How to know when you need a dietary supplement

Dietary Supplement and Nutrition

By: Natalie Hernandez

Whether or not you need to take a dietary supplement depends on different factors such as your diet, your lifestyle, and of course some things that you can not control.

Here are some reasons that you may want to consider to be a reason to take dietary supplements :

1 - Your diet

You do not eat a well balanced diet. Even if you consume a small amount of food a day under 1200 calories then you may need to take supplements. It limits the amount of nutrition that your body is consuming and needs. So therefore your body needs supplements to gain the nutrition it needs to function at its best.

2- Post menopausal woman
Women loss estrogen after menopause which results in bone loss. To keep your bones strong a woman after menopause is suggested to take a supplement. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for menopausal women!

3 - You smoke or drink
We all know that it is not good for us, but many of us do it anyway. Although dietary supplements will not reverse the effects that alcohol and smoking will do to your body, it can help you.

4 - You are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
Of course you should consult your doctor, but they always prescribe a pregnant women with prenatal vitamins. During this time your body is absorbing all the nutrients it can for your baby, so you will need to take vitamins for your health.

5 - You have health issues
There are several health issues that your doctor may suggest to you taht you take some sort of supplement. Going to your doctor and asking them what they suggest is essential to make sure that you take the correct vitamins your body needs due to any health issues.

6 - Your age
The older you get, the more you need to make sure that you are getting the correct nutrition your body needs. Many people do not get enough calcium their bones and teeth need. There are also other factors that you age will play on whither or not you should take vitamins. Ask your doctor what they suggest as a dietary supplement for you.

7 - If your a vegetarian
Vegetarians often do not get adequate amounts of iron, calcium, and other vitamins in their diet. Making sure that your body is receiving everything it needs when you a vegetarian is important and that is way you should take vitamins.

8 - Just for assurance
If you are not sure that you are consuming everything that your body needs then taking a dietary supplement can ease your mind.

If you eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly then you may not need to take a supplement. It is always best to talk with your doctor before starting any diet or dietary supplement.

Tips & Warnings :
- Consult with your doctor before starting any supplements
- If in doubt always talk to your doctor first!

Article Source: eHow.com

Dietary Supplement and Nutrition

How to Choose a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement (Dietary Supplement and Nutrition)

Dietary Supplement and Nutrition

By: Melinda Friedland

Choosing a weight loss dietary supplement is nowhere near as easy as choosing an outfit to wear. Before spending your hard earned money on products like these, it's important to really research the brands or manufacturers and figure out what exactly you're paying for, how it works and how it affects your body.

Step 1
Consult with your doctor. This should always be a first step, especially if you are already taking any type of medication. A weight loss dietary supplement may have ingredients that shouldn't be combined with certain types of medications and/or conditions. A doctor might even recommend a particular weight loss dietary supplement that they think will be a good fit for you.

Step 2
Decide where you like to shop. Do you prefer the convenience of shopping close to home or do you prefer to shop online? Think about return and refund policies.

Step 3
Decide how much you can spend or afford. Most dietary supplements will take some time before results are seen even with proper usage, so be prepared to estimate how long you will be taking them and if you can afford it. Just because a weight loss dietary supplement is more expensive, doesn't mean it works better and just because something is cheap does not mean it does not work.

Step 4
Read reviews. After reading reviews on several different products, you may notice the same brands being brought up over and over - with either good or bad opinions of the products. Write these down. This will help you with the next step and not make it so overwhelming.

Step 5
Research those products more closely. Check the ingredient lists, what the purpose of the ingredient is and how they each affect your body. For example, caffeine is a popular ingredient in weight loss supplements, so if you are sensitive to it you won't want to consume any products containing that particular ingredient.

Step 6
Call the manufacturer or brand. Find out if they do any type of quality control testing. You want to make sure they know the exact potency, purity and be sure every ingredient has been correctly identified.

Step 7
Give it time to work. Any type of weight loss dietary supplement will take at least some time before you begin to see real results. Check your progress at 2 weeks and then again after 30 days.

Step 8
Analyze what you've learned and decide if you should continue using that particular weight loss supplement.

Tips & Warnings:
- What works for somebody else may not have the same effects on you.
- If any side effects are experienced, discontinue use and consult with your doctor.

Article Source: eHow.com

Dietary Supplement and Nutrition

Top Dietary Supplements for Women

By: Megan Hazel

It should come as no surprise that women have different nutritional needs than men. Women’s bodies handle stress differently than men’s bodies, and their complicated systems require a variety of nutrients to perform at optimum levels. Because a woman’s health changes with the cyclical nature of her body, it is important that she keep up with this cycle and supplement her nutritional intake accordingly. Let’s look at how a woman can best do this to maintain peak health all year long.

Many people can benefit from supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs, but they are of utmost import for women. Not only are they essential for optimum brain functioning, these supplements play an important role in heart health for women. They are quite beneficial for the hair, skin and nails, all of which concerns are on the top of a woman’s list.

Women will do a lot for the sake of beauty, and it may even include eating fish when they don’t like the taste of it. Salmon is probably the best natural source of EFAs, but if you would prefer to take your fish oil quickly and easily you can do so with a tablet or capsule. So long as you are diligent with your supplement regimen, you can reap the same benefits as you would by eating a lot of fish.

Another very important supplement for women is folic acid. The body does not easily manufacture folic acid, so it is important to supplement the diet with this B-vitamin derivative. It is especially critical for women to get folic acid, especially women of child-bearing years. Every prenatal vitamin contains folic acid and most practitioners will suggest an additional folic acid supplement even while a pregnant woman is taking a prenatal vitamin.

This is true even after childbirth, and while a woman is still breastfeeding. Folic acid deficiencies have been known to cause birth defects. If you are within the range of child-bearing years and you think you may become pregnant, it is a good idea to start supplementing with folic acid even if you do not anticipate pregnancy for many months. The best plan for a safe and healthy pregnancy is to build up folic acid in your system prior to the time when a developing fetus may need to rely on it.

Calcium is a mineral that is especially important for women to have in plentiful amounts. Women are much more prone to osteoporosis, and the chance of developing this debilitating condition can be greatly reduced by taking in sufficient amounts of calcium before you significantly age. Along with calcium, women should take magnesium in a ratio of 2:1. Magnesium helps calm anxiety, and more important for women it reduces premenstrual cramps and hormonal fluctuations that cause emotional upset during this time of a woman’s cycle.

During a woman’s cycle, certain herbs have been touted as being quite helpful although they remain somewhat controversial as to efficacy and safety. One herb that is very popular for women is dong quai, which is said to lessen mood swings and cramping and have a direct effect on estrogen and progesterone levels.

Another herb that is known for this is wild yam. Some women use a cream made from wild yam that you can rub directly into the skin of your hands or elsewhere, and they indicate that it evens your levels of estrogen and progesterone because the herb itself has plant hormone levels similar to those a woman has during her menstrual cycle.

As indicated above, the efficacy and safety levels of these herbs are often the subject of much debate among health professionals. Last in this list of herbs is black cohosh, which again is used by many to help ease premenstrual symptoms. It can be taken in tea or tincture form, and also comes in a capsule or tablet if that is preferable.

It is imperative that women supplement their diet with crucial vitamins, minerals and herbs for a number of reasons. Not only is it important during times of added stress such as menstruation, but a women’s body tends to have additional stress for a number of reasons all year long.

Childbirth, preparation for childbirth, the after-effects of childbirth as well as menstruation and pre-menstruation all require additional nutrient intake. For older women, the issue of menopause and peri-menopause arises and this too is taxing on the delicate balance of hormones.

Add to all of these stage-of-life issues the daily stress of child-rearing and other issues and it is no wonder women need serious supplementation. Even if you are a woman who eats right and gets proper exercise, chances are you could benefit from additional supplementation. It is never too late to make sure you get the right nutrients for the healthiest life possible.

Article Source: ArticleCity.com

5 Nutritional Tips to Burn Fat

By: Ben Greenfield

I’m going to give you 5 practical tips to turn your body into a fat-burning machine – information that you can take with you and implement on a daily basis, both in and out of the gym or workout environment. Rather than quantify specific amounts, I’ll be giving you some simple ideas. Let’s get right to it:

Eat Fiber

A high-fiber diet decreases fat and cholesterol absorption in your intestine (preventing fat storage), slows glucose absorption in the bloodstream (meaning more sugar gets burnt as energy, less gets stored as fat), stabilizes insulin levels and delays stomach emptying (both of which decrease your appetite), and makes you full faster (so you eat less). Research has shown that a low-fat, high-fiber diet results in nearly three times more weight loss than a low-fat, low-fiber diet. So how do you get your fiber? Here’s how I get mine: 1 fully loaded salad, 1 bowl of oatmeal, and 2-3 raw fruits every day (fruit bonus: vitamin C in citrus fruit can also help burn fat).

Eat Calcium

Research shows that three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products can help reduce body fat. Higher levels of calcium stored in the fat cells may help enhance fat breakdown, as well as induce an increase in thermogenesis (the body’s core temperature). The best calcium should come from dairy products like low-fat milk, yogurt and cottage cheese (and not from a calcium supplement). Other good sources, especially for those who are lactose intolerant, include dark leafy vegetables, salmon, almonds, and oats (notice the extra fiber bonus).

Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies have shown that people who include a large and healthy breakfast in their diet lose significantly greater amounts of fat than those who avoid breakfast. Skipping breakfast will not help you shed extra pounds, but may instead result in muscle loss and metabolism decreases, both of which hinder your fat-burning ability. A great breakfast example is a large glass of water with a bowl of oatmeal, fresh fruit and nuts. Just remember: breakfast can also work against you if it’s not healthy…fried meats, sweet muffins and croissants, sugar loaded cereals, or processed packages do not count as a healthy breakfast!

Eat Frequently

You’ve heard it a million times before: 5-6 small meals a day is better than 3 large meals. I’d like to step that up a bit: as high as 10 times a day or more may be necessary, depending on your energy consumption and needs. Here’s an example (from my personal nutrition log): 1) banana 7am; 2) oatmeal w/ raisins 9am; 3) handful almonds 10:30am; 4) three turkey slices 12pm; 5) one yogurt 1 pm; 6) apple 2pm; 7) large salad 4:30pm; 8) one protein bar 7:00pm; 9) handful raisins 8:15pm; 10) 1 scramble egg with spinach 9pm (bed at 11pm). The philosophy behind eating frequently is that the physical act of digestion has a metabolic cost, and by continually feeding, you are maintaining a higher metabolic rate. As long as your grazing is healthy, this results in more calories burnt throughout the day. On the flipside, eating too infrequently causes your body go into starvation mode and conserve energy, which results in increased fat storage and lower digestive and overall metabolism.

Eat Water

Your body constantly uses water to create energy, build muscle, and burn fat, and without adequate water, studies have shown that the muscles are less active, the metabolism drops, and your body burns fat less efficiently. This slight decrease in metabolism can add up to over 10 pounds of fat a year! Water also assists in suppressing the appetite and giving you a “full feeling”. So drink several glasses of water each day, drink a glass of water at least 30 minutes before your workout, sip water regularly at the gym, and drink a glass of water after your workout (speeds up recovery too!). Many naturally occurring foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are also high in water content (as well as fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc.), so this is another great way to get your H2O.

If you have more questions about nutrition, or simply want to see how your diet measures up, you may be interested in a dietary analysis. After you sign-up for personal training with Pacific Elite Fitness at http://www.pacificfit.net/, you receive a complete dietary analysis, complete with grocery list and food substitution suggestions, and monthly tools to track your progress, caloric intake, and macronutrient percentage. At pacificfit.net, you can also sign-up for a weekly newsletter jam packed with helpful tips and articles.

Head trainer Ben Greenfield runs the online training website Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

A Supplement And Nutrition Reminder

By: William Teleo

A well-balanced diet and affinity for all food groups ensure right amounts of much-needed nutrients. However, not all people are blessed with a liking for vegetables or tolerance for milk. There are also people with allergies to nuts and poultry which are excellent sources of protein and good fat. What if you are one of them? How can you be sure that you get proper nutrition without force-feeding yourself brocollis? This is why supplements and nutrition should work together.

Before taking supplements, it would be wise to seek your doctor's advice. After all, you want to be sure to have the proper supplements and nutrition. The wide variety of supplements include multivitamins, protein supplements, minerals, and specialized supplements. Multivitamins are the most prescribed supplements. Regulated and concentrated amounts of essential vitamins are packed in a tablet or gels. Protein supplements are commonly used by people who want to build more muscle such as athletes. Mineral supplements include calcium for bone growth. Dietary supplements and memory enhancers are commonly classified as specialized supplements.

Supplements and nutrition must be complementary. For example, a person who consumes large amounts of carrots and squash need not take a supplement of Vitamin A. This is because too much of Vitamin A can cause a yellow or orange tinge to the skin. Other overdoses on minerals and vitamins can even disrupt normal hormonal function. After all, even too much of a good thing can be hazardous to health.

Hence, a proper supplements and nutrition scheme must be discussed with the doctor in order to prevent overdoses or taking unnecessary supplements. The US FDA in recognition of the growing market and need for supplements has taken steps to regulate the production, dosage, and sanitation of supplements. This was done to ensure good-quality products. This move is also partly due to rising number of unprescribed supplement use among consumers. The agency also stressed the importance of informed use among supplement users. It is not enough to know the name of your supplements. You should know what deficiency it corrects and how it works.

Studies show that many use different supplements whereas tests done to them indicate only a minimal lack which can be corrected by a single kind. Also, despite the supplement rage, doctors and health experts still stand by natural correction of deficiencies by means of a proper diet. They suggest eating alternative sources of nutrients found in allergy-inducing foods. Hey, real food tastes better than capsules anyway.

For more valuable information on Supplements and Nutrition, please visit http://www.eknowitall.com/health/fitness-healthy-living/supplements-nutrition/

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Fasting Strategies - The Top 5 Fasting Mistakes

By: Samantha Ware

If you have ever tried to fast, you know completing a fast can be a very difficult thing to accomplish. Every fasting attempt begins with a desire to see it to the end, until something or someone comes along and causes you to quit. Don't make these common fasting mistakes and you will be much more likely to complete your fast, whether it be one meal, one day or 30 days.

Mistake 1: Telling everybody you are fasting -You decide you are starting your fast on Monday and by Sunday night you have told everyone you know what your plans are. This common mistake often results in unnecessary embarrassment and unwanted questions. Being too forthright with your fasting plans can place expectations on you that you may not be ready to face. If you decide to break your fast for whatever reason, you may feel guilty because you told so many people what you were doing. Tell as few people as possible and make sure the people you tell will be supportive of your endeavor. By doing this, you eliminate everyone's expectations except your own.

Mistake 2: Eating your last meal without restraint - you know you are going to start fasting tomorrow, so the night before you eat every thing in sight.Gorging before a fast is a disaster waiting to happen. Your body has a difficult time adjusting from so much food to little or none at all. As a result, the detox symptoms become too much for you to bear and your fast is broken before you get started. Avoid this mistake by "pre-fasting" and eating light, healthy meals up until fasting day. With longer fasts, it is helpful to eat only fruits and vegetables for 3-14 days before starting a fast. Pre-fasting makes detox symptoms less severe and easier to cope with.

Mistake 3: Fasting without a plan - it is very difficult to commit to fasting if you don't make it a commitment. Before starting any fast, take the time to determine your reason for fasting,your fasting goals, and rewards. Write down a list of things to do besides running to the pantry when a craving hits, think of what you might say when people ask you why you aren't eating, and how you will deal with detox symptoms when they arise. Purchase items you need for your fast ahead of time, like a juicer for juice fast, fresh fruit & vegetables, distilled water or anything else you may need to begin your fast.

Mistake 4: Partaking in anti-fasting activities - temptation is inevitable with fasting because it is all around,but try to avoid temptation as much as possible until you have the stamina to endure it. When friends invite you out to dinner, politely opt out or reschedule for after your fast. Don't spend your evenings watching television shows about cooking or food, have other family members prepare dinner if possible or prepare meals ahead of time, when you are in a very tempting situation distract yourself by conversating with people or reminding yourself of your goals. Until your strength has been established, skip events centered around food.

Mistake 5: Breaking the fast too harshly - you did it, you fasted for the length of time you had planned to and then you break your fast by eating steak, potatoes, soda and a big slice of chocolate cake. No sooner than you've swallowed the last bite, you feel like you've been hit by a bus. Your body does not know how to respond to such a huge meal so suddenly after fasting. In addition to the shock on your body, indulging in heavy foods after a fast defeats the purpose. Fasting when done properly, detoxifies the body and prepares it for a healthier lifestyle. Breaking the fast should be done carefully and with caution. Ease back into eating with light foods like salad, fruit, yogurt and gradually increase intake until your body is comfortable with eating again.

* Samantha Ware is a freelance writer, an avid researcher on fasting and other natural and holistic healing methods. Her blog, http://www.hopeforthehips.blogspot.com/ was recently started to assist others who attempt fasting and want to learn more about it. As the blog continues to grow, Samantha is working on a fasting website.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Fasting to Lose Weight - 5 Fasting Facts For Fast Success!

By: Scarlett Miller

There is certainly some controversy surrounding the method of fasting to lose weight. To many people it sounds like it's toeing the line of anorexia, which is a condition in which people severely restrict their caloric intake (to the point of actually starving themselves) in order to lose dramatic amounts of weight quickly. But there are safe and healthy plans that teach you to use fasting for weight loss, and here are five tips to help you learn more about this unique and effective dieting method:

Fasting Fact #1
You may be wondering if a fasting diet is the same thing as a starvation diet. The important thing to note is that fasting to lose weight is not a trendy way to glorify extreme calorie restriction. On the contrary, it's simply a method that helps you lose excess weight without having to follow a strict diet plan, since you're naturally creating a calorie deficit by taking a 24 hour fast one to two times a week.

Fasting Fact #2
The phrase "starvation mode" is a popular one amongst diet gurus, but the simple truth is that a carefully monitored 24 hour fast will not cause your metabolism is to slow down. In actuality, it may help you to break your food addiction, and at the same time your body will boost its production of fat burning hormones without the aid of diet pills or supplements.

Fasting Fact #3
Although 24 hours sounds like lengthy period of time, fasting to lose weight is designed so that you're actually eating every single day of the week. For example, if you ate dinner at 6pm on Monday, 24 hours later would be 6pm on Tuesday, and you would go ahead and have dinner -- thus ending your fast. This is an ideal schedule to implement since you'll easily shave eight hours off of your 24 hour fasting period while you sleep.

Fasting Fact #4
Although fasting to lose weight is an incredibly effective method on its own, is still recommended that you implement a moderate exercise program -- particularly one that involves weight weight training -- to augment your success. Surprisingly, many participants in a fasting weight loss program will notice increased amounts of energy on their fasting days, which in turn helps their workouts be more effective.

Fasting Fact #5
Unlike juice fasting or detoxification diets, a safe fasting weight loss program can be followed over a period of weeks or even months -- however long it takes for you to lose all of your excess weight. They are healthy and safe, provided that you're implementing a researched method and guide to teach you the exact steps for ultimate success.

Ready to learn more? Just follow these steps!

Get instant access to a safe and effective guide on fasting to lose weight by visiting The Best Diet Reviews, and you'll be ready to meet and greet a slim and toned new you before you know it!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

How Does Exercise Help & How Can You Get it Regularly?

Exercise burns calories, therefore increasing your daily requirements. For example if your daily requirements are 2,000 calories and you add an hour of walking to it, you’ll have about 2,300 calories to work with.

So What’s the Best Exercise?
If you said the one that burns most calories, then we’d have to disagree. The best exercise is the one you can do regularly. It could be incredibly fun or worthwhile or just give you the opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones.

A Few Examples of Such Exercises:
- Go Hiking with your family. Pick a beautiful trail near the city this weekend and get out there with your family members and/or close friends. Enjoy the stunning scenery.

- Do something you always wanted to do like learning to dance. Try and become really good at it.

- Organize something with your Office, School, or any other organization you’re a part of. Start a regular basketball or soccer game.

- Get Wii and substitute all your video gaming time with it.

- Play with your kids. If they’re young, simply get them out of the house and play around, if they’re older, you can teach Youth Sports.

But Here’s Our Favorite Form of Exercise & It’s the Simplest: Walking!

Bottom Line:
Let’s stop thinking of exercise as a burden and start thinking of it as an opportunity to do all of the things such as connect with your friends, have exciting adventures and do a lot to improve things in the world.

Credit to: Team Zacking!

What Should You Eat to Get to Your Healthy Weight?

Here's the simple answer: Anything you like. There are absolutely no "Doomsday" foods at all. Weight Management is a lot more about watching how much you eat as opposed to what you eat. Regardless of what “brand new” theory on nutrition comes out, the fact is that losing weight will always be about eating less, exercising more.

What we really need to do is make small but effective changes in our daily lives to make this transition. Nothing drastic, nothing that forbids one type of food or keeps you hungry but small changes that make the transition effective.

So how can you do this in your daily life? Here are 10 tips to help you get a few ideas in your daily life:

1. Switch from 3 meals a day to 5. The problem with 3 meals is that the more you wait to eat, the hungrier you get. So by actually increasing the frequency of your meals, you end up eating less.

2. If, however, you think 5 meals is too much, simply have 2 snacks in the middle of the usual 3 meals. For example have a banana or a small sandwich an hour before the meal. This will help you eat a lot less during the meal.

3. If you’re eating at a fast food like McDonald’s or KFC don’t go for a “meal deal”. Instead research the calorie numbers and pick out 3 or 4 options that are best suited for you.

4. Put more ice in your beverage. You can cut your cold beverages in half by pouring lots of ice in the glass.

5. Keep extra servings away from the table.

6. Never shop when you’re hungry

7. Drink lots of water during your meals

8. Come up with creative ways to enjoy your favorite snacks. For example put potato chips in a bread, add mayo and you have a delicious potato chips snack. The whole sandwich will be under 300 calories while a 5 oz. (140 g) bag of potato chips (which will be about as filling) is 750 calories.

9. Make a rule to wait 30 minutes after you stop eating. If you’re still hungry, eat some more (you probably won’t though).

10. Don’t deprive yourself of any food item. Instead Ask yourself a simple question: How can I eat less of something as opposed to declaring it a taboo food that contains mono-tri-wochama callit acid that will end humanity (according to latest research).

Credit to: Team Zacking!

No H1N1 vaccine available? Try Vitamin D

Article Source: emssolutionsinc.wordpress.com

The Sunshine Vitamin?

With vaccine production months away how can you avoid the flu? In February 2009 research suggested that sunshine is more than just a home remedy. The study found that people with low levels of vitamin D — also known as the “sunshine vitamin” — were more likely to catch cold and flu than folks with adequate amounts.

The effect of the vitamin was strongest in people with asthma and other lung diseases who are predisposed to respiratory infections. We wrote about this on June 25 in this blog but it is worth repeating…it seems that in an effort to discover new ways to fight H1N1, the Public Health Agency of Canada yesterday announced it intends to test the blood of people contracting the ailment to check their vitamin D levels.

The agency is taking the unconventional action to try to find out whether those with mild cases of the flu have more of the Vitamin D circulating in their bodies than those who develop severe or even deadly reactions to the H1N1 virus.

If researchers determine that the vitamin protects against H1N1, it will give health authorities another line of attack against the pandemic, besides the usual solutions such as large-scale vaccinations and hand-washing campaigns.

Study Reveals Vitamin D Makes A Big Difference

The February 2009 study determined that people with the worst vitamin D deficiency were 36 percent more likely to suffer respiratory infections than those with sufficient levels, according to the research in this week’s Archives of Internal Medicine. Among asthmatics, those who were vitamin D deficient were five times more likely to get sick than their counterparts with healthy levels. And the risk of respiratory infection was twice as high among vitamin D-deficient patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than in lung patients with normal levels of the vitamin.

Having 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood is considered optimal. More than half of the people in the study had vitamin D levels below that threshold. The most recent recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which are 12 years old, say that Americans should get 200-600 International Units of vitamin D a day. But those recommendations were set based on the vitamin’s contribution to bone health, not immunity and overall wellbeing. Proponents of more vitamin D intake, such as Michael Holick, say 1,000-2,000 IUs might be needed. An IOM update to the recommendations is expected in May 2010.

“It’s clear that the American population needs more vitamin D overall for its effects on bone health and the growing literature on non-skeletal benefits for general health,” says Ginde, who expects participants in an upcoming vitamin D trial will get the amped up levels of 1,000-2,000 IUs that advocates are pushing for. “We’re not recommending that everyone go out and take that, but that’s the magnitude of change we’re talking about.”

Sources for Vitamin D

How does one get more Vitamin D? Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in the American diet. For example, almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 100 IU/cup of vitamin D (25% of the Daily Value or 50% of the AI level for ages 14-50 years). In the 1930s, a milk fortification program was implemented in the United States to combat rickets, then a major public health problem. This program virtually eliminated the disorder at that time. Other dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice cream, are generally not fortified.

Exposing yourself to sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D because sunlight is far more likely to provide you with your vitamin D requirement than food is.UV rays from the sun trigger vitamin D production in your skin. Season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, and sunscreen affect UV ray exposure and vitamin D synthesis. For example, sunlight exposure from November through February in Boston is insufficient to produce significant vitamin D synthesis in the skin.

Sunscreens – Great To Avoid Skin Cancer, Not So Good For Vitamin D Absorption

Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D. An initial exposure to sunlight of 10 to15 minutes allows you adequate time for Vitamin D synthesis and should be followed by application of a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect the skin. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin.

Vitamins - Its Benefits, Sources and Quantity for Teens

Vitamin A

Benefits:

Vitamin A prevents eye problems, promotes a healthy immune system, is essential for the growth and development of cells, and keeps skin healthy.

Sources:

Good sources of vitamin A are milk, eggs, liver, fortified cereals, darkly colored orange or green vegetables (such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and kale), and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, apricots, peaches, papayas, and mangos.

Quantity:

Teen guys need 900 micrograms of vitamin A each day.Teen girls need 700 micrograms each day. It is possible to get too much vitamin A, so be careful with supplements. Don't take vitamin A supplements If you're taking isotretinoin (such as Accutane) for acne or other skin problems.Oral acne medicines are vitamin A supplements, and a continued excess of vitamin A can build up in the body, causing headaches, skin changes, or even liver damage.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Benefits:
Vitamin C is needed to form collagen, a tissue that helps to hold cells together. It's essential for healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels. It helps the body absorb iron and calcium, aids in wound healing, and contributes to brain function.

Sources:
You'll find high levels of vitamin C in red berries, kiwi, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and juices made from guava, grapefruit, and orange.

Quantity:
Teen guys need 75 mg (milligrams; 1 milligram equals 1,000 micrograms) and girls need 65 mg of vitamin C a day.

Vitamin D

Benefits:

Vitamin D strengthens bones because it helps the body absorb bone-building calcium.

Sources:

This vitamin is unique — your body manufactures it when you get sunlight on your skin! You can also get vitamin D from egg yolks, fish oils, and fortified foods like milk.

Quantity:

Teens need 5 micrograms (200 IU) of vitamin D from food every day.

Vitamin E

Benefits:
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and helps protect cells from damage. It is also important for the health of red blood cells.

Sources:
Vitamin E is found in many foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Avocados, wheat germ, and whole grains are also good sources.

Quantity:
Teen guys and girls need 15 mg of vitamin E every day.

Vitamin B12

Benefits:

Vitamin B12 helps to make red blood cells, and is important for nerve cell function.

Sources:

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in fish, red meat, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. It's also added to some breakfast cereals.

Quantity:

Teens should get 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily.

Vitamin B6

Benefits:
Vitamin B6 is important for normal brain and nerve function. It also helps the body break down proteins and make red blood cells.

Sources:
A wide variety of foods contain vitamin B6, including potatoes, bananas, beans, seeds, nuts, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, spinach, and fortified cereals.

Quantity:
Teen guys need 1.3 mg of vitamin B6 daily and teen girls need 1.2 mg.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Benefits:

Thiamin helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy and is necessary for the heart, muscles, and nervous system to function properly.

Sources:

People get thiamin from many different foods, including fortified breads, cereals, and pasta; meat and fish; dried beans, soy foods, and peas; and whole grains like wheat germ.

Quantity:

Teen guys need 1.2 mg of thiamin each day; teen girls need 1 mg.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Benefits:
Niacin helps the body turn food into energy. It helps maintain healthy skin and is important for nerve function.

Sources:
You'll find niacin in red meat, poultry, fish, fortified hot and cold cereals, and peanuts.

Quantity:
Teen guys need 16 mg of niacin daily. Teen girls need 14 mg a day.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Benefits:

Riboflavin is essential for turning carbohydrates into energy and producing red blood cells. It is also important for vision.

Sources:

Some of the best sources of riboflavin are meat, eggs, legumes (like peas and lentils), nuts, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, and fortified cereals.

Quantity:

Teen guys need 1.3 mg of riboflavin per day and teen girls need 1 mg.

Vitamin B9 (Folate, folic acid, or folacin)

Benefits:
Folate helps the body make red blood cells. It is also needed to make DNA.

Sources:
Dried beans and other legumes, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, oranges and other citrus fruits, and poultry are good sources of this vitamin. So are fortified or enriched bread, noodles, and cereals.

Quantity:
Teen girls and guys need 400 micrograms of folate daily.

Source: kidshealth.org

How to Avoid The H1N1 Swine Flu With Vitamins And Supplements

By: mrasey, eHow Member

With California declaring a state of emergency due to the recent swine flu outbreak and the CDC announcing the first US deaths due to the H1N1 flu–also known as the swine flu–now is the time to pay extra attention to your health. A strong immune system can avoid the swine flu and you can strengthen your immune system by taking the following vitamins and supplements.

Step 1 - Take Vitamin D, which improves immunity to H1N1 flu by increasing production of antimicrobial agents in the body. These antimicrobials can fight swine flu and other types of influenza. It’s no coincidence that flu season coincides with the lowest annual levels of Vitamin D. To ramp up your immune system, take 2000-5000 mg a day of Vitamin D. The best form of Vitamin D to use is D3. Sources: egg yolks, fish oils, and fortified foods like milk.

Step 2 - Take Vitamin C as it not only boosts levels of infection fighting white blood cells, but it also increases the number of interferon antibodies which work to keep the swine flu from even entering cells. Aim for 200 mg ingested over the course of day either in food or supplements. Sources: red berries, kiwi, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and juices made from guava, grapefruit, and orange.

Step 3 - Take Vitamin E which fosters production of natural killer cells that seek out and destroy swine flu germs. It’s hard to eat enough food to reach therapeutic levels of Vitamin E, so consider a supplemental dose between 100-400 mg. Sources: vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

Step 4 - Eat foods rich in Vitamin A to boost immune response, however, because high levels can be toxic, avoid supplements and eat your carrots. Be especially careful of Vitamin A intake if you are pregnant as high levels can hurt a fetus. Sources: milk, eggs, liver, fortified cereals, darkly colored orange or green vegetables and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, apricots, peaches, papayas, and mangos.

Step 5 - Eat foods rich in bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids fill up cell receptor sites so H1N1 flu germs can’t get into your cells and cause infection. Bioflavonoids are found in white and green teas, wine, dark chocolate, peppers, garlic, blueberries, and citrus fruits. For best results, combine with foods rich in vitamin C and calcium.

Step 6 - take a zinc supplement. Zinc doesn’t just increase immune response, it makes it fight the swine flu more aggressively. Supplement with 15 to 25 mg a day and don’t go over 75 mg as that can actually weaken your immune system. Sources:

Article Source: eHow.com and healthsupplement.com

Food Calorie Tables

The food calories list is a table of everyday foods listing their calorie content per average portion. The table can be useful if you want to exchange a food with similar calorie content when following a weight loss low calorie program.

Download the Food Calorie Tables below:

* Click the "Download" link.

* All files are in PDF format.

Food Calorie Table - Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dairy & Eggs

[ Download ]

Food Calorie Table - Fruit & Vegetables

[ Download ]

Food Calorie Table - Legumes, Nuts, Cereal & Grains

[ Download ]

Food Calorie Table - Fats, Dressings, Mixed Dishes, Sweets, Desserts & Beverages
[ Download ]

Food Calorie Table - Bulk food per 100 grams

[ Download ]

Source: bodyfatguide.com

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #10

Diet Myth
"Cereal bars are lower in fat and sugar" than chocolate or sweets

Diet Facts
Cereal bars might sound like a healthy alternative to chocolate but check the ingredients and you’ll often find more than just oats, cereals, nuts and dried fruit.
It’s true they’re usually lower in fat than most bars of chocolate (unless they’re packed with nuts and seeds) but they often contain just as much sugar, which might appear in the ingredients list as rice syrup, maltodextrin, glucose-fructose syrup, raw cane sugar, fructose, honey, or a mixture of these.

Diet Tips
For a sweet snack, you’d be better off choosing fresh fruit. But if you fancy a sweet treat, check out the nutrition information first before spending your calories on a cereal bar. You might find smaller chocolate bars such as a Ripple, a Flake, a Crème egg or a tube of Smarties actually contain fewer calories than that healthy-sounding cereal bar!

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #9

Diet Myth
"Red meat is bad for your health because it’s high in fat"

Diet Facts
Thanks to modern breeding programmes and new trimming techniques, red meat is now leaner than it’s ever been. For example, pork has dropped from being 30% fat in the 1950s to just 4% in 2005. Meanwhile, lean beef is now as low as 5% fat and lamb, 8% fat.

Better still, while most of us think that red meat is packed with artery-clogging saturates, around half the fat in red meat is actually heart-healthy monounsaturates. In particular, red meat contains oleic acid, the same type of fat that’s found in olive oil.

Added to this, red meat is packed with a wide range of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Around 40% of women aged between 19 and 34 have such low intakes of this nutrient that they’re at risk of suffering from anaemia, a condition that causes extreme tiredness, lack of energy and shortness of breath when exercising.

Diet Tips
Choose lean cuts of meat, trim off any visible fat before cooking and opt for cooking methods that don’t require extra fat to be added, such as grilling, griddling or dry roasting. This will help to keep fat intakes really low, while ensuring you benefit from all the nutrients in red meat.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #8

Diet Myth
"Margarine is healthier and lower in fat than butter"

Diet Facts
Often hailed as a healthy alternative to butter, margarines aren’t always a better choice. To start with, ordinary margarines contain just as much fat and as many calories as butter and so offer no real slimming benefits. Worse still, they may also contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, which create trans fats – and these are thought to be as harmful to our heart health as saturates.

Ironically, it’s the processing of pure vegetable oils – a good source of heart-friendly polyunsaturates – that creates these trans fats! In the meantime, low-fat or reduced-fat spreads contain less fat and fewer calories than butter or ordinary margarines, making them a better choice if you’re counting calories – but they may still contain hydrogenated fats.

Diet Tips
If you like the taste of butter there’s no reason why you can’t include it in your diet, providing you count the calories.

Leave it out of the fridge so you can spread it thinly and use it on just one slice of bread when you make a sandwich so you get all the taste but half the calories.

If you’re worried about the trans fat content of margarines and low-fat spreads, you’ll need to scour the ingredients list for hydrogenated fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils. If a product contains either, it will almost certainly contain trans fat. Bottom line: if you’re trying to lose weight, whether you choose butter, margarine or low-fat spread, you should use them sparingly as they’re all high in total fat.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #7

Diet Myth
"Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables contain less vitamins than fresh ones"

Diet Facts
Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh ones, if not more so. Frozen or canned fruit and veg are often packaged within hours of being picked so they don’t lose many nutrients.

On the other hand, fresh fruit and veg can sometimes lose many of their vitamins if they’ve travelled long distances and are stored for days on end before reaching the supermarket shelves.

Diet Tips
Regardless of whether you buy fresh, frozen or canned fruit and veg, aim for five different servings each day – they all count! But look for canned veg that are in unsalted, unsweetened water, and fruit that’s in juice rather than syrup.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #6

Diet Myth
"Weight problems are often the result of an intolerance to wheat"

Diet Facts
With so much written about wheat-free diets, it’s easy to think an intolerance to wheat is to blame for those excess pounds. However, experts suggest that less than 0.1 percent of the population suffer from this condition.

Support for the idea that weight gain – or difficulty in losing weight – is caused by a wheat intolerance stems mainly from people who’ve followed a wheat-free diet and found they’ve lost weight as a result.

Unsurprisingly though, most experts believe any weight loss that occurs is due to a reduction in calories and fat, thanks to cutting out not just bread, pasta and many cereals, but also biscuits, cakes, pastries, pizza, puddings and processed foods such as battered fish or breaded chicken. In other words, if you stop eating wheat, you also de-junk your diet and fill up on healthier and lower-calorie alternatives such as fruit, veg, lean meat, fish and low-fat dairy products.

Diet Tips
Don’t just cut out wheat on a whim. If you really believe you are intolerant to wheat, keep a food and symptoms diary to see if there’s any connection with what you eat and the symptoms you suffer with – then see your GP for a proper diagnosis.

In the meantime, cutting down on high-fat, processed wheat products will certainly help you lose weight. Instead, choose high-fibre wheat products such as wholegrain breakfast cereals, Granary bread and wholewheat pasta.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #5

Diet Myth
"Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy"

Diet Facts
Dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt are actually packed with essential nutrients that help to keep us healthy. As well as being good sources of protein, zinc and some B vitamins, dairy products are packed with calcium, a mineral that helps to build strong, healthy bones – and the stronger bones are, the less likely you’ll be to suffer from the bone-thinning disease, osteoporosis, in later life.

Dairy products don’t have to be ‘fattening’ either – there are loads of low-fat products available such as skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts and reduced-fat cheeses.

Switching to low-fat dairy products doesn’t mean you’ll get less calcium either. In fact, skimmed and semi-skimmed milks actually contain slightly more calcium than full-fat milk.

But best of all, research shows that low-fat dairy products can help us to lose weight thanks to the calcium they contain.

Diet Tips
If you want to lose weight, choose low-fat dairy products – aim for three servings each day such as a glass of skimmed milk, 1 small pot of low-fat yoghurt and a matchbox-sized piece of reduced-fat cheese.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #4

Diet Myth
"Diets don’t work"

Diet Facts
Ultimately, if you take in fewer calories than you need, your body starts to use up its fat stores to get the extra calories it needs to keep functioning properly. Over time, this will result in weight loss.

The key is to follow a moderately restricted diet rather than an extreme diet that bans favourite foods, only allows a limited number of foods or is so low in calories it leaves you feeling hungry.

You’ll be far more likely to ‘give up’ if you follow a diet that has too many restrictions and end up telling yourself that the ‘diet didn’t work’.

Diet Tips
Make sure you follow a well-balanced diet plan that enables you to include your favourite foods, and never try to lose more than 1-2lb a week. To lose 1lb of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume – it’s easy to shift 1lb in a week simply by reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories a day.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #3

Diet Myth
"People inherit being overweight"

Diet Facts
Scientists have been working hard to identify genes that have the potential to make us fat. And it does seem there may be a genetic link – but only in a small number of people.

As a result, most experts agree that while genes may have a part to play, they still don’t explain the recent rapid increase in obesity that’s been seen in the Western world. They believe that while we might inherit ‘fat’ genes from our parents, we also inherit their bad habits such as a poor diet and lack of exercise – and it’s these poor lifestyle habits that have a more important part to play in weight gain.

Diet Tips
Making lifestyle changes such as exercising more and eating a healthy diet will help everyone in the family shift those pounds – so get everyone involved rather than going it alone.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #2

Diet Myth
"Food eaten late at night stops you losing weight"

Diet Facts
Many people believe that eating in the evening makes the body store more fat because it is not burned off with activity. In reality though, it’s not eating in the evening that stops you losing weight.

In fact, it’s consuming too many calories throughout the day that will be your dieting downfall! Providing you eat less calories than you burn each day you’ll lose weight, regardless of when you consume those calories.

Diet Tips
Get into the habit of planning ahead and always make sure you have enough calories left for dinner and any snacks you want during the evening. The only thing that will stop you losing weight is if the calories in your evening meal added to the calories you've eaten during the day equal more than the calories you've burned during the day.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Myths, Facts and Tips #1

Diet Myth
"Potatoes, bread, pasta and rice are fattening"

Diet Facts
Foods high in carbohydrates have had a rough time in the past few years thanks to the success of low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet. But there’s actually no proof that carb-rich foods are more likely to make us gain weight than any other food.

Ultimately, it’s an excess of calories that makes us pile on the pounds – and it really doesn’t matter where those extra calories come from.

In fact, more often than not, it’s the fat we add to carbs that boosts the calorie content, such as butter on toast, creamy sauces with pasta and frying potatoes to make chips.

Diet Tips
Go for high-fibre carbs such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, jacket potatoes and wholewheat pasta. They contain more fibre than the ‘white’ varieties and so will help to fill you up. Don’t add too much extra fat to them though, for example, serve pasta with a tomato-based sauce and top jacket spuds with cottage cheese.

Article Source: weightlossresources.co.uk

Diet Tips

Here are some useful tips on dieting:

1) Don't ever skip breakfast. Eat something: a piece of toast, fruit, etc. Your body's metabolism rate slows down at night and does not speed up again until you eat something. If you wait until lunch to eat, that is 4 or more hours that your body is burning calories at a lower rate. Eat something soon after you get out of bed and your body will burn calories at a higher rate until lunch. Also, don't go more than about 5 hours during the day without eating. That causes you to eat more at meal time. Eat healthy, low-fat snacks in between meals is you are going to go more than 5 hours without a meal.

2) Right after eating a meal, especially dinner, go straight to the bathroom to brush, floss, and mouthwash so that your mouth is feeling nice and clean - this makes it less appealing to eat more (especially before bedtime)

3) If you get hungry you should chew gum. Some people just like to chew things. Chew gum while preparing meals or making lunch for the next day, to prevent you from nibbling food while it is right in front of you.

4) I have noticed that if you eat your meals away from the T.V. and other distracting places that you will enjoy your meal better and will take a little longer to eat the meal. Also drink at least 2 glasses of water or one glass of milk during your meal and you will feel fuller causing you to not go back for seconds.(note: i suggest water, if drinking milk make it skim milk)

5) Weight in pounds multipled by 15 will equal the number of calories per day to maintain that weight. 500 calories less per day will result in approx 1 lb weight loss per week; 750 calories = 1 1/2 lbs per week; 1000 calories = 2 lbs per week. Keep a daily diary of calorie intake. Fat, carbohydrates and protein will automaticly adjust themselves to stay within alloted calories per day.

6) Keep healthy foods handy like fruit or vegetables in the fridge. Eat only if hungry.

7) Keep a diary of your eating and your feelings, far away from the kitchen. Document everything that you eat before you eat it. Describe how you feel health wise as you progress. Describe how you feel when you cheat your self.

8) Soups are a great meal, they are filling, tasty, and healthy. *Soups may be a good and filling meal, but healthy is debatable. Just look at the amount of sodium in the most popular brands. Even the low sodium brands have more in them than most other types of meals (with half the taste).

9) Never starve yourself, especially before going out to eat (or you will binge). Never skip meals, you must have some kind of nourishment regularly or your body's starvation defenses will kick in,lower your metabolism, and store fat. Use nutritional meal replacements instead of skipping or eating very low calorie meals.

10) Don't think that just because you are eating low fat/low calorie foods that you can eat all that you want. The calories still add up and must be burned off regardless of what kind of food you eat. Balance is key.

Article Source: faddiet.com

Choosing A Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement -- Which Nutrition Insurance Plan Is Right For You?

By: Todd Sinett and Sheldon Sinett

A multivitamin/mineral is like a dietary insurance policy to ensure that even on the days you eat pretzels and a cookie for lunch, your body doesn’t miss out on vital nutrients. Multivitamins, like clothing, work best when the size is right. Women, men, and children have very different nutrient needs in terms of specific nutrients and the amounts of important nutrients. A specialized multivitamin/mineral supplement ensures that nutrient needs are met. Keep in mind, however, that a multivitamin/mineral supplement is meant to do just what its name implies, supplement – not replace – a healthful diet.

• Children need less in terms of amounts of vitamins and minerals (since they’re smaller), but the importance of proper nutrient levels is no less during childhood. Not only do height and weight increase at incredible rates during this time, but brain function and general coordination are quickly developing, as well. At a time of rapid and vital growth and development, but potentially inconsistent eating habits, a multivitamin/mineral that is specially formulated for children can help a child get all of the nutrients he or she needs – even the picky eaters. **Adolescents’ nutrient needs begin to change as they reach puberty -- right around the same time that busy schedules, peer pressure, and school lunches can wreak havoc on eating habits. Girls’ iron needs nearly double (from 8mg/day to 15mg/day) when menstruation begins. This is the time that they should begin taking an adult formula with iron. Calcium requirements increase for boys and girls starting between ages 9- to13- years of age, due to rapid growth and bone development. An additional calcium supplement is often needed, especially for teens that do not eat dairy products. Boys’ needs for more B vitamins, as well as larger quantities of most nutrients, make it appropriate for them to begin taking an adult formula at this time as well.

• Women of childbearing age have a particular need for iron, calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid in order to build and maintain strong bones, keep energy levels high, and maintain necessary nutrient stores should they become pregnant. Most multivitamin/minerals will not have 100% of calcium or vitamin D, so an additional supplement containing these nutrients is usually needed. A formula that provides 100% of the daily value of folic acid, a B vitamin, is extremely important in the prevention of certain birth defects, should a woman become pregnant. Sufficient iron is vital to ensuring that oxygen travels throughout the entire body (including the brain!), fighting fatigue, and keeping the metabolism revved up.

• Men have increased nutrient needs due to higher metabolic rates and a larger proportion of total body muscle mass. Overall, needs are higher for B vitamins like thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin and less iron than women do. The B vitamins work together to metabolize food and convert it to fuel for energy production, maintain sufficient levels of sex hormones, and remove toxins from the body. Meeting these increased nutrient needs helps to achieve optimal physical and mental health. Additionally, men can benefit from certain plant compounds, like lycopene, which have been shown to decrease the risk of prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among males.

• Adults over fifty have higher needs for vitamins B6, D, C, and calcium, and lower iron requirements. In addition, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing vitamin B12 from food. Vitamin B12 is a key nutrient in preventing anemia by maintaining a healthy number of red blood cells. It also keeps the nervous system (the control panel for your entire body) working properly. “Senior Formula” multivitamins account for these specific needs and are often enhanced with compounds like lutein and lycopene to support eye and prostate health. However, a regular adult multivitamin/mineral without iron will also meet basic needs. An additional calcium/vitamin D supplement is usually necessary in order to meet the increased needs of older adults.

**Postmenopausal women have increased needs for calcium related to hormonal changes, while iron needs are cut in half due to the ceasing of the menstrual cycle. A general adult multivitamin without iron, or a senior formula plus an additional calcium/vitamin D supplement, is recommended for women who have completed menopause.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Best Formula - Weight Loss Dietary Supplements that Help Lose Weight & Improve Your Health

By: Paul Newland

Image Source: OnlineEmploymentDaily.com

Simple inexpensive and long term weight loss is possible through good nutrition, weight loss dietary supplements such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids along with lifestyle changes and a healthy attitude to eating. In this article we’ll get you started on your weight loss program and get you healthy at the same time.

Obesity is now a major problem in the U.S., and most western countries. A staggering 50% of children and more than 35% of adults are obese and that means they are in a high risk category for the major diseases such as adult onset diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer – excellent reasons to lose weight.

Weight loss dietary supplements can help in the weight loss process but more importantly they work to keep your body healthy and reduce the risk of health problems.
To Lose Weight – Don’t Diet!

Over 90% of diets fail – even the good ones. Diets don’t work for a number of reasons:

• They restrict fat intake and leave you feeling hungry – fat has a number of important functions in the body and you are left feeling ‘full’ after eating it. Carbohydrates and low calories on the other hand leave you feeling hungry again after an hour.

• When you restrict calories you also restrict nutrition. If you lack essential nutrients you are more likely to satisfy your needs by going on eating binges, ‘the munchies’. A long term approach focuses on weight loss dietary supplements to meet your nutritional requirements and stop those 'snack attacks'.

• They are restrictive to your lifestyle.

Weight Loss That Works

Any weight loss program needs to be a long-term lifestyle commitment, supported by nutritional weight loss dietary supplements and an eating plan that will not restrict or compromise your lifestyle too much. Here are the main features:

• Eat larger meals at the beginning of the day and smaller meals in the evening

• Consume plenty of protein, green leafy vegetables and complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and whole grains

• Have high protein snacks between meals – such as chicken and cottage cheese etc. A protein shake with whey or soy is ideal when mixed with your favourite fruit

• Two servings of fresh fruit are ideal as desserts

• Drink plenty of fresh filtered water. Drinking more water will reduce the cravings and allow your liver to function more efficiently; this helps because one of the jobs of the liver is to convert fat into energy

At the same time you need to avoid:

• Caffeine – increases your loss of essential minerals and depletes your blood sugar; when this happens you get the munchies and consume the ‘wrong food’.

• Refined carbohydrates and sugar - (the ‘wrong food’) will be turned into fat very quickly; examples are white bread, white rice, pasta, sugar and sugary foods

• Soft drinks (and carbonated drinks) – high in sugar and raise your risk of osteoporosis, diabetes and a number of other diseases

• Fried food and margarine – the ‘bad fats’ which will increase your risk of a number of diseases

Weight Loss Dietary Supplements

• Start supplementing with weight loss dietary supplements including minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. This will keep you in excellent health, reduce the cravings for sweet or unhealthy snack foods while making sure you have the best nutrition available.

• Other weight loss dietary supplements include a high quality Whey Protein Powder - choose a good brand that contains plenty of vitamins, minerals and is low in sugar and carbohydrate.

• Supplements containing chromium can assist with the regulation of blood sugar and will assist with weight loss by improving the conversion of sugar into energy as opposed to fat.

Exercise, Attitude and Throw Away the Scales

Exercise and a healthy attitude are very important for your long term well being and weight control.

Any exercise is beneficial; the main thing is to make it enjoyable. Start out slowly and gradually develop a plan i.e. a training program. It may involve a walk on Monday; swim on Wednesday, golf on Friday and your favorite team sport on Saturday. Regular exercise lowers your risk of diseases, keeps you healthy and focused. The weight loss dietary supplements will help here by giving you more energy and excellent nutrition.

At the same time develop a health attitude – meaning that you should be aware of your program – particularly in the early days – write out your weight loss goals and visualize how you will look. An organized plan as well as persistence will work.

To measure your results, throw away the scales and use a tape measure around your neck, upper arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs and calves – once a week is fine.

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Article Source: EzineArticles.com