The Benefits of Yogurt

August 20th, 2010

Yogurt is a popular snack treat for people who are trying to monitor their weight. Did you know that apart from making you lose weight, yogurt has other benefits to your body?

One way to improve your health naturally is by eating an adequate amount of yogurt everyday. Yogurt has live microorganisms called probiotics. These good bacteria help your body works properly. 

Here are some benefits you can get from eating yogurt:

• Improves gastro-intestinal functions
Since yogurt is rich with probiotics, it helps improve food digestion and absorption. Good digestion and absorption will prevent you from experiencing hyperactive bowel movements and constipation. Yogurt also helps lactose intolerant individuals. It also lowers your risk of getting inflammatory bowel diseases like Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease.

• Boosts your immune system
Probiotics from yogurt makes your body stronger in resisting harmful bacteria, thus lessening your risk of getting infections. These good bacteria also enhance your body’s natural healing process so you can easily recover from illnesses.
• Regulates your blood pressure
A study have shown that having 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy daily will greatly reduce your risks of getting high blood pressure. Some dairy products are high with dairy fat that is not healthy for your heart. Yogurt is a low-fat dairy product that does not have a bad effect on your heart.
• Maintains your weight
Because yogurt is low-fat, it frees you from worries of gaining weight. When dieting, it’s important that you still get enough nutrients so you don’t end up being malnourished. Yogurt contains an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals that you need. With a high yogurt intake, you get enough nutrients without the worries of moving the scales up.
• Prevents osteoporosis
Yogurt, just like some dairy products have added calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients are very important in making your bones stronger. Strong bones will prevent you from developing osteoporosis.

Here are some tips you can follow when deciding on adding yogurt in your diet.

1. Choose the type of yogurt that you want to take:
There are various types of yogurt. Some yogurts contain regular fat, some are fat-free and some are low-fat. You may also want to check the sugar contained in the yogurt. There are yogurts that have more sugar than others. Look at the label at the back of the package. Read and compare nutritional contents of different brands. Reading labels will help you choose the best brand in the market.
 
2. Make it a habit:
You can eat yogurt anytime and anywhere. Make it a point to take some yogurt everyday. Bring some in the office so you can easily have yogurt on your lunch break. You can also put a small yogurt cup in your bag so you can take a healthy snack anywhere.

3. Substitute other ingredients with yogurt:
Yogurt can easily be added to your recipes. Use yogurt instead of ice cream when making a smoothie. You can also try adding yogurt when baking cakes and other pastries. You can easily substitute milk to yogurt.

4. Make eating yogurt fun and delightful:
There are numerous recipes that you can follow so that you don’t only get to eat the flavored yogurt available on the market. Adding fruits on your yogurt is a good idea and will make your snack even healthier.

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What You Must Know About Flax Seeds

August 17th, 2010

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Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical advice provided by your physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully all product packaging and labels. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your physician or health care provider. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Fish oil versus Flaxseed oil:

What is the opinion on fish oil supplements, and why not just take flaxseed oil since it has omega 3s? How much is needed to take daily?

Flax is one of the best dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fat not produced by the human body but only available through dietary sources.

The answer is really very simple. There are several Omega 3 fatty acids. They are named ALA (alpha linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid). ALA is found in flaxseed oil whereas EPA and DHA are found in fish oils. ALA is able to convert into EPA and then into DHA, but this takes several enzymatic steps in the body and not everyone efficiently converts ALA into EPA and DHA, particularly with aging.

Lignans are a type of fiber, and at the same time a type of phytoestrogen — a chemical similar to the human hormone estrogen. Flaxseeds are the richest source of lignans. When you eat lignans, bacteria in the digestive tract convert them into estrogen-like substances called enterodiol and enterolactone, which are thought to have anti-tumor effects. Lignans and other flaxseed components may also have antioxidant properties, that is, they may reduce the activity of cell-damaging free radicals.

Flaxseeds have a pleasant, nutty flavor and taste good sprinkled on salads, cooked vegetables, or cereals. The oil is quite tasty, too, though expensive. However, the process of obtaining the oil from the seeds removes these lingans. Soluble fiber is not present in flax seed oil. 

In addition to the omega-3s, the remaining two components of flaxseed, which are lignans and fiber are being studied for their health benefits as well, says Diane Morris, PhD, RD, spokesperson for the Flax Council of Canada. Lignans, for example, act as both phytoestrogens and antioxidants, while the fiber contained in the flaxseed is of both the soluble and insoluble type. Flax is an interesting mixture of nutrients and other components.

Ground flax seed is used for hot flashes, breast pain and reducing cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels. It is also used as a laxative, as a promoter of heart health and to modulate blood glucose levels. Flax seed oil is used to relieve arthritis, prevent cancer and control cholesterol. The oil may also have beneficial effects on controlling ADHD and dry eyes, as well as being beneficial to the cardiovascular system.

So what are you waiting for? You have the chance to improve your health state today! We urge you to gather more information on the benefits of Flaxseed and Flaxseed oil today! Live a healthy life!

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==>Hardening of the attitudes is the most deadly disease on the face of the earth.<==

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/104211-ground-flax-seed-vs.-flax/#ixzz0vIAtTEeE

Health Pointers for the Fitness Babes

August 13th, 2010

Exercise is an essential in life and most people will certainly nod their heads to this. Exercise is not only perfect for losing weight, it is also good for keeping a reasonable body weight, for boosting  the metabolic rate, for burning those unwanted excess calories and revs up the heart and lungs making them more efficient in doing their natural functions.
 
Exercise also works for strengthening the bones and keeps people looking good and feeling good about themselves. It gives people the stamina to keep up with the pace of their lifestyles. Unfortunately, not many people choose to do what is good for them and can’t decide exactly what to do when waking up in the morning; whether to exercise or to press the snooze button one more time.

The following tips are very helpful in reaching and maintaining the ideal body weight. This is especially great for women since they have a lot of things going on in their bodies and are more susceptible to osteoporosis. Not to mention that many women are under the pressure of keeping themselves beautiful. It is recommended that one or two of these tips at a time are incorporated to the workout routine.

It is important to keep the commitments one makes. Ideally, it is advised to exercise three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes. However, this is not exactly the case in the real world. If she can manage it two times a week for twenty minutes per session that will do.

A woman may not see results even after devoting long hours of working out. This can be avoided by weight training or lifting first. Many women always do cardio exercises first. A disadvantage of this is that it is possible to miss a critical component of the weights routine by spending too much time on cardio training.
 
Remember to monitor heart rate. It is recommended to exercise at 75-85% of the maximum heart rate. Many people stick with just pumping up only 50% of their maximum heart rate. To ensure that one is working out at the prescribed target heart rate, she should use a heart rate monitor or any exercise equipment with this feature. Work out for only an hour or less and this will keep one from dreading the gym. Focusing on the exercise and the goal to be accomplished will make each work out session more and more enjoyable.

Have some sort of fitness social support. Being in a fitness community may be the important element lacking in your training program. It would be helpful to work out in a gym once in while if one customarily does her work outs at home. One can also try classes in activities that have always been interesting such as yoga, Pilates or sailing and perhaps join a walking or running club for instance.

Pep talk yourself. One should not pressure herself too much; rather, it is best to congratulate one’s self and give out words of encouragement in between exercises. One should never forget to say some positive feedback for herself.

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