Tips For Choosing Supplements

Most people in the United States take one or more supplements either regularly or occasionally. Dietary supplements come in forms of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, herbal products, and many others. The preparation can be a tablets, capsules, soft gels, powders, and liquid. Because there are so many varieties out there, choosing the right kind of supplement may be challenging. Here are a few basic tips to consider before you decided to start consuming one.

Do some preliminary background check

Research the benefits and possible side effects of the particular compound you’re planning to take. Always consult a health care professional beforehand. Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not drugs and, therefore, are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. Do not believe whatever claims the manufacturer made before doing some research of your own. Some supplements promise to help make us thinner, smarter, stronger or faster without making any other changes in lifestyle. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Consider the effectiveness of the supplement

Find out how much you need to consume in order to bring out the health benefits for your body without risking the side effects. Many popular products include ingredients in miniscule quantities, just so a much-publicized ingredient can be listed on the label, or vice versa, they include a very high amount of a particular ingredient while in reality our body only needs a minuscule amount. A good, but not perfect guide is to look up the recommended daily allowances (RDA) of that product. However, keep in mind that a product’s chemical formulation and how it is prepared affect how our body is able to take in the ingredients. This is called bioavailability. A high-dosed product, but low bioavailability is not very effective.

Soft capsules generally have a better bioavailabilty than traditional tablets.

Be aware of safety and risk issues

The term ‘natural’ doesn't always mean safe. Many supplements contain active ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Always be alert to the possibility of unexpected side effects, especially when taking a new product. Dietary supplements can also interact with certain prescription drugs in ways that might cause problems. Watch out for other catch phrases like ‘clinically tested/proven’ and ‘pharmaceutical strength’. Unlike drugs, which must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed, dietary supplements do not require premarket review or approval by the FDA and the manufacturers do not have to provide any evidence about the claims they made before the product is marketed.

Look for quality assurance

Since the quality of nutritional supplements can vary widely, one strategy is to choose an established brand name, or one that's recommended by a health professional. Not every product uses high quality raw materials, or is manufactured according to accepted good manufacturing practices. Besides the FDA, several independent organizations like U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, and NSF International offer quality testing and allow products that pass these tests to display their seals of approval. These seals of approval provide assurance that the product was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants.

Healthy Computing Habit

If you're feeling aches and pain in your neck or lower back after working in front of the computer, you might want to review your computer habits. Following these simple suggestions for healthy computing might prevent you from developing serious medical problem caused by poor posture.

1. Take frequent breaks, at least 3 minutes every 30 minutes. Set a timer to remind if you tend to forget. During the break, preform a simple stretching exercise. For example, lean forward, hold your knees, and push your knees apart while keeping your hands on them or stand up and stretch your neck and shoulders while taking deep breaths from your abdomen.

2. Maintain good working posture. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the following are important points to consider while working at the computer workstation. So you might want to adjust your chair or working station to fulfill these:

Maintain good working posture.

• Hands, wrists and forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor.
• Head is level or bent slightly forward, forward facing, and balanced. Generally it is in-line with the torso.
• Shoulders are relaxed and upper arms hang normally at the side of the body.
• Elbows stay in close to the body and are bent between 90 and 120 degrees. You may want to adjust your forearm rest to achieve this position.
• Feet are fully supported by floor or footrest.
• Back is fully supported with appropriate lumbar support when sitting vertical or leaning back slightly.
• Thighs and hips are supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor.
• Knees are about the same height as the hips with the feet slightly forward.

3. If you get to choose between a desktop computer and a laptop, choose the desktop. Laptops and netbooks may seem appealing, but they generally don't provide an ergonomic environment. When using a laptop computer over long periods of time, attach it to a docking station or raise the height of your laptop screen to eye level and use an external keyboard and mouse.

4. Center your monitor and keyboard in front of you at arm's length. Your monitor should not be farther than 35 degrees to the left or right. Make sure the top of the screen is eye level when sitting up straight. The preferred distance between the eye and monitor is in the range of 20-40 inches (50-100 cm).

5. Alternate your mouse hands. You can use a symmetrical mouse to make left and right hand pointing more comfortable. Switching hands can be particularly helpful if your shoulder or neck pain happens only on one side.

6. Place frequently used devices such as the phone within your reach. Use a speaker phone or a headset for long conversations.

Tips to Improve Sleep Habits

Everyone suffers from sleepless night every now and then. A lot of factors contribute to sleep problems, but fortunately most of them are modifiable. Stress, uncomfortable surrounding, occupation, dietary habit, pollution, and lack of physical activity are common things that can prevent you from falling and/or maintaining a quality sleep. 


The following tips will help you optimize your sleep habit so you can wake up feeling refreshed and energized for the rest of day.

1.   Create comfortable sleep environment

An ideal room for sleeping is usually cool, dark and quiet. Make sure your bed is comfortable and there is enough room for you stretch and turn if you share your bed with another person.

Try not to use an alarm clock to wake you up.

2.   Keep a regular sleep schedule

Consistency is important. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, your sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) will become synchronized and it’s easier to sleep better this way. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Try not to use an alarm clock to wake you up. If you are sleep deprived, it may take longer for you to wake up naturally.

3.   Pay attention to your diet

Avoid too much coffee or smoking. These stimulants will make it hard for you to fall asleep. Stay away from alcohol as well, because even though it makes you fall asleep faster, it reduces the quality of your sleep. Don’t drink too much fluid around bedtime because it will wake you up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. Don’t eat too much either because a full stomach will keep you up until it finishes digesting the food.

4.   Stay active during the day

Regular physical activity will help you fall asleep faster and enjoy better sleep quality. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime, though. Avoid taking naps in the daytime if you can help it. If you can’t, limit them to 30 minutes at most in mid-afternoon.

5.   Try to regulate your circadian rhythm naturally

A light sensitive hormone called melatonin is produced by your brain to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. When it’s dark, melatonin levels increased, making you feel sleepy. On the contrary, when it’s bright, melatonin levels decreased making you feel awake. Getting enough sunlight in the daytime and avoid too much artificial light in the night will improve your sleep habit.

6.   Develop a bedtime ritual

Doing the same things each night before bed will help your body to relax and wind down, taking a hot bath, reading books, or listening to music for examples. Try not to include anything that requires you to look at an electronic screen like television, computer, or mobile phones.

7.   Deal with stress and anxiety

Easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. If you have a habit of worrying, try to evaluate your thoughts, sort the unrealistic ones out and replace them with productive ones. Even counting sheep is better than worrying. Stress management strategies like setting your personal limits, staying organized, and positive thinking will help you reduce the strain that’s keeping you from getting a good night sleep.  

Exercise For Older Adults and The Elderly

A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Below are some tips to manage exercise for older adults and the elderly.

Find an exercise plan that suits your condition.

Before starting, remember to consult your physician, especially if you have heart problem, bone and joint problem, or metabolic problems such as diabetes. You may need to have some medication adjustment if you are taking any.

Anyone who says elderly people don't need exercise can have a go at grandma.

Start and stop gradually.

Start and stop your exercise session gradually. Avoid doing sudden, intense sudden exercise. Try to prepare yourself with at least 10 minute warm-up before exercising and end your session with another 10 minutes cool down.

Know your limits.

Learn to take hints from your body. Shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or feeling shaky means you probably have overexerted yourself and it's time for a break.

Monitor your heart rate during exercise. In order for your body to reap the benefit of aerobic exercises, you will want to reach a target of 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is 220 subtracted by your age.

Combine different types of exercises

There are four main types of exercise and you need to do a little bit of each. Combining different types of exercise will reduce monotony and increase the overall benefit to your health.

• Cardio-endurance exercises like walking, swimming, hiking, cycling, and dancing improve the health of the heart and circulatory system  
• Strengthening exercises like weight lifting will build muscle tissue and prevent osteoporosis
• Flexibility like exercises stretching or bouncing  keep the body limber and increases your range of movement.
• Balance exercises like yoga and tai chi improve your posture and reduce the chances of a fall.

Stick to the plan.

Commit yourself to an exercise schedule for at least 3 or 4 weeks so that it becomes habit. Try to focus and keep yourself motivated towards your goals.

Beginners Guide to Stop Smoking

Not going to discuss about the negative effects of smoking in this entry. There's too many of them and you can look it up for yourself in the internet. Therefore, I will assume you already know that smoking is gravely injurious to your health. The number of deaths caused by smoking still exceeds the number of deaths caused by auto accidents, suicide, homicide, cocaine, and AIDS combined.

To learn how to stop smoking effectively, you need to know why is it so hard to stop. People get addicted because cigarettes contain nicotine which is a type of stimulant. People claim that it relaxes the nerves, keeps them awake and clear-headed, but clearly the negative effects outweighs these subjective properties.

You need to realize and admit that you have a problem. If you think you can just quit within a day or two, going down from several packs a day to zero in 24 hours, you're wrong. Nobody does that. It takes courage and strong will to even begin to have the commitment to quit. If you feel you can't do it yourself, don't hesitate to look for help either from friends and family or from healthcare professional.

The first step: establish a reason why you should quit.

It can be because you want to live a longer, healthier life. Or you want to do it for the sake of your newborn baby. In any case, list these reasons down and keep it in your quit smoking diary.

Second step: set up a reasonable dateline.

Reasonable meaning you need to realize how high is your degree of addiction. Generally, people who have smoked longer and in higher quantity takes longer to stop. I have to stop smoking within 6 months, for example. Do not set up a cut-down date. Aim to stop completely.

Third step: prepare yourselves for withdrawal.

Like any addiction, expect to experience symptoms like nausea, headaches, anxiety, craving, and even depression within the first two days from your last cigarette. These symptoms gradually ease over several weeks to one month. Nicotine replacement in forms of gum or patches will help you in fighting the withdrawal symptoms.

Fourth step: celebrate success daily.

Mark down your calendar for each day you stay smoke free. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and encourage you to go further.

Fifth step: find other ways to manage your stress.

Listen to music, spend time with friends and family, try yoga or meditation. Find an alternative other than smoking to manage your stress.

Have you had enough yet? You're halfway done.

Sixth step: eat enough and eat healthily.

Don't worry about the weight gain. It's normal to gain a few pounds when you're trying to quit smoking. It's a sign that your body is trying to recover itself to its former state. You will experience better taste and improved appetite.

Seventh step: do not seek other forms of addiction.

Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants. It's self explanatory. You don't want to move on from one form of addiction to another.

Eight step: don't give up, try again if you fail.

Relapse is very common and most people takes more than one try to quit entirely. If you slipped off somehow, set up a new dateline within the next month. In the mean time, look back and find the reason why you failed in the first place.

Ninth step: talk it out.

Tell your friends and family that you're quitting. If you're experiencing problems, let them know.

Final step: reward yourself.

Use up the money that you have saved from not buying cigarettes and reward yourself with something fun. Get a vacation trip, buy a new phone, watch your favorite sport live. Whatever floats your boat.

Foods to Lose Weight

A common misconception is that people believe simply cutting down the amount of food they eat per day or even skipping meals entirely will help them to lose weight quickly and effectively. Starving yourself is a bad idea. It will take toll on your overall health and it may even be counterproductive by causing cravings and slowing down your metabolism.

Research has shown a variety of foods, most of them you can get from your nearest grocery shops, can boost your metabolism, reduce sugar craving, fight off hunger, and eventually lose the pounds. Moreover, these foods are high in vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants to add up to their many benefit.

Below are several examples of these so called super foods.

1. Eggs
These are high in protein which will make you feel full longer and help regulate your blood sugar level. Eggs are best served hard boiled or scrambled without oil. If you're worried about cholesterol, separate the yellow and only eat the whites.

2. Apples
Every heard 'an apple a day keeps the doctors away'? Apples are rich in fiber and these support healthy digestive system required for weight loss.

3. Cinnamon
This spice is more than just smelling nice, it also helps you to control your insulin and fight off hunger.

4. Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil helps you burn more calories by boosting your metabolism. Add a teaspoon to your salad dressing, milk, or oatmeal.

5. Soup and Salad
Having tomato soup or fruit and vegetable salad as your appetizer will make you eat less calories. They're high fiber with higher vitamin contents, especially in salads compared to overcooked foods.

You can get most of them from the nearest grocery shops.

6. Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are especially good for your body. It's true that they're high in calories, but these nuts are high in omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin B. All of which are important for regulating metabolism.

7. Green Tea
Green tea is high in the antioxidant cathecins which helps you burn fat faster. It's not the caffeine that helps you lose weight.

8. Chili Pepper
Besides their invigorating taste, chili contains capsaicin that will increase your metabolism. Sprinkle sme red pepper into your omelet or scrambled eggs.

9. Cereal
Like fruits and vegetables, they're high in fiber and will make you feel full longer. Best eaten for breakfast.

10. Lean beef
Eat these for dinner. Again the key is to consume enough protein. The amino acid leucine in lean beef will make you lose more fat, but less muscle mass.

10 Simple Ways to Reduce Wrinkles

There are cheaper and more practical ways than applying expensive night creams to help keep the lines off your your features. Here's how:

1. Lay on your back when you're sleeping. Laying on your side causes wrinkles on your cheeks and chin, while facing down gives you a furrowed brow.
2. Avoid repeating the same facial expressions or maintaining it for long periods of time. Forcing your facial muscles to overwork forms grooves which eventually become wrinkles. Wear reading glasses to prevent you from squinting or sunglasses to avoid glares.

   

   wear reading glasses to avoid squinting

3. Don't wash your face too often. If you do this, you wash away the natural oils and takes away moisture that protect against wrinkles.
4. Drink enough water. Hydration is important to maintain healthy skin.
5. Eat more fish, especially salmon. Cold water fish contains high level of omega 3 fatty acid that will nourish and keep your skin to look and feel younger.

6. 

   drink enough water

   Eat or apply soy. Soy may help protect or even heal your skin from some of the sun's photoaging damage.
7. Drink cocoa. Epicatchin and catechin in cocoa protects your skin from sun damage, improve circulation and make the skin look and feel smoother.
8. Get enough sleep. When you are sleep-deprived, the body produces more cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells.
9. AHA, retinoids, vitamin C. Most of these antioxidants can be found in fruit. Applying them topically in form of mask will help reduce those fine lines.
10. Don't smoke. Avoid second-hand smoking as well. Cigarette smoke breaks down skin collagen and elastin. Your skin will be thinner and more fragile.

A Small List of Easy Exercises

Continuing from my last post about easy and enjoyable exercise, here are some examples of the easy exercises that will keep you healthy on the long run. Or if you're looking forward to weight loss, these are the the most healthy ways to do it. So, get up and leave your cozy couches behind to try these out:

1. House-cleaning

Why is it on top of the list? Because other than burning the calories, you'll have your home neat and tidy in no time. Mop the floor, vacuum the dust, move that stack of useless junk elsewhere. You can lose over 200 calories per hour if you put your back on it. 

Don't underestimate house-cleaning. Lose up to 200 calories per hour just by mopping the floor!

2. Aerobics

This type of exercise primarily targets the hip, bum and legs which most women want to tone up. It's also good for your cardiovascular health. Make sure you do it regularly. Just fifteen minutes of aerobics will take 200 calories off you.

3. Walking

This one is probably the easiest one to do and you may not realized that you're actually burning carbs while doing it. Make a few rounds in your house or go out to get some fresh air in the park. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you take the bus, get down a few stops earlier and walk rest of the distance. To get the most out of walking, try to walk faster than a stroll. However, even walking as slow as 2.5 Mph for an hour will burn off 200 calories.

4. Swimming

Another fun way to burn the calories. Swimming makes good work of most muscle groups in your body. If you increase the pace, you’ll get a good aerobic exercise with less strains on your joints. It's especially helpful if you have back or knee pain, but want to find ways to stay physically active. Going back and forth the length of the pool for half an hour burn around 400 calories.

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Other articles in exercise:

• In the year 2008 physical inactivity was responsible for the deaths of 5.3 million. These deaths could be avoided if only people would take 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise weekly. Read more about physical inactivity and the problems it brings
• Ever find yourself in need of a push to get you up in the morning and do some physical exercise? Read more about how to make exercise easy and enjoyable
• A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Read more about exercise for older adults and the elderly
  

Positive Thinking v.s Positive Action

Is positive thinking going to make any difference?

Positive thinking has long been discovered as an important step in achieving healthier life. Have anyone ever asked you the classic question whether your glass is half-empty or half-full? The answer to this question reflects your general outlook in life, whether you have an optimistic or pessimistic point of view.

turn positive thinking into action

A lot of studies had shown show that your mind affects your general health and well-being. Positive thinking plays an important role, especially in stress management. It translates into a state of mental well-being, which in turn is associated with a lot of health benefits, especially in reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases. However, positive thinking may also have a negative effect in a way that all we do is think with no actual effort taken to change things in reality.

In one study conducted at the University of California, students were asked to spend a few moments each day visualizing themselves getting good marks in an upcoming exam. The daydreaming, even though it lasted only for a few minutes, caused the students to study less, and consequently scored lower marks. Because they set up higher expectations, some of those who failed the exam were placed under heavier burden of guilt and regret.

So, what do you do? Turn your positive thinking into positive action.

Let's face it, no action yields no results. In fact, too much positive thinking will backfired at you if the results turn out to be far from your expectations. Positive thinking does not change the reality you face, but it changes the way you approach your everyday problems. It gives you the edge to anticipate things and that boost of can-do attitude you'll need to get things done.

Here's a little exercise of turning positive thinking into positive action. First of all, do a self-talk using affirmative sentences in present tense. In this example, we'll use: "I can get up early in the morning everyday to exercise." Repeat this a few times before you go to sleep. Don't forget to set up your alarm clock. When it rings tomorrow, make sure you don't turn it off and go back to sleep!

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Other articles in stress management and mental health:

• Stress is part of a normal psychological and physical reaction to the ever increasing demands of life. It's a way to prepare our body with fight or flight response against challenges. Read more about stress management and healthy coping strategies
• A well known concept in stress management is the four 'A's: avoid, alter, adapt, and accept. Read more about practical tips to manage stress
• Normal grief or sadness last only for a short while and rarely interferes with your daily functions. Depression, however, is a serious condition. Read more about the difference between normal sadness and depression