Build your defenses!

This rainy season, boost your immune system by adding these basic nutrients to your daily diet.

In this season, where pouring rains force people to come in closer contact with ailing individuals in enclosed spaces such as malls or public vehicles, and airborne viruses and bacteria are having a heyday floating from one victim to another, the key to good health is a good defense. This will come in a healthy body nourished by these 5 important immunity-building nutrients:

1. Vitamin C. This readily-available nutrient has been found to increase the production of white blood cells and antibodies, the primary function of which is to fight off infections. Foods rich in this important vitamin include citrus fruits, papayas, guavas, and tomatoes.
2. Vitamin E. This vitamin has been receiving a lot of attention lately for its antioxidant properties. It stimulates the production of immune cells that produce antibodies which target and destroy bacteria. Vitamin E is present in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. A significant amount is available from whole grain cereals, which give you another great reason for enjoying a full serving every morning.
3. Zinc. This power mineral not only helps increase the production of white blood cells, it even helps them fight harder. Children who have a regular zinc intake have been found to have fewer sick days. While there are zinc supplements that are already available, doctors say that zinc is easily found in fortified cereals, yogurt, beef, and seafood.
4. Vitamin A. This vitamin is actually a potent combination of beta carotene and retinol. Beta carotene by itself increases the number of infection-fighting cells and their helper T-cells. It also has antioxidant properties, because it helps eliminate free radicals from the body. Vitamin A is also good for the eyes, bones, teeth, skin and hair. It is found in a number of foods such as green leafy vegetables, carrots, milk, mangoes, and eggs.
5. Omega-3 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids act to protect the body against damages from infections. These are healthy fats from fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, catfish, and shellfish like clams and shrimps.

Source:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t042500.asp
http://www.medicinenet.com/omega-3_fatty_acids/article.htm

Daily activities to help keep you fit!

Do you find yourself fighting off the little bulges? And much as you want to go to the gym to shed off a few pounds, your hectic schedule simply does not permit? Sadly, for some, taking care of one’s body through exercise is always at the bottom of the priority list. Good thing staying fit is not limited to the exercise routines performed inside the gym. Your day-to-day activities can actually count for a true-blue workout! Research suggests that maintaining an active lifestyle is the key to good health and weight management. Here are some simple little workouts that you can do to help keep you fit, trim and healthy!

WALKING

Walking, according to experts, is an excellent way to burn calories. It also helps improve mood and reduce stress. Take time to have a 30-minute walk. If you think that the place you’re heading to is not that far, instead of riding the car, just walk. All you need to do is to have a comfortable pair of footwear with you always and you’re ready to go!

CLIMBING THE STAIRS

Just like walking, climbing up the stairs is a great calorie burner and will definitely help tone your leg muscles. More so, this type of exercise helps strengthen cardiovascular stamina. It increases blood circulation and improves lung and heart function.

HOUSE CLEANING

You read it correctly. Cleaning the house is also a good way to keep your body healthy and fit. Intense cleaning can really tone specific parts of your body. For example, vacuum cleaning can do wonders to your arms and shoulders. And while you’re at it, put on a good music or two, jive to the beat so household chores become more fun!

DANCING

Work out your body by dancing! The good thing about this activity is the fact that you can do it anywhere you want to, even in the comforts of your own home! Shake those calories off, keep the blood circulating, and reduce stress and tension by dancing! It is definitely one fun and hardworking exercise that will keep you young and energized! Need a partner? Hold the doorknob with one hand and imagine it’s your partner’s hand!

PLAYTIME WITH KIDS

If you’re a mom or you have young siblings, then you can benefit tremendously from this excellent exercise in disguise! Running after your young one helps strengthen your stamina. The lifts will surely help tone your arm and leg muscles. Your mental alertness will also be practiced, as you have to be quick to respond to your child’s unpredictable antics. An afternoon of playtime would surely help burn fats significantly and leave you feeling good about yourself for putting a smile on your child’s face!

References:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2164657_that-can-be-turned exercise.html#ixzz0wqHhmUWr

http://www.livestrong.com

Brain Booster Tips!

Taking care of our brain’s health is equally important as taking care of our body’s wellbeing. After all, the brain is one powerful organ--- the maximum potential of which is yet to be unlocked by science. Keeping our brains in shape will lead to an invigorated body and a healthy emotional state. Constantly challenging our brain and feeding it a well-balanced diet will help increase its memory capabilities, boost creativity levels, and improve cognitive levels. Start getting this organ in tip-top shape! Below is a list of activities that can help boost brain power!

Physical Exercise

A healthy body also leads to a healthy mind. Studies have shown that regular exercise affects how the brain functions. It boosts brain power by stimulating the formation of new brain cells, called neurons. Also, researchers found that the areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise are usually associated with memory and learning.

So take time to have a regular exercise routine. It need not be complicated. In fact, simple exercises like running and walking can help boost oxygen in the brain. If you have kids, engage them in an afternoon of outdoor play! Not only are you spending quality time with them, you are also strengthening your body and mind!

Mental Stimulation

The more we think, the better our mind functions! Keep your mind sharp by constantly engaging in activities that help stimulate brain activity. Here are some useful activities that can help charge up your brain:

• Play a game of Sudoku puzzles, scrabble, IQ quizzes and chess
• Visit museums
• Read books, newspapers, magazines
• Learn how to play an instrument
• Engage in conversations

Sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role in brain development and growth.

Studies have shown that sleep may contribute to the formation of new nerve cells in the brain, known as neurogenesis. Depriving the brain of the sleep it needs may reduce the number of new brain cells. In addition, neurons may not have enough time to repair all the damage, and may thus malfunction during the day. When you don’t get enough sleep, your mind processing is slower than the usual and you tend to think less clearly. So make sure you get enough sleep for physical and brain rest.

Laugh

The old adage says “laughter is the best medicine!” Today, the medical world has begun to take more notice of the healing power of laughter. Humor stimulates the parts of the brain that use the “feel good” chemical, dopamine. It also helps decrease your stress level significantly. Remember, severe stress can impair cell communication in the memory and learning areas of the brain. Some studies also suggest that humor helps improve memory.

Keep your heart fit and strong!

Show your heart some love with these easy to follow cardio exercises!

Taking care of your heart should not end with just eating a well-balanced diet. It is best that you also complement it with an exercise routine. Researches have shown that regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke and high blood pressure. Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to enroll yourself in the gym. In fact, you can learn simple exercises that you can conveniently do right in the comforts of your own home! You only need to have the right time and the right attitude to start your daily workout. Exercising should not be treated as one herculean task that one has to conquer. Make it fun by recruiting workout mates, like your friends and family, to join your personal fitness schedule! To get you started, here’s a list of exercises that you can easily follow!

THE INVISIBLE JUMP ROPE

Jumping rope is one of the most effective and enjoyable exercises one can pursue. It is proven to be an effective calorie-burner and muscle toner. This popular exercise can actually be performed even without a rope. Just follow these steps correctly:

• Start in an upright position with feet apart
• Pretend that you are holding a jump rope in your hands. Elbows should stay at the side
• As if you’re holding a jump rope in your hands, begin jumping, pushing off on the toes and swinging your arms in a circular motion
• Repeat movement for a number of repetitions

JUMPING JACKS

Who doesn’t know how to do jumping jacks? Almost all of us grew up with this exercise, as it is usually a part of our P.E. routines way back our grade school days! Doing jumping jacks helps increase the heart rate, which gets the heart pumping and oxygen and blood flowing to the muscles.

Just to refresh your memory on how it’s done, here are the steps:

• Start in an upright position, with the feet together and hands on the side
• Begin the movement by jumping vertically, while at the same time move the feet apart and the hands coming up above the head
• Return to starting position and repeat for a number of repetitions or a timed period
• Make sure that your center is tight and your movements controlled and quick

LONG JUMPS

Incorporating long jumps in your routine will help increase intensity in your workout sessions. You’ll immediately feel your center working hard on this exercise as well as your heart. Just make sure that when you land, you do it with soft knees. You can also modify the landing part by allowing one foot to land first before the other one. Here’s how to do it:

• Stand with feet together. Make sure that you have plenty of space in front of you
• Lower into a squat and jump forward as far as you can, landing with both feet
• Make sure you land with bent knees to protect the joints
• Repeat movement for a period of time

BRISK WALK

Walking is one of the best, safest and most natural forms of exercise. In fact, studies have shown that regular brisk walking can lower cholesterol levels, stimulate circulation and strengthen the heart. Make it a point to squeeze in walking into your schedule. Take the afternoon off and walk around your compound or your village. Breathe in the tranquil surroundings and enjoy the cool late afternoon breeze. You may also invite your friends or family to join you. It’s the perfect opportunity to bond, exchange stories and catch up on each other’s daily activities!

FROGGY JUMPS

The natural movements of an animal can also inspire you to create your own exercise, like the FROGGY JUMP. It is an exercise that simulates the jumping moves of the frog. This is a great way to get your heart rate up in a short time. It’s so easy to do! Just follow these steps:

• Squat all the way down to the floor while putting your hands on the floor in front of you
• Push up from the floor, jumping in the air
• As you jump, tap your heels together and take the hands behind the head or up in the air
• Land with bent knees to protect the joints and go back into your squat position to prepare for the next jump

References:

www.fitnesstrainerstogo.com/cardio

http://exercise.about.com

http://ezinearticles.com

Vitamin

Vitamin, any of the organic compounds required by the body in small amounts for metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth in children. Vitamins also assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous-system chemicals, and genetic material. The various vitamins are not chemically related, and most differ in their physiological actions. They generally act as catalysts, combining with proteins to create metabolically active enzymes that in turn produce hundreds of important chemical reactions throughout the body. Without vitamins, many of these reactions would slow down or cease. The intricate ways in which vitamins act on the body, however, are still far from clear.

The 13 well-identified vitamins are classified according to their ability to be absorbed in fat or water. The fat-soluble vitamins—A, D, E, and K—are generally consumed along with fat-containing foods, and because they can be stored in the body's fat, they do not have to be consumed every day. The water-soluble vitamins—the eight B vitamins and vitamin C—cannot be stored and must be consumed frequently, preferably every day (with the exception of some B vitamins).