Vitamins To Fight Stretch Marks

Unsightly pink or white stretch marks abound in body areas suchas the abdomen, breasts, legs, and buttocks of pregnant womenand people who have slimmed down or gained weight drastically.What are the causes of stretch marks, you may ask? Variousfactors contribute to the appearance of stretch marks:1.Pregnancy or sudden loss or gain of weight2.Natural growth because of adolescence3.Depression4.Nutrition deficiency5.Sudden change in environmental or physical conditionsAfter learning the root cause of why these annoying linessuddenly have shows up, you might be contemplating on how toget rid or at least prevent them, right?Ever considered surgery? You think it's too bloody or painful,for you? How about drinking medications that are supposed tocombat the appearance of stretch marks? How about VITAMINS? Doyou know what vitamins are known to avoid the ugly stretchmarks from lining one's skin? Here are three of the mostpopular anti-stretch mark vitamins:Vitamin E (Tocopherol)Vitamin E is an antioxidant which is believed to encourage skinhealing and scar reduction.People with post-operation stretch marks attest to the factthat Vitamin E oil capsules can help in making their stretchmarks fade away. Vitamin E is also a common key ingredient tolotion and creams that are said to fight stretch marks. Itsanti-inflammatory effect is theoretically known to attribute toits effect in working against aggravation of stretch marks.If you prefer eating natural source of Vitamin E, foods thathave it include:Sunflower seedsNutsSeabuckthorn berriesWhole grainsGreen leafy vegetablesPeanut butterFishVitamin A (Retinol)Vitamin is known for its effect on the growth of teeth andbones, correct functioning of epithelial cells, night vision,and reproduction. Vitamin A is also regarded as one of the bestvitamins guarding the skin.The derivatives of this vitamin are known as anti-agingsubstances that are easily absorbed thru the skin. Thiselevates the turnover of the skin and temporarily boostscollagen production, which in turn produces a youthfulappearance for the skin.Natural sources of vitamin A include spinach, carrots, kale,sweet potatoes, apricots, mango, liver, broccoli, eggs, sweetpepper, winter squash etc.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)Vitamin C is another antioxidant that aids in collagenproduction in connective tissues. It is also important in thesynthesis of hormones and theoretically helps in going againstcancer and in skin health and repair.Its natural sources include papaya, lemon, melon, raspberry,cauliflower, strawberry, grapefruit, orange, passion fruit,cabbage, cucumber, mother's and cow's milk, goats, etc.Vitamins A, C, and E are believed to be the best vitamins tofight stretch marks' appearance. However, they can't get rid orprevent stretch marks all by themselves. They are onlysupplements that help in making such endeavor possible. Asensible diet, regular exercise and avoiding losing and gainingweight drastically is still required to fully wage war againstthose unsightly skin problems known as stretch marks.They are often included as ingredients in lotions, creams andoils to augment one's regular skin maintenance. This is becauseaccording to studies, vitamins can't easily penetrate the deeperparts of the skin to repair stretch marks. Vehicles like otherplant and animal oils are believed to help in making that goalpossible.About The Author: For more information on stretch marksprevention, please visithttp://stretch-marks-prevention.com.This content is provided byLow Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all linksincluded.

Food Labelling and Your Health

Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply losing weight, you want to eat a healthy diet and focus on foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, and balanced in fats, carbs, proteins.There is only one way to incorporate healthy foods into our diet and that is to make the decision to do it! Practical information about the nutrition and safety of the foods we consume is absolutely vital in making this decision.One way to learn more about what we eat, is to snoop around the supermarket. Check-out package labels to see what manufactures are adding (or removing) from the foods we eat. Read the information on the package and start making comparisons to determine which foods are the best for YOU. Know about nutritional labeling and the sometimes sneaky ways that manufacturers have of hiding what is in the food. Know and understand ingredient declarations, how they are used, and what a few of the "technical" terms mean. Are the unfamiliar ingredients good or bad for your health?Since 1994 food manufacturers have been required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include food labels (or Nutrition Facts labels) on product packaging so that consumers have accurate nutritional information about the food they purchase. But food labels are more than just a federal requirement, once you understand the information they provide, you can use food labels as a guide to planning healthier meals and snacks.Food labels are required on almost all foods, except those that don't provide many nutrients such as coffee, alcohol and spices. Although some restaurants provide information about the food they serve, they aren't required to have labels. The FDA recommends that sellers provide nutritional information on produce, meat, poultry and seafood, but it's strictly voluntary.What Is a Serving?At the top of a food label under Nutrition Facts, you'll see the serving size and the number of servings in the package. The rest of the nutrition information in the label is based on one serving.Calories, Calories From Fat and Percent Daily ValuesThis part of a food label provides the calories per serving and the calories that come from fat. If you need to know the total number of calories you eat every day or the number of calories that come from fat, this section provides that information. Remember that this part of the label doesn't tell you whether you are eating saturated or unsaturated fat.On the right side of a food label, you'll see a column that lists percentages. These percentages refer to the percent daily values (%DV). Percent daily values tell you how much of something, whether it's fat, sugar or vitamin A, one serving will give you compared to how much you need for the entire day. It will help you gauge the percentage of a nutrient requirement met by one serving of the product. One way to use this section of the label is when you comparison shop. For example, if you're concerned with sodium, you can look at two foods and choose the food with the lower % DV. Are you trying to eat a low-fat diet? Look for foods that have a lower percent daily value of fat.The %DV is based on how much or how little of the key nutrients you should eat whether you eat 2,000 or 2,500 calories a day. So if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, you should eat less than 65 grams of fat in all the foods you eat for the day. If you're eating 12 grams of fat in your one serving of macaroni and cheese (remember that's one cup), you can calculate how much fat you have left for the day. You can use the bottom part of the food label in white to compare what you are eating to the % DV you're allowed for that nutrient, whether it's fat, sodium or fiber. If you need more or less than 2,000 or 2,500 calories, you'll need to adjust this accordingly.NutrientsFat, Sugar, Sodium and CarbohydrateThe sections on a food label shows the name of a nutrient and the amount of that nutrient provided by one serving of food. You may need to know this information, especially if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or are eating a diet that restricts certain nutrients such as sodium or carbohydrates.Food labels also include information about how much sugar and protein is in the food. If you are following a low-sugar diet or you're monitoring your protein intake, it's easy to spot how much of those nutrients are contained in one serving.Vitamins, Minerals and Other InformationThe light purple part of the label lists nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the food and their percent daily values. Try to average 100% DV every day for vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Do the opposite with fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Try to eat less than 100% DV of these.Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food LabelUntil you become accustomed to reading food labels, it's easy to become confused. Avoid these common mistakes when reading labels:-A label may say that the food is reduced fat or reduced sodium. That means that the amount of fat or sodium has been reduced by 25% from the original product. It doesn't mean, however, that the food is low in fat or sodium. For example, if a can of soup originally had 1,000 milligrams of sodium, the reduced sodium product would still be a high-sodium food.-Don't confuse the % DV for fat with the percentage of calories from fat. If the % DV is 15% that doesn't mean that 15% of the calories comes from fat. Rather, it means that you're using up 15% of all the fat you need for a day with one serving (based on a meal plan of 2,000 calories per day).-Don't make the mistake of assuming that the amount of sugar on a label means that the sugar has been added. For example, milk naturally has sugar, which is called lactose. But that doesn't mean you should stop drinking milk because milk is full of other important nutrients including calcium.Reading Label LingoIn addition to requiring that packaged foods contain a Nutrition Facts label, the FDA also regulates the use of phrases and terms used on the product packaging. Here's a list of common phrases you may see on your food packaging and what they actually mean.No fat or fat free - Contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving Lower or reduced fat: Contains at least 25 percent less per serving than the reference food. (An example might be reduced fat cream cheese, which would have at least 25 percent less fat than original cream cheese.)Low fat - Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving.Lite - Contains 1/3 the calories or 1/2 the fat per serving of the original version or a similar product.No calories or calorie free - Contains less than 5 calories per serving.Low calories - Contains 1/3 the calories of the original version or a similar product.Sugar free - Contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving.Reduced sugar - at least 25% less sugar per serving than the reference food.No preservatives - Contains no preservatives (chemical or natural).No preservatives added - Contains no added chemicals to preserve the product. Some of these products may contain natural preservatives.Low sodium - Contains less than 140 mgs of sodium per serving.No salt or salt free - Contains less than 5 mgs of sodium per serving.High fiber - 5 g or more per serving (Foods making high-fiber claims must meet the definition for low fat, or the level of total fat must appear next to the high-fiber claim).Good source of fiber - 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving.More or added fiber - Contains at least 2.5 g more per serving than the reference food.With a little practice, you will be able to put your new found knowledge about food labeling to work. Reassess your diet and decide what needs to be changed. Start by eliminating the foods that don't measure-up to your nutritional wants and needs, and replacing them with more nutritional substitutes.And while you're at it, visit the FDA website and learn about the new labeling requirements, including those for "trans" fat. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and increase your risk of heart disease. The "Nutrition Facts" panel on food packaging must provide this information beginning January 1, 2006, but most manufacturers will start providing it sooner.Detailed information about lactose intolerance is available at http://www.lactose-intolerance.co.uk/.

Burn Calories With Everyday Activities

When you think about exercise, do you automatically imagineyourself on a treadmill in a gym? Or doing laps in a swimmingpool? If so, you might be surprised to know just how manycalories you can burn doing everyday activities. Housework is one chore that everyone has to do at some point.Rather than dread it, proceed briskly through your chores andyou can have an excellent workout. A 150 lb person can spend asmuch as 140 calories by mopping the floor for a half hour.Vacuuming for 30 minutes spends about the same number ofcalories. Take off another 75 calories by ironing for a halfhour. Outdoor chores also provide great opportunities to burncalories. The same 150 pound person will burn 177 caloriespulling weeds for half and hour and another 120 calories mowingthe lawn. Because gardening often involves stretching andbending, it offers muscular as well as cardiovascular benefits.Save 300 calories by spending an hour washing your car. Baggingleaves and grass clippings burns 136 calories in 30 minutes. If you like to entertain, you can make up for that slice ofcake by cleaning up after the party. If it takes you an hour,you'll burn over 300 calories. If you wash the dishes as well,you'll burn another 152 calories. If you spend an hourrearranging furniture before and after your party, that's awhopping 450 calories. However, keep in mind that all theseactivities need to be performed at the same intensity levelover time in order to receive the full benefits. Still, even ifyou only burned half the estimated calories preparing for andcleaning up after your party, that would still be 500 caloriesworth of cake. Home improvement tasks can burn calories as well. An hour ofindoor painting burns 204 calories. Removing and installingcarpet spends calories in 30 minutes. Roofing burns a whopping400 calories an hour, just be sure you drink a lot of water ifyou're spending the day up on a hot roof. Even something as simple as going to the grocery store can be acalorie-burner. A half hour of brisk grocery shopping will spendabout 130 calories. If you walk a half hour to the store,subtract another 100 calories from your daily total. Just don'tspend all your savings on Oreos. If all else fails, simply sleeping for 8 hours burns 50calories.About The Author: Kadence Buchanan writes articles forhttp://yourfitnesssource.net/ - In addition, Kadence alsowrites articles for http://thenursingcenter.com/ andhttp://4aginginfo.com/

The Mediterranean Diet Part 2

Maybe this is why certain Mediterranean regions have low death rates from heart disease and cancer. In fact, scientists have discovered that the Greek island of Crete has the lowest such rates. Olive oil is widely used in these regions and has been proven to battle against cancer and disease of the heart. Scientists, however, have recently stumbled on an even more important finding. Additional research has shown that the diet of Cretans contains a certain wild plant that was also proven to be a powerful antioxidant. It is called purslane.Purslane contains a strong antioxidant called n-3 fatty acid, which has been shown in countless studies, to fight against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Furthermore, it was determined that their diet contained many other foods that are rich in n-3 fatty acids. These include fish, walnuts, figs, unrefined carbohydrates, as well as wild greens. And this explains why other regions in the area, that have a high olive oil intake, but lower n-3s in their diets, dont share the same low death incidences from the above diseases. Scientists have noted that the diet of Crete is fairly high in fat, but has a low n-6 to n-3 ratio, and this is what makes the difference. Most of their cooking is done with olive oil. Cooking oils, other than olive oil (and canola) and their bi-products contain polyunsaturated oils that are high in n-6 fatty acid and are used in little if any amount. In comparison, the American diet has a much higher n-6 to n-3 ratio. Furthermore, compared to Americans, Cretans eat ten times more fish, much less red meat and use cheese at the expense of milk. While the Greek lifestyle is less stressful, it commands a significant amount of physical activity. Most neighborhoods in Greece are complimented with a square. As a result, people go to the square mostly on foot to do their shopping or to socialize. For this reason, the town squares havent been designed to accommodate automobile parking. Walking and cycling are the most practical means of transportation within these communities. It is not difficult to see then, why Cretans are healthier and slimmer than North Americans, for instance. They have a lower n-6 to n-3 ratio in their diet and a higher level of physical activity. By the way, heres another interesting fact: Greece has one of the highest cigarette smoking ratios per capita in the world. Go figure.