Do Titanium Necklaces/Bracelets really have an influence on performance?

I know for me myself I have always wondered if those titanium necklaces/bracelets really enhance performance and promote healing. I personally have one of those Phiten titanium necklaces, but have not really felt any of the effects since wearing it. These necklaces/bracelets are mainly worn by baseball players and some other athletes as well. They have said they felt specific effects but I question if it is reliable?

The Phiten necklaces were first developed in Japan, and are said to stabilize the electric flow that the nerves use to communicate actions to the body. It is said to smooth out the signals after the player has just done a strenuous amount of activity. It has been shown many players wear them for luck but the effects are not necessarily proven. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims, the body has not been proven to be influenced by magnets that small. Even when players were introduced to bigger magnets they didn’t see any notable effects. Many fight this saying that Phiten does not uses magnet but rather ionized radiation. It reduces the firing potential of neurons in the brain, which in turn stabilizes your body’s current or at least is said to.

The FDA has never proved these to have a definite therapeutic value, but the company can still sell them with the idea that they promote these effects. It may have psychological benefit because the person wearing it believes it is influencing their energy, which in turn leads them to think something is helping them out. They can benefit from this and have a good mental state in many circumstances. They are proven to be 100% safe but really have no noticeable health benefits and are not necessarily known to enhance performance or improve healing.



http://optempo.com/2008/10/13/phiten-necklaces-do-they-work/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1108643/phiten_necklaces_do_they_work_pg2_pg2.html?cat=25

http://www.scienceline.org/2008/10/06/ask-fox-phiten-necklace/

Healthy Thanksgiving Eating

Many people are stressed during the holidays because they feel like all their dieting will just end up going to waste. It is hard to pick the right things to eat because many feel uninformed or don't want to sit and think about making the decisions. Anything in moderation will always be okay but this blog will hopefully open your eyes up to the healthy choices that can be out there. You can still indulge while eating a hearty thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner usually consists of Thanksgiving dinner usually consists of turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, some sort of vegetable like corn, white rolls, and then the best part desert like all different types of pies, ice cream, whip cream, coffee, alcohol, and everything that tastes great. Now although this combination sounds very unhealthy you can still make good eating choices. Some tips for this would be to try not go to the dinner hungry because then you will definitely eat more than you planned because it’s a dinner not a buffet. Many people also serve appetizers before so if this is the case try to skip them completely because they will just add unwanted calories. Also, try to watch your portion sizes. Limit sizes to about ¼ cup or less of each side choice. If you want to cut the fat from the turkey try to cut the skin off and eat the skinless turkey breast. Avoid coffee and alcohol which can add unnecessary calories try to drink water to keep the body hydrated. It is also a good idea to ask the chef if it is not yourself, to make some healthier substitutions like whole wheat rolls instead of white, or egg whites instead of egg yolks.

One of the main ideas to remember during the holiday that change isn’t necessarily bad. You can eat healthy and still enjoy yourself while trying new things. Maybe a new recipe with less fat would be better or maybe a healthier fruit desert would be better than a high saturated fat. All these ideas can definitely help make you enjoy the holiday and feel good about indulging as well.

http://www.dotcomwomen.com/fitness/healthy-thanksgiving.shtml

http://www.healthcastle.com/holiday-eating-healthy-thanksgiving.shtml
http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/howto_eat_a_healthy_thanksgiving_meal

Tips on Staying Healthy During Flu Season

I thought it would be important to write a blog about staying healthy because this is a major concern for us especially this year with the swine flu out and about. The flu comes around mostly in the late fall early winter months, and this year many are afraid they will catch either the regular or swine flu. One major precaution many take is getting the flue vaccine and the swine flu vaccine. Although, today many people are doubtful of these remedies so in turn there are many steps they should take to prevent these illnesses.

First and foremost, hand care is very important. You should try to reduce contact form hand to face. If you touch something infected you can spread it to your system by touching your mouth, nose, eyes, or face. You should wash your hands frequently, and when you do it should be for at least 20-30 seconds. If you don't have time to wash your hands it is important to carry an antibacterial sanitizer to use instead.

Next eating healthy is very important as well. By getting the proper nutrients you can help keep your body healthy is very important as well. By getting the proper nutrients you can help keep your body healthy as well as boost your immune system. It is important your immune system is up to par so any illness that may pass through your system does not infect it. You should try to eat vitamins A, C, E and keep your diet balanced. Drinking water as well is always a good idea. You should try not to share any food or drinks with anyone to prevent the spread of germ

s.

Also, disinfecting is a good idea because flu viruses can survive for about 2 hours or longer on surfaces. Go around your house and wipe down surfaces, doorknobs, phones, and computers to make sure none of your roommates can spread their germs to you. Getting enough rest and staying less stressed is very important because these can lower your immune system making you susceptible to the germs out there. Exercising is important preventative factor as well and helps keep your body healthy and able to fight illness if it happens to get infected with germs. As you guys can see it is very important to practice these steps in trying to combat the flue pandemic this year. Try to do as many of these as you can and hopefully you will be able to escape catching the flu this year and for years on.

http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/individual-health-insurance/resources/tips-flu-season/

http://www.casagrandehospital.com/cgrmc.nsf/View/flu

What you should know about artificial sweeteners

Today many people use artificial sweeteners to sweeten things like coffee, cakes, desserts, cookies, etc to avoid packing on the calories from regular sugar or for people with diabetes to maintain a proper blood glucose level. Nowadays we have a couple staple brands like Sweet and Low (saccharin), Equal (aspartame), and Splenda (sucralose). Each of these 3 different sweeteners have their own different effects good and bad.

First, saccharin or as we commonly know it: Sweet and Low. It was the first artificial sweetener developed and is supposed to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. One down fall to this is that it leaves an unpleasant metallic aftertaste in your mouth, which most people cannot stand. There have been studies proving that saccharin may have been linked to giving rats cancer, so maybe people should think before they use this to sweeten that hot cup of java juice maybe the extra 15 calories wouldn't hurt after all. It's still on the market today because no significantly harmful effects have been proven on human consumption.

Second, aspartame or Equal to us. It was developed after Sweet and Low and became the number one additive in diet sodas. Aspartame however, is the only sweetener that cannot be used for baking. The issue with aspartame is that it contains the amino acid phenylalanine which some people cannot metabolize leaving them with side effects. Other than that it is a safe bet to say you can consume it and continue to drink your beloved diet soda.

Lastly, sucralose or Splenda was developed later on after Equal. This is a chemically altered sugar molecule used in baking, gum, candy, etc. It is the sweetest out of the bunch.

These artificial sweeteners have not been proven to harm you, you just need to be aware of some of the side effects. They can actually promote good health because you are not consuming high amounts of calories which regular sugar contains. If your trying to lose weight, sweetening things with sugar is a great idea to start!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091020/hl_time/08599193111600;_ylt=Am20WvYd5VksPh3J.OJ4KQ3VJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJkbW5zMDAyBGFzc2V0A3RpbWUvMjAwOTEwMjAvMDg1OTkxOTMxMTE2MDAEcG9zAzQEc2VjA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDYXJ0aWZpY2lhbHN3

Is a cool down necessary?

This question is asked again and again and again, and many people believe that after they do a strenuous workout they dont' need to cool their body down they can just go back to everyday activities. The issue present is that there is no real definition of a cool down just that one shouldn't stop moving for a time span after a hard workout to keep your blood flowing. Now theoretically if your exercising very hard the blood vessels in your legs are expanded so the legs can receive a larger dose of blood rather than a body part which isn't moving. If your exercising very hard and you just suddenly stop it can lead to blood pooling, which eventually leads to dizziness and passing out. So maybe it IS a good idea for just a couple minute cool down, nothing more than 5 minutes. The group of people who are most vulnerable to this are athletes because they are trained to adapt their bodies to obtain maximum blood dosage in their legs which causes them to be able to need to cool down so their bodies can return to normal.

However, ther is an adverse side to this theory. Some people believe that a cool down is to prevent soreness due to lactic acid build up after exercise. Lactic acid has nothing to do with muscle soreness due to the lactic acid build up after exercise. Lactic acid has nothing to do with muscle soreness, its good to generate as much lactic acid as possible. When exercise is completely stopped the lactic acid build up can be changed to glycogen which the athlete can then use for fuel. There have been studies proving that even with the cool down the muscle soreness is not prevented.

So I guess the answer to this question would basically be personal choice. If you're an athlete it would be beneficial for you to cool down to avoid any pooling or swelling. For first timers or people new to exercise I feel a cool down isn't as beneficial because it's not going to prevent muscle soreness which you will experience, it will just help decrease your heartbeat and help you get back to normal state.

http://www.physioroom.com/prevention/cool_down1.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/health/nutrition/15best.html?_r=3&ref=nutrition

Antioxidants? Do they really work?

For everyone out there who doesn't know what an antioxidant is let me define this first. An antioxidant is a substance or nutrient in a food which prevent/slow oxidative damage to our body by reducing the effects of the free radicals so in layman's terms they are basically good to consume because it prevents damage to our bodies (cells). These free radicals are important to stop because they play a role in serious diseases like heart disease, cancer etc. The good thing about antioxidants is that they are not just linked to one food. They are food in a couple of different varieties. It is important to consume them so the body can protect itself. A balance with antioxidants is good to remain healthy.

Most antioxidants are known predominantly for their bright colors. For instance, the red of tomatoes, the orange of carrots, yellow corn, blue/purple blueberries, grapes, etc. Also, antioxidants are found in certain vitamins like A, C, E, and selenium. Many people have developed the theory that only antioxidants can be found in red wines and dark chocolate while this is true they do not know about the rest of foods which contribute to this list as well. The antioxidants involving the phytochemical group are first and foremost: flavonoids from soy, red wine, tea, etc, lycopene from tomato, watermelon, etc lutein from dark vegetables like spinach, etc, and lignan from flax seed, oatmeal, barley, etc. There are a couple more, but these were the most pertinent to an individual's daily consumption.

Now the issue that comes into play with consuming antioxidants is one should be aware of reverse reactions. If certain antioxidants are consumed with milk they can produce virtually no effect to the health. Also, if you try to take a supplement for the antioxidants instead of include them into your diet it could lead to a harmful toxic effect. Just stick to consumption here and there of these nutrients and your body should be able to fight off the harmful radicals with no ifs ands or buts!

http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/antioxidantfs.cfm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html

http://www.healthcastle.com/antioxidant.shtml

On the Run...here are some helpful eating tips

Many Americans live a fast paced lifestyle eating from one place to the other without even thinking what they are really putting into their mouths. The people mainly affected by this are business people, students, health care professionals, and mostly people who work the long 9-5s everyday. Many want time away from the office to eat with friends or coworkers so they go to restaurants and are oblivious to contents within the meals they are consuming. There are plenty of ways to eat healthy when on the go. In this blog I will give readers some healthy options or tips so they know how to choose the better option on any restaurant menu.

Don't forget that if you eat anything in moderation it is okay, but when you are eating out everyday you are not as informed with the nutrients amounts as you would be if you were to make yourself and look at the nutrition facts on the back of the box. It is good to pick a restaurant that offers a large variety of options so you will be able to find something that suits you. Don't drink soda or juice that packs on calories and carbohydrates, stick to water, tea, or diet soda. Try to stay away from any cream based products like soups, sauces, dressings as these could pack on the pounds. If you order a large meal, box half and only eat half at the table that way the food isn't in front of you to splurge on. One key thing is avoid fast food places, try to stick to delis or bakeries instead. Quick snacks could be a cup of soup, crackers, pretzels, granola bar, and water. There are many healthy options out there but still many are misinformed or too nervous to make the right choices. When you are out there DO NOT be afraid to ask corporate places for their menus like McDonald's, Panera, etc. That way you can see what things on the menu are going to be the healthiest for you in your certain situation. Eating on the run can be fun and beneficial all at the same time, there are million of options out there just waiting for you to try.