Monthly Archives: April 2012

Juicing: Anti-Aging from The Inside-Out

Many women look in the mirror and find that what they see doesn’t really match up with how they feel inside. Where did these wrinkles, lines and age spots come from? We’ll often turn to fancy lotions and potions to apply to our skin to reverse the signs of aging, and while these can certainly help, amazing benefits also come from working inside out.

Nutrient Absorption Gets Diminishes With Age

As we age, our body’s ability to absorb nutrients is diminished. Supplements can replace some missing nutrients, but even these are hard for our bodies to process.  But the fact is, we need those nutrients to create healthy, new cells that replace the old, dead ones. This process can improves our skin’s appearance and also offers other fantastic benefits such as improved mental clarity, increased focus and more energy, not to mention a better overall mood. The best way to fill your body with those nutrients and minerals is by drinking fresh juice.

Juicing makes the helpful plant nutrients and enzymes present more easily digestible. When the aging cells don’t have to work so hard to assimilate the beneficial compounds, the results are far more profound. Best of all, juicing is quick, easy, and affordable–and it just works, plain and simple.

Juicing for Overall Health

Juicing offers greater resistance to all of the pesky health issues that tend to pop up as we age. Pomegranate and cherry juices, in particular, help to reduce internal inflammation, in turn reducing the risk for heart and cardiovascular disease.

According to the American Dietetic Association, drinking juice made entirely from fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to maximize your nutritional intake. Most of us don’t get enough fruits and vegetables, but juicing makes it really easy (and fast!) to do so.

It’s so important to get lots of fresh produce in our diets: flavonoids, the plant pigments responsible for colors in fruits and vegetables, help the body fight infections and cancers and even minimize the occurrence of allergy symptoms. Apple-celery juice reduces inflammation and promotes restful sleep. Alkaline vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, parsley, spinach, kale, and celery help flush the liver, kidneys, blood, and the muscle tissue of toxins which have been accumulating for years.

Alkalizing food is an essential part of our diets – most people tend to be off balance in favor or more acidic foods, causing pH imbalance in the body. pH imbalance is the root of a ton of health issues, like hormone imbalance, weight gain and chronic fatigue, among (many!) others. Drinking alkalizing juice with lots of veggies offers tremendous protection from these issues.

There are as many common reasons to juice for longevity and anti-aging as there are veggies and fruits to juice with! The various nutrients in fresh juice help reduce or eliminate a wide range of health issues, including:

  • acne
  • anemia
  • high cholesterol
  • bladder infections
  • bronchitis
  • canker sores
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • constipation
  • gallstone
  • glaucoma
  • headaches
  • hypertension
  • indigestion
  • insomnia
  • kidney stones
  • macular degeneration
  • menopause
  • morning sickness
  • osteoporosis
  • prostate enlargement
  • psoriasis
  • ulcers
  • varicose veins
  • water retention.

Berries: Packed with Antioxidants

Juicing has anti-aging benefits that rival even the top anti-aging skin care products. If your concern is anti-aging, adding berries to your juice is a good start – although berries differ in exact levels of different compounds, they all contain high levels of antioxidants and nutrients that help your body fight the free radicals that wreak havoc on your skin. Fruit and vegetable juices also contain phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that promote healthy, shiny hair, tight skin and youthful vitality. Berries also contain vitamins and minerals that help protect against various types of cancer. Dark skinned berries like blackberries and blueberries contain the highest levels of antioxidants.

Few people are aware of the incredible benefits juicing has to offer. The best part is, you can tailor your juice recipes to address specific needs and health issues you’re facing.

Melissa Cameron, also known as “mom” to two little ones, is married to her best friend, Dave. She enjoys scrapbooking and spending time with her elderly parents. She loves to learn new things; In her free time, she can be found doing research, reading Zeolite reviews, writing, and surfing the internet.

Playing the Balancing Game

Balance is an import aspect for everyone. Nobody wants to be a klutz or uncoordinated. Yet many people overlook including balance work in their regular training routine. The reason seems to be that people don’t realize that you can easily improve your balance and coordination via exercise.

Activities that involve balancing or things that take coordination are basically neurological issues. Growing up you learned how to do activities based on your body learning how to coordinate impulses sent from the brain through the nervous system to the body. As you learned how to throw a ball, for example, you created new pathways in your neural network. The stronger those connections are, or even making new ones, directly relates to how your body reacts and compensates during certain situations.

Want proof?

Pick up a small ball like a tennis ball or baseball. Use your off hand to throw it at your couch from ten feet away. Try aiming at something like a specific pillow. More than likely the motion feels weird and you can’t easily aim. Do it again. Then do it ten more times. While the motion feels awkward at first, after ten throws it should feel less so and your aim should start to improve. What is happening is new neural connections are actively being created during these exercises and the brain is learning how to coordinate this movement.

This type of training can be brought into the gym as well to help work on coordination and balance which then translates over into everything else you do from sports to daily life.

Balance Training Exercises

Essentially for balance training you will be incorporating movements that put you in an off-balance position and force your body to adapt and compensate. If you want to practice your balance then try incorporating these various exercises into your existing program.

  • One-Legged Squats – Stand on one leg. Your other leg should be bent at the knee with your calf parallel to the ground. Squat down as low as you can and then come back up. At first use no weight. You should aim for 12 to 20 reps. If it becomes too easy then grab a dumbbell or two for added resistance.
  • Box Jumps – Basically you start in standing position, crouch down, and then jump sideways over an object like a box. People jump over cones or benches as well. To start use something simple like a sweatshirt folded on the ground. Jump over then jump back for 1 rep. Aim for 12 to 20 reps total.
  • Balance Ball Crunches – Using a big balance ball for abdominal work adds a degree of difficulty. You can do normal crunches as well as twists for the oblique muscles. The size of the ball creates a stability issue which helps with balance training.
  • Uneven Push-ups – Place a block or medicine ball under one hand creating an uneven stance and perform pushups to exhaustion. Switch positions (object under opposite hand) for a second set to exhaustion.
  • Use a Barbell – On some exercises that you normally use a dumbbell (like bicep curls, deltoid raises, or overhead presses) switch to a barbell with slightly less weight. The extra length will cause a balance issue that your body has to overcome.
  • Use One Leg or Hand – Certain exercises can be done standing on one leg. By the same token some exercises can be done with just one hand or one leg instead of both. The uneven weight distribution will help to train your body to compensate. Make sure to start with less weight than you would normally use.
  • Jumping Rope – This helps with hand-eye and foot coordination. As you get better you can hop on one foot at a time versus two.

Ben Sanderson is an author for Nutribomb Bodybuilding Supplements. Nutribomb’s goal to provide you with information and advice on the best supplements on the internet.

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5 Things You Need to Eat Healthy

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Eating healthy at college can be a tricky maneuver. You’re in a hurry getting to classes, working a part-time job, studying late at night and, of course, keeping up with those hot dates. You’re going to need healthy foods to keep your motor running while keeping your package looking good. Here are five cloak-and-dagger secrets from the underground of healthy college eating to accomplish the mission.

Munchies and Snacks
Whether you’re in between class or having a late study night, you’re bound to get the munchies attack. These munchies attacks come on quick and furious, so you’ll need to be prepared with a healthy snack to fight off the pangs. Before leaving the dining hall, equip yourself with a piece of fruit, such as an apple or banana. Fruits are filled with natural sugar, fiber and vitamins and will quickly satiate you. Keep a stockpile of healthy snacks in your dorm fridge for those late study nights. Include items such as, low-fat yogurts, hummus on whole grain pita breads or low-fat cheese strings. Do not include donuts, Danish or fried snacks like Doritos. These foods are nutritionally empty, high in cholesterol and will pack on the pounds in no time.

Breakfast
Skipping breakfast is like trying to start your car on empty, so don’t do it. It’ll also make you ravenous by lunchtime, and you’ll find yourself chowing down anything within sight. Eating a healthy breakfast will give you energy to start your day and keep you focused in class. While those Belgian waffles with syrup may look enticing in the dining hall, there are plenty of other food choices that are much healthier. Go with a hard-boiled egg and fruit or a whole grain cereal with fruits and nuts. Both are filled with protein and vitamins to get your day off to a good start.

Lunch
Change your opinion about what you’d like for lunch. We’re all creatures of habit and have gotten into the rut of hamburgers and French fries. Go vegan instead. You’ll be eliminating unnecessary calories, unhealthy fats, nourishing your body and keeping in shape. Head for the salad bar in the dining hall and choose a variety of healthy veggies for your afternoon delight. Put together a smorgasbord of leafy greens, mushrooms, sprouts and grated cheeses on top. If you’re really feeling hungry, add some lean chicken to the mix.

Dinner
Think lean cuisine when choosing foods for dinner. Your day is coming to an end, and you’ll be burning fewer calories. Fewer calories burned equals more fat tissue. Choose lean steaks, chicken or fish as your main source of protein for dinner. Include a healthy veggie, such as broccoli or carrots. You also need a portion of carbs for energy, so choose a natural grain rice or pasta.

Moderation
With so much food available in the college dining hall, it’s hard not to over indulge. To avoid this trap, be determined to only fill your plate once and forget that you’re allowed seconds. Try to eat slowly, and you’ll find that you won’t feel the need for a second plate. This will take some discipline at first, but once you establish the habit, it’ll become second nature.

About the Author

JH is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers is one of the best sites to help you enroll in accredited online colleges.

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