superadmin

Benefits Of Green Tea

Benefits Of Green Tea

Published by on November 8, 2018 | Leave a response

In Houston, Tx, we focus on both healthy eating and exercise. We also pay attention on what you drink, because it affects your body as much as what you eat. Of course, I highly recommend water and preach constantly to avoid sugary drinks like soft drinks. One other drink I often promote is green tea. There are benefits of green tea for both weight loss and health benefits that everyone should consider when checking for the best beverage with their meals. Some studies show that drinking green tea helps decrease body fat. It can significantly reduce not only body fat percentage and body weight, but also belly fat and waist circumference.

If heart health is a top priority, switch to green tea.

While everyone wants to look better and trimmer, there are other reasons to make green tea a drink of choice. It can help lower risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. It boosts antioxidants that help to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the blood and then causing arterial disease. It lowers cholesterol, too. Several studies show that people who drink green tea live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease, as much as 31 percent lower.

What’s a great body without a great smile and good breath?

One little broadcast fact about green tea is the catechins in the tea not only help your body, but also help dental hygiene. It can kill bacteria and even slow viruses in their tracks. Not only does it have the potential for lowering the risk of infections, it may give you a better smile by fighting plaque and tooth decay. The biggest threat to your smile is Streptococcus mutons, a bacteria that promotes the formation of plaque and leads to tooth decay. The catechins in green tea can prevent their growth. It may be why studies show that people who drink green tea have better dental health and improved breath.

Your brain may improve your brain power.

Green tea contains caffeine, but not nearly as much as coffee that can cause side effects if you drink too much. Caffeine blocks adenosine in the brain, increasing the amount of dopamine and nor-epinephrine and the firing of neurons. That keeps you alert and can lead to improved mood, reaction time and memory. Green tea also contains L-theanine, which is one of the few substances can enter the brain from the blood stream it works in combination with caffeine to boost brain power.

  • Green tea is a real health booster. It has polyphenols, which reduce inflammation and the natural antioxidant catechins. Those two both protect the cells and boost the immune system.
  • If you want brain protection from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, boost your intake of green tea. The catechins have shown to be effective in early testing to protect the neurons.
  • Green tea can lower your risk of cancer. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea show promise in protecting against cancer. Data gathered showed green tea drinkers are less prone to cancer.
  • Green tea can help insulin sensitivity, the precursor for Type 2 diabetes.
Posted in
The Importance Of Consistent Sleep

The Importance Of Consistent Sleep

Published by on October 24, 2018 | Leave a response

One healthy behavior most people fail to achieve is get adequate, consistent sleep. In fact, many people often think it’s almost noble to work too hard and burn the candle at both ends. The candles doesn’t last nearly as long that way and neither do people! Inadequate sleep is actually a health risk. The amount of sleep necessary varies from individual to individual, but it’s between 7 and 9 hour for adults with a rare few requiring only 6 hours sleep or at the other end of the spectrum, 10 hours.

Lack of sleep can destroy your weight loss efforts.

When you sleep, your brain is still working and carrying on many processes, which include balancing hormones. At least, that’s why scientists believe that people who sleep less have an imbalance of hunger and satiation hormones ghrelin and leptin. Studies show that people who sleep less tend to be overweight and that could be one of the reasons. It also might be from the urge to consume high sugar products for energy, which can start the roller coaster of blood sugar spikes.

You’re brain is working while you’re sleeping.

If you feel foggy headed after skipping sleep, there’s a reason. While you sleep your brain is busy organizing thoughts and all the input of the day. Your brain is creating links so you can remember everything better, tying feelings, memories and even sensory input together to help you do that. Sleep also helps you process the events of the day.

It’s not all mental when it comes to sleep.

Getting adequate sleep is definitely important for mental functioning, but you’ll be more than just sleepy if you skip too many nights of sleep. Think of how hard it is to make it through the day when you’re ready to drop from exhaustion. That’s super stressful and with that stress comes stress hormones, such as cortisol. Those hormones are linked with inflammation that is the cause of many serious conditions, which include heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

  • You’ll look better with adequate sleep. Not only will you look less haggard and more energetic and youthful, the inflammation that lack of sleep can cause also damages cells, leading to premature aging.
  • Napping during the day can help reduce sleep deficit. Some people that require more sleep than average do this. Albert Einstein slept ten hours a night but also napped during the day. You may be no Einstein, but you can nap like him.
  • For the best sleep, keep the room dark and turn off any electronic devices. Falling asleep in front of the television does give you the hours of sleep you need, but not the quality.
  • While lack of sleep can hurt your health, too much sleep can be just as damaging. If you’re getting more than the average hours of sleep and still feel tired, first check with your physician. If there’s no sign of illness or depression, set your clock to get up earlier and you might find you feel better or you just might be another Einstein and require a mid day nap.
Posted in
How To Create A Healthy Home

How To Create A Healthy Home

Published by on October 10, 2018 | Leave a response

Eating healthier and getting plenty of exercise is the starting point for having a healthier family and a healthier you. However, if you want to cover all bases, you need to create a healthy home, too. While Houston, Tx is still cleaning up after Harvey hit, with the flood waters hitting the petrochemical area and releasing tons of chemicals in the Houston area. While the government is investigating the full effect and steps to take on big issues like that and checking for mold and damage from the storm is part of recovery, there are things you can do to make your home healthier, even if you weren’t affected by the storm.

Switch out toxic chemicals for cleaning.

There are better ways to clean than with chemicals and actually cheaper ways, too. If you’re like most people, you want your home to be safe, clean and free from illness causing toxins. There’s a problem when the very tools and supplies you’re using actually makes the problem worse! You can use common household products to clean that don’t cost a fortune, but also won’t pollute your home environment. Distilled white vinegar can make tubs and sinks sparkle by spraying it on to help get rid of soap scum, allowing it to work and wiping the residue away. Need a little more scrubbing? Put some baking soda on a sponge after you spray the vinegar. It sizzles and bubbles, plus provides a soft scrub that helps loosen the grime.

Eliminate pesticides and use natural methods.

There’s also no need for pesticides that not only kill insects, they also affect humans in unhealthy ways. Some natural pesticides, such as neem oil, is extremely effective. However, if you purchase neem oil pesticides, make sure it doesn’t contain tea tree oil if you own a cat. For fleas, bed bugs, ants and almost all types of pests, you can’t go wrong using diatomaceous earth. It must be the food grade type, not pool type that’s toxic. It’s drying and can irritate the eyes and lungs, as any dust might if you inhale it, but safe when applied sensibly. It has no poison, but kills insects by scratching their protective coating with microscopic shards that won’t hurt small animals or people. The insects dehydrate and die.

There’s no need for fabric softeners or fabric sheets, either.

Dryer sheets to soften clothes certainly are easy. Just toss them in the dryer and your clothes come out soft and smelling good. You might not love them so much if you knew all the chemicals they contain. The same is true for fabric softeners. The scent is designed to linger, which also means the chemicals do too. You’re wearing the chemical compounds linked to chronic illness and solvents linked to damage to the nervous and endocrine system. A better option is dryer balls, made from wool, aluminum balls or natural fabric softener added to the final rinse that’s a mix of white vinegar and water. The wool dryer balls are super easy and last a long time.

  • Clean your oven with baking soda. Create a paste that you put on the interior and walk away for a few hours when you wipe it off, leaving your oven sparkling.
  • Cut down on all cleaners by using antibacterial microfiber cloths and mops. You don’t have to use homemade or store bought cleaners with those, unless you’re cleaning the toilet.
  • Another great soap scum cutter for bathrooms and showers is made from one part salt, one part borax and two parts baking soda.
  • Keeping your house a healthy place to live can also keep you healthy if you turn on music and dance your way through the household tasks.
Posted in
Workouts For When You're Sore

Workouts For When You’re Sore

Published by on September 23, 2018 | Leave a response

Sometimes, everything hurts for a few days after a brutal workout or you just slept wrong, sat too long or pulled something. You don’t have to skip your exercise appointment, there are workouts for when you’re sore that won’t aggravate the problem and may even help it. Getting your body moving, your blood circulating and breathing deeply can provide a lot of relief for some of the pain. That doesn’t mean you do these workouts and skip your regular program if you’re feeling the normal twinges, but big pain is completely different.

Increase your circulation without adding to the problem.

While walking is a good exercise, it still can be painful if your legs feel like they’re going to fall off from the pressure of your weight. Is a stationary bike available? Set the tension to low and try some pedaling. You’ll be moving your legs, but without the resistance that comes from carrying your own weight and getting that blood moving to help heal the muscles. Go at a speed that’s comfortable and if your starting to feel better, ramp up the speed or increase the resistance.

Do stretches to help limber your body.

Start with a warm-up that gets blood circulating, like riding the stationary bike. Start with a simple stretch with hands over the head, then keep that position and bend forward then backward. Do it for three to seven repetitions. Follow it with the same number of low lunges that move up to a high twist, then move on to a Yoga cobra and hold. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders then lift your upper body to stretch your abs and upper muscles.

If you can’t even think of a leg lift, work your core muscles with a wall slide.

Put your back to the wall with your upper arms parallel to the floor, bent so the lower arms and hands are perpendicular. Slowly lower yourself keeping your back against the wall and bending at the knee, then straighten your arms upward. Keep your back, arms and the back of your legs in contact with the wall at all times. Once down, raise your body up again.

  • A kneeling hip flexor stretch can be added to your stretching efforts to help get your body back into shape and get back to your regular exercise program.
  • If you’re so sore that a light breeze against your body makes you want to crumble, take a day off. Your body definitely needs rest.
  • Try weight training—without the weights. Just going through the movements helps circulation, without adding to the damage.
  • Sometimes, the best way to get circulation going isn’t with exercise, but instead with a massage. Judge for yourself whether it’s in order.
Posted in
Is Weight Training Right For You

Is Weight Training Right For You

Published by on September 10, 2018 | Leave a response

You don’t have to be working toward the body of Adonis to get benefit from weight training. In fact, you don’t even have to be a man. Weight training has something to offer everyone who works out, which is why it’s becoming so popular. For years, women were discouraged from doing weight training, even though as mothers, they often lifted children weighing more than the weights themselves. The fear was that they’d build large muscles, but that just doesn’t happen. Hormone levels in the body dictate the how large muscles become. Instead, it tones the muscles and gives the woman a look that says fit and attractive.

Consider strength training for your bones.

Building strength and muscles also helps you build stronger bones. As you get older, muscle loss increases if you don’t workout. The muscle strength and working out actually helps maintain bone health and keeps them strong. In fact, several studies have found that weight bearing exercise has not only helped slow bone loss and osteoporosis, it may even reverse it. Studies comparing the effects of exercise with the effects of certain medicine designed to treat osteoporosis, found that weight bearing exercise actually worked better. Of course, there were side effects from both. The list of side effects comes with the prescription. The side effects of exercise are more energy and a healthier body.

Strength training can protect you from injury.

When you work out with weights, you’ll improve many other areas of fitness. Not only does your balance improve, just as strength does, you’ll also improve your posture. Improved posture means fewer back problems and improved balance mean fewer injuries. Weight lifting also helps strengthen the muscles, which help prevent injuries as well. When you workout with weights, you’ll be less prone to injury doing everyday types of activities.

Other illnesses and conditions can be helped by working with weights.

You might not think it possible, but the pain from arthritis is actually reduced when strength training with weights is added to the workout. In fact, many studies show it’s better than most medication. Working out with weights also helps you lose weight, which can aid in controlling diabetes and reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious problems.

  • Lifting weights builds muscle tissue and the more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism. That’s because it takes more calories to maintain muscle tissue than fat tissue.
  • You’ll feel more confident when you lift weights, because you’ll look more confident. It improves your posture making you walk taller.
  • If you’re plagued with blood pressure problems, consider lifting weights. It not only helps lower blood pressure, it also helps prevent some forms of cancer, can combat PMS and even boosts your immune system.
  • Some circuit training include lifting weights. In that case, weight lifting not only builds strength, but boosts your endurance, too.
Posted in
Foods To Eat And Avoid For Better Skin

Foods To Eat And Avoid For Better Skin

Published by on August 24, 2018 | Leave a response

Whether you want to prevent pimples, wipe out wrinkles or just have a beautiful complexion, there are foods to eat and avoid for better skin. Everything you eat does make a difference on how healthy you are, your hair, your weight, the amount of body fat you have and your skin. Making sure that certain foods are part of your diet to boost the health of the skin and avoiding those that can damage it, can help your complexion be beautiful, clear and more youthful.

Choose food high in vitamin E and other antioxidants for better skin.

Nuts are a great source of vitamin E, so are avocados. Both avocados and nuts are also sources of healthy fat. The vitamin E in both of these help prevent damage at the cellular level that can lead to damage and death of cells that cause aging, wrinkles and that weathered look. Add some red peppers, oranges, guava or strawberries that are high in vitamin C to boost the antioxidant benefits, while aiding in the production of collagen.

Stop the breakouts with these foods that help prevent them, plus some foods to avoid.

If your skin isn’t at the age yet to worry about aging, but you have chronic flare ups of acne, or worse, both acne and wrinkles plague you, one Australian researcher may have an answer. In a study with male subjects that had acne, the study found that when the diet switched from one that had highly processed foods to one that was whole grains, lean meat and lots of fruit and vegetables, had a dramatic improvement in their complexion. The conclusion was that a high-protein, low-glycemic diet helped improve their condition by even more than 50 percent…higher than what occurs with topical acne cream. They recommended that cutting out foods like junk food—including fast food, milk, sugar and high glycemic food to prevent that breakout. Chocolate is also on that list.

Cut out the booze, anything deep fried and coffee for a better complexion.

Alcohol is drying. During colder climates when you drink before going out in the chilly weather, it can cause skin damaging frost bite. Coffee can dehydrate skin and fried foods are bad for the skin for a variety of reasons. Avoid sugar, foods laden with gluten and even cheese. Sugar causes collagen to stiffen and age prematurely, foods with gluten can cause outbreaks if you have an intolerance and cheese, well, cheese is a milk product that can increase oil production and clog pores.

  • Skip those cold cuts, ditch the pepperoni and swear off bologna sandwiches if you want to look younger longer. They’re loaded with sodium and that can cause eye-puffiness, water retention and facial swelling.
  • Fruit juice seems innocuous enough, but it’s high on the glycemic index. You could be inviting a face full of zits to visit.
  • Add more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. It helps to better balance the ratio with omega-6. Omega-3 helps reduce inflammation that can cause skin conditions.
  • Go for foods that have a yellow, dark green or orange color like sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach to boost beta-carotene that helps protect your skin from the sun.
Posted in
Does The Apple Cider Vinegar Drink Really Work?

Does The Apple Cider Vinegar Drink Really Work?

Published by on August 9, 2018 | Leave a response

If you’ve read or heard about the apple cider vinegar drink that’s miraculously supposed to help you lose weight without effort, you’re probably excited to try it. You probably won’t have the brilliant success that the websites, friend or video promises. Apple cider vinegar can help you shed pounds, but not by just drinking it in water. In fact, one study showed it had no weight loss effect when consumed alone, without consuming a meal.

How apple cider vinegar helps.

Carol Johnston, a dietitian, studied the effects of acetic acid, the primary component of apple cider vinegar, on the blood sugar of prediabetics. In her study, she found that it aided in lowering blood glucose levels in not only prediabetics, but also type 2 diabetics with insulin-resistance and the healthy control group. It was the most impressive with the insulin-resistant group and stayed lower. It did that by blocking starch absorption. By adding vinegar when the subject ate starch, it lowered glucose, but not by just drinking apple cider vinegar and water.

Another study showed that it might help you shed those extra pounds.

In this study, 175 healthy Japanese subjects that were overweight were studied for twelve weeks. The study showed the apple cider actually helped to reduce weight, lower visceral fat, reduce waist measurements and body mass, while also lowering triglyceride levels. However, the amount of weight lost was only about 1/3 pound per week. That doesn’t really make you want to stand up and holler!

Use apple cider vinegar with a healthy diet.

Even though the study showed some slight weight loss, consider what it could do to boost your healthy eating weight loss plan. You don’t have to drink a glass of water with apple cider vinegar or suck down a couple of teaspoons with each meal. You can incorporate it into your meals in more natural ways, like using it on salad or as a marinade or sauce for fish, poultry or meat.

  • You might find that a spoonful of AC makes you feel fuller. One study found the same thing. It came from the nausea it caused. There are better ways to lose weight and control appetite than that.
  • Consuming AC straight can damage the enamel on your teeth. Be true to your teeth and they won’t be false to you. Don’t drink AC straight.
  • If you’re going to eat starchy foods, remember, AC blocks starch absorption. Eat a salad with apple cider vinegar as part of the dressing.
  • If you’re on medication of any type, especially insulin, check with your health care practitioner before adding straight AC to your diet or adding it in large amounts.
Posted in
How To Stick To Your Diet When No One Is Supporting You

How To Stick To Your Diet When No One Is Supporting You

Published by on July 24, 2018 | Leave a response

Whether you’re eating healthier for weight loss or to become fitter, it’s hard to stick to your diet, especially if you don’t have anyone supporting you. If your family insists on sitting at a table filled with fried or fast foods and your whole goal is to eat fresh and healthy, you find yourself struggling with your resolve, at best, feeling disdain for your family or at worse, giving up entirely. There are solutions to this problem.

Remember, it’s your decision, and not theirs to make.

People may not be ready to eat healthier and you’re reminding them with every bite that they should. They may feel threatened that if you change, you’ll leave them behind in the dust, change your overall relationship—especially true where the other person is the dominant one—or simply don’t believe you’ll stick with it. You must remember, no matter what they THINK, ultimately you decide whether you’re going to eat healthier or not.

You might need to ask for their support.

Some people just aren’t aware that you need their help or are in the dark why you made the decision to eat healthier. Share your plans with your family and tell them that you need help. Approach it as a healthier eating style, rather than a diet and see if they’d like to join you in it. You may get some moans and groans, but if you focus on yummy recipes, fixing your food separately and only sharing a bite after they beg, you’ll often find each one slowly jumping on the bandwagon of healthy eating.

Find people who do offer support.

Your healthy eating family doesn’t have to be your immediate family. It can be friends who share your interest or are just super supportive or a group class at the gym. You’ll often be surprised that most of these people would love support from you, too. That’s one reason I’m proud of the program we have here. Not only are the trainer’s super supportive, all the members are too.

  • Plan, plan, plan. To make it easier, create menus for yourself, shop and prepare a week’s worth of meals over the weekend. You won’t have to rush around when you’re exhausted after work and be tempted to stop at Burger Quickie.
  • Eating healthy doesn’t have to be an all or nothing thing. Start introducing your family to healthier foods, supplementing their meals with traditional favorites. Eventually, change those recipes to healthier ones. Be careful, do it slowly, or they’ll notice.
  • Focus on flavor. Learn to add more herbs and spices to create new, more exotic tastes.
  • Have snacks ready to eat. If you have a bowl of cut up watermelon in the refrigerator, you’ll be more likely to eat it rather than searching for a sugary treat. Have healthy snacks like veggies, dip and nuts and seeds ready.
Posted in
Male Eating Disorders

Male Eating Disorders

Published by on July 5, 2018 | Leave a response

If you though only women were prone to eating disorders, think again. Today, the rise in male eating disorders is disturbing. In fact, one in every three people with an eating disorder is a male. It occurs for the some of the same reasons female eating disorders occur, but many have the added burden of trying to hide their disorder and avoiding seeking help, since it’s often thought of as primarily a “problem faced by women, not men.”The type of disorders are the same and include binge-eating disorder, anorexia and bulimia. These, especially anorexia, can affect males as young as 8.

Just like their female counterparts, it starts with societies vision of the perfect body image.

You don’t find overweight and flabby men who flaunt sex-appeal and attractiveness in commercials. Check out GI Joe action figures. They’re buff with the perfect V and if they were human, would have no body fat. Little boys look at the images presented by society as the ideal physique and hope to achieve those unattainable results. It’s similar to young girls idealizing the bodies of Barbie dolls, who would have a bust line that’s 39 inches, a waist that’s 18 inches, hips that were 33 inches, a shoe size of three and she’d be 5’9″ in height if you used the same proportions of her body.

Men have another disorder that’s more a male thing.

Men who have eating disorders may also have an unsatisfied need to develop huge muscles. I use the term unsatisfied, because no matter how buff they are, it’s never enough. They may even see themselves as skinny or underweight. This dysfunction is called muscle dysmorphia and is seem often in body builders. It reflects a compulsion to build muscle tissue, spurring the individual to spend hours at the gym bulking up, eating an odd selection of foods specifically to build muscles, spending far too much on supplements and even taking dangerous substances to enhance muscle building, such as steroids.

It’s not just how those with eating disorders view the media hype that causes these problems.

While media hype may put the “perfect” body in front of men, there’s more going on than just blindly following society’s perception of perfection. Many of those suffering from it have other issues, like lower self-esteem and feeling out of control and helpless. Controlling their weight and the way they look may be their way of regaining control of their life. Perfectionism tends to be a trait that these men have in common.

  • Eating disorders are linked to depression and other mental issues. While it’s unclear, which came first, the disorder or the depression, one thing is certain, those with eating disorders have a disproportionately higher incidence of anxiety disorder, depression and substance abuse.
  • Watch for signs of danger, such as extreme dieting, weight loss and over exercising for those with anorexia and bulimia. Anyone who binges frequently, may be the start of binging. If you notice the obsession with food has affected other areas of life, that man may need the help of a professional.
  • People with bulimia don’t necessarily share an issue of perfectionism with anorexics, but rather have a more spontaneous and impulsive nature.
  • If you recognize yourself or others in any of the descriptions, seek help. These disorders can damage organs, like the brain, heart and bones. Karen Carpenter, famous for her singing in the 70s and 80s both solo and part of the group, the Carpenter’s, died of heart damage attributed to anorexia at the age of 32.
Posted in
Ways To Improve Endurance And Aerobic Health

Ways To Improve Endurance And Aerobic Health

Published by on June 22, 2018 | Leave a response

If you find yourself huffing and puffing going up the stairs, you need to find more ways to improve endurance and aerobic health. Your endurance is an indication of cardiovascular health and just as important as flexibility, strength or balance. Each one has a place when you’re getting fit and healthy. Often people run to boost their cardio, but it’s not the most effective technique and in some cases, has negative consequences. Here are sure fire ways to build endurance, while also burning calories.

Move faster through your routine.

By moving faster, I don’t mean that you should do it at the sacrifice of form. Form is everything. But taking fewer breaks between sets of exercises can give your heart a healthy workout. Some exercises are best when done slowly. However, you don’t have to take a two minute break between sets. Try to cut the down time in half and you’ll probably find yourself panting by the end of the session.

Avoid doing the same things repeatedly.

Doing the same routine will not only become boring, it also will make your body more efficient at that exercise. Efficiency spells fewer calories burned, so you won’t get the biggest boost to your weight loss efforts. Try something new every week or two. You can rotate new exercises in, learn then well and rotate them out for something different. It’s one reason why continual jogging doesn’t make it when you want to lose weight.

Add weight to your routine.

It’s interesting to see what a difference adding extra weight to your workout can do. Have you ever thought you’d just carry your groceries to the car, rather than using a cart, only to realize that not only are they heavy after a minute or two, but that you parked far further from the store than you thought. Those groceries probably were just heavy enough to make your walk far more challenging than you expected. Not only does adding weight to exercises burn calories, it also boosts your endurance level.

  • Add explosive movements to your workout routine. Squat thrusts, frog squat jumps and tuck jumps are just a few. Not only do they build endurance, they burn tons of calories.
  • Do compound exercises. Working with kettlebells is just one example of full body compound exercises, but you don’t need to have equipment to get the benefits either. Pull ups, pushup and burpees not only boost strength and endurance, they burn calories galore.
  • Pushing through circuit training for strength training faster is another way to get the benefits that boost two types of fitness, while burning calories galore.
  • Skip the carbonated drinks both in and out of the gym. Not only do they add extra calories, they bloat you. That lowers your ability to take in as much air and work your hardest.
Posted in