Fitness

Bedtime Snacks That Help You Sleep

2008-02-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain. Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy. However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain. One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness. Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.

Here are a few great ideas:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults

--6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
--Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
--3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens

--One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
--Low-fat granola bar
--Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children

--1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
--1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
--One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

Health and Fitness Books

2008-02-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

Protect yourself. There are many ways prescription drugs can cause trouble--getting the wrong drug because it's similar to another one, drug-drug or drug-food interactions, sensitivity to that drug, taking the wrong dose--and they all happen a lot, sometimes with catastrophic results. Everyone should have a reference book that tells them what to expect from a given drug. This is one of the best because not only is it comprehensive and easy to read, it gives you tips for using drugs, and warnings on what to watch out for, as well as lists of drugs you should not take if an alternative is available. Doctors and pharmacists do a good job but some things slip through and you need to know what to ask. This book is an inexpensive tool for those who believe their health is their own responsibility.

L-Carnitine supplementation can help prevent fatty build-up in the heart and liver (especially consumers of alcoholic beverages).

L-Carnitine is known to help increase energy, burn fat (making it excellent addition to a weight loss program), and supports heart and liver health.

L-Carnitine Deficiency Besides decreases in energy output, another factor of energy depletion is that without burning fat, it must be stored leading to a variety of health problems and weight gain.

L-Carnitine is in meats and other animal foods, so vegetarians may want to consider supplementing with L-Carnitine. This is especially important for athletes use a great deal of L-Carnitine during periods of exertion.

The targeted group of those who would most benefit from L-Carnitine supplementation are athletes, vegetarians & vegans, those who want to increase muscle strength & energy, and burn fat more efficiently, those who desire to lose weight and/or improve heart and liver health by preventing fatty buildup. L-Carnitine deficiency may also be implicated in diabetic cardiomyopathy, and seems to help people who have suffered congestive heart failure. L-Carnitine is well known to help in the treatment of angina pectoris, or heart pain (usually induced by physical stress). more info here.

Vitamins and Energy

2008-01-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

There are nearly 40 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture in sufficient amounts. That is why these are called essential vitamins and minerals. Acting in concert, the essential vitamins and minerals help keep billions of cells healthy and encourage them to grow. A lack of vitamins or a diet that has inadequate amounts of certain vitamins can upset the body's internal balance or block one or more metabolic reactions. This can lead to a cascading reaction in the body, as it struggles to compensate with what is essentially an acute starvation.

The B vitamins are water soluble vitamins. It means that they are excreted in the urine and can be quickly depleted from the body. When we take more water-soluble vitamins than we need, small amounts are stored in body tissue, particularly the liver, Because water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body in appreciable amounts and are depleted from the body so quickly,The vitamins are more in fruits, it is important that we take supplements of the B vitamins in large daily amounts to replenish these important vitamins in our body.

Fitness and Exercises

2008-01-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Fitness can be performance-related or health-related. Performance-related fitness is a measure of an athlete's agility, balance, power, and speed. This topic focuses on health-related fitness, which you can achieve through regular physical activity. The benefits of both types of fitness are a healthy heart and lungs, increased flexibility, and muscular strength and endurance. Exercise is must for Muscular fitness includes building stronger muscles and increasing how long you can use them in a right way. Resistance training through weight lifting and body movements such as push-ups can improve muscular fitness.

Above all don't smoke, Cigarette smoke is a toxic cocktail of around 70 cancer-causing chemicals and hundreds of other poisons. Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. In the UK, smoking accounts for one in four cancer deaths and kills five times more people than road accidents, murder, suicide and HIV all put together. Try to have fruits and vegetables a day, A portion is about 80g of fruit or vegetables. This is roughly equal to an apple, orange, banana, or similarly-sized fruit or two serving spoons of cooked vegetables such as broccoli or carrots.

Healthy Eating

2008-01-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

The healthy diet includes eating a variety of foods from the basic food groups: protein, such as meat, eggs, and legumes; dairy, fruits and vegetables, grains, such as breads and pasta; and fats and sweets. As simple as this sounds, Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods so that your child gets the nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, and minerals, he or she needs for normal growth. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad.

Avoid salt, It can increase your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease and stroke. Eat healthier snacks, If you're hungry between meals, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps. Water is good (but two litres a day is waste). Semi-skimmed milk is good too. Many soft drinks (including fizzy and sweetened soft drinks) contain a lot of sugar. Alcohol is high in calories.

More Energy

2008-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

B vitamins are called the energy vitamins, Fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety and depression - all can be signs of a B vitamin deficiency. That's because compounds in the B complex are needed for everything from the healthy maintenance of brain cells to the metabolism of carbohydrates, the brain's source of fuel. Bs are also necessary for production of neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and conduct messages through the brain.

Have a walk everyday, The aim should be to do around 10,000 steps which equates to around 60-90 minutes of walking. Using a pedometer on a belt is a good way to monitor this. On the way to or from work, shops, or meetings, leave the car or public transport a bit short of your destination. In the office, use stairs rather than the lift. Don't sit for long, Break up your sitting time by walking around at regular intervals. At home, do a chore. At work, visit a colleague.

Nutrition

2008-01-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

By Eating breakfast may reduce your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, and it strengthens your immune system so you're more resistant to common ailments like colds and the flu and also it will prevent you from more diseases. Memory and concentration get a boost from breakfast. A study on children found that kids who eat breakfast score higher on tests and are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. It should help you at the office too.

Eat your meals at the table and it will help you focus on the amount of food you eat. Eat slowly because it takes time for your body to register how much food you've eaten and how full you are. Don't eat while walking, but wait until you get there and take time to concentrate on what you are eating. Have a fruits and vegetables after meals. After Eating have a 10 minutes walk.

Fruits and Vegetables Everyday

2008-01-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Fruits and vegetables contain many powerful and important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, it will prevent from diseases, and that helps reduce the risk of many cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.The recommended servings are greater for men because more than two-thirds of men are overweight or obese, and men have a higher death rate for certain diseases than women.

The important thing worth mentioning here is that, the things that people consider to be fruits are not necessarily healthy fruits. For example, eating apple pie is counted as a fruit in clinical trials. But in fact it’s a cooked, sugary apple pie made with hydrogenated oils, refined white flour and refined sugar in the crust. That’s not fruit.But medical studies call that "fruit.” Hence, note that by “Fruits” what one means are fruits that are raw and uncooked, Eat fruits everyday.