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/BenefitsOfCoenzymeQ10.htm

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=220981&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

This article discusses the interaction between coenzyme, vitamins C and E for the maintenance of normal body functioning. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Friday, October 24, 2008

Acne Treatment Tips - Pimples, Zits, And Blackheads Oh My!

By Jennifer R. Simpson

If you're searching for acne treatment advice that will help you get rid of those annoying pimples, blackheads, and zits, this brief article will give you some good places to start. Treating acne can be extremely frustrating and it's not as easy as many think to clear up blemished skin.

Go to the supermarket or drug store today and you'll find an endless array of acne treatments, all promising to get rid of acne quickly and easily. But before you waste your hard earned money on acne solutions that don't work as advertised, read the rest of this article...

One of the lesser known (and much cheaper) alternatives to buying over the counter acne products are natural acne remedies. These treatments are cheap and easy to do from home, and they're often just as (or even more) effective than their store bought competition.

One remedy for acne that has worked well for many people is raw potato. Not only does the potato contain valuable nutrients needed for healthy skin, it also acts as an exfoliate and removes dead skin.

Another important step to take when attempting to clear up an acne problem is your diet. I'm sure you've heard the saying, what goes in comes out. Well, that is especially true when it comes to your complexion. A diet that is high in fat and sugar can potentially be a reason for your breakouts.

Acne breakouts can be embarrassing and clearing them up certainly takes a little experimentation and patience. If you're suffering from bad skin, don't give up. Although you may not feel this way now, know that there is a solution that will clear up your problems and give you the clear complexion that you've always wanted. Remember to be patient and don't expect to see results overnight, in most cases an acne treatment can take several weeks to produce any noticeable results.

About the Author: For more tips, visit the acne treatment forum at http://www.EnhancementForum.com/ now. Membership to the Cosmetic Surgery Forum is free, so sign up today!

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=186783&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

This article offers some useful at home tips for treating acne. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Stress - Understanding And Coping With It

By Dick Aronson

Some stress is normal in everyone’s life, without it we would be bored and life would be dull indeed. We need the excitement of challenges and the uniqueness of new events in our lives. Stress becomes a problem when your environment and your personal circumstances create too many demands on your body and mind’s ability to cope with them.

The first thing in understanding stress is that not everyone reacts to circumstances in the same way, what may not worry you at all may well be quite stressful to other people and conversely someone else may not understand why you are affected by what to them seems a trifling matter.

The second major point to remember is that stress is cumulative, continued exposure to minor stresses can over time build up to a level where your mind says “ enough, I just can’t cope anymore “ at that point your health starts to be affected and you need to take measures to reduce your stress levels.

Stress compromises your ability to fight off disease and infection, throws your digestive system off balance, makes it difficult to conceive a baby, and can even stunt growth in children. Stress can significantly affect many of the body's immune systems, as can an individual's perceptions of, and reactions to, stress.

Causes of stress

1. Major events like the death of someone close, getting married, changing jobs, moving home, relationship breakups.

2. Long term worries like financial problems, ongoing illness, work related stress and strain between family members.

3. Daily hassles like rude workmates, traffic jams, environmental stressors such as an unsafe neighborhood, pollution, noise (sirens keeping you up at night, a barking dog next door), and uncomfortable living conditions.

Signs of stress

The best way to cope with unhealthy stress is to recognize what makes you feel stressed and to realize when your stress levels are building.

Some stress warning signs include:

Memory problems, indecisiveness, inability to concentrate, trouble thinking clearly, poor judgment, seeing only the negative side of things, anxious or racing thoughts, constant worrying, moodiness, restlessness, irritability, an inability to relax, a sense of loneliness and isolation, depression.

Physical Symptoms can include: headaches or backaches, muscle tension and stiffness, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, weight gain or loss, skin breakouts (hives, eczema), loss of sex drive, frequent colds, procrastination, using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax .

Coping with stress

1. Identify and acknowledge your problems

2. Take a deep breath

3. Plan your daily schedule

4. Connect an talk with other people

5. Take a vacation

6. Take up a physical activity

7. Have a good cry when needed

8. Think about positive things in your life

9. Delegate

10. Laugh

11. Stress management programs teach people about the nature and sources of stress, the effects of stress on health, and personal skills to reduce stress-for example, time management or relaxation exercises. Stress-management skills work best when they're used regularly, not just when the pressure's on

12. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with any negative stressors.

13. It's easy when you're stressed out to eat on the run or eat junk food or fast food. But under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals more than ever.

14. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress temporarily, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.

15. There are also counsellors who specialize in stress; ask your family doctor for a referral to one.

16. There may also be community college courses and stress management workshops available in your community.

17. Whatever you do, don’t do nothing ! Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke, and, perhaps, even cancer. Because physical and mental resources are depleted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management.

For more information you can go to www.stressreliefsite.com

About the Author: Dick Aronson has a background of more than 35 years in the healthcare industry.He has been involved in a number of projects in 23 different countries and is the author of several articles on health matters. He is the administrator of a stress website where you can get his ebook on stress.Visit stress relief

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=253507&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

This article discusses some of the underlying causes and symptoms of stress and offers some useful tips for dealing with the problem. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Whey Protein Miracle

By Daniel Lee

So here I am writing to you about what I just ate for breakfast. It was extremely fast and easy. It was loaded with health benefits. Curious?

I grabbed a Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt out of my fridge and tossed in 6-7 whole blueberries and two spoons of whey protein powder. This particular yogurt has no High Fructose Corn Syrup while most brands are loaded with it. The blueberries are a super-food and are loaded with antioxidants.

The whey protein is what I really want to tell you about. I buy mine in bulk from a local vitamin store and it is very inexpensive considering all the health benefits of eating whey.

In 2003 a study appeared in the Journal of Natural BioChemistry examining the health benefits of whey protein. The results of that study are truly amazing.

Whey protein has long been used by body builders to increase muscle mass. It is considered to be the very, very best type of protein you can consume to pack on muscle mass. I bet most of these body builders didn’t realize that whey also has a host of other benefits in the human body.

The first thing to know about whey is that its’ amino acid content is nearly identical to that of skeletal muscle in the human body. Whey is the most rapidly absorbed type of protein and moves out of your stomach almost immediately. When this rush of amino acids hits the bloodstream, your body goes into a frenzy of muscle building activity. This process continues for about two hours. Therefore, according to the study a constant intake of whey protein all through out the day will cause your body to build muscle non-stop! Most people desire more muscle than fat…this is one way to help that process.

The second thing to know about whey is that it is a natural by-product of making cheese. Thus, it is very high in calcium. Now, besides building and keeping healthy bones calcium has another major benefit. The study found that in diets lacking calcium, the body creates calcitrophic hormones which tell your body to increase fat storage. These hormones are making you fat!

By consuming a high calcium diet you can prevent your body from releasing these calcitrophic hormones and therefore greatly decrease the amount of fat that gets stored. Consuming increased amounts of whey protein will cause you to lose weight.

As if this weren’t enough to convince you, whey protein also contains high concentrations of immunoglobulin (IgA) which is essential for your body to fight off infections. More research is being done currently but the strong indication is that increased IgA can help your body prevent infections. So far, whey protein has been shown to have strong anti-microbial effects in animal tissue cultures.

And finally, whey protein contains high concentrations of lactoferrin which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect body tissues from damage by free radicals and are the key component in anti-aging and disease prevention. Lactoferrin also does a very good job of preventing bacterial infections.

As you can plainly see, whey protein is a powerful supplement to enhance your overall health. More muscle, less fat, stronger immunity and a good dose of antioxidants are the health benefits you will experience with this supplement that can be mixed in with almost any type of food.

About the Author: There is so much more to learn about protecting your health and living to the fullest...Click Here Now to get the latest research and facts about your health.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=227967&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

This article discusses the many benefits associated with whey protein including muscular synthesis, weight loss, strong bones and a stronger immune system. This information is for the layman and is not an academic paper. Nor is the material herein intended to advise anyone on any health care issues, treatments or diagnoses. Living Fit, Healthy and Happy does not provide medical advice of any kind and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a medical question please consult your health care provider.

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