Wednesday, April 8, 2009

An Overview of the B5 Vitamin

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

The B5 vitamin is also known as Pantothenic Acid. Vitamin B5 is the most prolific of all the vitamins and is found in every type of food. In fact, it is impossible for a person to consume less B5 vitamin than they need. That means that there is no little possibility that a person can have a B5 vitamin deficiency. For this reason, there is actually no recommended daily amount that health professionals can state as everyone obtains more than enough from their normal food consumption. However, even though there is no need to calculate a recommended daily allowance it does not mean that the B5 vitamin is not vital for a healthy body and mind. In fact, the B5 vitamin is essential for turning food into energy amongst other functions. The B5 vitamin is responsible for taking the fats and carbohydrates into energy.

Some B5 vitamin can be found in almost every food whether it is animal or vegetable. Obviously there are some sources of the B5 vitamin that are better than others but a balanced diet will provide more than enough. The foods with the highest B5 vitamin content are organ meats, salmon, eggs, beans, milk, and whole grains. It is worth noting that the B5 vitamin is lost when grains are milled into flour and tends not to beaded back in. Therefore, processed grain foods such as bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, and baked goods are not good sources of the B5 vitamin.

The B5 vitamin is the most effective when it is combined with other B vitamins especially thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2, niacin or B3, pyridoxine or B6, and biotin. Along with these other B vitamins, the B5 vitamin is an integral part in a number of processes. The most important of these is the production of energy from food that is consumed and this is known as the Kreb’s cycle. The B5 vitamin is also required for releasing energy from fats.

Interestingly, the B5 vitamin is also considered to be helpful in reducing stress. This is chiefly due to the fact that during periods of stress, the body produces more of certain hormones such as adrenalin and these require the B5 vitamin. There are many theories as to the benefits of the B5 vitamin but there is no need for the majority of people to actively seek out foods that are high in B5 as they are likely to be consuming far more than is needed already. There are no adverse effects to consuming too much B5 vitamin.

What There is to Know About Diet Pills?

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

According to manufacturers, diet pills use natural ingredients capable of prolonging life and containing alcohol used in medication or flavoring. One thing’s for sure, never take diet pills as substitute for cutting calories without the doctor’s recommendation. There are simple but important steps to be followed when taking diet pills:

1.Never crush diet pills to mix in drinks or soups. Take it whole with a full glass of water.

2.Diet pills causes a person to urinate more frequently due to its diuretic effect. This could lead to dehydration, thus, causing complications. As a pre-caution, it is best to drink eight glasses of water everyday while on diet pills.

3.Take only the recommended dosage. Taking more than required will not help you lose weight but increase the risk of side effects.

4.Heartbeat should be less than 86 beats per minute. Stop taking the pills if it reaches 90 or higher that is why regular checking of pulse is a must.

5.Always follow the instructions set by the dietician and/or doctor and not only rely on what’s enclosed in the box. Also diet pills will only work as expected if diet plan is being followed.

6.After three months, stop taking the diet pills. Common diet phenylpropanolamine is safe to use only up to sixteen weeks. Other studies show that it can cause health problems if taken under one month.

There are two kinds of diet pills; one is the prescription only diet pills and the over-the-counter diet pills.

Prescription Diet Pills - are drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration agency which side effects are monitored, maybe advertised and prescribed under certain dosages. The most popular of these is Xenical, which is licensed for long-term use. However, this too has it’s own side effects, diarrhea, oily and unexpected fecal discharge are just some. Therefore, users are advised to take a low fat diet plan.

While Over-the-Counter Diet Pills are categorized as food substitute and are unregulated. Beware that these diet pills are not Federal authorities tested and may cause serious side effects up to and including death.

Aside from a dietician, local pharmacists can also help in determining the pills that are safe and not for each person’s case. Just be extra careful about the so-called “natural” or “organic” ingredients. Not everything that comes from a natural source is safe. One example is Ma Huang, which is a botanical source of ephedrine known as a stimulant and being studied for potential side effects.

Those who have or have a family history of prostate problems, thyroid disease, mental illness, high blood pressure, and heart problems should avoid taking diet supplements. The same applies to those who’ve had seizures or strokes. If someone is taking cold medicines, especially those with decongestants, diet pills should not be taken. Whether it be a prescription or an over-the-counter diet pill, the dangers are unvarying with other similar drugs which controls the brain to reduce appetite and includes chest pains, hair fall, fever, depression, and even impotence.

And as a general rule, don’t ever try to take diet drugs if pregnancy is suspected. Persons that are allergic to sulfites and tartrazine should also avoid taking diet pills. And those who are under 18 years or over 60 years of age should consult their doctor first prior to taking any dietary drugs, especially if they rely on over-the-counter stimulants used as a replacement for increase exercise.

Fighting Obesity to Live Through Healthy Aging

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Being over weight will hurt you if you let it be and do not do something about it. It is not good to be over weight, obesity can cause your body harm.

What are something that can happen to me if am overweight?

If you are over weight there is many things that can happen to you. Obesity is responsible for heart attacks. Obesity is behind sleep apnea, strokes, diabetes and so on. When a person is overweight, they often hurt all the time. Sometimes it makes it difficult to breath. Obesity causes the heart to work harder. You may have a hard time walking across the floor. Obesity can make you feel depressed and not want to go anywhere or do anything. Being over weight is bad on your health.

What can I do to help myself?

You have several options, yet the first is to gain willpower to take control of your body. The next step is to start eating the right foods, getting some exercise and so on. If you can exercise like you want to that is great, take it slow and do a little at a time. Do not overdo it. If you over work your body, the body will let you know. Obesity prevents many from staying active. A persons emotions and mental state is affected by obesity, since you start thinking I don’t want to do anything. You have to do something. Get out of the house and take in a movie. Perhaps you could visit some friends that you haven’t seen in awhile. The more active you are, you will start feeling better about you and maybe you will lose some weight. You need to go see your family doctor to see if its ok to do this before you start. Your family doctor may give you a diet to go by and maybe recommend the exercises that will benefit you.

What should I eat?

I cannot tell you what to eat. I can however give you a few pointers. Instead of frying your food, bake it. Baking meats, veggies, etc will help cutback grease. Baking will help drain the fat out of the food rather than if you fried the food. Fried foods mean fat, fat, fat and can harm your heart. Eat three times a day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat plenty of raw vegetables, and salads. If you enjoy chocolates or sweets, find substitutes. Yogurts may offer you a new taste as well as reduce your risks, especially if you choose the fat-free groups. Try to stay away from fast foods. Fast food has obesity written all over its menu. Heart attacks follow. If you enjoy dining out, then find family owned restaurants, since the family will serve you healthier dishes. When you sit down to eat at home, avoid eating in front of the television. You should avoid seconds as well.

Being over weight is hard on you both mentally and physical. If you have, will power then try to lose weight? Start out by taking it slow. Don’t go hog wild since it will only make your heart race. You need to learn your limits to help you lose weight and take control of your health. If you find it still too hard to lose weight then maybe you should see if there is a local support group around so that you can join it and get the support that you need. You might want to stay away from people that do not give you support. You will need lifted up not let down.

Depression and Back Pain

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Back pain includes depression, which emerges from fractures. Fractures include pathologic, complete/incomplete, avulsion, comminuted, depressed, compression, and oblique, greenstick, simple, compound, spiral, and transverse. The conditions noted in hip fractures include intracapsular, Intertrochanteric, and extracapsular. Each problem rests within the blood vessels, yet it starts with fractures. Blood vessels make up the arteries, capillary, and veins. As you can see chest pain can lead to back pain, since the blood vessels travel. Overexerting the bones can cause fractures, which lead to depression and related symptoms.

In fact, damage here may derive from osteomyelitis, Cushing’s syndrome, bone tumors, aging, malnutrition, immobility, multiple myeloma, osteoporosis, trauma impacts, and so on. Fractures can lead to serious back pain. When fractures break the bones, it affects the bone covering known as penosteum. The covering is transparent and has a rich outlay of neurons. Fractures often are caused by trauma impacts, such as car accidents, falls from horses, etc.

The signs:

If neurological conditions are, involved the patient will feel toe numbness. The legs and feet may feel weak. Abolish reflexes are reduced if the fracture is at the lower region of the back. Muscle spasms and muscle reflexes often occur at the higher area of the back. If you have such fracture, bed rest is recommended to reduce the pain. If acute back conditions exist, experts will need to assess the problem. Broken back is an acute condition, which you should avoid rolling, or logrolling.

Fractures include the stable and unstable breaks. If the fracture is unstable, it can severely damage the spine. In such case, the doctor will surgically correct the problem or recommend that the patient wear a cast. The damage can tear the nerves. If you feel you have broken your back, you are wise to avoid atypical movement, since it will progress the problem when pressure is applied to the area.

If the fracture is spontaneous, the doctor can help minimize the pain by prescribing a brace. You will need to avoid applying weight to the area where the fracture rests. Bad falls can break the coccyx, which can sit in coccygodynia. Below the triangular bones at the lower back and near the baseline of the spinal column, the hips are joined with bones that set on either side and form parts that connect to the pelvis. (Sacrum) This area joins with five merging bones, which are fused with the sacrum and is commonly known as the coccyx.

Fractures emerging from the coccyx may include bruising of the periosteum, which is treated by steroid injections. Periosteum is a membrane, which the connective' tissues meticulously empower each bone within the skeletal structure, excluding the articular exteriors.

Fractures can also invent bursitis. When one of the bursa is disrupted it will inflame, swell, and cause pain. The problem emerges from friction. Friction is often increased when bursitis starts, since instead of separating particular tissues, the fluids emerging from bursa stand in the way. Bursitis includes obturator internis, trochanteric, and ischial. Bursa conditions such as the named rest near the buttocks, lower back, and hip.

To avoid bursitis you may want to avoid sitting, standing, or lying in one position at all times. Instead, shift your resting states. Doctors will often inject a mixture of anesthetic lidocaine and steroids to correct bursitis.

In addition to fractures and bursitis, back pain can start from gynecological conditions. The condition is related to reproductive organs and disease. Females are the prime targets who experience pain from this condition. The condition causes pain, swelling, and inflammation. The condition will affect the spinal cord.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Menopause And Weight Gain

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Talking to most women over 50 you will quickly find that menopause and weight gain are linked in their experience. It is very common to put on weight at this time and while some of this may be due to lifestyle changes, that does not explain why suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body, especially the abdomen, while any weight gained when we were younger tended to be centered on the hips.

The truth is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease.

At the same time, both men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40.

Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies.

If you find that you are gaining weight around the menopause, there are several things you can do.

- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar.

- Take regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.

- Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.

- Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, that is fine.

Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.