How To Focus On Whole Foods To Achieve Optimal Fitness & Vitality

In a world of increased awareness of natural health – achieving optimum fitness and vitality through a focus on whole foods, organic ingredients, and a natural lifestyle – more and more attention has turned to the use of natural herbs in every day life. But while they may be once again gaining popularity, the use of natural herbs dates back to prehistoric times in the use of everything from food to medicine.

A variety of cultures along the way have identified the properties of specific herbs and classified them accordingly. Throughout history more and more natural herbs have been identified as having enormous medicinal benefits and continue to be used today in much the same fashion.

Chili peppers have been shown to reduce pain; nutmeg aids digestion; ginger helps combat nausea and vomiting – the list goes on and on. Whether used to sustain health and vigor or to remedy a host of maladies, natural herbs can be a healthy alternative to many over-the-counter medications; although they should never replace prescription medication for a chronic condition without the supervision of a medical professional.

Of course natural herbs also lend themselves to inclusion in a variety of different cuisines. Depending on the culture, specific natural herbs are used to enhance flavor and augment meals. Ginger, basil, and a host of others add tremendous flavor and health to a variety of meals. The added benefit to using natural herbs in cooking is increased flavor without the use of fats. Cooking with natural herbs can be an extremely healthy way to prepare food.

Another benefit to using natural herbs – whether in food or for medicinal purposes – is the convenience of finding anything you need in a variety of locations. Natural herbs can be found everywhere from the grocery store to local farmers markets to health food stores. Or, if you are so inclined, you can grow your own natural herb garden right in your backyard. Nothing beats the convenience of having natural herbs right at your fingertips.

No matter how you use natural herbs, you will find the benefits to be increased health, overall enjoyment of food, and a renewed focus on a natural lifestyle.

5 Essential Bodybuilding Nutrition Rules

By Chad J. Beck

Every successful bodybuilder understands that nutrition is a
key component of any training program. Following correct
nutritional practices will provide you with a stable amount
of energy needed for daily activities and for each training
session. Having an excellent nutrition base and enough rest
are vital for ongoing bodybuilding success. Not following a
sound nutritional plan will just limit your potential muscle
gains and may put to waste all your effort and time invested
on training.

According to Catherine Ratzin Jackson, author of the book
"Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete", the eating habits
of bodybuilders aren't always based on sound nutritional
advice. She explains that many bodybuilders base their diet
strategies on tips they've read in bodybuilding magazines or
from -experts' at nutrition stores. Unfortunately, much of
this advice is usually one-sided and does not provide the
complete picture of the essentials of calorie intake,
protein requirements and specific types of food to eat for
weight loss. If you're just getting started with
bodybuilding, here are some essential rules of nutrition
used by professional bodybuilders:

1. Avoid rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss can result in
the loss of lean body tissue and make it very difficult to
increase muscle size and strength. Extreme weight loss often
results from starvation or low-calorie diets, and may result
in electrolyte imbalances, water and important lean body
mass. High protein, low-fat diets can be harmful to your
health and may prevent you from achieving your ideal body
weight.

2. Always calculate your protein requirements. Muscles need
protein to build up strength and mass. Just make sure that
you are getting the right amount of it. Too much or too
little of this nutrient will not produce your desired
results. Different people need to take different amounts of
protein as measured by their Recommended Dietary Allowance
(RDA). The RDA of protein for sedentary individuals is
0.8g/kg per day. While for athletes, the RDA is set at
1.0-1.5 g/kg. Make it a habit now to check the nutritional
labels of each food you eat to keep track of your protein
consumption.

3. Eat Fresh Foods. Eating fresh foods is an important
component of any bodybuilding program. Stay away from
artificial and processed food as much as possible. Natural
foods from animal and plant sources give out the most
nutrients to our bodies. Our bodies assimilate more
nutrients from natural foods as compared with artificial
foods.

4. Exercise caution in taking supplements. It is now widely
acceptable to use supplements for performance enhancement.
Supplements are a great help to any athlete but they do
cause some negative side effects, especially if abused.
Supplements are designed to be added, or supplement, our
nutrition program. Supplements are by no means created to
replace proper diet and exercise.

5. Watch what you eat before and after a workout. Muscle
builds up significantly before and after you exercise. What
you eat at this time will surely influence this process
either positively or negatively. Always monitor what you eat
at this time by keeping a written record.

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How To Keep Muscles And Joints Healthy

In today's busy life and routine, what we often don't care
about is the health of our body. Taking care of our body is
not about just going to a doctor when we feel sick, but
taking action to prevent problems from occurring in the
future. We most often ignore our muscles and joints, and
then end up having to pay the price by spending large
amounts on surgeries or treatments we would not have needed
in the first place.

Our joints are responsible for important functions in our
body. They help in keeping the bones intact. They require
just as much care as other parts of our body like our teeth
or eyes. Our joints are the point that allows our bones to
bend flexibly. The muscles are attached to the bones with
tendons, so that as the bone moves, the muscle moves as
well. As we grow, the muscles get stronger and stronger
with exercise, enabling us to provide more energy
and power.

The most widespread problems that cause muscle or joint pain
are arthritis, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, repetitive
stress injuries, tendinitis, and strains. I will explain all
of these briefly, and then talk about what could be done to
prevent them.

Arthritis is when the joints become inflamed and there is
difficulty moving them. It is most common in older people,
but even children have been known to develop arthritis.
Osteoporosis causes the tissue in the bone to get weaker and
brittle thus making it easier for the bone to break. This is
most common in women and even in younger girls who reduce
their body weight to an unhealthy one. Muscular dystrophy is
inherited and causes the muscles to get weaker and break
down over time. Repetitive stress injuries are those
injuries that are caused by too much stress being placed on
one part of the body. This usually happens when the same
movements are made again and again. An example of this is
tennis elbow, which is caused by playing too much tennis or
carpal tunnel from typing on a keyboard for too long.
Strains and tendinitis can occur in all ages, and occur
usually when a muscle has been overstretched. This is most
commonly caused by not warming up properly prior to a
workout.

The best way to prevent most of these problems is to
exercise. Exercising thirty minutes every day is the
minimum, but we should aim for more. Care should be taken to
warm up and cool down after every workout to prevent any
muscle from becoming strained. It is important that we
stretch all our muscles so that our body can stay healthy
for a long time.

Another way to obtain stronger muscles is to keep body fat
levels down. Large amounts of fat make the muscles lose
their elasticity with the passage of time, and this can reduce
our resistance level and make us weaker. This mostly occurs as
we grow old, and the best precautionary measure is to watch our
weight and not let ourselves become overweight. Increasing blood
circulation is another way in which we can keep our muscles healthy,
as blood flow helps the muscles.

Having a balanced diet that includes all the basic vitamins
and nutrients is another way to prevent our joints and
muscles from troubling us. Taking in a minimum of three
servings of dairy products provides the body with adequate
calcium to help rebuild the bones and prevents osteoporosis.


Make sure you watch your health now, so that you can prevent
problems and stay healthy as you get older.

The Importance Of Intestinal Bacteria

Intestinal Bacteria, also known as Gut Flora are organisms
that live in our intestines and keep us healthy by
performing several important functions. The average human
has about thirty trillion microorganisms in their stomach,
with about five hundred different species. They perform as
much work as any of our major organs, but are never
mentioned as something we need in order to stay healthy.

Our feces are about sixty percent bacteria, which is why
doctors ask for a sample when we have an intestinal problem.
This is the most non-invasive manner in which tests could be
done to find the reason for the upset stomach.

When babies are born they have no bacteria in their system,
however their body quickly picks up bacteria from the mother
and surrounding environment, and within a few months their
body builds up the healthy bacteria. Babies born by
cesarean deliveries are likely to take a longer period of
time to build up these bacteria as compared to babies born
normally.

The bacteria in our stomach perform various different roles
such as fermenting, maintaining a healthy resistance level,
fighting the harmful bacteria, creating vitamins, and
helping us store fat. Firstly they break down
carbohydrates; as a result our body can absorb the nutrients
from it. With no bacteria in our intestines, we would not
have been able to break down a lot of food that we eat, and
therefore would need to eat more to remain healthy.

These bacteria also prevent the harmful bacteria from
growing in our digestive tract. Due to the competition in
the tract between several classes of bacteria for space, the
bad bacteria are not able to survive because the useful
bacteria do not permit them to take up any space. Humans
without any intestinal bacteria are much more likely to be
exposed to diseases as compared to those with normal levels.


These bacteria are also helpful in building up our immune
system so we don't fall sick. Due to a tolerance for healthy
bacteria that we develop in our childhood, the immune system
is proficient in battling the bad bacteria, therefore leaving
behind only the good bacteria. These bacteria are also
helpful in preventing all sorts of allergies and
inflammatory bowel disease.

However, these days the excessive usage of antibiotics and
other medicines is upsetting our digestive system, as the
medicines are not been able to distinguish between the
different types of bacteria in our body and wipe out both
the bad bacteria and the good. This is one of the main
causes of diarrhea and other illnesses of the bowel. While
we may not be consuming antibiotics with intent, a lot of
the dairy and meat we consume currently contains
antibiotics, which are given to the animals to prevent
illnesses. The use of probiotics is now increasing to help
the good bacteria thrive in the gut, since probiotics are
able to help the bacteria in their functions by fighting
harmful bacteria and boosting the immune system.

It is important to know that not all bacteria are bad for
us, and that our body has many millions of bacteria in it
that are actually helping it stay healthy.