Fitness Tip: Finding the Right Personal Trainer

Today's personal trainers can offer you much more than a simple run for your money. They could (and usually will) offer you a physical fitness evaluation, including tests to check your body-fat percentage, your cardiovascular strength and muscle strength, and your endurance. The following step is an individual program tailored to your needs. Is your goal to lose weight or gain strength? Are you recouping from an injury? Have you just turned into a stay-at-home mom with a new child and almost no time to exercise? Have you actually been diagnosed with what will probably be a chronic degenerative condition and you would like to bolster your immune system? Have you chosen to run a marathon next year but don't have a clue how to train? Has your doctor advised that you work with a trainer as you get over an eating disorder?

Read more: Finding the Right Personal Trainer

High Fiber Food List for Weight Control

Evidences have shown the benefits of fiber intake to the body. Dietary fiber helps lower the blood fat levels and insulin levels. It also helps prevent constipation and regularize bowel movements. 

A study made my Dr. H.W. Heaton showed that eating high-fiber bread as opposed to white bread enabled the body to pass some calories through the system without being absorbed and to speed that transit by five times or more, thus promoting weight loss. This research sparked additional studies at the University of Michigan’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.  This showed that people with high dietary fiber intake ate less food voluntarily.  They also appeared to absorb less fat in addition to the weight loss effect owing to the calories being “passed through” the body.  Their report stimulated headlines claiming: “The more bread you eat, the more weight you lose.”

As far as long-term weight management program is concerned, the evidence for inclusion of adequate dietary fiber is persuasive, but, of course, just like everything else in life, there should be balance.  If too much fiber is taken, the body may fail to absorb some essential minerals, especially zinc.

There are ways to obtain fiber in ordinary food.  Here are some of the most common sources.  Take note that fiber in itself is not caloric but the foods that contain it are:

Fruit group: About 2g fiber per serving; take four or more per day.  Each serving has about 60 calories.

Banana, 1 small

Cherries, 10 large

Apple, 1 small

Strawberries, ½ cup

Peach, 1 medium

Orange, 1 small

Plums, 2 small

Pear, ½ small

Cereal and Bread group: About 2g fiber per serving; take four or more per day.  Each serving has about 80 calories.

Rye bread, 1 slice

Whole wheat bread, 1 slice

Corn flakes, 2/3 cup

Oatmeal, dry, 3 tablespoons

All bran, 1 tablespoon

Vegetable group: About 2g fiber per serving; take four or more per day.  Each serving has about 25 calories.  These values are for cooked portions.

Carrots, 1/3 cup

Corn on the cob, 2” piece

Brussels sprouts, 4

Broccoli, ½ stalk

Lettuce, raw, 2 cups

Potato, 2” diameter

Green beans, ½ cup

Baked beans, canned, 2 tablespoons

Miscellaneous group: About 1g fiber per serving.

Peanut butter, 2 ½ teaspoons

Pickle, 1 large

Of course, in practice, you would be eating a mixture of foods which will provide enough fiber and you can probably rely on your current diet to provide at least half of what you need, especially if on a normal basis, you are eating from the above list.  The above list can help you devise your own low-calorie/ high fiber plan.

How to Look Better By Simply Improving Your Posture

One of the world’s foremost fashion authorities, Diana Vreeland once said that beauty has much to do with the extension of the neck, extension of the arms, extension of the back, extension of the legs, and a very light step.  She’s right. Your posture has a lot to say about you.  You tend to slouch if you’re down and depressed.  You slump when you’re tired.  When you feel insecure, your posture takes on a curve.  What’s good about posture is that you can teach it to say what you want it to—you can train it to express your self confidence and say the right thing all the time.  Here’s how:  Straighten your spine, keep shoulders back, tuck your tummy in, align your hips, keep your head up—all those things drill sergeants and your mom had said so often.

Your mirror will never tell a lie.  Here’s a simple test to check your posture.  Take off all your clothes and face your body straight on.  Do your shoulders slope down?  Is your chest concave? Do you bunch up around your waist? Is one hip higher than the other?  Now look at yourself from the side.  Does your head jut forward?  Do your shoulders curve in?  Does your spine curve toward your protruding belly?  Do your buttocks stick out to compensate for that curving spine?

If so, you are not alone.  Many people have terrible posture.  You can still improve your posture.

Helpful Exercise to Improve Your Posture

You’ll have to exert a little energy, too.  Devote a time of day when you can afford to give that much needed attention to yourself.  When you get up that morning, check out your posture in the mirror.  As you look at each part of your body, consciously attempt to straighten it, all the while breathing rhythmically.  Place your head and your neck in line with your spine.  Shrug your shoulders, roll them around a bit, and let them relax naturally.  If they curve forward, use your shoulder muscles to pull them back slightly, which will automatically pull up your sunken chest.  (Are you breathing evenly?)  Next tuck your buttocks under and in while flattening your tummy.  This will align your spine.  Now as if someone had suspended your head from a string, maintain this alignment while you walk around the room.

Now, lay down on your back on a firm surface while maintaining the same body alignment.  Push your spine as close to the floor as possible.  Bend you knees and feel your spine naturally closer to the ground.  Close your eyes and take six every deep breaths.  Feel your abdomen and lungs fill up and expand as you breathe in; feel them slowly deflate as you exhale.  With your legs still bent and with your arms straight out in front of you, slowly curl up into a sitting position.  Align your body and straighten your legs.  Sit up as tall as possible, with your arms extending forward.  Tucking your chin toward your chest, bend your body forward, hands reaching toward your toes.  Slowly stretch your spine.

Stand up and realign yourself.  Take a warm shower, all the while practicing your alignment.  Finish with a blast of cold water.  Dry off, concentrating on each part of your body as you blot the water.  Are you maintaining your new alignment?  Proceed with the rest of your day’s activities, but recheck your body alignment every fifteen minutes.  By day’s end, you will have rediscovered some muscles you forgot you had.  Take another warm shower, letting the water beat on your tired muscles between your shoulders and in the back of your neck.  Try to sleep on your back or side with your knees bent.

This exercise helps build body awareness.  The best part is that your mirror gives you constant reinforcement.  When your body is properly aligned, you instantly look better.  The longer you practice good posture, the faster it becomes second nature to you.  Practice constantly, whether sitting, standing, walking, or relaxing.  Soon good posture will be second nature to you.

What is Scintimammography?

 

It is a well known fact that early detection of breast cancer (breast CA) has a great influence in the medical prognosis and the survival of the patient.  X-ray mammography is the most popular way of screening for breast cancer.  However, when the breast parenchyma or breast tissue is dense, the sensitivity of this screening modality is diminished.  In these instances, supplementary Ultrasonographic studies can be very helpful especially in identifying the presence of cysts or nodular masses.  Another procedure that could prove to be helpful is Scintimammography.

Scintimammography makes use of radiosotopes with short half lives, particularly technetium 99, which are injected into the blood stream and allowed to circulate in the body.  These isotopes tend to concentrate in areas with high metabolic activity and in areas with high blood supplies.  These areas of high isotope concentration are then detected by a special device known as the gamma camera.

Scintimammography is a good modality for detecting malignant lesions with high metabolic activities which tend to have higher concentrations of the radioisotopes used in the procedure.  It is also useful in assessing the patient's response to chemotherapy.  Other cases in which this procedure could be helpful are in patients with breast implants that prevent proper evaluation by X-Ray Mammography and those who have undergone breast surgery.  Occasionally, false negative results are encountered in benign fibroadenomas with high metabolic rates.

Although X-Ray mammography is still the frontline screening procedure of choice, it is good to know that this supplementary procedure is also available.

Stop the Urge of Emotional Eating

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There are times when we go overboard with our eating habits which can result in weight gain-- or even worse, acquired illness. One of the issues with food is called emotional eating.

Eating is an undeniable part of existence. The body gets its nourishment from food. There are times when we go overboard with our eating habits which can result in weight gain-- or even worse, acquired illness. One of the issues with food is called emotional eating.

The dilemma of emotional eating may be reflected on the weighing scale but it starts out in the mind. Most often, stress affects your life. When this happens, your defenses are compromised your health suffers as well as your emotions.

We all have our good days and bad days. Some people deal with bad days by taking a binge or triggering their emotional eating habit. When you hurt, you look for comfort. Food is the easiest comfort provider and coping mechanism because it won’t judge them or hurt them and it will never disagree with them. To complicate matters, consuming pleasurable foods stimulates the release of endorphins that can make us happy. That's why people feel better after eating something they like.

Emotional eaters utilize food to relieve stress. They hide behind the act of eating rather than seeking answers to the problems. This is not unusual especially when the cause of stress is something horrible such as separation or loss, death of a loved one, or physical abuse.

How will you know if you are using food in this manner? The most obvious sign is weight gain because you eat too much. In context of the weight gain, also examine other aspects of your life:

* Have you been experiencing stress recently at work or at home?

* Has anything traumatic occurred in the last year?

* Are you coping with a problem but have not determined a resolution?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are at risk of being an emotional eater. You would eat but even if you are not necessarily hungry at any time. These are some of the foods that are called “comfort foods”:

* Fatty foods like French fries and other fried foods

* High carbohydrate foods such as mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese

* Foods high in sugar content like candies, cookies, ice cream, cake, and donuts

There is hope for emotional eaters. The initial step is to admit that you have a problem. You’ll have feelings of guilt and helplessness. The guilt is caused by knowing you are possibly destroying your health and the helplessness is due to the fact that you can’t see a way out.

Next, seek proper counseling. There are several types of counselors who can fit your needs. Emotional eating is not about dieting or altering your eating habits but taking control over your emotions.

A counselor might advise things like visualization, relaxation techniques, practicing problem solving skills, and family support. Visualization helps you to look at your problems in a more realistic way and not in an exaggerated manner. You will learn to perceive food as nutrition for your body and not merely an emotional crutch.

Finally, your family can help you determine your stress triggers and carefully observe changes in your eating habits. They can help you be mindful of the foods you are eating, help you in choosing the right food and may even exercise with you. Proper diet and exercise will strengthen immune system, regulate blood flow and encourage positive thinking. Yoga can also enhance the mind-body connection so you refrain from unnecessary eating.

Finding new means to deal with stress and solve your problems will drive food out of the equation. You will feel good about discovering solutions which will substitute the addiction to food.

Sports Nutrition: A Guide to Energy Values of Different Foods

Each gram of fat gives about 9 Calories of energy. Every gram of protein gives only almost 4 Calories of effective energy (the equivalent to carbohydrates). Alcohol is absorbed completely, and each gram contributes 7 Calories of energy.

The 9 Calories per gram of fat exemplify the most compact form of food energy. 3500 Calories of energy, in practical terms, is the quantity that could be required daily by an active young athlete. This can be obtained in almost a pound of pure fat. Knowing this fact, the hoax of the high-energy capsules, often marketed to target athletes, becomes rather obvious. Because one teaspoon of fat weighs around 5 grams, it gives no more than 45 Calories. Presuming that a high-energy capsule weighed 5 grams (definitely jumbo for a capsule), its caloric share would also be at 45 Calories. And that’s the energy available in about half of a usual cola drink.

Athletes, having high energy requirements, might find it helpful to include extra amount of fatty foods. This is especially true for the young contender in energy-demanding sports, like soccer, basketball, and distance running, who can bring down the total bulk of his or her diet by having larger amounts of fat and still match the body’s energy needs. Nut-spreads such as peanut butter and vegetable oils, margarine, and nuts all add up concentrated calories without an unneeded addition of bulk or saturated animal fats.

Carbohydrates give 4 Calories of energy per gram, less than half that of fats. However, sweets and starches may impart plenty calories to the diet and are often regarded “fattening.” They do offer a significant amount of energy, since they are drawn from refined carbohydrate sources such as table sugar and highly milled flour. They likewise have minimum water and fiber content, and therefore, comparatively concentrated sources of calories. Common desserts like cakes, pies and pastries, which are customarily regarded as being carbohydrate foods, really contain huge quantities of shortening, which is fat and accounts for many of their caloric contribution. Some carbohydrate foods, like noodles, spaghetti, potatoes, and rice, give fewer calories, unless consumed in very large quantities or in combination with fatty foods.

A few vegetables, like lettuce, celery and cabbage, hold large sums of carbohydrate in the form of cellulose, but give very little energy. Humans can’t digest cellulose, and it only lends bulk to the diet. The fact is, foods high in cellulose are great for people who must cut back their caloric intake. But, due to their high bulk and low caloric content, they’re ineffective for those who have high energy requirements.

As referred earlier, protein is the least effective of the three energy sources in the diet. While protein provides 4 Calories of energy per gram, the mode in which it is metabolized tremendously brings down the availability of the energy it furnishes.

Practical Ways to Prevent Common Sports Injuries

 We're continually looking for practical methods to minimize the risk of sports injury.

Here are a few things an athlete can do to cut down sports injuries:

1.         Compete with people of similar level of size, proficiency, and strength. This is particularly crucial in collision sports like ice hockey and football. The more hapless and smaller players find greater than their share of injuries.

2.         Be in condition prior to getting up for practice or competing vigorously. Most sports necessitate serious strength and endurance and these can be acquired by effective conditioning programs specific to certain sports. Whenever possible, talk to the coach regarding conditioning 2 or 3 months prior to the start of the season. The unconditioned athlete suffers injury, some of the times seriously.

3.         Do a proper warm up prior to each practice and game. Tendon sprains and muscle strains and are most common in sports. A proficient stretching sequence in your warm-up may bring down the odds of these injuries.

4.         Employ the suitable gear. Protective gear has been designed and furnished for a good reason. Make sure it fits, it doesn't need repair, and that you don and use it the right way. Most sports are demand the use of our feet. Be sure that shoes and socks fit out and that all socks are clean and have no holes.

5.         Do not put on jewelry in active sports. Neck jewelry can be unsafe; rings produce severe finger injuries like getting caught on hoops and so forth.

6.         Exercise good hygiene. Skin infections are especially more common among athletes and can place you out of competition for a week or more of treatment. It could even spread to other team members. Showering down using an antibacterial soap every day and after every workout boils down the risk of skin infection. Keeping all uniforms and gear washed and clean is also helpful. Have your fingernails clipped shorter than the tip of the finger to avoid painful scratches and dangerous eye injuries (it's a rule in the NBA).

7.         Do not play while having a fever. Some basic viral infections can be serious generalized illnesses last all too long after a hard workout or game. You also wish to avoid any opportunity of passing on your illness to the rest of the team. A fine rule is "with a fever more than 100° stay home and get well."

8.         When playing is to be done in an unsupervised gym or playground  take a minute to be ensure that whatever a player could run into and get wounded from is substantially away from the game area. Lawn mowers, bicycles, cars, score tables, benches, sprinklers and other obstructions can induce serious injuries.