Low-Carb Diets – The Pros and Cons
You would have heard a lot about low-carb diets – they’ve become hugely popular over the last few years. So much so that many food companies now offer low-carb alternatives in the supermarket, and fast-food chains like McDonalds and Subway offer low-carb alternatives.
The idea behind a low-carb diet is to change your body chemistry. By restricting your carbohydrate intake, your body is forced to turn to your fat stores for energy. This induces a state called ketosis, so called because the breakdown of fat releases molecules called ketones into your bloodstream, which you then excrete in your urine. In fact, if you’re really serious about it, you can buy pH strips to measure the amount of ketones present in your urine!
However, restricting carbohydrate intake for any length of time has some risks, and should only be done under the supervision of a health care professional. A low-carb diet should not be seen as a long-term diet – it is too restricted in calories and nutrients to be healthy in the long term. Not to mention that you miss out on vital food types like grains, pasta, and breads.
Also to be considered is the effect that low-carb diets have on your muscles. What happens is this: when your body needs energy, it first turns to the stores of glycogen (made from the glucose – carbohydrate – that you eat) in the liver. After a few hours, this runs out, and the body turns to the glycogen stored in your muscles. Now, muscle glycogen is heavy, because one molecule of glycogen is stored with three molecules of water. So, when your body burns up the glycogen, the water is excreted. This is what causes the big drop in weight that you may experience during the beginning of a low-carb diet – most of what you are losing is muscle and water, not fat!
Now, if you like to work out regularly, you’ll face a big problem on a low-carb diet. You will quickly find that you run out of energy and can’t exercise. That is because your muscles haven’t been able to replenish their store of glycogen, because you haven’t eaten enough carbs for them to do so! Therefore, low-carb diets aren’t a good choice for athletes and active people, though if you’re pretty sedentary they can be okay for a short time.
I know a few people who have lost quite a bit of weight on a low-carb diet – with a few side effects. One woman of about 50 did really well, but found that after a few weeks she needed to increase her intake of carbs because she was getting the shakes from low blood sugar. A man, around his mid-fifties, also lost a good deal of weight, but after two months his energy levels were extremely low, and his low-carb diet combined with a low iron level left him feeling pretty wiped out!
Despite their risks, low-carb diets can be a really useful way to kick-start your weight loss – and some diabetics have found that low-carb diets can be a great way to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Just make sure you get good guidance from a book or health care professional before you start eating low-carb!
Jessica Wassenberg.
Jessica runs the HealthyFitGirl website at healthyfitgirl.com healthyfitgirl.com. HealthyFitGirl contains a wealth of health and fitness information and tools to help you get fit and stay healthy. It is also a place where people can gather to share their health and fitness stories, questions, progress, and experiences.
Jessica also runs Epheriell Designs – epherielldesigns.com epherielldesigns.com – the home of fun, funky, and thought-provoking clothing and gifts.
(C) Jessica Wassenberg 2005 all rights reserved.
Golf Training Exercise
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh are just a few of the best golfers that the world has to offer. Maybe you dream of someday playing in the U.S. Open against these men, but you can’t do it because you have a weak swing. The solution to your problem may be that you do not have a good golf training exercise program in use. A good golf training exercise program could be what separates you out from the rest of the members at your country club. Don’t you think it’s time to give it a try and find out?
The first thing you need to know before beginning any golf training exercise program is what not to do. First of all, remember that golf is a sport and all sports require time in the gym. Sure, your workout may not be as intense as a basketball player, but that should not keep you from the gym. Some casual golfers may not do this, but you have decided to take your game to a new level. Secondly, do not hit the gym like a bodybuilder. The type of exercise program that these men do is not the same that will help you. The strongest man in the world cannot hit a ball like Tiger can. Why? Muscles mean nothing in the game of golf. If you already have them, fine. Keep them, but its isometric training that will make you a better golfer.
Any good golf training exercise that you see advertised must at least come with isometric training. Isometric training is not like the regular training that you are used to. Using this method, instead of lifting weights repetitively countless times for countless repetitions, you do something totally different. Isometric training is a golf training exercise in which you dead lift a dumbbell or a bar and you lift the weight up. Instead of lowering and lifting again, you hold the weight up for ten seconds, then you release. That sounds pretty easy, and it is. Do this with various weights and muscles. Remember that this is not about strength, so the golfer who lifts 50 pounds may actually have a better swing than the golfer who lifts 200 pounds using isometric training.
Once you have completed about two weeks worth of isometric training, you should begin to see results. Your swings should be faster and smoother, and the ball should travel a further distance than before. A simple golf training exercise that can be performed with a club is simple: Before you begin this training, take a few swings from a driving range and jot down the distance that they go. After two weeks, come back to the same spot as you were before and do the same thing all over again. You will find that your distance has improved drastically. This was all thanks to your new golf training exercise that anybody can do who is interested in golf. Take these tips and we’ll see you at the U.S. Open!
The tips for a golf training exercise tips have been used by some of the best golfers in the world for many years and finally they are available to anyone.
Hair Care For Different Hair Types – Hair Care Tips
Your hair, much like your skin, can say a lot about your health. Most of us have complaints about our hair. Despite the problems, we choose to ignore it or give minimum importance to the same. As we ignore the hair problems, it increases and turns into a nightmare. We choose to live with the hair problems as most of us do not know about the therapies and treatments needed to cure it.
Factors affecting hair
a. Diet and health
b. Hereditary/genes also determine the hair colour and density
c. Chemical and drug reactions
d. Hormonal changes
e. Emotional stress and trauma
The first step to do away with hair problems is to identify your hair type. Often, a simple modification in our hair care regime can go a long way in getting rid of any complaint we have. Today, there are a wide range of products available in the market catering specifically to one’s hair type. A commonly asked question is ‘How do I know what my hair type is?’ This article will attempt to answer some basic hair questions.
TYPES OF HAIR
These are some of the regUlar hair types. We should try to identify which one is ours.
Normal Hair
Normal hair is shiny, non-greasy and easy to manage.
Oily Hair
Oily hair feels greasy even a short while after shampoo. It feels as if a conditioner has been applied to such hair and it sometimes looks flat. Very oily hair might slide out of the follicle early. Oily hair goes with oily skin. The scalp has a tendency to secrete excess oil, which makes it lank and greasy. It is therefore important to keep the scalp clean.
A hair care regime for oily hair would aim at removing excess oil and exfoliating the skin cells, which clog up and suffocate the hair follicles in the scalp. The emphasis is on cleansing and toning. Cleansing involves washing and rinsing the hair. It is also essential to rinse the shampoo off thoroughly with cold water after washing with warm water.
Dry hair
Dry hair is difficult to control after shampooing, it looks thin and rough, it is susceptible to tangles and has ends that are dry and split. It has a non-slippery feel and does not slide through your fingers. This doesn’t necessarily go along with a dry scalp. However, if your scalp is dry, you may develop dandruff and your hair may become thin if the dandruff is not treated.
The main cause of dry hair is lack of sebum in the scalp, which makes the hair coarse and brittle and susceptible to damage. Poor nutrition, exposure to the sun and over use of heated appliances can also rob the hair of valuable moisture. Brushing and combing will help to stimulate the scalp and distribute existing oils to the brittle ends. The aim of a hair care regime for dry hair is to replenish oil and moisture in the hair. So, the emphasis is on conditioning. Frequent shampooing should be avoided.
A generous oil application the night before washing your hair is recommended, as this will condition the hair and scalp and stimulate the oil glands and circulation flow as well. If your hair is very dry and damaged, apply a hydrating mask once a week. Avoid vigorous drying with a towel after washing your hair, as this will remove essential moisture. Instead gently squeeze excess water from the hair and blot dry with a towel.
Characteristics of healthy hair
You know that you have healthy hair if you find that it is:
1. Thick and dense
2. Fine and silky, which means not too oily or rough
3. Lustre-filled, having shine and gloss
4. Pliable, capable of setting and styling
5. Full-bodied and not limp or lank
Related Resources
Ready To Lose Your Glasses? Ten Tips To Choosing A LASIK or Laser Vision Correction Center
The world of ophthalmology is one of the fastest evolving fields of medicine. Never before have so many new techniques and scientific breakthroughs emerged in such a short period of time. LASIK surgery, which uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea, offers millions of people the opportunity to reduce or eliminate their need for glasses or contacts.
Television and radio ads are filled with amazing stories about LASIK surgery as the fast and painless way to correct vision, but stories are also appearing about people for whom it was less than successful. Before you opt to go under the beam, what can you do to help ensure that you will be happy with your results?
The key to safe surgery in any field of medicine is an informed patient. Take a little time and research the LASIK center you are considering for laser eye surgery.
1. Find a doctor by getting referrals from other doctors or from patients who have had LASIK or laser vision correction.
2. Don’t be fooled by fancy advertisements about a particular laser center. Choose the doctor, not the laser center. Find out who will actually do your procedure, then ask about that doctor’s qualifications (e.g., board certification, special training).
3. Choose a doctor who has done at least 5,000 LASIK or eye laser surgeries. What a doctor doesn’t know can hurt you.
4. Ask for information on your doctor’s LASIK eye surgery complication rates. If your doctor won’t tell you, find another one. For top surgeons, the figure is under 3 in 1,000.
5. Ask what measures are taken to prevent infection. Look for a center with a sterile or dust-free operating room. Make sure that disposable parts are not reused. Insist that your eye be thoroughly sterilized, and insist that the surgical instruments be sterilized before your eye laser surgery to eliminate the risk of transmission of HIV or hepatitis.
6. Beware of advertisements pushing “low cost” LASIK surgery. Discount surgery is as good as a discount parachute. The potential savings are not worth the risk of receiving less than expert care!
7. Expect to see very well after LASIK, but don’t expect to see perfectly. Each patient gets a slightly different result. The best surgeon in the world can’t guarantee 20/20 vision. As with any eye laser surgery, results are as individual as each patient. Beware of any doctor who promises 20/20 vision.
8. If you feel like you’re getting a hard sell, you probably are. Go elsewhere. You’re not buying a car; this is real LASIK eye surgery.
9. If your level of nearsightedness is more than -11 or so, implantable lenses will probably offer better vision than LASIK. Consider waiting until the new lenses are available. Ask your doctor about them and other recent advances.
10. While you investigate, don’t lose sight of the benefits: for most people a lifetime of bad vision can be cured in 5 minutes. LASIK eye surgery has improved the eyesight of millions of people around the world.
Dr. Maloney is director of the Maloney Vision Institute, located at 10921 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, California 90024, 1-877-EYESIGHT. For more information about LASIK surgery, visit maloneyvision.com maloneyvision.com
Treadmill Consumer Guide
When looking for a treadmill consumer guide, you won’t have to look much farther than the Internet, or the nearest bookstore’s magazine display. Just a quick online search delivered eleven different experts, folks who used their knowledge of athletics and exercise regimens to produce their own unique treadmill consumer guide.
Prevention Magazine, that well-known holistic harbinger of health, provides its own treadmill consumer guide, recommending treadmills at the low end of the price scale. The four $800-$1500 machines recommended in its study include two manufactured by Smooth, as well as the ProForm 950 SEL and the HealthRider T90.
Advanced Fitness, a site devised by manufacturer Smooth Treadmills offers its own treadmill consumer guide, which, while jam packed with helpful insight by users themselves, may not be all that objective. Users were asked to rate from 1-10 nine areas of the treadmills they used. As their part in the treadmill consumer guide, they rated cushioning, smoothness, noise level, stability, warranty and the level of service offered by the manufacturer. In this treadmill consumer guide the equipment was divided into three price ranges – economy, mid-range and premium. What brings this study into question is the fact that one of Smooth’s treadmills earned top honors in all three categories.
Epinions.com provides an especially informative treadmill consumer guide. Rather than focusing on the “best of the best” Epinions’ offers information about features and quality for more than 300 treadmills.
If you’re a serious athlete who wants to know about high-end made-touch workout equipment you’ll want to peruse the Runner’s World treadmill consumer guide. Here you’ll find reviews of top notch but costly models such as Nordic Track 8600, True’s 540 HRC, the Pro Elite by PaceMaster and Precor’s M9.33.
Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Treadmill-Solutions.com Treadmill-Solutions.com. He provides more treadmill ratings, rankings and treadmill-solutions.com/Treadmill-Reviews.html treadmill reviews that you can research in your pajamas on his website.
What are the Causes of Chronic Bad Breath
Have you ever been around someone that has bad breath all the time? It’s hard enough to have a conversation with someone that has halitosis, but when that problem follows you around it is almost unbearable. Some people don’t have a difficult time telling others that they have a problem with bad breath, and others don’t like to say a thing. While it may hurt a little when you are told that you have a problem, the person that told you is actually doing you a great favor, because those people that have a problem with chronic bad breath rarely know that they have the problem. So what are the causes of chronic bad breath and how do you treat it?
When a case of bad breath becomes chronic it is generally more than just a case of poor oral hygiene. Sure, brushing your teeth and your tongue, along with regular flossing and gargeling is important, but most of the time the causes of chronic bad breath run much deeper than that. Sometimes the problem is with your teeth, or one of your teeth to be more specific. A rotting tooth can cause quite a bit of stench, and if that is a problem for you then you should go see a dentist and have it fixed. The smell might also be coming from further back that the oral cavity and reside in the esophagus. If that is the case then no amount of brushing is going to help, you are going to have to treat the cause of the problem, not the symptom itself. Another possibility is that it isn’t bad breath at all. Many people who are suffering from a sinus infection will have a problem with odor coming out of their nostrils. While this typically smells different than bad breath it can be unpleasant all the same.
Treating bad breath is best if you are able to do it naturally, and attack the source of the problem instead of trying to cover over the odor, which is the symptom. Confide in a friend who will tell you if you have conquered the problem or not, and try hitting the possible causes one at a time until you have uncovered the right one.
If you are tired of treating the bad breath symptoms without curing the disease then visit us online for our special report on natural bad breath relief. You can click on our website at nice-breath.info/ nice-breath.info/
Download the special nice-breath.info/ bad breath report now for relief from halitosis using common household ingredients.
Buying A Treadmill — What You Need To Know
Of all the various types of home exercise equipment that have come and gone, the home exercise treadmill has lasted throughout the years. Treadmills are simple to use. There are many competing models of treadmills to choose between.
Treadmills can have an AC or a DC powered motor. A few treadmill models are powered by the user rather than a motor. With treadmills you need to watch out for the impact involved when your feet hit the belt; your body absorbs up to two and a half times your body weight.
The console indicates belt speed and other factors, such as heart rate, mph, distance, etc. Many of the treadmills available have the ability to add an incline to your workout to duplicate running or walking uphill, therefore increasing the intensity of a workout. Safety features on a treadmill are especially important if you plan to work out alone or if you have small children who might accidentally start up the treadmill.
One of the key things to remember is that the larger motors tend to run cooler and usually require less repair and maintenance. The deck is the belt area on which actual running, jogging and walking take place. Notice that some treadmill heart rate monitors clip onto an ear or, for more accurate readings, strap on to the chest.
The newest models of treadmills come with many extra features. The more expensive treadmill models will also offer a selection of preprogrammed exercise routines.
A noisy treadmill can upset other family members or roommates and even your neighbors if you live in an apartment or condo. Consider the cost of maintaining your treadmill as well. Check out the level of noise that a treadmill makes during operation; something that many buyers overlook.
A major consideration when buying a treadmill is the construction of the machine. Commercial club treadmills are reliable and well constructed; do look into a home version. Any treadmill with a belt that causes jerky movements while you walk or run should be avoided.
Do your research; treadmills are an important investment, regardless of the price, and if it’s not right for you, you don’t want to find out after you’ve set the treadmill up at home. When buying a treadmill, the best savings will be for an online purchase, generally saving up to 45% over brick and mortar stores. The motor on a treadmill is also important to consider.
Probably the most important thing to look for in a treadmill is how sturdy it is. To make sure that your treadmill is sturdy and comfortable and doesn’t operate noisily, step on it and test it out before you buy. One indication of the likely longevity of any treadmill is to check out the length of the manufacturer’s warranty; the longer the better. Noise from the smallest repetitive sound can drive you nuts over a period of time and provide you with one more reason not to exercise.
If you have severe leg conditions, a treadmill may not be the best choice of home exercise equipment for you. Better quality treadmills provide excellent cushioning to limit the impact on knees, ankles, hips and lower backs.
Whether you use a treadmill to walk, jog or run, the units are very effective at burning calories, raising heart rate and developing aerobic capacity. Lack of wind resistance makes running on a treadmill slightly easier than it would otherwise be on an equal elevation grade outdoors.
And remember, home exercise treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness and much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of any new treadmill. Choosing the best treadmill is easier than ever. Take time to do your research, the same way you would any major purchase and buying a treadmill won’t be difficult.
For more information on Best-Treadmill-Tips.com saving money on treadmills and best buy shopping for treadmills online and offline go to Best-Treadmill-Tips.com Best-Treadmill-Tips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in treadmill tips, advice and resources, including information on Best-Treadmill-Tips.com treadmill ratings and treadmill reviews
Fight Depression – Three Tips To Help You Fight Depression
Are you constantly trying to fight depression? Hey, don’t feel alone. Sometimes it seems to just pop up out of the blue for no apparent reason. Medications have helped in the past, but only to a point and even then, the side effects are awful. You definitely pay one way or another. Unfortunately, if you suffer from depression, you may never completely get rid of it, depending upon the type of disorder you have. There is always hope though and by changing a few simple things in your life you can do a much better job of controlling it. Here are three tips that have helped me a lot over the years.
#1. Try to avoid negative people. There are some people out there that just don’t get it. Just because they don’t get depressed, they seem to think that everyone that says they do is putting on an act. It doesn’t matter to them that it’s been medically proven or that millions of others suffer from it. Some people are idiots and I recommend staying away from them. Your self esteem is very important and these folks won’t help it.
#2. Exercise regularly. Working up a good sweat 3-5 times per week will really help your depression. It will also make you more confident and give you a better overall feeling about yourself. Make sure and see your doctor for a physical before you start an exercise program.
#3. Get in a self help group. Some days I can do this and some days it triggers my own issues. I have a tendency to do things on my own, but sometimes it does help to dump some dirt on others that understand what you’re going through. I recommend personal counseling even higher.
Bottom line – Don’t just sit there depressed. I know how difficult it can be, but you have the rest of your life to live. Don’t live it in seclusion, unhappy all the time. Get up, get out, get some help and try to get on with your life. God bless.
Joe Stevens is a disabled veteran that writes articles on different topics that interest him or affect him. You can get many more tips to help your depression and anxiety by visiting articlesaboutdepression.org articlesaboutdepression.org/ or by simply clicking on articlesaboutdepression.org/ Fight Depression