Preventing the common cold can be a dicey experiment from year to year. It always seems that illness hits at the worst times: when we are busy, stressed, traveling, preparing for a big event or presentation. I believe that illness is the result of these things and not just a unfortunate coincidence. Live in balance and you’ll notice that your health improves with it. Balance means eating well, exercising, drinking fluids, getting sufficient rest and maintaining a positive attitude. On the other hand, you can help boost your immune system by taking some herbal supplements. Try these: andrographis paniulata, panax quinquefolium, sacharomyces cervisiae, yeast beta-glucan, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B and Echinacea.
I get asked a lot, “Why do I have to supplement if I get enough nutrients (micro and macro) from my diet?” My answer? “Because you don’t.” Seriously. What do you think “supplement” means? Protein, creatine, vitamin and mineral supplements are meant to fill in the gaps where your diet fails. The problem is almost all of us are busy these days and are unable to prepare a naturally grown and perfectly balanced meal 6 times daily. It is almost impossible to consumer as much protein you need to build muscle. Do some research on what you need for your body style and weight to achieve your goals (whether weightloss, muscle building or fitness) and you’ll see how much easier and precise you can be by just supplementing properly.
Eat fish. That’s right, I am ordering you to eat fish. And do it every day. Unless you are pregnant or extremely sensitive to its affects, the trace amounts of metals found in seafood will never affect you in any way. In fact, you are more likely to have health problems related to NOT consuming enough lean protein and essential Omega fats than you are from the minuscule risk of consuming this healthy food. My advice is to eat at least 6-8 oz of seafood daily by cutting out some other meat source such as pork or red meat.
Hangover cures range from mystical concoctions to massive doses of vitamin B and water. Although the only sure way to prevent a hangover is to drink less, there have been recent studies that suggest herbal supplementation may lessen the affects the morning after. A study done by Jeju University (from the Journal of Food Science, 2009) on the affects the asparagus has on the liver shows that taking 1000-2000mg of asparagus officinalis will help activate specific enzymes that help metabolize alcohol in the liver which will in turn prevent hangover symptoms. Hrrm…. I’m not sure I would put all my eggs in that basket. I believe in eating naturally, consuming large amounts of fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of fluids and staying active regularly will always show the best results, but if you choose to pound Jaeger until the wee hours, your body is going to certainly tell you the next day how it feels about you polluting it.
Whether
your goals are to lose weight, add muscle or just
maintain a fit and young-looking physique, it is extremely important to
be sure
to stay hydrated by drinking water. That's just plain old
simple water.
No carbonation, no artificial sweeteners, no electrolyte and
glucose loaded
beverages.
Just
drink water and you will see the gains
you are looking to achieve without bloating or overloading on
unnecessary
calories or chemicals.
When you are
exercising, it is advisable to consume a minimum of 8 ounces of water
every 15
minutes to replace what you sweat out and maintain a healthy level of
hydration.
Whether your goals are to lose weight, add muscle or just maintain a fit and young-looking physique, it is extremely important to be sure to stay hydrated by drinking water. That's just plain old simple water. No carbonation, no artificial sweeteners, no electrolyte and glucose loaded beverages. Just drink water and you will see the gains you are looking to achieve without bloating or overloading on unnecessary calories or chemicals. When you are exercising, it is advisable to consume a minimum of 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes to replace what you sweat out and maintain a healthy level of hydration.
Make sure you include legs in your weight training since it is the biggest muscle group in the body and is the biggest contributor to overall strength. Alternating heavy and light leg days will help boost your muscle-building potential and will keep you looking healthy and balanced.
You should do a minimum of 20 minutes of your favorite cardio exercise at your target heart rate, three times each week to burn fat as well as other health benefits. When starting aim for 50% of your maximum heart rate, gradually building up to 75% of your maximum heart rate. After six months, maybe 85% of your maximum heart rate. This is your target heart rate.
It is optimum for the absorption of nutrients from food as well as digestion to eat your meals dry or with a minimum of liquids and to abstain from drinking 30 minutes prior to and after a meal.
Do your cardio as soon as you wake up before you eat to burn the most fat and to speed up your metabolism for the entire day.
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