A Startling Fact About Losing Dangerous Belly Fat– Without
The story broke in the international press on October 4th, 2004. Scientists in Japan announced that laboratory rats lost large amounts of organ fat, and increased muscle strength, when a portion of their diet was replaced by a new fruit extract.
Could this new discovery be “Exercise in a Pill?”
These unexpected results left the researchers puzzled. No drug or food had ever shown the ability to target and dramatically decrease dangerous organ fat, also known as visceral, or “belly” fat. In fact, only one thing is proven to reduce it… exercise.
The New American Epidemic- Obesity.
And the unsightly bulge of stubborn belly fat isn’t the only problem. Controlling this fat is important, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center, because increased levels have been associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the alarming rise in obesity rates in the United States, where presently two out of three adults are overweight or obese. Visceral fat is located around the organs inside the belly and is deeper in the body than ordinary fat, and much harder to get rid of.
In the Japanese study, conducted at the Nippon Sport Science University graduate school, lab rats were fed a chemical extract from apples as 5% of their diet. The animals lost an average of 27% of organ fat in only 3 weeks. Even more baffling to researchers was a 16% increase in muscle strength observed in the test animals.
Proven Health Results from Apple Chemicals
Chemical extracts from apples have been extensively studied for years for their health benefits in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Recently, apple extracts have been shown to protect the brain against nerve damage associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. But this is the first evidence that these phytochemicals- termed apple polyphenols- have been shown to reduce belly fat deposits.
The Japanese researchers have now turned their attention to confirming these results in human subjects, and one Japanese company announced plans to market health drinks containing the extract in the U.S. later this year.
Too Early to Tell?
Although it will likely be some time before human weight loss trials are reported, some consumers aren’t willing to wait. Since November, a small group of people in the U.S. have had access to these apple chemicals in pill form. You can track their intriguing results, which are now being reported on our web site, where you can also follow the latest news and research about apple polyphenols.
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David L. Kern is a health researcher and publisher of New Health & Longevity, a newsletter devoted to the latest advances in nutritional science. Find out how to lose belly fat today at http://www.applepoly.com/bellyfat . You can find a link there for current medical studies and breaking news on apple phytochemicals.
Should pharmacists be forced to violate religious beliefs by selling the morning after pill?
YES!
However, the phrase ‘forced to violate religious beliefs’ seems to be far too antagonistic, belligerent, and might be phrased ‘to set aside religious beliefs’ instead.
There is a concept, a truism that permeates the medical disciplines, and comes before all oaths and pledges…….. ALL of them!
“First, do no harm”!
It applies to every person involved in the patient’s care. The Lab Tech that provides details on the patient’s chemical status; X-Ray that provide visuals on tissues; Nurses who provide detailed analysis on a patient’s physical status; pharmacists who provide the necessary pharmaceuticals.
And the Physician who compiles these data and makes critical decisions on how best to treat this person. Please note that the physician does not take a VOTE from all concerned. The patient is then given the prescriptions for medications that are specific for their needs.
The ‘First do no Harm’ part for the druggist comes now!
The pharmacist is NOT privy to all the medical needs of the patient, nor has access to all the patient’s history, and certainly cannot know all the details of care that the physician does.
Regardless of personal beliefs, the pharmacist, is in NO position to make a judgment of why a Physician chooses a certain regimen! And a pharmacist very likely might not know the physician’s COMPLETE reasoning for choosing a certain medication; or a combination of them!
Quite often, physicians use multiple medications that interact in a specific manner. Or they will use medication and some other adjunct of diet, or activity, or all of these. Only the physician knows the complete program of intervention with a patient, and would most surely be the only person in this regimen able to stop or start medication safely. Further, the physician may not be using the drug specifically to deter pregnancy. It is feasible that it may be simply one in a number of treatments combined to bring about some other response in the patient.
If this pharmacist is the only one available, or this medication can only be had in his pharmacy, then the withholding medication for ANY reason would be putting this pharmacist’s medical opinion above that of the physician and might harm this patient. So if the POSSIBILITY of harm to a patient exists, the pharmacist is bound by all the ethics of patient care, to issue the drug!
Protect the patient FIRST! Deal with our ethical niceties later. The necessity to protect the patient is paramount in all medical disciplines.
So, it isn’t really so much a moral, ethical, or personal philosophical dilemma. In this process, the only determining factor is the welfare of the patient, and what the Physician decides to do about it.
How to tell if you are an emotional eater
After a long days work as a waitress you feel different and moody, so you decide to go to the doctor. A half an hour later, the doctor comes back into the room telling you that “you’re pregnant”!
Walking home you don’t know if it was good news or bad, or even what the “father” would think of the news. All you can do is tremble asking yourself if you are ready to be a mother, how will you feed him, will you be able to pay the rent?
Emotional eaters are usually depressed, depressed about something. Either it’s having not enough money, a possible divorce, even a break-up,or possibly someone you loved dies then you are all alone. That’s when food becomes the enemy. In these situations taste comforts you. In these depressed times, without knowing it you suddenly eat a ton of sweets, bags of chips, gallons of ice cream and you turn obese. But if you knew what it does to you before you started you would go for an apple or a carrot when your dog dies…
First of all sugar builds up in your body, cholesterol clogs up your arteries and puts pressure on your heart which it makes it harder to function. Some people end up with heart attacks and fall dead, others get mental and other physical complications and die.
When you become fat you miss out on a lot of fun, you loose your self-esteem and you become depressed and you eat more. It is a difficult cycle to get out of.So when you are sad find a constructive way to get out of it: find a friend to talk to, play with a pet, go running and don’t forget grab that apple instead!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About Prostate Cancer
The good news about prostate cancer is it’s nearly 100% curable if you catch it in time.
The bad news is that most men don’t get regular checkups. Plus, many times men ignore the symptoms of prostate disease or cancer like: frequent urination, and weak urine stream. And once they do recognize these symptoms, in most cases, it could be much too late.
The Ugly. African Americans and those with a family history of prostate cancer are mostly at risk.
I’m Thomas Lindsey and I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer about a year ago. And I am here writing to you healthier, happier, and in better shape than I’ve ever been. Let me share with you some things I’ve learned and what I did to overcome my disease.
Other Risk Factors of Prostate Disease or Prostate Cancer
* Having a close relative (father, brother, or son) with prostate cancer doubles your risk of disease.
* Having two of the above increases your risk to 3 or 4 times.
* Having three of the above raises your risk by a factor of 8-10 times.
Vasectomy Yes or No?
Early reports had suggested that having a vasectomy could possibly promote prostate cancer. However, after further studies, the current thinking is that vasectomies have nothing to do with prostate cancer.
If you’ve already had a vasectomy you don’t need to take on any special precautions. Just stick to your regular checkups.
Prevention of Prostate Trouble
Eat Less Fat: Just as with heart disease and other forms of cancer, prostate cancer is more prominent among men who eat a fatty diet. And the worst thing you can eat is saturated fat (that goes for all of us). Eat less meat and increase your levels of fruits, veggies, grains and non-fat dairy.
Don’t Smoke Men who smoke have an increased risk of prostate cancer. The risk isn’t hugely bigger but it’s best not to smoke at all. If you have any of the risk factors above, it’s extremely important not to smoke.
Have Regular Checkups Starting at the age of 50, you should have a prostate checkup. If you have any of the risk factors, you should start having them when you turn 40. Make sure you get the blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well.
Best grocery list for a gluten
If you have recently been told you’re a coeliac, you’re probably feeling miserable because you’ve been reading the list of foods you can’t have.That is why this article is all about the foods you can eat. And don’t worry, despite all the glum news, there’s still plenty of ways to indulge your taste buds and share your baked treats with your envious, wheat-eating friends.
It can be expensive to try everything available on the market; there is a lot out there, and more every day. I have cooked for my family of five coeliacs for the past twenty-odd years (some of them very odd!) and my pantry and fridge are kept stocked, on a budget, for all family contingencies. Below is a list of what I keep, and why I have chosen that product above others.
Before that, though, I’d like to remind you: coeliacs is a serious disease that can cause other, life-threatening conditions unless a diet completely free of all gluten is followed. I strongly recommend that anyone diagnosed as, or who suspects they may be, a coeliac, visit the website of your local coeliac society.
If there is none in your area, try this link: http://www.coeliacsociety.com .au m.au to visit the Australian Society. This is a great place for information, support and all the latest news for coeliacs. They also have a list of some of the more obscure places that gluten hides; information too detailed for this article.
The first product into my cart every week is an all-purpose flour blend made by a company called Orgran. I buy their plain flour, so that it is more versatile, and add my own mix of baking powder (2 parts cream of tarter: 1 part bi-carb soda. sieve well and use 2 teaspoons: 1 cup flour) if I need it to become self-raising.
I use this particular blend for a few reasons. Firstly, I’ve yet to try a recipe written for wheat flour that doesn’t work just as well with the Orgran blend. Secondly, it is always exactly the same, something you won’t achieve mixing your own and something that not all companies manage, either. Orgran flour produces light, easy to make cakes and other risen goods that everybody enjoys.
Next, I stock rice flour. It’s great for using in a roux, so if you want to make gravy, bchamel, or cheese sauce, you will want to keep rice flour on hand. It is also the traditional flour to use in Scottish shortbread. See? It’s not all bad! Here, in Australia, MacKenzie’s is the best brand, but if you can’t get it, find one that is coarsely ground as a fine grind won’t do the job you need. Rice flour is very economical but is too “short” to bake into cakes.
The last flour you need to stock is cornflour. You might be surprised to know that some cornflour is 100% wheat, so, check the label and make sure yours is 100% corn or maize. Cornflour is useful for any thickening that does not use a roux, e.g. .fruit sauces, custards, etc.
Rice crumbs are very handy for, obviously, crumbing, but also in recipes like Christmas pudding. Cheap to buy and easy to store, I generally have some in the cupboard.
Rolled rice is a wonderful substitute for oats and is delicious cooked with fruit and served with milk and honey for a filling winter breakfast.
Orgran also make a huge range of great pasta and I keep some on stock for a quick meal each week. The Orgran web-site lists products and recipes and is worth a visit. Go to www.orgran.com and see for yourself.
These are the main items I need each day. Over time you will develop your own favourites but I hope this is enough to get you started as, once established, a gluten-free diet will be second nature.
Get Ripped to Shreds in 6 Short Weeks!!!
The time is coming… you just turned 28 and your 10-year high school reunion is just around the corner. You’re going to Cabo in 2 months! Or maybe you just want to Get Ripped for summer? Who cares what the reason is! We’re all in the same boat and we need to Get Ripped FAST!
A wise man once told me that when a person won’t do something, it’s for one of 3 reasons. They either 1. Don’t know how to do it, 2. Don’t know why they should do it, or 3. They simply just don’t care. I’m going to assume that you don’t know how, or you would already be ripped to shreds. Be it to get the chicks, personal satisfaction, a reunion… everyone has their own reason why. But if your reason is the last one, you should just stop reading this right now. Because if you simply don’t care enough, you aren’t going to get anywhere. And there’s nothing I, or anyone else for that matter, can do to help! So, “go start an ant farm!”
I’m going to tell you how to Get Shredded Fast and explain why these 5 steps work! What you are about to read may or may not be news to you… I don’t know. But I do know this, if you follow these 5 steps – you wont be disappointed!
1) Nutrition: focus on your metabolism!
I put this first on the list for a reason. It is the absolute most important part of any successfully shredded man or woman’s lifestyle. Your nutritional choices directly affect your metabolism and through it alone, you can totally change your physical appearance! But, whether you are a bodybuilder, a swimmer, a football player, or an every day average overweight American, keeping a consistently clean diet is as hard as it gets… and I’m sure we all can attest to that.
Eat 5-6 Meals per day:
It’s funny… I have this friend who swears this 5 or 6 meal-a-day rule is the “Catch” that all the nutrition companies are throwing out there. He says that no one can consistently eat 5 small meals a day and the nutrition companies know this – so they put this rule out there as a fail-safe to ensure that, if their diet program doesn’t work, they can blame its failure on the customer! The ironic thing about it is if the customer had followed the rules of their diet program, they would have succeeded!
And the reason they would have succeeded is because the “eat 5 small meals a day” rule works… just probably not in the way you think. You see, it’s not really the 5 meals that does it… it’s the fact that you aren’t relying on 2 or 3 meals to fuel your body for a full 24-hour period. Think about it; your body uses a fairly steady stream of energy all day, so when you feed it in spurts, your body adjusts and begins to store energy instead of using it. Eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day ultimately conditions your body to use the energy you provide it – and use it now – because it knows that more is coming soon. There is no need to store the energy (fat) for later… make sense?
Eat Low Glycemic Carbs:
Eating 5-6 small meals per day is a great start. But (there’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there?) that’s not the only thing you have to do. Something else you’ve probably heard before but hasn’t been explained fully… the benefit of low GI carbohydrates. Low GI carbs being carbs low on the Glycemic Index (GI). People usually confuse this with an ultra-low carb diet but its not! All you need to do is control the types of carbs you eat… not lose them altogether! Approximately 40% of your total calories should come from low GI carbs. A low GI carb diet will regulate your insulin levels in your body. This is important because your body uses insulin to burn the food you have for immediate energy. To explain it further, when you eat carbs, your body digests them and turns them into glucose. Then insulin is released to metabolize the glucose for energy. High GI carbs have a very fast glucose response, which tells your body to release a lot of insulin quickly. The result, you digest your food very fast… a bad thing! You want your food to digest slowly! And you can control this by eating low GI carbs. Knowing which carbs are low and high GI is pretty easy too. As a general rule, the more processed it is, the higher it is and the more natural (unprocessed) it is, the lower it is.
Here are a few examples.
Low GI Carbohydrates
FRUITS:
Berries
Apples
Barley
Pears
VEGETABLES:
Asparagus
Black beans
All lettuces
GRAINS:
All bran cereals
Whole grain breads
Whole grain pastas
Wild rice
DAIRY:
Organic milk
Organic plain yogurt
Low-fat cottage cheese
BEVERAGES:
Fresh vegetable juice
Grapefruit juice
Green tea
Water
SWEETENERS:
Fructose
Stevia
Moderate GI Carbohydrates
FRUITS:
Grapes
Watermelons
Mangos
Kiwis
VEGETABLES:
Carrots
Corn (on the cob)
Lima beans
Yams
GRAINS:
Brown rice
Oatmeal
Most pastas
Popcorn
Sourdough bread
DAIRY:
Custard
BEVERAGES:
Apple juice
Orange juice
SWEETENERS:
Unrefined raw honey
Organic brown sugar
Barely malt
Organic maple syrup
High GI Carbohydrates
FRUITS:
Raisins
Bananas (ripe)
VEGETABLES:
Potato (baked)
French fries
Sweet corn
GRAINS:
White bread
Whole wheat bread
Bagels
Breakfast cereals
Hamburger and hotdog buns
White rice
Pancakes
DAIRY:
Ice cream
BEVERAGES:
Soft drinks and sport drinks
Carrot juice
SWEETENERS:
Corn syrup solids
Sucrose (table sugar)
maltodextrin
Maltose
High-fructose corn syrup
There is, however, one time when you want to digest your food fast! Immediately following a workout, your body is goes into a “need food now!” state and requires a lot of nutrients to begin repairing the muscle that has been broken down. This is the perfect time to ingest 40-50 grams of high GI carbs. Actually, if you don’t, you are taking a risk that your body will go into a catabolic state and start breaking down muscle for energy instead of fat. Timing is important!
Increase Protein Intake:
The final part of the diet is to increase your protein intake. Again this is something we have all heard before… but do we really know why? First of all, we all know protein is a crucial part of muscle growth. But what we all don’t know is that protein is a good fat burner too! Protein digestion takes a lot of time and a lot of energy! You might be doing this already and if you are… don’t stop. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight. So if you are 200 pounds, you need 200 grams of protein.
2) Workout!
More cardio!
Increasing the intensity of your cardiovascular workouts will no doubt make a vast impact on your fat burning productivity. When it comes to burning fat, the more intense the cardio the better! A lot of fitness trainers and other self proclaimed fitness guru’s will tell you to be careful not to over do the cardio, but they don’t explain how you should do it. Here’s how.
It’s a little something I call Anabolic Cardio. You will burn more fat, faster, doing “anabolic cardio”. Anabolic cardio is often called HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT is short burst, sprinter-like interval training. Here is a great example of HIIT that can be used doing any form of cardio; treadmill, elliptical trainer, or even an old school Health Rider!
Start off with 3 minutes working at a moderate 60% pace. This will get you warmed up and ready for the rest of the workout. Start the “interval portion” of the workout on minute number 4 going AS HARD AS YOU CAN without falling down or losing your running form (I’m talking 95%) for 1 full minute. Don’t pace yourself here, if you can go longer than a minute or two, you probably aren’t going hard enough! However, if you can only go at this pace for 20-30 seconds, that is ok… Just go as long as you can, you will improve fast! After the first minute, slow the pace to about 40% of your max. This should be a light jog or even a brisk walk for a minute or two until you recover your breathing. During the slower, recovery interval, try to focus on controlling your breathing and relaxing as much as possible.
Keep this interval of 1-2 minutes at 95% followed by 1-2 minutes at 40% for 10-15 more minutes. Like it or not, Anabolic Cardio is a key component to building a strong, lean, hard body!
Intensify Your Resistance Training
Believe it or not… weight training actually burns more fat than cardio! In fact there have been numerous studies to prove it. This doesn’t mean you should just drop cardio work altogether, but that you should have a balance between cardio and weight training. Hopefully you are lifting weights already. If you are… great! If you aren’t you really need to. Resistance Weight Training is only way to permanently raise your metabolism! You see… muscle burns fat. Not just when you are working out, but all the time – every day! One pound of muscle alone can burn up to 500 calories per week – that’s without doing anything! Lets put it this way: Without resistance training, the best you will ever be is “skinny fat”.
The best way to use weight training to get shredded is to stick to the basics! Hit the gym 4 times per week and focus all your efforts on doing compound muscle group movements like Squats, Deadlifts, Military Press, and Power Cleans. In fact, you could do 20 minutes of anabolic cardio then 6 sets of 8 reps on each of these exercises (one exercise per day 4 days per week), you would be in great shape easily in 6 weeks. These are easy to learn movements that use a lot of muscle groups and burn fat like CRAZY!
3) Get more sleep!
Sleep is probably the most overlooked factor in the quest to get shredded. Everyone knows the importance of getting “a good nights sleep” but not many of us go out of our way to be sure we get it. I read somewhere that the average adult gets approximately 7 hours of sleep at night! Not bad… but if you’re anything like me; 7 hours of sleep would be a blessing! And 7 hours is fine for the average adult, but if you’re an athlete you need more than normal! How much do you need? Well… that’s something you’ll have to experiment with and find out on your own. 7 hours of sleep might be enough for you – but it likely isn’t! I do know this – if you don’t get enough sleep, you are limiting your potential to build muscle. Sleep is very anabolic and you need it in order to efficiently recover from grueling workouts and stressful days! Be sure you get enough… it could be the difference maker.
4) Supplements!
Getting Ripped To Shreds is not an easy task for anyone. If it was easy then everyone would be ripped don’t you think? I know for sure that, at least for me, it would be virtually impossible without the benefit of supplements. There’s no denying that genetics plays a huge role in who is shredded and who isn’t, but that’s not the only thing. If you could take a behind-the-scenes look at just about any professional athletes’ supplement regimen, you would probably be shocked!
Back to the supplements… Getting “shredded” involves keeping (or gaining) muscle mass and losing fat at the same time, two things that are best done separately! So right off the bat the odds are against you. And if you’re anything like most Americans, you’re going to need all the help you can get! I’m going to recommend 3 separate base or standard supplements and then 3 I-will-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-there supplements.
Base Supplements:
1.A balanced Meal Replacement (MRP)
An MRP is important for the obvious reasons. Diet is the number one key and with the way life is now, it’s pretty difficult to get 6 good meals in a day. However, if you alternate 3 small meals and 3 MRP’s throughout the day, you’ll be indeed setting yourself up for success. The reason I say “balanced” MRP is because too much protein is a waste, too little carbs will leave you energy-less, and you need to get your vitamins somewhere. Check the label and be sure it has around 30g of protein, 20g carbs, L-Glutamine, BCAA’s, EFA’s, and an array of multi vitamins. I recommend Myoplex by EAS, KILLER MRP by IMPACT Nutrition, or Lean Mass Matrix by Labrada.
2.Creatine
No matter what you think about creatine, you can’t deny the facts. Creatine promotes muscle growth and muscle contraction energy. And even though it is thought of as a staple to only muscle building programs, it’s an effective addition to almost any program… no matter what the goal is! Just get some and take it as directed.
3.ZMA
ZMA is a formula of Zinc and Magnesium Aspartate that has been proven to increase muscle strength, stamina, and recovery. But the main reason I added it to the list is because it will help you relax and sleep better. Like I said before, sleep could be the difference maker. And ZMA’s a lot less damaging than taking a shot of tequila or cough medicine! I suggest the original ZMA by SNAC Systems.
Will-Do-Whatever-It-Takes-To-Get-There Supplements:
1.Testosterone Based Anabolic Agents
Even with all the bad things reported about using “legal steroids“, they continue to reign in the muscle building supplement world. Why? Because they work! Believe me when I say this. Testosterone is the KING of the Muscle Growth jungle. The more testosterone you have in your system the more muscle you will have on your body. Period. Testosterone helps you recover faster, it raises your metabolism, it burns fat, and it gives you an “attitude” that leads to major muscle growth. If you can focus the increased aggression into your workouts, you will see substantial lean muscle growth, fast! Some great examples of Testosterone based legal steroids are Permadrol by Wesley-Adams, TestoXterone by RedXLabs, Equibolan by IMPACT Nutrition, Halodrol by Gaspari Nutrition, and Dynabolan by Russia Labs.
2.Anabolic Recovery Agent:
Like I said earlier, recovery is the KEY to building muscle. The better you recover, the faster your muscles will grow. Using an anabolic recovery agent is not a substitute for good nutrition choices or for sleep. But using a good recovery agent like RX5 by Red X Labs can put you in a more constant anabolic state between workouts. This will reduce your recovery period and allow you to get back to the gym faster. You can find these products at Zupplements.com
3.Anti-Catabolic Agent:
Anabolic means to build and catabolic means to break down. So, ANTI-Catabolic means agents are those that can help prevent the breakdown of lean muscle tissue; an important feature to anyone who is putting their body through a 6-week “Try To Get Ripped As Fast As I Can” program. You want to lose fat, remember… not muscle! Burn fat, preserve muscle, that’s the name of the game! Probably the best anti-catabolic agent available today is a veterinary injectable “supplement” called Kynoselen. There is supposedly a human version of this product too but I have yet to find it.
5) Know what not to do!
Now that I have explained all the tools you need to get ripped in 6 weeks, I feel obligated to address some of the most common mistakes people make when trying to lose fat fast! First of all you have to steer clear of the “Fab Diets” that claim you can drop 10 pounds in 48 hours. Even though these claims are true, you don’t want to do it. The weight you lose will be temporary at best! And because these diets help you lose weight, not fat, they wont get you shredded.
Fasting is another common mistake. You have to eat and eat consistently. As I pointed out before, it’s imperative that you don’t put your body in a “lets save the food for later” state. Remember, even though you are reducing your overall calories, your body will store more fat!
Oh… one more thing…. No matter what else you do over the course of the next 6-weeks… even if you mess up 10 times… even if it looks like you aren’t going to make it… no matter what… DO NOT GIVE UP!!! During the first 4 weeks you might not see one single change in your body composition. But that last 2 weeks could completely change it around! I like to think of it like coming back in the 4th quarter! Never give up because all that hard work will not go to waste! Remember what I said? People don’t do things for one of three reasons… don’t let your reason be that you simply don’t care!
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Be Afraid of Sharks When Learning to Surf
Surfing is one of the most enjoyable water sports. There is nothing more exhilarating for a surfer than to ride the biggest waves for the longest time. However, people who want to learn how to surf, draw back from the sports even before trying a session because of fear of sharks.
Indeed, sharks are seen as hostile predators of the sea. They are large, strong, have saw-like teeth and are fierce looking to some. In fact, of all the world’s sea predators, sharks are the most feared. But sharks are perhaps also one of the most misunderstood predators. Although it is true that there had been victims of shark attacks, there are a lot of misconceptions about these creatures.
If you are a surfing greenhorn, do not give up the enjoyment of surfing just because of an irrational fear of sharks. Here are 5 reasons why a fear of sharks should never stop you from learning to surf.
1. Men and Women do not form part of a shark’s diet.
There is no such thing as a man-eating shark. Men are not staple foods of sharks. Although their diet comprises of meat including sea turtles, fish, seals, sea lions and whales, humans are absolutely not on their menu. Because their system has a slow digestion process, sharks are very choosy of what they eat. Other than the fact that men and women are too bony for sharks tastes, these animals prefer rich fat-content meats to maintain its temperature and to give it more energy, such as those coming from seals and sea lions.
2. Most cases of shark attacks involve mistaken identity.
Data reveals that 90% or more of shark attacks are mistakes. From below the waters, sharks sometimes erroneously identify humans as their common food. That is why in most incidents, after biting a person, sharks let go of the victim.
Another characteristic of sharks that are unknown to most people is that they are very curious animals. Once they see something not common to them, they usually test bite it. The act of biting is equivalent to the human act of feeling something with the fingers. If that unfortunate thing is a man and woman, he can be injured but in any event, the shark always retreats.
3. Only a few sharks have the potential to be dangerous.
It is a wrong to generalize that all sharks are dangerous. Out of 360 species of sharks, only 4 of these are responsible for unprovoked attacks on humans: the Great White Shark, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark and Oceanic Whitetip Shark. There is no evidence implicating the other species in unprovoked attack incidents, making the vast majority of sharks harmless to humans.
There is also no truth to the fact that the larger the shark, the more dangerous it is. The largest sharks such as the Whale and Basking sharks are meek creatures that feed only on planktons as food.
4. The odds of being attacks by a shark very, very low.
Sharks rarely attack humans unless provoked, making the risks of being attacked very little. In fact, only 15% of the shark species frequent the shallow waters or the coast, where anyone may possibly encounter them. According to the International Shark Attack File, a persons odds of being attacked by a shark is only 1 in 11.15 million. The risk of dying is only 0 in 264.1 million. That is why, in majority of shark attacks, the victim always survives and gets to tell the tale.
5. The dangers of sharks as we know are exaggerated.
Sharks have been adjudged to be evil creatures by mere bad publicity. There are more animals that cause human deaths such as flies, mosquitoes and bees. Perhaps to be blamed for their bad identity is the media, which most likely sensationalizes every news of a shark attack. Other than the media, Hollywood must also take part of the blame for first giving the idea about the legend of a man-eating shark as portrayed in movies like Jaws.
Surf without fear. Leave your shark fear at shore
Surfing is a great sport, which makes the beach more special. Feeling the breeze of the wind on your face and the saltiness of the water against your skin while you sweep the waves with a surfing board is complete freedom. If you are a person interested in learning how to surf but later changed your mind because of recent news of a shark attack or a scary shark movie, then that is very unfortunate.
Sharks should not be feared. There is no such thing as a perfect creature, sharks included. Sharks are part of nature’s act to eliminate some members of certain species in order to balance nature. In Hawaii the locals even call these creatures “Aumakua” and they are believed to be guardians of the sea. In fact, it is the humankind who pose an unimaginably bigger threat to sharks as some of its species are already threatened and near extinction due to shark fishing and shark fin soup.
Sharks have ruled the sea for hundred millions of years even before people learned to surf. The ocean is big for both, for the former to roam and for the latter to surf. Now, you know that sharks do not relentlessly attack surfers and that sharks myths you know are not true, pick up that surfing board now and learn to ride the waves! What are you waiting for? Never let irrational fear get in the way of surfing because you do not know what you are missing.
Naturally Cure Gout: Top 5 Tips To Treat Gout Naturally
If you have ever experienced a gout attack you know one of the most intense pains associated with arthritis. Though you might have dealt with the burden of gout for years, you should also know that you can naturally cure gout in days! Gout is a disease that was caused by some poor lifestyle habits and can be cured with healthy lifestyle habits. And yes, you can actually have immediate gout relief in seconds with a simple cure during those late night attacks.
All of this news should be music to the ears for a gout sufferer. Unfortunately, there is bad news! Gout is actually a very medicated ailment. Meaning that doctors typically don’t hesitate for a second to prescribe side-effect laden medications (orally or even injected) to gout sufferers. In fact, you are living in the first generation who is allowing doctors to take care of their health! Though this may seem like ‘not a bad idea’, our general health is continually decreasing because of this travesty.
If you sufferer from gout, you can begin your simple, natural cure for gout with these five tips.
Top 5 Tips to Treat Gout Naturally
1. Drink! You should be drinking at least 10 to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Water is one of the best ways to flush impurities, toxins and build-ups. Better tip: Try drinking away your gout with alkaline water with a pH of greater than 7.
2. Avoid foods high in purines. Uric acid (cause of gout) is formed from the breakdown of purines, high-purine diets are often the cause of gout. Such foods include: meats such as kidneys, liver, tripe and tongue. Red meats also have been linked to gout attacks as well as some vegetables. Our report as a list of foods to eat and NOT to eat.
3. Exercise! Being obese can lead to excessive levels of uric acid in your blood. Try to do cardiovascular workouts (workouts that get heart pumping) at least three times a week. Start slow and don’t get burned out! You can do it!
4. Vitamin C! Begin by taking one of the most popular vitamins out there, Vitamin C. A healthy immune system is the key to a healthy life. And a healthy life starts with Vitamin C.
5. Breathe! Did you know that you are probably only receiving about 80% of the oxygen your body needs. Poor circulation leads to arthritis (gout is considered arthritis). Learn some simple breathing exercises and practice them 10-15 minutes a day.
There you have it! 5 simple ways to naturally cure gout! Don’t be overwhelmed or think you can’t do it! Remember this! You either pay for your health now (dedication, exercise, eating right) or you pay for it later (hospital bills, visits, medications, treatments). I think the obvious choice is to pay for it now and take care of your body!
Can Diabetes Be Avoided With The Atkins Diet?
You must really understand that the basic premise of the Atkins diet is to make the regular American eat better than what they usually eat in their diet. The main purpose is to strike a healthy stability between proteins and carbohydrates. When we eat a meal, we have a reasonable expectation that the food will make us feel full. This is of course totally dissimilar from what Americans eat in their usual diets.
There is quite unhappily a surfeit of processed foods being addicted in the land which have sugars in attendance in them in a variety of forms and carbohydrates that are processed to a high degree. But we know from our experience that this expectation is not always fulfilled .Quite of course then, the rates of diabetes and related circumstances are spiraling in America. This is in spite of the fact that diabetes worsens in stages and can be easily recognized at its onset.
We must understand that we gain weight when we eat lots of crabs because they stimulate the production of insulin. And it is this high level of insulin that makes us hungry. When we talk about diabetes, one issue to be taken into explanation is the glycolic index. This is an index of carbohydrates taking into explanation the reactions they create with insulin.
It is carbohydrates that can make you hungry. And, unless you are consciously trying to starve yourself, when you are hungry, you eat more.
And when you eat more, you gain weight. If a carbohydrate has a high glycolic directory, it will release a lot of insulin for metabolizing the sugars (producing high glucose amounts). Those carbohydrates in turn stimulate the patients own insulin production. That creates what is certainly a vicious cycle. America consumes a lot of advanced sugars which rank extremely on the glycolic index.
Popular books and news stories have encouraged individuals to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, suggesting that high-protein foods will not stimulate insulin release. When we are children, we can process these carbohydrate foods simply, that is because the metabolism of the body is well-organized when the body is younger. Side-effects like weight increase and disposition swings are too incomprehensible in youth to be noticed to drastic levels.
In individuals with diabetes, the principal strategies for preventing or slowing impairment of renal function include controlling blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and blood lipid concentrations, and decreasing protein intake to low normal levels. But as we move forward in age, these effects make their presence felt in stronger ways. One clear-cut pointer of the side-effects occurrence with advancing age is the alarming rate at which Americans are fetching obese as they reach their central age.
Insulin facilitates the storage of calories as fat. Obesity also causes insulin fighting. This is a risky situation, because when it happens, the person is not able to use the insulin for the suitable purging of glucose from the bloodstream. When less carbohydrate is consumed, less insulin is secreted, resulting in less fat storage. This also leads to unnecessary strain on the pancreas, due to which a lot of insulin strength be discharged, sometimes scores of times of what the body in fact needs. While severely restricting the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods, the Atkins Diet encourages unlimited consumption of foods containing protein and fat. The obvious effect of this is the plummeting of blood sugar to terribly low levels. The human body has a wonderful coordinating system, and that causes a surge of adrenaline discharge in the body to put right this difficulty of small blood sugar.
As a human being grows older, this relative between the blood sugar and insulin becomes more and more drastic. However, this is a short-term effect and is entirely separate from the general weight loss that these diets can produce through eliminating excess body fat. The hyper insulin, as it is called, is the ancestor to type II diabetes. Symptoms of the state are hypertension and high levels of fats in the body.
When populace carries on their high carbohydrate diets for a long time, they lastly become diabetes. During this stage of Atkins diet meal plans, the rate of fall of body weight will be slower. Also, you can experiment various other foods to see whether they add your body weight or not. If you found safe, you could add it to your Atkins diet food products.
Insulin creates the fat in the body, and if the weight increases, it can guide to late onset diabetes. Analysis might reveal pre-diabetic circumstances. These must be nipped in the bud, or they will lead to enduring and given up for lost diabetes situation. Also you could add some more carbohydrates to your diet which do not raise your body weight, like full wheat bread.
The caution signs of received diabetes are easy to make a diagnosis, though. They can be found out through an insulin test. Far from reducing the proportion of carbohydrate in the diet, most people would benefit from increasing it so that it contributes at least 50 per cent of food energy. When complete of a pre-diabetic condition, it is totally obligatory to switch over to a low-carbohydrate diet like the Atkins diet. This helps to control the blood sugar infinitely. Nevertheless, the Atkins diet has captured the hearts and taste buds of everyone from A-list Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Renee Zellweger to business men, teachers and housewives.
The Atkins diet contains a mixture of essential carbohydrates with fats and proteins. They help to keep the body sense satiated and mitigate the recurrent cravings for food. Also, condensed levels of carbohydrates will defend the body from the nonstop insulin surges. Advocates of low-carbohydrate diets generally dispute any suggestion that such diets cause weakness or exhaustion (except in the first few days) and indeed most highly recommend exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The pancreas performance remains normal and pre-diabetic circumstances are avoided. In fact, at its peak in late 2003, more than three million Brits were estimated to have tried the diet in an effort to shape up and slim down. The vicious cycle is cut off and the body blood sugar level remains at desirable levels. This is what the Atkins diet can do. It can defend you from the attack of a diabetic condition.
Top Vitamins For Body Builders
The water-soluble vitamins (with the exception of vitamin C) are composed entirely of the B and B-complex vitamins, including Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pyridoxine (B6), Folate, Cobalamin (B12), Biotin and Pantothenic Acid. Because these vitamins are water soluble and thus have difficulty entering fatty tissues, they aren’t stored in the body and excessive amounts are excreted. And while this means toxicity is generally not a problem, these vitamins must be continually included in a bodybuilder’s diet.
Vitamins Are :
1.
Cobalamin (vitamin B12)
Although the functions of vitamin B12 are numerous, those important to bodybuilders include carbohydrate metabolism and maintenance of nervous system tissue (the spinal cord and nerves that carry signals from the brain to muscle tissues). Stimulation of muscles via nerves is a critical step in the contraction, coordination and growth of muscles.
Vitamin B12 is available only from foods of animal origin; therefore,it is very important for athletes following a strict vegetarian diet to consult a physician about vitamin B12 supplementation. In fact, B12 shots are popular with countless athletes, vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike, many of who swear it helps them perform better
2.
Biotin
Although there’s a limited amount of sports nutrition research on Biotin, it makes our top 10 list because it has critical functions in amino acid metabolism and the production of energy from many sources. It also may be one vitamin that some bodybuilders have trouble when attempting to maintain an adequate supply.
The reason bodybuilders may have difficulty with Biotin is because it can be blocked by a substance called Avidin. Avidin is found in raw egg whites, a staple for many athletes. In fact, bodybuilders who eat raw egg whites or who don;t cook egg white well enough may experience growth problems with Biotin deficiency if their egg white consumption approaches 20 per day. Eating raw eggs can also lead to a bacterial infection called Salmonella, which can have severe health consequences.
3.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
Riboflavin is involved in energy production in three areas:
1. Glucose metabolism,
2. Oxidation of fatty acids, and
3. The shuttling of hydrogen ions through the Krebs cycle. Of particular interest to bodybuilders, Riboflavin is somewhat related to protein metabolism. In fact, there is a strong relationship between lean body mass and dietary riboflavin.
One study by Belko and colleagues found that females needed higher than RDA levels of Riboflavin to return blood levels of Riboflavin to normal after exercise. Another study by Haralambie showed that Riboflavin supplementation improved muscular hyperexcitability (seen in trained athletes). This vitamin may prove to be especially important for athletes.
4.
Vitamin A
Most of us know that vitamin A helps with vision, but bodybuilders need to become familiar with its other benefits. First of all, vitamin A is important in the synthesis of protein, the chief process of muscle growth. Second, vitamin A is involved in the production of Glycogen, the body’s storage form of energy for high intensity performance.
The problem with vitamin A status in bodybuilders is twofold. First, American diets are consistently measured to be low in vitamin A. Second, both strenuous physical activity (which disrupts the absorption of vitamin A) and a low fat diet (which renders vitamin A loss in feces) jeopardize the level of vitamin A in the body. So be especially careful of your vitamin A intake during contest preparation.
5.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it protects the cell’s membranes. This is important because many of the metabolic processes that take place in the body, including the recuperation and growth of muscle cells, are dependent upon health cell membranes.
You’ve probably heard a lot about antioxidants in the news lately, and research continues to validate their importance. Specifically, antioxidants help to reduce the number of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are natural byproducts of cellular respiration, but accumulation of free radicals can lead to cellular changes and destruction (even cancer), rendering cells unable to adapt normally. This means a reduction in exercise induced processes in the cell such as repair and growth.
6.
Niacin (vitamin B3)
This vitamin is involved in nearly 60 metabolic processes related to energy production and ranks high for bodybuilders by virtue of its critical importance in providing training fuel (no train, no gain)! The bad news is that high levels of Niacin have been found in the blood of athletes after exercise, suggesting that athletes may need more niacin than nonathletes. On the other hand, the good news is that even if a diet is low in Niacin, the body can make it from the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in abundance in turkey meat.
Bodybuilders are familiar with the form of Niacin known as nicotine acid, which causes vasodilation and may help a competitor look more vascular before going onstage. But this form of Niacin shouldn’t be used during training; large doses of nicotinic acid (50 – 100 mg) significantly impairs the body’s ability to mobilize and burn fat.
7.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus. Calcium is necessary for muscular contraction. If adequate stores of Calcium are not available in the muscle, full, hard muscular contractions cannot be sustained. Of course, Calcium is also needed for the integrity of bones, which must support increased muscle tissue and provide an anchor during muscular contraction.
And don’t forget about Phosphorus. Phosphorus helps provide quick, powerful muscular contractions, which comprise the majority of movements during weight training. Phosphorus is also required for the synthesis of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the high energy molecule used by your muscle cells during contraction.
This nutrient is high in the list since bodybuilders typically avoid the fat content, e.g., dairy foods. Look for vitamin D fortified foods and get in the habit of drinking at least one glass of low-fat or nonfat milk per day.
8.
Thiamine (vitamin B1)
This B vitamin packs muscle! Thiamine is one of the vitamins required for protein metabolism and growth. It’s also involved in the formation of hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body (especially working muscles). The transport of oxygen is critical to athletic performance and becomes even more important as intensity and duration of exercise increase.
Making matters more interesting, Thiamine, according to research, is one of the few vitamins that enhances performance when supplemented and is increasingly needed by athletes. Not only that, but Thiamine requirements appear to be directly related to caloric expenditure. The more exercise frequency, intensity and duration increase, the more Thiamine is needed.
9.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Protein metabolism, growth and carbohydrate utilization are all made possible in part by the presence of vitamin B6. Like Thiamine, studies on Pyridoxine in athletic performance show a definite increased need for athletes and possible performance enhancement from supplementation.
The vitamin makes the number two spot for a very good reason: It’s the only vitamin directly tied to protein intake. The more protein you eat, the more Pyridoxine you need. Of course, this, coupled with Pyridoxine’s role in growth, had profound implications for bodybuilders, though it is generally not known or discussed in sports nutrition circles.
10.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Surprised? Most athletes don’t realize how important vitamin C status is to success. As the most widely studied vitamin in sports nutrition, Ascorbic acid has proven itself to be valuable to bodybuilders in many ways.
First, vitamin C is an antioxidant, protecting muscle cells from free radical damage, thus enhancing recovery and growth.
Second, Ascorbic acid is also involved with amino acid metabolism, especially the formation of Collagen. Collagen is the primary constituent of connective tissue, the stuff that holds your bones and muscles together. This may not seem important, but as you lift heavier weights, the stress you put on your structure becomes tremendous. If your connective tissue is not as healthy and strong as it should be (a problem often seen in steroid users), risk of injury dramatically increases.
Third, vitamin C helps in the absorption of Iron. Iron is necessary to help Oxygen bind to hemoglobin in blood. Without adequate oxygen transportation in blood, muscles are robbed of precious oxygen and performance is greatly reduced.
Fourth, Ascorbic acid also assists in the formation and release of steroid hormones, including the anabolic hormone testosterone.
Finally, vitamin C is perhaps the most water soluble vitamin there is. In other words, it diffuses very rapidly in water. Since a muscle cell is mostly water, the more muscular an athlete becomes, the more vitamin C disperses and the lower the concentration of this critical substance becomes in body tissues. So vitamin C requirements are greatly increased for bodybuilders.
Bodybuilders are notorious for overlooking these key components of growth and performance. Do yourself a favor and analyze your diet to ensure you’re taking in enough of the vitamins outlined above. Remember: You could have the best diet in the world in terms of calories, fat, etc, but if you’re lacking adequate levels of these metabolic spark plugs, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
