Health and Fitness Center

Weight Loss Recipe: Carrot and Zucchini Muffins
By Kim Beardsmore

Who said weight loss food is boring?! Our Carrot and Zucchini Muffins provide the perfect mid-afternoon energy pick and are still packed with health enhancing nutrients.

One cup of zucchini has about 35 calories. It contains about 340 milligrams of potassium, 530 International Units of vitamin A and 70 milligrams of phosphorus.

The daily recommendation for women over age 20 for vitamin A is 4,000 International Units, and 800 milligrams of phosphorus. There are no recommendations for potassium. However, one cup of tomato juice has 535 milligrams of potassium, a cup of strawberries has about 250, a banana has 450 and a slice of honeydew has 350.

Zucchini is a good source of fiber with 4 grams per cup. Be sure to include the peel to get all the fiber. Adults should get 20-30 grams of dietary fiber from their daily diet.

Carrots are nutritional heroes, they store a goldmine of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups self raising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup zucchini, shredded

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Beat milk, egg and oil in a large bowl until smooth.
Stir in self raising flour and sugar just until moistened (should be lumpy).
Fold in carrot and zucchini.
Fill cups about 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 servings
Serving Size: 1 muffin

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Calories: 114
Total fat: 4 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: trace
Sodium: 269 mg
Carbohydrate: 18 grams
Protein: 3 grams
Dietary fiber: 1 gram

Kim Beardsmore M.B.A., B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is a writer for the online weight loss, health & fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For free resources, tips and healthy recipes to help you lose weight and gain energy, visit http://weight-loss-health.com.au

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Diseases That Cause Hair Loss
By Maria Karla

Hair diseases are common in both men and women. The problem is prevalent all over the world. There are several factors responsible for hair loss. The causes of hair loss diseases may vary from person to person.

The factors causing hair loss include genetics, ailment, malnutrition, stress, some medication and hormonal imbalance. One cause of hair loss is hormonal imbalance and it may result in pattern baldness, a major hair disease causing hair loss.

Common hair diseases

The common hair diseases causing hair loss include the following:

Pattern baldness - Also known as pattern hair loss/pattern balding, it is a hair problem common in both males and females across the globe. The medical term for the problem is androgenetic alopecia.

Among men, the disease causes hair loss in a well-defined pattern. It starts above both the temples, and ultimately the hairline recedes to form a characteristic “M” shape. Hair loss is also witnessed at the crown (near the top of the head).

Among the women, the disease causes hair thinning all over the head. However, the hair line does not recede. Total baldness resulting from androgenetic alopecia is rare among women.

The disease is likely to be caused by a number of genetic and environmental factors. A particular group of hormones called androgens is related to this problem. Especially a particular androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main cause of this problem. Increase in DHT concentration causes changes in the scalp hair growth dynamics and it results in pattern baldness.

Hypotrichosis - It refers to the condition where there has never been any hair growth. It differs from the situation where there is hair loss in a spot once having hair. In hypotrichosis the affected area is completely bald for the entire life right from birth.

The general causes of hypotrichosis are genetic aberrations or embryonic development defects. The common forms of Hypotrichosis are aplasia cutis congenital, triangular alopecia and congenital atrichia.

Alopecia areata - Alopecia areata is another prominent member of the hair loss diseases. This autoimmune skin disease is highly unpredictable in nature and it affects not only the scalp but also the other hair growing areas of the body. Everybody irrespective of sex and age is vulnerable to this disease.

In alopecia areata the person s own immune system (white blood cells) attacks, mistakenly, the affected hair follicles. It results in end of the hair growth stage. The problem starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp. Then slowly it affects the entire scalp.

The problem is called alopecia totalis when it covers the entire scalp and is called alopecia universalis when it affects the entire body.

Seborrheic dermatitis - It is basically a skin problem. However, it can also cause temporary hair loss. The problem is referred to as ‘cradle cup’ in infants. But it is only during the puberty that the condition becomes evident.

The problem is generally found among the young people. It is rare in middle age. But it again becomes common among the 50 plus people.

It is more common in men than in women. It is notable that seborrheic dermatitis is unusually high among AIDS patients. The problem is seemingly caused by a genetic component. One disputed cause is the species of Malassezia yeasts. Changes in humidity or seasonal changes also commonly aggravate the disease.

Telogen effluvium (TE) - This abnormal hair loss condition is caused by alteration of normal hair growth cycle. The alteration can be caused by various factors. The disease causes a greater proportion of hairs enter the resting phase of the cycle and hair shedding is more than normal.

The affected person suffers from diffuse thinning of hair on the scalp. Thinning is not uniform. Rather it is more severe in some areas than the others. Usually the hair on top of the scalp thins more than it does at the sides and back. Usually the hair line does not recede, except in a few rare cases of chronic telogen effluvium.

Chronic telogen effluvium affects the other hair bearing areas of the body like eyebrows and pubic hair. Irrespective of the hair loss pattern, telogen efflivium is fully reversible as hair follicles are not permanently affected.

General causes of hair loss include vaccinations, physical trauma, surgery and medicine intake. Hormonal imbalance can also result in this problem. Inadequate diet can also trigger telogen effluvium. For example, a reduced intake of red meat (a key source of iron) is supposed to be a cause of this disease.

Stress also plays a crucial role in stress. In some cases depression and sudden intense anxiety may also cause hair loss.

Maria Karla is a beauty and hair expert. She has got many research papers published on She is also a visiting faculty in several universities. For more information please visit www.hairdiseases.com

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Smith Machine Home Gyms - How Fast Can You Say Versatility
By Mike Singh

The Smith machine is the most popular of all the gym equipment on the market. This article provides you with information about this exercise equipment. Many people feel that the Smith machine is the best exercise equipment on the market. The reason for this is the versatility of such a machine for targeting most of the muscles in the body during a workout. Combining the use of this machine with dumbbells and free weights can give you a complete body workout.

If you have a good machine it will be counter balanced and easy for you to control. This takes you attention off keeping your balance and allows you to concentrate on the exercises. The smoothness of the movements puts very little strain on your muscles so there is less chance of an injury or strain. If you want to lift weights, this machine enables you to do so without the use of a spotter to help you.

You can do multiple exercises on this machine. Some of these are: squats and lunges for your legs shoulder press for delts shrugs for the traps flat or incline bench press for the chest bent over rows for the back and close grip bench press for the triceps. Using this machine for your exercise routine helps you to run the full gamut of exercises for the entire body.

You can have your own machine at home if you want would rather exercise at home than at the gym. Even though it would be cheaper to pay a gym membership, having your own piece of equipment allows you to workout at home in private whenever you want.

Check out http://www.1-stop-fitness.com for articles on smith machine home gyms and rowing machines for home.

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Top 10 Steps to Building Gymnasts’ Self-Esteem, Self-Image and Self Confidence
By J Howard

Self-esteem is how gymnasts feel about themselves. It is shaped by both their successes in life and competitions and positive interactions with others including coaches, teammates and parents. Again, it is prudent for coaches to make an effort to do whatever it is that they can to boost every gymnast’s self-esteem.

Gymnasts See Themselves as Mirrored by Those Around them

A gymnast’s self-image refers to how they see themselves fitting into the world and the gymnastics world. To a great extent a gymnast’s image of themselves is molded by the responses of others around them including their teammates, parents and coaches.

Fate is a Factor

To a great extent a gymnast’s experiences in life are the primary factor. There is no possibility for escaping all of the effects of heredity, talent levels, body type and just plain good or bad luck. But coaches and parents can and do have a strong effect on self-image, self-esteem, and therefore, the self-confidence of their gymnasts. And coaches should encourage gymnasts in the effort to build their teammates self-confidence.

#1 - A Team Effort to Build Up Gymnasts

A gymnast’s view of themselves and feelings about themselves strongly affects their learning, motivation and competition performances. A coach or parent can help their gymnast develop a positive self-image by caring about them unconditionally, pointing out to them their abilities and talents and help them to celebrate their successes.

#2 - Cheers - Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Your gymnasts will be too young to remember the above reference to the TV show from before their time, but the sentiment will still be important to them. Everyone likes for people to recognize them and to be addressed by their name. Calling all your gymnasts by their name shows them you have respect for them and lets them know you have taken the time to get to know them.

#3 - Pay Attention and Show an Interest in Their Life Outside the Gym

Gymnasts have a life outside of the gym, which primarily revolves around their family and school. The smart coach will ask gymnasts about their family, their friends and their other interests and activities. Even more importantly, coaches will listen carefully and show gymnasts that they care enough to remember what gymnasts have talked about and said is important to them.

#4 - Play One on One

You can build gymnasts self-esteem and confidence by doing them the honor of paying them personal and individual attention before, during and after practice. Personal attention implies respect and that you value them enough to spend your valuable time with them.

#5 - Catch Them Doing Something Right

It is common practice for coaches to pick out and point out gymnast’s faults. And while in the short term criticism can help gymnasts quickly figure out what they are doing incorrectly, in the long run if they only hear what they are doing wrong, it will negatively affect their confidence. It should be equally easy for coaches to pick out what gymnasts are doing right, reinforce and build on their successes and increase their confidence and self-image.

#6 - Get the “Goods” on your Gymnasts

Coaching in a positive manner and building up gymnasts by praising what they do well, recognizing when they make a good effort, reward their good behavior and compliment their good performances. If you spend more time catching and acknowledging what they do right - all their “goods” - you will find they make even faster progress and have more confidence.

#7 - Learning from Mistakes Allows Progress

Gymnasts need to know from their coaches that they are allowed to make mistakes. Encouraging them after a mistake will make the learning process go more quickly and lets gymnasts know they don’t have to be perfect all the time during the learning process.

#8 - Gymnasts are V.I.P.’s

In the rush to use what limited practice time there is to learn new skills and perfect and polish routines, it is easy for coaches to fail to transmit to their athletes that they are a valuable person to the team. Gymnasts are special people who devote up to six days per week year-round practicing. No gymnast could even be on any gymnastics team if they were not in the top one percent of people in general and also the top few percent of all gymnasts. It is important that the coach makes them aware of how important they are and that they continue to feel important as a gymnast.

#9 - Unconditional Acceptance

Feeling accepted by the coach and on the team should never depend only on a gymnast’s performance or competition results. In a similar way to how parents should accept their children with unconditional love, coaches who have chosen team members to be in their gymnastics “family” should show acceptance of that gymnast. This is not to say that a coach has to approve of everything that a gymnast does, but they need to accept them as a person and as a member of their team.

#10 - Show You Believe in Them

When coaches expect that their gymnasts will perform to a high level, gymnasts rise to that level of expectation. The opposite is also true. When gymnasts perceive by even small actions and mannerisms of their coach that they are not expected to do well, they do not do well. This has been firmly established scientifically for teachers of all kinds. Make sure that you firmly believe and demonstrate to your gymnasts in every way that you expect that they are going to be successful gymnasts.

20 Books and Counting

John Howard is the author of 20 books and e-Books about gymnastics, gym design, gymnastics humor and cheerleading. More books are already on the way. He has 25 years experience and has coached State, Regional and National champion gymnasts, international competitors and cheerleaders at the National level in NCAA Division I.

For More Information

For more FREE articles and information about coaching gymnastics, you can go to our Coaching Zonelocated at: http://gymnasticszone.com/CoachZon.htm

Enter the Gymnastics Zone

GymnasticsZone.com is a highly informative gymnastics information web site for gymnasts, cheerleaders, coaches and parents with hundreds of FREE articles and information, fun pages and activities all available for viewing at: http://GymnasticsZone.com

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Viability Of Cord Blood In Treating Malignant Diseases
By Saurabh K Jain

Having the capability of creating life-forming cells, cord blood has emerged as one of the most extraordinary discoveries in the past 2 decades. The process of cord blood banking is a highly specialized procedure that is taken up after the delivery of the placenta. Numerous positive outcomes have emerged in multiple cord blood cell transplants over the years and this is why medical practitioners are prioritizing the collection of these stem cells. Patients who are suffering from leukemia, liver disorders, heart attacks, some types of blindness, immune system disorders, diabetes, spinal cord damages etc, get relief from their severe conditions after cord blood cells are transplanted to them.

Cord Blood Vs Bone Marrow

Practitioners have made use of the umbilical cord blood collected in several life threatening diseases that had earlier treatment options like drugs and radiation treatments, often a combination of both. Later, bone marrow transplants came as another alternative treatment to medicines, radiation and chemotherapy, though the later are still used in several cases. Painful extraction and application of bone marrow stem cells is one of the major disadvantages of bone marrow transplants. Moreover, the availability of the right donor is an issue most patients and their doctors struggle with. With cord blood in the picture, patients can be their own donors! The nature of the stem cells extracted from cord blood makes it even more valuable.

Stem cells drained from the umbilical cords of babies can develop any type of cells required to cure certain types of diseases and decrease the incidence of graft versus host disease in transplants. One disadvantage, however, is the cord blood quantity, which is undoubtedly less than what patients can get in bone marrow.

Success Stories

Following are some of the case histories of cord blood cell treatments, that reinforce the importance of cord blood collection -

Adult Leukemia

Benefits of cord blood preservation in treating childhood leukemia have been evident in the primitive period of its uses. Now treatments of adult leukemia with these cells have shown success as well. A patient, Stephan Sprague was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in 1995 and had been treated with chemotherapy for about seventeen years. Later, in April 1997, when he reached the final stage, he considered a clinical trial of cord blood cell treatment. After starting a cord blood cell transplant in November 1997, he went to become cancer free within 9 years.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A team of cord blood cell researchers transplanted stem cells to a thirty seven year old woman who was undergoing a spinal cord injury. Even after being paralyzed for about 19 years, she showed fast recovery. She was injected cord blood cells right at the particular area of injury in her spine. Within three weeks of transplantation, progress was noteworthy. She started walking with a little support and today she claims to walk without any assistance.

Krabbe Disease

Researchers of Duke University and University of North Carolina from Chapel Hill claimed to show outstanding progress in treating this disease with cord blood cells. Researchers state that newborn cord blood cell recipients, with no symptoms of Krabbe disease, have greater possibility of recovery than older babies.

Instances abound of the success of cord blood stem cells in treating various disorders. Cord blood preservation may sound expensive initially, but one cannot deny the potential a single unit of cord blood possesses. There will soon be a day when diseases such as Lymphoproliferative disease, Thalassemia and Fanconi Anemia will no longer be difficult to cure.

Cord blood stem cells can treat various malignant diseases like adult leukemia, spinal cord injuries, Krabbe disease and thalassemia. Success stories have emerged in areas where multiple cord blood cell transplants are needed. Doctors are prioritizing the collection of umbilical cord stem cells. This is one of the reasons why more and more people are opting for cord blood storage in a cord blood bank. Cord Blood Banking offers more information on cord blood preservation, tips for selecting right cord blood bank and costs of cord blood banking.

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