Nutrition Facts and Health Blog

As we get older our mobility tends to steadily decline. A number of factors contribute towards this though the main one is muscle atrophy (wastage). Muscle wastage has a number of different causes including lack of use and damage inflicted over time. There are also a number of conditions such as arthritis which can make movement harder, not only restricting mobility but increasing muscle wastage. Fortunately there are a couple of ways to ensure that you remain mobile for as long as possible.
The first and most important is exercise, in effect the rule with muscles is “use them or lose them”. Exercise as simple as walking for half an hour a day can be very effective in preventing atrophy, particularly for your legs. Strength training has an even greater beneficial effect, not only because it helps you build up muscle, but also because having the strength to perform tasks harder than you encounter in your day to day life, makes them far easier.
Maintaining strength is not the only way you can help your mobility though. Just as important is flexibility. After all there is little point in being able to lift 100 pound weights if you can’t bend over to reach them! Flexibility can be maintained and improved by stretching exercises such as those used to warm up before and after training. If you want to improve or regain flexibility then exercises such as Yoga can be hugely helpful.
The final and most important type of exercise though is cardio. Cardio vascular exercise will help ensure that you can keep moving, as well as helping you avoid heart disease and control your weight. Cardio can be as simple as walking to the shops instead of driving, or doing gardening and housework. Of course more strenuous forms of exercise such as swimming or running are recommended as you will get even more benefit from them.
If you are unable to exercise or if your mobility is already restricted then there are a number of mobility aids. From canes to scooters and stair lifts these can all help you move around and retain independence. If you’re worried about the cost then there are several organizations dedicated to helping to provide for remodelling houses to make them easier to mover around in. For example in the US there is the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs that can help you buy mobility aids. In the UK Disabled Facilities Grants are designed to help poorer people add modifications to their houses to keep them out of care homes.

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Article contributed by:

Daniel Frank is a blogger from the UK and who writes regularly on subjects related to sport and disability. He is also currently working on behalf of a stairlift manufacturer that specialises supplying people with mobility aids like a disabled stair lift.

The number one reason most people decide to embark on a healthier lifestyle is ultimately to lose weight. Unfortunately very few people actually do the research that’s involved for them to be successful. Losing weight will basically involve moving more and eating less but the specifics aren’t quite that simple.

Cutting Too Much Food

The worst thing you can do when you embark on a new weight loss regime is to suddenly cut what you’re eating. The worst thing you can do is go from eating three big meals and lots of snacks to just eating a small salad and only snacking on fruit. Your body won’t understand what’s going on and when you do eat, it will store as much as possible as fat in anticipation for the next starve. The best way to eat for healthy weight loss is to eat five to six small meals each day rather than just three large meals. By eating little and often your body will be able to digest the food you are eating and it will keep your digestive system in regular use.

Removing All Junk Food

The second you tell yourself you can’t eat chocolate or ice cream will be the second you want those things more than ever. Instead, make these things a once in a while treat. If you’ve had a good week, you’ve been healthy and you’ve done your exercising treat yourself to some chocolate with a Saturday night movie or a relaxing hot bath with a slice of your favourite cake. Make sure you don’t keep these things in the house, strike them off your shopping list and they won’t be there to tempt you.

Choosing The Wrong Exercise

Everyone will have at least one type of exercise they actually enjoy. Swimming is often very popular but swimming pools are better for muscle building rather than actually losing weight. Many people think that by doing 100 sit ups everyday they’ll get a flat stomach but this is also another myth. The best way to flatten your stomach is through the food you’re eating rather than the exercise you do, cutting back on too much wheat and too many carbohydrates will be much more productive at reducing that tummy than ab crunches will be.

Sacrificing Sleep

Your body and your brain need a good night sleep every night. Your body needs time to relax and repair any damage sustained over the day or fight off any germs you may have come into contact with. Your mind needs time to process everything that’s happened to you and everything you’ve seen and done over the course of the day. If you’re going to be getting up that hour earlier to get down the gym or go for a run you need to make sure you’re going to bed an hour earlier. If your body is tired it’s not going to be working at its best and you’re going to find it harder to shift that weight.

Keep an Objective Journal

Make a note of what you’re eating and how you feel. If you’ve suddenly noticed you’re not as out of breath after a work out or you’ve noticed you’re able to run for longer without getting out of breath make a note. This will be great inspiration next time you’re feeling low. You also need to make sure you’re not getting too carried away with losing weight. Losing too much weight too quickly is very unhealthy as is not noticing when you are losing weight. Trust the scales not what you see in the mirror, you’re going to be used to seeing yourself every day after all but the scales don’t lie.

If swimming is your thing a garden swimming pool from World of Pools can be a great way to get some regular exercise from the privacy of your own garden

If you are fond of over eating and do not exercise regularly then one day you are sure to gain unwanted fats and become overweight. This means that you will become obese and will need to slim down in order to be healthy.

Here are some of the natural remedies for preventing and curing obesity:

• Ginger is an effective herb. It helps to burn excessive fat in your body. So you should drink ginger tea. You can also make paste of ginger, mix small amount of honey with it and consume this with half tablespoon of guggulu. This will control your obesity. Fat accumulation in your body will be reduced by the consumption of Guggulu.
• Lemon juice is very useful and effective in obesity control. Take a glass of lukewarm water and add two teaspoons of lemon juice and one teaspoon honey. Drink this on empty stomach each morning. It will prove to be very beneficial.
• Cabbage and tomatoes are good for you. Conversion of sugar and carbohydrates into fats is prevented by cabbage. So include them in your diet as cooked vegetables and salad.
• You should drink at least 10 glasses of water everyday. This will help you to avoid fluid retention in your body.
• Curry leaves are very useful in reducing obesity. Eat 10 leaves every morning for about 3 to 4 months. You will find the difference.
• Mint is an excellent herb which is used in the control of obesity. You can eat it as chutney or drink mint tea. Both are very beneficial. Mint is capable of burning your excess fats effectively.
• Don’t eat red meats because they contain a lot of fats. Eat food grains like wheat, sorghum, barley and maize. Avoid foods containing oil, spices and fats. You should also avoid foods rich in carbohydrates.
• Do physical exercise regularly. If you want to burn fats then you will have to do exercise regularly. Walking is also very good for your health. So walk everyday. Take the stairs in place of lift. You can skip ropes and also do sit ups and push ups. Be active throughout the day. Work, play and also take proper rest.
• If you love yourself and want to be healthy then neither smoke nor consume alcohol. Smoking and alcohol can cause complications in obese people. So if you are addicted to these two things then give up.
• Digestion of Finger millet is slow that’s why the absorption time for carbohydrates is longer. So you should take Finger millet. This will help you to reduce obesity.
• If you are interested in getting weight loss quickly then you must eat papaya or vegetable soup in your dinner for about 2 to 3 months. This will work wonders in controlling your obesity.
• You can also eat vegetables and fruits which burn fats such as apple, papaya, asparagus, cabbage, carrot, bitter gourd, pineapple, mango, etc.
These natural remedies for obesity will not produce any side effect on your body and mind. In this way it has advantage over the traditional methods of obesity control. So kick out your fear and follow these remedies sincerely to see its wonderful effects.

Doctors use several equations to calculate how many calories a person should eat each day to maintain a stable weight. The most precise ones include height, weight, age, sex, activity level, and stressors like an injury or disease. The simplest way to estimate your daily target for calories is to multiply your weights in pounds by :-

* 12 if you are sedentary (little or no exercise)
* 13.5 if you are somewhat active (light exercise one to three days a week)
* 15.5 if you are moderately active (moderate exercise like brisk walking – you break into sweat – three to five days a week)
* 17 if you are highly active (vigorous exercise or sports six to seven days a week)
* 19 if you are highly active (daily vigorous exercise or sports and a physical job)

For example, a somewhat active person who weighs 45 pounds (66 Kg) needs about 1950 calories a day (145 times 13.5) to keep a steady weight.

To lose weight, start by reducing your intake by 250 calories per day. That’s one can of cola and two butter cookies, or 50 gms of potato chips. If you keep that up for a year, you could shed 20 pounds. Add in more exercise, and you could make it 30 pounds.