A Health, Fitness, and Nutrition Directory

Dietary Supplements & Exercise Supplements

Nutritional Supplements are all over the place these days. There are separate supplements for anything, and multi-supplements for everything. Supplement manufacturers are popping up all over the place. So which supplements should we choose and why should we choose them?

Fish Oil & Flaxseed Oil

Omega-3 Fatty Acid (Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) or EFA supplements combat bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, promote the production of natural testosterone, assist in recovery,improve the cardiovascular system, and help keep our hair smooth and shiny.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin

Glucosamine is a form of amino sugar that is believed to play a role in cartilage formation and repair. Chondroitin sulfate is part of a large protein molecule that gives cartilage elasticity. Together, these two supplements can be taken as a proactive measure against the degredation of cartilage due to intense exercise or old age.

Protein Supplementation

People of all ages can benefit from increased protein in their diet, from to .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight to 2 grams per pound, depending on the person’s daily exercise regimen. Additional meals or snacks comprised of 20-30 grams of protein should be consumed twice daily for optimum digestion and dietary impact.

Serious Weight Training Supplements

Creatine, XTend amino acid complex by Scivation, Surge by Biotest, ZMA, NO Xplode by BSN (contains creatine). I am also currently using 5-HTP for mood elevation and indirectly for appetite suppression, and Melatonin to help me get to sleep at night. If I were to embark on a fat loss mission, I would also get some Biotest Hot Rox Extreme.

Why Do We Need Vitamins and Minerals?

The importance of vitamins and minerals, such as those in the Eniva Vibe supplement, to the human body has been documented by leading medical experts thousands of times over. In clinical trials, scientists have seen that enzymatic reactions and neurological processing are affected negatively by a lack of vital nutrients. Eniva Vibe contains many of the necessary vitamins and minerals for proper health.

Why Do We Need Eniva Vibe?

You may have heard rumors since the early 1990’s that US farmland, and the crops grown in US farmland, have been depleted of vitamins and minerals.Despite skepticism, there is some truth to that statement.At the Earth Summit Statistics meeting in 1992, experts revealed information conclusively showing that farmlands in North America were 85% micronutrient depleted.A few years later, based on a combination of this information and clinical studies, leading medical researchers recommended that every American use a daily vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Eniva Vibe, to address the health dilemma of nutritionally poor diets.

In order to solve this vitamin and mineral deficiency, the folks at Eniva Corporation developed a juice supplement calledVibe. The Eniva Vibe supplement contains a plentiful amount of vitamins and minerals normally found in fruits and vegetables.

• Vitamin A - 11 Tomatoes
• Vitamin E - 71 Cantaloupe
• Vitamin C - 12 Orange Slices
• Antioxidents - 96 Blueberries
• Folate - 10 Cups Raw Green Beans
• EGCG - 5 Cups Green Tea
• Selenium - 30 Broccoli
• Aloe Vera - Organic Aloe Vera
• Zinc - 19 Slices of Wheat Bread
• Calcium - 25 Asparagus

Eniva Vibe also contains 100’s of other healthy nutrients from whole food sources.

Why Use Diet Pills?

20 million Americans purchase some form of (over the counter) otc diet pill or otc weight loss supplement each year. While they are not magical fat reducing solutions, otc diet pills do help with fat loss when proper nutrition and fitness strategies are employed. Individuals with medical conditions or other serious weight loss issues are often prescribed FDA approved diet pills such as Phentermine. These FDA approved diet pills are often more powerful and more effective at curbing the appetite and assisting with fat loss.

The History of Diet Pills

OTC diet pills and FDA diet pills have gone through several transformations throughout the years. In the 1960s and 1970s diet pills were primarily amphetamine derivatives, otherwise known as ’speed’. Doctors ceased prescribing these FDA approved diet pills for weight loss due to their addictive nature. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fenfluramine (Pondimin) in 1973, followed by dexfenfluramine (Redux) in 1996. In 1997 some doctors began prescribing Phentermine in combination with fenfluramine, which in combination was known as fen-phen. Reports of heart valve disease resulting from the use of fen-phen caused those drugs to be removed from the market.

Diet Pills Today

Today, most of the prescribed FDA approved diet pills in the US are appetite suppressants that work by stimulating the hypothalamus gland to selectively affect neurotransmitters in order to decrease appetite. FDA approved in 1999, Orlistat (Xenical) is a lipase inhibitor that inhibits bodily absorption of dietary fats. Sibutramine (Meridia), FDA approved in 2001, acts on the brain through norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine reuptake inhibition.

Since the mid 1990s, a number of herbal otc diet pills have been marketed to consumers. Many of these diet pills contain ephedra (Ma-huang), phenylpropanolamine (PPA), high doses of caffeine,and other potentially harmful substances. Newer otc diet pills contain Hoodia.Consumers should take care to use these supplements in accordance with the recommended dosage on the product label.

Recommended OTC Diet Pills & Weight Loss Supplements

• HOT-ROX Extreme by Biotest - Contains proprietary fat loss ingredients.
• Lipo 6 by Nutrex - A Synephrine, Yohimbine, Caffeine based otc diet pill.
• Suppressor by EST - A Hoodia based otc diet pill.
• Venom by ALRI - Contains proprietary fat loss ingredients (Hoodia).
• Scorch by MAN - A Synephrine, Forskolin, EGCG, Caffeine otc diet pill.
• FYRE by Syntrax - A 100% all-natural herbal fat burning otc diet pill.

What is a Treadmill?

Treadmills are used extensively for cardiovascular exercise including walking, jogging, running, and rehabilitation. A treadmill will have a rotating belt, typically propelled by the treadmill at a constant pace, with which the trainee is supposed to keep up.

Today, treadmills are mostly digital making it easy to change the speed of the belt in order to alter intensity. Many treadmills in the market today also have the ability to change the inclines level at which you are walking, for instance a steeper incline would compare to walking up a slightly more level hill. This is a great tool to help the body burn more calories.

Treadmills are great to add to any exercise program and will help with weight loss and your overall fitness. They are capable of keeping up with the distance you have walked and the number of calories that you have burned during your workout.

Purchasing a Treadmill - Sole, Proform, Epic, Norditrack, and more…

If you are looking into buying a treadmill you should first consider what you will be using it for. Will it be used primarily for walking or will you be using if for running as well? Most treadmills are designed for walking, therefore if you plan on running you need to look for one especially designed for running. This is due to the fact that the belts on the treadmills can wear our faster when used for running. Look into the different features that are common to treadmills.

Some of these include a heart rate monitor, digital speed, incline levels, calorie counter and some even have pre-programmed routines. Once you decide the features that are most important to you, you should shop around and get prices for them. Because treadmills are expensive you should check into extended warranties that may be available for the treadmill that you decide to purchase. Be sure to try a model in the store before you purchase so that you can get a feel for the treadmill, and to be sure that you will be comfortable using it on a regular basis.

Some of the top treadmills available today include Sole treadmills, Proform 600s treadmills, Epic treadmills, and Nordictrack treadmills. These manufacturers will provide you with a top quality treadmill as well as top quality service.

Putting Together a Treadmill Exercise Program

If you are an avid walker then you should use your current exercise program as a basis to begin adding the treadmill to your workout. If you are new to exercising start off slowly. Set goals for yourself that are realistic and set deadlines for the distances you want to walk or calories you want to burn during each exercise session. Remember to take it slowly at first and do not overwork your body, which could result in injury.

Start off with 3 to 4 workouts per week for 30 minutes each session. Walking is the best exercise to start a cardiac fitness program, while jogging or interval sprints are the best way to maximize the intensity. Keep a record of the calories, speed, and distance that you walk during your workouts. Your records can show the progress that you make over time as you use your treadmill.

Be careful not to overwork yourself as you get started on your new exercise program. Many people suggest skipping days between your walks to give your muscles time to relax and repair from the workout.

What is Rowing Machine Exercise Equipment?

Rowing machine exercise equipment is designed for a comprehensive full-body workout, especially back, chest, arms, shoulders and abdomen. The design principle of a rowing machine is based on a natural rowing motion such as that of rowing a boat. Rowing machines are excellent for both cardiovascular workouts and for rowing ‘sprints’ to develop power.

Choosing a Rowing Machine

Choosing quality rowing machine exercise equipment involves some research for a first purchase. There are mainly two types of rowing machines: Air resistance and Hydraulic. Air resistance rowing machines uses fans to create resistance, while hydraulic rowing machines use hydraulic cylinders with a tension adjusting knob. Some of the important features worth considering in rowing machine exercise equipment are:

1. Comfortable seat and rowing position - Try some of the machines to find which one matches your height and body contours and is an overall pleasure to use. The chassis of the rower should be lengthy enough for free movement of your legs.
2. Suitable foot stops - The rower should have large, wide and non slippery foot stops so that the user doesn’t get hurt if foot slips while doing rowing exercises.
3. Panel functions - Availability of basic functions on the panel such as distance rowed, time spent and calories burnt is essential. The machine should have feature of varying the resistance so that it can be used for both cardio and power training.
4. Budget - The typical price of rowing machines ranges from 300 to 3000 dollars, with the higher priced rowing machines having more features. So, strike a balance between the features and the price and buy one that offers you the most in terms of both. Never buy a machine that offers you features which you will probably never use.
5. Space - If you have less space then you should consider a rowing machine that can be folded.

Before using the rowing machine, the proper warm up of your body is very essential. You can do warm up at tread mill and jump rope for a combined duration of 15 minutes. After warm up, you can use rowing machine to do conditioning of your whole body.

Rowing can be done with hands or legs alternately. If you want to rest your legs, then you can row with your hands and if you want to rest your arms then you can keep them still and use legs to do the rowing. Thus rowing nearly covers the complete upper and body muscle groups.

Resistance can be increased if you want to build your muscles. One important point not to be forgotten before exercising on rowing machine is to consult your physician if you already have back related problems. Working out on rowing machine ignoring your pre-existing back issues can lead to serious back related injuries and complications.

About Weight Benches

Free weight exercise equipment offers the biggest bang for the buck. Ideal for novice to advanced trainees, free weightsare useful for building core strength, stabilizer strength, and improving overall muscular strength and bone density fora lifetime. Standard iron weight plates, a 45 lb olympic bar, and an adjustable olympic weight bench are all that is needed to start aneffective home-gym. Olympic weight benches come in many varieties including the flat olympic weight bench, decline olympic weight bench, incline olympic weight bench, adjustible olympic weight bench, and many combination units.

How to Choose a Weight Bench

The olympic weight bench is a standard in today’s fitness clubs, and should also be the standard in your home gym.Nothing builds upper body mass like heavy bench pressing. With the various olympic weight bench designs we are able to train the bench press at many angles, thereby stimulating every muscle fiber in the chest. Some of the topweight bench brands availabe today includeinclude Nautilus,Weider, Proform, Xodus, andPowertech. The Proform weight bench models are designed for both comfort and functionality. They are probably the highest quality equipment that can be purchased today. The Xodus weight benchand the Powertech weight bench are also recommended.

You will want to find a weight bench with the rackbars set several inches wider than your shoulders, with 3 or more pin settings so that the bar can be racked high, medium, and low. Your feet should reach the floor when you are bench pressing so make sure the weight bench is also tall enoughor short enough depending on the length of your legs. Be sure to also pick up an olympic barbellwith a set of olympic weight plates. You will want a set of at least 300 lbs from the start.

How to Bench Press

Always remember to bench press with perfect form, keeping your feet on the floor and pressing the bar in a straight vertical line from your chest. Press the bar with maximum force on the way up and don’t let it bounce off your ches ton the way down. Do not forget to breathe in on the way down, hold your breath through the bottom of the press,and breathe out during the second half of the press. Also try lifting with lighter weight and maximum speed once a week, for 3-5 reps, in order to increase your power in any exercise.

What is an Elliptical Trainer?

An elliptical trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate walking or running without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries.They offer a non-impact cardiovascular workout that can vary from light to high intensity based on the resistance preference. Most elliptical trainers work the user’s upper and lower body in order to elevate the heart rate.Elliptical trainers make ideal training equipment for trainees that need to minimize the impact on their bones and joints. Some of the better manufacturers include Sole, Epic, and Schwinn.

Arm Resistance Handles

While you really don’t need these for an effective workout, many people prefer them. Arm resistance helps to provide training for your upper body and results in an increase in calories burned. However, trainees must make sure they do not have to lean over while using them, which would diminish the effectiveness of the workout.

Variable Motion, Resistance, and Incline Settings

The ability of an elliptical trainer to move in a forward or reverse motion adds variety and challenge to your workout. This change in motion allows the trainee to work different sets of muscles and results in more calories burned overall.Elliptical trainers also reduce your risk of repetitive use injuries common with some treadmill and stair climber users.

Quality elliptical trainers will have a range of resistance and incline levels, which help to increase calories burned. In order to challenge their bodies, trainees typically increase the resistance and inclineas fitness levels improve. Look for an elliptical trainer that makes both resistance and incline changes simple so that interval training sessions can be easily incorporated into your workout.

Some of the top models such as Sole ellipticals, Epic ellipticals, and Schwinn ellipticalsoffer adjustable incline levels, variable motion, and variable resistance on many of their models.

Exercise Equipment

There is a variety of exercise equipment available today. You can choose from rowing machines, elliptical exercise equipment, free weights, treadmills, universal machines, cable machines, single-unit hammer strength exercise equipment, many more. Most of the newest cardiovascular machines are built with the purpose of minimizing the pounding stress on bones and joints,which you would receive from exercising outside. The latest resistance training machines are built to minimize injury, andmake it easier for new trainees to build an initial bit of strength before moving into free weights.

Machines

Machine-based exercise equipment offer a couple of benefits over free-weights. New trainees benefit from the unvarying range of motion and path of resistance. This is ideal at a time when they might not have superior stabilizer strength.Hammer-Strength exercise equipment are some of the most popular resistance-base machines today. Rowing machine exercise equipment and elliptical trainers offer a double benefit in the form of simultaneous lower and upper body training.

Free Weights

Free weight exercise equipment offers the biggest bang for the buck. Ideal for novice to advanced resistance training athletes, free weights are useful for building core strength, stabilizer strength, and improving overall muscular strength and bone density fora lifetime. Standard iron weight plates, a 45 lb olympic bar, and an adjustable bench are all that is needed to start aneffective home-gym. Other beneficial exercise equipment include all-in-one dumbbells, a pull-up bar, and a squat rack.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular exercise equipment provides the trainee with a way to burn extra calories without lifting weights.Our bodies can only handle a certain amount of weight lifting without overtraining. By utilizing cardiovascular fitness equipment such as elliptical trainers, rowing machines, and stair steppers, we are able to minimize the negative effects of high impact exercises such as running and jumping.

What is BCBS Health Insurance?

First off, health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. One of the top health insurance providers includes Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies nationwide provide healthcare benefits across the country and around the world.
 
Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy holders have access to the care they need, when they need it, providing peace of mind when at home or traveling abroad. See below, a list of the various healthcare policy coverage options available through either Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies or the Blue Healthcare Bank.

Types of Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Indemnity and Traditional Coverage
• Point-of-Service (POS)
• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
• BlueCard®: Away From Home Care Program (Traveling in US)
• BlueCard Worldwide® (Traveling Outside US)
• BlueWorldwide Expat (Living/Working Outside US)

Why Buy Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield is taking a leadership role in driving the research and national education initiative on rising healthcare costs through a program called Better Knowledge. The Better Knowledge campaign provides better healthcare knowledge for consumers, leading to better, more affordable healthcare. Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the leader in developing innovative solutions to help improve quality care and keep healthcare affordable.

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. Top health insurance providers include Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Kaiser.

Why Buy Health Insurance?

A health insurance policy is a renewable contract between an individual and an insurance company. When the individual files a health insurance claim, that individual (the policy-holder) pays a deductible plus a co-payment, which is usually anywhere between $5-$20. Usually there is a maximum out-of-pocket payment for any single year, and there can be a lifetime maximum. In the case of emergencies, health insurance can mean the difference a $100,000 payment or a $1,000 payment. Prescription drug plans are a form of insurance offered through many employer benefit plans in the U.S., where the patient pays a co-payment and the prescription drug insurance pays the rest.

Questions To Ask When Choosing a Health Insurance Policy

Q: How much will health insurance cost me and how can I trim costs?
A: $100-$600 a month. Trim costs by excluding unnecessary options.

Q: Are there deductibles I must pay before the health insurance policy begins to help cover my medical costs?
A: Yes, there are usually deductibles ranging from $500-$10,000.

Q: What does the health insurance policy cover and what doesn’t it cover?
A: Check with your policy administrator to get this information.

Q: How can we put all of this knowledge together, armed with a handful of health insurance quotes, to select the perfect policy?
A: Your best bet is to review a couple health insurance quotes and choose the deductible and options that are right for you based upon your needs.