January 18, 2009
Fads on diets had been on a high at the turn of the century. People had been over-the-top conscious on what they pop on their mouths. Others say it’s keeping up with a healthier lifestyle, while some admits to saying they are just joining in the bandwagon. They go on diets but don’t know and don’t care about the effects it will bring them. But a big chunk of these dieters are after having a slimmer, sexier body by shedding off pounds and pounds of fat and cholesterol.
Researches that are made in recent years show that every diet- low carb, low fat, high protein, high fiber, you name it- boils down to one simple rule: you must burn more calories than you eat. What you got to do is to utilize all the fats and calories you’ve taken in. Otherwise, they’ll just pile up and before you know it, you’re already double your size! So, eat what you know you can utilize more. If you’ve observed carbs are harder for you to digest, then, don’t go on a carb diet. Conclusions of these researches say people lost similar amounts of weight whether they were on Atkins, Weight Watchers, Zone or a low-fat diet.
In the end, it boils down to one thing: go for one that suits you. It varies from one person to another.
November 24, 2008
When you were a child, you’ve always been told to hit the sack early. You might have thought, it was because you needed to be up early for school. While this may be true, you missed the whole point of why you needed to be early in bed. Eight to nine hours of sleep makes you healthy and you need all the energy to last the whole day through. Snoozing off that long makes your body rejuvenate stored energy, making you feel very enthusiastic in the morning. Sleeping this long also helps you control your hunger pangs, you crave for food less. The less time you sleep, the more you get your BMI or body mass index higher.
It’s not too late to train your body do the right thing. Try as best as you can- while still having a nice, fun life- to stick to a sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at set times will help train your body to fall asleep faster, so you’ll be more likely to get the eight to nine hours of sleep you need each night.
Give yourself a break and take a nice, long shuteye. After all, it is very beneficial to your health!
August 24, 2008
It comes as a great surprise to most but stress is actually normal. This is the mind’s response to his constantly changing environment, especially those that appear suddenly and threateningly. Stress triggers adrenaline which braces you to either “fight” or to take “flight”. A small amount of manageable stress is beneficial; it keeps you alert and makes you think faster. The adrenaline enables one to put in more effort to face the challenges of everyday life. Stress could actually provide the needed excitement to make life more thrilling.
On the other hand, too much stress over a long period of time could get out of hand and leave you stressed out. Being stressed out leads to complications like eating disorders, skin rashes, peptic ulcer, high blood pressure, heart attack, it may even trigger or worsen asthma attacks in asthma-prone persons.
Recognizing and understanding stress is the first and most important step in stress management. Here are some stress-telling signs and symptoms:
1. Increased heart rate
2. Tensed muscles, especially round the neck and shoulders
3. Difficulty in concentrating
4. Insomnia
5. Loss of appetite or over-eating
6. More cigarette and alcohol intake than usual
7. Anxiety
8. Shortness of breath
9. Getting too aggressive or too defensive
10. Forgetfulness
