Hangover Recovery

During the course of the year we find ourselves going to all kinds of events such as birthdays, office luncheons, annual holidays, parties, and special occasions where alcohol is being served. Oftentimes along with feasting we also consume too much alcohol. As a result, we wake up the next morning with a hangover, which we then nurse for the next day or two. So as we approach the end of 2012 and the next New Year's Eve party, I wanted to offer this short article for dealing with a hangover.
This is a quick guide to alleviating or completely avoiding hangover symptoms through an understanding of alcohol itself, physiological changes related to alcohol consumption, and a variety of suggested remedies for specific hangover symptoms.
[Warning: First and foremost let me at least mention that you should always try to drink responsibly and arrange having a designated driver if you will be using your personal vehicle for transportation.]
Classes of Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. Beer and wine are produced by fermentation of sugar- or starch-containing plant material. Beverages produced by fermentation followed by distillation have higher alcohol content and are known as liquor or spirits. The alcoholic strength of beer is usually 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV), but it may be less than 2% or greater than 25%. Beers having an ABV of 60% (120 proof) have been produced by freezing brewed beer and removing water in the form of ice, a process referred to as "ice distilling". Beer is part of the drinking culture of various nations and has acquired social traditions such as beer festivals, pub games, and pub crawling (sometimes known as bar hopping).
Wine is produced from grapes, and from fruits such as plums, cherries, or apples. Wine involves a longer fermentation process than beer and also a long aging process (months or years), resulting in an alcohol content of 9%-16% ABV. Sparkling wine can be made by means of a secondary fermentation. Fortified wine is wine (such as port or sherry), to which a distilled beverage (usually brandy) has been added.
Unsweetened, distilled, alcoholic beverages that have an alcohol content of at least 20% ABV are called spirits. Spirits are produced by the distillation of a fermented base product. Distilling concentrates the alcohol. For the most common distilled beverages, such as whiskey and vodka, the alcohol content is around 40%. Spirits can be added to wines to create fortified wines, such as port and sherry.
A 2009 study provided evidence that darker-colored liquors, such as bourbon, cause worse hangovers than lighter-colored liquors, such as vodka. The higher amount of "congeners" found in darker liquors compared to lighter ones was indicated as the cause. Studies that attempt to compare hangover producing potential and hangover severity of different alcoholic drinks suggest the following ordering (starting with the least hangover-inducing):
Distilled ethanol diluted in fruit juice, beer, vodka, gin, white wine, whisky, rum, red wine, and brandy.
Alcohol and its Effects, the Basics

Now let's cover some basics about alcohol. What is alcohol? Alcohol is a distilled or fermented beverage that transforms a grain, fruit, vegetable, or wood into ethanol. Ethanol, glucose, and sucrose are all in the same group of alcohols. Ethanol is the most common form of alcohol one finds in alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect. Alcohol also stimulates insulin production, which speeds up glucose metabolism and can result in low blood sugar, causing irritability and (for diabetics) possible death. Alcohol intoxication affects the brain and causing symptoms such as slurred speech, delayed reflexes, vomiting or unconsciousness. Alcohol also limits the production of vasopressin (ADH) from the hypothalamus and the secretion of this hormone from the posterior pituitary gland. This is what causes the intense thirst that goes along with a hangover.
Now when alcohol builds up in the bloodstream faster than it can be metabolized by the liver, we enter a physiological state known as drunkenness or inebriation. Alcohol is metabolized by a normal liver at the rate of about one ounce (one two-ounce shot of spirits, a normal beer, a regular sized glass of wine) every 90 minutes. An "abnormal" liver with conditions such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, gall bladder disease, and cancer will have a slower rate of metabolism.

Ethanol's acute effects are largely due to its nature as a central nervous system depressant, and are dependent on blood alcohol concentrations. Here's a breakdown of what effects one can expect to experience from alcohol consumption according to the quantity you consume:
20-99 mg/dL - Impaired coordination and euphoria
100-199 mg/dL - Ataxia, poor judgment, labile mood
200-299 mg/dL - Marked ataxia, slurred speech, poor judgment, labile mood, nausea and vomiting
300-399 mg/dL - Stage 1 anesthesia, memory lapse, labile mood
400+ mg/dL - Respiratory failure, coma
In addition to respiratory failure and accidents caused by effects on the central nervous system, alcohol causes significant metabolic derangements. Hypoglycemia occurs due to ethanol's inhibition of gluconeogenesis, especially in children, and may cause lactic acidosis, ketoacidosis and acute renal failure.
Some effects of alcohol intoxication are central to alcohol's desirability as a beverage. For example, some desirable effects from small quantities of alcohol consumption are euphoria and lowered social inhibitions. Other symptoms include slurred speech, impaired balance, loss of muscle coordination (ataxia), flushed face, dehydration, vomiting, reddened eyes, and erratic behavior. Other effects are unpleasant or dangerous because alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once.
This last point, the fact that alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once, is crucial to understanding the nature of a hangover. Why? Because everyone experiences different symptoms from their hangover, each hangover has to be dealt with individually. Here are 2 reasons underlying hangovers with completely different characteristics.

Many people from East Asian descent have a mutation in their genes that causes them to suffer from alcohol flush reaction, in which acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking, leading to immediate and severe hangover symptoms. Because for them a little alcohol goes a long way, they are also less likely to become alcoholics.
Older people report that their hangovers grow worse as they age. This is caused by declining supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme involved in metabolizing alcohol.
So what we've come to is the fact that there is currently no empirical proof for hangover prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed or waiting for the body to metabolize the alcohol ingested. This only happens when the liver oxidizes the alcohol. So what this means is that the most effective way to avoid any of the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is to control or avoid drinking.
Thus, no two hangovers are the same.
The Physiology of a Hangover
Excessive consumption of alcohol causes a delayed effect called a hangover. The hangover starts after the euphoric effects of ethanol have subsided. Hypoglycemia, dehydration, acetaldehyde intoxication, and glutamine rebound are all theorized causes of hangover symptoms. Hangover symptoms may persist for several days after alcohol was last consumed. Some aspects of a hangover are even viewed as symptoms of acute ethanol withdrawal, similar to the longer-duration effects of withdrawal from alcoholism.
Because alcohol impairs the ability of the liver to compensate for a drop in blood glucose levels, especially for the brain, it can result in the depletion of the liver's supply of glutathione, a detoxification agent, reducing its ability to effectively remove alcohol and its byproducts from the bloodstream. Since glucose is the primary energy source of the brain, this lack of glucose (hypoglycemia) contributes to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances, and decreased attention and concentration related to a hangover.
The human body is a system of systems so physiological changes in one system changes others. That's why the best approach is to try to handle several symptoms by resolving alcohol-related issues in multiple body systems simultaneously. For example, when you ingest alcohol, the salivary glands secrete enzymes to combine with the alcoholic beverage to make it more suitable for processing in the stomach and intestines. As the alcohol circulates throughout the digestive system and blood stream it moves from one system to another. Just one drink affects the central nervous system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, the muscular system, the immune system, and the respiratory system, so with each additional drink the effects compound and the potential dangers increase. Because the alcohol moves around in the body rather than remaining in an organ, region, or system, its produces a wide range of negative physiological effects.
The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dehydration, fatigue, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, weakness, elevated body temperature and heart rate, hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating, sweating, anxiety, irritability, erratic motor functions (including tremor), trouble sleeping, severe hunger, halitosis, and lack of depth perception. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary significantly from person to person, and it is not clear whether hangovers directly affect cognitive abilities. The effects of a hangover subside over time.
Just as with lesser cases of low alcohol consumption, cases where excessive amounts of alcohol have been consumed such as with alcohol poisoning treatment strives to stabilize the patient and maintain a clear airway and respiration, while waiting for the alcohol to metabolize. In general, health care professionals will provide treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with 50ml of 50% dextrose solution and saline flush, administer the vitamin thiamine to prevent seizure, check electrolytes to guide fluid replacement, apply hemodialysis (blood transfusion)if the blood concentration is dangerously high, or provide oxygen therapy.
Ineffective or unproven remedies
Recommendations for foods, drinks and activities to relieve hangover symptoms abound, here are some that have been found to be ineffective or unproven.
The "Prairie Oyster" restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
And in 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the form of a mixture of cola and milk. By some accounts, cola beverages are believed to have been invented as a hangover remedy.
Alcoholic writer Ernest Hemingway relied on tomato juice and beer.
The "Black Velvet" consists of equal parts champagne and flat Guinness Stout.
A 1957 survey by a Wayne State University folklorist found widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice and sexual activity.
Activities said to be restorative include a shower-alternating very hot and very cold water, exercise, and steam bath or sauna (although medical opinion holds this to be very dangerous, as the combination of alcohol and hyperthermia increases the likelihood of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias).
A 1976 research came to the conclusion that "The results indicate that both fructose and glucose effectively inhibit the metabolic disturbances induced by ethanol but they do not affect the symptoms or signs of alcohol intoxication and hangover." Nevertheless, consumption of honey (a significant fructose and glucose source) is often suggested as a way to reduce some of the effects of hangover.

Food and Alcohol Metabolism
Studies have found that when food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced and the rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the blood is increased. The mechanism for the faster alcohol elimination appears to be unrelated to the type of food. The likely mechanism is food-induced increases in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow. While this may not decrease your chances for getting a hangover, it's a good idea to eat before you drink, but know that doing so will eliminate the alcohol from your system faster than normal.
Scientifically Based Remedies
Earlier I said that because alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once, each hangover has to be dealt with individually. Why? Because everyone experiences different symptoms from their hangover, different from everyone else, and even from one state of drunkenness compared to another time of drunkenness. So the conclusion here is that there is currently no empirical proof for hangover prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed or waiting for the body to metabolize the alcohol ingested. What this means is that the most effective way to avoid any of the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is to control or avoid drinking.
But what are we supposed to do if we get a hangover? Sometimes it's not possible to wait for the effects of the hangover to wear off, while coping with the symptoms. We need a way to effectively deal with this situation. You're right, we do. Here's the realization I've come to about how to handle the symptoms of a hangover.

The primary realization is that a hangover is not a thing, instead it's a series of symptoms related to excessive alcohol consumption. That's key.
The second important point is that in order to deal with any one hangover experience effectively you have to deal with the exact symptoms you're going through during a specific hangover. Although there are many common symptoms experienced by most people routinely, sometimes new symptoms appear that were never part of previous hangovers. This is why it's best to handle the symptoms vs. trying to recover from a "hangover."
So below is a list of practices, substances, and products that deal with specific symptoms that should help you fight the effects of hangover whenever they occur. You may also want to go back and re-read this article as there were remedies - such as eating before drinking, timing one's intake per ounce of ingestion, and preventing vomiting by abstinence in order to protect the stomach lining from erosion by alcohol - mentioned earlier that will not appear in this list.
Rehydration: Effective interventions include rehydration, prostaglandin inhibitors, and vitamin B6.
Milk thistle: A small dosage before and after alcohol consumption has been found to alleviate the some of the effects of a hangover such as headaches, sluggishness and nausea. Milk thistle works to regenerate liver cells and when combined with an excessive vitamin D intake from the sun, subjects have experienced rapidly decreasing hangover effects.
Tolfenamic acid is useful for nausea, vomiting, irritation, tremor, thirst, and dryness of mouth.
Vitamin B6 (pyritinol) can help to reduce some, but not all, of the symptoms of hangovers. For this Brewers' yeast or a B6 supplement are recommended.
Chlormethiazole was found to lower blood pressure and adrenaline output and, furthermore, to relieve unpleasant physical symptoms, but did not affect fatigue and drowsiness. Subjects with severe subjective hangover seemed to benefit more from the chlormethiazole treatment than subjects with a mild hangover.
Pedialyte may be an effective remedy for hangovers due to its replacement of lost electrolytes.
Candy or sugar: to raise lowered blood sugar levels caused by alcohol intake. Other options for sweeteners to use are honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, and fructose.
Alcohol: There is a belief that consumption of additional alcohol in decreasing quantity over a period of hours after the onset of a hangover will relieve symptoms. This is based upon the theory that the hangover represents a form of withdrawal and that by satiating the body's need for alcohol the symptoms will be relieved. Certainly the additional alcohol has a sedating and anesthetic effect, which also helps with symptoms. The professional medical opinion holds that the practice merely postpones the symptoms, and courts alcohol dependence and addiction.
Medical marijuana: It is commonly believed that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, is an effective hangover remedy. THC may help ease the main symptoms of hangovers: nausea and headache. The advantage is two-fold; as once a sufferer's nausea has abated, and his appetite is stimulated, hypoglycemia becomes easier to resolve.
A traditional hangover remedy from India is to drink coconut water for the natural electrolytes which will assist in rehydration.
Acetyl-leucine sold under the brand name of Tanganil is believed to help pull you out of the "whirling pit" or spinning sensation felt by people under the influence of alcohol. This is caused by a dysfunction between the nerves which control the notion of balance in the ears and the brain. Tanganil is the standard remedy prescribed to people suffering from chronic vertigo.
Oxygen: There have been anecdotal reports from those with easy access to a breathing oxygen supply - medical staff, SCUBA divers and military pilots - that oxygen can also reduce the symptoms of hangovers caused by alcohol consumption. The theory is that the increased oxygen flow resulting from oxygen therapy improves the metabolic rate, and thus increases the speed at which toxins are broken down.

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Best Drinks For a Detox Cleanse and Weight Loss

Detox Cleanse is basically a method of trying to rid the body of any built up toxins in your body. These toxins can actually come from many different sources not least in the food that we are eating every day of our lives. At least we can change what we eat. But we also have toxins entering our body through the environment. This is something that we can change so readily. So, we must try and cleanse regularly to help our bodies to expunge these toxins. There are several drinks that can be of great help when you want to lose weight or just to cleanse your internal body organs. You should basically make these juices from fresh and preferably organic ingredients mostly being fruits and vegetables. Below are a few of some of the detox drinks.

Lemon drink
Lemon water is perhaps the best fruit juice for any detox cleansing diet or indeed weight loss diet. Making the lemon drink is really simple and requires only two ingredients, lemon and water; you may add sugar or honey to taste. Simply add a half a cup of water to half a cup of lemon juice and the drink is ready.
Apple and celery juice
Apples are great for any detox as they are rich in antioxidants. You will need two apples and two celery sticks, juice them up and add a bit of lemon juice to taste.
Beet juice
Beets are important as they are rich in vitamin A. To prepare the beet juice you will need one beet root, a few celery sticks, and one carrot. Juice them up and add a bit of water.
Ginger and turmeric detox tea

Both of the ingredients in this tea are very good cleansing agents. To prepare the ginger and turmeric detox tea you will need two cups of boiled water. Add a teaspoon of ginger and half a teaspoon of turmeric; you may add a little amount of maple syrup or only so as to improve the taste a bit.
Dandelion detox tea

This drink is very good as it contains several vitamins that are essential for detox like vitamin A, B, D. To prepare the tea you need to add a few teaspoons of powdered or crushed dandelion leaves to boiled water. You may add lemon to taste.

These drinks when taken occasionally are going to help you to detox cleanse your body and will help you to lose weight as part of a calorie controlled diet. For effective results you may want to consider fasting on these drinks for a period of two to three days. Any detox cleansing diet should only be undertaken once in a while.





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Eat Healthy Guide

Do you remember when food really did taste so good when we were cooking with pork fat and frying bacon for breakfast, frying eggs, making biscuits with fresh buttermilk, we did not know at the time that would be considered a eat healthy guide and we were all skinny as a rail. We lived on natural products. From what I have learned from my research, we would have to live on a farm, have a cow or two, our own beef and pork and most of all a big garden with fresh vegetables for freezing and canning. Our own well and lots of help to take care of all of the hard work. No more fast foods. Since so many of us live in big cities,fast foods is what we survive on!

We are so busy that grabbing a fast meal is the only option we have, running here and there that some times we forgot the taste of our last bite.
Low fat diets, low carbohydrates and exercise is the ticket to energy, health and and normal weight.
But does this theory work? It seems from my research that natural fats are the way to get your health back, along with organic vegetables! Listed below are some things we should incorporate into our diet t
to gain back out health and and energy
I have read some reports on results from using all natural fats and organic foods and the results have been all positive!

• Gluten Free
• Mostly Dairy Free
• Sugar Free
• Carbohydrate Controlled

Have you watched chef's on your favorite cook shows? How many of the Celebrity Chefs have normal weight! If you have watched them over the years, you have seen them start off looking much trimmer than they are today! They just seem to blossom more from day to day! Their fingers are so fat that it looks hard to make them work properly. They have no idea about healthy foods or nutrition.

We seem to be brain washed on how to be fashionable, gain weight and fat is beautiful! What if "almost everything you have been told about nutrition and weight loss is making us all fat, sick, depressed and diseased."
If you walk through the malls or the grocery stores, it is amazing how many people are obese and their children are on the same path., Obesity brings on high blood pressure, diabetics, high cholesterol and short life span.

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Tips for Starting a Healthy Lifestyle!

Juicing! Why It Should Be a Daily Part of Your Diet

In this modern world, with our fast pace of life we have become used to supplementing our diets with vitamins and mineral pills. These supplements have their place and can be very effective, but they can't take the place of a stable diet of fruit and vegetables.
Not only do they provide a wealth of minerals, nutrients and vitamins but they also cleanse and balance the body. Now there is a revolution that is happening at the moment and it is taking the food Industry by storm, which means you don't have to eat all your fruit and vegetables. So what is it? Juicing. That is, taking fresh raw fruit and vegetables. Then extracting the juice from them to produce a tasty cocktail of minerals and nutrients which are brimming full of goodness. And they taste great!
So here are my 8 reasons why you really should consider juicing as part of your daily intake of fuel for your body
1. Raw Juicing is better
Once you have tasted the freshly extracted juice made from your own raw vegetables and fruit you will realize there is no comparison between that and the juices you can buy in a carton which have things such as preservatives and sweeteners added. Homemade juices will have nothing added, nothing taken away just 100% goodness. Your own juice will retain all of its goodness because it's not undergone any processing. This makes a big difference, as any form of cooking destroys some of the content of minerals and vitamins.
2. Getting your vitamins and minerals on a daily basis
Freshly extracted juices are packed with many of the vitamins and minerals which the body needs to keep us fit and well. Those vitamins found in fruit and vegetables are often bound to other nutrients which help with absorption. For example, Bioflavonoids can be found in the pith of citrus fruits which help with the absorption of vitamin C. So obviously juicing on a regular basis is an excellent way of making sure you get the all the vitamins and minerals each day.

3. Antioxidants
You may have heard of Antioxidant nutrients in Newspaper and magazine articles. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene can give protection against degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, premature aging. It is believed that these vitamins hold the key to minimising the effects of these devastating diseases. The reason why these nutrients have such a positive effect on our preventative healthcare is that they are able to slow down the damage done by the unbalanced molecules, known as free radicals.
4. Free radicals
Free radicals are molecules produced when the body breaks down food, or it can be caused by environmental exposure: things like tobacco smoke and radiation. They react with other molecules in our body and destabilize them. In other words, putting your cells at risk. They have been linked to the development of diseases such as cancer and heart disease, because they are capable of destroying other healthy molecules which will in turn then be unstable. So drinking freshly extracted juices that contain all the nutrients on a daily basis is going to have a long term impact on your future health as well as benefitting you in the short term.
5. Easier to digest
Fruit and vegetable juices are easy for the body to digest, especially if your body can't cope with a lot of fibre. But they are not to replace the fibre in your diet which is necessary for the elimination of wastes. Because freshly extracted juice is a liquid it will be quickly absorbed and digested in the stomach, and the nutrients absorbed into the bloodstream. This works so efficiently that it will be absorbed within minutes of being eaten. Also of benefit is; plant enzymes which come from the vegetables. These also help in neutralizing any excess fat or proteins from other foods eaten.
6. Cleanses the body

Drinking Fresh juices are an excellent way of cleansing the body. Fruit and vegetables in their raw state hold good amounts of water which will have been filtered and distilled through their complex structures, making digestion a whole lot easier with no impurities to deal with. In addition to that, all fruits contain acid. This helps remove toxins from your digestive tract. Some fruits such as oranges and apples contain pectin; this will also absorb fats and toxins from your digestive tract. Green vegetables are also rich in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a molecule that absorbs sunlight and converts its energy into carbohydrate. Vegetables with chlorophyll, such as watercress and spinach are helpful when on a detox programme. Carrots and tomatoes are also very good at acting as a tonic for the liver too.

7. Keeping a balanced diet
Freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juices act as excellent alkalizers once they have been digested. So this will help when eating normal foods, as they tend to be high in protein, with too many refined, processed ingredients. All of which can cause high acidity levels. The body has a finely balanced pH level, where it should be somewhere in the middle between acid and alkaline, tipping slightly towards alkaline. So drinking a glass of fresh juice each day will help in maintaining your pH balance to where it should be.
8. Good health insurance policy
Drinking just juice on its own won't give you perfect health, but added to a balanced diet and regular exercise you will increase your chances of a long and healthy life. It may be worth considering other changes you can make as part of your daily routine. Things like:
Stop smoking
Cut back on intake of alcohol
Take regular exercise (at least 3 times a week)
Increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables (juicing makes this a doddle)
Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water
Now that you have the facts, just go out and do it. Get yourself a juicer, buy some fresh fruit and vegetables and start juicing! There are plenty of resources for recipes and tips on juicing or sign up to makemeslim.net and learn how juicing and losing weight can be really effective. It was for me, I lost 40 lb's in just 3 months and I'm maintaining my weight too.

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Sodium and chloride

Usually a package deal, sodium and chloride are the major extracellular electrolytes in the human body, sodium providing the positive charge and chloride the negative charge. In addition to providing balance to one another, these ions are essential for maintaining blood volume and pH (Schauss, 1998). 

Sodium and chloride also happen to be the main electrolytes lost in sweat, especially during prolonged exertion in warm and hot environments. Though the average American consumes substantially more than enough sodium chloride, there are some individuals and situations in which these electrolytes should be supplemented. 

Those who experience higher than average sweating, either through recreational activities such as long-distance running, professional athletics, or mining, construction work, and the armed forces, need to replace both their fluids and their electrolytes (especially sodium and chloride) to maintain a healthy balance.

Drinking water alone can sometimes be counter-productive, as it will decrease the osmolality (concentration of ions) of the extracellular fluid, signaling the kidney to let go of even more fluid to find a balance. This “diluted blood” also tends to shut off the thirst mechanism. 

Because strenuous exercise actually requires fluid replacement to be slightly above fluid loss, thirst is a key way to assure that individuals will replace an adequate amount of fluid. 

Eating solid food is an effective way of replacing sodium and chloride, however there are many instances when this would be impossible or impractical. 

Therefore, adding sodium and chloride to the water of individuals who regularly sweat will not only replace the loss of these essential electrolytes, but will also help maintain proper blood osmolality, assuring thirst and kidney mechanisms to maintain adequate blood volume and hydration (Maughan and Shirreffs, 1997).

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Secret Tips to Healthy Living

Healthy living is something most of seek. Many of us already exercise and try to eat right, and that is a great start to healthier living. Here are two great tips that will take you to a new level of healthy.
#1 Take Your Vitamins
Every day you should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Eating health is essential but we don't always get everything we need from our foods, and so taking a daily multivitamin makes sense. Research has shown that when you use good quality nutritional supplements it can help you in achieving optimal health.
A recent study by Wyeth Consumer Health found that older adults taking a daily multivitamin was an inexpensive but powerful way to stay healthy. The group also studied the how taking a multivitamins affected five diseases: diabetes, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and colorectal cancer.

The researchers estimated that giving a daily multivitamin to the elderly potentially save in health care cost of approximately $1.6 billion in a five year period, as well as avoidable hospitalization for heart attacks of approximately $2.4 billion.
#2 Take the Time to Connect With Others

We are social beings by our very nature. We create families, nurture our young, and identify ourselves with social groups we are part of. Connection with others and forming important bonds of communication, spiritual health, intimacy, and emotional well being are as important as eating a healthy diet, when it comes to nourishing our bodies.
The world we live in connects us in so many different ways at a technical level. However, the closeness we find with people in our day-to-day lives is actually diminishing. Many spend their days surrounded by people but little communication occurs, and there are many feel isolated.

Physical touch is very important, and you cannot get that from your cyber friends. Studies dating back to the 1930s showed infants who are touched grow faster than those who just left lying in the cribs. Being touched affects our brains and our nervous system.
That's just two great tips that many people are not aware of that can a major role in improving your life and longevity. When it comes to your health, always think outside the box. While nutrition and exercise are two very important components to healthier living, there are many other things that can ensure you remain healthy now and for years to come.

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Sports Drinks Vs Water - The Ugly Truth

Lucozade, Powerade, Gatorade...
In the 21st century - advertisements for energy drinks are everywhere. You can no longer switch on the television or flick open a magazine without seeing an advert for these glorified potions. It seems that these drinks are taking over the fitness world, and you only have to wander down to your local gym to see just how popular they are.
So what actually are these so called "sports drinks", and what do they proclaim to do?
A sports drink is a beverage designed to increase energy levels, replace electrolytes and and keep you hydrated. So let's look at how they claim to do this:
Increase Energy Levels
Sports Drinks are full of sugar - A 500ml bottle of Lucozade energy contains 21 teaspoons of sugar! To put that into perspective, a can of coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. When these sports drinks are consumed, our body converts all the sugar into glucose which is released into our blood stream. This glucose provides our bodies with energy - which is what gives us that "alert" feeling.
The problem is - glucose is a very short lived energy source and has detrimental effects on the body. When we drink sports drinks, our bodies have to produce large amounts of insulin to help our cells absorb the glucose from our blood stream. Any excess glucose is then converted to fat in our livers and deposited into our cells. Insulin also inhibits the breakdown of fat within our bodies. Both these factors encourage the accumulation of fat, and are counter productive when you consider the reason people are at the gym!
The counter argument to this is that the sports drinks provide you with the energy you require to perform an intense workout - which provides benefits that far exceed the negative impacts of the sports drink. Well I say that is a terrible argument, and here's why..

The average person that visits the gym performs moderate intensity exercise for around 30 minutes. Let's imagine their chosen exercise is running - in which case they will burn around 250-400 calories in their session. Now let's imagine they consume a 500ml bottle of Lucozade Sport, which contains 140 calories. That is around half the total calories that they are burning by being at the gym, just from consuming an energy drink. So for every 10 minutes they run, they are only burning 5 minutes worth of calories...
What makes matters worse is the sugar in the sports drink - which is bad for two reasons.
1. As explained earlier - consuming sugar causes a surge in insulin levels, which promotes the accumulation of fat within our bodies.
2. When glucose is readily available in our bloodstream, our cells will use this as their primary source of energy. As a result, the energy we require to perform exercise will come from the glucose in our blood. If we didn't drink the sports drink then our cells would not have access to that glucose - which means they would have to get energy from breaking down our fat.
As you can see - sports drinks are a counter-productive method for someone who want's to lose fat. However, those in support of sports drinks will still argue that they provide you with the energy that you require to perform exercise. However again, that is a flawed argument..
The average gym visitor has access to more than enough energy to perform 30 minutes of exercise. They are likely to have glucose in their bloodstream from their meals that day, and if they run out of glucose, they can breakdown fat reserves to power their bodies. The only time when sports drinks are beneficial is for ultra endurance athletes - the kind that are performing intense exercise for hours on end. But even then, there are far better sources of energy - what's wrong with a good old banana? Not only is this far better for your body than sports drinks, but it is broken down far slower so provides sustained energy over a long period of time - as opposed to a short spike that is supplied by glucose. In short - sports drinks are just as bad for us as sweets, and there are far better ways to provide our bodies with the energy required for exercise.
Replacing Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals that can be found in blood and cells, and help to regulate bodily fluids. The most well known of these are Sodium and Chloride.
During exercise - the body's electrolyte balance can begin to shift - and as the body loses electrolytes through sweat, the imbalance can result in symptoms such as muscle cramps, fatigue and nausea. Sports drinks capitalise on this by promising that they can replace the electrolytes in our bodies and prevent these symptoms Whilst there may be an element of truth in this - it is irrelevant to the average gym visitor. Our bodies lose electrolytes relatively slowly, so unless you are exercising for over an hour, your body will be able to address its electrolyte imbalance without the need for sports drinks.
Hydration
The final promise of the "sports drinks" is that they keep you hydrated. Keeping hydrated is an important part of any exercise routine, as the body loses water far quicker than it loses electrolytes. A lack of water can lead to dehydration which results in fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness and poor concentration.
However - do you want to know the best way to keep your body hydrated? WATER

There is absolutely no better way to hydrate your body than to drink water - and plenty of it. What's more - it's free, contains no calories and has a multitude of benefits to your body.
The other trouble will sports drinks is that they encourage you to drink before you feel thirsty. They claim the reason for this is that once you feel thirsty - it is too late - and dehydration has already kicked in. This is absolute nonsense, and there is simply no scientific research to back up this claim. Our bodies are extremely complex machines that have evolved over thousands of years. Considering water is the single most important element for our survival, I'm sure our bodies have developed the ability to warn us when we need to drink (before we get dehydrated). And how does it do that? It's called being thirsty!
The fact of the matter is, we do not need to drink water until we feel thirsty, as this is our bodies way of letting us know we need to drink. The danger of drinking before we feel thirsty is that it can result in over hydration - which is very dangerous. People very rarely die of dehydration, but it is very common for people to die of over hydration.
So there you have it..
Sports Drinks are completely unnecessary for the average gym visitor:
- They contain a massive amount of sugar.
- They are rich in calories
- They promote fat accumulation in your body.
- They are a short term energy source.
- They are useless in regards to replacing electrolytes unless exercising for 1 hour+
- They are an expensive form of hydration - water is free and more effective.

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Avoiding Muscle Cramps During Exercises

Muscle cramps are sometimes called a "medical mystery" and tend to come out of nowhere, for no apparent reason at all. The reasons behind most muscle cramps are usually related to dehydration, nutrient insufficiency, and electrolyte imbalances. When our bodies are lacking in one or the other, we usually get painful muscle cramps that can affect our sleep, athletic performance, and exercise routines. A cramp feels like a knot that bunches up inside of a muscle and is sometimes very painful. For some, you are actually able to see the knot underneath the skin, depending on how bad the cramp is. If you find yourself in the midst of a muscle cramp, try stretching the muscle while after wards giving it a gentle massage. This usually is good for getting the cramp to go away immediately.

Workouts can turn into nightmares if you find yourself in the midst of the groove and then are suddenly faced with a painful cramp. I want to share with you some of the tips I give my Chino Hills health club clients. It doesn't matter where you workout, on the beach, in the gym or at home if you don't give your body the attention it needs you could find yourself suffering from painful muscle cramps. Here are some effective ways to prevent and avoid getting muscle cramps during exercise:

1) Stay hydrated. Drinking water before, during, and after workouts can keep you from having painful muscle cramps. Make sure that you are drinking water all through the day, however.

2) Make sure that you are taking a multivitamin, this will ensure that your body is receiving all of the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs- Don't forget to eat something when you take your multivitamin for better absorption.

3) Sip on some Powerade or Gatorade for electrolytes. These drinks can often times keep your balance in check while still feeding you spurts of energy while you workout.

4) Be sure to check in with your doctor if you are certain that you are staying hydrated and getting all of the right nutrients. Sometimes some medical conditions can lead to muscle cramps, and certain medications can cause cramps as well.

5) Stretch before you exercise. I am not talking about just a 30-second stretch; it needs to be at least a good 10-minute or so stretching session. This will definitely decrease your chances of getting those painful and uncomfortable cramps.

6) Eat a banana or a pickle, both are high in potassium, a nutrient requirement for avoiding muscle spasms/cramps.

Not only are they painful, muscle cramps are annoying and can be avoided. Make sure that you are receiving adequate nutrition and do not forget to take your vitamins. There is nothing like trying to work out while getting caught up in the middle of a dreadful muscle spasm! Remember that a muscle cramp can strike at any time, so make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions to avoid them. And as I remind my Chino Hills health club clients, do not forget to consult with your physician if they seem to be getting too much out of control, he or she will be able to detect if there are further problems causing the cramps/spasms.

You definitely do not want to wind up whaling out in pain while in the middle of a workout. Let's face it, cramps slow us down. Where there is prevention, there is a way to avoid these painful cramps. So, nurture your body properly, stay hydrated, and have a great workout with no spasms.

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Maca Root: The Superfood of the Andes

Maca root is known as the 'superfood of the Andes'. Ancient Peruvians used it as an aphrodisiac, and for energy and endurance. Today, western society uses it for it's many health benefits and the incredible nutritional value is contains.

So, what exactly is in the maca root?

Maca root is a power house of nutrition and here are just some of the things contained inside it:

Vitamin B1 which helps to convert carbohydrates to energy.

Vitamin B2 which is good for red cell production.

Vitamin C which is an oxidation reduction agent.

There are over 20 fatty acids in maca root.

A broad spectrum of macronutrients that are esesntail vitamins and minerals for overall health.

A broad spectrum of micronutrients that help to remineralize the body such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Maca root is a high source of fibre which helps to eliminate toxins and waste.

It is rich in proteins that are bio-available for absorbability, at about 11% per gram.

What do doctors say about Maca Root?

Doctors and scientists are now finding that maca is one of the best natural ways to support endoctrine health. This regulates metabolism, sexual development, levels of energy and a sense of overall wellbeing.

Recent studies also show that maca effects the body and mind in others ways.

It nourishes and calms the nerves, aids in digestion, supports the adrenal glands, helps build muscle mass, and regulates hormonal imbalances naturally. It has also been found to speed healing and reduce anemia. And best of all, even though you may think it would be... it's not addictive!

Where do you get it and how do you take it?

Maca root powder is sold in most health food stores as well as online. You can also get in the form of a liquid extract.

Maca has a pungent taste and some people have called it nutty tasting. It has a pretty unique flavour and is a bit of an acquired taste. Maca is most easily taken if you add it into a smoothie or shake.

I used to buy it as a powder and add a scoop to my morning smoothie, but I found my kids did not like it. Now I use a meal replacement shake that contains maca as one ingredient, along with many other superfoods. As a busy mom, it just makes life easier and costs less money to do it that way.



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