Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Larry L. Taylor


Can resveratrol “rebuild” the cells of the body?  This article looks at the facts presented in the most recent studies.  Some of the advertising claims that supplement manufacturers use are not exactly factual.  There is no doubt that resveratrol consumption is good for you, depending on how you consume it, but it is not the only nutrient that you need to protect  your body cells and extend your natural lifespan.

As an antioxidant, resveratrol protects the cells of the body from free radical damage, the primary, but not the only cause of aging.  Other nutrients, such as carnosine are needed to protect the cells from glycation, which is worse than free radical damage, because it causes the formation of toxins, which has a detrimental cascading effect that includes further free radical damage.

 

To date, most of the studies have been conducted using cell lines in the laboratory or animal models.  Some of the information that you will find on the internet is outdated.  Recently, I read one overview stating that more animal studies were needed.  That review was 10 years old and had not been updated or replaced or removed, which is not unusual.

Numerous animal studies have now been conducted, as well as the studies using human volunteers.  One of the major pharmaceutical companies is developing a resveratrol-based drug to treat type II diabetes.  In the future, there may be numerous drugs based on this antioxidant.  For those of us that simply want to protect our long-term health, supplementation is the answer.  The antioxidant occurs naturally in red wine, but drinking more red wine is not the answer, for numerous reasons, including the health of the liver.

What do the studies show?  There are thousands of them.  So, there’s no way to list all of the results here, but I’ll try to cover the basics.

Bone Cell Health—in animal studies, adding resveratrol to the diet increased the animals bone density—in cattle showing degeneration of the spinal discs, the antioxidant slowed the degeneration—reduces inflammation

Brain Cell and Nerve Cell Health—may prove useful in treating Alzheimer’s, as it protects the nerves from free radical damage—beneficial in treating multiple sclerosis in rodents—enhances balance and coordination

Heart Cell Health—improves the function of the heart and reduces cholesterol levels

Cancer Prevention—protects against head, neck, breast, lung and prostate cancer

DNA Damage

According to researchers at Harvard, DNA damage is the “universal” cause of aging in animals.  The DNA within the cells contains numerous genes.  Some of them signal that it is time for the cell to die.  This is necessary when a cancer cell forms.  Sirtuins are molecules within the cells of the body that insure that these genes do not signal the death of healthy cells.  Resveratrol activates sirtuins, preventing the death of healthy cells. 

Resveratrol Supports Body Cell Rebuilding

So, it does not actually “rebuild” cells, it supports your body’s ability to reproduce healthy cells and protects the DNA within the cells from damage.   For supplementation, your best bet is a multi-nutritional supplement that contains resveratrol, carnosine and the basic nutrients that the cells of the body need to function “optimally”.  For more information see my website on Healthy Body Supplements – Larry L. Taylor



Longevity and Health Now

Guest Author: Arvind


It is believed that on an average, an email user receives more than 2000 Spam emails every year! By certain accounts, an email user receives more than 77 percent of the mail as spam – which is around 10 out of every 13 emails you receive! More than two-thirds of the email passing through the air waves are pure junk – unwanted and unsolicited. It, therefore, becomes imperative that you chose the right anti-spam software that meets with your requirements.

Spam happens to be one of the biggest disadvantages of using communication channels through the Internet. There is every need to find ways to separate the wanted emails from the unwanted and unsolicited ones. Choosing the correct anti-spam software or Spam filter is the right way to cut down on the spam you receive.

Handling Spam

The amount of spam you can detect and delete depends on the type of screening your emails go through. Many anti-spam software have a multi-level of email screening, which is worth the money you spend. You can even select a trail version or free anti Spam software to sample what it does and then you can opt for a full version with enhanced features and full functionality.

One of the best places to trap and eliminate spam is at the servers that receive, forward, and send the emails. You, of course, have no control over the type of anti-spam handling done by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). To handle spam, there are particular services available to filter them. For a nominal amount each month, a particular service inspects and cleans your inbox. Another service involves forwarding your complete inbox to their servers, where the clean up occurs as emails arrive.

As personal spam blockers, a number of anti-spam software are available from reputed anti-spam suppliers, such as Symantec, McAfee, eScan, PC Mantra etc to name a few. Such software capture and inspect all emails coming in before allowing the clean ones into your inbox.

The type of anti-spam software you select will depend on the volume of emails you handle. It will also depend on the budget you allot to the anti-spam program. The best anti-spam software for you should have the following features, among many others:

• It should allow you to see who the sender of the email is, the subject, and the attachment. You can then decide whether to delete the email or accept it.

• A chance to preview the message before downloading it. This will enable you to delete if you do not like the message.

• The feature that allows you to bounce back the spam email is a great way to let the sender think that your email address is no longer valid. This would probably make them remove you from their mailing list!

There are a number of anti-spam software available with a number of online suppliers that you need to explore, to select the best that is suitable for your needs.

Guest Author: Tim Kraines


What are anti-lock brakes? Not many people know about them, but anti-lock brakes are something that almost everyone uses every time they step into a vehicle. Anti-lock brakes are an extremely helpful system of braking that makes stopping a great deal easier than it would be otherwise.

The main problem with brakes that are not anti-lock is that they have a tendency to lock up when a rapid stop is required. A wheel that is skidding does not have as much traction as one that is not skidding. Hence, anti-lock brakes keep brakes from locking up and reducing the amount of traction the wheels have.

The difference between stopping with anti-lock brakes and without anti-lock brakes is tremendous. An average driver using anti-lock brakes will be able to stop faster and with more control than a professional driver who is not using anti-lock brakes. That is a major difference.

Every anti-lock brake system has four main components: speed sensors, a pump, valves, and a controller. Speed sensors are located at each wheel. These sensors let the car’s built-in computer know when a wheel is about to lock up. The valves serve the important role of regulating the force at which each individual brake can be applied.

The valves have three standard positions in which they regulate the brake pressure. When a valve is in open position, pressure from the master cylinder is allowed to pass through to the brake. This allows the brake pressure to increase. When a valve is blocking the brake line, it does not allow more pressure to be applied even if the driver pushes the brake harder. A valve can also be somewhere between the open and closed positions in order to release some pressure from a brake.

The pump works with the valves to help regulate brake pressure. When a valve releases pressure from a brake, the pump is ready to raise the pressure back if it is needed. All of these parts work together with the controller, which is the car’s computer. When things function properly, the car’s computer is able to adjust the amount of brake pressure on each brake. The end result is a rapid deceleration that does not cause the wheels to lock up.

Brakes lock up because a wheel can stop much faster than a vehicle can. It can take five seconds or more for a car moving at 60 mph to come to a complete stop. A wheel, on the other hand, can come to a complete stop within one second. A car’s computer observes the speed at which wheels are accelerating and decelerating. When the computer sees that a wheel is decelerating much faster than is possible, the computer causes the valve that is on that wheel’s brake line to close. This prevents the driver’s mashing the brake pedal down from locking up all of the wheels.

Anti-lock brakes are beautifully engineered devices that are used in almost all vehicles now. When functioning properly, they allow rapid decelerations without wheels locking up. This makes driving safer for everyone.

Source: http://www.abccarparts.com/



Fountain Of Youth

Guest Author: The_Trainer


1. When you do weight training first, you have more energy and strength for that weight training.

I know cardio junkies won’t want to hear this, but intense, QUALITY weight training is actually MORE effective for fat loss than cardio training. Why the emphasis on quality? Well, if you go to the gym and just flail around with light weights for 30 minutes, it’s not really going to be very effective for fat loss.

However, if you really put some effort into it and train hard, the metabolic boost you get from weight training (in terms of not only calories burned while doing it but the increase in metabolism after AND the increase in muscle mass you get from weight training) is greater than the boost you get from cardio training. And, when compared to slow, long-duration cardio training, that boost is MUCH greater.

So by performing your weight training FIRST, while you’re fresh, you’re going to have more energy to put into it and you’re going to be stronger. This will increase metabolic and muscle mass stimulation and therefore overall fat loss. It’s a win-win situation!

That’s not to say you can’t do a couple of minutes of cardio as a general warm-up before starting into the weights…just don’t do an entire cardio session before weight training. Always keep in mind that the weight training is the REAL engine behind your fat loss efforts.

And if THAT isn’t enough to convince you to do cardio after weights, I’ve got another reason for you…

2. Performing weight training first decreases available blood sugar and puts the body in “fat burning” mode.

When you train with weights, you’re performing short, intense muscle contractions. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred fuel for driving these intense contractions. As you go through your workout, your body gradually uses up its readily-available supply of sugars and starts mobilizing fat for energy.

Here’s the key…mobilizing bodyfat for energy is a process that takes time. If you do your cardio first, your body will be initially working on that blood sugar before getting started on the bodyfat. By the time you’re done with cardio and move to weights, THAT is when you’re in the optimal fat-burning mode.

But the problem is, fat is NOT an efficient fuel for weight training. By doing cardio first, you use up all the “good” stuff for weight training and force your body to make do with a less powerful fuel source. Your weight training workouts will decrease in quality and your cardio efforts won’t be as effective for achieving fat-burning, which is your primary goal!

So basically, you’re shooting yourself in the foot TWICE!

Think of your body as a hybrid gas-electric car. This car uses gas to provide more power for acceleration and electricity to provide long-term power for maintaining speed.

Now think of blood sugar as gas and weight training as powerful acceleration. When you press the pedal (performing weight training), you’re going to get much better acceleration when you’re using the proper fuel (i.e. gas).

If you try and power the acceleration with electricity, you’ll go forward but not nearly as quickly as if you were using gas.

The bottom line is this…perform your weight training first so you use up the “fast” energy first. Then, by the time you hit the cardio, you’re ALREADY in fat-burning mode and every single second you’re doing that cardio is going to be burning more fat than if you did it first.

—

These two reasons apply no matter if you’re doing slower, long-duration cardio or high-intensity interval training (which I recommend). The key thing to keep in mind is that WEIGHT TRAINING is what’s going to help you change your body FAST…cardio is a useful tool for improving your results but it’s NOT what drives your fat-loss results.

And that being said, if you absolutely feel you MUST do your cardio first, I’m NOT going to tell you it’s the worst thing in the world…the fact that you’re doing SOMETHING trumps doing nothing ANY day of the week!

But if you’re looking for maximum impact for the time and effort you’re putting your training, DEFINITELY hit the weights first and cardio after.

If you’re interested in more articles and information on fat-loss, interval training and programs, check out the following links:

How To Lose Fat NOW

Gain Muscle & Loss Fat





Look 10 Years Younger

Guest Author: Dane Cramer


What is Resveratrol

Resveratrol is becoming a more popular supplement these days. It’s a supplement that promotes antioxidant health by fighting against the effects of free radical damage. As a powerful antioxidant, a typical 50mg capsule or soft-gel supplies more resveratrol than you would receive from a typical bottle of red wine, and without the calories or side effects of alcohol. Some other sources of resveratrol include; red and purple grape juice, cocoa and dark chocolate products.

Resveratrol Side Effects

One study has theorized that it may stimulate the growth of human breast cancer; however, other studies have found that resveratrol actually fights breast cancer.

Some studies suggest that resveratrol slows the development of blood vessels, which suppresses tumors, but also slows healing. Some retailers advise that it may interfere with oral contraceptives and that women who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant should not use the product or to be taken by children or young adults under eighteen.

Resveratrol Origin

Resveratrol supplements are produced by chemical synthesis primarity from the Japanese knotweed.

Resveratrol for Anti-Aging

Research has shown anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering and other beneficial cardiovascular effects on mice. Resveratrol also extended the life of yeast, fruit flies, nematode worms and short living fish but it did not increase the life span of mice.

Using a short-lived fish with a median life span of nine weeks, they found that a maximal dose of resveratrol increased the median lifespan by about 50% and the fish also showed better swimming activity and better ability to avoid an unpleasant stimulus.

Resveratrol for Cancer

Scientists reported that topical resveratrol applications prevented the skin cancer development in mice treated with a carcinogen. There have since been dozens of studies of the anti-cancer activity of resveratrol in animal models. No results of human clinical trials for cancer have been reported. However, clinical trials to investigate the effects on colon cancer and melanoma (skin cancer) are currently recruiting patients.

Resveratrol for Alzheimer’s

Recently researchers reported that dietary supplementation with resveratrol significantly reduced plaque formation in animal brains, a component of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. This is theorized that this is because resveratrol has the ability to chelate (remove) copper. It is also theorized that resveratrol may eventually be used to help reduce aging changes in the brain.



Become Wrinkle Free NOW

Guest Author: Alien


Yoga for Toning Your Body



Yoga in these days is becoming popular and is practiced by people mainly for its health benefits. The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “union,” which means ‘to join.’

It aims for the great union of the body, mind, and spirit through a system of postures, breathing exercises, meditation. It refers to far more than these. In reality, it includes a wide range of disciplines designed to eventually bring the practitioners closer to god.

The yoga classes are usually longer than any other exercise classes because practicing yoga generally needs two to three hours. During a yoga session, your yoga instructor will guide you a series of yoga poses, where you will find many for the yoga positions with simple names such as ‘the plank,’ ‘the cat,’ or ‘the warrior.’

Yoga, when compared to other classes, is based on perfection and many yoga practitioners expend large amounts of their time in getting the positions perfect. Many instructors make use of definite terminology in their sessions.

You may feel overwhelmed in the beginning with terms such as asana, pranayama or pratyahara. So, do not allow these put you off, as it is not essential to learn and master all yoga terminology.

Benefits of Yoga

The benefits of yoga are countless. The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. Hence yoga is considered therapeutic or beneficial. Yoga helps to increase one’s body flexibility. It also helps to increase the muscle and tendon suppleness, as a result decreasing your risk of injuries.

It can also helps to combat against certain illnesses, and there are some reliable researches proving that it aids in controlling certain illnesses such as headaches, arthritis, stress, anxiety, blood pressure, asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, epilepsy, diabetes and many more.

Practicing yoga doesn’t increase the aerobic fitness of your body, apart from ‘ashtanga yoga’, so it is better to combine yoga sessions with aerobic type of exercises such as brisk walking or jogging. The ultimate aim is to manage the breathing and reduce stress through meditation.

Types of Yoga

Yoga is all about poses, breathing exercises and meditation. There are many types of yoga that are available to practice regularly in order to maintain a healthy body and though no type particularly is harder.

So, it is wise to ensure how experienced your yoga class is prior to join. Generally, beginner’s classes are more available.

Here are some of the types of yoga:

Hatha Yoga

‘Hatha’ is a type of yoga that is an overall term for the physical part of yoga. Hatha yoga is suggested for the yoga beginners. Hatha covers most types of yoga and a class that is known as Hatha Yoga, is usually a balanced and moderately concentrated.

Yoga posture and breathing exercises will be practiced. It’s best to gain knowledge of yoga fundamentals before moving to other type.

Iyengar Yoga

This is one of the Hatha yoga styles, which needs to practice with the body alignment and focusing on the way to understand the body and its work. There is very little focus on breathing exercises and meditation for starting levels. The primary importance is on proper alignment, mainly for the spine and core of the body.

This Hatha yoga style makes use of some supports such as yoga blankets, yoga blocks, and yoga straps in order to bring your body into a proper alignment. Practitioners will hold the yoga poses for longer periods of time than other types of yoga.

Astanga Yoga

Ashtanga is an interesting one among all Hatha yoga styles, which is a series of yoga poses that always practiced in the same order. Astanga yoga is a physically demanding workout. Astanga yoga practitioners practice these postures in a continual flow linking their movements from breath to breath.

Practicing this type of yoga will develop the body strength, stamina and flexibility. It is also called as power yoga. Those who want to practice this type of yoga can fit it easier if they are physically fit.

Guest Author: Yuri Elkaim


The goal in any fat loss exercise regimen is to choose activities that consume large amounts of oxygen. This is because the body burns 5 calories for every liter of oxygen that it consumes.

Therefore, what do you think would be the best type of cardio to do for fat loss?

Well, let’s look at the typical options. Running, biking, swimming, elliptical, rowing, walking, stair climbing/stair master, upper body ergometer, and obviously many outdoor sports such as cross-country skiing.

So there are many forms of cardio to choose from and they all work. It’s important to always remember that. All forms of exercise will work in the long run given the right training program and consistent effort.

But we’re interested in not only what works but works what best for burning fat! We want to get the best bang for our buck, right?

Since the goal is to maximize oxygen consumption (and thus VO2) it is essential to find activities that will recruit the greatest amount of muscle. This is because the more muscle that is needed to perform an activity or movement, the more oxygen that will be needed to supply those working muscles. Make sense?

Oxygen is the precursor to all the energy your body produces. Your working muscles need oxygen otherwise they will quickly fatigue and will be unable to perform their functions.

It is well known that athletes in sports that require large amounts of muscle have the highest VO2 max (maximum aerobic capacity) because their sports demand a massive supply of oxygen to their working muscles. As such, the highest VO2 max on record exist not in runners (as many would think) but rather cross-country skiers and rowers.

Think about that for a second. Both cross-country skiing and rowing involve just about muscle in the body working against resistance. Both the upper body and lower body muscles are pushing and pulling a given resistance which makes these sports not only great aerobic training tools but also fantastic fat burning cardio machines.

If you’ve ever watched Olympic rowing you will have undoubtedly noticed towering men and women stacked with large and lean muscles. Most of the male rowers are upwards of 6′4” and 220 lbs of shear muscle, making them calorie-burning machines.

These male and female rowers can get away with their large frames because rowing is not a true weight-bearing sport. In fact, this terrific sport idealizes large muscular athletes because they can produce a lot of power, both aerobically and muscularly, through their large muscle mass.

However, If you took these same rowers and asked them to run at the same intensities at which they row, they would most likely have a difficult time – not only because of the specific nature of running but also because they would be “carrying” a lot of mass.

How many 6′4″, 220 lbs runners do you know of? Most runners are slim and slight. It simply makes their movement much easier. Less weight to carry means less effort. If you have a tough time envisioning this, then I encourage you to go for a run with a 20 lbs pack on your torso. You will immediately notice the difference.

Similarly, most cross-skiers don’t exhibit the same physical stature as rowers. However, their aerobic capacity is astronomical. Yet, they are more similar to runners in physical stature as cross-country skiing is a weight-bearing sport and thus does not reward athletes with lots of weight, even if it’s muscle.

Energy Expenditure (Calorie Burn) in Various Activities

Activity (per 1 hour)

130 lbs155 lbs190 lbs

Cycling, 10-12 mph

354

422

518

Cycling, 12-14 mph

472

563

690

Running, 5 mph

472

563

690

Running, 7 mph

679

809

992

X-Country Skiing, > 8mph

826

985

1208

Walking, 3 mph

207

246

302

Rowing, vigorous effort

561

669

819

As you can see from the above chart, running burns more calories than other activities, at the same intensity. It is therefore the most effective type of cardio for burning fat and helping you lose weight.

There are two main reasons for this.

First, running is weight bearing which means that the muscles of your lower body must work harder to support you and propel you forward; thus, expending more calories. Therefore, the heavier you are, the more calories you will burn (assuming equal intensity as someone who is lighter).

Second, running is one of the least efficient of human movements, which means that it produces a lot of heat/energy expenditure for its movement. This also means that a lot of calories are being spent. This is great for those who want to lose weight but not so great for those looking for efficient modes of movement.

But it makes sense if you think about it. Cycling is easier than running, right? That’s because cycling is one of the most mechanically efficient human movements, meaning that more of the energy you put into the movement actually results in movement (and not as much heat production as running!)

But we’re interested in what burns calories and fat, right? Therefore, running is your best option. Find me an overweight runner and I’ll be amazed.