Fitness + Health

This post gives you some tips to make you remain fit as a fiddle at home rather than you spending money on expensive memberships.

You don’t need an expensive membership to a fitness club or a personal trainer to be healthy and fit. Some easy workouts can be done from the comfort of your own living room. Not only does it give you privacy, but also a certain level of convenience and a relaxed ambiance. You could exercise alone or call a friend over but always check with your doctor before starting an exercise programme. Here are a few simple things you could do.

Stair Climbing: If you have a staircase at home, you can get a great workout by simply climbing the stairs. To start, step up on to the first stair, and then back down. Repeat this move on the first stair ten times. Then walk up the first two stairs, and then back down. Repeat this ten times. You will definitely feel the burn by the end of this step routine. If you feel winded or dizzy, start slow. Stick with the first three stairs, and gradually build up your endurance over the weeks and months to come.

Laundry Lifts: A laundry basket full of clothes can be more than a household chore. It can also serve as an arm exercise apparatus. Hold the basket above your head, and lift upwards and back down. Do this at least three times. If it is too heavy for you, all you have to do is take out some clothes. This exercise will work your shoulders, upper arms and upper back muscles. Vary this workout by lying flat on your back, and lifting the basket up and down from your chest.

Commercial Break Exercise: If you are a couch potato, then commercial break exercise bursts are right for you. When a commercial comes on, get up for a burst of intense exercise. Do some sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, or crunches. Get your heart rate up. When the show comes back, you can go back to it. Continue the cycle throughout your shows.

Marching Dishes: Life is busy, so try to multi-task if you don’t have time to fit in a proper workout. When you are stuck in front of the sink doing dishes, march in place. You should try to incorporate exercise into your daily tasks whenever possible.

Follow these simple steps and you will feel fit.

I recently read an article about nursing assistant certification in health blog. The post talks about an interesting career option of being a Nursing Assistant.

If you have passion to be in medical field and to help people, Nursing Assistant as an entry level job can be a good option. But, there are few aspects you should be aware of, if you wish to choose this career.

Many people feel that this job, being an entry level job, is not so high paying. This entirely depends upon the employer, but, as you move up the ladder, this situation could change. Many medical professionals tend to be unappreciating about nursing assistants thinking of them as entry level job. Many nursing assistants might start disliking their job when they feel appreciated and respected by their seniors. These are few disadvantages of Being a Nursing Assistant.

There are few precautions nursing assistants should take. Nursing assistants need to co-ordinate with other medical professionals, so they have to interpret their seniors directions correctly in order to achieve the desired results.

This job, bearing high responsibilities, demands hard work, patience and flexibility. Irrespective of high levels of stress, your behavior needs to be balanced all the time, as you are the bridge between the patient and the medical staff.

Nursing assistants and communicable diseases can be closely related. Contagious diseases like cold, flu etc are said to be communicable diseases. The nursing assistants need to be alert about not contracting such diseases. They should take proper precautions while in contact with patients.

One should keep in mind all such aspects before entering into the medical field as a Nursing Assistant. If you are aware of ground realities and have made up your mind, then job satisfaction is at your footsteps.

Cardio workouts are one among most commonly taken option to reduce the lose belly fat. The reason is simple - these workouts are quite effective in order to burn the overall body fat. There are several forms of cardio workouts that one can opt from. Based on the research & studies conducted worldwide, given below are the three best alternatives among the cardio workouts in order to get rid of the belly fat in a short span of time:

1. Interval Training
While, the traditional way of cardio workouts essentially requires you to burn at least 400 calories in a single workout session, the interval training requires lesser time invested. To compare the span of time among the two, the traditional plan takes 40 minutes and interval training might only take as low as 4 minutes a day.

For some of us, interval training might not sound as a true cardio but it is proved with several studies that this means of weight loss indeed helps you achieve your goal. The key format is to do a regular warm-up followed by alternate sessions of hard & easy exercises. The workout ends up with a relaxing cool down.

For instance a 20 minutes workout in the interval training starts with a 5 minutes warm-up. Then you must do some hard exercises for one minute. These must be done at around 10 - 20% harder pace as compared to the normal intensity. Next 1 minute you decrease the pace of the exercises. The cycle of the hard & easy exercises continues for around 5 times. You end up with a 3 minutes cool-down session.

2. Tabata Protocol
Tabata Protocol is devised in a study conducted in Japan. In this sort of session, you initialize with the quick & easy body-weight exercises, like Jumping Jacks. Next, you must alternate amidst the 3 lower-body & 3 upper-body body-weight exercises. In this session you can take up squats, lunges, push-ups, pulling exercises such as rows & chinups, ab exercises for total body such as mountain climbers, etc. At the end, you take up 8 exercise circuits that must be some tough total body exercises such as jumps, running in the place, burpees, etc.

3. Kettlebell Workouts
For those who wish to think out of the box this is a fairly good option. The high rep kettlebell swings & snatches make your heart pound & make you sweat like anything! One might also choose to do this workout with the dumbbells.

We have written a short article on how to get six abs few days back. Consider this post as an eye opener if you are going to lose your belly fat and wanting to get six pack abs.

• Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks; they’re all a complete waste of your time and money.
• The perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that “ab contraption”. They got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies.
• You DON’T need to waste your money on expensive “extreme fat burner” pills or other bogus supplements.
• Boring repetitive cardio-exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs.
• Many so-called “health foods” are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that can actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat. Yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.

Beach season ought to be a sensual time of bare skin and sunshine. But for many of us, sand dunes inspire doom and gloom, as we look down regretfully at our winter-thickened bodies.

The best way to shape up for the skin season is to make consistently healthy food choices, day in and day out. But research shows that certain foods — from salt-laden salads to sugary summer cocktails — can actually sabotage our smart choices.

Indeed, some foods not only make us fatter, they make us look fatter than we really are, by causing the body to retain water, shocking us with high calories, and otherwise pumping us up in all the wrong ways.

Here are six foods that can ruin your summer fun.

1. Caesar salad

Salt binges can lead to water retention. And with the sodium-soaked trio of anchovies, fried croutons, and Parmesan cheese, Caesar salad is a salt mine in a bowl. But it’s not just sodium: Caesar ranks right up there with taco salads as the most misbegotten “health” foods out there.

2. Potato salad

This mayo-drenched spud festival may be a summertime staple, but it’s capable of doing both short- and long-term damage to your beach bod. The short-term damage comes from the carbs in the potatoes, which produce gas as they’re digested — cue the on-shore breezes — and the high sodium content: a full cup of the stuff can contain well over 1,000 mg of sodium. And this simple “salad” is one of the most calorie-dense foods on the planet

3. Chili

Chili’s paunch-heavy impact deserves a mention. Cchili can have you nervously clutching your belly with both hands to cover the swell-and-ripple effect of too much sodium and a big helping of beans (beans are the most abundant source of the bloating sugar raffinose).

4. Margarita

For many, the beach and neon-tinted booze go hand in hand, but this summertime favorite hits you on two levels: First, with a tide of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup that comprises 99 percent of margarita mixes out there. Second is the immediate impact of the salt-encrusted rim, which will keep all of that liquid stored up in your midsection. A 12-ounce goblet rings up 564 calories and 2,150 mg of sodium. A couple of these will have your belly looking more like a water balloon than a washboard.

5. Cruciferous vegetables

Nutritionists will tell you that cruciferous vegetables — including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts — are the best foods for any occasion. And they’re great foods for maintaining long-term weight loss. But we offer a single exception: the moment immediately before you don a swimsuit. These veggies contain a complex sugar called raffinose, which is not digested by the body. Instead of feeding you, the raffinose ends up feeding the uncouth bacteria in your stomach, which express their gratitude by giving you gas and bloating. By all means, go cruciferous after the beach visit, and you’ll fill your belly with nutrient-dense foods, not the calorie-dense variety.

6. Beef and Broccoli

Remember what we said about the raffinose in cruciferous vegetables? That’s the first reason you should avoid the beef-and-broccoli special at the Chinese takeout. If they serve it over lo mien noodles, the carb payload can create a gas build-up as it passes through your system.

• Vegetarian diet is one of the richest and most beneficial sources of calcium. Vegetables are free from contaminants and harmful substances which are part of most foods coming from animal sources. We can safely claim that a vegetarian diet is a good source of calcium and should be adopted to live a healthy, fruitful life.
• Vegetables like kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and dandelion greens contain adequate amounts of calcium. Kale is easy to digest and the calcium it contains gets readily absorbed by the bloodstream. Similarly, other vegetables belonging to this family are healthful sources of calcium.
• Soybeans, white beans, navy beans, lima beans and some others are fairly good sources of calcium coming from plant sources. However, they do not provide adequate amounts required to fulfill daily calcium needs. And because of this reason, beans are not considered as a very good source of calcium.
• Nevertheless, tofu has been found to be a fairly good source of calcium. ½ a cup of regular tofu provides up to 135 mg of calcium. Similarly, same quantity of firm tofu provides about 80 mg of calcium. Peanuts, almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds are rich sources of calcium. 1 ounce of roasted almonds provides up to 80 mg of calcium.
• Other foods listed under the vegetarian diet are almond butter, peanut butter, cranberry juice, orange juice, figs, soy milk, and Brussel sprouts. 4-6 of the above-mentioned calcium sources should be added to an everyday diet to receive good quantities of calcium. You can also add blackstrap molasses and brown sugar to baked desserts to receive calcium in good amounts.
• Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium. Try to add those sources which are also rich in vitamin D, iron and phosphorus. Fish and seafood is considered as one of the most healthful sources of calcium and vitamin D. Similarly, calcium supplements containing vitamin D and vitamin K2 can also be used to fulfill daily calcium needs.
• Recently, it has been discovered that a special kind of calcium carbonate known as coral calcium is very effective for long-term bone health. It contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium and many other minerals in just the right quantities. It is obtained in an environmentally friendly manner from fossilized coral reefs above sea level. It is pure, safe and totally natural.
• Calcium supplements containing coral calcium are very beneficial for health and should be consumed to complement a calcium-rich vegetarian diet.

I want to dedicate the very first post of this blog to dental health. I think it should start from something that could cause lot of health trouble if not given enough attention to.

I used to see traces of blood as I rinse my teeth after brushing? Do you think it is normal and not worthy of any further thought? Well, I had to think again. I was suffering from gingivitis without even knowing it!

If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to gum disease, which is the leading cause of some serious dental problems and tooth loss in adults. So here I have 8 tips for dental health.

• Be a strict follower of the “three-three” rule. You should devote at least 3 minutes 3 times a day to oral hygiene to maintain good dental health. This is non-negotiable and there should be no ifs and or buts about it. Anything less than this could deprive your teeth of the attention they need.
• Take the boredom out of brushing. Brushing and flossing are perhaps two of the most boring activities. It may just be the reason why people tend to spend less time doing it. To take the boredom out of brushing, why not try dry brushing (brushing without toothpaste)? This way you can brush your teeth and perform some other activities at the same time.
• Avoid torturing your teeth! Contrary to popular belief, using toothbrushes with hard bristles and applying undue pressure while brushing will not give you cleaner teeth. Instead, it will damage the teeth’s enamel and give your gums a hard time as well. So the next time you brush, use a toothbrush with soft bristles and please don’t push it too hard!
• Get it thoroughly cleaned. It would be wiser to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth the next time you brush your teeth. It will increase the blood circulation around the tissues in your mouth and may help minimize the amount of bacteria present. If you are prone to tartar build-up, you might also want to try tartar control toothpaste. Just remember to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance or Recognition when shopping around for one.
• Don’t forget to floss. The food debris, which find their way through the tiny crevices between your teeth, can only be removed by flossing. This is why flossing is considered extremely important in maintaining good dental health. For best results, you should floss twice during the day. You may also want to try using waxed floss to make the task a lot easier.
• See what baking soda can do for your teeth! Baking soda has mild abrasive properties that can aid in getting rid of plaque. It can also neutralize the acidity produced by bacterial wastes in the mouth, serve as an effective deodorizer and give your teeth a gleaming polish! For best results, mix baking soda with a small amount of water to make a paste and use it to brush your teeth, giving special attention to the gum line. Do this at least once or twice a week and see the difference!
• Eat a more balanced diet - Studies prove that a poor diet may speed up the rate of gum disease and may also increase the severity of the condition. To avoid this, make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs to maintain optimal health.
• Make dental visits a routine. Regular visits to your dentist may help you stay away from gum disease. So, please do your teeth and yourself a favor. Go visit your dentist regularly!

To prevent gingivitis and its eventual progression into a full-blown gum disease, it would be best to visit your dentist regularly. Only the dentist can diagnose the problem and give you the necessary advice and treatments. The suggestions or tips above can give you a better fighting chance to ward off gum disease and enjoy better dental health forever!