What Does Fish Oil and Magnesium Have In Common?

28 02 2011

   Fish oil has been taken as a natural supplement for a number of years. The capsule form of the supplement has made it easier to swallow the otherwise strong smelling and tasting product. It has the omega 3 fatty acids which makes it healthy for you. There is also vitamin D present in fish oil and is again one of the vitamins that the body must get. Children are regularly given fish oil supplements.

 Now there is evidence to suggest that diabetics may also benefit from this supplement. One of the symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes is high levels of triglycerides in the blood which makes the person more prone to heart disease. While the benefits of using fish oil in your diet is also associated with lowering the levels of triglycerides in the blood.

   So it would follow that having fish oil supplements would be good for those suffering from diabetes. So what is the amount of fish oil that you must consume in a day to maximize the heart health? The benefits to the cardiac system need a person to consume 250 milligrams of fish oil each day.

   Doesn’t sound like very much but it will make a difference to eat that much fish oil daily. This is easy to do with a single three ounce serving of a fatty fish. This means you can eat a three ounce fillet of salmon or mackerel and your fish oil needs for the day are met. Again while it is easier to pop the pill it would be better if you can eat fresh fish and get the fish oil from it directly.

   Magnesium is a mineral which is needed by the human body to function properly. It is one of the many such trace elements that the person is expected to get from his daily food. The recommended daily allowance of Magnesium is between 350 to 400 milligrams in a day. It may seem like a ridiculously small amount for the adult body which weights at least 70 kg in most cases. But without this minimal Magnesium amount in your diet you can trigger 22 known conditions which are caused due to Magnesium Deficiency!

   The symptoms of magnesium deficiency tend to include agitation and anxiety, restless leg syndrome, sleep disorders, irritability, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, confusion, muscle spasm, hyperventilation, and insomnia. And this is in a normal healthy person, so imagine what such a deficiency can do to a person who is already suffering from diabetes. The lack of Magnesium causes the nerves to malfunction and then the nerve cells can not transmit messages to the brain and become excitable. This causes the person to become highly sensitive and nervous.

   In a person suffering from diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, magnesium can act like a natural tranquilizer. This is why a person with diabetes cannot afford to be deficient in the mineral. So Magnesium needs to be included in your diet. Now the trouble is getting the right amount through your diet is not always possible. For this reason most people turn to supplements that contain Magnesium. The supplements can come in form of magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium tau rate, and even as magnesium oil.

   Now what does fish oil and magnesium they do wonders for our health. And even naturally help people with diabetes. This are thought of as a wonder miracle.

  



Yoga Is An Ancient Exercise And Healing Technique…

27 02 2011

   Yoga is an ancient exercise and healing technique. In fact there are records of Ashtanga Yoga which go back to 5000BC. Ashtanga Yoga is based on the “Sholkas” or Sanskrit verses which are credited to Patanjali Yoga Sutra. “Ash ta” means eight in Sanskrit and “Anga” means organ or part. So quite literally “Ashtanga” translates to the eight organs of yoga. What exactly are these eight parts of yoga? Each part of yoga deals with a different aspect of how you should live a healthy life.

   The first part is “Ya ma” which are the principles you live your life by. Sort of like the moral code you follow. These are not spelt out in black or white. you need to find what works for you, and then follow it to the end of your days. Which brings us to the second part called “Ni-yam.” This includes the routines that you set for your life. The personal disciplines that you have imposed on your life to ensure that you live a healthy and moral life.

   The third part of yoga deals wit the actual physical stretches and postures called “Asanas.” These are the various positions that you need to assume as part of your work out. The trick is not in being able to contort your body into impossible positions, but to hold these positions for great lengths of time without any discomfort. This takes a lot of practice.

   The fourth part is practiced along with the third part and is called “Pranayama.” These are the Yogic breathing techniques which accompany the Asanas that you do. The breathing exercises may be done without physical asanas as well. The fifth part is “Pratyahara” which deals with a withdrawal of your senses from the external world. This is where the spiritually aspect of yoga comes into play. The sixth part is “Dharana” or concentration on objects. This shows you ow to concentrate  single minded on a single objective.

   The seventh part is called “Dhyan” or meditation. This is the most famous aspect of Yoga, but as you can see it is only part of an eight fold system. There are many forms of meditation and you can even vary the amount of time that you would like to spend in meditation each day. The proper use of meditation is supposed to bring you closer to the eight part of yoga known as “Samadhi.” This is also known as reaching salvation.



Body and Mind Workout…

26 02 2011

   While the current form of power yoga is derived from Krishnamacharya. it is essentially based on the Ashtanga Yoga system. many posture sequences in the yoga asana sessions for Power Yoga are heavily influenced by Ashtanga Yoga. Krishnamacharya was the Yoga teacher of B.K.S. Iyengar, who brought so much more to Power yoga by adding aids to help the not so flexible people perform the asanas. However we digress from the main subject here, that of Power Yoga.

   So why is there such a buzz about Power Yoga? What are some of the benefits that you can expect if you begin to practice it? Power yoga combines a double dose of health by well. This result in a toned body which has great stamina, plus a flexible and relaxed mind which is active and alert. So how did it become so popular in America? For that you need to thank Tim Miller.

   He was perhaps the first certified Yoga instructor who brought the advantage and goodness of yoga to America and the west. What makes Power Yoga different from regular yoga is the stress on fitness. It is a dynamic form of yoga which pushes your body to the extreme. It can be treated at power with a heavy work out at the gym. That is why while normal yoga can be practiced at a gentle pace by any one, it is essential to get clearance from your doctor before you begin learning Power Yoga.

   If you are into body building or wish to have a really good physic this is the ideal tool to help you chisel out your body. If you are looking to shed some weight, in case you are a few pounds overweight, this technique of yoga can help you greatly. The fast pace and demanding asanas of the Power yoga session improve your blood circulation and boost your immune system. This means that you will be less likely to fall ill seasonally.

   There are other related benefits of doing Power Yoga which include help with healing of various diseases such as acidity, asthma, cancer, bronchitis, insomnia, sinusitis, hypertension, and menstrual disorders amongst a few. The people who do Power Yoga on a regular basis also mention that they have improved concentration levels and feel better in control of their lives.



7 Reason to Change to a Raw Food Diet

24 02 2011

   For many years, there has been a debate as to whether raw food is really beneficial to man. The truth is that it is significantly better than eating cooked food. There simply are foods that should be eaten raw, except for meat. If you will really think about it, animals that eat plants do not cook these plants. They just eat and yet they survive. Here we will show you the seven benefits of eating raw foods and how this habit can improve your health.

   Improve Skin Tone :  Eating raw food is proven to improve a person skin tone. This is precisely because all the chemicals you apply to your skin will be rendered close to being ineffective since beautiful skin starts from the inside out. If you heat food above the boiling point, the heat destroys the very enzymes of the food including the proteins, vitamins, and minerals. About 70% of all these are destroyed when the food is boiled.

   If you eat raw food, your body does not have to produce such enzymes as it did and due to this, your entire body facilitates functions easily such as digestion, absorption, and food elimination. With these processes in prefect sync, your skin is going to absorb more vitamins and minerals and will become healthier.

   Improve Digestion: It only takes 24-36 hours to digest raw foods. For cooked food, it takes somewhere between 40-100 hours. This long transit time of the cooked food to the digestive tract increases the risk of the food rotting in your stomach. If this happens, you will get sick and you are likely to get a disease.

   Increase Protein Intake: A healthy diet is composed of high protein content. Ideally, we should be getting 5% of our calorie needs from proteins. Fruits and vegetables have 5% calories coming from protein. The problem is that the protein content of fruits and vegetables evaporate if they are cooked. This is why you need to eat your fruits raw and your vegetables should only be blanched. Doing so will reduce the protein evaporation and improve your protein intake.

   Faster Weight Loss: When you eat raw food, your body increases its metabolism process because there is much more nutrients to digest than cooked food. As a result, your body is burning more calories than what it normally does. During metabolism, the body needs energy to facilitate the entire ordeal. This is why your body is going to burn fat and calories during metabolism. On top of this, you are not adding fat to your body because you only eat raw fruits and vegetables. Maintaining the diet with only a little portion of meat will definitely give you great weight loss results.

   Expect Delectable Taste: Uncooked vegetables and fruits have the same delectable taste. Every Time you eat these foods, your mind becomes used to the taste and this stimulates your hunger, making you eat right. If you jazz up your cooked food with a lot of things, your digestive system is also likely to get irritated and you lose your appetite.

   Raw Foods Alkalize The Body: It is important that you detoxify your body. The human body is susceptible to accumulating acid and this is bad for the health. researchers have found out that eating foods rich in alkalizing agents can do wonders for human health. Discoveries were made that raw vegetables and fruits have high alkalizing agents that significantly help in balancing the body’s acid content.

   Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels: Sugar is something that we all should avoid because it causes an imbalance in the body’s sugar level. Whenever we eat anything, the body convents the foods into glucose, a type of sugar that the cells absorb to function. The problem with eating sweet foods is that the body gets more sugar than what it needs. The excess sugar is then moved to the bloodstream instead of the cells and this starts the problem. Eating raw food in the form of vegetables juice is healthy because they contain 50% less calories but they give you the same satisfaction with eating sweets.



How Does A Balanced Diet Protect Our Body?

23 02 2011

   The human body has many enemies in terms of food and diet. Unfortunately, many people gorge these enemy foods without  care and the end up getting sick or with a weak immune system. Many foods are saturated with fats and other unwanted chemicals, most of which also happen to be great tasting and are really sumptuous. We are not saying that you should not eat these foods but at least, try so to put control in the protect your body from harm.

   Weight Control:

   A balanced diet is also your way of controlling your weight. If you eat foods that have very high calorie content, do not wonder if you gain a few hundred pounds in the next few years. Foods rich in fat may taste good but they also have so much unusable fuel that the body cannot use as energy. These fats just end up in your blood stream and arteries, lingering there until you keep on adding weight. To reduce weight, you need to eat foods that have little calorie content. You can do this by eating fresh fruits and lean cuts of meat. Fish is also a great alternative because it can provide your body proteins and other essential amino acids.

   Disease Prevention:

   A balanced diet of less fat and more on carbohydrates and proteins will protect you from chronic diseases. Fatty foods are rich in cholesterol that will cling to your arteries. Soon enough, these things can cause heart attack and heart failure.

   A balanced diet also provides you the necessary vitamins and minerals that will support your body’s needs to boost your immune system. Without a balanced diet, your body will not get what it needs to repair damaged cells. Also, it will not get an adequate supply of energy that will fuel your day to day activities. A balanced diet that will protect your body from diseases is comprised of a lot of vegetables, mostly green ones. You can also add fruits that are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants such as apples, oranges, and bananas.

   The Balanced Diet:

   Simply put, a balanced diet does not mean you will not eat many foods that you like. What you have to do differently is to control the portion of what you take. It is not at all bad to eat fatty pork and beef. A balanced diet does not mean you will have to give up your favorites cakes and ice cream. Sugar is also an essential need but you just have to control it.

   The balanced diet is comprised of eating more of grains and wheat. These foods are your pasta, rice, bread, and cereal. This is followed by green, leafy vegetables and fruits. On any given day, you should eat around 6-11 servings of wheat and grain and about 2-4 servings of fruits and vegetables. Then, you may eat about 2-3 servings of meat, milk, dairy products, nuts. And lastly, you should eat fatty, sweet and oily foods very sparingly.



Impact of Exercise and Nutrition for Diabetes

22 02 2011

   Diabetes is a killer. So many people in the world have it and all of them will tell you that it is something that restricts you from doing many things that you love. It is a condition in which the body does not make enough insulin. In other type of diabetes, the body can produce insulin but fails to use it properly.

   There are essentially two type diabetes, the type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body does not produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or of your body does not use the insulin.

   What insulin does is to let the sugar from digested food enter the cells and be used as energy to fuel the body’s activities. When there is no insulin or if the body does use it properly, the sugar from the food builds up in the blood instead of entering into the cells. When this happens, serious health complications can occur.

   Here, we will be discussing how nutrition and exercise can help reduce the pains and complications of diabetes. Being in the know not only lets you take control of your life, it is also fulfilling and it will allow you to do things the right way.

   Nutrition and Diabetes:

   To address this imbalance, it is important to watch what you eat. Too much sugar will worsen your diabetes because it expedites the build up of sugar in your bloodstream. Although there is no specific diet that is applicable to everybody, the main drive of nutrition for people with diabetes is to take about 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 30% from good fat.

   This combination controls the sugar level in the blood and therefore lessens the risk of complications. As you control the foods you eat, you are also controlling your intake of sugar and you are therefore helping your body cope with the digestion and absorption of sugar into the cells. To know more about what foods to eat, you need to speak to a nutritionist and a doctor because every has a different level of insulin and sugar reaction.

   Exercise and Diabetes:

   People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise. This is one great activity that is completely free of expense and yet it can do wonders for a diabetics condition.

   When you exercise, the body’s insulin sensitivity is increased. Combined with proper nutrition mentioned above, the body will be a lot more normal in terms of sugar processing. Sugar metabolism improves and as a result it also decreases body fat.

   Another main benefit of exercise, specifically on weight or strength training, is that it increases the body’s sugar uptake. This forces the body to use the insulin and deliver the glucose into the cells as opposed to letting it clog the blood. Just a word of caution, though. When a diabetic person exercises, he should be very careful not to be injured. For anyone with diabetes, any sore or blister can easily get infected.



6 Tips on Enhancing the Mind, Body, and Soul to Your Wellness

21 02 2011

   Sure enough, there are three things that each person should improve to make sure he enhances his overall well-being. These things are the mind, the body, and the soul. The body makes it possible for us to execute the things we have to accomplish. The mind is responsible in planning and decision making. The soul, improve all three for wellness and overall health.

   Enhancing the Body:

   1. Sleep Well: Sleep is the only time of the day when our bodies can peacefully regenerate and heal damaged cells. No amounts of food or vitamins can substitute sleep. While sleeping, the body goes into a different state of consciousness that allows the brain to focus on healing the body and making it healthy.

   During waking hours, the brain is working on conscious thoughts and activities like muscle movement and motor coordination. While sleeping, all the activities are not the brain’s problem so it can focus on commanding the different parts of the body to process fuel and energy, making us relaxed and ready to face a new day. At the average, you should sleep no less than eight hours a day.

   2. Remove Energy-Consuming Foods from your Diet: One problem with a person’s diet is that he eats foods that consume energy instead of providing it. One great example is excessive sugar. When you consume too much sugar, you are causing a fluctuation in your blood sugar level that result to your energy level going down. Coffee is another good example. You might think it boost energy. True enough, but this only lasts a little while. The truth is it will cause burnout.

   Enhancing the Mind:

   1. Read Good Books: At the end of every discussion, books are still the best source of intelligence. Books are very rich in information and you will learn a lot of things you will never really learn in life by yourself. Specifically, you must read books that stimulate the mind. Books that are mentally challenging can enhance and stimulate your thinking process and improve your vocabulary, making you smarter and therefore making you more confident.

   4. Avoid Television: Many television shows do not add value to your intelligence and mental health. Surely, these shows can make you a lot more attuned to current events but watching TV is not really productive. Watching television all day long is going to drain you of your mental power and soon enough, you’ll be a bimbo just like the people you watch on your favorite shows.

   Enhancing the Soul:

   5. Appreciate Life: There are so many things in life that we should be thankful for: the air we breathe, the water, our families, and many more. Do not be a negative Nancy because negativism drives the wrong behaviour. Whenever you are faced with a difficult situation, focus on how you can resolve it and not on how it makes your life miserable.

   6. Have a Quiet Time:  Set a time each week, about 30 minutes, to ave a quiet time for yourself. you do not have to do yoga or meditate if you do not want to. All you have to do is to be alone and reflect about the things that are happening in your life. Think of your goals and find ways to achieve them.



Kundalini Yoga Considered The Centers Of Psychic Abilities

20 02 2011

   The focus in kundalini yoga is on the seven main chakras in the human beings. These seven chakras are to be awakened as they are considered the centers of psychic ability. The awakening of these chakras is aimed at releasing the untapped Kundalini energy. It is said to rest in the shape of two snakes coiled up around the spine beginning at the base of the spine. These two channels of energy are said to correlate to the masculine and feminine psychic energies.

   The male form is called “Ida” and starts from the right hand side of the spine. On the other hand the “Pingala” is the female form and starts from the left. The two snake-like channels coils up along the spine and as the chakras lie along the spine, these channels influence the centers of all the chakras. Thus being able to control the flow of energy through these channels helps you develop your psychic ability. This is said to help you reach your final goal of self mastery and nirvana.

   This form of yoga is associated with Tantra. Unlike other forms of yoga which advocate celibacy where possible with respect to spiritual growth, the Tartaric (one who practices Tantra) is said to harness sexual feelings and contact to reach enlightenment. It is a controversial form of yoga, but it does have a fairly strong fan base. Just how effective it is will be debated without any agreement being reached for ages.

   The Tartaric form of yoga is seen as a way to combine the physical male and female energies so that the human being can experience being a “whole” source of energy. Many people do not understand the true nature of Tartaric Yoga and think of it as a way to get laid. The experience of tartaric lovemaking is not to ensure that you have an orgasm. In fact the lovers during the love making is not to ensure that you have an orgasm. In fact the lovers during the love making process called “Maithuna” strive not to have an orgasm.

   The release of the sexual energy is used to aid the Kundalini Energy travel upwards through the spine. Then this energy is used to awaken the seven chakras in the body so that there can be a union of “Shakti” and “Shiva.” The form of yoga is not the ideal one if you are looking to heal a particular disease. There is also the danger of quacks trying to teach you nonsense. So don’t try this out unless you are sure you know what you are getting into.



Purify Your Thoughts And Actions With Karma Yoga

19 02 2011

   The word ‘karma’ means action or deeds. As we say in English that ‘actions speak louder than words’, so it is believed in yoga as well. The essence of this yoga is contained in the book of the ‘Bhagavad Gita.’ This is the compilation of the words of wisdom that lord Krishna shared with his disciple Arjuna who faced with the dilemma of fighting his own kin and brethren just before the war began. The Mahabharata is full of such moral choices that an individual must make.

   Here Arjuna was fighting on the side of his pandava brothers for the injustice done to his eldest brother yudhisthira. However he was faced with the army of the kauravas which included his cousins, kin and uncles. So he faltered and said he could not fight. This is when Lord Krishna who was his charioteer, having chosen to use no arms in the war, guided him with the principles of karma yoga. He said that as long as Arjuna was in the right and following drama, then he must fight.

   He must do the deeds without worrying about if it will fetch him wealth or fame or any other reward. This is essentially what a follower of karma yoga tries to do. The deeds are dedicated to God and usually involve some amount of philanthropic actions as well. Charity is very common when you practice karma yoga and a person gives what he can from money to valuables to time. Here the focus is on the actual doing of the deed and not the reward or punishment. Here the focus is on the actual doing of the deed and not on the reward or punishment that will follow it.

   The aim of this form of yoga is to purify your thoughts and actions and make you less materialistic. After all the end product of any form of yoga is salvation and how can you attain salvation. If you are attached to material things. Being materialistic is not restricted to money and things that it can buy but also to feelings of pride associated with doing charitable actions. The honor bestowed on you or the love that the needy and poor feel for you should not influence your actions.

   You must continue to do your selfless actions to serve all those you can. The essence of a karma yogi may be summed up as do as much good as you can to as many people as you can. There is a saying in India which well illustrates this point. It roughly translates to “Do good and throw it into the sea.”



The Healthy Body: Eating The Right Foods For An Optimum Health

18 02 2011

   Whenever we eat, we sometimes forget if what we are eating can provide us the optimum health that we all are aiming for. Many people do not realize that there are foods that have high amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can help our bodies eliminate toxins and boost health, specifically the immune system. There are even foods that are proven to prevent cancer and these the very same foods that we should be taking in large amounts regularly. Read below and find out what these foods are. Eat them in regularly and you will be amazed at how healthy you will feel.

   Bananas, This tropical fruit is one that is available all year round so finding I should not be a problem. A banana is rich in protein and fiber and this means that it is a good substitute for meat. Many people think that the best source of protein is meat or eggs but banana is also a great source without having to worry about cholesterol. It has high potassium content that acts as an antibiotic and the fiber is an essential component of digestion.

   Spinach, Well, you will not instantly develop muscle like Popeye but you will definitely have a better and stronger immune system. Considered as a cleansing agent, the spinach has high calcium content that is also good for the bones. It makes your gums stronger and supplies your blood with iron, making your blood more immune to radicals and prevents infections from bacteria and viruses that infiltrate the blood.

   Potatoes, Mashed or boiled, potatoes are great sources of antioxidants. A potato is also a good source of estrogen’s and it is a highly recommended food for those who have hormone problems, especially those who are having PMS.  Potatoes are proven to prevent heart diseases, cancer, and improve blood circulation, thus preventing stroke. It is also high in vitamin E so it means I can do wonders for your skin. Its high content of potassium, calcium, and magnesium makes the bones, teeth, and gums stronger.

    Yogurt, is made of live bacteria. And yes, these are good bacteria that the body should have to fight the bad bacteria. Only buy the classic yogurt, not the sweetened yogurt, because sweetened yogurt is full of sugar and you do not really want that. The natural contains high amounts of protein and calcium so you can expect to fuel your body’s need for energy and at the same time strengthen your bones and teeth.

   Apples, True enough, apples can keep the doctor at bay or away. Available the entire year, apples are packed with vitamins and antioxidants that will ward of cancer cells. These antioxidants prevent free radicals from destroying the body’s healthy cells. Apples also have high mineral content that protect ad strengthen the body immune system. They are known to reduce inflammation because they have antibiotic properties and they are also proven to be effective in reducing the body cholesterol: levels in the blood.