Healthy World

Obese Mothers make Obese kids!

A study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that the doctors start giving attention to the children of overweight parents very early- by the age of 4 at the latest. “We found dramatic increase in body fat between ages three and six”, said Dr Robert Berkowitz, who led the study. He was also quoted saying ” We should be doing prevention and treatment programs at a much earlier age. Everyone knows how difficult it is to take weight off once you are overweight.” As per the US researchers, children of overweight mothers are 15 times more likely to be obese by the age of 6 than the children of lean mothers.

His team is now working on the eating and exercise habits of the families they studied but said genes undoubtly play an important role as per other studies which cant be ignored and the biggest evidence is the dramatic spike in weight between ages 3 and 6.” this suggests that some genes controlling body weight may become active during this period”, added Berkowitz. According to his study, one-third of the children of over-weight women gained weight quickly after turning 3. Of the 37 children of healthy weight women, only one became overweight. Now, all those overweight women, you have one great reason to lose weight and be healthy!

Berkowitz said certain children must carry a combination of genes that make them much more vulnerable to what he calls the ‘toxic’ western environment, where it is difficult to exercise and food abounds. He doesn’t blame diet to be the only factor for obesity. “It doesn’t appear to be the factor entirely because we know there are plenty of lean people who eat hamburgers.”, he said. ” The lean group stays lean but this high risk group really takes off.”

Results and studies at US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says 15% of U.S. children are overweight and more than 60% of adults are overweight or obese.

Source: EzineArticles.com/18948

Do Natural Hair Loss Remedies Have Any Real Relevance?

The effectiveness of modern hair loss treatments is clear for all to see, but many people simply prefer not to use strong chemicals or non-natural substances.
If you fall into this category, does this mean you’ll just have to accept an ever-decreasing head of hair? The answer to this is an unequivocal NO!
Many natural hair loss remedies, both traditional and contemporary, have shown their worth in reducing and reversing hair loss. They are also perceived as being free from side effects and even deliver additional health benefits.
Why then, don’t we hear a lot more about these natural hair loss remedies? Simply because claims of cures cannot be made without FDA approval, and obtaining the FDA seal of approval involves lengthy and expensive scientific research that only major companies can afford. Even the biggest companies could not recoup the costs of such a process as no-one can control the rights to common natural substances such as basic foods and vitamins.
The big question however is, do natural hair loss remedies work?

Firstly, hair growth at root level is a living part of the body that depends on sound nutrition, just like any other part of the body. The importance of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional elements in maintaining healthy hair cannot be disputed.
Secondly, the role of herbs and plants in treating numerous ailments is receiving increased recognition after years of neglect, and hair loss is no exception. Many herbal remedies for both internal and external use are offering new hope to people suffering from premature hair loss.
Thirdly, traditional hair loss remedies may still have something to offer. Ancient literature and folklore reveal that our ancestors went to great lengths to treat thinning hair. Some of the more acceptable traditional approaches are now being incorporated into many potential treatment regimes.

Source: EzineArticles.com/4083

For those of you who are looking for information about: Coping With Male Pattern Baldness, The three things above can be a reference and input how to deal with hair loss male.

3 Surefire Ways to Cure Insomnia While Sleeping Less!

Seems like you never get enough rest even after sleeping
long hours? You would know part of the reasons for this
fatigue, as you suffer from insomnia. But the other part on
waking up tired even after a good long sleep eludes you.

A good example of how insomnia wreck havoc in a person live
can be found my friend, Darren. Suffering from insomnia, he
finds it very difficult to concentrate and stay awake during
the day. This leads to a couple of failed relationship and
lost opportunities for promotion, because his tiredness is
seen as insincerity and no interest.

Highlighted above shows the mild effects of insomnia, the
tragic ones with many lives lost would be traffic accidents
where the drivers doze off.

Okay, now we succeeded in making you sit up and realized
that sleep disorder can disrupt your life, here’s 3 surefire
ways to sleep once your head touches the pillow: –

Following a routine:

Following a routine would assist us to sleep better because
of our sleep cycle. 1 sleep-cycle contains 4 stages of sleep
with the last stage being the REM rapid eye movement sleep,
which is the easiest to wake up.

Getting up before or after REM sleep would make you very
drowsy and not rested. The former happens because you have
not completed 1 cycle, the latter because of the halting of
a new cycle. Therefore, from this experiment with your
waking time, you would know what time you are the most alert
and that would be the end of your REM.

And by the way, to get good sleep, you would need at least 1
cycle, which range between 5-6 hours depending on
individuals. So, to get quality sleep and to feel energetic
for the entire day, you do not need more sleep but waking at
the right time (6 hours versus the recommended 8 hours).

Sleeping Environment:

Now, not all of us would enjoy the ‘correct’ sleep cycle. If
you suffer from insomnia, chances are, you might have a
disrupted cycle. So, we need to ‘persuade’ your sleep-cycle
on when is the right time to sleep and wake.

To do that we need to lowered our body temperature. Low
temperature makes one drowsy while high temperature makes
one alert.

Creating an environment would give the body the low
temperature (drowsy), sleep experts say that the ideal room
temperature is 65 to 70 degrees F. This would give your body
the low temperature to fall asleep.

To make sleep even more effective, we should encourage the
production of a chemical known as melatonin, which induces
sleep.

A darkened room (darkness) would release melatonin. These
two prong approach would slowly conditioned your body to
feel drowsy for you to begin your sleep-cycle

Exercise:

To even better your sleep-cycle, you need to exercise, and
preferably in the daytime under the sun. Exercising under
the sun contributes to raising your body temperature.

As a rule of thumb, if you maintain a high body temperature
through the day, as night approaches, your body temperature
would drop and you would fall asleep easily (that’s assuming
that you want to sleep at night).

Go ahead and learn more about sleep disorder and quality
sleep. Without reading this article, would you have known
that sleeping more does not mean better rest or feeling more
energetic? So, to effectively cure your insomnia and get
more quality sleep, try to see insomnia as your enemy,
something you need to know more in order to defeat it.

“Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you can win every
battles”

Source: EzineArticles.com/6724

Prevent Foot Problems When Walking

Americans are on the go. According to a NSGA Survey, 71 million American adults are exercise walkers, making walking the top sport in the United States. Taking steps daily to improve health will help with America’s obesity epidemic. Sixty five percent of Americans are overweight, which is linked to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and some types of cancer. Walking an extra 2000 steps a day is equivalent to walking a distance of 1 mile and to burning 100 calories. Burning an extra 100 calories a day is equivalent to losing about 10 pounds in a year.

The American Podiatric Medical Association teamed with Prevention Magazine to name the “12 Best Walking Cities in the U.S.” The cities were examined based on their crime rate, air quality, mass transit, historic sites, museums, parks and gyms. The top 12 cities were San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Washington, DC, San Antonio, El Paso, St. Louis, Madison, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey.

National campaigns, health practitioners and even major corporations are encouraging Americans to walk more. Unfortunately, many sedentary individuals who start walking programs quickly develop foot problems. Almost sixty million Americans have foot problems and many develop them after beginning a new exercise routine. A foot injury can take weeks, even months to heal and many will gain more weight during this healing period. Preventing these problems through education will keep Americans walking.

Buy a shoe made for walking. Make sure the shoe has enough stability and support. If you can fold the shoe in half, it is too flexible. Make sure the shoe has enough room at the toes and is fitted well at the heel.
Start on flat surfaces. Do not start a walking program walking on hills or stairs.
Start with a short distance. Stick with that distance for a week. If you are pain free and injury free, increase the distance the following week.
Start with an easy pace. Increase your pace gradually.
Choose soft surfaces. Walking on a track or a trail will decrease the impact on your feet and legs. Cement can be a particularly hard surface to walk on.
Limit your time on the treadmill. Treadmills can contribute to the development of foot problems. Start with the treadmill flat and at a slow pace. Slowly increase your pace each week. Increase the incline after you have reached a comfortable pace.
Stop if you feel foot or ankle pain. Don’t try to walk through the pain.
Examine your feet. Look areas of rub or irritation the first few weeks of your walking program and then again after trying new shoes or socks. Moleskin can be placed on areas of irritation to help decrease friction. Do not use bandaids on these areas.
Consider wearing orthotics. Individuals with flat feet may need inserts for their shoes. When buying inserts, look for sport othotics, as opposed to cushioned insoles. A more rigid insert will offer more support. Custom orthotics can be made by a podiatrist if necessary.
Avoid cotton socks. Synthetic socks decrease friction, prevent excess rubbing and don’t absorb moisture. Your local running store or sports store should carry a variety of new high-tech socks for walking.

Consult your podiatrist if you start to develop pain when walking, or consider a visit before embarking on your new walking program.

Source: EzineArticles.com/5921

Create Your Own Fitness Center with Home Exercise Equipment!

If joining a fitness center is not for you, and you’re not the outdoors-y type, home exercise equipment is a smart choice for staying fit. Before you buy, you should do your homework in order to prevent your new exercise machine from becoming an over-sized clothes hanger.

Before you spend your money, first consider your current exercise routine (if any). Variety in an exercise plan tends to keep you from getting bored and provides a good route to overall fitness. With this in mind, consider a fitness machine that provides a different type of benefit to what you are already doing or plan to do.

For example, if you walk 3 times a week, you may want to consider home exercise equipment that offers resistance training, such as a home gym.

Be wary of “fad” equipment and always check for a warranty. Anything that sounds too good to be true, usually is. You want to try to find home exercise equipment that works your whole body or major portions of your body for the best results.

Decide where your home exercise equipment will be located in your home and take measurements. You want to be sure the machine you are considering will fit the space you have available.

Think also about your budget. Home exercise equipment prices can range from as low as $100 to into the thousands. The high end models are terrific and offer a lot of bells and whistles, but you can generally get a good workout and decent quality by spending a few to several hundred dollars.

A good strategy is to spend most of your budget on one quality piece, such as an exercise bike or home gym, then supplement it with inexpensive equipment such as dumbbells or aerobics videos.

Source: EzineArticles.com/6581

Deciding on a Fitness Center: Tips for Choosing

Joining one of the many fitness centers in your area can have a lot of benefits, but can also be a big expense. Since most centers ask you to sign contracts that can be difficult to cancel, make sure that joining a fitness center is for you and that you are happy with the one you choose, before signing on the dotted line.

Deciding on your Needs

Since you are reading this I guess you would be more interested in weight training than aerobics, swimming and other things. Now those are important but it does not matter to some people whether there is a swimming pool available. You might not be concerned with the number of aerobics classes held each day.

All you want to do is weight train. So choosing a gym that has a wide variety of exercise equipment is idea for you. Now if you are still not sure, you need to look for a location that has a variety of programs and exercise equipment. Maybe once you get started you can decide on your specific needs.

Shop Around

There are many fitness centers out there, too many to review individually. But keep in mind that they are not all alike. If you want to join, make sure to find a club that suits you. Do your homework and comparison shop-it will definitely be to your advantage. Here’s what to look for:

Make sure it’s convenient to work and/or home. If it’s not, you won’t go.
Request a free or guest pass to try out the facility.
Ask about the qualifications of the staff. Unless you already know what you’re doing, you want to work with professionals.
Visit your choices during the times you would most likely go to exercise and check for crowding conditions.
Check out the cleanliness of the exercise areas as well as the locker rooms and bathrooms. Make sure exercise equipment appears to be in good condition.
Ask for operating hours and class schedules to make sure they fit your needs.
See if child care is available on site.
Talk to other members and see how they like it.

Joining a fitness center can be a major expense, so use these tips to avoid any financial surprises and get the most for your dollar.

Before you shop, determine how much you’re willing to spend. Don’t go above this amount. Working out should not break the bank.
Find out exactly what is included in the monthly fee and what is considered “extra.” Be sure to get a price list of services.
Skip low-cost “trial memberships.” You will most certainly be pressured later on to continue at a higher fee. Don’t join until you’re ready to make the commitment and only pay what you’re willing to pay.
See if you are eligible for discounts through your employer or health insurance company.
Completely understand all refund and cancellation policies before signing a contract.
Review the contract at home, without the pressure of a salesperson. Ask questions and make sure you understand what you’re signing.

The Benefits of Joining

Fitness clubs allow you access to equipment that you could not afford to purchase or have no room for at home. Many also offer a variety of classes led by trained professionals, therefore increasing the variety of exercise options available. You also have access to fitness professionals who can provide guidance and help you develop a personalized weight training program.

For those who HATE to waste money, joining a fitness center can be a good motivator, feeling compelled to go so they get their money’s worth (this is true only for those who really go out of their way to get value from their money, no matter what they’re spending it on). Those who would just be constantly interrupted trying to work out at home may find getting out of the house to exercise the only way to go.

Alternatives to Fitness Centers

Remember, the large fitness center chains are not the only way to go. Some employers as well as local hospitals or wellness centers have fitness facilities.

Also, make sure this is the best value for you. A few hundred dollars investment in work out equipment you can use at home will still give you excellent fitness results. Or you could join a fitness class through your local YMCA or community center, where membership is not required.

Source: EzineArticles.com/6579