The History of Vitamins

by: John Collins

It may seem that the significance of vitamins to nutrition health has been known for a significant amount of time. However, it wasn't until the 15th century that scientists began to realize that nutrients found in various foods could improve health. The classic realization is the one of sailors who suffered from scurvy and improved their condition by eating citrus fruits. To discover the exact benefits a particular food would provide, scientists simulated conditions of nutrient deficiency using animals. These experiments were carried out by feeding the animals one specific type of food for an extended period of time. In all cases the animals' health declined; some became seriously ill and some died. For those that became ill, the scientists fed them various nutrients until their health improved.

In the early 1900s, British chemist and Nobel Prize winner Frederick Gowland Hopkins concluded from his research that the human body needed a certain amount of specific substances to live. Casimir Funk, a biochemist from Poland who worked closely with Hopkins, conducted an experiment with polished and unpolished rice. The results of his experiments coupled with what Hopkins discovered led him to coin the term "vitamin" to represent the crucial supplemental substances necessary for growth. It would only take thirty years after their discoveries for chemists to begin synthesizing (commercially producing) the vitamins that we know today.

Since the early discoveries, there have been many developments in understanding the value of vitamins. The most recent development is that taking a multivitamin every day can decrease an individual's risk for conditions such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The vitamin industry is probably a multi-billion dollar industry. Just visit any nutrition center or grocery store that sells vitamins and you will see shelf after shelf of vitamins. There are vitamin preparations for just about ever type of health condition and nutritional need. The reports of the benefits of vitamins are outstanding, but indicate that there may be more to discover about vitamins and their benefits on human life.

You can find out more about vitamins at http://www.nutrition-guides.info.

About The Author
John Collins manages Nutrition guides. A site dedicated to hosting nutrition articles from around the world.
help@nutrition-guides.info

Why Take a Vitamin?

by: John Collins

Despite the fact that people are living hectic lifestyles more than ever, they are following a more healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis. You might wonder if the recommendation by the health industry to take a multivitamin every day is still valid in light of the trend of people becoming healthier. If you are eating a variety of foods, there's a good chance you are getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform routine functions to keep your body healthy. However, you're not completely out of the woods.

When you use heat to cook your food (grill, fry, bake), the heating process removes some of your food's beneficial nutrients. In addition, if you are plagued with stress or you if you are taking medication there's a chance that you are losing a significant amount of vitamins and minerals that you consume. Taking vitamins on a regular basis can increase your chances of getting all the nutrients your body needs.

The benefits of taking vitamins go beyond meeting the recommended dietary allowances. How healthy you are depends on more than just diet and the amount of exercise you obtain. There are other outside factors that can predispose you to develop certain health issues. For example, how much of a risk you have for developing cancer of heart disease is largely dependent upon whether or not others in your family developed these conditions. For some time it was believed that an individual had very little recourse in these situations. Studies conducted by Harvard University researchers revealed that taking a multivitamin every day can reduce an individual's risk to develop these conditions.

To determine your specific needs, you should visit your doctor for a complete evaluation of your dietary needs. Your doctor will be able to recommend the type of vitamins that are best for you. It may very well be the case that a common multivitamin is all that you need. If this is the case, you can visit any nutrition center or grocery store and find aisles of multivitamins. While these preparations will contain the same basic set of vitamins, the amount of each will differ. You can determine which preparation is for you by considering which nutrients you lack. For example, if you're not a fan of milk products, you may want to choose a multivitamin that contains more calcium.

About The Author

John Collins manages http://www.nutrition-guides.info. A site dedicated to hosting nutrition articles from around the world.

He also helps out with http://www.curing-acne.info. Another health site giving advice for acne sufferers.

help@nutrition-guides.info

Saiz Sajian Berpandukan Piramid Makanan Malaysia

Saiz sajian kumpulan bijirin, hasil bijirin dan ubi- ubian

1 keping roti mil penuh

atau

1/2 cawan nasi

atau

1/2 cawan bihun / mee / pasta yang direndam

atau

1 cawan bubur nasi kosong

atau

1/2 cawan bijirin sarapan

atau

1 biji kentang sederhana

atau

3 keping biskut kraker

AMALKAN 12M UNTUK BERHENTI MEROKOK

1. Melengah-lengahkan kemahuan untuk merokok
2. Minum lebih banyak air
3. Menarik nafas panjang
4. Membuat sesuatu / menyibukkan diri dengan kerja tangan
5. Menjauhkan diri dari kawan / orang lain yang merokok
6. Mengelakkan diri dari situasi yang mendorong untuk kuat merokok
7. Memohon doa dari tuhan
8. Mengunyah sesuatu
9. Membasuh tangan
10. Mandi dengan kerap
11. Melakukan senaman regangan
12. Meditasi

Carbohydrates: What You must know

by: Gary Matthews

This scares me to death, every day you walk down the street it is becoming more and more apparent that the average person is becoming larger and this trend has escalated over recent years. Why are they getting fatter? Here are some reasons...

* Less incidental activity
* Automated and computerized lifestyle
* Longer working hours and less leisure
* Increased consumption of processed foods
* Our food servings are larger than ever

Being overweight, or obese, has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity is a major risk for heart disease.

Obesity itself has become a major and dangerous epidemic. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing.

What do most people do to rid their body of unwanted fat? They diet! Dieting is now a trillion dollar industry and just about every month a new diet is announced.

If you do have weight problems how do you find a diet that is safe, effective and sustainable?

What you do is try to find a diet that includes a variety of foods that you can live with comfortably. You have to take a long-term view and include plenty of exercise.

A good diet is one that supplies all of the essential vitamins and minerals, and is not high in fat or protein.

Research on people, who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off long term, shows that the vast majority succeeded by consuming a low fat diet high in fibre coupled with strength training and cardiovascular activity.

Be wary of diets that

* Ban a specific food group
* Promise a quick fix
* Replace a balanced meal with a drink or a snack bar
* Make recommendations based on single studies
* Make recommendations to help sell a single product

Excess weight does not appear overnight and nor will it disappear overnight! In fact the faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to pile the pounds back on.

Seek out a program that will help you maintain long-term body fat losses by providing attainable solutions such as a program that promotes lifestyle changes, healthy eating and regular exercise.

Regular exercise is important (i.e. strength training) as it burns fat, boosts your metabolism and also increases your energy levels. Dietary changes can lead to initial weight loss, but this is only for the short term. Exercise is essential for maintaining weight loss for the long term.

Now let’s take a closer look at what food is made up of and then you will have a good idea of what to look for in your daily eating plan. Firstly we need a wide range of nutrients to perform various functions for a healthy life.

These nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and fat and are all present in the food we eat on a daily basis.

The foods containing these nutrients are cereals, legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruits, milk products and flesh foods (fish, meat and poultry).

We need all these nutrients to live and thrive and since we receive them through the food we eat, our food must be well balanced and in the proper proportions.

Food is a fuel; the body requires this fuel for energy, which is measured in fats, carbohydrate and protein.

Each of these nutrients provides different amounts of energy and these are measured in calories.

Nutrient Calories per Gram

Carbohydrate 4


Protein 4


Fat 9

Let’s look at carbohydrates first, carbohydrates supply energy for our body, they provide fibre for the prevention of disease and taste and texture to food. They are found in cereals, potatoes, fruits and vegetables.

They come in two basic forms, simple and complex. Simple carbs are easily identified by their taste and are sweet. Complex carbs, such as potatoes are pleasant to the taste buds, but are not sweet.

They are then divided into two groups, high fibre and low fibre.

High-fibre foods are the healthiest choices for nutrition and the intake of these foods is associated with a lower incidence of cancer and diabetes. Carbohydrates supply the sort of calories easily burned during cardiovascular exercise.

They are often wrongly feared and considered fattening, but the most important factor in weight control is balancing the energy (calories) consumed.

Please remember:

Energy In is more than Energy Out = Weight gain

Energy In is equal to Energy Out = Weight maintenance

Energy In is less than Energy Out = Weight loss

Different foods affect the ability to exercise at different levels. High levels of exercise (cardio and strength training) require carbohydrate as a fuel source; at lower levels it is fat.

A lack of carbohydrate in the diet will lead to fatigue, the inability to exercise effectively, and excess fat consumption. When our food is digested, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars.

These sugars are absorbed by the body and used by the muscles or stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. As our glycogen storage capacity is limited, carbohydrate needs to be continually topped up by the foods we eat.

But the body has an unlimited storage capacity for fat!

The average person is extremely vulnerable to fad diets and extreme dieting behaviours. The low carbohydrate diet is one of the latest eating plans to hit the streets.

This current diet craze is very popular but there are safer and more effective methods based on scientific research, to reduce body fat levels.

Low carbohydrate dieting is simply wrong.

Why is this? Just as a car runs better on a certain fuel, so does the human body. Unfortunately the latest low-carbohydrate fad diets are not the fuel mix the human body was designed to run on.

Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, whereas fats contain 9 calories per gram. For weight loss, the priority is to decrease total calorie intake. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet will make the biggest difference in reducing total daily calorie intake and hence weight loss.

Carbohydrate intake is not fattening, excess calorie intake is fattening.

If you aren't having enough carbohydrates in your diet you will experience:

* Fatigue due to low blood sugar levels inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals
* Low fibre intake, which may affect bowel movements
* 'Bad’ breath due to the breakdown products of fats (called ketones)

The bottom line for carbohydrates and weight loss is to:

* Try to balance carbohydrate intake with activity levels
* Maintain energy levels by eating carbohydrate rich foods on a regular basis
* Carbohydrate rich foods are normally low in fat and nutrient-rich

A real weight loss program includes all the food groups, strength training, and low-level aerobics, a slight decrease in your daily calorie levels and a program that can be followed for life.

In conclusion try to achieve a balanced diet, eating a balanced variety of foods will help you to feel great every day, ensure better long-term health and improve weight control

About The Author

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss or muscle building e-courses.

Losing Weight Requires Some Major Lifestyle Changes

by: Chileshe Mwape

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. Losing weight requires major lifestyle changes, including diet and nutrition, exercise, and behavior modification. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed.

To be successful at losing weight, you need to change your lifestyle and not just go on a diet. This requires cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. It also means being more physically active. Most health experts recommend a combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight loss.

Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. And some studies show that short sessions of exercise several times a day are just as effective at burning calories and improving health as one long session. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation.

Experts say that walking is one of the easiest and most useful exercises you can do. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program. Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.

Remember that the most important changes are long term. No matter how much weight you have to lose, modest goals and a slow course will increase your chances of both losing the weight and keeping it off. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed.

About The Author

Chileshe Mwape

Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for the Web Guide Website at: http://www.webguide.org.uk/ and he's also a regular contributor to the Weight Loss Guide at http://weight-loss.webguide.org.uk/

Lifestyle Changes That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

by: Robert Thatcher

High blood pressure or what is medically known as hypertension affect millions of Americans. In fact, about 80 million people in the US have high blood pressure and what is more terrifying is the fact that some of these people are not even aware that they have high blood pressures. This is why hypertension has become known as the silent killer because unless you have your blood pressures checked regularly, you have no way of knowing that you already have it until it is already much too high up the scale.

High blood pressure will often manifests itself through headaches, dizziness and nose bleeds. Some people will also feel pain at the back of their necks when they wake up in the morning. Hypertension is not really life-threatening per se as it is not a disease. The level of blood pressure, however, is a risk factor to heart disease and will increase one’s predisposition to heart attacks. This is especially true with people who are over 35 years old and those who are much much older.

Because it is a condition and not a disease, people can do a lot to prevent hypertension from settling in. Most doctors recommend a change in the diet and a major lifestyle change.

Diet is perhaps the primary lifestyle change that people should look into when dealing with high blood pressure. Excessive eating of fatty foods that cannot be easily digested can cause a lot of problems. Obese individuals are also more likely to develop hypertension not only because of the fat content in their bodies but also the constriction that these fats produce in the body. This constriction can affect blood circulation and heart function, which may lead to a full-blown heart attack.

Another advice that doctors give to individuals concerned with their blood pressure is to have regular exercise regimen that would help lower their blood pressure. Activities such as running and jogging, cycling and swimming as well as other sports can decrease blood pressure. Doctors recommend that people exercise and do these sports activities for about 30 to 45 minutes a day and they will find their blood pressures significantly lowered.

Alcohol, for instance, increase the prevalence of hypertension when it is taken in excess. The term excess here will refer to over two drinks per day. Studies have actually shown a direct relationship between these two factors when the drinking exceeds five glasses each day. A drink here refers to a can of beer, a glass of wine or a jigger of liquor. There are people however who have low tolerance with alcohol. It is best to stop drinking if you find your blood pressure going up or if you feel nauseous already.

Smoking is also one of the things that a person should avoid when trying to either lower blood pressure or to prevent it from going up. Besides the complications that it poses to the lungs and the vascular system, smoking also increases the risk for heart disease. This is because the nicotine in cigarettes and tobaccos can constrict one’s blood vessels, causing the heart to beat faster.

Elderly people are also asked to avoid excessive coffee drinking. In a study conducted, it was found that five cups of coffee per day can mildly increase the blood pressure. The combination of coffee drinking with smoking increases the risk all the more.

About The Author

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides blood pressure information on http://www.blood-pressure-facts.info.

Five Secrets To Weight Loss

by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Weight loss – such a “big” topic! Every month another book is out by another expert on weight loss. Everyone wants to know the secret to losing weight.

I certainly don’t have THE secret, but I do have some secrets, and I want to share them with you in the hope you find them helpful.

Weight used to be a major issue for me. Losing weight was never out of my thoughts, and I can’t tell you how many different diets, pills and programs I tried until I discovered some “secrets” that have worked for me for many years now.

So here they are. I hope they work as well for you as they have for me.

1. Change your focus from losing weight to achieving great health.

I grew up as a sickly child and I was a sickly young adult. I hated being sick and never having energy to do all the things I wanted to do. So I decided to learn about what creates great health.

First I read tons of books on nutrition and became convinced that I needed to switch to organic foods. That was quite a challenge in 1961! There was one coop health food store that I had to follow around Los Angeles because it kept moving locations. But it was worth it! My rule of thumb now is – if they didn’t eat it 100 years ago, then I won’t eat it now. This cuts out most packaged and processed foods and leaves natural, organic food.

2. Learn to read your body signals regarding what feels good to your body and what feels bad.

I no longer read about all the different diets because I’ve learned to tune into MY body so that I know exactly what my body needs for great health. Since my body needs different things than your body, no single food plan will work for everyone. Your job is to learn to tune into what gives you energy and what robs you of energy, and what foods create calmness and which ones create agitation. Once I learned what my body needs for great health, I lost weight and kept it off easily.

3. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and that you can do at least 5 times a week.

I discovered that I love to walk in nature, so I take a fast half-hour walk every day. However, this can be a problem if you have physical limitations or chronic illness. Losing weight with chronic illness or physical limitations is not impossible, but it can be a much bigger challenge.

4. Learn to discern which part of you determines what and when you eat, as well as how much you eat.

We all have a wounded part of ourselves that uses various addictions as ways to deal with feelings of loneliness, aloneness, helplessness, anxiety, depression, fear and anger. Some people may use alcohol, drugs, spending, TV, gambling, sex, and so on to avoid their pain, while other use food. While food may work to pacify painful feelings for the moment, in the long run all addictions backfire and create the very pain you are trying to avoid. Yet our wounded self keeps choosing addictive behavior as a way of managing pain. As long as the wounded part of you is making your food choices, you may continue to have a weight problem.

The part of us that is capable of managing painful feelings in healthy ways and making healthy choices is the loving Adult. The loving Adult is the part of us that has a deep desire to learn about and take loving action in our own behalf. Developing a loving Adult is a major aspect in creating health and wellbeing, as well as in losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight.

5. Learn to connect with a spiritual source of wisdom, strength, love and guidance.

The loving Adult is that part of us that is connected with a spiritual source of guidance rather than being governed by the mind. The mind, bring programmed from childhood, is the home of the wounded self. You are being a loving Adult at those moments when you choose to be guided by a source of wisdom beyond your mind. This source will always guide you toward your highest good. You just need to learn to open and listen.

It is very likely that you will not only lose weight, but will also move into more physical and emotional health and wellbeing if you embrace these “secrets” into your life. We offer you a free course (see the resource box) to help you with developing your loving Adult. Once you have developed a powerful loving inner Adult, you will be able to lose weight. If you really want to lose weight, there is a way!

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D., best-selling author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You” and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions.

Enjoy a Healthier Lifestyle With More Fruits And Vegetables

by: Nishanth Reddy

Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice. Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:
1. 1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)
2. 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)
3. ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
4. ½ cup of 100% fruit juice
5. ¼ cup of dried fruit
6. 1 cup of green salad

Study after study has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities.

Many fruits and vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber.

Many people do not realize, that in addition to vitamin C, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits also contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, and it is thought to have protective qualities against heart disease and some forms of cancer. In addition, fiber is thought to have the ability to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, and low calorie nature of these foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long-term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.

Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance. For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal. Those seeking to maximize their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, we believe you will find that eating more fruits and vegetables is a delicious, as well as a nutritious, way to get the vitamins and minerals you need every day.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. When word gets around about your command of healthy diet facts, others who need to know about fruits and vegetables will start to actively seek you out.

About The Author

Nishanth Reddy, is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on choosing fruits and vegetable for healthy life style visit http://www.weightloss-diettips.com/healthydiet/.

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your eZine, Blog, Auto responder or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Sciatica & Back Pain - 7 Simple Things You Can Do To Stop It

by: Chris Galloway

The Good News

The good news is that by doing the right back exercises in the right way, you have a great chance of stopping your sciatica and back pain and keeping your back healthy and strong.

Even if your back already hurts, or is strained, there is a good chance that you can make it better.

(Note: If you're sick, or your back really hurts and you think you've injured yourself, make sure you see a health practitioner first.)

The Not-So-Good News

If you don't exercise reasonably regularly, especially as you age, the muscles supporting and surrounding your back will eventually get weak and stiff.

Then these muscles won't be able to work well enough when you most need them to - when you put a strain on your back.

This means it's much more likely that your will injure your back when you do place a strain - even a small strain - on it.

Your back can get injured from an action as simple as reaching for something on your desk, or from a more obvious strain such as lifting something heavy, especially if your posture is bad as you do it.

Why Back Problems Tend to Hang Around

Your back is a complicated mechanical system with many moving parts. This is why the condition of the surrounding muscles is so important in supporting it and holding everything in alignment.

Studies have shown the muscles that provide support to your back behave differently to other muscles.

The key difference is that they are slower to automatically "switch back on" (i.e. return to their previous level of function) after an injury or a strain.

Unless they are triggered by exercise, they can take a long time to return to their previous level of function.

Worst case without the right exercise, they may never return to full function and so your back doesn't get the support it needs.

When these supporting muscles are working properly, they respond to signals from your brain by clenching or bracing fractionally before a strain impacts your back.

This means your back is supported as the strain arrives and so the chance of (further) injury or strain is reduced.

When this mechanism is not working properly and the muscles don't trigger, your back is left unsupported and thus you are more likely to re-injure or strain your back.

This is why back problems can be so difficult to get rid of once you start having them and why you can suffer from recurring back problems.

This is also the reason regular exercise is so important - it helps to keep your supporting muscles active and able to do their job.

7 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Your Back

1. Stand upright and pay attention to posture – don't slouch.

2. Sit upright at your desk with your lower back slightly curved. Don’t slump in your chair or hunch over your keyboard. Set your workstation up correctly – screen at eye level.

3. Change your position frequently. Get up and walk around every 20-30 minutes even if it’s only for 30 seconds.

4. Eat healthily and manage your weight. Extra weight, especially around your waist, strains your back. A simple diet with a good selection of fresh foods is one of the keys to overall health.

5. Do specific back strengthening exercises. (Find out about the Better Back System).

6. Also exercise to strengthen your stomach and ‘core’ muscles which help support your back.

7. Push rather than pull heavy objects. If you’re lifting something heavy, use your leg muscles and hold it close to your body. Don't bend over and strain your back.

We recommend the Better Back System which you can try this at home to see if it works for you without any risk. It uses a set of special exercises that you can do at home in about 5 minutes a day with a 97% chance of success and without having to trek to the gym, or fill your cupboard full of equipment.

There's no mystery really! When you take action on a few key things, you're on the road to a better back, ending your back pain and sciatica and ensuring good health.

About The Author

Chris Galloway

The author's back has put up with fifty years of football and falling off bikes, among other things. Read his tried and tested exercises for a healthy back without pain and without medication at http://www.sciaticacenter.com.

Alternative Medicine – New Way to Lose Weight

by: Nishanth Reddy

Weight loss is one of the big topics-no pun intended-on the late night television circuit. While flipping through the channels after 11p.m., you are likely to come across several advertisements for weight loss pills and diet supplements, each promising to assist you drop those unwanted pounds and remove stubborn belly fat once and for all.

Let's face it, if these pills really worked, America wouldn't be the top overweight country in the world.

There are types of alternative medicine, which can help with weight loss, however, and with great results. While no alternative medicine is a magic solution, practicing these principles can help you become more limber, feel more energetic, and the end result-or side effect if you will, is weight loss.

Take yoga for example. The low impact stretching involved with yoga will help you feel less stressed, and as a result less likely to over eat as a result of depression or anger. Acupuncture has exact pressure points in the ear which help reduce cravings, and detoxifying teas and herbs can help you feel healthier, and the side effect would be thinking twice before deciding that you want to "pollute" yourself again with oily and fatty foods. In this regard, alternative medicine is wonderful for loosing weight.

The majority alternative medicines for weight loss come in the form of detoxifying teas, energy supplements, and vitamins. The exercise and diet plans are the basis, as they should be, for safe and effective long-term weight loss. There is no magic potion to lose weight. In fact dropping pounds and keeping them off requires regular daily exercise and a change in eating habits, period.

However, to get you ready for weight loss, here are some alternative medicine detoxifying teas and interesting supplements.

Take turmeric, ginger, and lemon-about a half teaspoon each and the juice of half a lemon, and boil it all in 2 cups of water. Drink every morning as a detoxifier before you start your diet.

All diets should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and buying a juicer is a great way to make a habit out of eating healthy. Please see your doctor before starting any kind of diet plan.

Visit your local food co op or herbalist, they can get you set up with all sorts of alternative teas and nutrition advice, and can refer you to a good homeopathic doctor who will evaluate you as to what your individual nutrition needs are.

Bovine and shark cartilage are two dietary supplements to hit the alternative market. Both have been used for years outside of the United States and Britain, but now are big business in the health food stores.

The most popular form of alternative medicine for weight loss isn't really medicine at all, rather behavior modification through hypnosis. Hypnosis doesn't make you rely on will power, that's one of the reasons it's so popular.

How hypnosis works is that it examines what is subconsciously holding you to the thinking and eating habits that keep you overweight. Hypnotists believe that if the root cause of the obesity can be alleviated, the patient will naturally begin to lose weight. It is actually a very efficient form of alternative medicine, and overall can cost much less than trips to day spas and expensive over the counter weight loss pills. Through hypnosis you can let go of fears that keep you from eating healthy, and begin to allow a positive energy flow through you, causing you to want to stick to the new way of eating and exercising.

About The Author

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on how to lose weight, Fitness and Wellness visit: http://www.fitness-wellness-guide.com.

10 Tips For Shopping For Weight Loss

by: Donovan Baldwin

Everybody is different. What works for your friend might not work for you, or might work better for you. Therefore, these suggestions for shopping for weight loss are presented as helps, and I hope you will find something of use to you. With just a little thought and creativity, you should be able to come up with several more tips yourself.

1. Always use a list when you shop, and stick to it. Almost any other food item you put in the buggy will be something that does NOT fit in to your weight loss plan.

2. Plan ahead. Decide what your meals are going to be, and what ingredients you will need. Include portion sizes in this planning. If you just buy a pack of steaks, you will probably cook all those steaks at once and there is a chance they may be eaten all at once. Planning your meals will help you prepare your shopping list. Plan also for meals such as lunches you carry to work.

3. Take someone with you who you can trust to be on your side. By "on your side", I mean, of course, someone who understands and supports your weight loss goals. While this person should be aware of what you are trying to accomplish, YOU must understand that they ARE trying to help you, and YOU must give them permission to express their honest thoughts about purchases you are making...especially if you are deviating from your list.

4. Have this trusted friend or family member HELP you draw up your shopping list.

5. Always eat before shopping. It is a fact that shopping when hungry increases your tendency to put extra items in your shopping cart.

6. Learn to read the labels. Almost every food you buy has a label outlining nutritional content and levels. Knowledge of nutritional needs is important, but does not need to be daunting. Basic information is easy to obtain.

7. Avoid convenience foods. Most have additional calories, fats, or carbohydrates. Although they may taste great, this is often a direct result of those very attributes.

8. Plan PREPARED meals. Cook from scratch. Not only will you probably enjoy the meals more, but having to prepare a meal helps prevent you from indulging yourself with a quick and easy snack or meal.

9. Avoid buying "empty" foods. These are foods such as chips, cookies, or candy. An apple may have as many calories as a piece of candy, but it contains a much higher level of nutrition, and provides factors such as fiber, for example.

10. Buy foods you really like. Eating in a healthy manner does NOT have to be a boring or unrewarding experience. Types of meals enjoyed in Japan, for example, can be tasty and a different and inviting experience, but they can also be very good for you. Again, be aware of portion sizes. Just because it is "good for you" doesn't mean you ought to go back for seconds or thirds.


There you are, 10 hints for shopping for weight loss. Since portion sizes was mentioned twice, let me leave you with this thought. Most Americans eat portions much larger than recommended sizes. A discussion of portion size is more than can be incorporated into this small article. However, people in France tend to eat very rich foods yet do not have the obesity problems found in America. People in Japan who eat a traditional Japanese diet tend not to have an obesity problem such as is found in America. As diverse as these two cultures and their diet are, a common factor is portion size. They typically eat much smaller portions than Americans.

Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

About The Author

Donovan Baldwin's interest in fitness and health began in 1970 when he first read Dr. Kenneth Cooper's "Aerobics". Find more weight loss tips at http://nodiet4me.com. You can find additional articles on fitness, health, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.blogspot.com.

Gall Bladder Back Pain

by: Saurabh Jain

The gall bladder back pain is usually caused due to the inflammation or improper functioning of gall bladder, which is a small pear-shaped organ on the underside of the liver, in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Its main function is to collect and store bile, which is used by the body to digest fats. Bile is made in the liver cells (hepatocytes) and consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, phospholipids and bilirubin. It assists in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.



Causes Of Gall Bladder Problems

Gall bladder diseases and problems are fairly common and affect both men and women. The symptoms can vary from indigestion and nausea to vomiting and pain in the right upper abdomen. This pain also radiates to the lower back, resulting in gall bladder back pain. Other symptoms include:

1.Fever due to inflammation in the gall bladder
2.Abdominal bloating
3.Severe heartburn and gas
4.Jaundice
5.Diarrhea

Some of the gall bladder problems are caused by:

1.Production of toxic bile by the liver
2.Inadequate production of bile
3.Excess amount of cholesterol in bile, leading to the formation of gall bladder stones
4.Infection in gall bladder
5.Hormonal changes during pregnancy
6.Blood disorders or infections


The lower back pain can be attributed to a gall bladder disorder problem that results in gall bladder pain called biliary colic. Biliary colic occurs when gallstones block the small duct that drains bile to the small intestine. Gallstones or biliary calculi are small stones formed from a mixture of cholesterol, bile pigment and calcium salts. The formation of gallstones is a very common disorder and affects approximately 15% of the people at the age of around 50. However, in most cases, complication and infections don’t arise until gallstones block a bile duct, which then leads to severe pain lasting from 30 min to several hours. In such circumstances, you must undertake an ultra sound test to confirm the presence of gallstones and then get the proper treatment with the help of a doctor.

For more comprehensive information on Back Pain please visit www.backpain-resource-online.com.



About The Author

Saurabh Jain has created a comprehensive website on Back Pain.

www.backpain-resources-online.com

ascentinfosolutions@yahoo.com

Eating Carbs Actually Leads To Weight Loss And Health

by: Mark Hyman, M.D.

Carbohydrates are the single most important food you can eat.

That statement probably goes against everything you've ever heard, so let me explain.

If you don't believe me, take this little test. Think of a carb!

If you're like most Americans, bread, pasta, soft drinks, French fries, sugar, and similar foods probably flew into your mind. Yes, these foods are carbs -- highly processed and refined ones.

And if these are the kinds of carbs you consume on a regular basis, let me warn you, (unless you regularly run marathons), you're most likely either overweight or heading down the road to weight gain.

You may like them, you may consider them "comfort foods," you may think that they couldn't be so bad since they are so predominant in our current diet. But the biological bottom line is that human beings have not evolved to metabolize these types of carbohydrates.

They slow down your metabolism and contribute to every one of the major diseases associated with aging including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and cancer.

In most, cases they are also "empty" calorie foods-the worst possible combination -- high caloric foods, low in nutrients. They deprive you of vital nutrients as well as burden your body with the task of digesting food molecules that aren't giving you anything you need.

Eating them (especially in excess) is a prescription for weight gain. But they're not the end of the carb story. If you're like most people, you may not realize that the wide world of carbs is actually much, much bigger than this limited crowd of processed carbs.

In contrast, natural carbohydrates, which come to your table just like Mother Nature made them, contain many essential nutrients and specialized chemicals that turn up your metabolism via newly discovered plant chemicals call phytonutrients.

So you have a choice: use phytonutrients to spark your metabolism into action, or drown your metabolism with indigestible nutrient-poor carbs.

Our genetic nutritional template goes back 20,000 years. Our ancestors foraged for wild food, like wild berries, grasses, roots, and mushrooms to find life-giving phytonutrients that all humans are designed by nature to eat.

On a recent vacation I found myself in a sea of phytonutrients in the wild islands of Southeast Alaska. I was foraging along with the grizzly bears for bog cranberries, blueberries, nagoonberries, raspberries, and strawberries. These scrumptious berries, bursting with phytonutrients, were smaller, richer in color and taste, (and lower in sugar) than their domestic berry cousins.

Here's a tip: The greater variety and the deeper the color of plant foods you eat, the higher their concentration of phytonutrients. The key is to learn which phytonutrient-dense foods can prevent disease and promote weight loss.

Want phytonutrient power?

Here 's a small sample of the many superfoods that contain these powerful phytonutrients: isoflavones in soy foods, lignans in flax seeds, catechins in green tea, polyphenols in cocoa (yes, chocolate!), glucosinolates in broccoli, carnosol in rosemary, and resveratrol in red wine.

And there are hundreds more that can help you unlock the secret to natural weight loss. All of these compounds -- and dozens more -- will help you fight disease and obesity. These special compounds literally communicate with your genes and turn on messages of health and weight loss. They are key to the success people experience in losing weight on a program I've developed during my 20-years practicing medicine, called UltraMetabolism.

Before you reach for that Cinnabon, know that phytonutrients only occur in whole, unrefined, unprocessed plant foods. All vegetables (and many fruits) score high in phytonutrients, while processed carbs, like bread and pasta, have virtually none.

Here's a shorthand to distinguish between the metabolism boosters and the processed carbs that will only weigh you down:

Anything that has been packaged or put through a machine is processed (like a potato chip). Anything that comes right out of the earth is natural (like a plum).

Don't let all the terminology -- high fat, low-fat, high-carb, low-carb, high glycemic index, low glycemic index, complex carbs and simple carbs -- confuse you. The key is eating whole, real, unprocessed, food found as close to nature as possible. Now you know why your grandmother always told you to eat your vegetables!

Folk wisdom passed down the generations showed how to give the body what it needs. In the early twenty-first century, that wisdom is being confirmed in the research of leading edge scientists. So you can follow these recommendations I offer with total confidence that the latest medical science backs them up.

This new science reveals why you should never do what some ill-advised diets suggest: cut out all carbs. Not a good idea-because you also cut out all the phytonutrients (and the fiber) that only comes from whole plant foods.

Along with their obesity fighting chemicals, vitamins, and minerals to accelerate your metabolism, most whole carbohydrates are filled with healthy plant fiber to slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream.

And for super fast weight loss, you'll want to eat some special "super" fiber foods which I use as my secret weapon with many patients who have had difficulty losing weight. Once you incorporate them into your diet, you'll feel full, experience steady energy, and will never be tempted to overeat.

Here's a guarantee: If you've been consuming highly processed foods such as sodas, chips, and crackers, and you decide to boost your intake of those powerful phytonutrients that I've reviewed, you'll be taking the first step towards re-programming your body for automatic weight loss and health.

My dirty little secret as a doctor is that I never treat anybody specifically to lose weight; I simply help them become healthy using these and other techniques and the weight automatically comes off.

So remember, eat your carbs, but make them the right carbs!



About The Author

Mark Hyman, M.D. is a NY Times bestselling author, lecturer, and practicing physician. Discover how you can program your body to automatically lose weight and find out what special super fiber can help by grabbing an exclusive sneak preview of UltraMetabolism at http://www.ultrametabolism.com/article6.

Adrenal Fatigue

by: Valerie Balandra ARNP, BC

Your adrenal glands are two tiny pyramid-shaped pieces of tissue situated right above each kidney. Their job is to produce and release, when appropriate, certain regulatory hormones and chemical messengers.

Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant -- and one of the most important -- of many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress situations.

In addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions.

In the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become depleted. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don’t work well.

When stress continues over prolonged periods of time, the adrenal glands can deplete the body's hormonal and energy reserves, and the glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function).

Adrenal dysfunction can disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night's sleep.

Common Causes of Adrenal Stress
• Anger
• Fear / Worry /Anxiety
• Depression
• Guilt
• Overwork/ physical or mental strain
• Excessive exercise
• Sleep deprivation
• Light-cycle disruption
• Going to sleep late
• Surgery
• Trauma/injury
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic infection
• Chronic pain
• Temperature extremes
• Toxic exposure
• Malabsorption
• Maldigestion
• Chronic illness
• Chronic-severe allergies
• Hypogycemia
• Nutritional deficiencies

Testing for Adrenal Health

In order to determine the health of your adrenal glands you need to have a simple blood, urine, or saliva test performed by your practitioner. Cortisol levels can be checked by blood or throughout the day by a saliva test. DHEA, and Epinephrine, are some other indicators of adrenal function.

Associated Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenal Functioning

• Low body temperature
• Weakness
• Unexplained hair loss
• Nervousness
• Difficulty building muscle
• Irritability
• Mental depression
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Apprehension
• Hypoglycemia
• Inability to concentrate
• Excessive hunger
• Tendency towards inflammation
• Moments of confusion
• Indigestion
• Poor memory
• Feelings of frustration
• Alternating diarrhea and constipation
• Osteoporosis
• auto-immune diseases/hepatitis
• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations [heart fluttering]
• Dizziness that occurs upon standing
• Poor resistance to infections
• Low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Food and/or inhalant allergies
• PMS
• Craving for sweets
• Dry and thin skin
• Headaches
• Scanty perspiration
• Alcohol intolerance


::Treatment::

Lifestyle changes such as:

Eating steadily, all day long. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do for your body. When you're hungry, your blood sugar drops, stressing your adrenal glands and triggering your sympathetic nervous system. That causes light-headedness, cravings, anxiety and fatigue. Another drawback to skipping meals: The resulting low blood sugar can affect your ability to think clearly and shorten your attention span.

Skipping breakfast is particularly bad, as it is a sure fire way to gain, not lose, weight. If you start each morning with a good breakfast and "graze" healthfully every two to four hours, your blood sugar will remain steady throughout the day. You'll feel more rested and energetic.

Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread.

Absolutely NO Caffeine. Coffee/Sodas over stimulates your adrenals and they deplete important B vitamins.

Coffee does not give you energy; coffee gives you the illusion of energy. Coffee actually drains the body of energy and makes you more tired, because of vitamin and adrenal depletion.

Exercise to relax. Walking, Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or stretching. No vigorous or aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals.

Avoid alcohol, processed foods, and tobacco. Nicotine in tobacco initially raises cortisol levels, but chronic use results in low DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone levels.

Reduce stress; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation.


Helpful Supplements
The use of small amounts of natural adrenal hormone (hydrocortisone) to bring slightly low adrenal function up to its proper normal daily range is often helpful.

Take a daily multivitamin to provide nutritional support to the adrenal gland.

Vitamin C 1,000-3,000 mg a day

L-Theanine 100-400 mg a day

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 300 mg a day

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), no more than 1000 mg of glycyrrhizin



About The Author

Valerie Balandra ARNP, BC is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and holistic health practitioner. Her website Integrative Psychiatry. Net focuses on ways to identify causes of bio-chemical imbalances and provides natural treatments for depression and anxiety. http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net.

Medical Insurance Policy

by: Jody Taylor

A Medical Insurance policy is a contract between an insurance company and an individual or a group which promises to pay for medical care reasonably required by the insured policy holder for treatment in case of any injury or illness. Even now a day’s medical insurance policy is provided for disease like obesity.

If an individual has taken up a medical policy then he pays the premium according to a specific time frame as decided between the two groups. Usually, the policy takes care for the health & medical acre of an individual but if the premiums value is higher the insurance covers the family members also. In the case when the policy is taken by a group or an association, then all the individuals under the association receive the certificate of insurance. Some key points like payment of premiums, deductibles and co-pays are decided at the beginning and both the parties have to abide by these rules.

Searching a Medical Insurance Plan?

The terms in the policy may be hard to understand at times and the person may stand confused. So here is list of some terms commonly used up in an insurance plan:

Deductible-The deductible refers to the yearly amount of money that the insured would need to pay before any benefits from the health insurance policy can be used.

1. Co-insurance / Co-payments- This is the amount that would need to be paid by the insured before the insurance pays and in addition to the deductible.

2. Out-of- pocket- An out of pocket expense can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is.

3. Waiting Period- This is the time one would have to wait until certain health insurance overages are available.

4. Grace Period- This is the amount of time one has to pay their health insurance premium after the original due date and before insurance coverage would be canceled.

5. Lifetime Maximum-This is the most amount of money the health insurance policy will pay for the entire life. Pay attention to individual lifetime maximums and family lifetime maximums as they can be different.

6. Out-of-Pocket - This is the cost one would pay out of their own pocket. An out of pocket expense can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is.

Is Medical Insurance Necessary?

Man saves money for a better & safe future. But life is a string of surprises. A serious medical situation can strain one’s pocket, thereby emptying all the lifetime savings. The best option to save oneself from this situation is to secure your future with the help of a medical insurance policy


About The Author

Jody Taylor, an associated as well as a contributing editor the Hateweight.com

for distinct article sites/journals. Please feel free to visit the website

Hateweight.com for more information on Obesity, Weight Loss methods

diet pills exercise or any Fitness

related issues. Or write to him AT editorjodytaylor@gmail.com. Any

comments and /or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice.

Shop Smart Secrets For A Healthy Lifestyle

by: Christos Varsamis

A big part of enjoying healthier eating is buying healthier foods, and that means making smart choices where it matters most – at the supermarket. Choosing the freshest, healthiest foods is an important first step toward making healthy and delicious meals your whole family will love.

In general, most supermarkets are laid out with the healthiest, most nutritious foods around the perimeter of the store. That is where most stores locate their produce section, their dairy section, their meat counter, and the like. Of course, the middle aisles of the grocery store also contain nutritious foods, such as canned and frozen vegetables, whole grain cereals and more.

And of course each shelf of the grocery store also contains both good and bad choices for healthy eating. For instance, the cereal aisle is home to both the healthy, home grain cereal, and those cereals that contain more sugar than corn. In many cases, the difference will be obvious from the packaging, while at other times you will need to read the nutritional information carefully to ensure the food is healthy for your family.

As a matter of fact, learning to read nutritional labels is one of the most important skills any health oriented shopper must learn. This government mandated labels contain a wealth of information if you know what to look for. Not only do nutritional labels contain vital information on calorie counts, fat grams and sodium content, but they contain detailed information on the percentage of each vitamin an mineral a serving contains.

When looking at nutritional labels, however, pay careful attention to the portion size listed. This is particularly important when looking at calories, fat grams and the amount of sodium. For instance, a serving of juice is generally 8 ounces, while the average juice glass at your home may be 12 or even 16 ounces. It is important to carefully look at serving size, and to do the mental calculation necessary to reflect how much of each product will actually be consumed at one sitting.

When shopping for healthy foods, it is usually better to opt for les processed foods. For instance, 100% fruit juice would be better than a fruit juice blend that may contain as little as 5% or 10% fruit juice. And plain frozen vegetables would be healthier than vegetables in a butter sauce. When shopping for meat, try to buy fresh meat whenever possible. Frozen meat products, or those already seasoned, heat and eat products, often contain unhealthy ingredients as well as preservatives.

When it comes to dairy products, it is best to buy low fat and non fat varieties when at all possible. The one exception to this rule is feeding babies and young children. Their growing bodies need the fat and calories contained in whole milk products, but adults and older children are better served by low fat alternatives.

When choosing canned soups, there are a number of fat free and low sodium varieties. Try to choose these soups for a healthier lifestyle. Other high protein, low calorie soup choices include black bean soup, lentil soup and split pea soup. These healthy soups are good sources of protein, fiber and folate.

Ethnic foods, such as Mexican and Chinese, can be excellent sources of healthy meals, and the traditional ways of preparing such foods are generally very healthy. It is important to stay as authentic as possible when choosing and preparing Mexican, Asian, Middle Eastern and Italian food. This will help guarantee both great taste and healthy eating. For instance, traditional salsa is an excellent, low calorie, and nutritious dip, and the traditional Mexican black bean dip is usually fat free.

Seasonings can be an excellent way to spice up healthy cooking without adding additional fat and calories. Herbs and spices are a great way to add zest to any meal, and starting an herb garden of your own is a great way to save both time and money while providing fresh tasting, healthy meals for your family. When buying spices in the grocery store, be especially careful about sodium content. Read the label carefully, since the first ingredient on many bottled spices is actually salt (another great reason to start that herb garden).

About The Author

Christos Varsamis is a Marketing Consultant at http://www.settinglifegoals.com. Get your Free E-courses “How to Create Minisites That Make Money in Just 24 Hours + Secrets of Internet Millionaires” at http://www.cbmallclickbank.com & http://www.cbmallgr.com.

The Truth About Horizon Treadmills

by: Dean Iggo

Hopefully you haven't arrived at this article expecting a rave review of Horizon treadmills. Although the company, has been around for a long time it seems their treadmills have not kept up with the evolving fitness equipment scene. In my opinion horizon treadmills should not be considered for your home gym.

At between $700 and $1,400 some people might say that because they are a cheap treadmill you shouldn't be expecting too much. However I think if you are seriously considering setting up your own home gym then you should be expecting a treadmill that is a) going to perform and b) last longer than the time to your next birthday. Sure it's a cheap brand but you might not be saying that after you fork out for the costly repairs!

The main problem with the machines is that they are manufactured in China. Although this keeps the cost of production down it also results in less than favorable quality.

Don't let the good looks of these machines fool you. Remember if you are looking for a cheap way into the home gym scene then you must do some decent research into the brand and products themselves. Horizon treadmills look good new but they won't look so good sitting in your house collecting dust!

Don't get me wrong, there are some decent, cheap treadmills around but they are few and far between. You are much better off in the long run getting something that costs slightly more but won't breakdown at the first hint of hard work.



Advantages

As I’ve mentioned above, Horizons are cheap, discount treadmills. Their machines range from $700 to $1,400. At this price they will appeal to people looking for a bargain. They are good looking machines.

Disadvantages

Being made in China their quality has a lot to be desired. Their looks and low price can be deceiving to a beginner so don't be fooled.

Recommendation

I don't recommend Horizon treadmills. You are far better off saving up for a slightly more expensive but better quality treadmill that will still be working a year down the track.

Well there you have it. Hopefully this article has made you think about Horizon treadmills carefully. Always remember to do you own due diligence before buying a cheap treadmill.

About The Author

Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of http://www.home-gym-buyers-guide.com a website providing unbiased home exercise equipment tips and reviews.

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Fruits Secrets

by: Sharon Hopkins

Fruits, goldmine of vitamins, minerals and fibre are ideal to consume at least 4-5 servings in a day. Since they are in the natural form, account for largest part of water and 100% bad cholesterol free, it's much easier for the body to process and absorb the vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit.

Apple – Round fruit with lots of fibre, vitamins A, C, E and folate. Available in green, red or yellow skin when ripe. Apples reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. They also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol.

Bananas – Long thick skinned fruit yellow in colour when ripe. Good source of fibre, potassium, vitamins A, C, B6, E & folate. Unripe or green bananas are used in cooking.

Cherries – small round fruit with a seed, red or black in colour when ripened. Cherries always have to be ripe to eat. Cherries contain anthocyanins that reduce pain & inflammation.

Figs – Eaten either dried or fresh, figs contain vitamin A, C, folate and niacin. A small sweet fruit full of small seeds.

Kiwi – A rich source of vitamins A, C, E, B - complex, calcium, iron and folic acid, kiwi is a small oval fruit with thin brown skin, soft green flesh and black seeds. The skin is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants.

Lime – Lime or lemon is the most cultivated citrus fruit with green to yellow colour loaded with vitamins A, C and folate. Juice of lime is good for detoxification and has antioxidant properties.

Peach - Round juicy fruit with a yellowish red skin & flesh having a taste of acidic tang and sweetness contains a rough stone. Always to be picked and eaten ripe.

Orange - A round thick-skinned juicy edible fruit that is a reddish-yellow colour when ripe with sweet to sour flavour. Peeled and eaten fresh or squeezed to make juice. Contain vitamin C, flavanoids, provides pectin and rich in sodium when ripened in sunshine.

Plum - soft round smooth-skinned fruit with sweet flesh and a flattish pointed stone. It is high in carbohydrates, low in fat and calories. An excellent source of vitamin A, C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre and free of sodium and cholesterol.

Papaya - A melon like fruit with yellow- orange flesh with dozens of small black seeds enclosed in skin that ranges in colour from green to orange. Either round, pear-shaped, or long like a banana. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, and D; calcium, phosphorous and iron. It is high in digestive properties and has a direct tonic effect on the stomach.

Pear - A sweet juicy yellow or green fruit with a rounded shape narrow towards the stalk. Best eaten at room temperature, pear contains kalium and riboflavine. It is good for skin and contains plenty of fibres.

Strawberry - A triangular shaped red colour fruit. It is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C and fibre. It has high content of sodium and iron. It helps in whitening of the teeth. Used to relieve rheumatism.

Watermelon - a type of melon with smooth exterior rind and juicy sweet red interior flesh. Extraordinarily refreshing to drink as juice or eaten when ripe and fresh. Valuable for minerals, vitamins and sugar with useful amount of fibre and iron.

About The Author

Sharon Hopkins manages websites on nutrition, diet such as http://www.diethealthclub.com. A nutritious diet ensures well being, helps to maintain a healthy BMI, reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke.