Yesterday my wife got results from some blood tests and they showed that she had a vitamin D deficiency. I thought that this was odd since I was under the impression that anyone that got enough sun would have their bodies create enough vitamin D to stay healthy.

I was apparently wrong.

Not only is my wife deficient but a friend of hers as well as my sister too. I am not sure how widespread the problem of vitamin D deficiency is but in looking this up I have found that it is a lot more common than we would believe.

The body creates vitamin D and you also get it from fish and bread that is fortified with Vitamin D. Other sources of Vitamin D include eggs and liver. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: D, tiredness, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency

Ever noticed that when you are tired and do not feel like exercising that it quickly passes when you just get up and get a bit of movement? Well you are not alone. A recent study from the University of Georgia seems to prove that exercise will over come tiredness. Here is a quote from the author of the study:

“Too often we believe that a quick workout will leave us worn out, especially when we are already feeling fatigued,” Tim Puetz, who helped conduct the study, said in a statement.

“However, we have shown that regular exercise can actually go a long way in increasing feelings of energy, particularly in sedentary individuals.”

So next time that you are tired remember this post. Even better, start to exercise without even thinking about it. If you are even a little tired it is really easy for your mind to convince you not to workout at all.

Tags: Author, energy, exercise, feelings, Georgia, puetz, sedentary individuals, Tim Puetz, tiredness, university of georgia, workout

You will find a free list of negative calorie foods below, but first let’s consider what this means. There is no such thing as a negative calorie – a calorie is a unit of heat and it cannot be negative. So when people talk about negative calorie foods, this just means a food whose calorie level is low enough that it takes more energy to eat and digest it than the food contains.

For example, if you consider water to be a food, then cold water is certainly a negative calorie food. It contains no calories at all and the body has to expend energy to bring it up to blood temperature. So every time we drink a glass of cold water we burn up a couple of calories and lose a little weight. But there are very few foods like this. Most foods that are on the list do not really use more calories than they add, or if they do the effect is negligible … until you remember that at the same time the body expends energy just to keep alive and breathing. Celery for example does not give us enough calories to cover both the energy that it takes to digest it, plus the energy that we expend even when we are doing nothing. So that is why people call it a negative calorie food.

Negative calorie foods are most attractive to anorexics. A negative calorie diet would obviously result in starvation in the long term and nutritional deficiencies can occur surprisingly quickly. The calories burnt usually come from muscle mass, and the result is debility and wasting.

A more healthy way to use a negative calorie diet is as a form of fasting or detox. It is something you can do for one to three days right after the Christmas season or another time when you have been eating a over-rich diet. Provided you are otherwise healthy it can be a great way to clean out the system. However it is still best to take medical advice before attempting this.

If you decide to use a negative calorie detox, keep the following points in mind:

1. It is never a good idea to eat huge quantities of one type of food, especially fruits. A lot of foods contain substances that can be damaging if consumed to excess. For example, the acid in grapefruit and pineapple can damage your stomach lining. Other foods put an excessive burden on the liver or may cause diarrhea. So try to use all the different foods in small quantities.

2. Do not spend all day eating. You will just become bloated and feel sick. If you are only doing this for a couple days, you should not feel too hungry. Plan four or five salad meals each day, and let your digestion rest at other times.

3. You will feel more satisfied if you eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. You will also use more calories that way. So if the foods can be eaten raw, that will be more effective than cooking them. Foods like carrots and beets will also be more satisfying if you eat them grated.

4. Schedule time when you do not have any important commitments. As with fasting or any kind of detox, you may suffer some uncomfortable symptoms including headaches, tiredness, depression and irritability. If these become severe, stop the diet and see a doctor.

5. When you end the detox, plan a gradual return to normal eating.

If all the above points are checked and passed, let’s move on to the list of foods.

* Apples
* Asparagus
* Beets
* Blueberries
* Broccoli
* Cantaloupes
* Carrot
* Cauliflower
* Celery stalk
* Celery root
* Cranberries
* Cucumbers
* Eggplant
* Endives
* Garden cress
* Garlic
* Grapefruit
* Green beans
* Green cabbage
* Lamb’s lettuce
* Lemons
* Lettuce
* Onions
* Papayas
* Pineapples
* Prunes
* Radishes
* Raspberries
* Spinach
* Strawberries
* Tangerines
* Tomatoes
* Turnips
* Zucchini

Please use this free list of negative calorie foods wisely.

Tags: christmas, depression, diarrhea, energy, food, headaches, negative calorie food, nutritional deficiencies, starvation, tiredness

I was in a park field with the kids this afternoon and getting stung by mosquitos like they had never seen me before. This got me to wondering what the first symptoms of West Nile Virus would be.

After a bit of a search around I was able to find a great faq of info from the CDC on what and how to tell if you have West Nile Virus.

Q. What are the symptoms of West Nile virus (WNV) infection?
A. Infection with WNV can be asymptomtic (no symptoms), or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.

It is estimated that about 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.

The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease. Serious illness can occur in people of any age, however people over age 50 and some immunocompromised persons (for example, transplant patients) are at the highest risk for getting severely ill when infected with WNV.

Most people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop any type of illness (an asymptomatic infection), however you cannot know ahead of time if you’ll get sick or not when infected.

Q. What is the incubation period in humans (i.e., time from infection to onset of disease symptoms) for West Nile disease?
A. Usually 2 to 15 days.

Q. How long do symptoms last?
A. Symptoms of West Nile fever will generally last a few days, although even some healthy people report having the illness last for several weeks. The symptoms of severe disease (encephalitis or meningitis) may last several weeks, although neurological effects may be permanent.

Q. What is meant by West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile poliomyelitis, “neuroinvasive disease” and West Nile fever?
A. The most severe type of disease due to a person being infected with West Nile virus is sometimes called “neuroinvasive disease,” because it affects a person’s nervous system. Specific types of neuroinvasive disease include: West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile meningoencephalitis and West Nile poliomyelitis. Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord, meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it, and poliomyelitis refers to an inflammation of the spinal cord.

West Nile Fever is another type of illness that can occur in people who become infected with the virus. It is characterized by fever, headache, tiredness, aches and sometimes rash. Although the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have been sick for several weeks.

Q. If I have West Nile Fever, can it turn into West Nile encephalitis?
A. When someone is infected with West Nile virus (WNV) they will typically have one of three outcomes: No symptoms (most likely), West Nile fever (WNF in about 20% of people) or severe West Nile disease, such as meningitis or encephalitis (less than 1% of those who get infected). If you develop a high fever with severe headache, consult your health care provider.

West Nile fever is characterized by symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache and sometimes swollen lymph glands and rash. West Nile fever generally lasts only a few days, though in some cases symptoms have been reported to last longer, even up to several weeks. West Nile fever does not appear to cause any permanent health effects. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. People with West Nile fever recover on their own, though symptoms can be relieved through various treatments (such as medication for headache and body aches, etc.).

Some people may develop a brief, WNF-like illness (early symptoms) before they develop more severe disease, though the percentage of patients in whom this occurs is not known.

Occasionally, an infected person may develop more severe disease such as “West Nile encephalitis,” “West Nile meningitis” or “West Nile meningoencephalitis.” Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord, and meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it. Although there is no treatment for WNV infection itself, the person with severe disease often needs to be hospitalized. Care may involve nursing IV fluids, respiratory support, and prevention of secondary infections.

Tags: A. Infection, aches, asymptomatic infection, coma, convulsions, disorientation, encephalitis, fever, headache, inflammation, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, muscle weakness, neuroinvasive disease, paralysis, Poliomyelitis, rash, secondary infections, skin rash, stupor, tiredness, tremors, West Nile disease, West Nile fever, WNV infection

If you have ever had the chance to experience a juice fast, you know how invigorating it can be. You feel a renewed sense of vitality entering your life, bringing fresh energy into the body. If you haven’t experienced a juice fast or have never tried a fast, this is probably not the image of fasting that you hold in your mind. You likely associate fasting with hunger pains and tiredness. But is there a way to experience the great benefits of fasting, while minimizing any discomfort. The answer is yes.

Juice fasting allows us to experience the benefits of fasting with virtually no pain. Here is how it’s done.

1. Go to the store and buy fresh fruits and vegetables that you would like to juice. This can include carrots, apples, pears, celery or any other fruit or vegetable that sounds tasty. Use a low speed juicer to juice with. This will preserve the living enzymes of the juice.

2. Drink as much juice as you desire throughout the day. Dilute the juice with one-third pure water. It is very important to drink a large quantity of juice. If you feel hungry you are not drinking enough. This is the basis of the juice fast.

Add a small pinch of cayenne pepper to the juice every third glass. This will greatly help with circulation and cleansing. If possible, make individual servings at a time to maximize the freshness of the juice. I like to make 18 ounces of pure juice and add 6 ounces of water to it. This will last you for an hour or two. Then, when you’re ready you can make more juice fresh.

3. Stay on the fast for 3 to 7 days. This can be your personal preference. The longer you fast, the more health benefits you will receive. You may find that it is very easy to fast for 7 days. If this is the case, feel free to continue fasting for several more. As long as you drink enough fresh juice your body will be receiving all of the vital nutrients it needs for optimal health.

By following the above juice fasting plan you will receive many great health benefits. Your body will be able to rid itself of many harmful toxins stored deep within the tissues. Once these toxins are gone optimal health is easily achieved.

You can also look forward to sharper clearer thinking. This is because juice fasting improves the health of all parts of the body including the brain and nervous system.

To experience these amazing benefits you will of course, need to try it for yourself. I suggest that everyone do a juice fast, because once you have done one you will be hooked for life.

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The toughest part about a cleanse is doing it right and fighting to get though not eating for a while. Of course the most popular cleanse is the master cleanse. The master cleanse secrets will help you to get the most out of the master cleanse.

Tags: fresh energy, juice fast, juice fasting, pain, pains, tiredness

Well the first full week of the new year is upon us and as I have always seen at this time of year gyms across the country are filling up with new members. As veteran members all know the wait for gym equipment usually peters out by the beginning of February as all the new members stop going to the gym or at least stop coming very often.

I always think of new years as being a very trendy time for gym memberships as the prices drop to get new members and there is a lot of excitement as many people show up for the first time and then get bored, sore and disillusioned and move on to the next exciting thing in their lives. A few people we will see get the bug and do not stop and will become lifelong weightlifters but I always used to wonder what makes the difference between those that stay at the gym and those that leave. Here is my list.

1. No pain, no gain – The problem here is that most people push themselves far to hard and have no time to recover between workouts and after being sore for a month it is impossible to go on. This looks to newbies as a ridiculous lifestyle. To get away from this problem why not just slow down. If you want to look hot for the summer why not take it a little easier. The beach will still be empty next week so don�t kill yourself trying to look like a greek god now.

2. No results – When getting started in a gym you may not get fast results in losing weight. Your workouts are going to lose you fat as well as gain you muscle so you are going to not be losing as fast as you hope. Give it time. As you gain muscle it takes your body more calories to keep that muscle, as well as increasing your metabolism, which in turn will help you lose fat.

3. Tiredness – This relates to number one. You will be tired as your body adjusts and as you gain strength, lose fat and get healthier. After you adjust to the new workouts you will get more energy and not be nearly as tired as you were before you started this healthier lifestyle.

4. No time except for the gym – This is a doozy. When you get started the only thing that matters is going to the gym and then suddenly you have lost touch with the rest of the world and you miss that. Why not just start reducing the time you workout. You do not need to work out two hours a day. 45 minutes to an hour is all you should be spending in the gym as you get started.

5. Boredom – Boredom can definitely creep into your attitude at the gym. This is usually caused, I believe, from not having a plan, goals and a way to make sure that you are going to achieve them. If you just go in and lift weights randomly or do a cardio workout when you can�t think of any muscle groups that you �feel like� doing then you are quickly going to get bored and not know why you are spending time in the gym. Get together with a trainer at the gym that you join and get a plan together for what you are going to do each day in the gym and set some realistic goals and you should be set.

Other than these issues the biggest issue is that the first gym you saw was the one you joined and you just might not enjoy working out there. Try going through my list of how to choose a gym, and my other gym staff articles to make sure that you pick the right place to workout.

Tags: energy, gain muscle, gain strength, gym equipment, gym memberships, gyms, healthier lifestyle, increasing your metabolism, losing weight, new year, new years day, pain, tiredness, weightlifters, workouts

When do you workout? Let’s pretend that the time that you workout is irrelevent because I really do believe that it is. There are a few times that you can workout, morning, lunch, evening, and weekends. The real decision is based around your schedule and the stresses of the day. One thing is important though and that is that you should make sure that hte time that you workout is consistent so that it fits in as a part of your day instead of you just rying to fit it in.

Exercise in the morning. If you are going to workout in the morning you have one problem to deal with and that is tiredness, some people just are not morning people. This is a plan to try out and see how well it works though because you probably will not have any distractions and you really can get the workout in without something getting in the way, unless of course the alarm clock fails you.

Exercise at lunch. I used to have a gym in the building that I worked in and this was a really great way to get my workout in. I would go downstairs to the gym abd play squash or do cardio or get in a weight workout. Working out at work also allowed me to have built in workout partners from the office. This of course is only an option if you work bearby a gym but I like this option best.

Exercise in the evening. Evening workouts are the most popular I believe. There is this idea that you have dinner, sit around for an hour and then go to the gym. This is my least favorite workout time but for many people it is the best time. The real problem with evening workouts is that they take the place of your social life so it is very easy to socialize at the gym instead and also there are a lot of things that can go wrong with the day that will either cause you to miss your workout or have your workout suffer because of the day.

Exercise on weekends. I hope that you realize that you need 5 or 6 workouts a week but one of the nice things that you can do on the weekend is have extended workouts and exercise that have nothing to do with your regular schedule. In the summer you can do outdoor hiking or long runs or bike rides and in the Winter you can do indoor rock climbing, skiing or snowboarding.

As you can see when to exercise really does come down to what is most conveninet to you. If things are working out well right now then this is not important. If you are not consistent with your exercise then you should look at some other options so that you can get that consistentsy into your exercise and not have to try to just “fit it in”.

Tags: rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, squash, tiredness

I have been having trouble getting in front of the TV over the last couple of weeks so I watched the last two episodes of the Biggest Loser on consecutive nights on video tape and I am getting disappointed.

The shows have been just the same as in the last couple of seasons but it seems that the two teams, well especially the Red team of Kim Lyons are really really winey. I am sure that all of the players are being pushed harder than they ever have been pushed in their lives and this week we saw tears all over, even from Kim but it seems that the teams are fighting making changes.

We all know that change is hard. The Biggest Loser contestants are having a really tough time of it as they are very rapidly losing fat and gaining muscle, Eating little and exercising lots but the end of the journey is going to be fantastic for everyone. All of these people have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change their bodies, outlook, lifestyle and even get a little bit of fame and they are crying and fighting it. What are they thinking! No one gets this kind of opportunity.

The other thing that is really disconcerting is the way that the players are playing the Game. This is not supposed to be Survivor, it is supposed to be a bunch of people helping each other make a change in their lives and to have a player like Kai treat it like survivor really sullies the show.

Lastly I have a problem with the production itself. We are not getting a chance like on Survivor or Amazing race to learn more and more about each player. The producers hit on the same subjects of starving, tiredness, a lifetime of fat, and missing the family but we do not know anything else about the struggles and successes in life that each of these people have gone through. I think that a lot more background on the show of each player would really make them more well rounded and the show itself a lot more fun to watch.

I know that this bitch session is not very fair and everyone that knows me knows that I will continue to watch the show and find someone to cheer for but so far this season has been a bit disappointing and I hope there are changes made to this and next season to make it more fun to watch.

Tags: kim lyons, player, the Biggest Loser, tiredness