health

Is My Lettuce Contaminated?

imagesHow often do you rinse your “prewashed” salad mixes before lopping on some dressing and serving it on the dinner table? If your answer isn’t “every time”, you could be risking your health.

According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, you should always give your salad a good rinse before consumption, even if the package says it’s been prewashed or triple washed.

In their study of 208 containers of packaged greens, Consumer Reports found bacteria that “are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination—in some cases at rather high levels.”

Packages with higher levels of bacteria were the ones that contained spinach and were one to five days from their use-by date. Packages six to eight days from their use-by date were safer, and whether or not the greens were organic, came from a clamshell or bag, or included “baby” greens made no difference.

Stay safe by taking these precautions:

* Buy packages as far from their use-by date as you can find.
* Even if the bag says “prewashed” or “triple-washed,” wash the greens yourself. Rinsing won’t remove all bacteria but may remove residual soil.
* Prevent cross contamination by keeping greens away from raw meat. For more information, go to www.ConsumersUnion.org/safefood.

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 0 , ,

Organic? What Does It Mean, And Is It Better For You?

imagesSo what does organic really mean?  I’ve heard a lot of guesses as to what orgainic means and a lot of them aren’t even close.  It isn’t any strange process that your food goes through, if anything, it’s just the opposite.  Organic means that it was produced or grown without any chemicals or additives that aren’t all natural.  That’s it!  So why are some people afraid of it?  I think it’s because what we know or were brought up with is what we are comfortable with and years ago, unless you did research on your own, it is most likely that “organic” wasn’t a term that was used a lot.

It has, however, been getting more and more popular.  I mean you know it has gone mainstream when Walmart is selling it.  The US Department of Agriculture says organic sales have jumped 22 percent last year, and it’s great that we are getting on a bigger health kick in this country and educating ourselves.

Why is organic food better for us?  Well, for one it’s because we aren’t putting all of those pesticides in our body that are put on fruits and vegetables to keep away insects and provide a longer shelf life.  It has been proven in some studies that organic food also provides us with more energy than non organic food.  So why not eat it?  I do understand that for a lot of people it is the cost of organic food that keeps them away from it.  It is a lot of more expensive than non organic food but all in all, our health should be more important, I mean aren’t we worth it?  At least buy foods where we actually eat the skins or the enire food organic.  For example apples, grapes, tomatoes, peppers etc as opposed to banans where we peel off such a think layer of it that if it was sprayed with something harmful it probably isn’t going to hurt us as much as the others.  There was an article publised by Walter J. Crinnion N.D., that stated that a lof of peoples health issues and diseases can be related to all of the toxins in our body that get there via the food we ingest.  So please think about this when you next go to the grocery store.  Ask your self if you are important enough to spend the extra money on, is your health or that of your familys?

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 0 , ,

Vitamins, So Many To Choose From-How To Make A Good Choice

imagesIn this day and age you can get vitamins anywhere.  Any corner store is going to carry a cheap name brand or you can spend quite a chunk of change on some options.  How do we pick in choose between all of these options.  Are there some that are better for us?

Well, first and foremost the biggest difference in most vitamins is how they are made and what they are made with.  Our bodies are not built to digest synthetic non-food material and a lot of companies are making vitamins that are chemically and synthetically made.  So here people are taking vitamins trying to keep or make themselves more healthy and they aren’t even able to digest and put those vitamins to any use.  These synthetically made vitamins are actually stressors on our bodies because we are trying to digest and break down something that we aren’t built to.  So the first thing to look for are plant based whole food vitamins.  Vitamins made only from foods or our natural products from our environment, nothing synthetic or chemically made.  This way our bodies will actually digest what we are looking to enhance them with.

I know another big difference is the measurement of how much of each nutrient the vitamins contain.  Just remember that more isn’t necessarily better.  It goes back to again the plant/food based vitamins or the synthetically made ones.  If you choose a synthetically made vitamin then it can contain a very high amount of nutrients but because your body isn’t able to digest them you really aren’t doing yourself a favor.  It is much better to have a low amount of those nutrients that your body can acutally put to use and not stress itself over trying to digest.

So when buying your vitamins do a little research, read the lables, see what they are made of, if there are any additives.  It’s important!  Why spend the money on things with good intentions  when they can’t be put to use.

General Health and Fitness, NUTRITION 0 ,

Let’s Examine the Importance of Health Related Fitness

1181363_woman_jogging_blurHealth related fitness is more than just working out to look good. It’s definitely about more than fitting into your bikini by the 4th of July. Health related fitness involves keeping fit to ensure better overall health. This applies to your cardiovascular health, your weight, and the prevention of many diseases and afflictions linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

 

Health related fitness is crucial. People often only think of getting fit as an aesthetic goal. They forget that fitness is important for a range of health benefits, not just for looking good. People wanting to get fit may find their fitness regimen easier to stick with if they recognize all of the important benefits of health related fitness.

 

Studies show that people who exercise or diet only to lose weight are less likely to keep the weight off than people who do it for additional general health benefits and to live a healthier lifestyle. This is because once you reach a weight loss goal it is easy to celebrate and relax. When you realize that the benefits of a healthy weight far outlast a smaller belt size you are more likely to think of your diet and exercise changes as a lifestyle rather than a temporary situation.

 

The importance of health related fitness isn’t just for adults either. Children and the elderly also have to pay attention to what they eat and their activity levels. The elderly can ward off pain and afflictions like osteoporosis with regular strength training. Workout programs like Tony & the Folks are created specifically for this age group, allowing older people to get a regular workout in the comfort of their own home.

 

Children are also suffering from the obesity epidemic. Kids aren’t as active as they once were. They depend on their parents to teach them the importance of health related fitness, and too often we fail to follow through on this. Take a look at Shaun T’s Fit Kids Club to give kids a fun way to get fit.

 

The importance of health related fitness is way beyond helping adults get sexy. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle and preparing to live a long life. Making fitness and a healthy diet regular aspects of your life will give you long lasting positive effects.

FITNESS 0 , , ,

Let's Examine the Importance of Health Related Fitness

1181363_woman_jogging_blurHealth related fitness is more than just working out to look good. It’s definitely about more than fitting into your bikini by the 4th of July. Health related fitness involves keeping fit to ensure better overall health. This applies to your cardiovascular health, your weight, and the prevention of many diseases and afflictions linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

 

Health related fitness is crucial. People often only think of getting fit as an aesthetic goal. They forget that fitness is important for a range of health benefits, not just for looking good. People wanting to get fit may find their fitness regimen easier to stick with if they recognize all of the important benefits of health related fitness.

 

Studies show that people who exercise or diet only to lose weight are less likely to keep the weight off than people who do it for additional general health benefits and to live a healthier lifestyle. This is because once you reach a weight loss goal it is easy to celebrate and relax. When you realize that the benefits of a healthy weight far outlast a smaller belt size you are more likely to think of your diet and exercise changes as a lifestyle rather than a temporary situation.

 

The importance of health related fitness isn’t just for adults either. Children and the elderly also have to pay attention to what they eat and their activity levels. The elderly can ward off pain and afflictions like osteoporosis with regular strength training. Workout programs like Tony & the Folks are created specifically for this age group, allowing older people to get a regular workout in the comfort of their own home.

 

Children are also suffering from the obesity epidemic. Kids aren’t as active as they once were. They depend on their parents to teach them the importance of health related fitness, and too often we fail to follow through on this. Take a look at Shaun T’s Fit Kids Club to give kids a fun way to get fit.

 

The importance of health related fitness is way beyond helping adults get sexy. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle and preparing to live a long life. Making fitness and a healthy diet regular aspects of your life will give you long lasting positive effects.

FITNESS 0 , , ,

How Does Stress Affect Health

j0422325Some stress is good for us, exercising puts our bodies under stress and we know it is positive stress. Other stressors, however, are not so good for us. Big stressors like catastrophes and smaller ones like lack of sleep can all have negative side effects. Being conscious of how does stress affect health can help you deal with negative stressors in your life and avoid the elevated risks that stress can cause. Think about the things that stress you out on a daily basis. It may be relationships with people at work or perhaps even people in your home. Maybe you are worried about your finances or your job security in these uncertain times. Everything from your diet to your children can affect your stress levels. Elevated stress, though, can have disastrous long term effects on your overall health. So, how does stress affect health? In many ways.

 

Stress can lead to a variety of health issues. Stress can make it easier for us to get sick as our bodies are preoccupied. Stress can also lead to insomnia and we know that lack of sleep can have long term negative health consequences. Stress can also play a role in headaches, ulcers, acne, hives, weight gain, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, elevated asthma risk, irritable bowel syndrome, fertility problems, neck and back pain, and lack of sexual desire. The list of how does stress affect health could go on and on, but you get the idea.

 

When you attempt to address how does stress affect health, it is important you realize that stress is different for all of us. What may cause you many sleepless nights might be taken in stride by someone else. Making a list of stressors in your life can help you recognize what the controllable factors are in your life affecting your life.

 

Once you recognize your stressors you can address them one by one. Reducing the affect of these stressors on your life will help you prevent negative health effects. Also, learning how to effectively deal with stress through stress relieving activities like meditation and exercise can decrease your chances of suffering from stress related illness.

General Health and Fitness 0 ,

Laughing and Health: No Funny Business

j0411816Laughter makes us feel good. Cracking up for even a minute or two can alter our attitude for the entire day. A little laughter goes a long way in how we feel but what about the benefits of laughing and health? While there is still research to be done, initial reports show that laughter has potentially wonderful health effects. 

 
There are a few things that are for certain about laughing and health effects. When we laugh, we breathe deeper, our pulse raises, and our blood pressure drops. This means that laughter is an excellent stress reliever, helping to deliver more oxygen to the brain and relax tense muscles. Laughter has been called a “mild workout” because of the slight raise in pulse and deeper breathing that occurs. It definitely isn’t a substitute for an exercise plan, but it definitely keeps you active.

 

Laughter has been used in hospitals as a form of treatment for the terminally ill, including cancer patients. This laughter therapy, as reported in this article from MSNBC, helps cancer sufferers get a little light back in their life. It transforms their attitudes from being depressed and worried to carefree and happy, even if just for a few minutes. Laughing and health benefits go hand in hand.

 

As this WebMd page suggests, more research needs to be done on the effects of laughing and health, but certain benefits are undeniable. According to them, laughter can help people’s immune systems fight disease, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and encourages relaxation and better quality sleep.

 

While we are reminded that laughter and health research is hard to come by, it is apparent after spending time cracking jokes and laughing with friends that something like laughter must be good for us. And even when we might not know for certain all of the health benefits, it is obvious that laughter is impacting us in a positive way.

General Health and Fitness 0 ,

Do Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight?

Protein shakes are a great addition to any health and fitness plan. Do protein shakes help you lose weight though? Not directly. Protein shakes can, however help your body reach weight loss and muscle building goals in several ways. Depending on your fitness goals and how you utilize the protein shakes, they can assist you in weight loss and uscle building. Although they won’t directly melt off the pounds, they can help turn your body into a fat melting machine.

 

First, a high quality protein shake can be used as a meal replacement when you are on the go. Being in a hurry is a common condition for the average adult. Skipping meals, however, seldom has the effect you want it to. Rather than helping you lose weight, skipping meals can backfire and send your body into a starvation mode where it holds onto fat just in case it’s needed as an energy source. If you are used to skipping breakfast, for instance, a protein shake can provide a quick and nutritious source of morning energy. So, do protein shakes help you lose weight as breakfast or lunch for the chronic meal skipper? Quite possibly, yes.

 

On the other extreme from the busy adult who constantly skips meals, is the one who overeats at every meal. Trying to balance portions can be quite difficult when you have developed poor eating habits through years of practice. Perhaps fast food has become your lunch staple. Replacing your less than ideal lunch (or breakfast) with a high quality protein shake and a piece of fruit will fill you up while cutting your daily calories (as well as fat and sodium). Do protein shakes help you lose weight as a meal replacement? Yes, especially for people with less than ideal eating habits at meal time.

 

Finally, one of the greatest uses of a protein shake is to capitalize on the tissue repairing capabilities of the protein itself. Protein is responsible for mending and repairing tissues in the body. This includes muscle. When we exercise or weight train, tiny tears occur in the muscle tissue. These tiny tears result in muscle soreness the day after. Protein is responsible for mending these tears. When the muscle tissues are repaired they are made stronger and bigger than before. That is the science behind muscle growth. Using a protein shakes, particularly as a recovery drink or post workout snack can speed the recovery process and help you to build stronger muscles. But, do protein shakes help you lose weight as a recovery drink? They do, and let me finish explaining why.

 

Increased muscle causes an increase metabolic rate. Yes, the more muscle mass you have in your body the more calories you burn, even at rest. This is because muscles require more energy to maintain themselves. They are hungry compared with fat, requiring more calories to get through the day. If you build your muscle mass, you will burn more calories on a daily basis. So, protein shakes are a great addition to your strength training routine, helping to build muscle quickly and subsequently adding to your resting metabolic rate.

 

Do protein shakes help you lose weight? Indirectly, protein shakes help you lose weight in a variety of ways. It is important when choosing a protein shake that you analyze the nutrition label. If you are using it as a meal replacement you want to make sure it contains enough calories to sustain you as well as vitamins and minerals to replace what you would have normally eaten. Protein shakes for recovery drinks should contain a good balance or high quality protein and carbs for optimum muscle recovery.

 

Check out our line of protein shakes. We carry the simple bu powerful Whey Protein Powders, Meal Replacement Shakes, and Recovery Drinks. They’re all a great source of protein made with top quality ingredients and the nutrition information is even posted for your review. We want you to make informed decisions regarding what you put in your body and provide only the best in protein shakes and supplements.

NUTRITION 8 , ,

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