Archive for June, 2009

How To Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Jun-15-2009 Posted under sugar free energy drink

No medications can do a better job than treating your high cholesterol naturally. And, if you are one of those lucky people who do not have cholesterol concerns, you may want to take steps to keep it that way!

What can you do to improve your cholesterol levels? Here’s the list and we will cover each item thoroughly.

Reduce fat in your diet

One of the best plans is covered previously in our chart on saturated fat. But there is more you can do. Buy the leanest cuts of meat you can find. Regularly substitute poultry (without the skin) and fish for red meat. Both are lower in saturated fat. Switch to low fat cottage cheese and yogurt, reduced fat hard cheeses and skim or 1 percent milk.

Eat no more than four egg yolks a week

Many people don’t have to worry about eating cholesterol. Normal bodies adjust to increased intake by cutting back on regular product. However, since one third of Americans are cholesterol responders their blood cholesterol does go up when they eat cholesterol. You probably don’t know if you fall into this category so play it safe. Eat no more than four egg yolks a week. An average egg yolk contains 213 milligrams of cholesterol!

Eliminate fried foods

Buying low fat is just the beginning. You need to institute low fat cooking methods to keep the cholesterol from sneaking back in to your diet.
Remove fatty skin from chicken and turkey.
Don’t fry foods. Roast, bake, broil, grill or poach them instead.

Use fat free marinades or basting with liquids like wine, tomato or lemon juice.
Use olive or canola oils for sauteing or baking. Both are very low in saturated fat.
Use diet, tub or squeeze margarines instead of regular. Watch for the term hydrogenated, which means some of the fat is saturated.

Eat vegetables and complex carbohydrates

Lowest fat foods of all are vegetables, fruits, grains (rice, barley and pasta), beans and legumes. Try substituting some of these for meat and high fat dairy products.
Don’t douse your pasta with butter or your potato with sour cream.
Use tomato base sauces instead of cream base.
Use lemon juice, low sodium soy sauce or herbs to season vegetables.
Make chili with extra beans and seasonings while leaving out the meat.

Snack all you want

Yep, that’s what we wrote. Snack several times a day on low fat foods. Yogurt, fruit, vegetables, bagels and whole grain breads and cereals are excellent for snacking. In fact, there is evidence that points to lower cholesterol levels in people who eat several small meals a day. Eating often can keep hormones like insulin from rising and signaling your body to make more cholesterol. Make certain that your total intake of calories doesn’t go up when you eat more often.

Nuts to you!

Do you like nuts? If you do, sprinkle a few on your cereal, bake them into muffins or pancakes or add them to casseroles or stir-fries. Walnuts and almonds are especially good. Eating about three ounces of walnuts a day is shown to decrease blood cholesterol levels by 10% more than an already low fat, low cholesterol diet. Walnuts are high in fat, but it is mostly polyunsaturated fat, which is the kind that lowers cholesterol. Another study shows that about three ounces of almonds which are rich in monounsaturated fat, lowers LDL by 9%!

Drink fruit juices

You may have read about the low rate of heart disease in France. It led researchers to believe that the French habit of drinking red wine with meals contributes to this. Apparently some of the non-alcoholic ingredients in red wine raises HDL and suppresses the body from producing LDL.

Purple grape juice works the same way. It will work like red wine to lower the fat level in your blood. The LDL lowering effect of red wine and grape juice comes from a compound that grapes produce normally to resist mold. The darker the grape juice, the better.

Eat garlic

Cholesterol lowering effects of garlic have been demonstrated repeatedly in people with normal and high cholesterol. Eat all the garlic you can. It also seems to raise the HDL levels as well. If you are worried about the odor, take the tablets instead. They have proven to be nearly as effective as the cooked or raw cloves.

Take niacin carefully

We discussed niacin earlier. Remember as one of the B vitamins, it is proven effective for lowering LDL and raising HDL. It is also one of the cheapest drugs available for lowering cholesterol. But, without medical supervision it may not be totally safe. A dose high enough to lower cholesterol can cause extremely high blood sugar or liver damage.

Take vitamin E

Studies indicate that vitamin E may have a positive impact on lowering cholesterol when taken in fairly large quantities up to 800 IU per day. This is more than you can get from your diet alone. Larger amounts do not seem to cause any harm.

Further studies showed that even amounts of just 25 IU per day helps in preventing LDL from sticking to blood vessel walls. That amount is only slightly higher than the recommended daily amount (RDA) of 12 to 15 IU. It’s interesting to note that even that small amount has an impact on preventing that hardening of the arteries.

Take Calcium

One study indicates that when 56 people took a calcium carbonate supplement, their total cholesterol went down 4 percent and their HDL increased 4 percent. That was taking a dosage of 400 milligrams of calcium three times a day with no harmful effects reported. That does refer to calcium carbonate.

Take a multivitamin it can’t hurt

While you are building your calcium and vitamin E intake, remember the old standby, vitamin C. It is the number one immune system booster and also drives up HDL. A study of people who took more than 60 milligrams of vitamin C per day (60 milligrams is the RDA) had highest LDL levels.

Fill up on fiber

Remember several years back when oat bran was the latest craze for lowering cholesterol? Later studies arrived at inconsistent results, but the medical community do agree that soluble fiber, the kind found in oat bran, does help lower LDL and raise HDL. As little as three grams per day of fiber from oat bran or oatmeal can be effective.

There are 7.2 grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oat bran and five grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oatmeal. There are other sources of fiber as well such as barley, beans, peas and many other vegetables. Corn fiber is also good for reducing LDL, lowering it by as much as 5 percent in a recent study. Researchers used 20 grams of corn fiber a day.

That would be a bit difficult for the average user when you take into account that one serving of corn has three grams of corn fiber. But, every little bit does make a difference. Pectin, which is found in fruits like apples and prunes, reduces cholesterol even better than oat bran, as does psyllium which is the fiber you find in many breakfast cereals and bulk laxatives.

Quit smoking

Smoking promotes the development of atherosclerosis. Tobacco smoke is actually more damaging to the heart than the lungs. Smokers have a higher chance of having a heart attack (three times greater than nonsmokers) and a greater risk of dying of the attack (twenty one times greater than nonsmokers.) Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide, which is uniquely damaging to the heart. Not only does it reduce the amount of oxygen the heart receives, it also actually damages the cells of the heart, rendering them less able to produce energy and thereby weakening the hear.

In addition to the dangers of carbon monoxide, there’s the danger of the nicotine. Nicotine interferes with the electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat. When the blood flow is compromised, the heart can beat in a fast, uncontrolled, irregular beats that actually cause a heart attack. If you smoke, reducing the risks of atherosclerosis is yet another reason to stop. Even if you have smoked for years, stopping now can still immediately help combat the development of atherosclerosis

Reduce sugar intake

Many people don’t realize that sugar affects cholesterol and definitely affects triglycerides. Sugar stimulates insulin production, which in turn increases triglycerides. Men in particular, seem to be sensitive to this effect from sugar. The mineral chromium which helps to stabilize blood sugar, can also raise the level of HDL. 100 mcg of chromium three times daily can help to improve your cholesterol levels.

Eliminate alcohol

The jury is still out and the different schools of thought are still at odds regarding the benefit or lack of benefit to consuming alcohol. This suggestion has nothing to do with our previous discuss on red wine. A moderate amount may be helpful. The problem is that to one person a moderate amount might be a glass of wine with their meal, while to another it might be a half bottle of Scotch!

Anything above the arbitrary ‘moderate’ amount elevates serum cholesterol triglycerides and your uric acid levels as well as potentially increasing blood pressure all of which promote heart disease. So, the best bet would be to eliminate it totally.

Eliminate caffeine

We Americans definitely have a love affair with our coffee! People who drink large amounts of caffeine (more than 6 cups a day) are far more prone to elevated cholesterol. That connection does not hold for tea drinkers. Limit your coffee intake to no more than one cup a day and eliminate caffeinated sodas entirely.

Gaetane Ross
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-naturally-125460.html

Herbalife Helps to Achieve Wellness and Fitness Together

Jun-15-2009 Posted under sports energy drink

Herbalife Supplements Help to Achieve Wellness and Physical Fitness Together

Several people strive for wellness and fitness in their life. They go together hand-in-hand. Adding natural herbal supplements to your personal program such as Herbalife products are an excellent way to retrieve the level of physical fitness and health you desire.

Physical fitness and health go hand-in-hand. You have to stay fit in order to be in good shape both mentally and physically. Health and fitness must remain equal for the sake of your well-being. There are things you can do to ensure you stay both fit and well. Good health supplements and exercise are a major part of this.

In order to make certain your body gets the appropriate vitamins it needs, take a multivitamin daily. In our overwhelming lives, healthy eating is not always an easy thing. How frequently do we grab a burger and fries at the nearest drive up window because we were pressed for time? To avoid having to eat like this, keep protein snacks in your purse, in your office, and in your car. Nutritional supplements can also be beneficial to help you increase energy, boost your metabolism, and lose weight. These nutrition supplements are often great tasting protein shakes you drink in place of one to two meals a day. Each protein shake is full of the vitamins and proteins that your body needs.

Regardless of which diet you’re using, it is important to exercise in conjunction with them to be most successful. Make it a priority to do physical activity of some sort each day like walking, yoga, aerobics, or other activities that get your heart pumping. As your endurance is built up, you’ll be able to increase your level of activity.

If you want to lose some weight quickly, to feel and look better, you certainly should look into products from Herbalife. These are natural herbal products that are designed to help to stop hunger and help you drop unwanted pounds the healthy way. You can choose to visit http://www.herbalife.com to learn about the assorted Herbalife supplements available. You can make a decision about which supplements are appropriate for you based on your individual needs.

Herbalife provides a large array of products for children’s health, heart health, mood solutions, and the immune system. Also addressed is digestive health. Core Complex targets 4 primary heart health indicators: triglycerides, homocysteine, oxidative stress and cholesterol.

Liftoff is an effervescent energy drink tablet that helps fight mental and physical weariness.

Schizandra Plus supports the body’s natural defenses against stress, pollution and allergens.

Garden 7 has antioxidants equal to the recommended 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Activated Fiber provides a simple way to increase your intake of healthy fiber daily.

Other products and supplements for skin care, fitness, hair care and sports also are available from Herbalife.

Additionally, you will see amazing Herbalife success stories from genuine customers who use the products. They are at the best fitness level of their lives, feel better, and they have lost weight. Literally millions everywhere in the world have felt better over all, dropped pounds, and become fit after using Herbalife products. You can also benefit from trying them.

The ambition for health and physical fitness is one that all of us endeavor to achieve. This quest is made much more simple by investing your time and money in participating in exercise activities, eating well, and adding Herbalife products to your routine each day.

(c) Copyright 2006 Herbal Health

Claire Call
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/herbalife-helps-to-achieve-wellness-and-fitness-together-108479.html

The Power Of Corporate ID Branding

Jun-15-2009 Posted under power drink

According to some marketing experts if Coca-cola would decide to liquidate its business, its brand alone would cost well over $26 billion. This is quite absurd assertion for ordinary people who are not adept with the intricacies and importance of establishing a powerful corporate ID branding, or more commonly known as corporate identity. Try asking how often you would hear yourself and other people ask for Coke instead of ordering for cola. Just imagine how many billions of people around the world who share the same such influential perception and association of the brand. This is undeniably a very valuable asset in the world of marketing and advertising – creating a highly and strong corporate ID branding.

Some would readily argue that Coke have been in the business for centuries and have already achieved the good reputation, certainly a force to reckon with in the soft drink industry. However, this is also achievable on small businesses. With the right positioning and branding, you can be able to develop a prominent corporate ID branding for you own market niche. This basically means that you will be able to increase brand recognition and demand for your products and services, permit you to increase your prices just a little, and ultimately improve the consumers value perception of your products and services.

This is why franchising is still a highly lucrative business in modern times, businessmen basically pay for the powerful corporate ID branding of a certain product, service or a business entity. Through franchising, they will not no longer start from scratch and undergo the nitty gritty ropes of introducing a new product in the market. Introducing and launching a new product in the market will require a lot of resources creating media hype to generate consumer interest. Marketing and advertising are very expensive nowadays, but many companies are all too willing to spend just to generate interest and recognition from consumers, which would ultimately lead to an increase in the catered market and product sales.

Unarguably, the corporate arena is a complex and dynamic world. There are always new opportunities and possibilities that await every businessman, along with a number of competitors who are ready to pounce of even the slightest sign of weakness on your part. Apart from the cutthroat competition, there is also the constant interaction between your company and the consumer market. Big companies who have gained much experience would claim that one of the key ingredients to success is to listen to the demands of the consumers. By developing keen sensitivity, you will know the preferences of your market niche, and would be in a better position to other the products that are specifically designed to cater their needs and wants. Therefore, it is highly important to properly manage and maintain a strong corporate ID branding no matter what industry you may be in to survive the all too fickle world of business.

T J Madigan
http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/the-power-of-corporate-id-branding-104465.html

Bodybuilding Supplements-What You Should Know Before You Take Them.

Jun-15-2009 Posted under energy drinks

Everybody needs a different amount of nutrients in their diets. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals and proteins. The body needs these nutrients every day in order to function correctly and to defend itself from various kinds of diseases. Sometimes a balanced diet is not sufficient enough to fulfill all of your body’s needs, especially when it needs an extra boost of energy like in the case of bodybuilding. There are many different kinds of nutritional supplements that are available to help with bodybuilding and they are becoming increasingly popular these days. They are all useful for people who want to build strong muscles and want to improve their overall muscular physique. Some of them are NO2 supplements, Hi Protien Supplements and Weightlifting supplements.

Bodybuilding supplements are usually composed of a blend of some vitamins, minerals and natural energy vitalizing substances. These substances are useful to promote the growth of muscles and tissues that have been broken down from hard workouts. Fat burning pills are another important supplement in this category and they help to speed up the process of metabolism in order to release energy. Bodybuilding supplements are sometimes referred to as energy boosters or mass builders. NO2 supplements help to bring the bodies blood flow and oxygen to the worked out areas at a greater pace insuring that the body is able to recuperate faster. NO2 supplements also give you that “pumped” up feeling long after your workouts are over.

Creatine is also a kind of bodybuilding supplement. Creatine will not only assist you in exercising longer but will also help in quicker restoration of strength after program sets.

Normally a nutritional supplement like Creatine is made by combining several different substances that work better and faster when combined than individual substances. Creatine enhancers are used to increase its effectiveness. Creatine phosphate is the energized form of creatine and functions as an energy storage reserve. Supplements rich in nitric oxide (NO2) also work well as bodybuilding supplements. They usually come in the form of tablets and capsules, but some are also available in liquid form.

When exercising it is possible that you will cause damage to your joints. Unfortunately, like the wearing of tires on a car, the connective tissue that cushions our bones will continue to wear out as we get older. There are certain supplements that are capable of preventing joint injury. They usually consist of Chondroitin sulfate and Glucosamine and sulfate. Glucosamine is an amino sugar derived from the chitin of shellfish and is used by the body to support healthy joint structures. Chondroitin complements Glucosamine and works synergistically to provide optimal nutritional support..

Muscle building and energy boosting drinks are readily available are very easy to consume and equally effective. Although there is no real alternative to eating a proper balanced diet, sometimes due to a lack of time we are not able to include all the natural nutrients in our everyday meals. To address this deficiency, you can take nutritional supplements. Testosterone boosters, growth hormones and a blend of herbs and vitamins just to name a few are also very effective bodybuilding supplements

Meal replacement supplements are normally found in the form of powdered material and more commonly known as meal replacement powder or MRP. These are rich in protein and fatty acids, so that they can provide the necessary energy boost required by the body. MRP can be mixed in water or milk before consuming. They also have RTD or Ready To Drink versions which are readily available and are more for the “on the go” type person. .They This way they are easier to take and provide the instant energy boost needed just like energy boosting drinks. MRP is recommended for bodybuilders who require large quantities of a Hi Protien Supplement to keep them in an anabolic state.

Nutrition bars, commonly known as meal bars or protein bars are also important to mention when considering body building supplements. Before using any kind of nutrition bars, don’t forget to consult a health expert because sometimes these bars contain additives that might be harmful to some people. If you are on any other medication to treat a disease, for example if you are an insulin-dependent diabetic patient then you should always ask your doctor before consuming any type of nutritional supplements. Hi Protien bars can be eaten just before working out to give your body some extra pre-workout energy.

Some natural substances like probiotics are also used in bodybuilding nutritional supplements. These are healthy bacteria that are naturally found in the digestive system, these help with the proper digestion of food. Eating a prescribed amount of these supplements daily helps to speed up the digestive process. If you don’t know where to start then you can search for bodybuilding supplements on the Internet including fat burning pills and energy boosting supplements, but make sure you talk to your Doctor before you consume any of these supplements.

A healthy diet and exercise program will ensure that you live a healthier and longer life. Always remember to research any nutritional supplement and talk to your doctor before taking anything. How you take care of yourself today

Chris DiCicco
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/bodybuilding-supplementswhat-you-should-know-before-you-take-them-123640.html

Right Kinds Of Food!

Jun-15-2009 Posted under energy drink effects

Recently, I had eaten the wrong kind of food for my body. As a result, I had indigestion. The physical discomfort due to indigestion caused me insomnia. After struggling for a very long time, I finally fell asleep around 4am. I woke up at around 8am the next morning. I was feeling both physically and mentally tired.

Due to tiredness, I could not concentrate on whatever I was trying to achieve for the day. This made me realized that I needed the right kind of foods and drinks for my body so that I will have ample energy to pursue financial freedom as defined by the Rich Dad’s series by Robert Kiyosaki.

What are kind of food or drink is considered right for my body? Basically a right kind of foods should satisfy the list of conditions listed below:

Firstly, the food or drink should be healthy for my body. The body needs a lot of food with a lot of fibers to enhance digestion. Thus, it is important to take a lot of vegetables and fruits since they contain a lot of fibers.

Taking too much meat will harm the body in the long term because there is lack of fibers. The problems will usually appear as irritable bowels, piles and so on. Thus, there is a need to strike a balance between eating vegetables, fruits and meats. When I have balance meals, then I will be healthy and thus save on unnecessary medical cost. In other words, I will have more money, time and energy to create wealth.

Secondly, the food or drink should not be allergic to my body. If I eat seafood and end up with rashes, then that mean I should avoid seafood altogether. Rashes cause me to feel discomfort and thus rob me of the energy to create wealth. Similarly, if I drink alcoholic drink and end up with rashes, then I should avoid alcoholic drink too. When I end up with rashes, I will need to consult doctor to cure the rashes. I will end up losing money, time and energy in order to recover.

Thirdly, the food or drink should not excite or drug my body. Most food or drink do not excite or drug my body. An example of a food that excites the body will be superb hot spicy food like tom yam soup. It is very nice to eat if you like hot and spicy food. But after finishing it, my mouth may feel so spicy and hot that I become too restless and preoccupied with the after effects for the rest of the day.

A good example of a drink that drugs the body will be alcoholic drink. Excessive alcoholic drinks cause the physical body and the brain to be drugged. That is why there is a lot of car accident due to drunk drivers. They cannot judge or function properly. Accidents caused loss of life as well as financial loss. If the driver is not properly insured, he may end up with a lot of debts paying for medical fees, compensating the injured parties and so on.

Next, the food or drink should not be addictive in nature. Water is not addictive in nature but it is essential for my body since a large percentage of my body is made up of water. Coffee is a good example of an addictive drink. It contains a substance known caffeine that will cause addiction. It is like a very minute drug but the way that it works is the same as any addictive drug.

If you have been drinking coffee regularly, you will notice that you are very tired if you do not drink coffee for the day. This is the reaction of the body when it fails to consume caffeine. It not much different from a drug addict who fails to consume drug and feel the withdrawal symptoms.

Please note that if I like the food or drink, it may not necessary mean that my body is addicted to that food or drink. When I like a particular food or drink, I can stop them without any physical discomfort to my body. Though I may suffer from mental unhappiness because I cannot eat my favorite food or take my favorite drink, I do not suffer physically. When I am addicted to a food or drink, my body will suffer physically if I stop taking them. These physical discomforts will cause mental sufferings that will ultimately force me to crave for the addictive food or drink.

As you can see, the wrong kind of food will cause lose of money, time and energy either directly or indirectly. In conclusion, I feel that I should take care of my body by watching what I eat so that I will have more money, time and energy to work on my investments in assets that will generate passive income. Based on my understanding of the Rich Dad’s series by Robert Kiyosaki.

* DISCLAIMER *

The author, publisher and distributors particularly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk taken by individuals who directly or indirectly act on the information contained herein. All readers must accept full responsibility for their use of this material.

Max Ng
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/right-kinds-of-food-122125.html

All Water Is Not Created Equally

Jun-15-2009 Posted under energy beverage

Water is water right? Whether you get it from a faucet or a garden hose, or grab one from the cooler at the convenience store, it’s just water and all water is just that, right? Not true at all. All water is not created equally. I hope that after reading this article you will have a better understanding about the differences that exist in this refreshment that nature has kindly provided for us since the beginning of time.

Of course, way-way back when, the water provided by nature was in its purest form. It was free from the pollutants of today, caused by a number of factors in the air and soil, and which then makes its way into oceans, rivers, lakes and streams.

In many communities it isn’t really advisable to drink water straight from the tap, because tiny microbial organisms can find their way into the water that comes out of our faucets. These microbial teeny-weenies don’t usually cause people with healthy immune systems any problems. But those with immune systems weakened by chronic disease, poor nutrition, lack of adequate exercise, and other ailments, could become sick from drinking unfiltered water. Children can also become sick through drinking unfiltered water because a child’s immune system isn’t fully developed yet and may not be strong enough to combat these microbial organisms.

To prevent these micro organisms from making their way into your cup of water install a filter on your faucet to trap and kill them. You can find filters for the faucets in your home at your local hardware, home and chain stores. The internet offers a wealth of selections in filters for the faucets in your home and good deals on pricing, and reasonable shipping costs aren’t hard to find either!

How about bottled water? Here too, not all water is the same. Next time you’re grocery shopping, check out the beverage aisles, they are jam packed with enough choices to make a person dizzy! Plain, distilled, from spring-fed waters, with flavoring (made either with pure sugar or sugar substitutes) added to them, or loaded with electrolytes, minerals and now even with appetite suppressants and energy boosters!

Don’t be fooled by the clever packaging used by manufacturers to encourage consumer purchasing. Just as you are carefully reading food labels to ensure you’re making the healthiest food choices, the same applies when buying bottled water and bottled water combined with other ingredients.

Bottled water that is advertised as: made from fresh, spring-fed waters may not be as accurate as their packaging suggests at first glance. Check the label and look for the % of spring-fed water the product actually contains. Some brands that look as if they came straight out of the purest of waters, only contain a small amount of this so-called pure water (beavers and other animals do the doo in these waters) and the remaining water content is most likely no different than the tap water from home.

Stay away from flavored water made with high-fructose corn syrup. Sure, it makes the water taste really good; high-fructose corn syrup is just a fancy name for sugar, but it also adds needless calories and absolutely no nutritional value to your water. So is it really worth it when the purpose of drinking more water per day, is for the betterment of our health?

Remember- not all water is created equal. For good health, consider installing filters on the faucets in your home to keep the microbial organisms that can make you sick out of your drinking water. Be diligent in reading the labels on the various types of bottled water so you know exactly what you’re drinking.

Scott White
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/all-water-is-not-created-equally-66960.html

Common Mistakes In Nutrition For Athletes

Jun-14-2009 Posted under sugar free energy drink

Many people think that athletes are examples of health and that it is strictly related to their nutrition plans and a lot of exercise. Well, in some cases it is true, but there are still people who consider themselves as athletes and practice some totally inappropriate diet, what may finally end in serious health problems. The next time you will meet one of them, try to speak about following issues to make sure, that they know what and why they are eating.

Extra proteins will help you to gain more muscles

Professional nutrition plans for athletes prohibit more than 2.5 times higher protein intake than it is shown in RDA. The higher intake can be responsible for dehydration or even severe problems with liver or kidney. Furthermore there is no scientific proof that high-protein diet will effect in gaining extra muscles.

Athlete should intake fluid when he is thirsty

One of the most common problems in athlete’s life is the possibility of dehydration. Even when an athlete is not thirsty, he may need additional fluid to drink, for every lost pound of weight should be replaced with no less than two cups of water.

Nutrition plan for athletes before competition should not contain sugar

We must remember that sugar gives us energy, so small intakes of this carbohydrate will not only bring no harm, but even can be beneficial for the performance of the athlete.

Sport drinks are good only for those athletes who exercise a lot

Again, we speak about the danger of dehydration. While the total water loss due to exercises may wary depending on the type of exercises, conditions of the gym and the health status of the athlete, the possible problems caused by dehydration are so severe that there should be no restriction in drinking sport drinks, even by those who exercise for less than an hour a day.

You can lose weight when you exercise a lot

This is another common myth. Of course when we consider the water loss as loss of the weight, we may still believe in this superstition, thus endangering ourselves to dehydration. A true athlete, however, knows that every water loss must be replaced as soon as possible and the best and the safest way to loose some additional weight is by proper nutrition for athletes.

While we all want to have healthy and good looking bodies we must remember that not everyone can be an athlete. And when we finally become one of them,we should always keep in mind a single fact, only proper nutrition for athletes, free of popular, but false, beliefs and myths can let us not only stay for years in good shape but also win.

Rene Graeber
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/common-mistakes-in-nutrition-for-athletes-58197.html

Common Tips For Keeping Hydrated

Jun-14-2009 Posted under sports energy drink

Many people, especially those in hot weather climates, have challenges with staying hydrated. People simply don’t know how much water is needed, and what basic, daily activities will dehydrate their bodies. Hydrating yourself is simple if you follow a few easy tips. These tips are especially important when participating in a weekly exercise program.

1. It is important to limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine naturally dehydrates the body, causing immediate dehydration. While that morning coffee or latte at Starbucks sounds great, try going for a morning walk to gain the energy you need for your day.

2. Upon waking consume 16 oz. of water in the morning. This will not only hydrate your body it will give your system a much needed jump start for the day. The human body actually loses water during sleep.

3. Don’t wait until your thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you have probably already lost two or more cups of your total body water composition.

4. Throughout the day, consume one gallon of water. While this may sound like a lot of water, if you fill up a milk jug size bottle with water, and drink it throughout the day, you will see it’s not that hard. It is important not to consume more than 2 gallons of water. This will flush the body of important vitamins and minerals needed for daily activity.

5. For every hour of working out, consume AT LEAST 16 ounces of water. This will keep your body functioning at 100% of its capabilities. In addition, when finished exercising, drink at least 8 ounces of water.

6. In areas where the water is not the best quality, do not consume tap water. Not only is bottled water better for your system, it makes drinking a gallon of water a much more enjoyable experience.

7. Water, not carbonated beverages or sports drinks, is the best fluid for keeping hydrated when it’s warm outside. Water is absorbed much more quickly than other fluids and may help to cool off your overheated body.

According to a study conducted by scientists at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) in Barrington, IL, athletes consistently underestimate how much water they need to stay hydrated. The study concluded athletes could not estimate their sweat losses and fluid consumption during a 10-mile race. Eighteen seasoned runners participated in the study. The results showed that the runners drastically underestimated how much sweat they lost and consequently drank too little to stay well hydrated. The runners underestimated their sweat losses by an average of 46 percent and their fluid intake by an average of 15 percent, resulting in the runners replacing only 30 percent of their fluids lost through sweat.

“These data show that even the most experienced runners are unable to accurately estimate their sweat losses and cannot subjectively judge how much fluid to drink to prevent dehydration,” said Mary Horn, M.S., co-author of the study and exercise sensory scientist at GSSI. “If seasoned athletes such as these do such a poor job of judging their fluid needs, the potential for dehydration may be more severe for the average exerciser, especially during the hot summer months.”

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the week, and make water a permanent and consistent part of your day. Afterall, it’s good for you.

Scott White
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/common-tips-for-keeping-hydrated-98373.html

Criminal Law – Drink Driving Offences (vic.)

Jun-14-2009 Posted under power drink

Part 5 of the Road Safety Act (Vic.) contains six types of drink-driving offences as follows:

1 Driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (DUI);

2 Driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle while the blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds or is equal to the prescribed limit of 0.05;

3 “Fail the test” offences;

4 Refusing a breath test or failing to undergo a blood sample in hospital after a motor vehicle accident;

5 Failure to have a zero blood alcohol (for Probationary license holders); and

6 An accompanying driver offence.

Penalties for blood alcohol offences usually involve fines or imprisonment or license or permit disqualification. License or permit penalties for drink-driving offences involving BAC readings vary according to the nature of the driver’s BAC, prior drink-driving offences, and when the offence took place.

Conviction for more serious offences like DUI or refusing a breath or blood test, involves two years’ license disqualification for a first offence and four years license disqualification for subsequent offences.

Conviction for BAC reading offences involves license disqualification on a sliding scale according to the BAC reading. The period of disqualification is doubled for a subsequent offence.

As a result of the Road Safety (Amendment) Act 2000 (Vic.), drink-drivers with readings of 0.07 or above must have their license cancelled, irrespective of whether they were issued with a traffic infringement or a summons to appear in court. Magistrates have no discretion to alter the period of cancellation. Drink-drivers with alcohol readings of 0.05 or 0.06 may retain their licenses subject to incurring 10 demerit points whereupon VicRoads has the power to suspend or cancel licenses and permits.

Whilst difficult, it is possible to challenge BAC readings successfully. These defences are generally based upon expert evidence, using the breathalyser over-estimation and rise and fall arguments. These defences are confined to offences of being in charge of a motor vehicle while the blood alcohol content exceeds the prescribed limit.

It is more difficult to challenge “fail the test” offences where a driver has, within three hours of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle, provided a breath sample or a blood sample which, when analysed, exceeds the prescribed BAC. In relation to those offences, challenges appear to be limited to situations where the elements of the offence are not made out. In other words, defences are that the defendant was not driving; the test was not done within three hours of driving; or where the defendant can establish that the BAC was solely due to the post-driving consumption of alcohol; or the breathalyser was on the occasion not in proper working order or not properly operated.

It is also becoming increasingly common for drink-driving charges to be challenged on grounds that the Police have failed to comply with the drink-driving legislation.

It is important for clients to seek legal advice, particularly where BAC readings are alleged to be 0.07 or above.

Michael Pickering – LAC Lawyers
http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/criminal-law-drink-driving-offences-vic-111462.html

Why Should I Care About Calories?

Jun-14-2009 Posted under energy drinks

Frankly, I care more about the taste or flavor of the food I take than calories.

And yet it’s extremely important for one to understand how calories contribute toward how weight is gained or lost before they can be effective in their own weight loss programs.

Simply put, a calorie is just a unit of measurement of energy, just like foot (the singular of feet) is a unit of measurement as in “a man is six feet tall”.

Food, including drinks, gives the body the energy it needs for everything it does, from repairing damaged cells to singing to speaking to sleeping. Thus, a calorie is a measure of the energy in food and drinks that we take as well as the enery in activities we do.

I’m not going into a biology lesson or science class but simply put, whether you gain or lose weight boils down to just ONE simple equation:

ENERGY INTAKE – ENERGY EXPENDED = WEIGHT GAIN OR LOSS

ENERGY INTAKE – this includes both food and drinks that you take that gives you the energy (or calories) you need to live, to work, to play.

Your energy intake is therefore dependent on these factors:

1) Knowing which food has less (and more) calories – fats give you more than two times the calories from proteins and carbohydrates

2) Choosing the food you take – the proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats will determine your calorie intake

3) Choosing how much to eat – if you eat more than you can use between meals, the body will store the excess calories as fat

4) Deciding when to eat – if you eat too late at night, you tend to put on weight as your body uses up less calories at night and when you are asleep

5) Deciding how often to eat – if you let yourself become too hungry, you will tend to snack and put on unwanted calories

ENERGY EXPENDED – this is actually the amount of energy (or calories) we expend when we work, play, walk, jog, run, swim, or even breathe.

In this case, it will help to know:

1) What activities will burn more energy – high impact activities like running, ball games need more energy but are not necessary suitable for one who is overweight

2) What causes a higher metabolism (which means a faster rate of burning the calories) – the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn

3) Is it necessary to exercise – generally, the more exercises you engage in, the more calories you use up

4) How often to exercise – if it’s brisk walking, you can do that almost everyday but if it’s some more strenuous exercise like running, you should typically exercise at most up to 5 times a week.

Thus, at the end of each day, whether you gain or lose weight depends on the net result of your energy intake versus your energy expended.

When a person eats more food than the body needs – that is, if you “overload your tank” – the body converts the excess calories into fat. Eating less food than the body needs will cause a person to lose weight.

The number of calories needed by a person each day depends on how much energy a person’s body uses. For example, an active sports man needs more calories than an adult who leads a sedentary lifestyle, such as a clerk who works all day in the office.

So, if you find yourself gaining weight, you are in fact taking in more calories than you need. To achieve weight loss or maintain your ideal weight, you need to watch your calories to some extent, even if you do not count them.

Alice Loh
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/why-should-i-care-about-calories-88469.html

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