The Vitamins- An Introduction

 

Vitamins are essential for good health and we normally get the majority of them from a well balanced diet. If however our diet is not as balanced as it should be, or sometimes through ill-health we need extra help to get enough vitamins into our system then we can take supplements in the form of tablets to boost our bodies needs. Some of the main vitamins and what they do for us are as follows.

 

Vitamin A – Helps with eyesight, growth, appetite and taste. These can be found in fish liver oils, carrots, liver, cheese and dark green leafy vegetables.

 

The B Vitamins are broken down into several categories, such as;

Vitamin B1 – Helps the nervous system, digestion, muscles and heart. Can be found in whole grain, milk, meat and potatoes.

Vitamin B2 – Helps with growth, skin, muscles, hair and eyesight. This is found in eggs, meat and milk.

Vitamin B3 – Helps with energy metabolism. This can be found in meat, eggs, milk and flour.

Vitamin B6 – Is good for preventing skin conditions, nerve problems and it also helps the body to absorb protein and carbohydrates. Found in some nuts, grains, brown rice, milk, chicken, fish and eggs.

Vitamin B12 – Helps the blood and also the nerves. Can be found in liver, meat, eggs, milk and fish.

 

Vitamin C – This has many benefits including the body’s immune system, healing wounds, preventing colds and flu and it’s also a laxative.  It is found in green vegetables, potatoes and fresh fruit.

 

Vitamin D – Helps give us strong teeth and bones. Can be found in fortified breakfast cereals and fortified margarines and in milk, eggs and oily fish.

Vitamin E – Is a strong antioxidant and is useful for fighting toxins in the body. Found in nuts, green vegetables, whole grains, eggs and vegetable oils.

 

Vitamin K – Helps build strong bones and also helps blood clotting. Can be found in dark green leafy vegetables, cereals, potatoes, liver and meat.

 

We also need various minerals that can also be taken in tablet form if necessary, some of which are: Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc.

Break the Food/Stress Connection

When your stressed do you reach for the nearest cookie jar, or ice cream tub? You are not alone!

Extreme Fat Loss- Yes It’s Possible!

All year round losing fat is a major issue for millions of men all around the world. In the early part of the year however, we are bombarded by the latest diet fads and tools on the market.

Stories of people losing half their bodyweight overnight, and new wonder pills that will give you a six pack after one dose are plastered all over the media.

It will come as no major shock to you that to lose fat, you have to eat sensibly and exercise. This is advice that all of us have heard for years, but how many of us really understand what it means?

Well first of all in terms of eating sensibly we are talking about eating a balanced diet. One that provides us with plenty of fruit and vegetables for vitamins and fibre. We also need plenty of protein which helps promote tissue repair, and of course helps to build lean muscle. Some healthier carbs in the form of brown rice, pasta and oats will be useful too.

One thing we all know is that eating cookies and cakes everyday is not going to help us achieve extreme fat loss. The trouble is that most of these sweet foods are addictive, and cutting these from your diet can be the hardest part of losing the gut.

Exercise is the next ingredient in our quest for fat loss. Walking, running, and swimming are all types of cardiovascular exercise which keeps your heart active, and also helps build stamina. Weight training, otherwise know as resistance training is important for building muscle and speeding up metabolism. This alone makes your body burn fat even while you are not exercising.

There are some very good resources and programs available, that have been written by professional trainers and specialists in the fat loss industry. Have a look at whats out there, and maybe even talk to your doctor about what plan might be the best for you to follow. Following a step by step plan can often keep you focused and make the fat loss process easier for you.

So, eat a balanced diet, take plenty of rest and excercise, and if you can, get yourself a professional plan to follow. Take what has worked for others and make it work for you. Extreme fat loss is possible if you really make a go of it! It doesn’t have to be as hard as people make out!

 

Read our review on what we think is the best fat loss program available right now.

Watch Out For Fake Alli

The arguments as to whether the “weightloss wonder drug” available in drugstores Alli, is effective and healthy in the long term rumble on.

However the Food and Drug Administration went public with a warning about the circulation of fake Alli capsules. It is not believed that the counterfits were being sold by mistake by drugstores, but that it was being sold by a few online sources.

Much like the many Viagra pretenders available online, these new weightloss “fakes” are alleged to not contain the correct ingredients, and contain some drugs that the health experts do not suggest people take without seeing a doctor first.

Like anything bought online, the advice is to do your research and be certain of what you are buying before you purchase. If you do receive something, especially medicines that you have bought online it is strongly suggested that you let your doctor take a look at them before you take something they have not prescribed.

Weight Training For Fat Loss

 

Guess what guys, in order to lose body fat you NEED exercise. Not could do with some exercise , or exercise will help a little. It is absolutely essential to you if you are going to lose weight.

 

Think about it, everything we do in our day to day lives requires movement of some sort. There is no getting away from it. Human beings need exercise and need to move!

 

As far as weight loss and fat loss goes, there are many mixed opinions as to what works best for certain goals. Some people will tell you that you need to run to lose fat, and others will tell you that you must only do weights.

The truth is that any exercise is better than none, however what has been noted by many in the weightloss world is that some form of resistance training will in most cases kick start fat burning.

One of the reasons is that after a session of weight training our body and muscle will still go on burning fat for hours after, whereas with cardiovascular training our body tends to stop burning fat fairly soon after we stop exercising.

This is not to say that cardio training is not worth doing, because it is very important for increasing your stamina and does help the weight and fat loss process along. However general opinion is that you need some form of weight or resistance training as part of your regime, in order to speed up the fat burning process.

Many experts also suggest that exercise is done as early in your day as possible. The reason is that this will kick start your metabolism for the day and keep you burning fat longer. I would also imagine that you will get more done in the morning when you are fresher, versus when you have just done 8 hours in an office!!!

Whatever you do, make sure you do something. We would all love to sit, relax and lose fat by just eating right but there is no magic bullet. We have to put the work in to get the results out. Hey you might even enjoy it, especially when you see the fat falling off!!!

 

Oh, and make sure guys you check with your doc before starting any form of vigorous exercise!

 

How To Lose Abdominal Fat

Almost everyone wants to lose some excess fat on their body somewhere. For a big majority, they’re looking to find out how to lose abdominal fat, and they want to lose abdominal fat fast!

Whether any of us will admit to it, alot of us spend far too many months of the year over eating, and eating the wrong things and then as soon as the sun comes out we go crazy trying to lose the extra weight before summer ends!

Unfortunately, if you’re trying to learn how to lose abdominal fat, it’s not exactly a quick fix.

The problem most individuals run into is they overlook how difficult it can be to lose belly fat off their body. If the truth be told, a fat belly is probably one of the hardest areas to successfully remove because it’s made up what is known as ’stubborn’ fat.

Your body is actually physiologically slightly different when it comes to fat around the abdominal region. What’s the reason for this? Primarily, it’s the first place we tend to store fat and where body fat is needed for protection the most – to protect the organs and internal structures.

As such, your fat belly is going to do everything it can to hold onto it. Not a good situation in your quest to lose abdominal fat.

In order to outsmart this, you’re going to have to work really hard. That’s not to say it can’t be done – it most certainly can, you just have to have realistic expectations about the time line you will achieve this goal over and how much effort you’ll have to put in.

First things first, lets talk about some of the exercises that will help you, as you start to find out how to get rid of your stubborn abdominal fat.

First, if you can, doing some weights will help. When lifting, be sure you are lifting as heavy as you possibly can, as this is what will ramp up your metabolism the highest. You want to shoot for the 6-10 rep range, as this is most appropriate for metabolic effects.

Second, get that cardio up there. You don’t need to do it for hours, focus on doing sprints. In fact, better yet is to sprint first, then do more steady state cardio afterwards. This will help to release the fatty acids from the tissue (mobilize them) and then burn them off during the steady state cardio. This type of set-up can be far more effective at getting that stubborn fat off your body than doing a typical cardio session is.

Lastly, too many fat or carbohydrates calories will slow your progress, while protein, generally speaking will help due to the fact the body burns more calories just digesting it.

As long as you are patient with the process and continually work hard, there is no reason why within time, you can’t be sporting your own set of six-pack abs.

Remember however if you are thinking of training at a gym, or lifting any weights, make sure your seek medical advice first!!!

 

About the Author

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest and world renowned trainer and fitness guru. You can read more about his work and see how he shows people how to lose abdominal fat by clicking here

Do You Eat Breakfast?

 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (says he who never used to eat it). You have been fasting (not eating anything) since you went to sleep, and you are now breaking the fast hence the name.

It has been proven many times now that people who miss breakfast are more likely to eat more calories during the day. More importantly though, eating breakfast not only gives you the energy you need to get through the early part of the day, but it also gets your metabolism going.

If you do not eat breakfast your body is likely to go into starvation mode, and that makes you store fat as your body uses that for fuel when there is nothing else for it to use.

So in other words NOT eating breakfast can actually impede your efforts to slim.

Depending on your eating habits and any plans you may be following, a lot of people recommend a wholewheat cereal, fruit or something of that ilk as a good start to the day.

It is always worth seeing a doctor or dietician before starting any new eating plan or “diet”.

If you plan on making any drastic changes to the way you are eating, be sure to let them know your plans. It is always wise to get a professional opinion before doing anything different.

What your doctor will always agree with you on however is that YOU MUST EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!!! ;.)

Get Fit Today!

Are you overweight, obese or morbidly obese? Many people who have a problem with their weight will go on a diet trying to lose the weight, but not give any consideration to getting fit. People try all types of diets without taking any form of exercise and wonder why they never lose any weight, or become healthy. Today is the time to start to get fit.

Regardless of how heavy you might be there are always ways for you to exercise. You might not be able to walk a mile, but you can start to walk even if it is only a couple of paces. Anything is better than nothing. Talk to your doctor and tell them how serious you are about getting fit.

Your doctor will give you guidance as to what type of exercise is suitable for you. They will also give you some advice about the diet you should eat, but rather than get yourself caught up with more dieting, learn how to get fit. Make this the important decision you can make regarding your health.

If you make a pledge to start an exercise plan and stick with it for 12 weeks you will see improvement in your health. If you make some changes to your diet, this will also help your health. The goal isn’t to be suddenly perfect weight, but to make lifelong changes to everything you do in terms of your health. If you look to do 4 hours exercise a week and try and eat when hungry, your cholesterol levels will drop. Your blood pressure will also improve. There will be noticeable differences in your health in this short a time.

Today is the day to make the changes. Start slowly and daily increase what you can do. Even if this week you can’t do 4 hours of exercise then do what you can, and increase until you can do the 4 hours in the week.  It is time to get fit today, because tomorrow will never come.