Are you drinking enough milk?
To remain active and healthy, your body needs calcium. Without it you would lose bone mass and weaken, increasing your chances of injury while making it harder for you to maintain the strength needed to exercise. Drinking milk is a great way to get the calcium you need on a daily basis. Drinking milk helps to protect teeth, protect against heart disease, and allow muscle contractions.
Many people have dairy for breakfast, if they eat breakfast. The bad news is that many Americans skip breakfast on a weekly basis at least once, and out of the ones that faithfully get up and eat a healthy meal in the morning, a certain percentage of them either eat the wrong types of foods, or forget to get the other 2/3 of their recommended daily intake of calcium for good bone and muscle health by carrying on the habit during other meals. Dietary guidelines recommend at least 3 servings of calcium rich products each and every day, with dairy products and green leafy vegetables the best sources of natural calcium.
What is at stake?
Osteoporosis affects 1 out of every pair of people on the planet after the age of 50. Lack of calcium in the diet and lack of physical activity can increase your chances of osteoporosis later on in life, but that does not mean that you have time to waste. Bone development in young adults is usually completed by the age of 25, and up to this point, calcium is important to the development of bone tissue and the strengthening of it. after this point calcium is needed to replenish calcium leaving the body and to decrease the amount of bone mass lost as we get older. The first half of life is important to build out defenses, and the second half to preserve them.
Falls become more of a concern for older adults. This is quite reasonable when you consider that a large percentage of older adults who have a fall that results in a broken hip do not live longer than a year after the fact. Getting enough calcium now and in the future can help hedge your chances of not becoming a statistic, and enjoying the ability to remain active and in tip top shape for many years to come.
If a person is lactose intolerant, other foods other than dairy products that are rich in calcium as well. If needed, there are lactose free calcium supplements that can be taken to make up in deficiency.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Are you drinking enough milk?
This Is Your Brain On Coffee
As millions people consume caffeinated beverages in ever increasing amounts, the effects of caffeine on the system needs to be better understood. Recent studies have shown that the stimulant in our coffee, teas, and ever more popular by the day, energy drinks is a complex chemical that has a myriad of effects both in the immediate and long term.
Caffeine is a stimulant, and as such, has serious influence over the central nervous system. Mental alertness is found to be sharpened in the short term, with a lowered ability to concentrate and focus present as the effect of the drug wears off, or when caffeine addiction pushed the body into withdrawal in its absence. The duration and power of the stimulant effect is in direct relation to the amount of caffeine ingested. Though considered a mild stimulant, overuse can lead to insomnia, irritability, and even moderate signs of physical addiction. The recent popularity of energy drinks including guarana as a caffeine source has been of particular notice, as the amount in caffeine contained in this South American Fruit is up to 4 times as potent as the coffee bean and 3 times as strong as stout tea. These drinks also contain high levels of simple sugars, especially fructose, which are horrible for health, and should be considered when evaluating them for use.
While the adverse side effects of caffeine addiction can usually be reversed with discontinued use, the mildness of its effects make addiction hard to take seriously by most people, and the will to discontinue its use low. Longer term side effects do not seem to have an overall negative impact on health in general, but the existence of certain health conditions or the taking of particular medications might make the taking of caffeine a more risky endeavor. While usually considered safe in moderation it is always advisable to talk over dietary and medication conflict over with your health care professional. For now, caffeine is seen to increase temporary mental alertness with minimal negative results. Abuse of any drug increases these results, and caffeine is not different in this matter, and should be respected as the stimulant it is. If you have a history of drug abuse, especially stimulants, then drinking coffee can actually help to trigger this addiction, so precaution is to be taken. Minors, pregnant women, and those with sleep sensitivity issues are recommended to choose caffeine free alternatives because of its stimulant properties.
Skin Care: 5 Acne Treatment Tips
Many of us have to battle acne on a constant basis. The only thing that seems to be more consistent than the pimples is the barrage of medical remedies that are being pushed on us on a daily basis as a solution to our problem. While some of these products definitely have the benefit of helping to clear up acne, often you can get the same results by doing self treatment. Here are 5 simple solutions that offer healthy benefits to the skin and general health that often have a positive effect on acne removal, reduction, or prevention.
* Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Often the source of our acne troubles is a high sugar and fat, low nutrient diet. Skip the Ho Hos, and instead eat a salad, enjoy a mango, or consume green leafy vegetables instead. Healthy skin usually begins with a steady supply of nutrients and vitamins that fruits and vegetables are chock full of. Instead of a soda, have a fruit juice. Your body will thank you for it.
* Drink water. The average person is supposed to consume an average of 10 full glasses of water each and every day. However the average person does not. Clear, healthy skin is well hydrated. Dead skin cells are reluctant to make way for new if your skin is dehydrated, and without fresh skin cells, you are more prone to develop acne.
* Avoid the use of harsh chemicals, especially in the treatment of acne. Natural products are always better than their man made counterparts. With the use of chemical products, there is a higher risk of unwanted side effects from the treatment, often with no understanding of the cause. Not only are natural products better for you, but with lower production and regulation costs, they are also usually more cost effective. Why pay more for less benefit and higher risk?
* Relax a little- Many people have a tendency to break out more when under stress. On often overlooked method of creating an acne breakout is to constantly touch the face, as people under stress tend to do more than those not under such stress. Stress also releases hormones into the system that exacerbate acne, increase it, while reducing the ability for other treatment options to remain effective. Exercise, meditation, or even relaxing with friends can have a positive effect on the reduction of stress levels that make getting you acne under control much harder.
* Get some fresh air and a little sun- While not advising to get a tan, getting out of a stale air, indoor environment for 20-30 minutes a day can keep your skin flush with vitamin E, essential to good skin health. Not only that, indoor environments have a dampening effect on the mood, which can also lead to higher stress levels and worsen your acne problems. Take a break from your indoor activities and go outside for a bit. It can do wonders for your complexion as well as your psyche.
Eat Your Way To Better Looking Skin & Fewer Wrinkles
Some of the best skin wrinkle reduction products can be found it the grocery store and offer other health care benefits. Several foods not only help to make your skin look younger and smoother, but also help to preemptively protect our skin from damage.
If you want to protect your skin from the elements, promote anti-aging, and make you look as good as you ever have, then there are several natural ingredients that you can add to your skin care regime.
One of the best ways to reduce wrinkles is to eat foods high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the number one cause of signs of aging, free radicals. Free radicals are extremely harsh on skin and other cells in your body, and have even been linked to some cancers. Eating foods high in anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the damage that free radicals can cause. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of anti-oxidants, especially spinach and broccoli. Other greens such as collards and kale also offer free radical protection, helping to reduce the effects of aging and reducing the chances for unsightly wrinkling.
* Fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon are vitally important to the health of skin and your general health. The nutrients provided by salmon, tuna, and other Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods provide an excellent source of protection in the battle for better skin, especially the effects of aging.
* Other “healthy” fat enriched foods, such as certain nuts, especially cashews are not only great for the skin, but also provide the body with much needed fats without having to resort to “unhealthy” fats such as are found in processed foods and trans-fat fast foods. Getting enough fat in your diet is essential to health, but unfortunately most people get too much of the unhealthy fats, and not enough of the fats that provide energy without damage to a person’s overall health.
* While not often seen as food, the skin creams that offer the best chance of benefits to the skin without unneeded side effects are mainly natural food items, or have these included in the ingredients. Your skin is the largest organ of the human body, but few people care for it as such. Using natural ingredients in the care of your skin is probably the best thing a person can do to protect it, improve its appearance, while at the same time avoiding the harsh and often chemical solutions that many might apply to their skin without a natural alternative.
As we age, our skin has a tendency to become thinner and more brittle, allowing us to bruise more or even tear easily. This is usually due to the reduction of elasticity and collagen in the system. In addition to the foods above, One such food additive is within common Japanese sea kelp, which can be eaten regularly to promote skin health. Phytessesnse Wakame, the main ingredient, is also extracted and used in several effective skin care products. It is proven to help in the reduction of wrinkles as well as promoting the natural and healthy glow that many people are looking for without resorting to the use of harsh drugs or chemicals that might eventually be more damaging to the skin than beneficial.
Prevent Photo Aging Before It’s Too Late
Photo aging, skin damaged caused by prolonged time in the sun, resulting in high levels of UV radiation, is usually recognized by the appearance of spots, wrinkles, sagging skin, jaundice like features, is not only unsightly, but also has been known to carry a heightened risk of certain skin cancers. Skin cancer, while often overlooked as a major health concern, actually affects over one million people annually, and poses serious risks to the afflicted person’s life.
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere even when the sky is not sunny, and have proven to be human carcinogen, speeds up the aging of skin, can produce severe burns, and is a major cause of wrinkles in almost all people who do not protect themselves from its rays.
Ultraviolet radiation comes in two forms from its natural source, the sun. UVA radiation is the most common, with over 90 percent of all UV rays being of this type. It is this type of radiation that advances skin aging prematurely, contributes to wrinkles, and is also a source of cancer.
UVB, though being less than 10 percent of the UV rays that come in contact with the skin due to atmospheric filtering, is known to be extremely harmful to skin, a known carcinogen, and even in smaller amounts, is much more damaging than UVA. UVB rays are the central reactionary triggering sunburn and other immediate skin damage, and also harms the eyes, being the main source for cataract destruction.
While this news is not likely to make you jump with joy at the knowledge, there is something you can do to help reduce the chances of permanent skin damage and cancers, prevention. Wearing a sunscreen at all times that you expose yourself to the sun’s rays, even when cloudy, is the most prominent and most effective method of protecting skin from UVA and UVB. While it does not offer 100% protection from the sun, the SPF, or protection rating of your sunscreen will tell you the rate at which UVA and UVB will enter the skin with its protection as opposed to without. An SPF rating of 35 states that UV rays will take 35 times longer to reach and damage your skin than untreated skin.
While many people wear sunglasses, most do not realize that if their glasses have no UV protection, then they are actually helping to promote eye damage, as they allow for pupil dilation due to shading, allowing more damaging rays to enter the eyes. When choosing sunglasses, make sure that they clearly state that they are UV protective lenses, or you will be doing more harm than good. UV protection lenses also help to protect the area around the eyes that are prone to wrinkling, where application of sunscreen is not recommended.
Your skin is the first line of defense your body has against outside invaders, seen and unseen. If you do not take proactive solutions to your skin’s defense, then painful surgery, excessive wear and aging, fragility of the dermis, or even cancer might be in your future. Your skin is too important to ignore. To combat photo aging, prevention is truly the best medicine.
Regain Your Youthful Look Via Facial Exercises
I do not think that there has ever been a time throughout history where women have not resorted to some type of potion or other remedy in the search for perfect skin. Everything from a change in diet, to the use of drugs, and even surgery have been used in order to combat wrinkles and to try to get back the smooth skin that we were born with. The only thing that is different in this day and age is the availability of products and procedures that a person has to choose from, as well as the wealth of information available on each and every one of them.
One thing is for certain. Several of the wrinkle reducers and skin care procedures on the market today come with their own specific set of side effects and drawbacks. Many of the best techniques and products shown to work at reducing the signs of aging are very expensive or only available in a limited region. Others, though widely available and affordable, simply do not produce the results that they claim, and some procedures, such as plastic surgery, while seen as widely effective, in rare cases, can leave a person scarred, and far worse off than they were before the treatment. Drugs, though seen as less invasive than surgery, can also come with a whole host of side effects that have to be weighed before use.
Does this mean that in the search for the dermic fountain of youth one has to undergo the knife, risking possible horrific scarring, take drugs that might lead to further complication, or use foreign creams or even resort to injections to see desired results? Does getting older necessarily mean that your days of smooth skin are gone forever? Is there even a safe way to reduce the signs of aging of the skin, or are risks inherent to improving your skins appearance? One technique that proves to both effective at combating facial wrinkles and aging, and with little risk, is the use of facial exercises.
Facial exercises are definitely safer than surgery, can be done from the comfort of your own home, and cost nothing to perform. Not only are facial exercises good for the reduction of wrinkles in older women, but can also be used as a preventative measure by the young. Like any other boby part, the face can benefit from exercise by improving facial health, tighten muscles, and improve the look and feel of the skin over them. Not mny people think of putting the face through a “workout”, but it is the least intrusive method of improving facial health without surgical or drug intrusion.
The greatest thing about facial exercises, is that a person that practices them regularly can often see results within 4-6 weeks, which is better than several of the more expensive wrinkle medications and creams on the market today. While many of the medications try to improve collagen and elastic levels to no avail, facial exercises improve the blood flow to the face, increasing collagen and elastic naturally and conclusively. This gives way to a more natural looking, smoother looking skin, reducing wrinkles and the effects of dark spots. Even oversize pores are improved upon with the use of facial exercises, leaving smaller pores and a smoother look after only a few weeks of “working out”.
Do vitamin supplements encourage fat burning efficiency?
Everybody knows that a healthy diet and an active exercise program are the best ways to lose weight and to the tendency to put on extra pounds under control. What do you do during those times where you have tried everything that you can? You eat a balanced diet, and you work out on a regular basis, but the weight just does not seem to be coming off as fast as it seems like it should. Sometimes the best solution doesn’t lie in getting involved in the latest crash diet or chugging down nasty food replacement shakes. Sometimes the extra push you body needs is a vitamin supplement.
Some studies have shown that certain vitamins help the body in the carbohydrate to sugar and starch processing functions by making sure that the body is able to process the most fuel for your body as possible, eliminating the need for the body to retain the food instead as fat stored in all of the wrong places.
Another benefit of the use of vitamin supplements is that for people on the go, the limited availability of certain food choices allows them to use supplements to replace used nutrients in the body that are missing in the person’s diet.
While the use of vitamin supplements has shown great promise, the idea that taking a multi vitamin in hopes of better body intake processing can simply be dismissed off hand. The ability to make vitamin supplements work for you is to research the body processes that you wish to be affected and which vitamins have shown to progress this process. By targeting specific functions and the vitamins that affect them is not only more effective but more efficient, as you might be getting too much or too little of a specific vitamin with the use of general multi vitamin combinations on your local store shelves.
Know what you nutritional goals are and take the correct vitamin combination to promote it. You can have adverse side effects from taking too much of one kind of vitamin, so be sure to also keep track of the nutritional intake of the foods that you eat on a daily basis, so tat you can accurately manage the amounts of specific vitamins that you put into your system.
Remember, that vitamin supplements are just that, supplements. Do not use them as a food substitute or expect positive results without proper diet and exercise.
