Suspend-It

This morning I had a chat with my friend Denise. She came by our house to return some books she borrowed. The last time we talked was a year ago, and I was surprised to see her so thin. I could remember the time when she was so conscious about her chubby figure that sometimes she won’t go out of their house for a month straight! And now, I am so amazed with her sexy figure.

I came to the point of asking her how she did it. She said several months ago she was hospitalized because of taking instant weight loss pills she got from a friend. She took them without prescription then after a week, her hands were trembling and her heart palpitating. Her doctor told her to immediately stop taking those pills. It turned out that those pills were not FDA approved and therefore unsafe. It was a good lesson that she learned the hard way.

“If you want a real fat burner”, Denise advised, “Better ask your doctor’s advice. Or better yet, do it the natural way – proper exercise, balanced diet, plenty of fruit juices, and good sleeping habits.” She further suggested enrolling in a fitness gym or aerobics class; this way you not only lose weight, you also make your heart healthier.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables–that’s what my mother always says. She’s never been wrong, so I live up to what she says, and I can say I’m a better person now because of her!

We all know that they don’t all taste good, so I tried tasting each fruit and vegetable out there and I chose some that I like. I personally like apples and leafy vegetables.

Try it yourself. Explore the wonderful world of greenery! I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed.

While helping out my sister with her assignment in Chemistry, I was surprised to find out that Magnesium (Mg), as defined by Nutrition Data, “is an essential mineral for the human body. It is needed for protein, bone, and fatty acid formation, making new cells, activating B vitamins, relaxing muscles, blood clotting and forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP).” It is even the 11th most abundant element by mass in the human body.

I was more fascinated when I learned that magnesium is a very important mineral in the body since it activates over 300 different processes in our body – from digestion, energy production, muscle function, and bone formation, to muscle relaxation, and heart function. This is why when people suffer from magnesium deficiency, their body goes out of balance.

According to studies, an average person needs around 350 to 450 mg of magnesium each day. To replace the magnesium levels which were depleted via exercise or just your normal routine, you can either to increase your caloric intake by over 50% or take magnesium supplements or magnesium vitamins.

For those checking their calorie intake, I suggest you check your magnesium intake as well.

Abigail, my cousin, dreams of being a doctor and is now a third year medical student. My mom advices Abigail to see to it that she includes in her studies and research, the natural/alternative medicine books, since these books will give her the knowledge on natural health.

It is not only those in the medical profession, but everyone needs to consider what is good for human being - for there is a little doctor in every person. The reality is, with or without a doctor, every person should know what is best for him/her, according to the nature of man. As a physical being, man, similar to other living things has the capacity to nutrition, growth and reproduction. However, the bottom line is in the eating process or nutrition. If one’s nutrition is right, the good growth and the reproduction of better specie will follow. As such, if we want to have a healthy body, start with natural health products like supplementation and natural vitamins, ultra Ascorbic C and Full Spectrum Eight-Optimum E. There are online stores like Shopping.com where you can find and compare the supplements prices between multiple competitors.

If you are one of those who consider the physical aspect of the human nature important, you should be happy, for you are a little doctor of yourself, who live in the principle, “Prevention is better than cure”.

“Food is an important part of a balanced diet” - Fran Leibowitz

Food, as in REAL food, not the kind that skinny people eat, IS an important part of a well-balanced diet. As I mentioned in my previous post, dieting need not be just palatable. That is, healthy food nowadays no longer means “not tasty food” and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Dishes like Greek Feta Cheese Soufflés and Mushroom and Broccoli Stir-Fry are examples of healthy but tasty food.

You can actually browse over several chefs recipes page online so you can prepare and cook those healthy, tasty foods for you and your family, and even friends. That way, you are sure that they are eating right, happily, and with great gusto. After all, “The true cook is the perfect blend, the only perfect blend, of artist and philosopher. He knows his worth: he holds in his palm the happiness of mankind, the welfare of generations yet unborn (Norman Douglas, 1868-1952).”

Nutrition and diet are very important factors in one’s over-all well-being. Then again, who says you can’t eat good food and be healthy at the same time?

There are various ways to be able to eat savory meals and still be healthy. Personally though, I prefer the prepare-your-own healthy food method. That way, I get to keep track of my food intake, and make sure that it is palatable, if not delicious.

To be able to produce a variety of healthy delicious meal so that your diet doesn’t just rotate on very boring dishes, try training at some renowned culinary academies such as http://www.tca.edu.

Being fit is often associated with one’s weight. And with a lot of people being more conscious about their weight, they tend to watch their calorie intake and start to exercise to shed off some unwanted fats.

FYI: A calorie is a unit of energy supplied by food.

Still, keep in mind that you do not just lose weight simply by watching your calorie intake and exercising. You need to take into account how much you eat because it affects how much exercise is needed to make a difference in your weight. Consequently, you need to have a reliable calorie counter to keep track of your food intake.

One of the most reliable calorie counters I’ve come across with is from MyFitnessPal.com. Their counter is fast and easy to use. To cap it off, it also teaches you the nutritional contents of what you are eating, and how you can make better food choices. That is, you need not starve yourself to slimness. After all, your diet ought to provide enough calories to make up for the energy you expend daily.

For those who already have their desired figure and just want to maintain it, all you need to do is exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.