Sex, Health, Diet Info

In fitness, some people are confused about the topic of upper abs exercises and lower abs exercises, so here is some information to set the record straight.  The main muscle, that people talk about when they discuss the upper abs and lower abs, is the rectus abdominus.  Rectus means straight, and abdominus refers to the abdomen.  So simply put, the rectus abdominus runs straight down the abdomen.  The rectus abdominus is also the muscle that gives a lean person that six pack look.

The rectus abdominus is 1 muscle, but it has tendinous intersections that separate muscle fibers forming distinct sections.  Many people argue that because the rectus abdominus is one muscle you cannot isolate certain parts of the muscle, but I think the conversations around this topic get confusing because of semantics.  You cannot isolate only one section of the rectus abdominus while the other sections are not working, but you can emphasize one area over another.  So the problem comes with people using the terms isolate and emphasize interchangeably.

Our nervous system is so intricate.  Each nerve has thousands of nerve cells and each muscle has thousands of muscle fibers.  This allows us to move with accuracy, precision, agility, and grace.  The rectus abdominus is supplied by multiple nerves that work in a coordinated fashion to create a variety of movements.  The multiple nerve supply helps us move in different ways, and the upper abs and lower abs are emphasized when we do different movement.

The upper abs (upper part of the rectus abdominus) are emphasized when the trunk moves forward like in a crunch or sit up.  Ball crunches are also a good upper abdominal exercise, and crunch machines and ab machines will also emphasize the upper abs.  Even though the upper abs are emphasized during crunches, crunches also work the lower abs.  The entire rectus abdominus will work during any abs exercise when your trunk bends forwards or flexes.

1. There is just more emphasis on the lower abs when the legs are moving.

Now, one thing that I must mention is that abs exercises do not magically melt away stomach fat.  Doing upper abs exercises will not magically get rid of the fat on the upper part of your stomach, and doing lower abs exercises will not magically get rid of the fat on the lower part of your stomach.  This is known as the spot reduction myth.  If you want to lose stomach fat, you should use a comprehensive approach to fitness and healthy eating.

In regards to your ab workout, try to exercise your abdominal muscles 2-3 times a week, and include both upper ab and lower abs exercises to work your body from a variety of directions.  By using different forms of exercises, you will have a more balanced body.

Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.

Visit his website for Free Ab and Tummy Exercises and stomach and tummy toning exercises

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lower-abdominal-exercises-versus-upper-abdominal-exercises-1389332.html

* What is it?

Organic skin care, as the name clearly suggests, is an effective yet simple way to take good care of your skin by using organic products.

* Is it good for my skin?

Yes, it is very good for your skin. In fact, several skin care experts say that it is a lot safer to use organic products as opposed to products that contain artificial chemicals.

* Why do they say so?

Organic skin care products are free of chemicals. They contain natural substances like natural oil extracts, plant extracts, and herbal extracts which are very good for your skin. Unlike products that contain artificial chemicals, they do not cause any side effects.

* I have sensitive skin. Can I use these products?

Yes, you can. In fact, if your skin is very sensitive, you should make sure that you only use organic skin care products. The skin care products that people normally use contain chemicals like triclosans, parabens, liquid paraffin, phenol carbolic acid, artificial fragrance and mineral oils. All these chemicals are harmful to your health and can cause serious health problems in the long term. Some of these chemicals can trigger severe allergic reactions if your skin is very sensitive. So, it is a lot safer to use organic products which do not contain these chemicals.

* I have wrinkles, lines, cracks, and dark circles. My skin is saggy. I look like a 45-year-old when I am actually only 30. How can organic skin care help me?

You can get rid of all these problems by using good skin care products. High quality organic products can boost the amount of hyaluronic acid in your skin, increase the collagen and elastin production in your skin, promote new cell growth to get rid of wrinkles, lines, and cracks, and rejuvenate your skin cells. They also fight the free radicals in your body and prevent cell damage. They moisturize your skin thoroughly and make it smooth and soft. In short, they can make your skin younger and healthier.

* Are all organic skin care products this good?

This is a very important question. You need to remember that not all organic products are equally good. In fact, some of them are not really ‘organic’, if you know what I mean. They usually contain a lot of artificial chemicals, including some of the harmful chemicals I have mentioned above, as preservatives. So, you must make sure the product you choose does not contain these chemicals.

* How can I choose the best organic skin care products?

First and foremost, you should make sure that the product does not contain any of the chemicals mentioned above. Second, you should look for the following substances – phytessence wakame, witch hazel, cynergy TK, babassu, coenzyme Q10, active manuka honey, natural vitamin E, and the extracts of essential oils like olive, macadamia, grapeseed, avocado, and jojoba. All these substances are completely natural and they are very effective at fighting aging skin problems.

* Are organic skin care products very expensive?

Some of these products could be a little costlier when compared to cheap knockoffs which contain nothing but artificial chemicals. However, they are certainly affordable. In fact, most people who use these products say that they are worth more than what they paid for, since they give amazing results in a relatively short period of time.

* What is the right way to use these products?

Organic skin care products are meant for long term use. After you start using these products, within a month or two, you will find a lot of improvements in your skin condition. However, you should not stop using these products once your skin condition improves. You should use them regularly to get the best results. By using them every day, you can keep your skin young and healthy for a long time.

If you’re looking for Organic Skin Care Products that you can trust, check out Kalpana’s website, http://www.naturalbeautyandskincare.com and see how it can change your perception about natural skin care products.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/organic-skin-care-products-why-these-are-a-must-for-a-healthy-glow-1382786.html

There are a few troubles that are being faced in omega3 manufacturing. Contamination is the major trouble.

It has been observed that a number of omega3 supplements, like cod liver oil, contain contamination such as dioxins, mercury, and PCBs. Most of the marine animals such as fish are not collected in a professional way.

This is the reason that most of the gathered fish are spoiled due to the addition of oxygen called oxidation. So these problems make it difficult to search the most pure omega3.

The omega3 capsules must be completely free of all impurities. These contamination are the biggest problem in making pure oil out of fish.

The amount of impurities, overall oxidation, and the entire amount of omega3 particles available in every pill of omega3 should be mentioned in the product.

Several numbers of omega3s are quite useful to our health. However, the most effective and popular omega3s are DPA, DHA, EPA, and ALA.

Out of these omega3, DPA, DHA, and EPA are obtained from fish oil, whereas ALA is obtained from various seeds and vegetable oils.

According to the scientific investigation, these three are extremely useful for human heart and problems associated with heart. However, ALA is not as good to human heart as these three omega3s.

In pure fish oil, the amount of omega3 is always maximum. The omega3 brand should give complete composition of each pill.

For best results, each capsule must contain at least 280 milligrams of DHA. This is what the minimum requirement of our vision and mind.

On the basis of medical investigation, DHA is more important to prevent anxiety, and tension in comparison with EPA.

It is also more effective in maintaining proper blood flow in our body, and to maintain cholesterol level in our body.

It may be noted that majority of fish have EPA in abundance than DHA. However, our digestive system can change DHA to EPA quite effortlessly, but it can not change EPA to DHA.

It is convertible only under certain special conditions, and under severe requirement of the body.

Proper care must be taken during the process of putting the fish oil in the shell in order to make capsules; otherwise, the oxidation level may rise amazingly.

So there is possibility of fish spoilage and oxidation when fish are brought out of the sea/river. As a result of these two problems, the omega3 capsules and oil may have funny taste.

Fish that are caught from pure and non polluted rivers are most likely to be free of impurities and not give you that fishy burp when you take them.

Unfortunately, most cod contains dangerous contaminants, which is why you should stay away from cod liver oil.

Fish oil is quite useful for human mind, vision, cholesterol level, bones, and skin.

It not only increases your body’s resistance to fight diseases, but also very beneficial for each cell in the body.

Try the best fish oil and get anti-aging and health benefits that no other dietary supplement can give.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-pure-omega-3-fish-oil-can-do-for-your-health-that-cod-liver-oil-cant-1383128.html

When most people think about exercise, they think of strength training and cardiovascular activities, e.g. lifting weights and running on the treadmill.  A good fitness program definitely involves doing both of these sorts of exercise, but it also includes a third often overlooked type of exercise – stretching.  Most people think of stretching as something you do for sore muscles or as a quick supplement for cardio or lifting.  However, these people fail to recognize the importance that stretching has on being fit.  Stretching provides you with a half dozen serious benefits; and anyone who wants to maximize their health should take stretching seriously.

Stretching initially promotes a greater range of movement and circulation through the joints.  This is excellent because it allows you to maximize your regular exercise.  By promoting good range of muscle movement through joints, you will be ensuring that your muscles can move in the ways needed to lift weights or cycle.  Often people injure themselves with their muscles are too tight to perform a motion the way it ought to be done, and stretching can help prevent problems like this.  

Stretching is one of the easiest ways to promote blood flow and circulation to the muscles that need it.  Increased blood flow provides a two-way street that helps muscles perform better with less effort.  On the one hand, the increased blood flow is able to bring oxygen and nutrients to the muscles in order to provide them with the energy they need to function properly.  On the other hand, the blood flow is there to flush out waste products that build up when muscles work out, including lactic acid.  Stretching also provides a low impact way to condition muscles and tendons.  The better conditioned your muscles are, the less prone to injury and soreness they are.  

By stretching before you engage in cardio or weight training, you will be warming up muscles and promoting blood flow and circulation; which is a definite way to enhance your workout.  However, just as important as stretching before running or lifting, is stretching after the exercise.  Post-exercise stretches help develop new flexibility and strength in muscles and tendons, and provide better conditioning to prevent injury.  Post-exercise stretches are also a good way to even out blood circulation and flush out the damaging lactic acid buildup.

One thing that everyone serious about stretching should know is that protein is a needed nutrient to promote healthy stretching.  Protein helps repair torn muscle fiber and can maximize the benefits that come from stretching.  One of the easiest ways to get added protein into your diet is through a whey protein supplement.  Whey protein is easier for the body to digest than soy protein, and provides better utilization and absorption into the body.  The reason you want to take protein in supplement form is for this reason, you want your body to quickly absorb the nutrients and get the nutrients to the parts of the body that need them.

For more info on tasty whey protein, visit My Top Form Protein

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/why-stretching-matters-and-how-to-maximize-your-stretches-1383345.html

Sponsorship will provide support for Cartersinclair Feeding Program

CarterSinclair Org announced that Choy Sum Food Company has signed on as a Program Sponsor to support Cartersinclair outreach program, Spoon Feeding.  It is a community-based outreach campaign that brings information about the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of a healthy lifestyle to the La Quinta community.

The Marketing officer will also tackle how to stay healthy and still enjoy Chinese food by planning ahead, choosing wisely and watching how much you eat.  Choosing traditional food dishes that are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low in fat. Choosing beans, peas, tofu, bean sprouts and dark green vegetables such as Chinese broccoli, choy sum, watercress, Chinese chives, Chinese yard-long beans and amaranth also known as Chinese spinach.

Also pointed out other Chinese vegetables that are rich in iron like Chinese mushroom, seaweed and black fungus. Go for the mung beans (green gram beans), yellow bean and black bean dishes for soup or desserts with artificial sweetener. Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber and very nutritious . Whole wheat and rye bread and cornbread are good sources of fiber and are good for everyone.

As the sponsor, Choy Sum will support Carter Sinclair Org’s mission to prevent the onset of diabetes within La Quinta community and help those who are already living with the disease.  Support will emphasize importance of diabetes information from the CarterSinclair Org, including information about making better food choices.

“Food plays an important role in the prevention and management of diabetes,” said Mary Scott, MS, RD, a certified diabetes educator and nutritionist at La Quinta “Many of the behaviors needed to prevent type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications – behaviors such as meal planning and physical activity – are shaped by an individual’s culture and values.

Most people over the age of 20 have diabetes and are at raised risk for severe complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputations.  Cartersinclair Org wishes people to know that it is possible to enjoy Chinese food that is both delicious and good for everybody by making simple changes to ingredients and cooking methods.

Carter Sinclair Org is non-profit organization that helps monitor health status, inform and educate people about health issues. Research for new approach and modern solutions to health problems. For more information please visit www.cartersinclair.org.  Email at info@cartersinclair.org

Carter Sinclair Org is non-profit organization that helps monitor health status, inform and educate people about health issues. Research for new approach and modern solutions to health problems. For more information please visit www.cartersinclair.org. Email at info@cartersinclair.org

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/carter-sinclair-org-and-local-chinese-food-company-choy-sum-team-up-to-support-diabetes-1378416.html

Both men and women suffer from infertility caused by various reasons. However, it’s important for both the sex to undergo treatment for this complicated issue. Various known and unknown factors cause infertility in women. These include diseases like endometriosis, diminished ovarian reserve, ovulation disorders, and low progesterone level. Low sperm count and low sperm motility, STD, injury or chronic diseases, sperm blockage and ageing are some of the reasons men for, which suffer.

Scheduled drugs and systematic treatment can cure most of the above mentioned infertility problems except ageing and chronic diseases, although these treatments are quite expensive and may have harmful side effects. Additional treatment may be required to cure the side effects. Treatments conducted through IVF or In Vitro Fertilization and ICSI or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is best among the other methods of infertility treatment. In this technique, the egg cells outside the womb are fertilized by the sperm and then transferred inside. This treatment is suggested when other techniques fail to give results. This technique is a hormonally controlled ovulation progression. In this treatment involves, the ova is removed from the female’s ovaries and helps the sperm to fertilize in a fluid medium. But this is not a normal process at all and involves excavation of the eggs from the ovary, fertilizing them in an outside laboratory and putting them back in the uterus. In the normal process, the human decides to pick the healthiest sperm for reproducing the egg but in the artificial process, the embryologist takes this decision. However, when he fails to pick the healthiest sperm and egg, it may cause the ill health of the child during birth and even later in life.

Some alternative techniques with a holistic approach are fast becoming popular in order to cure the problem of secondary infertility. These techniques are all the more preferred by people as these have less or no side effects at all.

The acupuncture method, for example, especially ear acupuncture or Auricular is very effective in cases where female infertility has been caused by some kind of malfunction of the ovary. The hormonal message that is transferred from brain to ovary is the most beneficial result received from this technique. In accordance to the investigative trials, those women who have received acupuncture treatment for about 30 times within a time period of 3 months have shown good results. Those female who underwent hormonal therapy along with it suffered from side effects.

In the alternative treatment techniques, diet and lifestyle changes are given a lot of importance. Regular intake of such things that contain caffeine like coffee, chocolate, cocoa, green tea (containing caffeine), black tea and colored soft drinks which has harmful effects on conception is discouraged. According to a study, one and a half cup of coffee for a woman who is trying for pregnancy is sure to delay her conception. Thus coffee is a strictly a no-no for patients suffering from infertility.

Diets that include fish contaminated with PCB or Polychlorinated Biphenyls are also believed to be a cause for substantial reduction in the ability to become pregnant. According to one study, women who had more than one meal containing fish contaminated with PCBs (procured from Lake Ontario), developed reduced fecundity within a month.

The best result for the treatment of infertility has been reported through the Chinese medicines, acupuncture and of course, the holistic approach. The holistic approach reaches to the depth of the problem and only then delivers physical, spiritual as well as emotional treatment, rather than only investigating the organs. On the other side, the conventional approach to the problem of infertility fails to successfully detect and remove the real causes and moreover, causes side effects. The holistic approach suggests a natural remedy and a way of life that can really solve the problem as soon as the real cause is determined.

This article is based on the book, “Pregnancy Miracle” by Lisa Olson. Lisa is an author, researcher, nutritionist and health consultant who dedicated her life to creating the ultimate pregnancy solution guaranteed to permanently reverse the root of infertility, help you get pregnant quickly and naturally and dramatically improve the overall quality of your life, without the use prescription medication and without any surgical procedures. Learn more by visiting her website:

http://sutiknoslamet.com/pregnancy.htm

Sutikno Slamet

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/infertility-treatment-1378504.html

A good age spot handcream can help you get rid of those ugly age spots on your hands and make your skin look younger. Finding a good age spot cream, however, is not that easy unless you know what to look for and what to avoid in such skin care products.

First of all, you need to understand why you start developing age spots on your skin. One of the most important reasons why your skin starts developing age spots is overexposure to the sun. The UV rays from the sun, as you know, are harmful to your skin and can cause a lot of damage in the long term. When you are young, your skin has the capacity to regenerate from sun exposure. But, as you get older, it becomes increasingly difficult for your skin to regenerate from overexposure to the sun. As a result, it starts developing freckles, blemishes, and sun spots.

To remove these age spots, you need to get a good age spot handcream which can lighten your skin naturally and inhibit melanin production. The market, however, is filled with a number of low quality products which are neither effective nor safe to use. So, you need to know what to look for and what to avoid while looking for age spot reducers. Let us take a look.

What to avoid

If an age spot handcream happens to contain a little something called hydroquinone, do not even think about buying and using it. This is one of the simplest ways to avoid bad quality skin care products. Hydroquinone is a carcinogen and has been banned in several countries around the world. Unfortunately, you can still find a number of products that contain this compound, which goes to show that most skin care product manufacturers could not care less about their customers’ well being.

What to look for

Some of the ingredients you should look for in an age spot handcream include nutgrass root extract, cynergy TK, phytessence wakame, nano-lipobelle H EQ10, and natural vitamin E. These ingredients are natural, effective, and very safe. They can increase the amount of natural skin proteins like collagen and elastin, neutralize free radicals, and inhibit the production of melanin in your skin. These substances are very effective in the sense that they not only treat age spots and other such skin problems, they also prevent these problems and keep your skin young and healthy for a long time.

Now you know pretty much everything you need to know about age spots – cause, treatment, and prevention. What you need to do now is very simple – put your knowledge to good use and get a good age spot handcream. Use it regularly and keep your skin young, soft, and healthy. It really does not get any simpler.

Kalpana is an educator by profession and she is also experienced in homeopathy and natural remedies. She strongly advocates natural skincare and beauty products to protect your skin, avoid harmful reactions and enhance youthful looks. To get more tips and info on natural skin care products, please visit her website now at ==> http://www.NaturalBeautyAndSkincare.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/an-informative-easytounderstand-guide-to-find-a-good-age-spot-handcream-1378615.html

H1N1 (swine flu) was initially detected in mid April of 2009 in people in the U.S. It was called swine flu because a number of the virus’ genes were similar to the virus which is normally found in pigs. As further studies progressed, it showed that it was, after all, very different from those found in pigs in North America. It is called a “quadruple reassortant virus” because it is linked to bird and human genes and its virus’ genes are similar to the virus which is found in pigs in Europe and Asia. As of October 11, 2009, the World Health Organization was able to record 4,735 deaths from different countries because of swine flu.

1. Some people believe that H1N1 is worse than seasonal flu. It isn’t. In the U.S., only one percent from all those infected with the virus die. This is around 300 people. There are thirty six thousand Americans who die annually because of the seasonal flu. Authorities were only worried because H1N1 has a strain which was never seen before.
2. Healthy people need not worry about getting the swine flu. This is wrong. It is just like seasonal flu because it can affect anyone. It only happens that those people with underlying health conditions are more prone to get the virus compared to healthy people.
3. Some people believe that the swine flue vaccine will only give them the flu. This is not possible because the virus found on the flu shot was killed already. Some people mistakes the common fever experienced as the flu itself. Fever experienced after the vaccine is actually the result of the body’s immune system fighting off a foreign substance. Also, some people think that the common cold they have is already the flu. What many people aren’t aware of is that flu season happens at the same time as cold season.
4. Some people believe that vaccines are harmful. The best way get immunity to the virus is by direct contact. This isn’t the right way to get immunity. This is in fact very dangerous. While you believe that you can get immunity when you are in direct contact with the virus itself, you are actually most likely to get the disease yourself rather than being healed.
5. People should stop eating pork since the virus is linked to that of the pigs’. This is absolutely wrong. The spread of the virus is only between humans. It comes from a sick person to a host’s mucous membranes such as the eyes, mouth and nose. There have been no proof yet that the virus is passed from a pig to a person.

These are some of the myths being tossed around regarding the swine flu virus. One good way to avoid this is through getting oneself educated. There are agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and hospitals which are active in promoting information about the H1N1. In order to be better informed and protected, it is best that these health authorities are contacted.

Brent McNutt is actively involved in the subject of Landau Scrubs such as landau scrubs free shipping and landau nursing shoes and enjoys networking with healthcare professionals online.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/h1n1-myths-1374767.html