Anti-aging tips and products

the most useful tool to lose weight

2007-11-12T14:47:00.000+08:00

I've been running for a couple of years, 3-4 times a week. But I haven't been able to lose any weight. Maybe 1 kg, which I then put back during weekend dinners.

So I did quite a bit of research and found that I don't have to run like mad and kill my heart just to lose some weight. I just need to exercise at the light intensity zone where my heart rate is 60-70% of my maximum heart rate. At this rate, the body uses the stored fats as the main source of energy. All I need to achieve this range of heart rate is to walk briskly. This is great news as I find it so difficult to motivate myself to run after mid-week cos it is so tiring.

For those who already exercise regularly, it is good to push on to the moderate intensity zone which is 70-80% of maximum heart rate. At this range, I find that I only need to run slowly and even have to walk at intervals to keep my heart rate from going beyond 80%. For those who are unfit, the body will use carbohydrates for fuel while exercising. For those who are fit, the body will use more stored fat as fuel. At this zone, not only will one lose fat (also weight), you get to improve aerobic fitness and endurance too.

The hard intensity zone , at 80-90% of max heart rate, is recommended occasionally for fit people. At this zone, you will breathe heavily, feel fatigued and have tired muscles. You won't be able to run for long at this rate. But it is useful to exercise at this rate for short intervals as it improves your fitness and give some variation to your exercise routine.

As the heart rate sensors in my gym machines do not work well, I got myself a POLAR F4. I think it is the most useful tool for anyone who wants to lose weight. I had no idea that I was running beyond 90% of my heart rate in the past. No wonder I got "burned out" by mid-week! I can now run easily for more than an hour at 70-80% and am looking forward to each run. An added bonus is the gym machines can pick up the heart rate from the transmitter that is strapped to my chest. So I don't even need to check the watch for the readings.

By the way, I've searched far and wide for a watch that can give continuous heart rate readings without a chest strap. The only one I can find so far is one that is worn on the palm and fingers. It looks weird, and I can't wear the watch for ordinary use. So I settled for POLAR. It has a female version for smaller wrists. The strap holds up well; doesn't slide down as I had feared.

Many online shops sell the POLAR. But if you are in Singapore, I recommend a shop at The Bencoolen. It gives 15% discount, which is cheaper than what I would have gotten online, including shipping charges. By the way, this shop sells CASIO watches at wholesale prices and it has a wide range. The discount is like 50% off those in City Chain etc.

What if you hate plain water but don’t want to take unhealthy fattening sodas?

2007-10-09T14:23:00.000+08:00

Try these healthy drinks at home. They are easy to make. You just need hot water!

1) Five flower tea – detoxifies and reduces inflammation e.g. acne, skin eruptions

2) American wild ginseng tea – rejuvenates & boosts energy, reduces heat, relieves stress e.g. insomnia. Ideal for modern working women.

3) Chinese rose tea – stimulates appetite, eases menstrual cramps and pain.

4) Rooibos tea – caffeine free, rich in minerals and anti-oxidants. Suitable for young & old. Good source of supplement.

5) Mini Tuo tea – from Yunnan’s superior green tea. Eliminates fat, reduces weight, stimulates metabolism, regulates cholesterol.

6) Green tea – lowers cholesterol, inhibits growth of cancer cells.

What you do everyday can cause brain damage!

2007-09-11T15:43:00.001+08:00

I got this from an e-mail and forwarded to a friend who happened to be ill that day but was still working in the office. She promptly packed up and went home after reading item 8. Mmmm, this is a timely reminder to all of us who stress our bodies despite being very tired or ill.

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decreases the concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness Working hard or studying while ill may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency

Are you taking the right supplements?

2007-08-22T10:38:00.000+08:00

Is it necessary to take supplements?

What type of supplements to take?

How do I know if they are safe?

How do I know if they work?

Here are some information that you should know or look out for before buying supplements:

1) Do not be swayed by whatever the manufacturer or retailer says about their supplements as their claims are not approved by the government authorities. Manufacturers may make three types of claims for their supplement products: health claims, structure/function claims, and nutrient content claims. However, these could be unsubstantiated claims.

2) Do not be misled by the term “natural” which is often used to imply that a product is wholesome or safe. The term “natural” on the label is usually not well-defined and is sometimes used ambiguously to denote unsubstantiated benefits or safety. For example, many weight-loss products claim to be “natural” or “herbal” but this does not necessarily make them safe.

3) Some supplements may interact with prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and could produce adverse and even life-threatening effects. For example:

- Warfarin (prescription medicine), aspirin (OTC drug) and vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) can each thin the blood. Taking any of these products together can increase the potential for internal bleeding.

- St. John's Wort (a herbal supplement) may reduce the effectiveness of prescription drugs for heart disease, depression, seizures, certain cancers or oral contraceptives.

4) Some supplements can interact with drugs used during surgery and have unwanted effects such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure and increased bleeding during surgery. It is therefore important to fully inform your doctor about the vitamins, minerals, herbals or any other supplements you are taking, especially before elective surgery.

5) Some supplements can cause adverse side effects if taken over long periods at the high doses. For example,

- High levels of vitamin C (above 1000 mg/day) may cause abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

- High intakes of calcium (above 1500 mg/day) and iron
(above 17mg/day) may result in similar symptoms in some patients.

- Beta-carotene (especially for smokers and people exposed to
asbestos), manganese (especially for older people), zinc and phosphorus.

6) Some people may develop allergic reactions such as rashes, swelling and itching of the eyes when taking certain supplements.

7) Just because something worked for your friend doesn’t mean the same will be true for you. It’s better to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian. Use only the supplement your doctor or dietitian and you decide on—don’t buy combinations that have things you don’t want or need. Learn as much as you can about the supplement you are thinking about, such as from non-profit organisations.

8) Buy brands from companies that are reputable. If you intend to buy supplements or are unsure whether you should take supplements, there are 2 very useful websites that you can check out first.

http://helpguide.org/life/supplements_dietary_nutritional_herbal.htm
http://consumerlab.com/

Anti-aging

Is anti-aging for vain people only?

2007-08-17T14:26:00.000+08:00

Am I being vain, refusing to admit old, trying to recapture the lost youth by suddenly being so interested in anti-aging and even setting up a blog on it?

I came across this article today which I've added below. It really puts across what motivated me on this anti-aging process. It's not just for ourselves but for our family and community. So what if we have enough money or bought insurance to pay for the hospital bills in future? There's still emotional and physical burden imposed on others. I always say: You can do whatever you want SO LONG AS you don't impose on others.

Fitness is a Gift to Others
By: Ainsley Laing

Last week, a friend of mine was telling me about her 2 aunts. Both are about 60 years old. One aunt has always been athletic and fit and the other has always been sedentary. Now, at 60, the fit aunt is still active and the sedentary aunt is still sedentary – only she has trouble standing up from a chair!

After my friend told this story, I kept thinking about how much more fun the fit aunt must be to her family and friends than the sedentary one.

I feel that, although we think we do it for ourselves, being fit and healthy is a gift to our family, friends and the community in which we live. This is true in so many ways. Here’s just a few of them.

For our Family:

For our spouses, we give them the gift of being paired with someone who looks good and feels good. Waking up everyday next to someone who has the energy and spirit to embrace the day is life enriching.

Does the “looks good” comment sound superficial? Think about this. How does it feel to be at a social function and know that the man or woman across the room receiving “attention” from people his/her own age (or even younger) is the person that chooses to be with you everyday? It feels good doesn’t it? This feeling is a gift to our spouse.

Superficialities aside, we give our spouses many other gifts by being fit. Better sex and love making is a very important one! Fit people have more strength, endurance, energy and better blood flow. All these contribute to better sex…. Not to mention feeling good about our own body helps us to be freer with our partners.

By being fit and healthy, we increase our spouse’s confidence in having a long and active life with us. A wonderful gift indeed!

For our children, we give them the gift of healthy, active parents. Having fit parents is predictive of our children being fit themselves. We give them the gift of being more patient and helpful to them because we have the physical resources to do so. We give them the freedom from worry that we will require hospice care while they are still young adults raising their own kids.

For our grandkids, we give them the gift of being able to play with them - I mean really play with them. How proud will they be to have such “cool” grandparents? We show them how important fitness is to living long, active and fun lives.

For our sisters and brothers, we give them the gift of being loved by someone who respects themselves enough to take extra good care of their body.

For Our Friends:

We give them the gift of having lots of energy for them. Cultivating good friendships on top of meeting family obligations requires energy – and being fit gives us the energy and health to “go the extra distance” with our friends at middle age and later in life.

For Our Community:

We remain healthier longer and don’t place a burden on the health system. We remain productive, enthusiastic members of the workforce longer. After retirement, we have time and energy to volunteer our services and skills for worthy causes. We help younger people see and feel that aging is not something to be afraid of. We are able to help those who need us.

For Our world:

Every workout, every nutritious meal, every full night’s sleep and every other way we take care our bodies is a gift to someone else. It’s not about being selfish. It’s about keeping the body healthy so that the mind and spirit can contribute to the lives of others better and longer.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

Why is it so difficult to lose weight after 30?

2007-08-02T16:58:00.000+08:00

by Dov Oshri

Have you tried to lose weight after 30? Wasn’t that more difficult than ever before? Guess what? It’s even more difficult after 40! Have you ever wondered why your body reacts differently to the same regimes you apply in different stages of your life?

People that have never had a weight problem get flabbier after 30 without clear explanation. They start exercising and they don’t see any improvement. They eat less, and they still don’t achieve any significant change. What they don’t take into consideration is the aging impact on their body

Aging is a Reason for Gaining Weight and the Obstacle to Losing Weight
There are more than 20 theories about aging but the most researched one is the “Free Radicals” theory. Free radicals are atoms or molecules in which at least one electron is unpaired causing an instability (a stable atom contains a balance of paired electrons which encircle the nucleus).

This instability causes the electrons to be very reactive – they bond easily with healthy molecules and damage them. According to the free radicals theory, this damage is what causes you to age and to become vulnerable to certain diseases.

The most common free radical is an oxygen radical, which occurs in the mitochondria when an unpaired electron interacts with oxygen. Mitochondria are your cellular power plants, the tiny structures in your cells that provide energy in the chemical form of ATP. This is your “fuel” for all your life functions. It helps your heart to pump and your lungs to distribute oxygen when you breathe.

When free radicals are formed in the mitochondria, they reduce the power of your cellular power plants to produce energy efficiently. You are not running out of energy because you’re aging. You are aging because you are running out of energy. Free radicals gradually shut down your power as if you are slowly turning off a light dimmer.

Free Radicals and Energy Reduction are the Roots of Most Aging Problems
Without energy your metabolic rate drops causing you to accumulate more body fat. You are losing muscle mass, bone mass, facial collagen and you are tired even when you have over-slept.

Energy reduction at the cellular level also decreases the hormone secretion in your glands. The most abundant hormone in the body is DHEA. It is known as the “mother of all hormones” because it is involved in manufacturing of other hormones, especially the sexual hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

DHEA peeks at the age of 20 but afterwards declines sharply so at age 45 you have 50% of your high peek DHEA, and at the age of 65 you have only 10-20% of what you had at age 20. As the mother of all hormones DHEA represents a decline in other hormones as Human Growth Hormone, (HGH), Testosterone (in men), estrogen and progesterone (in women).

Studies show that the lower your hormone level is, the higher is your tendency to accumulate fat.

Weight gain after 30 is a result of a vicious cycle of aging. Aggressive free-radicals decrease energy production which decreases hormone level and your metabolic rate to levels that most diets cannot help.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Neutralizing Free-Radicals
The most common way to fight free radicals is by increasing significantly antioxidants in your body. Your body produces antioxidants naturally or it gets it from food like fruit and vegetables.

Antioxidants are a form of enzymes that attack free radicals by attaching to the unpaired electron of a free radical and neutralize it. There are 2 kinds of antioxidants:

The first type patrols the body, blocking the formation of free radicals.

The second type disarms the already existing free radical before they bind with healthy molecules.

Studies show that today’s fruit and vegetables are not rich in antioxidants as few decades ago. It is impossible to get the recommended level without supplements such as multi-vitamin, vitamin C, and vitamin E in the right dosages. But this by itself doesn’t make the difference. No one loses weight just by taking antioxidants.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Boosting Energy in Your Cells
You can increase your cells energy if you exercise regularly and supplement your food with energizers. Energizers are vitamins and minerals that increase the energy production in your cells. Well studied energizers are Lipoic Acid, Chromium Picolinate, Coenzyme Q-10, and others. Cardio training is the best exercise to boost your cellular energy. Cardio training is what you may know as aerobic exercise like jogging, cycling, rowing or other activities that ramp your heart rate.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Increasing Hormone Level and Accelerating Metabolic Rate
An expensive and still questionable way to increase your hormones is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy must be recommended and supervised by a doctor. But criticizers recommend staying away and not messing with the side effect risks of hormones.

You can boost your hormone level significantly without a doctor and for free if you engage in resistance training like free weights, weight machines, bands, cables or even body weight.

Studies show without a doubt that resistance training stimulates secretion of HGH and testosterone. But that’s not all. Resistance training has many other benefits. It helps to gain muscle and reverses the aging damage of losing muscle. The more muscles you have, the more fat you burn because muscle growth accelerates your metabolic rate.

Aging is Not an Obstacle Anymore to Weight Loss
You reverse your aging damages backward and slow your aging forward when you burn fat and gain muscle. You can accelerate this process by reducing free-radicals and increase energy production using supplements. But there is no way to achieve it without special exercises that boost hormone level and nutrition that decreases blood sugar.

Dov Oshri is the author of the Anti-Aging Fitness Program “Change Your Body and Be Admired” and the editor of “Body for Mind”: Wellness Lifestyle for Successful People.Click Here! to learn more about Anti-Aging Fitness Program.

Anti-aging - 10 tips

2007-07-31T15:57:00.000+08:00

Anti-aging

Welcome to my anti-aging blog. Here you will learn about anti-aging, anti-aging tips and products that have anti-aging effects.

Isn't it sad that after 30, your body starts to go downhill? Most of us start to put on weight, skin starts to sag, sunspots appear on the face, hair start to turn white or fall off, less energy to party through the night, get hang over the next day if we stay up beyond midnight, take a longer time to recover from colds and flus....

It gets even more depressing after 40. Illnesses like high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, start to haunt us.

What causes aging?
Everyday we are exposed to free radicals, from the environment and from within our bodies. Free radicals are unstable molecules that steal electrons from other molecules and attack our body. They attack our cells causing them to die. Or they attack the DNA in our cells, leading to mutated cells. The free radicals accelerate the aging effects on our bodies and increases our chances of getting cancer and other diseases related to the skin, liver, respiratory, immune, cardiovascular and nerve systems.

Anti-oxidants are the body’s first line of defence against the attacks from free radicals. Although our body produces anti-oxidants naturally, they may not be sufficient as we face an onslaught of free radicals from the unhealthy food that we eat, the stressful lifestyle that we lead and the polluted environment that we live in.

Is it any wonder then that rural folks who live in the countryside with fresh air and eat more natural and less processed food lead longer and healthier lives than us urbanites?

If you are not these country folks, what anti-aging methods can you use so that you look and feel like 35 when you are fifty? What if you are already in your forties and fifties and have not tried any anti-aging methods? Is it too late to reverse the clock?

It's really better late than never. It does not matter whether you are thirty, forty or fifty etc. Here are 10 tips for anti-aging.

1) Eat less carbohydrate and protein. I've found from experience that carbohydrate is the worst enemy of a trim tummy. For protein, take more low fat ones like fish, egg, bean instead of meat.

2) Eat more vegetables and fruits. We all know this, but how many diligently eat more vege and fruits? One good way is to eat them when you feel peckish between meals, instead of reaching out for chips or biscuits or chocolates.

3) Supplement with anti-oxidants. This will prevent free-radical damage to your cells. For simplicity and comprehensive anti-aging supplementation, look for a supplement that contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants in one pack.

4) Exercise more. Physical exercise can delay or prevent illnesses like hypertension, obesity, heart diseases and osteoporosis.

5) Avoid exposure to excessive sun. Our skin becomes dry and leathery with age. Sunspots would start spreading on the face. So put on a sunscreen after your facial moisturiser, or get a moisturiser with sunscreen. Don't just apply to your face and neglect the rest of your body. Many people have dry and itchy skin because they do not put moisturiser on their bodies.

6) Don't smoke or drink too much alcohol.

7) Use anti-aging and firming skincare products. Skin care products with antioxidants, such as vitamin C, can support collagen production.

8) Detox periodically. Detoxing 2-4 times a year is good for your blood and liver.

9) Keep an active mind. Read more and learn new things like computer stuff or pick up a new hobby.

10) Don't worry, be happy. Take life easy, don't stress yourself up unnecessarily. If there's nothing you can do to change a situation, quit fretting about it. Take up meditation or yoga or something relaxing.

Anti-aging