Month: March 2009

10 Reasons Why Sun Is Good for Our Health

by shabnamahsan

Even the Stone Age people knew the Sun brought life on Earth and that is why they used to worship it. But the sun waves can heal and destroy, they can be the kiss of life or death. It depends on the way we use them.

1. The sunlight kills microbes. That’s why it is important to put out in the sun carpets, blankets and eiderdowns that cannot be washed regularly. Exposure to the sun confers the skin a bright, healthy look and increased elasticity.

A moderately tanned skin is more resistant to infections and sun burning than an untanned one. Many skin diseases (dermatitis) can be
controlled and even cured through controlled exposure to the sun.

The sun rays are proven to strengthen the immune system.

2. Due to the sun our mood and morals improve. Sunlight helps in cases of chronic or acute depression, by stimulating the synthesis of endorphins (good-feeling hormones). That’s why we get depressed in the cold and dark days of the winter.

3. The sun is good against insomnia. Daytime exposure to sunlight increases the melatonin production during the night. This hormone helps regulate the sleep.

4. Under the action of the sunlight, the skin synthesizes vitamin D, which makes possible calcium absorption in the intestine, helping the organism grow strong bones. This way the sun prevents rachitism in both children and adults and osteoporosis in elders.

5. As vitamin D and some related compounds impede the development of some cancer cells, we can say the sun fights off this disease. Regular and controlled exposure to the sun has a preventive effect against cancer of colon, breast, leukemia and lymphomas.

6. Exposure to the sun strengthens the cardiovascular system. Blood circulation is improved, the pulse, arterial pressure, moderately high glycemia and cholesterol levels can be normalized.

7. Sun rays improve liver functioning, being effective in treating jaundice.

8. They help the kidneys with a part of their job, as the sun waves favor the elimination of waste products through the skin, when we sweat.

9. The sun also helps losing weight by increasing the metabolic rate through the stimulation of the thyroid. It also eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

10. The sun rays also ease the healing of the swollen joints during peaks of inflammation in cases of arthritis.


source:http://news.softpedia.com/news/10-Reasons-Why-Sun-is-Good-for-Our-Health-64327.shtml

2nd Most Important Meal of the Day-Post Workout Nutrition

by shabnamahsan
By: Jason Yun
The second most important meal of the day—Post Training, or Post Game, Post-Practice, Post Workout, Post Activity. During activity the body is stressed physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your muscle glycogen stores (stored carbohydrate) in the muscle and the liver have been depleted. Even with the best pre-workout nutrition, depletion of glycogen levels and amino acid stores is inevitable. You are currently in state of catabolism (muscle and tissue breakdown). You need to switch off the catabolic state and turn on an anabolic one (muscle and tissue repair). The window to do this is not long. Various studies have shown it to be as little as 30 minutes, while others have shown it to be up to 90 minutes after activity. I tend to give a recommendation of 45 minutes, 60 minutes at the most. But the sooner you get the nutrients you need into the body, the faster the body can recover to a normal homeostasis.
Carbohydrate is the most important nutrient needed at this time. The carbs that you consume should be simple sugars. You want foods that will elevate your blood sugar level and get into the blood stream as quickly as possible to replenish the lost glycogen. Sports drinks will do the job, fruits, supplement carbohydrate drinks work well, too. Baked potato is an ok choice. Sugary cereal like frosted flakes, sugar smacks are ok too, especially combined with no- or very low fat milk. But remember the window for this meal is small so if you have to drive home and prepare this stuff you might miss that window.
You want this meal to be in a ratio of at least 2 to 1 carbohydrate to protein. The reason being is protein is harder to digest. Post workout is the best time to take a liquid supplement, like Prograde Workout, because it’s pre-made with carbs and protein and liquid will digest a lot quicker than whole foods. Another good option is chocolate milk.
The protein you digest in this meal you also want to get in the bloodstream quickly. Again chocolate milk is a good option. Others are regular milk and a whey protein supplement, or a blended supplement, like Workout, as mentioned before. Whey is better than the other protein sources because it gets uploaded into the bloodstream and replenishes the amino acid pool much quicker than any other type. Whole protein foods aren’t as good choices post-training, but if that’s all that you have it is still much better than nothing. But stick with very lean or no fat choices like egg whites, chicken, turkey breast, and lean cuts of beef. However, if optimal recovery is your goal, I highly recommend a liquid form of carbohydrates and protein. Most of the time I do recommend whole foods over supplements, but liquids ensure that you get the proper nutrients in the right time.
As for fat, in the post-training meal, eliminate it. You do not want fat in this meal. Fat has the tendency to slow the absorption rate and digestion rate down, meaning it will take longer for the nutrients you need, carbs and protein, to reach their desired location. And it could even cause those nutrients to be less effective, or even miss the window of opportunity all together. Some fat is good– some is bad. All fat is bad post-training time. Don’t eat it!
As you can see this meal is very important. Second only to breakfast. It’s just as important to people trying to lose fat, as it is to people trying to gain muscle mass, or strength, or compete in a sporting event. If you skip it, your body has to work extra hard to make up for the lost nutrients, especially carbohydrates and protein, that occurred during the workout. Your body doesn’t like this extra work, and usually, if the workout was even moderately intense, won’t come close to reaching ‘pre-workout’ state. So in essence everything slows down, your fat burning ability, your muscle building ability, and your metabolism.

About Author
Want to learn more about fat loss and metabolism, and pick yourself up a free fat loss report? Head over tohttp://www.yuntraining.com
ason Yun is a certified sports nutritionist and strength and conditioning specialist. He is the owner of Yun Strength and Fitness Systems, LLC where is serves clients through fitness boot camps, sports, online and personal training, and nutritional classes. You can contact him via email at JYun@yuntraining.com.


source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/the-second-most-important-meal-of-the-day-post-workout-564952.html

10 Ways to Reduce Stress

by shabnamahsan

By:Sharon Reid

Finding ways to reduce stress is important as most of us lead busy lives that tend to get busier as we get older. If we’re not careful this can lead to feeling overwhelmed and can cause physical and mental symptoms such as high blood pressure, nervousness, depression and so on.
Learning to deal with stress could save your life. Maybe some of these tips will help to lower the stress in your life.

  • 1. Simplify Things The best way to do something is usually the simplest way. Don’t choose a longer, more complicated route when going the easier route will produce the same results. Making life less complicated will reduce your stress.
  • 2. Exercise Getting the body moving is a good way to relieve stress. Doesn’t need to be complicated, just go for a brisk 20 minute walk. Do it regularly and you’ll maintain good physical health as well.
  • 3. Meditation and Prayer Take the time to just be alone and self reflect. Sit in a quiet spot, let your mind relax and let the stress just drift away. If you find it easier said than done there are many good meditation products that you can listen to on your iPod.
  • 4. Massage Getting a massage can relieve stress. All you have to do is lie on your back, and let someone else do the work for a change.
  • 5. Sleep Assuming the stress is not so bad that it’s causing insomnia, sleep is one of the best ways to fight stress. Everything always seems worse when fighting exhaustion as well. If stress is causing insomnia you’ll have to reduce stress using other techniques and then start good sleeping habits.
  • 6. Deep Breathing Taking deep, slow breaths helps relieve stress within the body. Just take a few quiet moments, take a couple of deep breaths and refocus.
  • 7. Writing Start writing, don’t think – just write about what is stressing you. Because stress is mostly mental getting it off your mind and onto a page can be helpful.
  • 8. Soothing Music Just listening to music with slow rhythms and relaxing sounds, can quickly put you into a more relaxed state of mind.
  • 9. Friends Take time to be with your friends. Have a drink, have a laugh! Doing this tends to put the stress into its proper perspective.
  • 10. Pets Is there anything more relaxing than patting and cuddling your dog, or cat? They listen, don’t judge, and ask for nothing in return. Studies have shown that people who have pets tend to live longer and are more independent than those who don’t.
    My hope is that these 10 ways to reduce stress are helpful in keeping your stress under control. Keep doing them and your health, both physical and mental, will be better for it.

    About Author
    Sharon Reid is creating a self improvement website for those wanting to create abundance in their lives. Visit her website here http://personal-development-for-abundance.com/.


    source:http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/motivation/index.pl?read=7190

    • CARE FOR LIPS

    by shabnamahsan

    A beautiful smile lights up a day. It makes your face more beautiful and lively. Your lips are the most important and exquisitely sensitive part of your body. And therefore you have to take special care of your lips.
    Beauty Experts tells you what are the common problems and how to take care of them…………..
    The common lips problems are:
    *Dark Lips
    *Cracked lips
    1) Dark Lips:
    You will be surprised to know that our lips unlike most part of our body do not have any melanin pigment to protect them. Lips are covered on the outside by a thin layer of skin and on the inside by virtually transparent mucous membranes.
    Therefore it is necessary to take care of our lips and to eat well-balanced food and lots of fruits.
    If you have dark lips you have to do the following���
    *Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
    * Stop smoking.
    * Avoid lipstick.
    * Apply a layer of oil and leave it on for several hours. Best apply before going to bed
    * Mix coconut oil and almond oil in equal quantity. Apply a coat of this on the lips and leave on overnight. This has to be done daily for at least two weeks for best results.
    * Massage lips: Every night with a mixture of 1/2 tsp. Glycerine and 1/2 tsp. Castor oil with 1/2 tsp. Lemon juice and leave overnight.
    *Apply cream from curds with saffron on your lips.
    Cracked Lips:

    Lips do not produce oil like our skin, because they have no oil producing glands. The skin on our lips is actually mucous membrane, so for them to remain smooth and chap free is a bit of a challenge. The most common cause of cracked lips are allergic reaction to cosmetics, skin infections, extreme weather conditions like excess sun and wind exposure, biting of the lips or a vitamin B deficiency.
    If you have cracked lips you have to do the following���
    *Protect the lips from weather by applying heavy plain cream.
    *Avoid licking your lips.
    *To cure dry chapped lips apply peanut butter or coco butter to your lips before going to bed.
    *Grind rose petals with cream on the top of milk and apply on lips to cure the cracked lips
    *Take vitamin B, C foods in diet.
    *Mix 2 drops of glycerine with 1 tsp of cream on the top of milk and apply to lips to cure the chapped lips and keep overnight to get smooth and shiny lips.
    *Mix equal quantities of nutmeg, turmeric, and fresh butter and apply to lips.
    *Hot water fomentation, followed by a mixture of Vaseline and honey applied on the lips at least thrice a week will prevent lips from chapping.
    *Lips should be moisturized and exfoliated. Exfoliate lips with your gentle facial scrub using a toothbrush or just the tips of
    your fingers. You can make a paste using baking soda and water to exfoliate lips as well. Work it for a minute and then rinse with lukewarm water.
    General Care for lips

    *Apply cold cream or moisturizer or lip balm before applying lipstick.
    *To get natural pink lips apply beetroot juice before bed.
    *Grind rose petals and apply on lips to get smooth pink lips
    *Apply menthol based lip balm and take an old brush and brush gently on lips (don t rub too hard, because lip are very sensitive) to get rid off chapped lips

    Natural Cold And Flu Relief

    by shabnamahsan
    Rely on home remedies to alleviate the discomfort of nasty cold and flu symptoms.
    By Elizabeth Cole 

    Whether you’re looking for drug-free alternatives or you simply prefer brewing home-made concoctions, find out why many swear by the following natural home remedies to fight cold and flu symptoms:

         Spicy kick
         Your favourite spicy dish might help you to breathe easy when you’re congested. That’s because the best mucokinetic (mucus-moving) foods are those that are spicy. These foods trigger a release of fluids in air passages that breaks up congestion by thinning mucus and flushing out sinuses. The mouth-burning agent in chilli peppers is capsaicin, which is similar to a drug found in many over-the-counter cough syrups and expectorants. Garlic, onions and horseradish also contain agents that have a chemical resemblance to drugs found in drugstore medications. For a strong � but nearly instant � method of breaking up chest congestion, try the following recipe from Jean Carper’s book, Food, Your Miracle Medicine (Harpercollins, 1993): Mix a half teaspoon of hot sauce in a small glass of water and drink the mixture quickly.

    Garlic power

    According to research by Dr. James North, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, garlic can prevent cold and flu viruses if taken early enough. North’s findings show that garlic is effective in killing the human rhinovirus, which causes colds. Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine (Walker & Co., 1998) also believes in the cold-fighting benefits of garlic: “The best home remedy I have found for colds is to eat several cloves of raw garlic at the first onset of symptoms… Cut in chunks and swallow whole like pills… I recommend one or two cloves a day.”

    Onion it out

    From Michael Murray, author of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima Health, 1998) comes this recipe for Onion Cough Syrup: “Put six chopped white onions in a double boiler and add half a cup of honey. Cook slowly over low heat for two hours and strain. Take at regular intervals, preferably warm.” A simpler suggestion, if you can manage it, involves eating one large, Spanish onion before going to bed. Raw or roasted, it doesn’t matter – your cold should be much better, if not gone, by morning because onions contain the same antibacterial components as garlic.

    Honey helps

    “Raw, unpasteurized honey soothes sore throats and raspy voices,” says D.C. Jarvis, M.D., and author of Folk Medicine (Ballantine Books, 1982). He suggests eating a spoonful or two as needed, or mixing it with fruit juice, herbal teas or pure water. 

    Ginger zapper

    Ginger is particularly valuable for flu-fighting, as it has been proven to attack and destroy influenza viruses. Try swallowing raw ginger, in the same manner as garlic, or making a strong ginger tea. To make ginger tea, grate about half a cup of fresh ginger root, place in a glass or ceramic container, cover with two cups of freshly boiled water and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add a dash of hot sauce, or the juice of one lemon, or two tablespoons of raw honey, depending on your preferred taste. Sip throughout the day. 
    source:http://www.homemakers.com/homemakers/client/en/Home/DetailNews.asp?idNews=1721&bSearch=True