Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Purify Water For the Sake of Health


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Everywhere there is water. However, as clear as it may seem, there are some harmful and unwanted particles inside it which are present and are definitely not visible to the naked eye. These substances can actually cause dangerous disorders such as cholera, e-coli, kidney stones and many others. Hence, there is truly a need to have water undergo water purification or else it may cause severe complications. 

Basically, water purification involves the use of certain processes in order to clear the water of chemicals and substances which may reside in it. In relation to what was mentioned before, this is done in order to protect people from sicknesses for the most common use of water is for drinking. At the same time, water can also enter a person's body not only through drinking but through wounds and the like. Unclean water may cause infections in blood and as a result fatal consequences as well. 

One of the most basic ways of cleaning water is through distillation. Although it may seem like a very primitive way, this water purification process is actually used in many homes around the world today. As you can see, boiling water and setting it to a certain temperature can actually kill harmful bacteria.

Filtration is yet another common way of purifying water. This uses secondary materials in order to remove particles inside the water. The most common instrument used is sand paper. Basically, water passes through these instruments. The surface of the material used for filtering is responsible for removing bacteria and other small substances. In addition, there are many varieties of filtration methods today.

Apart from these two, there are also other processes that help clean water. The previously mentioned are actually the most common in the world today. As implied by this article, the process to cleanse water is for health reasons. 

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Tallying Your Glycemic Load For the Sake of Your Health, Weight and Longevity


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Use of the glycemic index is an excellent way to choose healthier food however it doesn't give the complete picture. If you are serious about using this powerful and effective tool for health and weight loss you also need to know about the glycemic load.

The way GI (glycemic index) was determined is that took an amount that had 50g of carbohydrates and then determined how rapidly it raised the blood sugar. But the problem with this is every food has a different percentage of carbohydrate content. For example a corn tortilla is about half carbohydrate, 48% to be precise. So it would take about a hundred grams (very slightly higher) to get the 50g of carbohydrate out of corn tortillas.

On the other hand watermelon being very high water content only has 5% carbohydrate. So now you are going to need a whopping 1000grams of watermelon just to get the same 50grams of carbohydrate.

In other words you need almost 10 times as much watermelon as you do corn tortillas to get the same 50g of carbos. So choosing foods by glycemic index alone is a little misleading which is why they came up with the glycemic LOAD.

The glycemic load is more realistic because it counts the carbs in a usual and customary portion size (rather then how rapidly 50g will raise blood sugar). So to figure out the glycemic load of a serving of food you divide the glycemic index of that food by 100 and then multiply by the grams of carbos in that serving.

To demonstrate let's go back to our watermelon example. You take the glycemic index of the food, with watermelon it's 72 and you divide by 100. That gives you .72. Now let's say you have a 100g slice of watermelon that would mean there is only 5g of carbohydrate (remember watermelon is 5% carbohydrates). So you multiply the .72 by the 5g (of actual carbos) and you get a glycemic load of only 3.6.

If you run the same calculation on corn tortillas you would get a whopping glycemic load of 25 which is vastly greater then the measly 3.6 of watermelon.

And yet watermelon has a higher glycemic index (GI of 72) then corn tortillas at 52. Corn tortillas are considered to have a LOW glycemic index (anything 55 or less is low) and watermelon is considered to have a HIGH glycemic index (anything 70 or above is high). Yet it's just the opposite when you look at the glycemic load.

Just like there is a scale for the glycemic index so there is a scale for the glycemic load which is as follows: 10 or less is low. Medium is 11 - 19 and 20 or more is high.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Being Physically Fit - Loving Good Health, Loving Your Body


Image : http://www.flickr.com


What goes with being physically fit? You hear the words and you see a lean and trim body, robust and always on the go. Physically fit is basically to look good and having a well-functioning body. Everybody wants to have that- wouldn't you? But what makes a person gain physical fitness? First off, you have to know the distinction between being healthy and looking good. Everybody wants to look good - it can be beneficial in many ways. But many people compromise their health just for the sake of looking good. For instance, you look slim, which you think is good.

But think of the means you resorted to to be able to be thin. Was it by limiting the foods you eat, starving or purging yourself? These means can deliver quick weight loss results, but how do they make you feel? Do you feel energetic and mentally alert? Or perhaps you often feel sluggish and unable to focus your thoughts and concentrate. Do you have physical strength at all? Or do you feel light headed and breathless when exerting even the slightest effort? You look thin and slim, but how do you feel? Do you feel good and are you able to enjoy a good quality of life? There is more to looking good in enjoying a quality life.

More than how you look, you also have to take care of your mental and emotional health. Holistic health is health in its truest sense, not just looking good. The goal then is not to be merely thin and slim, but to be physically fit. To have a body which does not only look good but functions efficiently as well. How is it to gain a physically fit body? Eating healthy and regular physical activity remain to be the basic and effective measures. It is keeping the body fueled with the right sort and being well-tuned and conditioned. A healthy diet best sustains the body.

It is one which is sufficient in fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, good fats and healthy beverages. Foods eaten are best when organic. There is a barrage of processed and junk foods, and as much as they are tasty, they can be toxic to the body in the long run. Aiming for health and fitness means limiting the consumption of these unhealthy foods. Rather than eating unhealthily or having unhealthy eating habits, the body is best nourished by eating right. Eating right means eating at the right time with the right food choices. It does not even entail depriving yourself.

Being physically fit means taking good care of yourself, not punishing it or allowing it to suffer needlessly. Just as you would want to discipline a child for it to be better, you do the same to yourself- you discipline with love. The key to have true health and fitness is to love yourself healthily. Every aspect of you- mind, body and spirit- you have to tend to. Only then will you know how it is to be happy and live life to the fullest.

Health Benefits Of Carrot Juice


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Carrot juice has a number of health benefits. The carrot provides what is certainly the most important basic juice. The yellow color is due to carotene. Another name for this form of carotene, the transform, is pro vitamin A. Many authors write that carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. This is not actually true; what the carrot does contain is the pro vitamin. That means a substance that is converted by the body into the vitamin itself.

Carrot juice plays the most important part in an infant's supply of vitamin A. When carrot juice is consumed jointly with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is considerably increased. A carrot and milk juice is the ideal vitamin A source for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child having too much A.

Carrots are widely used. Indeed it is estimated that in Germany carrots account for 10% of the total vegetable consumption. From the carrot juice point of view, the varieties to be employed are ideally those with the most carotene. It is fortunate that the pro vitamin is strongly colored for this means that so long as you use good colored carrots they are likely to be the best nutritionally speaking too.

As a general rule, early carrots are pale and low in carotene. Because carotene is not water soluble, but is fat soluble, there is not a very great deterioration in the vitamin content on storage.

Nursing mothers are well advised, for the sake of the quality of their milk, to take carrot juice throughout lactation. When the baby is on its way it is good sense not only to drink the juice but also to nibble a carrot when you feel hungry. For although a good sized one will provide your minimum requirement of vitamin A, 7oz (200g) of carrot contain only 50 calories, which cannot be considered to be a fattening snack.

The carrot is recorded as being used in medicine by the early Greeks and has been cherished ever since. Its juice is one of the most delicious and healthful, and alone or in combinations should be in every daily diet providing, as it does, the essential vitamin A, without the saturated fats with which this vitamin is associated in eggs and butter.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Health benefits of carrot juice


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Carrot juice has a number of health benefits. The carrot provides what is certainly the most important basic juice. The yellow color is due to carotene. Another name for this form of carotene, the transform, is pro vitamin A. Many authors write that carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. This is not actually true; what the carrot does contain is the pro vitamin. That means a substance that is converted by the body into the vitamin itself.

Carrot juice plays the most important part in provision of a child of vitamin A. When carrot juice will be jointly consumed with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is greatly increased. A carrot juice and milk is the ideal source of vitamin A for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child too A.

Carrots are widely used. In fact, it is estimated that in Germany carrots account for 10% of the total consumption of vegetables. Be used by the view of the varieties of carrot are ideal forwith the most carotene. It is fortunate that the pro vitamin is strongly colored for this means that so long as you use good colored carrots they are likely to be the best nutritionally speaking too.

As a general rule, early carrots are pale and low in carotene. Because carotene is not water soluble, but is fat soluble, there is not a very great deterioration in the vitamin content on storage.

Nursing mothers are well advised, for the sake of the quality of their milk, to take carrot juice throughout lactation. When the baby is on its way it is good sense not only to drink the juice but also to nibble a carrot when you feel hungry. For although a good sized one will provide your minimum requirement of vitamin A, 7oz (200g) of carrot contain only 50 calories, which cannot be considered to be a fattening snack.

The carrot is recorded as being used in medicine by the early Greeks and has been cherished ever since. Its juice is one of the most delicious and healthful, and alone or in combinations should be in every daily diet providing, as it does, the essential vitamin A, without the saturated fats with which this vitamin is associated in eggs and butter.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Health Benefits of Coffee Justify Daily Java, So For Goodness Sake, Switch the Coffee Pot On!


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Health benefits of coffee to justify my cup! Nothing beats the aroma of the flavored coffee bean going through our house. My coffee mate puts our coffee pot on at 6am and not soon after, I am enjoying my first coffee and watching the morning news and reports on tv. I love my coffee and was determined to find a good reason to justify Java and learn about the health benefits of coffee.

Once my first cup is finished, I confess to getting a second not long afterwards. However, a girl has to have some vices, and coffee is mine, although I do not drink it often during the day. I could easily cave in to temptation, but the caffeine in coffee has been known to keep me awake at night. I sometimes have an organic decaf coffee or flavored decaf coffee. Sometimes I have mixed several brands together and come up with my own Suzie Special!

So what are some health benefits of coffee? Coffee is a source of antioxidants which help your body fight your free radicals - the bad guys. Decaf coffee has the same antioxidants as regular coffee, but minus the caffeine. Moderation is the key. Daily coffee can help to lower the risk of diabetes, reduce the risk of colon cancer and Parkinsons disease, and helps long duration of physical activity. Coffee can help you stay awake, alert, improve cognitive function, help elevate moods and may stop your
headache.

As far as I know, coffee does not cause breast cancer. Women who suffer with tender breasts, discomfort and water retention might like to consider reducing their caffeine, but it is a personal choice with personal experimentation to find the right level of coffee and caffeine for yourself.

Forget coffee prices and enjoy a Java. Learn how to make coffee taste great like the ones you get in Cafes, and experiment with different types of coffee brands and flavors until you find a some you really like. Then brew up in your latest hot coffee mod con and savor the wonderful aroma.

Some things in life are simple, inexpensive and good for you. Wonderful health kitchen oils such as flaxseed oil or coconut oil, and a glass or two of red wine are a couple of life's pleasures and your daily coffee is another! So sit back, relax, take a deep breath and enjoy your Java knowing there are health benefits of coffee!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Fiber Supplements - Would You Swallow This Humble Pie For Good Health Sake?


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Dietary fiber supplements is a humble pie which is ignored by many. If you know the fact that 20% of Americans' diet is on fast food, soft-drinks and alcohol. The fast-food culture has programmed our generation less appreciate the beneficial values of dietary fiber. To a greater extend, most people avoid high fiber fresh food as it does not taste "delicious".

Most of the food we eat are processed and the bulk of the plant fiber has been discarded in the process. Today's super market is full of processed food. It is natural for one to just pick and purchase what it seems available and less conscious to look out for real fresh produce.

How Practical Is It To Get Your Fiber From Your Food?

I always have an apple or tomato in my breakfast menu. I make an effort to load my kitchen with plenty of variety of vegetables and fruits. It make me has no excuse not to get enough dietary fiber.

It is simple effort and you need to make a deliberate conscious choice to get your dietary fiber by eating fresh produce.

Having said that I always load my diet with fresh produce to get my dietary fiber, at times I have to resolve to eat dietary supplements due to circumstances like when I could not get my dietary fiber from fresh produce.

What The Majority Do?

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that the dietary fiber intake among adults in the United States averages about 15 grams. Some organizations recommend that dietary fiber intake should be 25-30 grams a day. The emphasis by AHA is to get your dietary fiber from natural food source so that you also can enjoy the benefits of other nutrients found in the food. It makes sense, however it might not practical at times.

It Pays In Long Run

Do your best to get your dietary fiber intake daily. Be open to supplement your diet with dietary fiber. Choose a good nutritional vitamin fiber supplements brand and start your healthy habits daily. It pay of in long run to insure good health and prevent certain diseases.

Please visit the author's website to get further recommendations on nutritional supplements and guide to best vitamin supplements.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Purify the water for health reasons


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Everywhere is water. But as obvious as it may seem, there are some undesirable and harmful particles in the interior that are present, and are not totally naked eye. These substances may actually cause dangerous diseases such as cholera, E. coli, kidney stones, and many others. Therefore, there is not really necessary for water, cleaning water, or be subjected to it can cause serious complications.

Basically, the process of water treatment involves the use of someTurn off the water of chemicals and substances that can live in it. Done in relation to the above, in order to protect people from disease for the sharing of water for drinking. At the same time, the water can also not only the body by drinking, but through the wounds and so on. Unclean water can cause blood infections and as a result of both fatal consequences.

One of the fundamental forms of clean water by distillation.Even if, as seems to be a very primitive, this process of purification of water is actually used in many homes around the world today. As you can see, the boiling water and when a certain temperature can effectively kill harmful bacteria.

Filtration is another common way of purifying water. These secondary materials used to remove particles of water. The most commonly used is sandpaper. Basically, the water passes through these tools. The surface ofFiltering material is used, is responsible for removing bacteria and other small items. In addition, there are many types of filtering methods.

Besides these two, there are other processes that contribute to clean water. The above-mentioned are actually more common in today's world. As in this article, the process is clean water in silence for health reasons.