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Getting On The Right Path With Vitamins And Minerals

Getting an adequate amount of nutrients is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. However, many people do not know which vitamins are most important, or how to find the right supplements. This article provides some tips that are meant to help you find the right supplements.

Vitamins and minerals are a great way to prevent aging and retain that youthful appearance and resilience we had in our younger days. As you get older, you tend to start requiring more nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals to keep your skin soft, fight off colds and promote energy that we would consume far more quickly by relying only on the foods we eat.

If you are lacking in the vitamin department, you should consider changing your diet. While many people take this as a sign that they need to run to the store and buy a supplement, most of the nutrients you need can be found in food. Do a little research in order to figure out what changes need to be made.

Never ignore the product warnings on vitamin levels. Vitamin and supplements can have serious side effects when taken with prescription and over the counter medicines. Ginseng can be very dangerous if you have high blood pressure or take heart medications. Lycopene can be deadly if you have a tomato allergy. Always read the warning labels or ask your pharmacist or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.

Vitamin A is a critical antioxidant that enhances the immune system, ameliorates vision, reduces risk of heart issues and retards the skin's aging process. Even so, it can be dangerous if you take too much, so stick to the recommended dosage. Squash, carrots and dark leafy greens provide vitamin A.

It is not a good idea to just buy a bottle of the cheapest vitamin/mineral supplement you can find on the shelf. Many of these supplements are made with chemical substitutes of the natural nutrient you need. Before you invest your money in any supplement, do your research so you can make a wise decision.

Some vitamins are stored in your body, and others are not. Water-soluable vitamins dissolve in the fluids in your body and are flushed out regularly. These vitamins include B vitamins and vitamin C. Because these vitamins are not stored in your body, it is important to consume these vitamins each day.

Before you begin taking any supplements at all, you need to talk to your doctor about being tested for nutrient deficiencies. If you don't do this first, you may be missing out on the key issues which are causing you to feel less than great. Get this done and then buy your supplements.

Talk to your doctor before taking any type of vitamins or minerals. Overdosing is possible on them. This occurs often when too many supplements are taken, and the danger is real. The affects of vitamin overdose depend on the particular vitamin, but the result is almost always unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening.

If you are having a struggle with the daily grind in life such as working multiple jobs and your household routine, you need to take more vitamins. When we are unable to allow our body time to unwind, we need more vitamins and minerals to keep it healthy and able to recover from a hectic schedule.

Your body needs a number of minerals and vitamins to properly function. If your diet is lacking in some of these substances, you can experience many different health problems. Using the tips above can help you locate the supplements for great health.

Forget About Your Stomach

By Mehmet Oz, M.D., and Michael Roizen, M.D.

New research about how we store fat will help you keep your hands off the muffins.

When we think about losing weight, most of us focus on two things: the food we eat and the stomach where it ends up. The first part makes sense. But the second part is misguided. It's not a big stomach that gives us our beer belly, but a layer of fat called the omentum, which hangs in front of our intestines and stomach. And it's how food interacts with our small intestine, not our stomach, that helps determine how big the omentum gets.

Let's start with the small intestine. The first thing to note is that it's where food is absorbed into the body. You can actually live without much of a stomach (think of all those people who get gastric-bypass surgery — their stomachs are reduced to the size of a walnut), but you cannot survive without a small intestine.

Maybe you knew that much. But here are three things you didn't know about your gut.

1. Marijuana is the future of medical weight loss. Okay, not really, but it's like this: The omentum, the flabby thing located near the stomach, is the most important part of your body's fat-delivery system. It stores fat for when you really need it — like when famine season is approaching (i.e., never). There are receptors in the omentum that cause people to want to eat; back in famine time, these receptors made people chow on ants, worms, seeds — anything that would help store extra fat for when food became scarce. Oddly, these same receptors in your brain sense marijuana, which is why you get the munchies when you smoke pot. (Hence their name: cannabinoid receptors.) Bad things can happen when they become stimulated by pot or stress: Not only does your omentum begin storing fat — making you fatter — it also instructs the liver to make more cholesterol, and it triggers your muscles to ignore the natural effects of insulin, which can cause diabetes. Researchers have found recently that some of us are genetically predisposed to having these receptors work against us, and scientists are currently working on new diet drugs that are rooted in the way illegal narcotics work. The good news? It's in the nature of the omentum to want to make itself disappear. If you eat well and exercise fairly consistently, you'll lose as much as two inches of omental fat in one month.

2. Eating fiber before 10 a.m. is easy and essential. Why is breakfast good for you? How can it be good for you to eat more food when you're dieting? Well, it's not, if that food is a bag of doughnuts. But if you have a high-fiber breakfast, the fiber will slow down the absorption and the movement of food through your intestines. It slams shut this valve at the end of the small intestine called the ileal brake — like the brake on a train that the conductor pulls. It literally closes, because the small bowel feels the fiber in it and doesn't want to let go of it, so the food moves more slowly through your system. And guess what? You're full for longer.

3. Your small intestine has moods. You can actually keep your small intestine healthy and happy. Yes, happy. It contains as many neurons as your spinal column. In many ways, the small intestine is like a second brain. Ninety-five percent of your serotonin — the brain's mood-regulating chemical — is contained in your small intestine's elaborate network of nerves. That's a big reason why we feel strong emotions like fear, anticipation, and love deep in our guts as well as our minds. The intestine's nerves can also suffer from the same diseases that affect the brain. A lack of adequate serotonin in the gut can cause an irritable bowel, just as low levels in the brain can cause depression.

Differences - Pilates vs. Yoga

Article source: MD-health.com   This article provides useful information if you are unaware of the differences or if you are trying to decide between Pilates or Yoga exercise.  It introduces origins and basic differences between the two. It also presents a viewpoint of some of their benefits and ways to combine both routines.

Fitness incorporates physical fitness with mental fitness. Both Pilates and yoga use different body positions to stretch and strengthen the body, while focusing the mind and connecting the two. When it comes to Yoga vs. Pilates, they have similar attributes but also have some differences. When looking into a “mind and body” fitness routine, understand there are different types of Pilates and yoga. If you are thinking about whether to practice yoga or Pilates, this article will help you understand both of them.

Pilates vs. Yoga: Differences and Similarities

Pilates vs. Yoga: Differences
	Pilates	Yoga
The origin	An exercise routine started by Joseph Pilates in the 20th century. Pilates has grown to be a very popular training method for dancers.	Yoga started in India over 5,000 years ago as a spiritual practice.
Workout and benefits	Pilates can strengthen the body and give it a long and lean appearance without causing the muscles to appear large and bulky.	Yoga poses give the body more flexibility, increase strength and increase blood flow to the internal organs.
What’s the class like?	Pilate’s classes are structured exercise routines. The exercises and classes are fairly routine and the same every time. It involves a much regimented group of exercises that focus on strengthening the core of the body and the spine.	Yoga classes are set up by style and each style has different poses. Some of the styles are Bikram, Kripalu, and Ashtanga. Classes also include meditation exercises.
Breathing technique	Breathing is done in through the nose and out through the mouth.	Breathing in yoga is very deep, slow, and conscious. Some styles require that you breathe in and out through the nose only. This is known as ujjayi breath.
Mind body connection	Pilates helps you create a “mind/body” connection that can assist you in daily life.	In yoga, all three of the elements; mind, body, and spirit are focused on. This is accomplished with the deep breathing and meditation.
Core muscle toning	Pilate’s exercises intensely focus on muscle strength and core toning. The more often you practice, the faster core muscles in the abdomen firm and flatten.	Core muscle toning is an addition to total body strengthening, where in Pilates it tends to be the focus.
Style and poses	Works the whole body Uses Pilates equipment for core strength Mat work for balance and posture	Promotes healing, flexibility and joint strength Coordinates breathing with moving Increases overall feeling of well-being

Pilates vs. Yoga: Similarities

Both Pilate’s and Yoga give you flexibility and core strength Pilate’s and Yoga encourage a “mind/body” connection They both require focus on proper posture and positions Yoga and Pilate’s poses are designed to flow together Proper breathing is important for both

Calorie Burning for Yoga vs. Pilates

• Hatha Yoga burns about 145 calories per 50 minute class
• Power Yoga burns about 250 calories per 50 minute class
• Pilates burns about 175 calories per 50 minute workout.
• Power Pilates burns about 255 to 375 calories per 45 to 60 minute workout

Yoga or Pilates, Which One Is the Best for You?

Choosing whether to do Pilates or Yoga depends on a few different things. Here are a few ways to help you choose which workout would benefit you the best:

1.       Mind/Body Connection

If you want your exercise to be a spiritual routine to help you reduce stress and connect mind and body, then Yoga would be a great option.

2.       Core and Back Strength

Consider Pilates if you really want to work your core abdominal muscles and back. Pilates core and back exercises are very powerful and intense.

3.       Health and Healing

If you are in poor health and need healing, Yoga can help improve the healing ability of your own body. It can also be good for people with certain health conditions, due to the “low-impact” exercise.

4.       Improved Breathing and Flexibility

Yoga focuses on very deep breathing and stretching of the muscles. If you want to breathe deeper and be more flexible, this is the best option.

What About Doing Both?

Some people research both Yoga and Pilates and can’t decide which one they want to do. For some, it would seem like a combination of core strengthening, mat exerciseswould go great with meditation. It is perfectly fine to do both routines together and those who do combine them find they blend nicely. You can do your Yoga stretches first and then move on to Pilate’s for your abdominal muscles. Then you can do your Pilates machine work and use that to help improve your Yoga poses. While doing Pilates you can incorporate meditation, and while doing Yoga you can use the Pilates power breathing techniques. You will notice yourself getting stronger and dealing with stress and illness better.

If you are trying to lose weight, you can take these notes into consideration:

1)      Try switching Pilates machines and doing intervals between cardio and mat work poses. Making brief changes helps to increase calorie burning by the body and increases weight loss potential.

2)      Whether Pilate’s or Yoga, both should be done while eating a very healthy diet. Reduce processed foods, fast foods, and sugars. Increase fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, whole grains, and healthy fats (avocado, fish, and olive oil). Drink plenty of water before and after working out. Try to drink coffee and alcohol in moderation.

3)      Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. Pilates is often a moderately high-impact exercise routine and may not be suitable for some health conditions. Yoga is lower impact, but may also not be suitable for some health conditions.

Super SlimDown: Pilates Yoga Blend