Wellness Sultana: calories //]]>
Showing posts with label calories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calories. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 March 2012

Perfect Harmony of Sleep and Exercise
March 04, 20120 Comments

 jaci XIII
A good mixture of sleep and exercise is very important to maintain a good balance of physical and mental health. These two elements are the most vital components that will keep you alert and productive as you go on with your daily responsibilities and chores. With this in mind, logic will tell you to sleep more and exercise more. However, just as with everything else, a little too much of them can actually be detrimental to your body. In fact, it might just be as dangerous as having no sleep and exercise.

Studies have shown that people who suffer from insomnia have shown improvement once they started engaging in regular exercise. Moderate exercise has shown to reduce the anxiety that many people experience which interferes with their ability to have a sound sleep. It releases tension and drops the body’s temperature which will make it easier for someone to fall asleep.

Increasing the heart rate for about 20 to 30 minutes should be enough to reap the necessary benefits. This is a much safer and healthier choice than those expensive sleep medications that carry along with them potentially harmful adverse effects.

How Much Sleep Should I Get?
There are no exact fixed hours on the right amount of sleep that applies for everybody. Even with two people of the same age and gender, the amount of sleep that each of them require can be different. This will highly depend on just how much rest an individual needs to feel well-rested, energized, and happy upon waking up.

Still, experts say that the number of sleeping that an adult needs is anywhere between 7 and 8 hours. Anything less than this can lead to increased risk for serious health issues such as diabetes and a variety of heart problems along with obesity and decreased concentration. On the other side of the spectrum, too much sleep – particularly those that exceed 11 hours – has shown to also predispose a person to the same health issues.

How Much Exercise Should I Get?
When people really think about it, too much exercise may actually do the body more good than harm. For one, it burns more calories that will be especially advantageous to those who are looking to lose weight. Another benefit is that the body will be releasing more endorphins. Otherwise known as “happy hormones”, it will make a person more energized and refreshed.
One apparent disadvantage that goes along with too much exercising is the increase in appetite. Also, there is the danger of placing too much stress and strain to the body. In the end, this will only result in a burn out. With this in mind, it might be healthier to rest for at least a day or two from exercising in a week.

Just like everything else, the healthy benefits of sleep and exercise are best enjoyed when done in moderation. Excess of practically anything can be very harmful. It might be quite hard to really figure out the exact numbers of the required amounts of sleep and exercise that a single individual should get but everyone should try to listen to his/her own body and get a balance of both. The experts have said that 7 to 9 hours of sleep coupled with 5 days of exercising in a week is already enough to make anyone look and feel their best. It might be wise for anyone who is unsure to stay within these limits.

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Amy C. is a health and nutrition enthusiast.  She enjoys learning about fitness trends and weight training techniques especially geared for people leading busy lifestyles.   During her spare time, she helps DMac Industries, a b deck and steel deck fabrication company, with office administration and blogging activities. Stay tuned for her next post to learn more about Amy's health adventures.

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Sunday, 4 December 2011

Diet Frustrations: Is Morning Snacking Really To Be Blamed?
December 04, 20111 Comments

To snack or not to snack, that is the question? Which one serves as the right guideline worth applying to your diet program?
                                                                
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that snacking between breakfast and lunch is likely to ruin your weight loss plan by packing on extra calories.

Women who avoided snacking in the midmorning were likely to maintain a weight loss of 11 percent of body weight over the course of a year as opposed to those women who chose to snack; their snacking accounted for a weight loss of only 7 percent of body weight.

This new data contradict previous weight loss studies that show snacking as a healthy habit to incorporate in your diet to stave off cravings and reduce overeating at meal times?  

A few weeks before this no munching guideline was announced, another published study outlined that people who “snack have diets that are slightly healthier overall than people who don’t snack.”  Both studies’ have opposing viewpoints and were published within the same month. It is no wonder why a large number of individuals are frustrated with changing diet rules and misleading headlines on weight reduction. So which is the real healthy weight loss solution?

The study is available online; gather your individual perspective on the recommended guidelines for dieters instead of accepting snippet reports. Gain insight into the reason why morning snacking was underscored as counterproductive to weight loss. 

Morning snacking is not the cause but a precursor to psychological and emotional cravings not borne out of hunger. Individuals who consume snacks less than 2 hours after a meal are likely to carry-out “mindless snacking habits” throughout the day.  Emotional eaters tend to reach out for comfort foods such as: doughnuts, chocolates, fries, and other decadent high calorie snacks. Overall, they consume more calories at each meal.

Researchers, who conducted the study, stated that “the urge to grab a snack during the relatively short time between breakfast and lunch could be a sign of generally less healthy eating.” The same researchers also say “eating healthy snacks can help dieters reach their goal by staving off hunger.”

If you are still on-the-fence as to which snacking rule to comply with just remember this: the bulk of your food intake should come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. To get the recommended amount in your diet without supplements requires that you snack.  Snacking on healthy foods, counting calories, and getting a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day is the right start to any diet plan.

Article first published as Diet Frustrations: Is Morning Snacking Really To Be Blamed? on Technorati.
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Saturday, 3 December 2011

Are The Elliptical Machines Bad For Your Knees?
December 03, 2011 2 Comments

An elliptical machine, also known as a cross trainer, is a piece of equipment that is commonly used in walking and running exercises.

A common question asked by many is whether elliptical machines have a bad effect on the knees? The truth is that elliptical machines are beneficial to one's general health as they help burn excess calories in the body. As for the knees, they help in building strong muscles for a perfect knee fitness for those with weak knees. This will provide stability when walking, running or standing for long hours.

Unlike other machines, an elliptical machine has a reduced impact, which is not bad for the knees. While training with this equipment, the foot doesn't leave the paddle so the strain in the joints is far reduced. In fact, working on an elliptical machine is highly recommended for people who have suffered knee injuries before. Minimal workout on this machine will help heal the destroyed knee ligaments in a shorter period of time.

Research done by leading institutions like Harvard University highly recommend the use of elliptical machines to patients who have knee injuries. Studies show that elliptical machines reduce the likelihood of knee joint complications, heal the muscles around the knees, and make them strong as they were before.

The majority of body therapists and physical trainers have included an elliptical machine workout in their programs, especially to patients who have suffered knee damage. They claim that regular exercise on these machines help reduce the amount of pain on the wounded knees and slowly regains motion as the knee heals within the required period of time. For knees that may seem to have changed their position, an elliptical machine workout helps return the knee back to the original point with no strain at all.

Though good for knees, elliptical machines should be set to the standard settings of one's preference and ability. Patients with knee injuries should follow the advice of their physicians so as not to damage their knees permanently. A prolonged rigorous workout may damage your knees with time or cause unending pain to them. They also may not be the best solution to those who want faster results to heal their knees within a short period of time.

If you're wondering whether an elliptical machine is bad for your knees, the facts speak very reassuringly for themselves. If carefully used, the impact on your knees is positive and with long lasting benefits.
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About the author: K. M. Morgan is the blogger behind the reviews of elliptical machines blog. It's a free website he uses to share reviews  about the best selling elliptical machine brands (i.e. Proform elliptical reviews) to help people compare the products available on the market and save money.
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