Don't Let Your Metabolism Fall

by: Jeremy Likness

It only takes a few key habits to raise your metabolism. There is no magic pill required. You don't have to put heavy spices on all of your foods or run in circles all day long, either. This article shares ten strategies to keep that metabolism elevated.

The technical definition of metabolism is the sum of all the chemical and physical changes that take place within the body and enable its continued growth and functioning. Metabolism involves the breakdown of complex organic constituents of the body with the liberation of energy, which is required for other processes and the building up of complex substances, which form the material of the tissues and organs.

You may have heard terms thrown around such as anabolism and catabolism. These terms refer to actions that take place within your body. Contrary to popular belief, catabolism isn't just the loss of muscle tissue. When you burn fat, you are catabolic - fortunately, the catabolism is taking place where you want it to.

Conversely, any time your body builds or stores (such as growth of muscle tissue or storage of fat) the process is called anabolic. Sculpting a lean physique means focusing on habits that promote catabolism of fat tissue and anabolism of muscle tissue.

One advantage to having a higher metabolism is that you can consume more food or exercise less to achieve the same results. A higher metabolism implies your body is expending more energy. Therefore, you can take on more energy in the form of food while maintaining your shape or even losing fat. While any one of the following techniques may only impact your metabolism a small bit, the cumulative effect can have a major impact.

1. Train With Weights

Training with weights boosts your metabolism in a number of ways. Weight training itself has been shown to increase exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC) - in other words, your metabolism may be raised for hours or even days after the session. Weight training is also the main way to stimulate the growth of muscle tissue.

Muscle tissue is metabolically active, so it requires calories even when at rest. Muscle tissue also helps increase the number of fat-burning enzymes and organelles in your body.

2. Supplement With Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are involved in the manufacture of hormones and repair of cell membranes in your body. With the right types of fats, your body can use these anabolically.

These processes require energy, so the fats may actually increase your metabolism despite the added calories you are consuming! You can add fats to your diet without increasing calories simply by increasing the percentage of calories from fats and then lowering the percentage of calories from carbohydrates or proteins.

3. Every Little Bit Counts

Believe it or not, simply changing some simple daily habits can have a huge impact on your metabolism. Do you play the game of driving around the parking lot for twenty minutes waiting for the perfect space to open? Instead, park at the edge of the parking lot and walk to your destination.

You'll probably get there quicker, and burn some calories along the way. Other metabolism-boosting activities include standing instead of sitting, taking stairs instead of elevators, and even fidgeting!

4. Don't Fear Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are not the enemy. Using the right types of carbohydrates can be a valuable tool for your metabolism.

For example, you may expend more calories consuming 20 grams of carbohydrate from lentils than 20 grams of carbohydrate from sugar. The lentils contain fiber and other nutrients that the body must work to extract, and therefore expends more energy. Look for fibrous, low-glycemic carbs and focus on unprocessed carbohydrates.

5. Fluctuate Calories

Zigzagging calories is by far one of the most effective methods for keeping your metabolism revved. Homeostasis is the action your body takes to "remain stable." In other words, if you drop your calories, your body will try to slow your metabolism in order to keep things the same.

By zigzagging calories, you may be able to thwart this mechanism. Some people zigzag day by day - for example, if their target is 2000 calories, they'll consume 1800 one day and 2200 the next. I prefer to consume low calories for a week or two, and then raise calories for a week, and then drop them again.

6. Increase Protein

Protein requires a complex chemical conversion by your body in order to be used as fuel. It takes up to 30% of the calories you consume to oxidize or use protein for energy.

For example, 100 calories of protein may take up to 30 calories to process. Therefore, increasing the percentage of calories in your diet that come from protein may help raise your metabolism.

7. Perform High Intensity Cardio

High intensity cardio, like weight training, takes you into the anaerobic zone of training. This, in turn, creates what is known as "oxygen debt." Even when you have concluded your exercise, the body is processing waste and recovering from the activity - and therefore keeping your metabolism elevated.

8. Increase Frequency Of Eating

Most bodybuilders are aware of this technique. Consuming food triggers digestion, and digestion requires calories. By eating more frequent, smaller meals, you continuously supply your body with nutrients while forcing it to digest and break down the foods. This, in turn, can have the net effect of raising your metabolism.

9. Eat Whole Foods

The calories that you burn during digestion are due to the need for your body to break down the foods. Your body must extract the fiber and nutrients, take chains of molecules and chop them into smaller versions to absorb them into your bloodstream, and perform a variety of tasks in order to assimilate foods.

When foods are processed, much of this work is done for you. For example, processed flour is ground into small pieces that the body can digest more quickly. This means your blood sugar rises faster and your body expends fewer calories processing the flour.

Whole grains, on the other hand, pack more nutrients, are higher in fiber, and force the body to work harder to use them as energy. Another advantage to eating whole foods is that many of the nutrients in these foods - such as vitamins and minerals - are cofactors in metabolic processes that your body uses to burn fat and build muscle.

10. Drink Cold Water

This tip is probably overrated. Your body will expend more calories trying to raise cold water to the temperature of your body, but the exact amount is debatable. It stands to reason, however, that integrating this habit with the other habits listed above can contribute to the greater goal of raising your metabolism.

Conclusion

These are just a few habits you can embrace to start revving your metabolism right away. You may have heard stories about people who have lost dozens of pounds simply switching to diet soda or walking a few minutes each day. These are all small habits that contribute to a big difference over time.

Healthy Digestion

by: Carolyn Bell Smith

Having a healthy digestion system is more than being free of discomforts, heartburn, gas, and constipation. When foods are not digested thoroughly, nutrients cannot get to the cell. Nutrients are captured as food passes through the digestive system. The body needs a constant flow of nutrients, to grow, generate energy, and to repair tissue.

A lack of digestive enzymes in the stomach and intestines causes heartburn, indigestion, bloating, gas, and constipation. It would be beneficial to take a digestive enzyme to help to eliminate these symptoms.

Without giving much thought to digestion, one thinks: food is placed into the mouth, chew, swallow, and digestion, not so. Nutrients are vital to every cell in the body, with the right mixture of nutrients, the nerves signal the digestion to take place. Making the right food and supplement choices, exercising, and taking herbal extracts, support the digestive system. Enzymes and nutrition makes a healthy digestion system and transforms food into energy for the body to use.

The body will function properly when it is given what is needed; it has 1,300 different enzymes that cause the body to function disease free. Most people are void of the proper nutrients and enzymes, thereby causing diseases. The body has healing powers, when given the right fuel it will respond quickly. An organic whole food supplement has many nutrients working synergistically making the nutrients more available and effective.

Not only does the body need supplements, but also more importantly, it needs a non-chemically manufactured supplement because the body does not recognize chemically manufactured supplements. These vitamins and minerals are extracted separately, are recognized as isolated nutrients, and cannot possible compare to organic supplements.

Vitamins may come from a natural source, but often times, because of processing, it is not natural. Perhaps this is why many scientists and doctors say taking a large quantity of vitamin supplements only pass through the body producing expensive urine.

The key is to think organic, what the body recognizes and will absorb. Whole organic food supplement contain nutrients, living enzymes and life force energy.

Dog Flu: Can Your Dog Get It?

by: Neal Kennedy

Dog flu, a highly contagious and sometimes deadly canine disease has been detected in a number of states and may be spreading around the country.

Researchers reported that the mysterious dog flu is an influenza strain that jumped from horses to dogs.

The dog flu is highly similar to the equine flu that's been in the U.S. for more than 40 years. Influenza has never before occurred in dogs.

Humans don't get the virus from horses, and it's unlikely they'll get it from dogs, according to experts at the Influenza Branch of the Centers for Disease Control.

The medical term for dog flu is H3N8 influenza virus.

Symptoms of canine flu are a lot like those of "kennel cough." Dogs with symptoms may have a nagging cough, fever, and nasal discharge.

Dogs with canine flu are susceptible to getting pneumonia.

Canine flu made the news earlier this year as greyhound racetracks closed to control outbreaks. Veterinarians struggled to tell if the illness was a new variant of kennel cough or an entirely new disease. It was first detected at a Florida racetrack and several dogs died from it.

Tests of blood stored by racetracks suggests the new canine flu strain began infecting dogs sometime between 1999 and 2003, well before the first outbreaks were recognized.

The announcement follows months of rumors and growing worry among dog-lovers, about canine flu.

Researchers have been working on a canine flu vaccine for three months. It's not yet known how long it would take for such a flu vaccine to be to developed, tested, manufactured, and distributed for veterinary use.

How To Lower Your Risk Of Catching Flu (Including Bird Flu)

by: Sarah Jenkins



Influenza is in no way a new ailment to plague the people of the world. However, a new deadly strand of the virus has everyone running for cover. How do you avoid catching flu, including the dangerous bird flu that threatens so many?

First, it should be explained that bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a virus much like the regular flu we are accustomed to. It is transmitted in much the same way, through droplets of saliva and mucus. However, bird flu is currently only transmitted from infected birds to humans and can not be passed from human to human like the regular flu. The main concern arises with bird flu as it is expected to mutate and at some point be transmitted by humans as well. Until this takes place, bird flu is only passed from infected birds to humans by way of direct contact with the animal or its feces.

The current outbreak of bird flu is taking place in Asia; therefore, there is little concern of catching the virus unless you are in that region and handling fowl. However, once the virus mutates it will be transmitted much like the standard flu and may be avoided in much the same way.

The obvious first step in lowering your risk of catching the virus is being administered a vaccine. There is currently not a vaccine for the dangerous strand of influenza, but one is being developed. With any luck one will be produced prior to any widespread contamination of the virus.

Another option is one utilized in most regular flu cases - taking antiviral medication, such as Tamiflu. These are expected to be effective on the dangerous strand of influenza as well as the regular flu virus. However, for this treatment to be useful, it must be administered early in the virus, typically within two days of showing symptoms. This and other drugs do not cure the virus, but instead lessen the effects of the symptoms. They may, however, prevent the virus from becoming severe.

The most effective way to avoid catching the flu, the regular flu as well as the bird flu, is prevention. Proper hygiene reduces the risk of the spread of influenza. Simple things, like washing your hands and avoiding close contact with sick people, may be your best technique in lowering your risk of becoming infected. Utilizing hand sanitizer is also a useful option.

Natural Liver Support Cleansing Products

by: Chester Ku-Lea
The liver is involved in thousands of biochemical mechanisms making it second only to the brain in importance and complexity. Natural health practitioners are also acutely aware of the detrimental effects on the liver of modern living, with its chemicals, excessive fat intake, pesticides, hormones, and stress. This suggests that we as a culture are in need of liver support. You should consider liver support supplementation if you:

• Have a history of a Fatty Liver
• Consume Alcohol
• Consume Tobacco Products
• Have been taking Medications/Drugs
• Are exposed to Environmental Toxins or Chemicals or Second Hand Smoke
• Have a history of Liver or Gall Bladder Problems

Dandelion

Dandelion root enhances bile flow, thus improving conditions such as liver congestion, bile duct inflammation, hepatitis, gallstones, and jaundice. Dandelion increases bile flow by affecting the liver directly to cause an increase in bile production and flow to the gallbladder, and exerting a direct effect on the gallbladder by causing a contraction and release of stored bile. Dandelion's hepatic tonic effect may be attributable to the high choline content.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been used since Greco-Roman times as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly liver problems. Several scientific studies suggest that active substances in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins, alcohol, and certain drugs such as acetaminophen (a common over the counter medication used for headaches and pain; acetaminophen, also called paracetamol, can cause liver damage if taken in large quantities or by people who drink alcohol regularly.)

Many professional herbalists recommend milk thistle extract for the prevention and/or treatment of various liver disorders including viral hepatitis, fatty liver associated with long term alcohol use, and liver damage from drugs and industrial toxins such as carbon tetrachloride.

(Inggris:Swine influenza) Flu babi

Flu babi (Inggris:Swine influenza) adalah kasus-kasus influensa yang disebabkan oleh virus Orthomyxoviridae yang endemik pada populasi babi. Galur virus flu babi yang telah diisolasi sampai saat ini telah digolongkan sebagai Influenzavirus C atau subtipe genus Influenzavirus A[1]


Babi dapat menampung virus flu yang berasal dari manusia maupun burung, memungkinkan virus tersebut bertukar gen dan menciptakan galur pandemik.
Flu babi menginfeksi manusia tiap tahun dan biasanya ditemukan pada orang-orang yang bersentuhan dengan babi, meskipun ditemukan juga kasus-kasus penularan dari manusia ke manusia.[2] Gejala virus termasuk demam, disorientasi, kekakuan pada sendi, muntah-muntah, dan kehilangan kesadaran yang berakhir pada kematian[3] Flu babi diketahui disebabkan oleh virus influenza A subtipe H1N1[4] H1N2,[4] H3N1,[5] H3N2,[4] and H2N3.[6]
Di Amerika Serikat, hanya subtipe H1N1 lazim ditemukan di populasi babi sebelum tahun 1998. Namun sejak akhir Agusuts 1998, subtipe H3N2 telah diisolasi juga dari babi.
Asal mula
Pada 5 Februari 1976, tentara di Fort Dix, Amerika Serikat menyatakan dirinya kelelahan dan lemah, kemudian meninggal dunia keesokannya. Dokter menyatakan kematiannya itu disebabkan oleh virus ini sebagaimana yang terjadi pada tahun 1918. Presiden kala itu, Gerald Ford, diminta untuk mengarahkan rakyatnya disuntik dengan vaksin, namun rencana itu dibatalkan.Pada 20 Agustus 2007, virus ini menjangkiti seorang warga di pulau Luzon, Filipina.
[7] Flu babi (swine flu) merupakan penyakit saluran pernafasan yang disebabkan oleh virus influenza. Penyakit ini sebenarnya jamak menyerang ternak babi, namun kini telah mengalami perubahan yang drastis dan mampu untuk menginfeksi manusia. Gejala yang timbul pada manusia pun mirip dengan apa yang terjadi pada babi.
Flu babi pertama kali diisolasi dari seekor babi yang terinfeksi pada tahun 1930 di Amerika Serikat. Pada perkembangannya, penyakit ini dapat berpindah ke manusia terutama menyerang mereka yang kontak dekat dengan babi. Lama tidak terdengar lagi kabarnya ternyata virus ini mengalami serangkaian mutasi sehingga muncul varian baru yang pertama kali menyerang manusia di Meksiko pada awal tahun 2009. Varian baru ini dikenal dengan nama virus H1N1 yang merupakan singkatan dari dua antigen utama virus yaitu hemagglutinin tipe 1 dan neuraminidase tipe 1.

Tanda dan gejala


Gejala utama virus flu babi pada manusia.
[8] Gejala utama flu babi mirip dengan gejala influenza pada umumnya seperti : demam, batuk, pilek, letih dan sakit kepala. Beberapa pasien dapat mengalami mual, muntah dan diare.
Penyakit ini dapat jatuh ke arah yang lebih buruk sehingga pasien mengalami kesulitan untuk bernafas dan memerlukan alat bantu nafas (ventilator). Bila ada bakteri yang ikut ikutan menginfeksi paru paru maka pasien dapat mengalami radang paru paru atau pneumonia. Beberapa diantaranya dapat mengalami gejala kejang kejang. Kematian umumnya terjadi karena adanya infeksi sekunder bakteri pada paru paru sehingga diperlukan antibiotika yang pas untuk mengatasi infeksi tersebut.
Menurut Pusat Pengawasan dan Pencegahan Penyakit di Amerika Serikat, gejalan influensa ini mirip dengan influensa. Gejalanya seperti demam, batuk, sakit pada kerongkongan, sakit pada tubuh, kepala, panas dingin, dan lemah lesu. Beberapa penderita juga melaporkan buang air besar dan muntah-muntah.[9]
Dalam mendiagnosa penyakit ini tidak hanya perlu melihat pada tanda atau gejala khusus, tetapi juga catatan terbaru mengenai pasien. Sebagai contoh, selama wabah flu babi 2009 di AS, CDC menganjurkan para dokter untuk melihat "apakah jangkitan flu babi pada pasien yang di diagnosa memiliki penyakit pernapasan akut memiliki hubungan dengan orang yang di tetapkan menderita flu babi, atau berada di lima negara bagian AS yang melaporkan kasus flu babi atau berada di Meksiko dalam jangka waktu tujuh hari sebelum bermulanya penyakit mereka." [10] Diagnosa bagi penetapan virus ini memerlukan adanya uji makmal bagi contoh pernapasan.[10]
Pergantian nama
Penamaan jenis penyakit ini dianggap salah oleh berbagai kalangan, karena telah membuat salah tafsir masyarakat - bahwa babi dapat menularkan penyakit ini kepada manusia. Untuk itu, Organisasi Kesehatan Dunia (WHO) telah mengganti nama penyakit ini dengan Influensa A (H1N1) mulai 30 April 2009 lalu.
CARA MENDIAGNOSA
Diagnosa flu babi ditegakan berdasarkan gejala klinis pasien dan riwayat kontak dengan mereka meraka yang memiliki gejala seperti diatas. Selanjutnya dilakukan pemeriksaan lendir atau dahak yang berasal dari tenggorokan pasien. Pemeriksaan ini gunanya untuk membedakan apakah virus yang menginfeksi penderita tersebut termasuk virus tipe A atau B. Bila ternyata hasilnya adalah virus tipe B maka dapat dipastikan bahwa pasien tersebut bukan terinfeksi flu babi. Namun bila ternyata hasilnya adalah virus tipe A maka ada kemungkinan penderita tersebut menderita flu babi atau terinfeksi virus H1N1. Sampel ini selanjutnya dikirim ke laboratorium yang lebih lengkap untuk memastikan adanya antigen virus flu babi sehingga diagnosa flu babi dapat ditegakan dengan pasti.

TINDAKAN PENGOBATAN
Meskipun telah lama ditemukan vaksin untuk mencegah penularan virus influenza, namun vaksin untuk virus flu babi (H1N1) sampai saat ini belum ada. Saat ini beberapa laboratorium pemerintah yang dibiayai oleh WHO sedang mengembangkan penelitian untuk menemukan vaksin virus flu babi.
Dua obat anti virus yang dipercaya mampu mencegah bertambah parahnya flu babi adalah zanamivir (Relenza) dan oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Penggunaan obat ini tidak boleh sembarangan karena ditakutkan akan terjadi resistensi virus terhadap kedua obat tersebut. Obat ini juga tidak direkomendasikan untuk gejala flu yang telah muncul lebih dari 48 jam. Pada keadaan yang berat, pasien mungkin membutuhkan penanganan intensif lebih lanjut di rumah sakit.
TINDAKAN PENCEGAHAN
Cara paling ampuh untuk mencegah penularan virus flu babi pada prinsipnya sama dengan cara mencegah penularan virus influenza yang lain yaitu vaksinasi. Sayangnya vaksin untuk flu babi sampai saat ini belum ditemukan.
Cara lain untuk mencegah penularan virus ini adalah dengan meminimalisir kontak dengan virus seperti mencuci tangan sesering mungkin, jangan menyentuh wajah anda terutama hidung dan mulut serta menghindari kontak dekat dengan orang yang sedang menderita flu.
Pencegahan penularan juga bisa dilakukan oleh mereka yang telah terinfeksi dengan cara : menghindari keramaian dan selalu tinggal di rumah. Jangan bekerja dan bersekolah dahulu sampai keadaan membaik. Hindari bersin, batuk dan berbicara terlalu dekat dengan orang lain.

Help for Diabetes, Gout and More

by: Loring Windblad

Overview of Gout

Gout is a systemic disease caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. This condition can develop for two reasons. The liver may produce more uric acid than the body can excrete in the urine, or a diet of rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream sauces, red wine) puts more uric acid into the bloodstream than the kidneys can filter. In both cases, a condition called hyperuricemia results. Over time, the uric acid crystallizes and settles in the joint spaces, most commonly in the first metatarsal phalangeal joint of the big toe or in the ankle joint.

Signs and Symptoms

The most common symptoms of gout are inflammation, swelling, and tenderness in the joint of the first toe. Touching or moving it is intensely painful and patients often say it hurts to have as much as a bedsheet over the toe. Gout develops quickly and typically occurs in only one joint at a time. Symptoms may develop in two or three joints simultaneously, but this is rare. If widespread symptoms occur, the condition is probably not gout.

Diagnosis

The most reliable way to diagnose gout is to examine the joint fluid for uric acid crystals. This is done by drawing fluid from the joint with a needle and examining it under a polarized light microscope. Although the test is invasive, the results are definitive, and a positive result facilitates proper treatment and quick relief.

Treatment

Treatment for gout involves decreasing the amount of uric acid in the joint. If dietary habits are the cause, the patient's lifestyle must be changed to avoid the condition. Gout is readily corrected with patient cooperation, and it is usually not treated unless it occurs frequently. Colchicine is a common medication for treating acute gout attacks. If continuous medication is necessary, the two most common choices are probenecid and allopurinol.

Prevention

Alcohol and rich foods are primary contributors to excessive uric acid levels. Although some patients have a genetic predisposition to excessive uric acid production, most gout patients have normal kidneys and uncontrolled dietary habits. Prevention is the best defense against the disease.

Many patients who suffer from gout continue to indulge, and suffer frequent attacks as a result. Although medication makes it possible to live with gout, the continued accumulation of uric acid in the joints eventually damages them, seriously inhibiting movement.

Overview of Diabetes

New to diabetes? Learn the basics – check with your local diabetes clinic or research it on the internet.

A key to diabetes management is maintaining a regular exercise program. Its never too late to start – see below. Sticking to dietary goals while eating out also can be very challenging – see comments below.

20 million Americans and Canadians have diabetes. Nearly 7 million don't know it. Type 2 diabetes usually develops slowly, and the symptoms often go unnoticed. Our son developed a puffiness to his face which we noticed right away because we saw him only a couple of times a year. He and his wife put it down to simple weight gain. After 2½ years they finally snapped to there being something wrong and when he was finally checked out his diabetes was “off the charts”. Fortunately, they caught it in time, but it should have been caught over a year earlier.

Nearly 90 to 95% of all people with diabetes have type 2. Who gets it? Just about any body. Fat, skinny, regular build, it makes no difference; just about everyone can develop diabetes. Most at risk are people regardless of body build who live on a high intake of “junk food”. Least at risk are people who eat a regular balanced diet.

What you may not know about diabetes – the truth about insulin resistance. 92% of people with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance. Get the facts – go to your local diabetes agency or research it on the internet.

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes. Obesity is not a guarantee you will develop diabetes and many obese persons never develop it, but persons who are obese

Diabetic meals can be healthy and savory.

A key to diabetes management is maintaining a regular exercise program. Its never too late to start and you can do it with a simple walking program. Just walk 1 kilometer a day and over a period of a month build it up to two miles (3 kilometers) a day.

Sticking to dietary goals while eating out can be very challenging. Many, even most, restaurants cater to people with special dietary needs – just ask. And learn those restaurants which do not and avoid them.

When it comes to diabetic nutrition, not sure what to believe? There are many stories out there, some believable, others not. Research what you need to know from trusted resources – your local diabetes support center, the internet, friends who have diabetes.

The help of friends and family can make all the difference to someone with diabetes.

Help for Diabetes, Gout and Other Disorders

Check out these products, Native’s Gift, Desert Promise, Bio88+, and see if there is something here for you. They are all “Native and Natural” products, manufactured under strict quality control. In the case of Bio88+, a Greens product, it is manufactured in a government controlled University laboratory.

On the testimonials page below I am L. Windblad and my wife is J.D. Windblad. I have long-term gout (since 1977), damage from gout including numbness and pain in the feet, a prostate which had ceased functioning for the past 2 years, and in Jan 2004 I was diagnosed with a lazy thyroid. By the end of January my thyroid was functioning normally, by April I was noticing an improvement in prostate functioning and by mid-May it was definitely clear that not only was the pain gone but feeling was coming back into my feet. This is written in June 2004 and its all still getting better.

Check out these product testimonials and see what you think about what these products have accomplished in many other lives. Scroll to the bottom of the page and contact the people who gave these testimonials.

There are other stories of “miracles” with these products and they will be posted as soon as they can be collected. What these products actually do is work to make your body function the way it is supposed to function, and they accomplish this at least in part by restoring your natural Ph balances.

Make sure to go to the product testimonials page above, scroll to the bottom, and click on the email contact for any of the people given, and receive their confirmation and personal full testimonial.