Friday, March 23, 2007

Losing Weight Could Mean Losing Vitamins And Nutrients

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things a personcan do to preserve ones overall well being. For most people,this means counting calories, establishing a regular exerciseroutine, and sometimes cutting out certain foods altogether.While all of these things are excellent for living a healthylifestyle, they can also leave our bodies lacking in vitalnutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or protein. Thesenutrients play important roles in the daily function andmaintenance of the human body. Discount vitamins can help notonly in providing these nutrients, but also in the fat burningprocess itself.The daily recommended caloric intake for a woman is 2000calories; for a man it is 2500. Of course, these numbers arejust averages and fluctuate depending on the persons age,activity level, height, and other factors. By the time youdivvy those calories up amongst the four major food groups perthe recommendations of the USDAs food pyramid, there is notmuch room for anything else. In addition, it is a smallminority of people whose eating habits are centered around thefood pyramid. Most diets are very heavy in animal proteins andcarbohydrates (most of which are the bad simple carbs, likewhite flour and sugar, versus the beneficial complex carbs,like fiber and whole grains) and very light in fresh fruits andvegetables. Given the difficulty of getting a days worth ofnutrients at 2000-2500 calories, it makes it virtuallyimpossible to do so with a caloric intake of 500-1000 less thanthat, which is the average range of calories most dieters cut inorder to lose weight.In addition to cutting calories, many other diets affect apersons ability to get all necessary nutrients for goodhealth. Some of these are fad diets. They are so namedbecause they will become very popular and remain so for a briefperiod before everyone falls off the wagon and the diets losepopularity. The Atkins Diet is a more recent one, but othermemorable fad diets include the cabbage soup diet, thegrapefruit diet, and the ramen noodle diet. All of these dietspromoted certain foods or food groups over the limitation orexclusion of others. For instance, the Atkins diet had only avery small allowance for carbohydrates, limiting consumption offruit, some vegetables, cereal, bread, pasta, and other grains.However, many of this diets proponents took this to meanunlimited servings of animal protein (meat) and fats. With thecabbage soup diet and the ramen noodle diet, participants ateonly those foods for at least two meals a day. The lack ofvariety in all fad diets makes it unachievable to get all ofthe vitamins and other nutrients a body needs every day.Other restrictive diets are those of lifestyle choices.Vegetarianism falls into this category and is the exclusion ofmeat, poultry, and often fish and seafood. Veganism takes it astep further by eliminating animal products altogether,including eggs and dairy. Both diets can make it difficult toconsume adequate amounts of protein, calcium, and vitamin D.Discount vitamins and supplements are an excellent balance foranyone attempting to lose weight. For those who tend to avoidtheir veggies, discount vitamins can provide vitamins A, C, andK. Individuals participating in low-carb diets can get theirdaily dose of iron (most breakfast cereals are fortified withiron and have become a primary source of this nutrient),vitamin C, and fiber from supplemental sources.While vegetarians and vegans generally have diets high in thenutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables, they aregenerally lacking in protein, calcium, and vitamins B-12 and D.In general, many of these come from animal sources. Therefore,soy protein supplements, calcium chews, and multivitamins areall important to individuals choosing a vegetarian or veganlifestyle.Vitamin B should be of particular concern to those countingcalories or on restrictive diets. Its benefits are two-fold.Not only does vitamin B aid in healthy skin and muscle tone,promote cell growth and the production of red blood cells, itassists in proper organ and nervous system function. It alsoboosts the metabolism and enhances the process of convertingfats, proteins, and carbohydrates to energy. This is theprocess of burning fat and losing body weight.In fact, all vitamins and nutrients play an important role inthe daily maintenance and function of our bodies. Vitamin Abuilds healthy skeletal and soft tissue and promotes goodvision. Vitamin C boosts the immune system, is vital for cellgrowth and repair, and serves as an antioxidant. Antioxidantsfight free radicals within the body and help to slow the agingprocess. Vitamin D aids the body in absorbing calcium, thusplaying an important role in strong bones and teeth. Known forits ability to fight heart disease and for the part it plays inthe formation of red blood cells vitamin E is essential. Likevitamin C, Vitamin E is also an antioxidant. Vitamin K isvalued for its blood-clotting abilities, making it a truelifesaver in many cases. Proteins are the foundations of allcells. Without it, our bodies cannot form lean muscle mass.(The alternative is fat.) Individuals with active lifestylesrequire more protein than those who are sedentary. Finally,calcium gives mammals, particularly humans strong bones andteeth and is vital in the fight against osteoporosis.It is very scary to think of what a diet lacking in essentialnutrients can do to the body. While the objective of dietingand counting calories to be healthier is admirable, to doso without the proper nutrition can be self-defeating. Whatgood is it to achieve a healthy body weight if the body beginsto fail due to lack of the proper nutrients? There is only oneway to balance weight loss and a healthy body and that isthrough adequate nutrition.Through diet, exercise, and discount vitamins, the combinationwith the most success in developing a healthy body is in place.Attempting to lose weight without the proper nutrition canleave the body lacking in essential nutrients. A deficiency inany one vitamin or mineral can throw the entire body off balanceand undermine a persons weight loss efforts. Discount vitaminscan help not only in maintaining efficient daily function of thebody, its organs, and its various symptoms, but they are also akey in optimizing the bodys fat burning abilities and inboosting the metabolism.About The Author: By a freelance writer for VitaNet Healthfoods, http://vitanetonline.com/ , who sells quality vitaminsand herbs with a wide selection of Discount Vitamins:http://vitanetonline.com/ that are in stock and ready to ship.Please link to this site when using article.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Acne Prevention Tips For Teenagers And Adults

While there is no cure for acne, there are plenty of treatmentsand many ways to reduce the risk of an acne break out, here aresome tips.While you cant 100% prevent an acne breakout, you can in manycases reduce the risk of a break out. In order to prevent anacne breakout, you should recognize how many acne breakoutsoccur.Acne breakouts occur usually due to sebum which is oil in thepores of the skin becoming clogged and infected with P. Acnesbacteria. P. Acnes bacteria feed off of sebum and are usuallythe main cause of acne. You can help prevent acne breakouts byreducing the amount of sebum being created in the skins pores,unclogging pores and removing sebum and P. Acne bacteria fromthe skin.Wash Your Face Twice Each DayYou should wash your face twice each day, once in the morningand once before going to bed. When washing your face, use warmwater, a soft cloth and soap that is sensitive and wont harmyour skin. Some people use anti bacterial soap to better fightP. acnes bacteria.Never Pop a Pimple CarelesslyIf you have a pimple on your face, do not rub it or pop itcarelessly. Popping a pimple can actually cause an acnebreakout, because you are releasing sebum, P. acnes bacteriaand other cellular material all over your face. Make sure youpop your pimple carefully and remove all the contents from thepimple so they do not stay on your face.Consult with a Pharmacist or DermatologistMany people that suffer from acne should consult with theirpharmacist or dermatologist to create a plan of action toreduce their acne breakouts. Most people need to experimentwith different products before finding one that is right fortheir acne and skin type. Your dermatologist or pharmacist canhelp you find the right products that can not only help youfight your current acne, but also prevent a larger number ofacne breakouts in the future.About The Author: Please visit http://www.accutaneandacne formore information about acne.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Burn Calories With Everyday Activities

When you think about exercise, do you automatically imagineyourself on a treadmill in a gym? Or doing laps in a swimmingpool? If so, you might be surprised to know just how manycalories you can burn doing everyday activities. Housework is one chore that everyone has to do at some point.Rather than dread it, proceed briskly through your chores andyou can have an excellent workout. A 150 lb person can spend asmuch as 140 calories by mopping the floor for a half hour.Vacuuming for 30 minutes spends about the same number ofcalories. Take off another 75 calories by ironing for a halfhour. Outdoor chores also provide great opportunities to burncalories. The same 150 pound person will burn 177 caloriespulling weeds for half and hour and another 120 calories mowingthe lawn. Because gardening often involves stretching andbending, it offers muscular as well as cardiovascular benefits.Save 300 calories by spending an hour washing your car. Baggingleaves and grass clippings burns 136 calories in 30 minutes. If you like to entertain, you can make up for that slice ofcake by cleaning up after the party. If it takes you an hour,you'll burn over 300 calories. If you wash the dishes as well,you'll burn another 152 calories. If you spend an hourrearranging furniture before and after your party, that's awhopping 450 calories. However, keep in mind that all theseactivities need to be performed at the same intensity levelover time in order to receive the full benefits. Still, even ifyou only burned half the estimated calories preparing for andcleaning up after your party, that would still be 500 caloriesworth of cake. Home improvement tasks can burn calories as well. An hour ofindoor painting burns 204 calories. Removing and installingcarpet spends calories in 30 minutes. Roofing burns a whopping400 calories an hour, just be sure you drink a lot of water ifyou're spending the day up on a hot roof. Even something as simple as going to the grocery store can be acalorie-burner. A half hour of brisk grocery shopping will spendabout 130 calories. If you walk a half hour to the store,subtract another 100 calories from your daily total. Just don'tspend all your savings on Oreos. If all else fails, simply sleeping for 8 hours burns 50calories.About The Author: Kadence Buchanan writes articles forhttp://yourfitnesssource.net/ - In addition, Kadence alsowrites articles for http://thenursingcenter.com/ andhttp://4aginginfo.com/

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Obesity: Causes Most People Dont Know About

With all the emphasis on the importance of weight loss and dieting in the world today, obesity incidence is still rising. The diet industry generates billions of dollars annually and yet the majority of the money spent by consumers is wasted. Why is that?Why do people have so much trouble losing weight and even more difficulty in maintaining weight loss? Well, when we narrow it down, the problem lies either with the diet or the dieter. Lets look at the bottom line cause of weight gain or weight loss.If we look at the energy equation we find that when Input (food intake) exceeds Output (energy expenditure) the result is an excess of calories which are stored in the body as fat causing weight gain.When Output exceeds Input we have a situation where a negative balance occurs in the equation (the body burns more calories than it consumes) which results in weight loss.Its as simple as that. Obesity is caused by excessive calorie intake over a long period of time (when Input exceeds Output). This, however, is only ONE cause of obesity NOT the only cause.There are also other important factors related to obesity. Some of which people may not know. The etiology (causes) of obesity:- Metabolism- Genetics- Activity Level- Behavioral Factors- Endocrine Factors- Race, age and sex- Ethnic background and cultural factors- Socioeconomic position- Dietary practices- Smoking cessation - Menopause and pregnancy- Psychological factors- Family background of gestational diabetes - Lactational background in mothers