Health and Fitness articles

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Facts About Animal Pak Supplements

The Animal Pak dietary supplement is a product manufactured by Universal Nutrition, a sports nutrition company founded in 1977. Animal Pak is "your nutritional insurance," according to the company, meaning that it is a nutritional supplement designed to provide all of the nutrients that athletes, bodybuilders in particular, need to maintain proper health. Despite the potential benefits, you should consult a doctor prior to using this or any other supplements.

History and Recognition

Animal Pak was introduced in 1983, and was voted multivitamin of the year in Bodybuilding.com's Supplement Awards from 2005 to 2010.

According to the official website for Animal Pak, this supplement should be taken once daily, unless you are dieting for a bodybuilding contest or training more intensely than usual, in which case Universal recommends two daily doses. Potential beneficiaries of Animal Pak include power and strength athletes, or those engaging in high-intensity training.

Animal Pak provides 40 calories per serving, with 4 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of which come from fiber, and 6 g of protein.

Animal Pak provides large doses of numerous vitamins and minerals, including 900 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin B-6, more than 500 times the RDA for thiamin, nearly 200 times the RDA for vitamin C, and 100 times the RDA for vitamin E.

Animal Pak provides all of the essential amino acids, or EAAs, and the branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, which are building blocks of protein that may enhance athletic activity. A study published in the March 2011 issue of "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness" found that BCAA supplementation could improve endurance and increase the amount of fat your body burns for fuel during exercise.

Animal Pak contains a performance complex that includes a number of herbal ingredients, such as milk thistle, ginseng and inositol. These ingredients may support intense athletic endeavors, as research from the March 2011 edition of "The American Journal of Chinese Medicine" found ginseng to be effective in reducing muscle damage associated with hill running.

Animal Pak provides several antioxidant ingredients, such as lycopene, alpha lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10. Antioxidants protect your body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are produced by bodily stresses, such as exercise.

If you engage in intense training, you will burn a lot of calories, which means you'll need to eat more to support your activity. If you are not used to eating so much, you may experience digestive discomfort, which makes the addition of enzymes such as lipase, inulin and papain potentially beneficial.

You can BUY Animal Pak at IHERB.COM

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The Health Benefits of Psyllium

What is psyllium?

Psyllium is a form of fiber made from the husks of the Plantago ovata plant’s seeds. It sometimes goes by the name ispaghula.

It’s most commonly known as a laxative. However, research shows that taking psyllium is beneficial to many parts of the human body, including the heart and the pancreas.

Your bathroom buddy

Psyllium is a bulk-forming laxative. This means it soaks up water in your gut and makes bowel movements much easier. It also helps promote regularity without increasing flatulence. It can be used as a one-off to ease constipation, or it can be added to your diet to help promote regularity and overall digestive health.

People with irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease are all too familiar with the banes of the bathroom. The results of studies on psyllium’s effectiveness in treating these conditions are still mixed.

Some research has shown that consuming 7.9 grams of psyllium per day (+/- 3.6 grams) with probiotics is a safe and effective way to treat Crohn’s disease. However, other results show soluble fiber like psyllium can make symptoms worse for some people.

Besides keeping your bowel movements regular and managing a chronic condition, psyllium has the ability to soften your stool. This can come in handy with short-term ailments, such as constipation. Used in this way, it can prevent complications of constipation, such as hemorrhoids and anal fissures.

Preliminary research shows that psyllium may help the painful symptoms associated with these conditions. Since there is no real scientific consensus, talk to your doctor to see if psyllium could help you.

Heart health

Research has shown that taking soluble fiber can help people manage their cholesterol levels. Proper cholesterol regulation is important for everyone, but vital for people over the age of 50. One study shows that at least 6 weeks of daily psyllium intake is an effective way for people who are obese or overweight to lower their cholesterol with very few side effects.

If you’ve been told that you need to watch your cholesterol, ask your doctor if adding psyllium to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet will help you.

High cholesterol is merely one way a bad diet can affect your heart. Numerous studies have shown that fiber like psyllium, taken as part of a healthy diet, can help lower a person’s risk of heart disease. Psyllium can affect your heart by lowering blood pressure, improving lipid levels, and strengthening heart muscle.

Watching your weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is a concern for many people, especially those with a chronic condition like diabetes. Besides being good for your heart and blood sugar levels, psyllium may help you lose weight.

Because psyllium absorbs liquid in your body, it can help give you a feeling of being full. This can help you control the amount of food you eat. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking psyllium if they have suggested you lose weight.

Diabetes

People with diabetes are constantly watching their diet to maintain a healthy balance of insulin and blood sugar (glucose). Some research has suggested that fibers like psyllium can help people maintain a healthy glycemic balance.

One study found that taking 5 grams of psyllium twice a day can help patients with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. Another study of men with type 2 diabetes found similar results, but stressed that psyllium therapy should be tailored to the individual.

How can I get psyllium?

Psyllium is most commonly consumed in powder or wafer form. It is also available in capsules, granules, and in liquid form. It is the main ingredient in many over-the-counter laxatives

Follow the directions on packaging, and remember that a key component of psyllium’s work in your lower intestine is its ability to soak up liquid, so make sure to drink plenty of water daily.

You can find Psyllium Husk products at IHERB.COM

Monday, March 27, 2017

Making your own natural beauty products

Making your own natural beauty products is fun, and it’s a great way to save money and avoid the toxic stuff that shows up in a lot of beauty products. You can find these ingredients and other food items (organic, without GMOs, paraben-free, toxin-free) at iHerb.com.

This face mask is easy to make, and it is perfect for all skin types – from super oily, sensitive and acne-prone (like mine) to dry, mature or damaged skin.

Ingredients:Green Tea
Manuka honey (optional)
Vitamin E oil
Coconut oil
Turmeric (optional)

Instructions:

First heat about 1/4 cup of water to near boiling (I use a 900 watt microwave and heat for about 2 minutes).

Add a green tea bag to your cup of water. I like Yogi Tea Green Tea Super Antioxidant for drinking of course, but it’s also perfect for this facial mask recipe because it’s got added herbs that are full of antioxidants and other nutrients (grapeseed extract, amla extract, jasmine, burdock root, dandelion, irish moss, alfalfa leaf, lemongrass and licorice root). I love the licorice root for brightening and reducing the look of red and brown spots.

Let it steep for about 60 seconds and then add a tablespoon of manuka honey. This is optional if you’re vegan or allergic to honey. I love PRI manuka honey in my tea, and it’s also perfect for hydrating skin and killing bacteria. This ingredient is perfect for acne-sufferers like myself.

Next, add a tablespoon of coconut oil (I’m using Spectrum organic coconut oil). I think everyone knows how great coconut oil is for all skin types. It helps with dry or oily skin, and doesn’t clog pores – especially if you use it as a rinse-off mask instead of a moisturizer. If your skin is over-producing sebum because you keep drying it out with acne medication, this will help! It’s also a natural bacteria killer.

Next, add a teaspoon of Vitamin E oil. I’m using a very concentrated version – Sundown Naturals Vitamin E Oil 70,000 IU. Because it’s so concentrated, it has major skin healing and moisturizing properties. But it’s also very sticky (like honey), so dissolving it in your face mask will help it apply easily (I also use it as a spot treatment at night to heal acne spots). There’s no mineral oil or anything in the Sundown Naturals Vit E oil – just pure Vitamin E!

Finally, add a teaspoon of turmeric. I’m using Simply Organic Turmeric, which is organic (hence the name!) and very inexpensive. So, here’s the deal with turmeric – it’s a great antioxidant and is really great at reducing inflammation (which is a major issue for those with acne). BUT – it will stain! You want to be careful not to get it on any clothing or nice towels. And it will stain your face unless you follow the mask with a good face wash or scrub. It’s so good for your skin, but if you have to go somewhere right after your mask, you might want to save it for cooking instead!

When you’re done mixing all the ingredients, let it cool for an hour or two. Don’t put it in the fridge, or it could harden up and then you’d need to heat it up again. It’s not going to be pretty, but your skin will thank you for it! You may have to add more of the thicker ingredients (honey, coconut oil, Vit E oil) if it’s too watery. Mine came out as a sort of watery paste that I was able to apply with my fingertips. I left mine on during my workout for about 45 minutes (mostly to test it for you guys – to make sure it wouldn’t stain my face and make me yellow forever!), but you only need to leave it on for 15 minutes or so. And voila! Happy skin face mask!

You can pick up all these products and mask ingredients at iHerb.com. As I mentioned before, I’ve been a customer for YEARS and I find that they pretty much always have what I’m looking for. They sell over 35,000 products, so I mean – if you need it, they most likely have it! Plus, they ship to over 160 countries. iHerb is also a Google trusted store and you can talk to customer service in 10 different languages. Pretty impressive! If you’re a new customer, click here to get $5 0ff your first order.