Spice it up and lose weight

Did you know there are enormous health benefits in eating just a half teaspoon a day of cinnamon? Well there are!

Studies have shown that adding a little of that brown spice daily will help reduce the amount your blood sugar fluctuates by almost 20%! Cinnamon contains something called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (boy try saying that 3 times fast). This chemical will help you lose weight by ensuring blood sugars are used for energy rather than for storing fat.

Cinnamon can be added to almost any recipe. It adds an Asian touch to the flavor. So next time you enjoy your food, or better yet your cappuccino, be sure to add a little cinnamon on top. the health benefits can be amazing.

Finding Fish Oil That Works

Studies have shown that taking fish oil everyday can help prevent heart disease and cancer in both men and women.  Some of the additional benefits of fish oil have are:

• Fighting Depression
• Improving Autoimmune response
• Protecting against Type 2 diabetes
• Preventing heart attack and stroke
• Improving memory
• Improving eye sight (primarily macula degeneration)
• Decrease blood clotting
• Lower triglycerides

There are a ton of products on the market that tout on their label that they contain fish oil, but buyer beware.  Some fish oil capsules do not hold enough fish oil in them to benefit your health and they cost more then they are worth.

You can find a quality fish oil capsule by following this guideline.

• Most fish oil is only 30% EPA and DHA.  be sure to read the fine print.  It may say 1000mg on the front, but when reading the back label it may say 300mg of EPA and DHA.  Be sure to check that the fish oil has between 700 to 1,000 IU a day.
• Double strength may just mean you take two pills instead of one.  Some brands are more concentrated then others.  Check the supplement facts to find out how many pills you’ll have to take to get the EPA and DHA you want.
• Ignore other omegas.  You don’t need other Omega-3s like ALA or Omega-6 fats.
• Major brands are all mercury-free.  Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com have found no mercury in any big brand names, whether or not the label says they’re mercury-free.
• You can buy DHA made from algae.  but so far, there is no vegetarian source of EPA.

Save Dessert For Last

Do you ever wonder why dessert is often eaten at the last part of the meal? I often think that the reason is because we usually need something sweet to reduce the sensation of the main dish we have just consumed. For instance, if I ate pizza or meat, I feel a bit oily so I crave for something sweet.

Recently I read of another reason, probably a more significant one, on why we should eat dessert last and not take it first. This is because eating sugar on an empty stomach causes an extreme spike in blood sugar levels. This results to an increase in insulin levels which results to blood sugar crash which in turn results to an insulin trap. High insulin and low blood sugar levels cause one to crave more sugar, which results to eating a lot more sugary foods. Thus, it’s best to eat sweets when we’ve consumed some nutrients first.

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No To Diabetes

Each year, cases of people diagnosed with diabetes are growing not just in America but worldwide. Diabetes, in a nutshell, is a disorder that affects the way our body uses food for energy. People with diabetes have abnormally high blood sugar. The condition is a very serious one that can cause a lot of complications such as cardiovascular diseases, blindness, and amputation of body parts because of poor healing of wounds.

While there is no foolproof solution to avoid diabetes, you can largely decrease your chances of getting the disease by living in a healthy manner. Of course, the first concern is your food intake. It is vital to stick to a normal, healthy diet and to make sure your weight remains healthy and normal as well. Stay away from fatty foods and foods high in sugar to make sure your blood sugar and insulin levels are right where they should be. Remember that obesity is a high risk factor not just in diabetes but in so many other diseases as well.

In addition to maintaining sugar levels through a healthy diet, adequate daily exercise is also vital. Exercising helps you manage your weight to a healthy level and at the same time burns all the excess fat and calories to help maintain your blood sugar. Never take exercise for granted nor do it only when you want to be slim or sexy. We need exercise as much as we need water in our everyday lives.

What are your thoughts on diabetes?

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Diabetes

Upon watching a news show about Diabetes, I found out some astonishing facts. It was found that nearly 24 million people in the US have diabetes. That’s nearly 8% of the United States. This is a 3 million increase in just the last 2 years. That’s a major jump! If that’s not bad enough, 57% of Americans are pre-diabetic. The CDC reports diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US, only surpassed by heart disease, cancer, stroke chronic lower respiratory diseases and accidents. 

Diabetes occurs when the body fails to process sugar correctly, it is a metabolism disorder. People with diabetes, their pancreas either produces too little or no insulin, or the cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced.  Glucose builds up in the body and flows out with urine. This way, the body loses its main source of fuel. Most people suffer from Type 2 diabetes, which is the one associated with obesity, poor diet and no exercise. Surprisingly enough, up to 25% of people don’t even know they have diabetes. All of this should be good enough reason to get a complete physical by your healthcare provider, start eating right and exercising. 

10 Reasons Why Badminton is Teh Bomb

Hearing a badminton racket’s “Whack!” when it successfully hits the shuttlecock often sounds like pure music to the ears of the eager player. Nevertheless, badminton is a sport that’s not only enjoyable but also very beneficial, health wise, because of all the running and jumping and general exercise involved. The following is a list stating just why playing badminton regularly would benefit you a whole lot.

1. It’s a proven fact that playing badminton regularly for at least 30 minutes a day after an adequate warm-up lowers the risk of early death by 23 percent. It can also add life longevity to middle aged people by at least 2 years.

2. Badminton is an exercise that can reduce all the unwanted stuff we have in our bodies such as bad cholesterols or triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, and very low-density lipoproteins.

3. Playing badminton increases the level of high-density cholesterol which is also known as the good cholesterol that reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.

4. Regular playing can decrease blood pressure by as much as 11/8 mm Hg, making the sport ideal for hypertensive individuals.

5. Badminton as a hobby and sport is suitable for people who are undergoing weight loss procedures. It’s the perfect activity that can be paired up with a healthy diet to make it easier to attain the optimal weight for one’s height and age.

6. Playing badminton helps prevent osteoporosis due to the frequent bone activities occurring as you play the game. It also allows the bone forming cells to produce more calcium which helps strengthen the bones.

7. Playing badminton regularly can help prevent diabetes, certain types of cancers, and other fatal diseases because of the exercise you will get while playing the game.

8. It keeps you feeling strong, well, motivated, enthusiastic, confident and young. Badminton also helps ward off depression, stress, and anxiety and can help build a great personality and sense of sportsmanship. It’s a very social sport.

9. Badminton is one of the most affordable sports to play, so you need not damage your wallet if you want to play!

10. And last but not the least, badminton offers an activity of pure, clean enjoyment and fun!

A Tip: Don’t forget to wear great-fitting and comfortable shoes to prevent knee, joint and feet injury. Get a rubber shoes with extra padding for that added support to the heels. Gear up on safety gear first so you can really kick ass on the court and have fun!

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Swim and Heal

Much has been said about the good things our body can get from swimming, as the seemingly innocent gliding and moving in the water is supposed to be a total body workout. Since the actual benefits of swimming are still a bit vague to me, I looked for more specific answers to why it’s good for us in more ways than one. Check out what I found:

1. It strengthens the heart, lungs and muscles.

Swimming conditions all body types, from the perfectly normal ones to those plagued with alarming conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis. In fact, doctors often recommend swimming as an activity to those recovering from a major surgery or heart operation because it is a not too taxing yet effective workout. Regular swimming also builds lung stamina and muscle strength without straining connective tissues like other workout activities could.

2. It’s a great calorie-burner.

Swimming uses all the major muscle groups in the body, which makes it a great weight loss workout and body toner. This is why many swimmers often have toned arms, legs, and tummy, which is one of the major fat problem areas of everyone.

3. It’s the perfect stress reliever.

Swimming is a meditative workout because it deals with not just the body but also the mental state. Exercising while enveloped in warm water induces a calm and relaxing feeling that not only reduces stress, it also help clear one’s mind as it improves delivery of oxygen to all muscles and stimulates blood circulation.

4. It works wonders in pregnant women.

Expectant women are often forbidden to do any moderate to heavy physical activity, but swimming is one of those activities that can actually aid them in their condition. For one, it strengthens the abdominal muscles that are very important when carrying and delivering the baby. Experts say that swimming also reduces the common negative symptoms associated with pregnancy, like high blood pressure and stiffness.

5. It’s a perfect bonding activity.

Now we all know about this one. Swimming is one of the best and healthiest activities we can do to bond and enjoy with our families and friends. The great thing about swimming as a bonding activity is that you can choose to talk and interact with people yet you can also swim off anytime and do your routines and beneficial exercises whenever you want.

Care to share more swimming perks?

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Epsom Salt

I have always  heard that for sore muscles you should use epsom salt. I never questioned this, but I was interested in learning more about epsom salt. The way it works is epsom salt produces magnesium which your body needs. Magnesium creates a feeling of well being and relaxation by helping the body to bind serotonin. When you use excess adrenaline (working out) or are stressed your body loses magnesium, a natural stress reliever. It also helps flush toxins from the body, which helps ease muscle pain. This is why taking a epsom salt bath helps you relax and eases sore muscles.

It is believed that the increase metabolism level will improve heard and circulatory health. Which will help your arteries and to reduce blood clots and blood pressure. Epsom salt is also useful in helping the body produce insulin which aids in diabetes health. It also has benefits relating to the nerve function through electrolytes. A great all around product.

Epsom salt can be used in bath and foot soaks. It has also been used in the past as a purgative to cleanse the system. Next time you are stressed or suffering from sore muscles, give Epsom Salt a try. Who knew, Epsom salt could be so functional and good for you.

 

Cure for Diabetes?

It was recently discovered that Gastric Bypass may just be able to lessen the effects or cure Type 2 diabetes. In the past it was believed that the improvements of diabetic health was a positive effect of the losing of the weight. But it actually is not the weight loss, rather the surgery itself. It is shown that those who had the Bypass surgery were 5 times more likely to have their diabetes diminish than those who underwent standard diabetes care.

The surgery is only meant for those who are atleast 100 lbs overweight. But, I wonder, with this new look on a possible cure for diabetes will they become more lenient with that criteria. It was found that the small bowel (duodenum and jejunum) may the culprit causing diabetes. So when they reroute around that area, they start to see diabetes in remission. How interesting !I have also read that stomach banding may offer some of the same benefits as bypass surgery, except that it may only be due to the weight loss. After the gastric bypass procedure most patients were able to stop all diabetic medicines. Who would have thought, a weight loss procedure may just be the cure for diabetes? I look forward to learning more on this.

What does the look of your eyes mean?

In a recent post I talked about taking care of our eyes. One of the important ways to take care of our eyes is to know the meaning of how they look. I’m not talking about the manner of how you look at people; it’s about the actual appearance of the eyes and the condition of your vision. Here’s what experts say about what the “look” of our eyes mean:

Puffy Eyes. Puffy eyes usually mean something is irritating your eyes. Maybe an insect bit them in your sleep. Or it could mean you are lacking water because of your high salt intake. Likewise, puffy eyes can also result from too much stress. For instance, my eyes always become puffy whenever I cry, even for the shortest time. It sucks that I can never hide it because my eyes are always a giveaway. But I think I’d rather have puffy eyes from crying than due to an alarming cause, such as high blood pressure. Go here to find out more about the causes and treatment of puffy eyes.

Yellow Eyes. While most eyes generally turn yellowish with age, you can speed up the process if you eat a lot of fat and salt and not much of the good stuff like fruits and veggies. Having yellowish eyes doesn’t necessarily affect the sight, but I doubt anyone would want yellow eyes in replace of lovely blue-green or jet-black peepers. Especially if the yellow eyes signal something serious, like jaundice, hepatitis, or other disturbing factors.

Blurring Vision. Blurring can be caused by long- and shortsightedness, which can be treated by wearing the proper glasses. It can also be triggered by reading in moving vehicles or staring too much at the computer. But there could be more serious roots, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and deeper eye problems. Next time your vision gets blurred, make sure it’s just about the glasses and not a more serious thing.

Double Vision. Had too many beers? Then don’t be surprised if you see two doors, two light posts, and two cars looking exactly the same. Unfortunately, some causes of double vision are way more serious than alcohol. Double vision or diplopia can also signal diabetes or brain damage. If you’re seeing double even when you’re not drunk, better make sure you get to the bottom of it and get the right treatments.