Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 December 2013

16 Great Reasons To Have Daily Sex


Stressed, burdened with life's difficult problems and fear that your health is declining? Then sex is the answer to happiness, longevity and a healthy body. You don't agree? 

Well, here is a list of the health benefits of sex, so do it daily to experience complete pleasure. These are 16 reasons to have sex today!

1. De-stress Sex helps you reduce stress. When deep breathing exercises fail to de-stress you, sex will do the needful. During sex your body produces dopamine, a substance that fights stress hormones, endorphins, aka "happiness hormones" and oxytocin, a desire-enhancing hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. In a study, published in the Public Library of Science journal, three neuroscience researchers conducted a test on male rats and found that the sexually active rats were less anxious than rats with no sexual activity.

2. Great Form of Exercise Making love is a form of physical activity. During intercourse, the physiological changes in your body are consistent with a workout. You must have noticed that the respiratory rate rises, which means you get tired. Hence, you burn calories. If you have sex three times a week for 15 minutes (but we know you can do better than that) you'll burn about 7.500 calories in a year. That's the equivalent of jogging 75 miles! Heavy breathing raises the amount of oxygen in your cells, and the testosterone produced during sex keeps your bones and muscles strong.

 3. Lowers high blood pressure Hugs and sex can improve your blood pressure. Sex reduces diastolic blood pressure, that is, the bottom number while reading blood pressure. Researchers with the University of Paisley conducted an experiment on the same. They concluded that sex improves blood pressure.

 4. Builds your immunity Trying to fight the sniffles? Sex is the answer to fight cold and other health problems; sex can boost your immunity. Immunoglobulin A, an antigen that fights the flu increases when the frequency of sex increases.

5. Makes You Look Younger Making love three times a week can make you look 10 years younger, claims a Scottish researcher. "It's good for you to have good sex," says David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, whose study on the effects of sex on aging appears in his book, Secrets of the Superyoung.

6. Healthy heart Sex helps you burn calories but it can also improve your heart. Sex will take care of stroke and heart attacks, you just have to enjoy the moment. Scientists with New England Research Institute examined the effect of sex on the heart. The study concluded that men are 45 percent less likely to experience cardiovascular diseases. But the study fails to study the effect of sex on a woman's heart. 

7. Pain relief Pleasure is the measure to beat out the pain. Do you experience migraines and body pain? Well sex is the answer. But if you experience back pain, it is best to consult a doctor. Dr. George E. Erlich, an arthritis specialist from Philadelphia conducted a study on the link between arthritis and sex. He narrows down that patients who engaged in sex experienced less pain. 

8. Builds trust and intimacy The act of sex spikes the hormone oxytocin; this hormone is responsible for your happiness and love. If your feel your relationship is falling out, there is trust or you're worried that your partner will stray away, then sex will dispel these doubts. The hormone oxytocin builds trust and brings couples closer, and cupid too

9. Less chances of cancer Regular ejaculation reduces your chances of developing prostate cancer. In an Australian study men who ejaculated 21 times a month were least likely to develop cancer. It is further supported by other researches that sexual intercourse reduces the risk of prostrate cancer.

10. Stronger pelvic muscles Sex involves the use of several muscles; hence regular sexual intercourse can help you develop stronger pelvic muscles. Further, since the act of sex involves a range of muscles, it also helps strengthen these muscles - for ex: quads, your core, and the upper back. Through regular sex, you can also maintain a strong bladder and bowel function. Strong muscles, calorie burner, improves heart health - sex seems to take care of you.

11. Prostate Protection Most of the fluid you ejaculate is secreted by the prostate gland. If you stop ejaculating, the fluid stays in the gland, which tends to swell, causing lots of problems. Regular ejaculation will wash those fluids out and ensure the well being of your prostate until old age. Problems may also occur when you suddenly change the frequency of ejaculations. 

12. Induces sleep After that great, lovely workout you are bound to get good sleep. But guess what? Sex works the same way as exercise. The increased heart rate leads to increased post-coital relaxation. Sex could be the next thing for insomniacs! So what really happens: - Sex can relax you, hence if you are already tired, the act of sex will induce sleep. - When men ejaculate they become lethargic, this can make them sleepy. 

13. Regular periods Apparently sex can improve your menstrual cycle. Sex regulates hormones, which in turn regulate the menstrual cycle. Sex reduces stress, which is one of the reasons women miss their periods. Sex seems like a better option than pills.

14. Prevents Erectile Dysfunctions Fifty per cent of men older than 40 suffer from erectile dysfunctions and all young men fear the moment when they won't be able to get it up any more. The best medicine against impotence is...sex. An erection keeps the blood flowing through your penile arteries, so the tissue stays healthy. Plus, doctors compare an erection to an athletic reflex: the more you train the more capable you are to perform. 

15. Live longer A healthy heart, stronger muscles, increased circulation of oxygen and happiness are some of the factors that add life to the years and as a result - years to your life. A study published in the British Medical Journal reveals that men who engaged in sex often live twice as those who rarely had any action. 

16. Healthier semen If you're trying to conceive, you increase the volume of semen if you have sex regularly. Regular sex replaces old sperms from the testicles. If there is a natural build of sperms it can lead to DNA damage. 

Source: Prevent Disease 

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

This Simple Test Could Predict How Long You Will Live


















It’s a question we often ponder, especially as we age: How many years do I have left?


Well, thanks to Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araujo, there’s now a simple test you can perform right at home, in just a few seconds, that could predict how many years you have left to live, according to Discover.

Araujo came up with the test after noticing that many of his patients,
especially older ones, often have difficulty with simple feats of balance and strength, such as picking up something off the floor or getting up out of a chair. Since balance and conditioning problems are known to increase the risk of dangerous falls and accidents (and can also harm cardiovascular health), he wondered if a patient’s flexibility, balance and strength could be used as a measure of life expectancy.

His idea was that patients might be more motivated to get in better shape if they had a more tangible way of conceptualizing how their overall health was being affected by their conditioning. If a patient is simply told to get in shape, they’re not likely to change their behavior. But if they’re told “if you don’t get into better shape, you could be dead in five years,” they’re apt to take notice.

Of course, the test also needed to be simple. If it required expensive equipment or measuring devices, the test probably wouldn’t be accessible to many people. So Araujo and colleagues developed the sitting-rise test, or SRT. It requires no equipment whatsoever and can be performed in seconds.

In fact, you can grab a friend try the test out yourself right now. It’s recommended that you wear loose or comfortable clothing. Begin by standing upright in the middle of a room. Without using your arms or hands for leverage, carefully squat into a cross-legged sitting position. Once you’re comfortable, attempt to stand back up from the sitting position — again, without using your arms for help. A simple illustration (above), provided by Discover, can help you to visualize the steps.

The test is scored on a point scale between 1 and 10 (5 points for sitting, 5 more points for standing back up). Each time you use an arm or knee to help in balancing during the test, you subtract one point from 10 possible points. Half a point is subtracted each time you lose balance, or when the fluidity of the feat becomes clumsy.

It seems like a pretty rudimentary test of conditioning, but Araujo found that it could predict life expectancy with alarming accuracy. He tested it on more than 2,000 of his patients aged 51 to 80, and found that people who scored less than 8 points on the test were twice as likely to die within the next six years. Those who scored three points or less were five times more likely to die within that same time period. Overall, each point achieved in the test accounted for a 21-percent decrease in mortality.

Araujo’s study was only performed on patients older than 50, so the results won’t mean the same thing for younger individuals taking the test. But regardless of your age, the test should provide a useful benchmark for your overall health. If you’re younger than 50 and have trouble with the test, it ought to be a wake-up call. The good news is that the younger you are, the more time you have to get into better shape.

Source : www.mnn.com



Wednesday, 19 June 2013

15 Foods That Kill Belly Fat

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15 FOODS THAT KILL BELLY FAT - 
There  are some foods that actually help you lose weight. We all know losing weight can be difficult, but with the right diet and exercise you can easily lose weight naturally.
There are certain foods that KILL belly fat and others that CAUSE belly fat and belly bulge.Here are 15 that will help flatten that bulge:
1. Avocados: These little suckers are loaded with two nutrients that are KEY to killing belly fat: hunger-crushing fiber 11 to 17 grams per avocado!, and monounsaturated fats, which studies have shown to actually “spot reduce” belly fat. Zowie!


2. Peanut Butter: Okay, not just peanut butter, but mostly any seeds and nuts and these are the best: pistachios, walnuts, almonds (or almond butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Why? They keep you full and satisfied for long periods of time, and they’re stuffed with healthy, belly-burning fats and minerals.

3. Crisco: KIDDING! Just seeing if you were paying attention. That stuff is deadly. Healthy oils like olive oil, coconut oil and brand names like Udo’s Oil and Barlean’s Oil (I like the swirl flavors) actually help you burn fat by supplying healthy oils your body needs to burn body blubber.

4. These Veggies: I’ve got to thank my buddy Mike Geary for this one. Turns out certain vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, and cabbage contain special phytonutrients, such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which help to fight against environmental estrogens that can add belly fat. Mom was right…eat your veggies!

5. Omelets: Eggs aren’t bad, they’re nutrient-dense and loaded with belly-burning protein, vitamins B6, B12, A, D, E, and K, folate, choline, lutein, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, they keep you full for long periods of time. Choose eggs that come from free-range chickens. You’ll get more healthy nutrients.

6. Dark Chocolate: That is not a typo. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants with nearly eight times the number found in strawberries and it contains stimulants that can have a positive effect on fat burning, including theobromine and caffeine. It also contains a nice dose of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat. Make sure to choose the 78% or higher cocoa levels for best results.

7. Oatmeal: Packed with fiber and whole-grain goodness, you can’t go wrong. Just be sure to avoid the processed, high-sugar junk out there and stick to slow-cook oats. Add a dash of cinnamon, some walnuts, berries, and a natural sweetener to taste. BAM! Good stuff.

8. Green Tea: Not only does it contain a potent antioxidant, many scientific studies have linked green tea to increased fat burning, including a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found green tea extract boosted the daytime metabolism of test subjects by 35- 43%.

9. Beans: Black beans, navy beans, refried beans, and lima beans all have 6 or more grams of fiber per ½ cup. Fiber can clean your system of pounds of “toxic waste” and reduce your belly bulge in a big way. See #5 for details.

10. Berries: Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are loaded with fiber, which slows sugar absorption, and they’re packed with vitamins that can fight cravings. Note: cravings can come from vitamin deficiencies.

11. Cinnamon: Researchers have found that cinnamon contains a type of antioxidant that increases insulin sensitivity and effectively helps to stabilize blood sugar. Bottom line…you’ll store less belly fat.

12. Chilli Peppers: Studies have shown that the active ingredient in chili peppers and powder, something called capsaicin, increases calorie-burning, stabilizes blood sugar levels which decreases fat storage, and is a potent antioxidant. Add some of this “spice” to your life.

13. Yogurt: Most regular yogurt is bad for your belly. It’s loaded with belly-bulging sugar that you want to avoid. However, Greek yogurts like Stoneyfield Farms Oikos Greek Yogurt -plain- are loaded with probiotics that fight belly bulge. See #6.

14. Wild Salmon: Hands-down one of the best belly-blasting foods because of its protein and high omega-3 fatty acid content. This is like a “double shotgun approach” to killing belly fat. Many people are deficient in omega-3s and when they add them to their diet the fat can really start coming off.

15. Giant Turkey Legs: You got me. I’m pulling your leg. (Get it?) I’m not just talking about turkey meat (white preferred), but any lean protein source is a good belly-blasting food. This includes wild salmon, free-range chicken, whey protein powders, and most especially grass-fed beef because it contains natural CLA—a fat that studies have actually shown to burn fat. The interesting thing about protein is your body will burn off as much as 30% of its calories after you eat it.


Source : Dave Sommers