12 Ekim 2007 Cuma

Practical Guidelines for Using the Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index is a nutrition concept that can help you sort out the pros and cons of carbohydrates. It is a comparative guide to the rise in insulin levels that occurs after eating carbohydrates.

Low to moderate glycemic index carbs produce a small but steady rise in insulin levels (healthy) as opposed to high glycemic index carbs that produce a large and rapid rise in insulin levels (unhealthy).

Low to moderate glycemic index carbohydrates provide slow release of energy that supplies continuous fuel for the body and brain and for the working muscles. Their slow rate of digestion and absorption puts less stress on the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

Misconceptions about the Glycemic Index abound and people often have a hard time putting the principles into daily dietary practice.

A glycemic rating over 70 is high. Medium runs from 70- 56. Under 55 is considered low.

Many factors affect the glycemic index of a carbohydrate. In general, carbohydrates that are more processed and ground more finely with the bran separated out will have a higher glycemic index.

Guidelines for choosing lower glycemic index breads, cereals, crackers, chips and other carbohydrate packaged products:

Limit your intake of finely ground, soft, puffed and flaky products. Finely ground flour products – both 100% whole wheat and white flour such as soft whole wheat or white flour bread, crackers, breakfast cereals will have a high glycemic index. If you can mush it together and form a ball out of it– the glycemic index is high.

Anything "puffed" such as puffed wheat, rice or corn cereals – even whole wheat ones – will usually have a high glycemic index. If something has been processed into small fine particles that can be crushed into crunchy crackers and cereals – the glycemic index is probably going to be high –even those made out of good whole grains. Most crackers, packaged cold cereals and chips have a glycemic index in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Instead, choose dense, grainy, chewy products. Foods with intact fiber will be more "dense" and chewy and less flaky and light. If the fiber is intact the product will have a lower glycemic index. Grainy, dense breads are more likely to have a lower glycemic index. Choose coarse breads with at least 50% intact kernels.

Sourdough breads, because of the acids produced by the fermentation of their yeast starter culture, have much slower rates of digestion and absorption.

You can also eat whole grains in their natural state. Whole intact grains that have been softened by soaking and cooking will have a low GI value. For example, cooked barley has a GI value of only 25. Cooked whole wheat has a GI value of 41. But choose old fashion whole grains and not the "instant" varieties – any thing that has been "instantized" is probably going to have a higher glycemic index.

Fruits and Vegetables:

Choose barely ripe fruits and vegetables for a lower glycemic index. Overly ripe fruits and vegetables have higher sugar content and a higher glycemic effect than just ripe foods.

Tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, pineapple, and cantaloupe tend to have higher values than temperate fruits such as apples and oranges. But all fruits are OK. Even the higher glycemic index fruits like pineapple will usually have a GI rating in the 60s. Just don't eat only watermelon (GI 72).

Almost all vegetables are low to moderate glycemic index and are great to eat. The poor carrot has been greatly maligned as having "too much sugar" but actually has an average glycemic index of only 47.

Potatoes:

Most potato varieties have a high glycemic index due to the presence of high amounts of amyl pectin that is quickly digested.

Tiny new white and red bliss potatoes have a lower GI value than normal varieties. Russet baked potatoes have the highest glycemic index (an average of 85) and mashed potatoes an average of 92.

The glycemic impact of potatoes can be lessened by eating smaller portions and varying your diet with alternatives such as sweet potato (GI- average 61 - the starch in sweet potatoes is amylose – more slowly digested and absorbed) or yams (GI average 37).

Rice vs. Pasta:

Pasta gets a bad rap. Pasta gets blamed for all sorts of maladies because it routinely gets categorized as a bad carbohydrate. "They" say to cut out the pasta and eat rice.

Well, it just so happens that pasta has a low to moderate glycemic index (30-55) that results in a slow, steady release of energy in your body.

Pasta made with semolina is made from cracked wheat and not finely ground flour so it has a moderate glycemic index. Furthermore, pasta is unique in its physical make up. The reason for its slow digestion and steady release of energy is "the physical entrapment of ungelatinized starch granules in a sponge-like network of protein molecules in the pasta dough." That is something you don't need to understand to get the good news that pasta can be good for your energy. Yippee!

But always serve pasta al dente. If you overcook pasta it gets soft and swollen and you have fully "gelatinized" those starch granules and turned pasta into an energy drainer.

Almost all kinds of pasta have a lower glycemic index than most varieties of rice - even brown rice (a glycemic index over 70 is typical because almost complete "gelatinization" of rice starch takes place during cooking). And pasta has more protein than rice or potatoes. Overall semolina pasta is a good energy food and can be part of a high-energy diet. Remember though – a serving is just 1/2 cup and keep variety in your diet by not eating pasta any more that once every four days.

Rice varieties such as Jasmine and short grain varieties (even short grain brown rice) that have a lot of amylopectin tend to have higher glycemic index GI (high 70s to 139). You will know these higher amylopectin rice varieties because they tend to stick together after cooking (an example of the "if you can mush it into a ball and it sticks test").

High amylose content rice varieties such as Basmati, Uncle Ben's converted rice and long grain brown rice have a low glycemic index. If the rice grains stay separate after cooking it is more likely to have a lower glycemic index (GI 50s and 60s)

Great alternatives to rice include pearled barley, buckwheat, bulgur, couscous, or noodles - all moderate to low GI.

Simple steps to lower the glycemic effect of your diet:

To get good glycemic control you don't have to eliminate all high glycemic index foods – just be sure and have at least one low glycemic carbohydrate at each meal.

Overly cooked foods are predigested have higher sugar content and a higher glycemic index. Avoid over cooking your foods.

Fats slow down the digestion of starches. The higher the fat content of a food the lower its glycemic index. This is why the glycemic index of potato chips is lower than that of a baked potato. To lower the glycemic effect of a high glycemic food such as a French baguette add a little fat such as olive oil, good quality organic butter or some nut butter.

When you do eat a high GI index carbohydrate include protein with it. The protein will slow down the rate of digestion and can cut the glycemic index effect by about one third.

The higher the acid content of a food the lower its glycemic index. Acids in foods slow down stomach emptying, thereby slowing the rate at which the starch can be digested. Include some acidic foods in your meals like vinegar, lemon juice, limejuice, some salad dressings, and pickled vegetables. A side salad with your meal will help to keep blood glucose levels under control. Four teaspoons of vinegar in a salad dressing or about four teaspoons of lemon on your food or in your water reduces the glycemic effect by about one-third.

Include more legumes in your diet. Legumes are super nutritious, high fiber low glycemic index foods (GI ranging from 13 to 59). If you want to ensure stable long lasting blood sugar control legumes are your friends.

The glycemic index is only one of many markers you can use to choose nutritious foods. It is not the only marker to use. Often it is better to have a higher glycemic index food such as baked potato than a lower glycemic index food such as potato chips. Consider not only the glycemic index of a carbohydrate but also the nutrient value of the food when making your choice.

Even with these guidelines it can sometimes be hard to tell the glycemic effect of a carbohydrate. But when you are not carrying a reference book around with you these guidelines will help you take better care of your health and well-being.

Copyright (c) 2007 Mary Ann Copson

Mary Ann Copson is the founder of the Evenstar Mood & Energy Wellness Center for Women. With Master's Degrees in Human Development and Psychology and Counseling, Mary Ann is a Certified Licensed Nutritionist; Certified Holistic Health Practitioner; Brain Chemistry Profile Clinician; and a Health, Wellness and Lifestyle Coach. Reconnect to your physical, emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual natural rhythms at http://evenstaronline.com

MBT Sport Shoes, Have You Heard About Those Strange Looking Sneakers?

The MBT sport shoe have become might popular lately, not lest among the celebrities, that use them for toning and shaping their bodies. But the MBT shoes are also used for back problems and for rehabilitation of muscle injuries. Many big studies have been done on the shoe and it really seem like the medical benefits of MBT's are proven. It's used as a recovering device among physicians, often used for rehab by sports men and women suffering from ligament injuries. When walking with the Masai sport shoe, you use muscles that you don't use when walking in regular shoes, so because of that, your body will get more firm if you use them on a daily basis.

Developed by the engineer Karl Muller, who had been ill in back pain injuries for decades, the MBT sport shoe imitates how the body uses its muscles when moving on soft and uneven surfaces, like sand or moss.

Walking on those soft surfaces you would use the whole foot from heel to toe, and this makes you take a natural pose, and the back muscles gets activated, to support the body. You will strengthen the back thigh muscles, and many more muscles, and at the same time take pressure off the knees. When trying them on at first, it does feel a bit wiggly, until you get used to them. Before walking long walks with them, get used to them bit by bit, because you can get quite a muscle ace if you don't take it quite easy in the beginning.

People talk about the MBT sport shoe as “the world’s smallest gym” and I tend to agree. You are using your body in a way you are not normally doing when walking with a pair of MBT’s, and muscles you actually didn’t really realized exist gets in motion.

Want to know more about MBT shoes and walking exercises? Pleas Go To www.mbtshoes.efven.com and find out more.

Beatrice Stephenson is a freelance writer on health and sports issues.

How To Treat Fatigue

Most older people experience, at some time, some degree of fatigue. But most problems with fatigue are not physical weakness; they are related to failure to exercise, depression, unhappiness, worry, or boredom. True weakness, as with inability to move an arm or leg, is a physical problem involving nerves, brain, or muscle, and needs immediate medical attention. Fatigue or tiredness is far more common than true weakness.

Another common cause for fatigue is overuse of one drug or another. For example, excess caffeine intake leading to poor sleep habits can cause daytime fatigue. Or tranquilizers can make you feel tired or drowsy. Once the normal sleep cycle has been disturbed, there is a tendency to grab an afternoon nap. Then the following night’s sleep is not good because the afternoon nap decreased the need for sleep at night. A vicious cycle has been set in motion.

You may be assuming from this discussion that most fatigue is not serious. That is correct. Even when arthritis is associated, most fatigue results from misunderstanding your body. Reestablishing a pattern of healthy activity, more moderate drug use, and good nocturnal sleep will do wonders.

But if you have an inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, the disease may be causing the fatigue. This is a more serious kind of fatigue, and improving your living patterns will not help much. In such cases the sedimentation rate is elevated and there may be a low-grade fever. A hematocrit test may show the anemia of chronic disease. There may be some weight loss. Treatment in these cases is directed at the disease causing the fatigue and may take some time.

When you mention fatigue, most people don’t even think of the problems just described. Instead they think of a problem with the thyroid or anemia. These are so unusual as causes of fatigue that you can almost forget about them. But if your fatigue persists, for more than six weeks despite home treatment, your doctor might want to check out these and other possibilities or may be able to reassure you that these problems are not present.

The chronic fatigue syndrome is an unusual and troubling problem that requires consultation with a doctor. This syndrome lasts a long time, lacks really good treatment, may follow a viral infection, and frequently includes an emotional component, sometimes aggravated by the fatigue.

Fatigue is not a symptom of old age. In fact, as you get older you need less sleep and tend to be more alert, particularly early in the day. So pay attention to this symptom.

Listen to the fatigue message from your body. Heed it, but don’t give in to it. Rest if you are tired, but alternate such periods with times of activity. Fatigue, because it can lead to physical de-conditioning, can become its own cause.

Decrease all possible drugs including caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, tranquilizers, and probably television. Ingredients in common cold or allergy medications can cause fatigue, as can Valium and codeine. Suspect all drugs.

Increase new activities. Friends, hobbies, travel, vacations, and even shopping tend to break the fatigue cycle. Increase your activity level by addition of smooth, graded, and easy exercises. Exercise helps you become involved in new and different things as well as giving physical help by increasing your stamina.

Expect improvement to be slow and expect to be discouraged at times. Persevere.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Afflictions Of The Back That Cause Poor Posture

We can narrow down this from all afflictions of the back that cause poor posture to just those that you weren't born with. In the chiropractic arena, we generally understand that most spinal conditions (that you aren't born with) are due to some kind of trauma.

That trauma may be as easy to remember as a car accident or serious fall, or it could be something more sinister like having bad posture or a poorly set up computer workstation for far too long. The afflictions of the back that can cause poor posture are largely due to repetitive trauma or micro trauma.

These "mini-traumas" are nothing that you would notice if you were only performing the activity once or twice. However, since you perform the offending action thousands upon thousands of times, it can begin to add up. The trauma can lead to such things as degenerative joint disease (DJD), herniated disc, and osteoporosis-related problems like compression fractures.

Degenerative Joint Disease is also known as a "wear and tear" disease. This is usually the result of spinal joints not functioning as well as they should, cause them to simply wear out. DJD may also show up as the result of a more traumatic injury as your body attempts to heal or just bad posture. The visible signs of DJD can be seen on x-ray only after the process has been going on for at least several years.

A herniated disc is usually more painful. The jelly-like substance inside the spinal disc becomes inflamed and begins pushing its way out of the more fibrous outer ring. This can lead to pressure on spinal nerves and lot of associated pain.

Compression fractures related to osteoporosis are also very painful. Once the spine has been pushed out of its normal alignment, it leads to an increase in the amount of pressure and force being put on spinal joints as they resist gravity. Finally, something has to give and the bone begins to collapse on itself. This is called a compression fracture.

The bad news is that once you get one spinal fracture, the increasing stress and body weight will typically lead to more. Prevention is the key, then, to all of these conditions. Since you can't predict or always avoid the traumas of auto accidents or falls, you'll have to try and avoid the repetitive traumas in your daily life.

Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com

The Only Way Of Getting Rid Of A Candida Albicans Symptom Is To Do A Candida Cleanse

Those who are suffering from a candida albicans symptom, really knows how much discomfort it can be. The symptoms can vary a lot. Intestinal yeast as well as skin yeast is on of the most common, but pain during urination is occurring with many people too, along with intense vaginal and skin yeast infections. To have digestion problems and gas usually comes with an infection, a symptom that can be very uncomfortable and exhausting. Some really scary symptoms I myself suffered from was light-headed and tiredness, a symptom that is quite unspecific. I went several times to the doctor’s because of These things, and they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. I thought I had everything from eye problems to a cancer. It was not nice to feel like a someone who imagined it all, but as soon I started the cleanse I knew that this was what had caused the dizziness. I haven’t suffered from it after that.

Once you start to cure your infection, with a diet program and medicine, the symptoms can show up even more intensely for some days in the beginning, and you can be very tired. This normally disappears after a few days, but since it’s very energy consuming, it can be a good idea to not have too much to do during the beginning of your cure. Remember that in the end, you will feel much healthier and will regain your energy.

Candida grows from the bowel as a normal part of the bacterial flora, but when overgrowth starts, it affects the whole immune system and can really effect your life fundamentally, with thrush fungal infections and more. Many women get outbreaks of thrush during menstruation because it feeds itself in progesterone.

You can really suffer from it, with the dizziness or recurring yeast infections that are a affecting your life a lot. The symptoms can be treated with different over the counter medication, but that means that the bowel candida itself is not cured, and the discomfort are going to appear again after a while.

When you know it’s candida you have, start with a treatment that will cure the actual cause of it. A sugar and fungus free diet is the most effective way to kill the infection permanently. There are some really effective ways of curing infections, and you truly can be free of all those irritating and energy consuming symptoms and get you a better, more energetic life, you really don’t have to stay ill! It’s important to take supplemental herbs for a complete cleanse. Garlic is very good to take since it really rinses the yeast out your body, and a colon cleanse is important as well but first and foremost, don’t give up! Once you have gone through the cure and realise how much easier your life is, the cleanse and diet will really be worth while.

Do you want to know how to stop candida permanently? Get a free candida 3-day online email course: Go to the Candida Yeast infection Site

http://www.candidayeast.efven.com

Beatrice Stephenson is a freelance writer on family health and recreation.

How Do You Know Which Exercises To Do For Shoulder Pain?

When determining that you want to do exercises for shoulder pain, you first need to determine which part of your shoulder needs to be exercised (that is, which part is causing the pain) and whether or not something more serious has happened like a tear of the muscle, ligament, tendon or even cartilage. Your injury needs to be checked out by a qualified person before you start any exercise program.

There are certainly plenty of shoulder parts that can tear, and each of the tissue types associated with the shoulder area can seem very similar without the benefit of an MRI to really take a look. Recently, a patient came in with shoulder pain and the only trauma he had experienced was having bad posture.

With no history of any real trauma and dealing with someone who performed little if any regular physical activity, it seemed unlikely that he would have torn anything in his shoulder. After he had an MRI, it was determined that he had literally torn parts of his rotator cuff because his bad posture and rounded shoulders had been out of place for so long that gravity had finally taken its toll on his weakened muscles.

Assuming that you've checked everything out (by a doctor, not you and your friend deciding) and nothing is torn, you'll need to decide which muscle has been affected and what you're going to do about it. Then its time to begin exercises for shoulder pain.

From a postural standpoint, its the back of the shoulders that are going to be an issue. So raising dumbbells over your head or doing military presses will likely have little effect in taking care of any shoulder issue. In fact, if you continue to work out the front of your shoulder while continuing to neglect the back your shoulder exercise program will only make your shoulder pain worse.

Attacking your posterior deltoid and muscles of the rotator cuff should be your focus (from a posture standpoint). You can use small dumbbells (start light) or even look into some resistance tubing. There are varying strengths available to give a wide range of people an effective workout.

Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com

Recognizing Your Bad Posture

Recognize your bad posture and correction is sure to follow. Too often I find that most people don't even know they have bad posture. We're not talking about a little bit of bad posture either. Maybe when pain starts or they see a particularly startling photo of themselves, they'll see things in a different way. Until then, bad posture is just someone else's problem.

Bad posture starts early in life and can have some bad things associated with it. Maybe your mom was always yelling at you about it, or maybe you were very tall and you were looking to hide this fact, or perhaps as a young woman your chest started to develop and you found that slouching brought less attention to them.

Regardless of how it all began, most bad posture can still be corrected. There's just a lot of information to sort through out there and you have to start looking somewhere. This is why I'm thrilled (and you should be too) that you at least recognize that not only is this something you need to deal with, but you're actually seeking out information to do something about it.

Continue to hide your spine or worrying about isn't going to change how your posture looks. A posture support or a posture belt may alleviate symptoms initially, but they won't change your bad posture and correction is just not something they were designed to do.

Start off with just recognizing where you're having the posture problem. Sitting? Standing? Standing up tall is surely something you can try and remember. "When I stand up, I will remember to have good posture." This works okay as long as you're not required to stand for very long periods of time.

Sitting is another matter altogether. You can sit in very comfortable, but bad for your posture chairs. You can sit in very good for your posture, but not very comfortable chairs that you're not ready for yet. You can become more ready to sit in these types of chairs once your muscles get stronger.

Take these first steps and you'll end up at the same conclusion most people do... you're going to have to strengthen those posture muscles if you hope to have any chance of long term benefits of changing your posture for good.

Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com

You've Tried Everything, But You Still Sweat Excessively!

You’ve tried everything! But you're still sweating excessively.

Soaking through your shirt.

Scared to shake hands.

Sliding outta yer sandals.

I've been there. And now I'm not.

You've tried everything. But still excessive underarm and/or palm/foot/face/body sweating is hindering your daily life.

I bet you haven't really tried everything. There are loads of potential remedies for sweaty armpits on this page! Some you've maybe tried, others you probably haven't. You can work them individually, or use two (or even three) of them together to stop sweating.

The first and easiest to start with is your bathing rituals. The products you use in the shower, and how you shower, have an effect on your sweating.

Second, there are some special antiperspirants on the market*. Some are available in stores and others only over the internet. They each work better than the usual suspects (Speed Stick, etc) and may work wonders on your excessive sweating underarms.

A third way of how to prevent armpit sweat is with a drionics machine. These are controversial. Some people love ‘em and others won’t touch ‘em with a ten-foot pole. Read both sides of the argument here. There are also special armpit sweat pads you can buy to put in your shirt. These are available all over the internet. Most are made of a special material designed to soak up sweat.

We know people who have used armpit sweat pads with special antiperspirants to cure underarm sweating. We’ll tell you which kind we like the best (here). Note that armpit sweat pads are not so much a means to cure excessive underarm perspiration, but more like a cover up.

Lastly, before going to your doctor, try going to an acupuncturist. You may be skeptical, but we’ve seen it work! Read about it in detail. Everyone is different. Remember the goal here is for YOU to figure out how to prevent armpit sweat. That means YOU have to find the method that works for YOU.

It may be armpit sweat pads, it may be special antiperspirants, you may like drionics or you may get into acupuncture. You may benefit from some combination of these things.

Visit http://www.bye-bye-excessive-armpit-sweat.com/ for the best information on how to stop excessive sweating.

Back Exercises With Shoulder Pain

There are many types of back exercises, with shoulder pain you'll need to take some extra precautions. Because the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the entire body (it moves in the most directions), it is almost the most unstable.

While I love taking care of shoulder problems in my office, I'm particularly careful of checking to see if anything has torn before I really get going. You can have tears in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The cartilage of the shoulder joint is also a possibility.

If you suspect that you may have a shoulder injury, getting checked out thoroughly will help keep you from getting worse and developing painful conditions like "frozen shoulder syndrome."

While most of these shoulder problems are the result of some kind of trauma, I have had experiences where the "trauma" involved was bad posture. The patient's bad posture actually lead to tears in the shoulder muscles.

However, if you're considering doing back exercises with shoulder pain, you may not really be talking about the shoulder at all. Many people point to their upper back area when they are referring to their "shoulders."

This area is not as likely to tear and is really the main place people experience pain with bad posture in addition to the pain between the shoulder blades.

It is expected that this area will receive the greatest amount of strain with forward head posture. As such, this area will improve quickly when posture-improving exercises are introduced and a regular, consistent program has been started.

If you spend a lot of time at the computer or driving, make sure you're neck and back are as straight and in line as possible. If this provides little to no relief, you'd really better get started on strengthening your weakened back muscles before things get out of control.

Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com

Exercise For Shoulder Arthritis Pain

Exercise for shoulder arthritis pain is helpful, as long as you're sure nothing in the shoulder is torn. Arthritis is kind of general term, meaning "inflammation of the joint." There are many types of arthritis and the term is used to cover a lot of conditions.

Some people seem to think only of rheumatoid arthritis when they hear the term, but that's significantly more complicated than just inflammation. You're not going to exercise your way out of that type of arthritis. So that's not the type of arthritis we'll be discussing here.

Exercise for shoulder arthritis pain doesn't usually involve a lot of heavy weights, but you will want to strengthen the rotator cuff and help stabilize the shoulder joint. The shoulder has a lot of directions it can move, so increasing the muscle strength to improve stability is key.

Since the shoulder joint is the most mobile joint (moves in the most directions) in the entire body, it is also the least stable. Strengthening the muscles that move the shoulder will take some of the pressure and strain off the shoulder joint.

Exercises for your rotator cuff can be done using resistance bands (or resistance tubing) and small hand weights to minimize the use of heavy weights and straining any of the surround tissues.

If you aggravate your shoulder, this will only increase the inflammation in the joint, leading to more "arthritis." The goal will be to improve stability and strength, which will significantly reduce the amount of strain on the joint itself. The wear and tear of your joints will be reduced, and that alone will feel a lot better.

Follow a program that includes posture improving exercises carefully and you shouldn't have any problems. If you experience sharp pain, stop immediately and consult with a qualified healthcare professional.

Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com