Sunday 30 June 2013

Omega3 Oils Are Important For Good Health

No matter what time of year it is, now is a good time to make new goals toward a healthier lifestyle. Part of this plan should involve some exercise every day, eating more nutritious foods including those rich in omega3 oils, and getting preventive wellness exams with your doctor. Don't be too idealistic, but create objectives that are truly reachable for you. It is better to take small, sure steps and reach a goal than to try to take huge leaps only to stumble and fail. 

You don't have to go out and buy a lot of gym equipment to achieve adequate exercise. Just thirty minutes of aerobic type exercise like bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, or even brisk walking will do wonders for you if done regularly. An excellent goal would be to set a time to do this on a daily basis. It is important to re-evaluate our eating habits often, at the least on an annual basis. 

It is easy to fall into the fast food, grab and go lifestyle. We need to step back and take a closer look at what our body needs, and include more nutrient-rich foods and supplements in our diets, like omega3 oils. 

You will be off to a great heart-healthy start if three quarters of the food on your plate are made up of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Then fill the final one-fourth with cold-water, fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, or herring which are rich in the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA from their omega3 oils that are crucial for proper heart and brain function. Although fish is the better choice, lean meat, poultry and eggs are also some good protein sources. Don't forget the importance of staying hydrated so drink plenty of water throughout the day as well. 

It is wise to get an annual physical exam and have some routine tests done as a good preventive measure. Some of these tests include but are not limited to blood cholesterol, blood pressure, mammogram for women, and prostrate exam for men. 

A proper cholesterol profile can decrease your risk of heart disease. Your numbers for total cholesterol should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to be at the lowest risk. Your HDL (high density lipoprotein), also known as the good cholesterol, needs to be at above forty mg/dL for men and above fifty mg/dL for women. Your LDL (low density lipoprotein), known as bad cholesterol, should be under 100 mg/dL. 

It is one of the ingredients in artery-narrowing plaque. Triglycerides give your body energy, but cause problems when excessive amounts thicken artery walls, and these numbers should stay under 150 mg/dL. There are times when it is still difficult to be sure we have taken in adequate amounts of much needed vitamins, minerals, and omega3s. It is a good idea to take a good natural multi-vitamin and omega3 oils dietary supplement to ensure that you are getting the sufficient nutrients needed for optimum health. 

So get off that couch, take a brisk walk, and when you return prepare a delicious meal containing fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish rich in omega3 oils. Then you can relax in the fact that you are well on your way to achieving your goals for a healthier lifestyle.



Weight Loss Motivation - "Get Motivated And Reach Your Target Weight!"

Weight Loss Motivation Tips (wherever you can find them) are something you should collect and use. You never know when one or two of them will really trigger something for you that you will be able to fully relate to in order to reach your weight loss goals. So gather as many weight loss motivation tips as you can and refer to your favourite ones regularly. 

Staying motivated when you are trying to lose weight can be the toughest part of the process and sometimes it's easy to beat yourself up if you lapse a little and perhaps eat that portion of ice-cream when you know you shouldn't have. 

The real fact of the matter is that you don't actually have to avoid all the foods you like. Everything in moderation is the key to success, but that does not mean that you can't reward yourself with a favourite treat to celebrate a weekly weight loss goal you havereached, for example. 

One weight loss motivation tip that I will share with you here is one that has worked very well for me.

Share Your Weight Loss Targets With Your Friends! 

Yup. As a matter of fact, go ahead and tell all your friends and work colleagues exactly what weight loss or diet target you have set for yourself for that particular week or month. 

By sharing your goals with others you will be positively programming your subconcious to achieve that goal. And your subconcious mind may well turn out to be your most powerful ally in your quest to lose weight. 

You will know for example that your friends are likely to ask you how things are going, are you reaching your goal etc. They are also likely to ask you how you did at the end of the week or month, or whatever time period you have set. 

Knowing that your friends and workmates will want to ask you how well you've done will make you even more determined to avoid the potential embarrasment of admitting that you failed. This really works and when you next feel tempted to eat that cookie your subconcious will remind you that you have to face your friends when they ask what results you've achieved. 

So, again, gather all the weight loss motivation you can by collecting those weight loss motivation tips and by sharing your goals with your friends! 

Good luck and don't forget, there are some really good, free services online that will help you stay motivated!



Tuesday 18 June 2013

One Natural Way To Treat Hypothyroidism - Add 8 Crucial Nutrients To Your Diet

The butterfly-shaped gland in your neck secretes two hormones (T3 and T4) which regulates your metabolism. When this gland fails to secrete enough of these crucial hormones, you have a condition known as hypothyroidism. 

Some of the signs and symptoms are chronic fatigue, pains in the muscles and joints, irregular menstrual cycles, depression, insensitivity to cold, constipation, fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, goiter and depression. 

 But many skilled practitioners don't know about the root causes of hypothyroidism which are: -Stress -Adrenal fatigue -Heavy metal toxicity -Oestrogen dominance -Reverse T3 If they understand these underlying causes, they can proceed with a natural way to treat hypothyroidism. 

As with other cells of your body, your thyroid gland needs minerals and vitamins to function properly. So what are the main sources of these nutrients? 

But first a word of caution about goitrogens. They inhibit iodine metabolism which is important in the formation of thyroid hormone. It is advisable for those who have started natural therapy to avoid these foods for a while. Though eating goitrogenic foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, sprouts, radishes, spinach, strawberries, peanuts, soy-based foods etc. does not lead to thyroid problems, those who have the condition should take these foods in moderation after they have managed their condition by taking thyroid hormones. Iodine-Rich Foods T3 and T4 are the only hormones in humans that contain iodine.The lack of this has an adverse impact on all the tissues in your body. 

If you have an underactive thyroid gland, you should increase the iodine intake in your diet. Excellent sources of iodine are seafoods, seaweeds, iodized salt, sushi, nori, sea kelp, saltwater fish and dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese. Other foods rich in iodine are eggs, lima beans, asparagus, mushroom, garlic and squash. Selenium-Rich Foods One of the minerals that helps to regulate thyroid function is selenium. Brazil nuts, tuna, cod, salmon, beef, meat, chicken, mushrooms, whole unrefined grains, dairy products, halibut and sunflower seeds are sources of selenium. Tyrosine The thyroid needs tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid, to produce hormones. 

Many of the same foods that are high in both iodine and selenium such as tuna, cod, sea kelp, dairy products, banana and avocado are good sources of tyrosine. Zinc Zinc is another mineral needed in the process of hormone production in the thyroid. Lack of zinc has a negative impact on the thyroid. The sources of this mineral are sardines, cow's liver, lamb, fresh oysters, soybeans, turkey, beef, peas, pecans, whole grains, walnuts, maple syrup, ginger root, summer squash and asparagus Copper An imbalance of copper and zinc in the body can have an adverse impact on thyroid health as these two minerals work together to produce hormones. Good sources of copper and zinc are cow's liver and summer squash. You could also get copper from lobsters, oysters, crab, beef, mushrooms, dark chocolate, barley, beans, nuts and sunflower seeds. 

Iron Anemia or iron deficiency is commonly present in patients who have hypothyroidism. To increase the intake of iron, they should take green beans, lentils, red meat, romaine lettuce, parsley, thyme, turmeric, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, organ meats, oysters, clams, spinach, lentils, blackstrap molasses and white beans. 

Vitamins Vitamin C is needed to metabolize tyrosine while vitamin E metabolizes selenium. Patients with hypothyroidism suffer from Vitamin B deficiency. It is essential in cell metabolism. Sources rich in Vitamin E and B are whole grains, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products and leafy greens. Fruits are a high source of Vitamin C. Protein and Fibre Protein and fiber help to ease the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Good sources of protein are seafood, fish, beef and eggs. Leafy vegetables, green beans, various fruits, whole grains and nuts contain fibre. 

 To summarize briefly, a diet to enhance thyroid production would include mainly seafood, fish, lean meat, leafy greens, whole grains, diary products, eggs and fruits. It is advisable to exclude carbohydrates, soy, and cruciferous vegetables which contain goitrogens.



Thursday 6 June 2013

How to Lose Weight, Without Losing Your Mind

With all of the oodles of dietary theories out there and their conflict with one another, it is a wonder that we are able to remain sane. However, accomplishing a weight loss goal, achieving optimal health and vitality should not be reserved to the select few who seem to have it all figured out. These are gifts that we all deserve to reap the benefits from without having to follow an arbitrary strict set of dietary guidelines.

Below are 8 tips that will fit into any diet and lifestyle while setting one up for success in weight loss, greater health and over all wellness. Implement these tips and achieve your weight loss goal without losing your mind.

 1. Keep it simple. Stop stressing about what diet to follow. What to eat should not be so complicated. Although, there are food allergies that call for the elimination of certain foods, after that, it really should boil down to Michael Pollan's manifesto: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

 2. Ditch the guilt. I know this is easier said than done, but guilt gets people in some serious trouble. Guilt tends to set one up for a binge and can cause one to abandon any healthy goals they have for themselves. The more one binges the guiltier one feels and so the cycle ensues. Instead, acknowledge the behavior and move on.

 3. Breath. Before embarking on any meal or snack take 3 deep breaths. Breathing not only calms you down (this allows for better digestion), but it puts you in the present moment, so you are aware of the edibles that you are about to consume. Shoving handfuls of chips in your mouth becomes a lot more difficult when you take the time to breath.

 4. Clean up the kitchen before you eat a meal. When there is a task that you are dreading it can take away from the enjoyment of the meal you just worked to create. Furthermore, people tend to pick at the meal's leftovers or sweet treats during the clean up process. If there is less to clean up, there is less time to pick. If you are not in the habit of doing this it may take a minute to get the hang of, but I assure it is simple and worth it.

 5. Sit. This tip elaborates on tip 4. Only eat when sitting. This eliminates a lot of "picking" that occurs as what most think of calories that don't count. They count. They add up quick. They offer very little satisfaction.

 6. Have fun. When your life incorporates activities that ignites your passion you are far less likely to use food as your source of pleasure, so sign up for that sewing class, cooking class, dance class or go out to dinner with your friends more often. It really isn't a waste of time.

 7. Pay attention. After, you finish eating pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel tired? Energized? Foggy? Alive? If you really tune in to the way foods make you feel, your body will direct you to towards the foods that fuel you and away from foods that drain you. After noticing that macaroni-n-cheese makes you feel grumpy and groggy, I guarantee its appeal will wane.

 8. Move. Movement ignites feel good chemicals in the brain the suppress hunger as well as igniting your inner fire (i.e. your metabolism) and it is a wonderful stress release. Pick a movement that inspires you. Believe it, or not, not everybody loves logging hours at a gym, so if the gym does not tickle your fancy, find something that does. Any movement counts.

Sunday 2 June 2013

8 Healthy, Pre-Packaged Snacks Perfect for Losing Weight or Building Muscle

Quick, healthy, and tasty snacks are an easy and enjoyable way to meet your dietary numbers every day. We all wish we could always have fresh, delicious, low-calorie foods within arm's reach... but that's just not the case. Packing fresh foods and transporting them around every day is a hassle, and especially so among those of us that travel quite a bit.

Therefore, I decided to put together a list of my 8 favorite pre-packaged snack foods... and all are under 150 calories, so you can decide how much to eat based on your weight goals. 

1. Fage Total 0% 100 calories, 18 g protein, 7 g carbs, 0 g fat I'm pretty much obsessed with this stuff. Rich, creamy, delicious, and nearly 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat per serving. How do they do it? Magic, I tell you. Mix in some honey or agave and it tastes like dessert.

2. StarKist Ready-Made Albacore Tuna Salad Packet 90 calories, 10 g protein, 5 g carbs, 3.5 g fat Tuna packets rock for quick, easy protein. You can mix it with all kinds of stuff to give taste. Here's one of my favorite recipes: Spicy Tuna: Mix 6 ounces tuna with 1 tablespoon diced pickled jalapenos, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 4 tablespoons diced tomatoes, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.

3. Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strips 45 calories, 0 g protein, 11 g carbs, 0 g fat Carrying around fresh fruit isn't always feasible, but all-natural fruit leathers are a great alternative. A couple of these is the same amount of carbs as a piece of fruit, and satisfies your sweet tooth.

 4. Sweet Potato Pop Chips 120 calories, 1 g protein, 20 g carbs, 4 g fat (per serving) Sweet potatoes are a tasty, healthy option for carbs, and I like this brand a lot. They're all natural-no fake colors or flavors, no preservatives, no GMO ingredients, and no trans fats. 

5. Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips 29 calories, 0 g protein, 8 g carbs, 0 g fat (per serving) How is this for simple ingredients: organic apples, and organic cinnamon. And it's delicious. Great on-the-go carb option.

 6. Barney Butter Squeeze Packs 90 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbs, 7.5 g fat (for.6 oz packet) If you haven't experienced the heavenly taste of good almond butter... watch out-it's addictive. Almond butter is one of my favorite snacks, period. It's high in protein and fats and low in carbs, and it's downright delicious. Highly recommended.

 7. Eden Foods Brown Rice Crackers 120 calories, 3 g protein, 22 g carbs, 2 g fat Brown rice crackers are the next best thing to eating the grain itself, and I like this brand. They don't use any artificial ingredients or trans fats, and they're quite tasty.

 8. Organic Valley Stringles 80 calories, 7 g protein, 0 g carbs, 6 g fat I don't eat much dairy, but these are a healthy, easy source of protein if you're on the run.