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winter immune boosters We're right smack in the dab of winter and it's more important to boost your immune system this time of the year more than any other. Winter time is synonymous with cold and flu season, so why not try a few methods for warding off those winter sniffles?

Here are some winter immune boosters that will help to keep you healthy right through spring:

Diet- What you eat and what vitamins and minerals that food contains is also a huge boost to your immune system. Many doctors agree that a balanced and varied diet is key to warding off sickness. A diet rich in vitamin C, zinc, iron and selenium will give your immune system that boost.

According to CNN.com your nutrition profoundly affects your ability to fight these diseases. Filling up your plate with lean protein, including chicken, fish and fat-free dairy products is essential. The molecules that fight disease are made of protein.

Certain fats also improve cellular function and the ability to fight disease. Healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil and nuts are healthy fats that can boost immunity. It's also important to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our diet. These contain important antioxidants that keep blood levels of vitamin c, beta-carotene, zinc and B-vitamins high.

Exercise- Exercise, in moderation, is a great way to boost your immune system for the winter. Because exercise improves your circulation, immune cells are able to get around your body better to target viruses.

winter immune boosters 2Sunshine- Vitamin D, which is produced in the skin after exposure to the sun, is a great boost for your immune system and cell defense. Even getting outdoors when the sun is shining, despite the cold weather, will do wonders for your body.

Echinacea- According to a study put out last year, Echinacea, an herbal medicine, could reduce the risk of you catching a cold by half. The study also looked into its effectiveness in treating more serious respiratory infections, as well. Echinacea is said to regulate the immune system's response to infection.

Stimulants- Be aware of the amount of stimulants that you put into your body. Where no research shows that an abundance of stimulants have an adverse effect on your immune system, moderation should be used when dealing with caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter drugs. If you are looking for a stimulant that could help your immune system try green tea instead. The antioxidants in green tea will help to prevent illness in the long run.

Sleep- If you are looking for a surefire way to help ward off a cold and the flu this year, be sure to get your seven hours a sleep per night. Sleep is extremely important and many doctors agree that lack of sleep can have a negative response on our immune system and our body as a whole.

Meditation- Even just 20 minutes a day of peace, quiet and relaxation can have a major impact on your immune system and can help to ward off winter colds. If you are able to put your body into a meditative state at least once a day, your bodies' cells will be able to rejuvenate tremendously. Meditation is also a good stress reliever and can allow you to re-energize.

Mood/Stress- Being positive and avoiding stressful situations are both excellent immune boosters. While everyone's mood and stress levels are different, studies have shown that chronic stress and depression have been linked to a weakened immune system. It's important to find the stress in your life and work to deal with that stress in a positive way or to eliminate the stressful situations entirely.

 

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Multicolour boy So what are the best vitamins for kids to consume in order to sustain a healthy lifestyle? It's vital for parents to consider the essential vitamins that children need in order to grow and nourish a healthy body. By starting to consider these things early on, parents will be able to instill in their children the importance of a healthy lifestyle that will hopefully carry on through adulthood.

If given the choice, kids would live on a steady diet of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs that's why it's up to us as parents to make sure that we're providing the best vitamins for kids when choosing their daily meals. Besides giving your child a daily multi-vitamin keep these tips in mind when label reading to make sure that they are getting all that they need from their food:

  • Calcium: Getting enough calcium is important to everyone, especially children. That's why children require at least 800 mg of calcium for children ages 4 to 8, and at least 1,300 mg of calcium for children 9 and older.
  • Iron: Many multi-vitamins do not contain iron, so be sure to supplement your child's meals with iron-rich foods to be sure they get the recommended 10 mg of iron a day.
  • Folic Acid: Important for so many reasons, including the production of red blood cells and healthy skin, hair and gums, a typical child's dose of folic acid is 75 to 150 mcg daily.
  • Vitamin C: Especially during cold and flu season, be sure to increase your child's daily intake of Vitamin C to at least 1 gram per day.
  • Vitamin D: Children's growing bones require plenty of Vitamin D, so many pediatricians recommend that children take a supplement with 800 to 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily.
  • Vitamin A: Vitamin A is also important for a growing child's body, but too much Vitamin A can also be toxic, therefore many pediatricians suggest increasing your child's beta carotene intake, which is converted into Vitamin A in the body.

Another trick to ensuring that your children are consuming the best vitamins for kids is to make sure that they are eating fruits and veggies in an array of colors. According to msn.com the colors represented in foods are indicators of nutritional value and different colors mean different vitamins and minerals.

Red Red-colored fruits and veggies offer an essential antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that is associated with a multitude of health benefits, including protecting the skin from sun damage and decreasing the risk of heart disease and certain forms of cancer. It's also been shown to decrease symptoms of wheezing, asthma, and shortness of breath in people when they exercise. Good red sources of lycopene include red tomatoes, bell peppers, guava, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

Orange Beta-carotene is the nutrient responsible for fruits and vegetables' dramatic orange color. Once beta-carotene is inside the body it is converted to vitamin A which contributes to immune-system health. Orange foods also help improve eyesight and night vision due to the fact that vitamin A is vital for creating the pigment in the retina responsible for vision in low-light situations. A few good orange fruits and veggies rich in beta-carotene include winter squash, oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots and cantaloupe.

Yellow Yellow foods are close relatives of orange foods and are likewise rich in carotenoids. The more common yellow carotenoid is beta-cryptoxanthin, which supplies about half the vitamin A as beta-carotene does. Studies show it decreases the likelihood for such diseases as lung cancer and arthritis. Research also shows that foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin help decrease inflammation in the joints and improve the functioning of the respiratory system. Yellow foods high in beta-cryptoxanthin are yellow bell peppers, pineapple, corn, bananas, and yellow squash.

Green Green foods are among the most abundant sources of lutein and zeaxanthin which promotes healthy vision. They're also capable of strengthening bones, muscles and brains. Green fruits and veggies get their color from chlorophyll, which studies show play an important role in stimulating the growth of new tissue and hindering the growth of bacteria. As a topical treatment, it can speed healing time by 25 percent. Green fruits and veggies high in vitamins and nutrients include avocado, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, romaine lettuce, broccoli, kale, spinach and green peas.

Blue and Purplepurple veggies Blue and purple foods get their color from the presence of flavonoids called anthocyanins. These are known to improve cardiovascular health and prevent short-term memory loss, but the deeply pigmented anthocyanins go even further. Blueberries have been found to make brain cells more responsive to incoming messages and might even spur the growth of new nerve cells. Purple and blue foods high in flavonoids include eggplant, blackberries, beets, blueberries and plums.

Here are a few suggestions for making sure that your children are consuming the best vitamins for kids. By following these tips your child will be well on their way to a healthy lifestyle.

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Water pic As Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Water is the driver of nature”. Put simply, water sustains life. So you're already aware that drinking plenty of water is not only good for you but also a vital aspect to achieving the ultimate in health and wellness. But it might be even more important than you realized. By not drinking enough water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology. According to Dr. Howard Flaks on www.naturodoc.com by not drinking enough water, people may incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention.

Besides air, water is the element most essential for survival. In fact, a typical human is comprised of between 60 and 70 percent water and brain tissue is said to be comprised of 85% water. It's reported that people can go without food for almost two months, but for only a few days without water. In addition, without water humans would be poisoned to death by their own waste products. As indicated by www.naturodoc.com, when the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, they must be dissolved in water first. If there isn't enough water available, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones.

Water is also essential for chemical reactions during such body processes as digestion and metabolism due to the fact that it carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. In addition, it helps to lubricate our joints. We even need water to breathe. Our lungs must be moistened by water in order to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. Studies show that humans lose close to a pint of liquid each day merely by exhaling.

"Proper water intake is a key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona on www.naturodoc.com. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat adequately. Retaining fluid also keeps weight up."

If you're wondering if you're drinking enough water then just listen to your body. Here are some common symptoms of dehydration:

• Heartburn, stomach ache • Non-infectious recurring or chronic pain • Low back pain • Headache • Mental irritation and depression • Water retention (ironic but true ) • Dry mouth- this is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration.

Moral of the story if you haven't figured it out yet- we need water to survive and thrive. But exactly how much water should we drink to ensure optimum health and wellness?

According to Dr. Flaks the minimum amount of water one should intake is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day. Eight to ten 8 oz glasses is equivalent to three to four standard 16 oz bottles of water per day. But you'll need even more if you exercise a lot of live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink an extra glass for every 25 pounds that they exceed their ideal weight.

The formula that the International Sports Medicine Institute uses is this: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight). Simply calculated, drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces. And intake should be spread throughout the day and evening.

If you're wondering about how this might affect you bladder, then don't worry. You may be constantly running to the bathroom at the onset of appropriate water consumption but after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and urination is less frequent but in larger amounts.

By simply paying attention and drinking more water on a daily basis you will not only be contributing to a healthier life but you could also be on your way to a healthier and leaner body.

 

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New Years Resolutions So we survived the Holidays and New Years is just around the corner. A wonderful time of celebration, friends, champagne, and of course New Year's Resolutions. Resolutions are wonderful ways to better ourselves and finally attempt to become the productive, happy, healthy person that we know we can be.

The trouble with New Year's Resolutions is that after time our enthusiasm to make changes tend to wane once we realize we can't change everything overnight and the commitment to make these changes becomes less exciting and too much work. According to www.proactivechange.com 40%-45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top New Year's resolutions are those dealing with weight loss and exercise. In addition, according to this site a mere 46% maintain these resolutions after six months.

In order to make lasting changes, there are several things that you can do to stick to your fitness resolutions and actually see the results that you've been wishing for since New Year's Day 1989. By modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and coming up with an effective and realistic plan for success you can make 2010 the year that you actually did it.

Modifying your Attitude- According to exercise.about.com by having the wrong attitude about fitness you're setting yourself up for failure before you even started. Oftentimes people consider exercise merely a punishment for bad eating habits, an obligation, painful and time consuming, boring, or impossible to sustain over a long period of time.

By modifying your attitude about exercise in general you are more likely to stick with your program and see positive results. Try out a different perspective because after all, you're the only one that can truly change your attitude and therefore the outcome. Instead of boring or painful look at exercise as a break from a stressful day, a way to boost energy and mood, time for yourself, time for your mind to rest, a reward for your body or a way to improve your quality of life.

Here are some additional key points about exercise from exercise.about.com:

1. Sheer willpower doesn't work- Willpower is for short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding new and different ways to motivate yourself every day.

2. Motivation will not magically happen- What motivates you will change from day to day. You will have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your entire life.

3. You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy- This is something that you will have to work on every day.

Adjust your Lifestyle- By adjusting your lifestyle you will have the best chance of success in sticking to your New Year's fitness resolutions. Although you've probably heard this before, let it really sink in this time: losing weight and maintaining that weight is a lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start a diet or exercise program, old or new, ask yourself if you can sustain this diet for the long term or if your exercise program is something that you can commit to every day.

Simply put, being overweight is the fault of an unhealthy lifestyle, eating too much and not allowing enough time for exercise. This being said, one you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you'll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal. Here's a couple ways to do just that: eating healthy 1. Figure out your bad habits- Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Be completely honest with yourself and do it without shame- this is simply a way to figure out habits that may be hurting your weight loss goals.

2. Replace bad habits one at a time- Replace bad habits with good habits. You can't break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily morning donut and don't replace it with something else that's better for you you'll drift right back to your old unhealthy habit.

This may sound easy but it's not. Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn't easy. You need to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that donut. Try these ideas:

1. Figure out beforehand what you're going to eat instead of that donut. Stock up on breakfast foods that you like and that are healthier. Try different flavors of meal replacement bars or fruit shakes/smoothies.

2. Take stock in every bite that you put in your mouth, if it's not healthy is it really worth it? For sure you'll enjoy that first bite or flavor explosion but after that what do you really get out of it? More than likely all you get is fat, calories and guilt.

3. Eat before you get in the car in the morning so you won't be starving and tempted to go through the drive thru or to your favorite bakery to pick up a bite.

4. Change your driving route so you don't even have to pass by your favorite bakery.

5. Write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so that you are constantly reminded of your goals.

Make a Plan for Success- So thus far you've figured out how to change bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and to create for yourself a healthy environment that doesn't allow your bad habits to exist. Now you need to make a plan for what you really want.

1. Set Goals- Write down specific goals including how much weight you want to lose (make sure it is reasonable for your height and frame), a target date to reach your goals, why you want to lose this weight, and how you'll maintain your weight loss once achieved. Remember, it's a lifetime commitment you can't just quit once you reach your goal.

2. Set up your program- A complete program involves cardio, strength training and stretching.

3. Ensure your success- Here are just a few suggestions regarding ensuring your success and staying consistent. Enlist family members to help you out; hire a personal trainer; get a friend to exercise with you; set aside time every week to plan out your exercise routines and meals; keep a workout bag packed and ready; keep a fitness journal to track workouts and progress; reward yourself with massages, shopping, or vacations; change your workout program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus; revisit your goals every six months to see where you're at and if further narrowing them down is in order.

Losing weight requires modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and making specific plans. You will need to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and be prepared for what's ahead in order to stick to your New Year's Fitness Resolutions.

 

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Zen ChristmasTis' the season for Holiday shopping, preparing for family gatherings, eggnog and basically anything else that can either cause stress or wreak havoc on your body. It can be the happiest but also the most nerve-racking time of the year. You may want to consider adding exercise to your daily routine to not only promote health but to tackle all of those little Holiday stressors.

According to stress.about.com exercise is an excellent stress reduction tool for several reasons:

1. Give Yourself a Natural Boost- Exercise releases endorphins and other “happy hormones” in your body, promoting a feeling of wellbeing. It can decrease stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins giving your body a natural boost. (The same chemistry behind a runner's high.

2. Social Support- Some forms of exercise allow you to be social, which can also be great for stress reduction. Whether you're in a class with others, working out with a buddy, playing softball with friends or taking a walk with a friend, working out with others can make you feel good and motivate you to push harder.

3. Looking Good- Exercise can raise feelings of self-esteem and bring other benefits that improve quality of life. It ultimately helps you to lose weight, tone your body and maintain a healthy glow and smile. Whether the effects are subtle or significant this impact can increase confidence and relieve stress.

4. An Outlet for Frustrations- Exercise helps to release built-up tension in the body. When life's annoyances build up, a high energy form of exercise like boxing, martial arts or weight training can provide a release of negative emotions.

5. Distraction- Physical activity can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity that you're doing or put you into a Zen-like state. Exercise also usually involves a change of scenery. Whether it takes you to a gym, a park, a biking trail or your neighborhood sidewalk, a change of scenery can ultimately change your point of view.

6. Resilience to Stress- Research suggests that physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Those who get more exercise may become less affected by the stresses that they face.

With all of these benefits, it's clear that if you can exercise you should. Below are a few exercises that help specifically with stress relief.

Yoga- Yoga is good for physical health and flexibility. It can also help get you into a meditative state.

Swimming- Swimming combines the soothing properties of water and the benefits of exercise. It's a great way to get in shape, cool off and feel great. It's also a wonderful form of exercise of older or injury-prone adults.

Walking- Walking is an exercise that just about anybody can do; it's also very easy and can conform to any schedule. You can take a walk during lunch, put your kids in the stroller and take a walk around the neighborhood, etc.

So amongst all of the Holiday hustle and bustle if you feel your anxiety level beginning to rise why not take 45 minutes out of your day to get your heart rate up and a little bit of exercise? Aside from stress relief, exercise has so many benefits and could ultimately help make your Holidays a little brighter.