Women articles online

By: Zachary Thompson

What are food supplements and why do we need them? Food supplements are medicines we take to enhance our diets. They come in various shapes and sizes and a wide range of natural and synthetic elements.

At first glance it may seem that with all the processing and food technology our food goes through we really should not need these food supplements, as our food arrives to our tables looking so picture perfect. However when we look deeper we see a very different story.

Have you ever walked into your local grocery store and looked at the wonderful display of fruits and vegetables. The fruit is piled in beautiful pyramids and looks so good that you just cannot resist taking some home to eat.

The beautiful looking fruits we see in the stores with their shiny exteriors and inviting appearance are not what they seem. The shiny look is not the natural bloom of a healthy looking fruit it is merely wax. Why would our fruits be dipped in wax? The first reason is to preserve it in the long journey from the farm to the grocery store, and secondly to fool consumers into thinking that the fruit is better than it is by its glossy appearance.

When we dig even deeper into our piece of fruit we discover that nutrition wise it is not what it should be. From its very birth it has been subjected to artificial fertilizers and pesticides that have depleted its nutrient worth. Added to this it has been picked when it is unripe before it has had chance to produce the natural nutrients that should be present within it. Therefore the fruit we are so impressed with on the outside tells a very different story within.

It is not just the fruits in the store it is all the food that we buy and consume. When examined it will all tell the same sad story, things are not what they appear to be. This is why to preserve our health food supplements are necessary.

One of the most important classes of nutrients that should be found in natural foods like fruits and vegetables are Glyconutrients. They are a collection of 8 essential saccarides. They are:

• Mannose
• Glucose
• Galactose
• Xylose
• Fuctos (not fructose)
• N-acetylglucosamine
• N-acetylneuramic acid
• N-acetylgalactosamine

These Glyconutrients used to be found in many fruits and vegetables but due to the above mentioned facts are now found in lesser quantities. Therefore food supplements have been developed containing these nutrients. One of the best known is Ambrotose, originally derived from the Aloe Vera plant.

This supplement helps your body heal itself by strengthening the immune system. It also helps the body by aiding and healing the digestive system. Glyconutrients play a vital part in helping your body function well and maintaining your health. Many of the underlying health problems we face today are due to the lack of Glyconutrients. Taking these supplements will help you live a healthier life and enjoy life to the fullest.

Note: Glyconutrients are not intended to heal, treat, or cure any disease.

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By: Zachary Thompson

From ancient times people have been taking nutritional supplements. They started with natural herbs often home grown which were usually brewed into teas and tonics.

Now they have become more sophisticated and are available in all sorts of pills, capsules, liquids and of course teas of all sorts.

What are nutritional supplements? Nutritional supplements are used to add nutrients to our diets that are missing or not taken in large enough quantities. They are available in pills capsules, liquids and teas. They can be synthetic or from natural sources. They will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Herbs
• Amino acids
• Saccharides

Why do we need nutritional supplements? These supplements are not intended to replace meals but enhance our diets. There are several reasons that we would be taking them:

• Environment: our environment has deteriorated over the years and we are now getting more toxins from the air, the water and even in the foods we eat, than ever before. Our bodies have to work more to protect and rid ourselves of these unwanted substances. Therefore it is wise for us to take nutritional supplements to help our bodies to do this.

• Stress: Stress will cause your body to function less efficiently. This will put your body at risk for a number of things, especially low resistance for disease. Supplements, especially Glyconutrients will help your bodies immune system get stronger and also help your body function better.

• Poor eating habits: Due to busy lifestyles, our ways of growing food and green harvests we are not getting the important nutrients our bodies need to keep us in good health. We often do not even stop to eat proper meals. This makes it necessary for us to take supplements to enhance our diets and add important nutrients to our diets.

• Athletic activities: when we take more exercise then normal our bodies need more nourishment. A professional athlete or even someone doing extra work outs needs more nutrition. Dietary supplements would include, Proteins, minerals, vitamins and saccharides (Glyconutrients).

• Part of a weight loss plan: when you go on a diet to lose weight you will be eating less and running the risk of not getting enough of the essential nutrients in your diet that your body needs. Therefore you would often be taking some nutritional supplements. Some of these substances even claim to help you to lose weight.

How do they improve your health? Different supplements will help you in different ways.

Glyconutrients: The latest nutritional supplements to come on the market are the saccharides. These are known as Glyconutrients. There are 8 of these essential nutrients:

• Mannose
• Glucose
• Galactose
• Xylose
• Fucose (not fructose)
• N-acetylglucosamine
• N-acetylneuramic acid
• N-acetylgalactosamine

These nutrients have only lately been researched with a technology known as Glycobiology. These nutrients have been shown to be vital to our health especially regarding our immune system and the ability of the body to heal itself.

Ambrotose: is a supplement made up of these Glyconutrients. Taking these supplements will help you to feel healthier and enjoy your life to the fullest.

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By: Ryan Cote

Adding fats to your diet is essential if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great, but it has to be the right kind of fats. Essential fatty acids fall within this category and are a crucially important addition to anyone’s diet.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA (which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The best source of DHA and EPA are fish, especially salmon, seaweed, shellfish and algae. Furthermore, you can also get omega-3’s from unrefined whole grains, dark & leafy greens and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which your body then converts to EPA and DHA.

Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3’s from seafood because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA to EPA and much less to DHA.

What do you do if you don’t like, and absolutely refuse to eat, seafood? Well, fortunately you can get omega-3’s in capsule form. Not everyone’s stomach can handle these capsules, but try them out for one month. It’s an extremely convenient way to add omega-3’s to your diet.

When purchasing omega-3’s in pill form, you’ll notice some products also contain the other two components of essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain only high amounts of omega-3’s. Most people already get high amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it’s this lack of omega-3’s that is potentially the culprit behind many health problems today.

When adding omega-3’s to your diet through pills, look for 1,000 mg pills and take 3-9 per day with food depending on your current health status and healthy living goals. Your physician should be able to consult with you about this.

So now you have a good introduction into omega-3 fatty acids and the different ways to add them to your diet, but what are the health benefits associated with them?

Plenty! Here’s a quick list and you can also easily do some research by searching for “benefits of omega-3″ in your favorite search engine.

- stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin levels
- boosts your immune system
- encourages your body to burn fat and decreases appetite
- improves your mood and attention span
- reduce inflammation
- improve your skin tone and radiance

If the above doesn’t get you excited about this proven, inexpensive and easy-to-get fatty acid supplement, then check your pulse!

It’s an addition to your diet that will help improve your health by leaps and bounds.

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By: Barney Garcia

Incense can be defined as an aromatic substance which is obtained from certain resinous trees and largely used for religious worship. The word is also used to signify the smoke or perfume arising from incense when burned.

You can buy incense practically anywhere for cheap and it is a wonderful way to scent your house. The different flavors can also be used to enhance certain moods, or treat different problems.

Restless sleep: If you are experiencing restless sleep or nightmares, try burning a sandalwood, frankincense, night queen or lavender flavored incense before bed.

Stress: try burning patchouli or lavender scented incense if you are dealing with a stressful situation, or there is a stressful mood in your household. These two flavors work on anger, anxiety, stress, depression, grief, negative attitudes, exhaustion, insomnia, moodiness, phobias, and emotional healing.

Loving mood: To enhance a warm, loving mood, especially at family gatherings, try burning Nag Champa incense. This flavor is also very good at eliminating bad odors because it is so sweet.

Grounding yourself: If you’re feeling indecisive, unsure or have a large task to do which you just can’t face, then Nag Champa, sandalwood, patchouli can all help a great deal.

Afternoon lifts: After lunch, when you are feeling sluggish and tired, instead of reaching for a coffee, try burning either of these scents to lift your mood and energy levels. Amber, night queen and frankincense.

Inspiration: Incense can be a wonderful way to inspire and give hope to people. Try burning strawberry, blue lotus, sweet musk or opium flavors.

Meditation: to help enhance your ability to meditate or concentrate try burning jasmine flavored incense which also has the ability to provide confidence, creativity, happiness, reflection and self-awareness.

Love: to bring love into your home, or enhance a romantic mood, try burning Rose, Musk, Lavender, Jasmine, Vanilla, Thyme or Cinnamon flavored incense.

Money: to promote a good money making aura in your home, try burning Cinnamon, Honeysuckle, Allspice, Clove, Sage, Pine, Ginger or Basil incense.

Protection: To protect yourself, your family and your house from evil spirits, evil aura’s or to protect a loved one from disease, burn Sandalwood, Sage, Frankincense, Anise, Cinquefoil, Hyssop or lilac incense.

As you can see there are many uses for incense. If you just enjoy the scent they produce or you are trying to enhance a certain mood in your home, incense has a use for everything. These are some of the uses for the different flavors of incense, but keep experimenting with your own scents and see what wondering effects you can produce!

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By: Mitch Johnson

You may not know what malic acid is, which is okay because many people don’t exactly know what it is anyway. It is an organic acid that helps the process of deriving ATP. That is the energy currency that runs the body from food. Basically malic acid helps in the production of energy.

Malic acid can also be called fruit acid, because it is found in apples and other fruits. But Malic acid is also found in some plants and animals including humans. I won’t get into too many details as it can be confusing, but the acid is a chiral molecule. Some people also refer to malic acid as apple acid, hydroxybutanedioic acid and hydroxysuccinic acid.

The acid if absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. This is then transported to the liver. Again I won’t go into details as it is pretty complex. Malic acid is derived both from food sources and synthesized in the body through the citric acid cycle. As I have stated before, the importance of Malic acid is for the production of energy in the body, which is really all you need to know. Other benefits from the supplement are helping respiratory problems and chronic fatigue.

Many people in the medical industry think that Malic acid can have benefits when you use it in connection with fibromylagia. The only problem is that the results for the studies have been mixed. They will probably need more time to have 100% proof of the benefits connected to fibromylagia. But that doesn’t have to stop you from taking Malic acid supplements.

We already know that Malic acid is a good way to boost your energy. If you find you are always tiered try out Malic acid supplements and see if they will help you. They can give you the boost you need to get threw the day.

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By: Myra Johnson

Can you imagine that calcium supplements can do a lot for our health? Well some people choose not to believe this fact, but it can be beneficial to you. The calcium supplements don’t only help in giving strong teeth and bones. Ever heard of coral calcium? Me neither, but apparently it can help quite a bit in preventing many diseases like osteoporosis. Of course be careful not to exceed the recommended dosage as to much of something can be very harmful. That is the main thing when taking supplements, be sure to take the recommended dosage I can’t say that enough.

You have many different choices when you take the calcium supplement. Before there we did not have the luxury of all of these choices. The supplements come in sachets, as powder, as liquid aside from your traditional capsules and pills. That fact can cater to those who have their particular preferences, so there’s no excuse here! There is something for everyone.

Though, you will get more of the benefits if you consume the supplement in liquid form. Of course like any other supplement. So think about that before you decide what form of the supplement to get. Still powders, sachets of tea and capsules are more convenient in our daily life’s to take. You will still get some of the benefits of the coral calcium supplement either way. But if you have the time and want to take the liquid form go ahead; it would be even better for you.

It’s great that scientist and manufactures have come up with better ways for us to stay healthy and making sure we get the right nutrients that we need. So take advantage of this, it can improve you health and prevent diseases at the same time. What’s so bad about that?

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By: Sarah Chisty

When a woman id pregnant it is good for them to have all the nutrients they need during pregnancy. You should discuss it with your doctor about prenatal supplements. So you know which to take and which to avoid. You should only take the supplements if you have talked to a medical professional. Because there are some supplements that prove to be harmful to the pregnancy, so you should really be cautious.

Most adults do not need more vitamins in their diet, as they have a well balanced diet. But sometimes pregnant woman don’t always get all the nutrients they need. But they must be very careful not to take anything that can be harmful.

They should really be cautious about vitamin A. But if they do need vitamin A, they should look for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Prenatal vitamin supplements that contain vitamin A from animals can cause birth defects. If you take them in high doses during their pregnancy, so it is much safer to get beta-carotene in fruits and vegetable and it will not be toxic in high doses.

It would be a good idea for pregnant women to discuss prenatal vitamin supplements with their health practitioner at their prenatal check-up. The practitioner can examine their current dietary requirements and see if the supplements are required.

Many times a doctor will recommend folic acid vitamin supplements in the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. Also folic acid is prescribed the months prior to becoming pregnant. This will help the baby’s brain functions.

Although prenatal supplements can be helpful during a woman’s pregnancy, it can also be harmful. Be sure to talk to a doctor before starting any prenatal supplement. The most important thing is you and your baby’s health.

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By: Keith George

During the last years the vital importance of vitamin B12 and folacin for our health has become more obvious. Perhaps you have heard that folacin is important during pregnancy. Deficiency can cause severe damages to the fetus. In the USA and other countries one has added synthetic folacin to prevent damages to the fetus.

Also B12 is of importance as both vitamins are interacting to have an effect. Both vitamins have great importance even in other cases. The risk of developing dementia are for example bigger if you suffer from a deficiency of one of these vitamins.

Vitamin B12 and folacin are important for every cell of the body. B12 and folacin interact in vital functions of all cells. For example they are necessary for the cells to divide and grow in a normal way. That is why they are of great importance for the growing foetus.

The first symptoms of deficiency can also come from the cells that divide too fast, for example blood cells and the cells of mucous membrane. The symptoms will result in a type of anemia often combined with a read tongue and shear mucous membranes in the mouth.

Both vitamins are also necessary for the nerve system to function well, for the nerve cells and for the signal substances that transmit the nerve impulses. If not treated this kind of deficiency can cause permanent damages of the nerves.

A deficiency may occur as a result of an inability to absorb B12 from food and in strict vegetarians who do not consume any animal foods. As a general rule, most individuals who develop a vitamin B12 deficiency have an underlying stomach or intestinal disorder that limits the absorption of vitamin B12. Sometimes the only symptom of these intestinal disorder is subtly reduced cognitive function resulting from early B12 deficiency. Anemia and dementia follow later.

Characteristic signs, symptoms and health problems associated with B12 deficiency include anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Deficiency can also lead to neurological changes such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Additional symptoms of B12 deficiency are difficulty in maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory and soreness of the mouth or tongue.

Many of these symptoms are very general and can result from a variety of medical conditions other than vitamin B12 deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate these symptoms so that appropriate medical care can be given.

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By: Kenny Worthing

Vitamins are a huge part of our society. Although many vitamins help the body reach and maintain optimal health, one of the most beneficial vitamins is B complex. Comprised of a group of vitamins to include vitamin B1 or Thiamine, B2, which is the same as Riboflavin, B3 or Niacin, B5 or Panthothenic Acid, B6, which is Pyridoxine, B7 or Biotin, B12 or Cobalamin, and folic acid, PABA, Inositol, and Choline. Due to the rich nutrients that come from vitamin B complex, every cell of the body, especially the nerve cells receive benefit.

Unfortunately, a deficiency in B vitamins can cause muscle weakness and edema. Although a number of people live with a vitamin deficiency, the worst are folic acids, which are needed to help improve mood while fighting neural tube defects in unborn children, which is why vitamin B complex is so important for pregnant women. In addition, deficiency in vitamins B6 or B12 results in depressed mood and fatigue.

Keep in mind that with B vitamins, they are not stored well in the body. Then, if you consume caffeine or alcohol, these vitamins tend to become depleted quickly. However, there are other important benefits found in B vitamins such as healthy skin, strong, shiny hair, stronger muscle and bones, and healthy mucosal membranes, especially those found around the mouth. Vitamin B complex also improves intestinal health and bowel function, boosts mood, decreases irritability, helps with insomnia, promotes better sleep, improves liver and brain cell function, and can reduces PMS symptoms.

Although vitamin B complex is found in foods we eat, most are lost during the cooking process. Therefore, if you want to get those most out of your vitamins, we recommend you take a supplement of 50 mg in B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, Choline, PABA, and Inositol. In addition, adding 400 mcg of folic acid would be highly beneficial to your overall health and wellness. Remember, your body needs the right type of vitamins so you can function optimally, as well as live a long life. By eating a well balanced diet rich in vitamins and supplements, you will feel better.

Some of the foods you can add to your diet for the B vitamins include leafy green vegetables, fish and seafood, whole grains, poultry and other meats, dairy products, eggs, citrus, specifically oranges, and beans and peas. Since B vitamins make red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, these are crucial.

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By: Jack Smith

Body building requires alot of work dedication and of course a good idea of health and nutrition. One major aspect of body building includes diet and nutrition. Making sure the body has all the required amno acids, enzymes, proteins, carbs, minerals, vitamins and nutrients can be stressful and sometimes impossible in todays busy life style.

Finding time to work out is hard enough for most people. Eating right sometimes gets neglected by some people which leads to more harm then good when working out. Our body requires alot of nutrients to build big muscles. On average a person who wants to gain muscle mass has to eat his wieght in grams of protein a day. along with some 4000 carbs to keep the body fueled for maximum body efficiency. Take into consideration that the average male is 165 pounds and a serving of chicken the size of your palm is about 20 grams of protein, a person would have to eat around 6 chicken breast a day atleast to ensure good results. A bowl of pasta can contain a few hundred carbs. Eating 10 bowls of pasta a day can be difficult for some people. These facts are all in retrospect to the fact that every body is different. But as you can see finding time for a proper diet can be hard.

Working muscles require carbs for fuel, and teared muscles require protein to re-build. While other nutrients help circulate blood increase oxygen concentration in muscles and increase the overall efficiency of the muscles. Body builders have very strict diets that regulate almost every meal they have so that they have maximum results. Vitamins are a very important for healthy living and are often over-looked. Some vitamins are hard to acquire in a daily diet and a supplement is the only logical solution. Although supplements do not have all the other nutrients that healthy food might, they wcan compensate for some slack in your modern diet.

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