Health and Fitness Center

Nutritional Requirements
By Stewart Hare

The factors that affect the nutritional requirements of an individual are the quality and quantity of the food they eat, the efficiency of their digestive system in absorbing and utilizing eaten food and biochemical availability.

The quality of food that we eat can vary depending on the soil and growing conditions of that food. Soil that has been overworked and chemicals added and also drugs and antibiotics that have been given to livestock and crops to aid growth are all factors that affect nutrition in our food and can affect our own body’s biochemistry. Nutritional quality of our food can be affected by the manufacturing process, storage and preparation of our food.

The quantity of food that we eat also influences our nutritional status. In developing countries malnutrition is a huge problem but in developed countries under nutrition can occur due to dependency on heavy refined processed foods.

The efficiency of our digestive system affects our nutritional status. Bad condition of our intestines will reduce the absorption of digested foods into our blood stream. Metabolic faults, sensitivity to certain food and the presence of substances like tea and coffee can affect the absorption rate of certain nutrients.

Biochemical availability is the optimum range of intake of a person essential nutritional requirement. This nutritional requirement is influenced by age, growth, sex, pregnancy and breastfeeding, illness, psychological and emotional stress, activity level and other factors like smoking and drinking.

Nutritional requirements change as a person gets older, because the elderly use a lot of medication their absorption, excretion and utilization of nutrients can be affected. Growing children have different nutritional needs to that of adults. For example, a growing infant requires a higher intake of essential fatty acids than that of an adult. In the same way there are different nutrition requirements for young and old there are also very different requirements between the sexes. For example, a woman’s nutritional requirements can vary throughout her menstrual cycle, also a woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding has different nutritional requirement to that of one who is not. Nutritional requirement vary depending on whether someone is healthy or ill. As diseases are unique so are the nutritional requirements needed whilst that person is ill. The same applies to psychological and emotional stress. When people are affected by stress their appetite is affected, this results in less intake of food which in turn results in less nutrients being absorbed.

A person activity level will affect their nutritional requirement. An athlete will need a different nutritional requirement to that of an office worker. Exercise improves metabolic efficiency in some people and increases nutrient requirement.

People may find that certain nutritional requirements are increase within their family. Genetics can play a part in an extra need for certain nutrients. Other factors such as using recreational drugs, smoking and drinking can affect nutrient requirements. Even beverages like Tea and Coffee can affect nutrient requirements they both inhibit the absorption of Iron and Zinc.

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Download Harmful Foods - What Not To Eat E-book FREE NOW

Website: NewBeingNutrition.com

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Sound Addiction to How Noise is Affecting You
By Tania Gabrielle French

So many people have a dependence on this substance that it s considered natural. Far from it. This stuff is harmful to your health.

I m talking about the addiction to noise. Yes, noise.

The TV-is-always-on-in-the-background-noise, constant traffic rumble, radio babble, and loud deafening music. All are low frequency sounds that are damaging your brain cells.

But they re noises everyone takes for granted. I don t anymore and nor should you.

Noise is the key ingredient to a stressed-out life. But why is it so addicting? Because it makes you think you re alive. Because it raises your adrenaline to the point where you wake up.

Spiking your adrenal glands this way is not good for your health. It s downright dangerous when done on a continuous basis. Noise numbs your brainwaves. For many people noise invades their day from the time they wake up until they slump back into bed.

Let s say the radio alarm wakes you up. After your shower you switch on the radio or TV while you rush to make coffee and a quick breakfast. On the way to work you keep the radio on to keep you company during your mindless drive. At work, computers and printers, heaters and A/Cs hum all day. You go outside to eat lunch and hear traffic pass you by.

Then it s all reversed as you head home, mind and body exhausted. If you can muster up the energy to exercise you do so while plugged into your iPod. By the time you hit the sack your mind is so overloaded with noise you sleep restlessly.

The plain and simple fact is that exposing ears to noise most of the day creates a lesser mind.

If you train in a gym that blasts loud music and has the TV disrupting your focus then consider switching to another gym so you can work out in peace and quiet. It s not a good idea to let music raise your heartbeat. Do that while exercising.

The best way to quit noise addiction is to check into some new riffs. And turn the low frequency waste off.

Music that simultaneously recharges And relaxes you is hard to find. Most classical music fits the bill and won t damage your eardrums or your brain cells. The only beats you ll hear are the good kind.

Soothe your mind and refresh your body the natural, quiet way. Choose positively charged classical music.

Tania Gabrielle French is a composer and author. Her music has been performed by Grammy-award winning artists worldwide. Having learned the ancient secrets for attracting prosperity, she is now living the life of her dreams. Tania s popular newsletter is read worldwide at http://www.artabundance.com

Copyright 2006 Tania Gabrielle French.

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Selecting the Best Online Weight Loss Program
By Elizabeth Radisson

The Internet has become a convenient venue where different products and services are sold and offered to different kinds of people.

Online businesses recognize the many needs of people and so they tend to offer products and services that would certainly arouse interest and generate rapid sales.

Obesity is one problem plaguing many people, not just in the United States, but also around the world. That is why many weight-loss regimens and product innovations are sold online.

It is bizarre how many people in Africa suffer from malnutrition and under weight problems, and many people in developed countries suffer from obesity. The contrasting trend is caused by food intake, though, in opposing directions.

On the Internet, there are more weight loss plans and programs being sold than there are weight-gaining techniques. It is because statistics indicate that people who fail to gain results from conventional weight loss programs tend to turn online for possible alternative solutions.

Finding the Best Online Weight Loss Program

Since there are numerous weight loss programs and plans offered online, how would you possibly choose the best among them?

Selecting the best and most effective strategy for weight loss is often unique for each person. A program that is successful for one person, may fail to work for another.

Do not select a plan simply based on the strength of the testimonials. Testimonials are difficult, if not impossible to follow up on. While many positive testimonials are a plus on the side of a program, it should not be your main criteria.

To pick out the best among the online weight loss options, you can also do some checking up on the company itself. Trust Internet sites that post physical office addresses or have phone numbers to use to contact the company. Give them a call or drop by their headquarters, if possible.

Feedback and recommendations from peers are also great ways to make up your mind when you are deciding which online program or plan you would purchase or sign up in. A quick online search can often turn up reviews of sites and products, as well as recommendations and personal experiences.

Safety

Do not be easily misled by claims made in promotions and press releases. Make sure you learn the specifics of the weight loss program. Does it require purchase of supplements? Is there an exercise component that would require special equipment? Is there a diet plan component?

Most online programs and plans for weight loss primarily offer special and recommended diets and gives advice on the timing of meals, the planning for food allocations and intake and the do s and don ts while eating.

Other plans integrate special diets with exercise techniques. Still others combine diet, exercise and supplements.

Moreover, also consider the price tag. There are plans to fit many different budgets. You may also want to consider offline programs available in your area. The personal interaction may suit you, and help you to reach your weight loss goal.

The key to remember is that it is a lot easier to gain the weight then to lose it. An online weight loss program, or any other weigh-reduction plan, will be futile if you are not determined to be self-disciplined, and put in the work to see the plan through.

If you are looking for an online weight loss program, look no further than the ProShape system. ProShape combines diet and exercise with naturopathic supplements to help you meet your weight loss goals.

For more articles about weight loss and obesity, as well as fitness and nutrition, visit http://www.AreYouSlim.com

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Creating a Cheap Home Gym
By Stephanie Foster

One of the big reasons people don t like to have a home gym is the expense. Treadmills and other large equipment cost a lot and take up tons of space. Then you feel guilty as you use it as a place to store clothes rather than exercise with it.

This is a mistake that results from trying to make your home gym look like one you might join. There s nothing wrong with wanting that kind of equipment, so long as you are sure you will really get good use out of it.

For the rest of us, a simpler home gym is more affordable, more fun and more likely to be used.

A exercise ball, for example, can be kept in the living room, and used as you watch television. If you have kids you don t have to worry about it pinching fingers, and they ll probably think it is loads of fun to play with. And if it s just you at home, you don t have to worry about it attracting clutter. A ball is a terrible place to store things.

Dumbbells and resistance bands are also great alternatives for your home gym. These are quite inexpensive, and you can have a small selection without taking up a ton of space. But if you don t want to buy weights, you can find things to lift around the house. They may not be perfectly designed for your routine, however, and experimentation may be required to get things going at the level you would like to work out at.

You can often find perfectly good home gym equipment at garage sales. This is great if you do want to have a larger piece of equipment. You can buy them new if you like, but since many people fail to make good use of the equipment they buy, you can often find it in excellent condition for far less.

If you enjoy aerobics, an aerobic step can be a great investment. It s easy to put away under a bed, and a great way to make your aerobic workout more challenging.

A mini stair stepper can be a good choice, so long as you get a good quality one. Many come with handles so that you can involve your entire body, not just your legs. Once again, these are generally small enough you can store them out of the way with ease, or have them in whichever part of the house you would like to workout in on a particular day.

The key to a successful home gym is that it works with what you will do for exercise. If you aren t really going to use it, even cheap exercise equipment probably isn t worth the money. Take your time and be sure.

Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.timeforexercise.com/exercise/ about keeping fit at home. Get more tips on affordable home gym equipment at her site.

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Addictions - Recognising an Alcoholic
By Michael Russell

Learning that your life partner or a close friend or family member is an alcoholic can come as a severe shock. This is particularly true when you have failed to notice that anything was wrong with them over a long period. However, you shouldn t blame yourself because the nature of an alcoholic is to be secretive and devious so as not to be caught out.

In some households, it is normal practice to have a couple of drinks after work, wine with dinner and maybe even a nightcap. If yours is one of those, then it is even less likely that you will notice if someone is an alcoholic. The same holds true for couples or families who socialise a lot in pubs or restaurants or other establishments, which serve alcoholic drinks. In these circumstances, if someone seems a little tipsy occasionally, the assembled company will probably pass it off as “one too many”, but what s going on when “one too many” becomes a daily occurrence?

Unfortunately, the signs of alcoholism differ from person to person. Some can consume huge quantities of alcohol, without apparent ill effects, until one last drink tips them over the edge. Others will get drunk very quickly, on what appears to be a small amount of alcohol. However, don t forget they may actually have been drinking since early in the morning.

Some tell-tale signs are:

- furtive behaviour

- lurking near the drinks tray at odd times of day

- smell of alcohol on the breath at odd times of day

- undue irritability

- defensive responses to innocent enquiries

Some alcoholics are so sure that they have covered their tracks that they will do very strange things indeed. A prime example of this was a man who had two friends who were traffic police officers. His route to work each day took him past their police station, so he decided to drop in and join them for a cup of coffee. However, he had made one fundamental mistake, following his early morning drink of scotch he had failed to cover up the smell on his breath. He was lucky one officer took him home and the other drove his car. He could have been caught on the motorway, been breathalysed and lost his licence.

Another obvious sign of an alcoholic in the house is empty bottles hidden in strange places, for example:

- rarely used suitcases

- the very back of cupboards

- on top of wardrobes

- in the loo cistern

- in the shed or garage

Many alcoholics will insist on having a drink when there isn t really time such as just before leaving the house for a dinner party or last thing before bed, having been drinking all evening. If you try to stop them, they will become bad-tempered and argumentative.

When you become convinced that the person in question is addicted to alcohol, check with a few close family friends to have your suspicions confirmed. If they too believe that there is a problem, then there almost certainly is. When you confront the alcoholic, they will vehemently deny that anything is wrong, so it s as well to have a second opinion to bolster your confidence.

Well, you ve done the easy bit you ve recognised that your friend or lover is an alcoholic all you have to do now is get them to recognise it and seek treatment.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to href="http://addictions-guide.com/">Addictions

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