Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

4 Reasons to Avoid Macronutrient Overdose

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The macronutrients are the three main nutrients that your body needs to survive. You need to consume relatively large quantities of carbohydrates, dietary fats and proteins to ensure that your body functions properly. However, there is a limit to how much you can safely consume and exceeding that limit can have a number of adverse effects.

In this article I will be expanding on this topic and discussing four of the negative side effects associated with macronutrient overdose.

macronutrients

1) DEHYDRATION

Eating too much protein has been linked with dehydration. A study from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology looked at five endurance athletes who consumed low (63g per day), moderate (123g per day) and high (246g per day) levels of protein over three periods of four weeks. They found that as protein consumption increased, hydration levels went down. Dehydration can have an adverse effect on your health and put you at risk of a number of heat related illnesses.

2) FLUCTUATING ENERGY LEVELS

Consuming too many carbohydrates causes your blood glucose levels to increase rapidly and then fall dramatically. Eating high levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) has also been linked with elevated blood glucose levels. Your body uses blood glucose for energy so any fluctuations can have a direct effect on your energy levels. One minute you may feel full of energy and then the next minute you will feel as though all the energy has been sucked from your body. This makes it extremely difficult to concentrate and function properly throughout the day.

3) INCREASED LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Eating high levels of saturated fat has been linked with increased LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol builds up in your artery walls causing blockages. This restricts the flow of blood to your vital organs which can lead to both organ damage and heart disease.

4) WEIGHT GAIN

Weight gain is probably the most common symptom associated with macronutrient overdose. If you eat too many carbohydrates any that are not required for energy are stored as body fat. Consuming too much protein has exactly the same effect with any excess being converted into body fat. Overindulging on dietary fats can also lead to rapid weight gain as they contain more than twice the calories (nine calories per gram) of carbohydrates and proteins (four calories per gram).

Whilst the macronutrients are essential for life and good health you need to keep an eye on how much of each type you are consuming. To ensure that you are not eating too many macronutrients you first need to check that the daily amount of calories you consume is in line with the amount your body burns.

Then you need to ensure that no more than 70% of your daily calories come from a single macronutrient (so having 90% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates would be too much). If you stick to these rules you should be avoid the negative symptoms discussed in this article and enjoy all the benefits that the macronutrients can offer.

Fitness Tips for Senior Citizens

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As senior citizens get older it is very important to stay active in order to maintain overall health. Some of you cannot exercise like you use to, but you can still workout and keep safe at the same time. Here are some tips to help you.

I recommend checking with your doctor if you have not worked out in over a year. It is wise to get a check up once a year any way, so while your there ask about an exercise program.

senior citizens

It is important to do something that you enjoy when thinking about a fitness plan. It could be lifting weights or walking on a treadmill. Any exercise is better than nothing at all. I find that seniors love to workout provided that the exercise routines are fun.

Most seniors like to workout with a trainer or a partner. I feel the reason for this is that they feel comfortable with someone helping them with their exercises. If it makes them train harder and safer then it’s great for them.

Some seniors nowadays are in such good shape they can help me workout. I’m always amazed at what some senior citizens can do in a gym. Quite a few of them are still very strong and muscular. I can only hope that I will be in that good of shape.

If you never worked out or starting to get back into the swing of things. I would start off very slow at first. The individual does not want to hurt themselves right off the starting block. Take your time and the strength and endurance will come back gradually. You will have some muscle soreness when starting off. Just don’t overdo it at first. The body has ways to overcome muscle soreness with rest and proper nutrition.

Starting out a fitness plan for senior citizens, I would recommend setting some short- term goals to get going. It could be something like walking a block. Walking on the treadmill, or even lifting some light weights. The more goals you set the more likely the person will keep exercising and making progress.

Please make sure you stay hydrated by drinking water throughout your workouts. Staying hydrated will also help if you suffer from cramping.

Also please make sure you have good fitted sneakers. It’s very important for your safety to have a nice pair of sneakers.

Please stretch before and after you exercise. Your body will love this and prevent injuries. As we get older our joints and ligaments shorten, so stretching helps to elongate the muscle.

As senior citizens it is wise to start a fitness routine in order to maintain a healthy body and mind. It won’t take long once you have a fitness plan to see great results.

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3 Effective Yoga Poses for Back Pain

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Since the practice focuses on stretching to improve body strength and flexibility, further studies show that people who take yoga or stretching classes cut back on pain medications for back pain twice as much compared to those who don’t.

While yoga isn’t recommended for those suffering severe back pain, the practice can give relief to those who experience back aches occasionally. As a safety measure, be sure to first consult your doctor about your new physical regimen especially when you’re prone to pain.

back pain

So if you want to get rid of your back aches or pains for good, here are the top 3 most effective yoga poses that can help relieve back pain:

1. Downward-Facing Dog

The Downward-Facing Dog is one of the most simple yoga poses for back pain. It is great for stretching the whole body, targeting your lower back muscles. This pose also supports the spine.

How to do it:

Begin this pose with your hands and knees, making sure that your hands are slightly in front of your shoulders. With your back pressed, slowly lift your tailbone up towards the ceiling by raising your knees away from the floor. Hold this position for 5-10 breaths and repeat the process five to seven times.

2. Cat and Cow Pose

Another easy pose you can try when doing yoga for back pain is the Cat and Cow Pose. This basic yoga pose stretches and loosens the back muscles for instant relief. It is usually used as a warm-up pose or a part of a regular yoga routine.

How to do it:

Begin in all fours. Then do the cat pose by arching your back and pressing your spine up. Hold this position for a few seconds before transitioning to the cow pose. To do the cow pose, scoop your spine in, press your shoulders back then lift your head. Move back and forth from the cat pose to the cow pose ten times.

3. Child’s Pose

If you’re looking for simple yoga poses for relieving back pain, the Child’s Pose is what you need to learn. It is a resting pose that actively stretches and elongates your back.

How to do it:

Begin on all fours, your arms stretched out in front of you. Slowly sit back so that your glutes or butt muscles rest (but not touch) above your heels. Hold this pose for five to ten breaths and repeat as many as you want for a relieving, soothing stretch.

To ensure that your back pain is relieved through these simple yoga poses, take time to do some light stretches beforehand. Yoga for back pain is an effective relief, but be sure that you don’t over stretch your muscles especially when you’re a beginner. Otherwise, your back ache will only worsen.

5 Super Macronutrients Food Sources

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The three macronutrients are required by your body in relatively large quantities and are essential for life. Without them you could not survive. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy, dietary fats support overall good health and protein helps build, maintain and repair your body’s cells.

But which foods can provide you with these three important nutrients? Keep reading for five super macronutrient foods.

macronutrients

1) APPLES

Apples are a fantastic carbohydrate source making them a great energy food. They also contain high levels of antioxidants (which protect your body from oxygen related damage), fibre (which keeps your blood glucose levels stable and promotes good bowel health), flavonoids (which act in a similar way to antioxidants), phytonutrients (which also act in a similar way to antioxidants) and vitamin C (which helps your wounds heal and keeps your immune system strong).

2) ALMONDS

Almonds are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats and protein. On top of this they are a great source of vitamin B2 (which helps your body break down macronutrients for energy), vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant), copper (which assists in the production of many important substances), manganese (which activates a number of enzymes in the body) and potassium (which helps maintain proper muscle contractions and regular heartbeats).

3) BEEF

Despite the negative press, beef is actually a very nutritious food. It is a super source of monounsaturated fat, protein and saturated fat. Beef is also a fantastic source of vitamin B2, vitamin B3 (which helps convert blood glucose into energy), vitamin B6 (which helps break down protein), vitamin B12 (which assists in the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA)), selenium (an antioxidant) and zinc (which protects your blood vessels and promotes a strong immune system).

4) EGGS

Eggs are a quick, convenient, healthy food containing high levels of monounsaturated fat, protein and saturated fat. They are also rich in a number of vitamins and minerals such as iodine (which promotes thyroid health), tryptophan (a mood boosting amino acid), vitamin B2, vitamin B5 (which helps your body break down the three macronutrients), vitamin B12, vitamin D (which assists in the absorption of the bone strengthening nutrients calcium and phosphorus).

5) SPINACH

Spinach is an excellent carbohydrate source. It is also a great source of calcium, iron (which supports the production of haemoglobin), magnesium (which helps your muscles and nerves function properly), vitamin A (which promotes healthy vision) and vitamin K (which helps your blood clot).

As you can see there are plenty of foods out there that can help you get your daily intake of macronutrients. Most of them will also provide you with a healthy dose of important vitamins and minerals. I hope this list helps you find some good macronutrient food sources but if none of them are to your liking remember the most important rule is to stick with natural, unprocessed foods such as fresh meat, fruits and vegetables. A varied diet that is low in processed foods will very often provide the balance of macronutrients that your body needs.

Firm Up Flabby Arms (Fitness for Seniors)

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Everyone needs to partake in some type of physical activity. It doesn’t matter what your size or age is, you need to exercise. Fitness for seniors is especially important because once the human body reaches a certain age, it needs extra care, particularly where the muscles are concerned.

There are a lot of people in this world with flabby arms. The great thing about it is that they’re not difficult to get rid of. Seniors usually develop flabby arms from not being active. The flab that hangs from the arms is undeveloped muscle and sometimes, it can also be fat.

flabby arms

Before working on toning up flabby arms, seniors must first participate in some sort of low-impact to moderate cardiovascular workout. All fitness for seniors should include at least three days per week of 30 minute-walks, jogs, aerobics, swimming, etc.

It’s important to mix up the intensity and types of cardiovascular workouts. For one, mixing it up helps prevent workouts from becoming boring. It also helps to make sure that the whole body is targeted. Mixing up the intensity burns more fat and contributes to less flab around the arms. Without some sort of cardio, there won’t be any fat burning.

Getting involved in cardio also helps prepare the body for lifting weights and other forms of working out. Fitness for seniors should include a warmup, stretch, some weight-lifting, and then another stretch. Once the warmup is complete, the next step is to stretch for about 10 minutes. This will help to prevent injury.

After stretching is complete, then it’s time to start lifting weights and toning up the arms. A good exercise for seniors to firm up flabby arms is the triceps extension. This exercise involves lowering a light weight behind your head slowly and then lifting it up, and lowering again.

Fitness for seniors should be as comfortable as possible. The triceps extension can be performed standing up, sitting down, or lying down. You also may want to consider alternating to keep it interesting and make sure that your muscles are targeted from all angles. Try to do about 3 to 4 sets, twice per week.

Perform the exercises really slow and do not forget to breathe as you are performing the movements. If you start to feel like you are straining, you probably are. If so, then stop immediately and begin stretching very slowly and carefully.

After the workout is complete, stretch for about 5 to 10 more minutes. If you feel like it, try to hop on an exercise bike or walk for a few minutes on the treadmill. This will help to cool your body down and make you feel better once the workout is complete.

The most important thing to know about fitness for seniors is that it should be practiced. The more you exercise, the better you will feel. By working out the body, you strengthen your heart and your immune system. Lifting weights helps to burn fat, tone muscle, and protect the joints, which is particularly important for seniors. Make sure to work out at least three times per week, and you should be able to see some fairly quick results.

Yoga Poses for Newbies

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Yoga is a system of unique exercises and postures that helps you attain mental and bodily control and promotes wellbeing. It helps realize your “self” its distinction from mind, body and will, thus helping it in attaining liberation. The benefits of this ancient art are enormous, ranging from physical and emotional health to spiritual benefits.

Yoga postures, also known as asanas, help promote the physical wellbeing of an individual by improving blood circulation, reducing weight, relieving respiratory problems especially asthma, reducing risk for cardiovascular disease, and normalizing blood pressure levels.

yoga

When performed on a regular basis, yoga exercises improve physical strength and stamina, and reduce the risk for falling and associated injuries. Numerous researches have revealed that yoga helps reduce the amount of toxins absorbed by one’s body tissues, thus slowing down their deterioration.

Yoga helps improve your level of concentration and enhances mental clarity. At an advanced level, yoga has also been shown to help in developing psychic powers. Moreover, yoga helps unite your “self” with the environment and the people around you.

If you are a newbie in this field, then there are numerous yoga poses for beginners that can help you control your “self” and take you to the next level. Remember that yoga is comprised of three main modules namely exercise, breathing and meditation and there are separate beginner poses for each of these modules.

Some popular beginner poses for the exercise module include Tada Asana, Kona Asana, Trikonasana, Uttanpanda Asana, Markat Asana, Leg Rotation Asana, and Yoga Mudra. Tada Asana makes an excellent pose for beginners as it helps improve stretching, increases flexibility and increases height. Kona Asana strengthens the bones and relieves joint inflammation.

Trikonasana strengthens the back muscles and helps reduce back ache. Uttanpanda Asana has been shown to relieve indigestion and other gastrointestinal problems. Markat Asana is a supine yoga pose that promotes flexible back. Leg Rotation Asana makes an excellent supine yoga pose for those beginners who are looking for permanent weight loss. Yoga Mudra is a sitting yoga pose that helps in retaining beauty and youthfulness.

Yoga beginner poses for breathing module include Vajra Asana, Padam Asana, and Sukh Asana. Vajra Asana, also known as Diamond Pose, improves the function of lungs and cures varicose veins. Padam Asana, also known as Lotus Pose, improves cardiovascular disease and promotes peace of mind. Sukh Asana or Easy Pose is meant for people who find it difficult to execute Vajra Asana and Padam Asana.

Beginner poses for yoga meditation module include Bal Asana and Yoga Nidra. Bal Asana makes an excellent beginner pose for the relaxation of soul and body. Yoga Nidra is a meditation pose that promotes deep sleep, improves intelligence and promotes clarity of mind.

Six Wonderful Macronutrient Benefits

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The macronutrients are the three main nutrients your body needs to survive. They include carbohydrates, dietary fats and protein. But what exactly do they do for your body?

Read on for six of the fantastic benefits they can provide.

macronutrients

1) DISEASE PROTECTION

Dietary fats can protect you from a number of diseases. They reduce your heart disease risk by lowering blood pressure, lowering blood triglyceride levels and reducing the presence of lipoprotein (a) (a strong risk factor for heart disease) in your blood. Dietary fats have also been shown to protect you from breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. Finally, they keep your immune system strong which further enhances your ability to fight disease.

2) ENERGY

Carbohydrates provide your body with a quick, convenient source of energy. This enables all the cells in your body to function properly. Whilst your body can break down dietary fats and protein for energy it is a much less efficient process.

3) FIBRE, PHYTONUTRIENTS AND VITAMINS

Carbohydrates provide your body with a number of important nutrients. Fibre is an indigestible carbohydrate that keeps your blood glucose levels stable and promotes good bowel health. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring chemicals found in plants that protect your body from damage and disease. Vitamins are essential nutrients that protect you from disease, keep your immune system strong, support healthy growth and much more.

4) HEALTHY CELLS

The primary function of protein is to build, maintain and repair your body’s cells. When you are growing your body uses protein to build strong bones, muscles and more. When you are fully grown your body uses protein to keep these cells strong and repair any that become damaged. Dietary fats also support your cells by assisting in the production of healthy skin cells and keeping the cell walls strong.

5) HEALTHY ORGANS

Dietary fats play a key role in organ health. They keep your brain healthy by promoting the production of cell membranes and signal pathways. They also support heart health by providing palmitic acid and stearic acid (two types of saturated fat that the heart uses for fuel when stressed). On top of this they protect your liver from harmful substances and have been shown to reverse liver damage. Finally, they reduce surface tension in the lungs by supporting the production of lung surfactant.

6) WEIGHT LOSS

Research suggests that dietary fats can both burn and prevent the build up of body fat. Protein can also help you lose weight in two ways. First, a meal high in protein can burn up to 25% more calories during digestion than a meal high in carbohydrates. Secondly, protein (and in particular the amino acid leucine) has been shown to act as an appetite suppressant.

I hope this article has given you a better insight into the macronutrients and how they benefit your health. As you can see they do almost everything your body requires. They give you energy, protect you from damage and disease, support healthy growth and even help you lose weight. So if you want to enjoy all these benefits make sure your diet contains sufficient levels of all three macronutrients.

Workout Tips – Senior Citizens Should Still Workout

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As you grow older, staying fit and healthy is more important than ever before as a senior citizen. By following an active lifestyle and working out regularly, you will definitely take care of your health and increase stamina. The suggestions listed here will present some handy fitness strategies for a senior.

Growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop working out. In fact tons of senior citizens are becoming more active than ever. They might have to start making small changes in the way they go about exercising.

senior

Always putting safety first and foremost. Senior citizens should workout and can do all the exercises of younger people. This includes, weightlifting, yoga, running, cardio and aerobics.

Seniors have to exercise and build muscle to prevent bone mass loss. The longer the person puts off working out the more chances of developing osteoporosis and other ailments. To prevent loss of strength the individual should do some form of strength training and incorporate some cardio for stamina. Cardio exercise also keeps the heart healthy. Yoga is also a great exercise for seniors. It helps with balance and flexibility.

Joining a senior class at a local gym is a very good for you. Not only will it help the person to get into shape, but help make new friends to workout with. The more people you can find to exercise the more fun the class is going to be. There are more senior classes opening up than ever before. Enjoy this time and workout hard. You’re body will reward you with increased energy and more stamina.

People have to realize that walking is one of the best exercises you can do. Walking costs nothing but the time and effort that the person puts forth. It’s one exercise that can help almost all seniors. Anyone can do it, and for the most part there is not much stress on the joints. Walking outside, walking on the treadmill, and walking on trails offer you lots of options. Try to walk a minimum of twenty minutes a day, one hour maximum. The more the individual walks, the more likely they are going to see positive results.

Swimming for senior citizens is very helpful for joints and tendons. Low impact swimming also aids in muscle recovery and healing. Senior classes normally offer swimming and most people love the benefits and feeling after a nice swim. The amount or swimming is totally up to the person. I have seen many seniors swimming laps in the pool, so for a good workout maybe start with one or two laps and work up from there.

As we get older it’s even more important to take care of your body. Yes it is true seniors do get some aches and pains from time to time. That should not stop the person from being active. Keep striving everyday to exercise to fight of disease and to feel great.

Yoga: Postures and Poses

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Yoga has become a very popular form of exercise, however, some styles focus primarily on physically working the back, for instance: the most important Yoga poses in this case will differ from others, remaining the most important Yoga poses for another kind of Yoga.

There are also very difficult one might focus on in other styles of Yoga designed to stretch and strengthen other specific parts of the body, and many that work the entire body, treating the body as left and right equals yin and yang.

yoga

There are specific Yoga poses for the floor parts of Yoga exercise, as well as the more familiar standing Yoga poses.

One of the most basic kinds of standing Yoga poses one will learn in Yoga is what is called the tree balance. In this balance you will:

  1. Prepare as always by checking the posture and lifting through the torso, pushing your shoulders down.
  2. Hold your eyes on one object diagonally or straight forward for the entire pose.
  3. Stand with your feet together.
  4. Lift up onto the balls of your feet.
  5. Rock your weight back, onto your heels.
  6. Strengthen the right leg shifting all of your weight and lift your left leg slowly up so that your foot lays flat, toes down, resting on your right inner thigh.
  7. Your arms slowly lift up to what is called the prayer position: both palms meeting directly above the top of the head–the full body in perfect alignment. Meeting above the crown chakra and lengthening all the way through the body.

The benefits of practicing this posture are many. It will result in remarkably noticeable balance and grace.

The posture requires balance, focus and concentration–all the basic guidelines of Yoga–both spiritual and physical are involved in Yoga poses. The tree balance is one of the many Yoga poses where the key is to relax and clear your mind. Not thinking about the difficulty of the pose itself–releasing tension–that is the mental aspect of several complex positions–without which many Yoga poses would be virtually impossible to hold.

This is one of the most well known Yoga postures. However, there are many. Including, as I mentioned before, many floor Yoga poses. Focus and breath–this is how you remain in any of the Yoga poses.

One example of the floor Yoga poses is the snake:

  1. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands on your shoulders.
  2. Lift up by straightening the arms and focus up–as though your eyes were also a part of the arch.
  3. Focus on pushing the pelvis down towards the floor–arching your back.
  4. And keep your shoulders down, as with virtually all Yoga poses.

Remember, all Yoga poses are meant to be held. You do not just reach the posture. Instead you reach it and remain there–thirty seconds, a minute etc. Holding, breathing, the asana, and the pranayama, this is how the balance is earned. In all Yoga poses you will find that you can stretch further and further each time. There are many other yoga poses and techniques out there–go find the perfect kind of yoga for you!

The Basic Facts About Nutrients, Macronutrients and Micronutrients

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In the complex, elegant system called the human body, the nutrients that are ingested and absorbed are essential for the growth, maintenance, repair, and replacement of the trillions of cells of the organs and tissues that do the body’s work. These nutrients are the substances in the foods and beverages we ingest.

Nutrition is the sum total of the interaction between the foods we eat-our diets-and the ways in which our bodies process, use, and are nourished by the nutrients in those foods. Although human bodies are incredibly adaptable and may maintain themselves for a long time when nutrition is inadequate or improper, optimum health is dependent on optimum nutrition. When proper amounts of nutrients are lacking or out of balance, or when nutrients are not adequately processed, dysfunction, ill health, and disease are inevitable.

Nutrition

Nutrients for Life

Scientists and researchers are still learning to define optimal nutrition and understand how nutrients affect health and disease. So far, more than 40 nutrients have been identified as substances that are essential to life. They are grouped into six categories or classes. These classes are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, some minerals, and water are considered to be macronutrients, because the body needs them in large quantities. Vitamins and most minerals (often called trace minerals) are needed in relatively small amounts and are referred to as micronutrients. They are essential because they enable the body to use its macronutrients. No single food contains all essential nutrients, but most foods are a source of one or more in varying degrees. People must ingest a variety of foods in order to nourish their bodies.

Energy And Fuel

One of the most important functions of nutrients is to provide the fuel that powers the body’s functions. Glucose is the sugar from carbohydrates that provides the major source of fuel for the body, its organs, and its cells, but fats are another important source. When necessary, proteins can also be used as fuel. These macronutrients provide the body with 100% of its energy. Energy is measured in calories. Some foods, such as cheeseburgers, are calorie dense, while others, such as celery, provide few calories.

How much food is required to provide enough energy depends on the kinds of foods a person eats, as well as a person’s activity level, age, and size. In other words, how much energy is used up and how quickly it is used depends on individual factors and is never standard for all people at all times in their lives.

Because of the energy supplied by these macronutrients, muscles move, lungs breathe, and hearts beat. Bodies use the energy to maintain the correct temperature. Cells build the proteins that do the work in the body. With too few calories, cell activity and organ function falter. A complete lack of energy (meaning zero calories consumed) would lead to cell death and organ failure from starvation within about 8 to 12 weeks.

If too many calories are taken, the body stores the excess as fat, in case extra energy is needed in the future. Every healthy person needs to have some fat stores for emergencies, but an excess amount leads to unhealthy body weight and stress on organs, which also can lead to disease.