Health Tips: Effective Diet for Gout

The diet for gout suggested in the early days was so tough and strict that it was almost impossible to follow. However, over time, the medication for gout has improved so much that now the diet for gout does not include missing on your favorite foods and drinks. You must always remember to balance the diet that you are having, excessive use of any particular items can be dangerous for your health in a number of ways. As far as the diet for gout is concerned, here are some of the basic tips that can help you prevent the disease from occurring or in case you are already suffering from it:

Decrease the Usage of meat & poultry:
Many people are not aware of the fact that the main cause of gout is excessive use of meat and meat related products. These products are high in purine, which is considered the main reason for aggravating gout related problems. Therefore, you will have to limit your use of red meat, poultry and even fish to not more than 6 to 10 ounces per day.  Along with this, say a complete no to organic or processed meat, which is full of toxins causing damage to your liver and general body working.

Avoid alcohol:
The use of alcohol is usually associated with problems in elimination of uric acid from the body. It is particularly true for excessive drinking of beer and rum. Therefore, if some symptoms of gout are occurring in your body, the best thing would be to avoid the use of alcohol for some time. Once the symptoms settle down a little, you can have around 150 ml of beer or wine without facing any threat from this problem.

Take in plant proteins:
The main purpose of increasing plant proteins in your diet is to reduce the amount of saturated fats that you take in on daily bases. Replace it with red beans, salads and fruit and vegetable juices in such a way that the body does not remain under nourished. Plant proteins may not be as rich in nutrition as red meat but they are exceptionally good in reducing the chances of occurrence of gout.

Drink as much water as possible:
Water is an essential part of the body; whether you are looking for diet for gout or not, you need to be careful about your water intake. Make sure that you take in at least seven to eight glasses of water or other fluids on average to keep the body systems in good shape.

Add whole grain products to your diet:
It may be a good idea to replace your regular bread and cereal with whole grain products, which are higher in fiber content but lower in calories. Along with this, they are great for the digestive track of the body and play an important role in the elimination of uric acid and urea (the main ingredients leading to gout). Apart from this, make sure that you eat a lot of natural fruits and vegetables since they have no particular side effects and are a great source of proteins and vitamins to keep the body’s immunity system strong.

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Health Risks Associated With Breast Implants

Almost all surgeries that are performed today have some risks associated with them. Breast implants are no different and even though the technology has developed enough to minimize breast implant risks, it is important to be aware of these risks before you make any decision. During your decision-making process, you need to choose a well reputed surgeon and has a lot of experience in this particular type of surgery. You need to discuss your surgery and case in detail with the surgeon and amongst the procedural details, you should definitely discuss the breast implant risks as well to make sure that he or she knows exactly what they are doing and how they would deal with any possible complications.

Some of the more familiar breast implant risks are associated with almost every surgery, namely, excessive bleeding, infection and problems with the anesthesia. As far as dealing with the anesthesia is concerned, make sure that a board certified anesthesiologist is present and that you do not eat or drink from the night before your surgery.

Even so, you may experience nausea after the surgery but this should probably go away in a couple of days. Other breast implant risks like infection can easily be dealt with using antibiotics; the only thing you need to see is that you should not be allergic to any of the medication prescribed to you. Sometimes excessive bleeding can also occur and you can minimize all breast implant risks related to excessive bleeding by avoiding the usage of vitamin E, aspirin and other blood thinners days before the actual surgery.

One of the special breast implant risks is capsular contraction in which the body forms a scar tissue around the foreign implant and this scar tissue can contract. Different surgeons have different beliefs about how to avoid this problem. Some of them think that instead of sub-glandular placement, sub-muscular placement should  be used. Others believe that regular massage after the surgery reduces the breast implant risks of capsular contraction. Another risk you need to be aware of is that of deflation and rupture; sometimes it is normal because implants are not bound to last your lifetime and therefore, with age, this can happen to them. Sometimes, the implant can truly be faulty, especially when it was not properly applied during the surgery or simply because the implant was overfilled. Breast implant risks related to deflation and rupture can be minimized, and these can easily be remedied as well.

Other Breast Implant Risks include displacement of implant or bottoming out, symmastia, Mondor’s cord, loss of sensation or complications with the scarring. With bottoming out, the implants tend to move downwards because they lose tissue support. With symmastia, the condition looks as if there is no definable cleavage; the Mondor’s cord is a hard vein like feeling under the breast or around the armpit. Either sometimes women lose sensation in their breasts or the sensation can intensify and sometimes, the scar can heal quickly or it can take time. Do not forget to discuss each of this Breast Implant Risks and their implications with your plastic surgeon.

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Love Handle Workouts – How to get rid of Unsightly Fat?

Love handles are the ugliest thing in the world. Your wobbly stomach is the reason for your bad appearance and it is time you take a stand and start doing something about it. Some love handle workouts will make you sexy and fit again in a matter of days. These exercises are effective and efficient and many experts and trainers have proved this.

Why do we have love handles? Our lower body or the waist area is a very easy target for your most stubborn fats. If you do not take the right steps at the right time then it will be almost impossible to get rid of them. They will start becoming big rolls of fat. Love handle workout is the best way to get rid of them, the earlier you start the better results you will get. Let’s take a look at these love handle workouts one at a time.

Bicycle Exercise
You will find this exercise very funny. This one is called the bicycle exercise.  Lay on your back on a flat surface. Place your hands exactly beside your head; arch your back forward slightly and touch your left knee with your right elbow. Repeat this same gesture with your right knee with your left elbow. You will feel the cycle motion, this will be best for your love handles because they will be pressed and you will start burning all those fats.

Leg Crunch
You will have to lie down on your back and keep your stomach side up. Now raise both of your legs in the air and make sure you do not curve or bend in the knee region. Place your hands behind your head, raise your shoulders, and bring them back down. This will create a little uncomfortable feeling in your waist area but you will lose your love hands faster with this exercise.

Reverse Crunch
For this exercise, all you would have to do is lay on your left side. Make sure that you are perfectly straight and your head is at right upper extremity. Raise your left leg in the air repeatedly so that your love handles feel the pressure. This is one of the most effective exercises that will not only make your love handles go away but they will also make your legs stronger and your hips and thighs will also become thinner and slimmer. Repeat this exercise on the right side as well.

Twist Crunches
You will start by lying on your back and placing your hands behind your head. Now bend your knees a little and start raising your head in the air. This should be done in such a manner that your right knee should touch your left elbow and your left knee should touch your right elbow. Do this exercise for twenty five times in one set and you will reduce your love handles in a matter of weeks.

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Can Cardiovascular Exercise Make You Gain Weight?

While bodybuilding, almost everybody is advised to gain weight but people do not know how to maintain a balance in shaping muscles and losing weight. Most of the times expert trainers advise their clients to do cardiovascular exercises for weight gain. Yes you read that right. Cardiovascular Exercise. If you incorporate Weight training at a higher pace (i.e. Cardiovascular exercise) it can be very effective in gaining lean muscle Mass. Most bodybuilders are using this to get the body of their dreams. There might be many misleading info on the internet that would tell you that you cannot gain weight with cardiovascular exercise, but if you have the right advice then you can start gaining weight safely within a few days.

Gain Weight with Cardiovascular Exercise
How does this exercise help you gain weight? The cardiovascular exercise can be taken in both the directions, you can lose weight with it and you can even gain weight at the same time. Many people think that they have to work out all the time. This will have an opposite effect; you will start losing weight. If you want to gain weight then you would have to keep one thing in mind: do not go overboard with it. All you have to do is train hard and keep your exercise routine fixed to 30-40 minutes. You would have to concentrate on getting tougher each week.

Do not lose heart even if you gain just a few pounds, your own motivation counts a lot. Keep yourself upbeat and try to exercise at least two days in a week. There are a few magical cardiovascular exercises that you can take help from.

Squats
This is the big daddy of all the cardio exercises. Squats will be your main exercise. Ideally, you would have to do two sets of squats, and each set should have fifteen squats. You can gain at least eighty percent of your weight through them. Squats will not make your legs bigger, but they will have an effect on your overall body.

Bench Press
Now bench press is very important.  If you want to gain weight with cardio exercise, then you would have to do three sets of bench press at least three times a week. You should do thirty-six bench presses (twelve bench presses per set).

Bent over barbell rows
Bent over barbell rows are also one of the best cardio exercises. You would have to do three sets of fifteen bent over barbell rows. This will keep your shoulders and chest strong and help you build muscle even faster.

Military Press or Overhead Press
Military press or overhead press will both be effective in your cardio routine.  You would have to do two sets of twelve military press or overhead press.

Romanian deadlifts
Now many people think that Romanian deadlifts are just going to make your legs look muscly and heavy but they make all of your upper body more strong, and you will get properly distributed weight gain all over your body. In your cardio ro

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Anti-cancer Nutrition – What are the Benefits of Red Beets?

Natural fruits and vegetables are always considered rich in basic nutrients like vitamins, magnesium, zinc etc.  However, while looking for anti-cancer nutrition, it is very important to search for a substance called Betacyanin, which is the main ingredient in most of the anti-cancer medicines.  This substance not only fights against the cancerous cells in the body but also helps in the protection against cancer in general. So in what natural ways can you get Betacyanin to keep the body healthy and well protected against cancer? One of the most tired and tested formula is the use of beetroot, which is rich in magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, fiber and folic acid along with Betacyanin.

This particular vegetable is especially beneficial for fighting against colon or breast cancer; even if you have not been diagnosed with cancer, regular use of beetroot can reduce the chances of occurrence of cancer in your body. Apart from this, it improves the blood flow in your veins and makes your heart healthy and strong. Many nutritionists are of the opinion that beetroot also helps in digesting your regular food and reduce the chances of constipation or related problems. In addition, as an anti-cancer nutrition, beetroot is also added in a number of medicines given to people suffering from cancer. Therefore, you can imagine the benefits of red beets on your body’s immunity system in particular and health in general. Here are some of the basic tips on the use of beetroot in your everyday life:

How to Use Beet Root?
Most people are of the opinion that the benefits of red beets can be maximized when it is taken in raw form.  It is usually recommended to have it just as it is i.e. wash the beetroot thoroughly, cut it into small pieces, and then have it like a carrot or any other fruit. Try not to fry it or cook it with other vegetables since the heat reduces it nutritional value; however, you can always mix it in salads or with dressings to make it more delicious. A number of people also blend beetroot juice with carrot juice to make it tastier. Juicing the beetroot is not a bad idea since it does not ruin the benefits of red beets.

What is the Right Quantity for Beet Root Usage?
As an anti-cancer nutrition, beetroot can be taken twice a week. Take two fresh red beets, juice them, mix them with greens or carrot juice, and have it with a light salad in your lunch or dinner. However, there is no hard and fast rule as to how many beetroots you can have in a day or at a particular time. You can have as much as you want since it is rich in so many minerals and vitamins. Apart from this, there are no particular side effects attached to it either. Therefore, whether you have a heart problem or cholesterol issues, you can have beetroot without worrying about any damages to your health.

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Proper Nutrition for Bodybuilding

What to Eat Post Workout?

The ideal return to the efforts of bodybuilders is a perfect body and perfectly shaped muscles. What many aspiring bodybuilders do not realize is that bodybuilding is only one variable in the equation. Without nutrition for bodybuilding, nothing is going to work out and this is the major reason why you may see potential bodybuilders in your gym wasting their time or taking much longer than it should take. They simply do not invest the time and effort in what they eat as they do in their training.

When you exercise, your muscles become tired and the energy in your body is drained which means that after every workout, you would probably have an appetite and this is where nutrition for bodybuilding comes in. This is because planning your post workout meals are extremely important especially those that contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates and protein.

However, remember that you cannot rely on any type and amount of carbohydrate. The adequate amount and the right source is important if you want a decent insulin release, something important for getting the strength back in your muscles. In this way, an early repair of muscles that have just been exhausted in the workout takes place when your nutrition for bodybuilding contains enough carbohydrates for re-synthesis and a positive balance of proteins.

As far as carbohydrates in your nutrition for bodybuilding is concerned, you need to keep in mind that since your workout goals are different so should your carbohydrate intake be. Post workout nutrition for bodybuilding consists of two different meals with the first one consumed immediately after the workout and the second one taken about an hour or so later. The first meal should preferably be smaller; something more like a snack. It should be easily digestible and this is why, you will see many bodybuilders and trainers consuming high in energy liquid meals right after the workouts because liquids are easily absorbed. With this liquid meal, you need to elevate protein synthesis in your body, stop the breakdown of protein and replenish glycogen storage. Therefore, you are looking at a protein rich shake for the best post workout nutrition for bodybuilding.

The best kind of protein supplements that you can use include Whey Protein, which is probably the most popular one, Dextrose and Maltodextrin, BCAA supplements, antioxidants, creatine and L-Glutamine. Use enough water as a base for your shake as it will help rehydrate your cells and also add enough carbohydrate in it. The second nutrition for bodybuilding meal that you will take an hour or so later should have additional protein in order to help building of your body muscles. Do not forget to supplement this meal with water for additional re-hydration of your body. Try to include vegetables, whole wheat bread, pasta, sweet potato, chicken breasts, fish, eggs, nuts, lean meat and brown rice in this meal, as this food is healthy and high in proteins.

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What are Top Gadgets for Fitness?

The beginning of 2012 brought forth a number of gadgets for fitness; the introduction of WIFI technology and blue tooth facility has made most of the fitness gadgets more efficient and accurate. Now you can easily check your heart rate, blood pressure and even diabetes while sitting at your home. However, as the mobile technology merge with the healthcare facilities, the chances of error also increase. Therefore, it is very important that you double-check the quality of the gadget for fitness that you are buying. A good idea would be to read online reviews of people who have already used the gadget. Make sure that you check two to three different websites before you make a final decision. Here are some of the top gadgets for fitness according to user’s rating:

Fitbit Ultra:

It is a very small and lightweight tracker, which looks more like a USB. Once you attach it to your waist, it starts noting down your everyday activities including the distance you walked, the number of steps you too, the amount of food you ate every day and other related physical activities. Once you go home, you attach the device to your computer; it transmits all the data collected into a figure showing the physique you will have if you continue your food intake and your physical activity in the same way. This device can be of great use for anyone who wants to figure out while he or she is putting on weight. The average price of Fitbit Ultra is around $ 100.

GPS Watch:

The GPS watches have not been a completely new thing. They have been in the market for quite some time now.  But the new series of watches issued in the beginning of this year are different in the sense that they do not only tell you about the distance you have travelled all day but also your heart rate, blood pressure, calories burnt and your exact location with the GPS navigation technology.

Along with this, it also provides you will a heat center technology that allows you to locate other people working out with the same watch as yours. GPS watches with a good rating include that of Nike and Motorola and the average price range for these watches is usually between $200 to $250 depending on the model and the brand you are choosing.

Wireless Pulse Meter:

People who have shifted to smart phones can also consider buying a wireless pulse meter, which checks your heart and pulse rate without having to strap anything around your chest. Along with this, it keeps in check your daily calorie count and allows you to play music etc. while you are working out. All you need to do is to strap it with your forearm, it has LEDs and special sensors that capture the visual while you are exercising. In addition to this, it also sends in motivating alarms and alerts to encourage you to work out. Once it gathers information of your everyday routine, it also sets your diet plan and workout schedule accordingly.

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What Are the Best Fitness Games?

Nowadays, those people who are interested in sports and fitness games are looking for a wide variety of games that they can play indoors as well as outdoors so that they can stay in shape and even tone up their bodies. For many people, indoor exercises are becoming more and more important as it is becoming increasingly difficult to leave the house. This is especially true in winters when it is too cold to go for a walk or if you have a child in the house that you cannot leave alone. Many people are turning to fitness games in the form of video games. It may seem like an unhealthy option but with the development of technology “Kinect”, you can play just about anything in your living room whether it is badminton, tennis or you can even learn how to dance.

After the development of Kinect, many fitness games have been developed that target weight loss and allow people to stay in shape with fun. For many of these games, you do not have to play alone; you can always grab a friend to play it with you, right in your living room. For a full body workout, Zumba fitness dance routines are the best, because they appeal to women of all age brackets. Make use of the Zumba Fitness 2 on Wii where all you have to do is to follow the instructor and learn the dance steps that target the muscles of your body and allow you to stay in shape.

For a more personalized fitness training experience, try out Fitness Evolved 2012, which is the sequel to the popular fitness game. It is not only personalized but also very extensive, you can choose from boot camps and martial arts to resistant exercises, cardio exercises or even a good combination depending on your weight loss or weight maintenance goals. If your inclination for the Best Fitness Games is towards strength training and endurance then you should definitely check out UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness Trainer, which is a mixed martial arts fitness game. One thing you need to be mindful of is that this game is not for beginners, if you have previous experience with Kinect games and you are fond of martial arts, then this high intensity game will definitely keep you and your muscles occupied.

For beginners to best fitness games, the Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board is a good option because it helps you start your exercise and fitness game regime on a regular basis. It gives you the motivation required because this game starts by asking users what their real age is and then informing them of their ‘Wii’ age. You can choose from simple yet effective exercises like yoga to aerobics in this virtual fitness game. These are just some of the popular options available for you right in your living room especially if you have Kinect. So get some of these latest and best fitness games on your video game player and set a regular routine for yourself especially in days when you cannot go outside your house.

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Swimming and Fitness – What Are Some Health Benefits of Swimming

For all of you who love to swim, you should take some joy in the fact that the benefits of swimming are numerous but for those of you who have yet to learn how to swim or who fear the swimming pool; it is a good idea to overcome your fears and master this sport.

Unlike other aerobic exercises, you can do a full body workout with no harsh impacts on your skeletal system. This is because when you are in the water, your body becomes much lighter. With your entire body in the water and just your face above the water, the water bears about 90 percent of your weight, which gives you a lot of room to move about, and your muscles instantly start working to resist the movement resulting in the burning of calories.

People who have arthritis can get additional benefits of swimming because moving about the water helps to work out sore and stiff muscles and joints. In fact, do try out all types of exercises in the water that strength and strengthen your muscles; simply put, a couple of laps around the pool should do the trick for your arthritis. Because water is denser, moving through it requires more energy, which means that people used to swimming have more muscular strength and a good bone density compared to people who do not.

In addition to all this, the Benefits of Swimming include the fact that you are moving your entire body, which includes the movement of all of your muscles and ligaments, something that other exercises like aerobics do not achieve.

For those wishing for a stronger heart, swimming is the key because it helps the heart to pump more efficiently and can decrease the risks of coronary heart diseases. One of the main Benefits of Swimming of course is weight loss and in fact, swimming is one of the surest and fastest exercise routines to help you do that. To burn the most amounts of calories through swimming, consider have short bursts of hard workouts in the pool followed by small periods of recovery in the pool. For people with conditions of asthma, working out in the gym or in the outdoors with dry air can be a problem but not so with swimming.

Some studies suggest that the Benefits of Swimming extend to improving asthma conditions like teaching people how to breathe properly and increasing lung volume and flexibility. The aerobic power of swimming can help you get a good cholesterol or HDL level by increasing the flexibility of your endothelium, which is the layer of cells lining your arteries. The many Benefits of Swimming includes warding off the risks of diabetes as well and helping people with type-I diabetes to increase their insulin sensitivity. If nothing else, swimming helps release endorphins that relax the body and makes a person happier. With each stroke under the water, a person can drown out all types of noises and meditate. All of these Benefits of Swimming combines can eventually help you lose weight, tone up your body and help increase the years in your life.

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Pregnancy Nutrition – Getting Enough Calcium

When you are pregnant, you need a well-balanced diet that includes a wide variety of nutrition including vitamins and minerals. You cannot possibly compromise on your pregnancy nutrition because what you eat will automatically determine how well your baby is developing. Calcium tends to be a very important part of your pregnancy nutrition because calcium will help your unborn child to develop strong bones and teeth, blood-clotting abilities, a healthy heart and healthy nerves and muscles. In case you have a calcium deficient diet during your pregnancy, it is possible that the child may grow weak or that he or she will draw calcium requirements from your body, which is bound to make you weaker, something that may lead to complications in the later part of your pregnancy.

Normally women do not focus enough on getting calcium in their pregnancy nutrition because adult women (over the age of 18) need at least 1000 milligrams of calcium a day before pregnancy, during their pregnancy and even after it when they are nursing the baby.

Some of the top sources of calcium include milk and dairy products like skim milk yogurt, fruit yogurt etc. Other sources include canned fish and cereal, soy, juice, bread and rice beverages; however, these need to be calcium fortified. So when you are out shopping for calcium rich foods, make sure that you check the labels for calcium fortified foods. You should also check how much calcium you would be getting from all of these sources to make sure that you reach your target of 1000 milligrams.

For instance, three ounces of sardines would have about 324 milligrams of calcium in it while one-ounce mozzarella cheese would have 222 milligrams of it. Other specific sources of calcium for your pregnancy nutrition include skim-milk yogurt, part-skim ricotta cheese, skim milk, orange juice, Gruyere cheese, calcium sulfate containing tofu, cheddar cheese, cooked spinach, cottage cheese, collards, turnip greens, tortillas, sesame seeds and roasted almonds.

Calcium supplements are also an important part of pregnancy nutrition especially if you know that you are not getting enough of it from your diet or if your doctor has advised you to take it. However, a prenatal vitamin will only provide you with a maximum of 200 milligrams of calcium so you might have it with another calcium supplement or with natural calcium sources mentioned above. Calcium supplements have one problem; your body can absorb a maximum of 500 milligrams of it at any one point in time so you will be forced to take these supplements more than once a day.

One of the easily absorbed calcium supplements for pregnancy nutrition is calcium citrate but calcium carbonate is another option, which is not that easily absorbed but it is rich in calcium. It is a good idea to take this with a meal for better absorption. However, be careful, in your pregnancy nutrition diet, it is important not to over consume calcium from any source mainly because too much calcium can create the risk of kidney stones and reduce the absorption of other minerals.

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