Spinach Facts..For Heart Health

Popeye was not the only believer in the plentiful benefits of spinach. Nutritionists and dieticians, and increasingly the medical profession as a whole have come to understand that spinach truly is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. A daily spinach recipe in your diet is a vital part of your ongoing health and vitality.

Spinach is low in calories, yet extremely high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients (natural plant chemicals with human nutritional value.).

Unlike a handful of other nutrient-dense health foods (such as aloe vera and spirulina, for example), spinach is readily accessible to all, available almost everywhere in the world today as a whole food, rather than only as a processed supplement, and is a low priced vegetable that everyone can afford - or even grow spinach in your own back yard. It can be used in a remarkably wide range of healthy spinach recipes.

The modern, Western diet has changed dramatically over the past century and with those changes have come a raft of degenerative diseases. Some of these diseases were never before known. Others are now occurring far more commonly and at younger ages than in generations past.

It is no co-incidence that our changed diet and the rise of these diseases go hand-in-hand.

One of those changes has been that grain products have become one of the dominant sources of caloric intake today, despite being relatively low in nutrient value.

On the other hand, the western diet today contains only 40% of the volume of vegetables, such as spinach, than it did a century ago.

Spinach is rich in the mineral potassium and low in sodium. Potassium or potassium-rich diets are an effective first line of defence against high blood pressure / hypertension. Potassium salts are commonly recommended as a substitute of sodium chloride (common table/cooking salt) for people at risk of or suffering from high blood pressure. Potassium lowers blood pressure. Sodium raises blood pressure. Spinach, being high in potassium and low in sodium is therefore a clear choice for your cardiovascular health.

Folate or folic acid, abundant in spinach, is also known to reduce high blood pressure or hypertension. Folate also reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure in the first place. It serves as both a preventative and a treatment for hypertension. Folate has been shown to reduce levels of homocysteine, a blood component and inflammation marker that can damage blood vessels. Folate may also help blood vessels relax, improving blood flow.

Co-enzyme Q10, of which spinach is one of only two plant sources (the other is broccoli) plays an important role in cardiovascular and heart health. Co-Q10 is essential for muscle strength throughout the human body - and the heart is one of the body's muscles. In fact, patients on statin (cholesterol lowering) medications often suffer the side effect of weak and painful muscles because statins interfere with the human liver's natural ability to produce Co-Q10. Accordingly, Co-enzyme Q-10 is often recommended by doctors to be taken as a supplement alongside statin drugs. Wouldn't it be nice if the medical profession just recommended more spinach in the diet?

Specific to heart and cardiovascular health, there has been over 30 years of research studies into the role of Co-enzyme Q10 for both prevention and treatment. The research solidly establishes that Co-enzyme Q10, an antioxidant, has potential for use in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, and heart failure.

Lutein, an antioxidant carotenoid also abundant in spinach, prevents or reduces atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is one of the major causes of heart attacks, so lutein is a valuable nutrient for the prevention of not just atherosclerosis, but also of heart attacks and strokes.

4 Tips For Get Flat Stomach.

Do you want a flat stomach?
Of course, most everyone does.

So if your goal is a trim waist line and a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is remove the layers of fat that are sitting on top of your abs. Everyone has a flat stomach. It's just that some of them are covered with excess fat.

The most effective way to flatten your stomach is with a combination of strength training (placing an extra focus on the mid-section), cardiovascular exercises (short, intensive workouts), and a stable blood sugar level to keep you from adding even more fat (and it makes it easier for the body to use your body fat for fuel).

1. You have to do some type of progressive strength training. The ab muscle is primarily used to flex your torso forward. But there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and other muscles that rotate it. Often you will see people on their ab roller every day doing lots of sit-ups or crunches.
   
   If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach muscles you need to incorporate these exercises:
   • 1-2 forward flexion exercises (sit-up, crunch, etc.)
   • 1-2 side flexion exercises (side crunches, side bends, etc.)
     
   • 1-2 rotational exercises (standing twists, trunk rotations, etc.)
     
   Your abs are muscles, and just like any other muscles, they should be exercised at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you're training them progressively, which means working them harder each time.
   
2. Increase metabolism using short, and hard, cardio workouts. Cardio workouts are very important because they can, if done properly, increase your metabolism for up to 24 hours or more!
   
   This means that you're less likely to store any excess calories as body fat simply because they're more likely to be used up by your higher metabolism. Plus, you're more likely to burn off some excess body fat in the process!
   
   Here's a simple interval workout that you can do with just about any activity (bicycling, walking, swimming, etc).
   
   • Warm up at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
   • Perform 30 seconds of hard exercise (almost as hard as possible)
     
   • perform one minute of moderate exercise (recovery time to catch your breath)
     
   • Repeat this process from 6-10 times
     
   • Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes
3. Maintaining a stable blood sugar level is the key. Most importantly, you have to stabilize your blood sugar level! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to shedding that excess body fat and keeping it off!
   
   To stabilize your blood sugar level you have to feed your body frequently, about every 2-3 hours. The key is to give your body only the amount of food that it needs at that time. Your body burns calories all day long, so why would you only feed it once or twice a day?
   
   Give your body the fuel it needs: fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, berries, and lean proteins (fish, lean beef, chicken, eggs, etc).
   
   Most people pay too much attention to how much fat is in food, or how healthy a meal is. Calories are calories. It doesn’t matter where they come from. If there’s extra it's going to body fat!
   
   I'm not saying that what you eat isn't important because it is. It just doesn’t have all that much of an affect when it comes to losing fat. Make healthy choices whenever possible, but don’t feel like every cheeseburger you eat is guaranteed to be stored as fat.
   
4. Enlist the help of a professional trainer. Realistically, most people just don’t know enough about their body, nutrition, or effective exercise plans to meet their health and fitness goals.
   
   Ask yourself this question, “Am I happy with my current progress or physical condition?” If the answer is no, then you should consider hiring a qualified personal fitness professional.
   
   Don’t automatically trust the information you get from fitness magazines or from your local health club. A qualified fitness trainer can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, and in less time than you can even imagine.

If you're serious about your health and fitness goals, and you're ready to work for that flat stomach, I recommend you start utilizing the four strategies described above. These four strategies can help you elevate your metabolism and burn off that excess body fat leaving you looking and feeling great!

Healthy Foods for a Healthy Lifestyle

There are several fad diets that will lead to successful weight loss if you follow them exactly as they are designed. That doesn't mean every food that fits into a diet is a healthy food, but it does mean you have to change your eating patterns to fit the diet's rules.

Rather than worry about following a fad diet, think about your health and your lifestyle instead. Start by learning which foods are good for you.

Healthy Foods to Eat

The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Fresh fruits and berries are great and will satisfy a craving for sweets. Whole vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals, so eat more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Steam them to retain the most nutritional value and be careful with sauces, they may be high in calories and fats that aren't good for you.

Any pasta or baked goods should be made from whole grains. Avoid sugary snacks and pastries as well. An apple is good for you, an apple pie really isn't.

Shop for lean meats and don't forget the fish. The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in ocean fish are often deficient in our diets, so serve seafood two or three times per week. Baked fish and chicken are healthier than fried, and lean meats like bison or venison may be healthier than higher fat beef.

Processed lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have a lot of saturated fat and nitrates in them you don't want in your body. If you love these meats, you can find healthie

r versions sold at health food stores.

Remember to eat a variety of foods to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.

Stick to water, milk and 100% fruit and vegetable juices as your main beverages and limit sugary soft drinks. If you get tired of plain water, add a slice of lemon or lime to add a touch of flavor. For kids, try some fruit juice jazzed up with carbonated water.

Unhealthy Foods

• Battered and deep fried foods
• Sugary sodas
• Processed lunch meats
• Greasy snack chips
• White bread and refined pasta
• Most canned spaghetti and ravioli
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Frozen fried chicken, fish sticks and corn dogs

Healthy Foods

• Green and brightly colored vegetables
• Dark leafy greens and lettuce
• Fresh fruits and berries
• Lean turkey and chicken
• Nuts, dried fruits and healthy snacks
• Whole grain breads and pasta
• Healthy cooking oils like canola and olive oils
• Grass fed beef and bison
• Cold water oily ocean fish
• Low fat milk or soy beverages
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes

How To Manage a Team

1. Tell them who is in charge and how decision making will be handled. If you will have the last word on team decisions, say so right up front so that the group understands this.

2. 

   Set up your ground rules. Be sure to have rules regarding attendance and timeliness as well as any roles that need to be filled such as team leader, time keeper and minute taker.

3. Establish a mission and time line. Assuming that the team has a particular assignment to complete and an end date, make sure that everyone is aware of what you are doing, the expectations you have of the members and when you need to achieve your mission.

4. Use a facilitator for the team. The facilitator does not make decisions or offer opinions. His job is to keep the team on track and deal with distractions and dysfunction within the group. Make sure the facilitator is properly trained for his task.

5. Group development and synergy will take time. Be sure you allow the group to interact effectively, that everyone understands the mission, feels included and accepts accountability for the outcome.

6. Produce and present your conclusions. Share in the process of rolling out your end product with all members. Reward the team for a job well done. If possible, get written feedback from each member on what things went well and what could be improved in the process.

Personality Development

Smile costs us nothing, but fetches many dividends. So smile wholeheartedly and earn profits in real life.

But never forget the golden rule: “Laugh with a friend, but not laugh at a friend”.

Never hurt your friends with rude jokes and comments. Human life is a wonderful thing and makes it happier with a little smile.

How to improve life?

1. Spend time with people who make you laugh, those who have good sense of humour.
2. Make friendship with people who share the same interests as you.
3. Stay away from people who whine and complain.
4. Stay away from people who are in depressed mood.
5. Stay away from people who have negative mindset.
6. Stay away from smoking as it reduces physical and mental wellbeing.

How to enhance brain power?

1. Dark chocolate and cold meat for breakfast can boost your brain power.
2. Mental exercises like puzzles enhance brain power.
3. People who think in radical and creative manner will have great brain power.
4. Junk foods, pollution and stressful lifestyle decreases brain power.
5. Magnesium and antioxidants increase oxygen supply to the brain and reduces brain damage through a stroke.
6. Reading is the best hobby to have great brain power.

-shakhanf-

Time Management..Pursue The Success

Strategies on using TIME :
1. School Term/ Semester Overview: Develop or Plan for blocks of Study Time
About 50 minutes? How long does it take for you to become restless?
Some learners need more frequent breaks for a variety of reasons.
More difficult material may also require more frequent breaks.
Place blocks of time when you are most productive, as morning person or night owl!

2. Schedule Weekly Review and Updates
Sunday night may be an excellent time to review your calendar.
Be mindful that as deadlines and exams approach, your weekly routine must adapt.

3. Prioritize Assingment
During study, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task.
Build in "Reaction Time" when you can get feedback on assignment before they are due.

4. Postpone Tasks or Routine That Can Be Put Off Until School Work/Assignment is Finished
Eliminate, delegate or delay non-essential tasks as part of prioritizing.
Review for a test may be more important than enjoying a sport and playing the game later will be more enjoyable without the pressure of the test.

5. Use Your FREE TIME wisely.
Think of times when you can study bits as when walking, riding the bus, etc.

6. Review Notes and Reading just Before Class
Try to get the keyword and the draft illumination of the chapter that will be study.

7. Review Lecture Material Immediately After Class
"Forgetting is Greatest within 24 Hours Without Review"

9 Techniques To Overcome Stress

The world you are living is an extremely stress place; everyone needs agendas to over come their stress.

Every one will undergo stress in their life, without the question of age and sex. Neglecting stress will be devastating; it will ruin your health and the life too.

If you are under stress, do not neglect even one day to start the stress relaxation programs.

If you are stressed, you should surely follow some stress relaxation techniques.

1. Exercise: Start doing exercise when you are under stress. This helps the body to excrete adrenaline and cortisol, which are released by adrenal glands. The secretion of these glands causes the feeling of stress. It also activates pituitary and hypothalamus glands which secrete “feel good” hormones called as Endorphins. These also have the capacity to reduce pains and improve the “well-being” sense.
2. Diversion: One of the reasons behind stress is letting your mind obsess over things that you can’t change. If you think on that issue, divert your mind. Go on a small walk, meet your old friends, if not call them, watch your favorite movie, go for window shopping, check out your old pictures, play with your pet or visit a park and see children playing.
3. Meditation: Many meditation techniques will help you in stress relaxation; one of them is insight meditation. This is not done by emptying the mind or removing the stress from the mind, but distracts the mind from the stress and focuses mind on a task. Listening to religious speeches also relieves from stress.
4. Yoga: It is a combination of meditation and exercise and works as a highlighting stress relaxant. It makes you feel calm and relieves tension from the muscles. This is a great way to strengthen your mind and body. Yoga therapy is proven as a stress reducer; this will give you a peaceful and calm state of mind.
5. Aroma therapy: Bathing with luke warm water is also a good idea of relaxing. Adding aroma oils will relax you physically and mentally. Inhaling aroma fragrances, especially cinnamon and vanilla will relax many people. This will refresh the mind and body.
6. Massage: It’s very helpful in stress relaxation process. It relives stress from the body in all forms. A massage technique provides deep relaxation and improves physiological process and improves mood mentally and physically.
7. Sleeping: Sleep for a long time, the brain reboots in the time you are sleeping. A sound sleep of 8 hours will reduce stress for a large extent. Researches have proved that people who don’t sleep for 8 hours have problems such as less intellectual abilities, less patience levels and are preys of depressions and stress.
8. Self Hypnosis: The positive aspect in hypnosis is that, it will make you strong from inner side to overcome stress and depressions. It controls your mind and develops a “well-being” and “feel-good” environment around you.
9. Caffeine: Sit in a quiet and comfortable environment and enjoy your cup of coffee or tea. Caffeine present in these liquids works as a very good de-stresser. Caffeine releases ‘feel-good and well-being hormones. Even chocolates contain caffeine. So you can enjoy your sip of coffee or tea and a chocolate bite which can overcome stress. Note: Too much intake of caffeine leads to other problems. Do not take much caffeine, limit yourself.

You should remember that Stress relaxation is not imposing one method or other to de-stress. It’s about dealing with the problem in general and maintaining balance to fight and overcome the problem.

Vitamins And Minerals For Health

Vitamin A & D

Vitamins A & D are a natural combination for optimal health. Vitamin A works best with Vitamin D because it aids in assimilating Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is most commonly known as a beneficial nutrient for better vision, improved night vision, and as protection against the formation of cataracts. Vitamin A also plays an essential role in developing healthy skin, teeth, and bones. It is also a powerful antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and inhibits abnormal cell growth. Vitamin D regulates normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Vitamin D also aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong teeth and bones.

Vitamin B

The B-complex vitamins are essential for normal growth and development. They are a group of eight vitamins including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cyanocobalamin (B12). B vitamins play an important role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fat, and protein into energy. They enhance immune and nervous system function, promote cell growth, and help to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most important nutrients and an essential antioxidant for the human body. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C support the immune system and help to protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. The body requires Vitamin C to help build collagen, which is necessary for healthy bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and blood vessels. Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects cellular membranes from damage caused by free radicals. This is a key antioxidant for a healthy immune system. It also contributes to a healthy circulatory system, helps to protect skin from ultraviolet light damage, and decreases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and certain types of breast disease.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is used by the body to help blood clot properly. It is essential for synthesizing the clotting factors in the liver. Vitamin K also helps build bone strength and may decrease the incidence or severity of osteoporosis and slow bone loss. A small portion of Vitamin K is naturally produced in our body by bacteria in the intestines. The remaining portion of Vitamin K needs to come from our dietary intake. Green leafy vegetables, beef, chicken, and green tea are excellent sources of Vitamin K.

Minerals

Minerals function much as vitamins do to help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different biological processes. They provide much of the structure of teeth and bones, aid in transmitting nerve impulses, and maintain a healthy immune system. Minerals are inorganic, naturally occurring metals and compounds. They are classified as macrominerals and trace minerals. The body needs much larger amounts of macrominerals than trace minerals. Macrominerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur. Trace minerals are needed in smaller quantities and include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Manage Stress

Stress can be excruciating and can cause frustration, anger, anxiety, conflict, or pressure. People feel the anxiety before

a critical presentation in office or during exams. The present life style when we all strive for more and big, at any cost, adds to the stress. Most often, stress becomes a part of our lives and we learn to live with it.

Since stress exhausts you out physically and psychologically, you should plan to manage stress. A combination of proper medication, good diet, positive attitude and exercise can help you reduce stress from your everyday life. These help you control your lives even if you are facing some tragedy or a challenge.

In physical terms, managing stress helps you balance your life, for your priorities, your goals and your duties in life. You need to balance your personal life with work, monetary considerations, physical life and relationships. Rather than taking life as a regular exercise of dealing with frustrations, pressure and conflict, think positively.

Manage Stress

If you are leading a stressful life, get required sleep at all costs. Generally, stressed people feel lack of energy and

are not motivated. Getting enough sleep will help you feel fresh and be productive towards your work and responsibilities. It will help clear your mind of any baggage, enabling you objective analysis of situations.

If you are introvert by nature, that is fine; however, leading an isolated life can add to your stress. To reduce stress, develop a basic level of social circle and support system for yourself. Share your thoughts with others and refrain from negative thoughts. It helps you in clear thinking and in taking decisions.

Apart from change in your outlook towards life, take care of your physical self as well. Exercise regularly. It is said that – A healthy mind resides only in healthy body. Physical fitness helps you feel better and healthy.

Have a regulated diet. People who are stressed may either eat too much, or do not eat at all. One, take required diet. Two, take nutritious diet that can keep you healthy. Proper meals, regularly help you to reduce stress. Do not have too much sugar, tea, coffee or chocolates. Have lots of fruits, salads and green vegetables for required nutrients to feel fresh and healthy.

Pursue a hobby. If you like music, take time to listen to music for about 30 minutes. If you like outdoor sports, join a club, or a local community centre. Paint a picture or sing a song. Experts believe that if you spare some time for extra activities from your packed schedule, you feel rejuvenated and it relieves stress.

Have good habits and refrain from falling prey to drugs or excessive use of alcohol. You may feel temporary respite, but these options are bad for your health for long term. Don’t shy away from your problems or conflicts and take refuge in alcohol or drugs. Learn to take challenge head on and deal with stress positively.

How to Reduce Stress

Have positive outlook to your life. If your expectations from yourself are a cause of stress, then reassess your expectations. See if these are realistic. Evaluate the hurdles and look for the ways on how to handle those. Most probably, you will find that you are not able to maintain balance between work and family or personal life. You can reduce stress by redefining your priorities and working constantly and consciously towards achieving your goals.

Many people who are unable to deal with stress have very poor time management skills. Prioritize your tasks and have some schedule for important tasks and meetings. Try to organize your routine such as you can note down important appointments or meetings on paper. You can maintain a checklist before moving out of your house so that you are not late for an urgent meeting or appointment.

You may be stressed because you want to do most of the stuff by yourself. Trust people around you and see if your kids are grown up enough to deposit a bill, or do get your vehicle repaired from workshop. Delegating responsibilities can help you reduce stress on yourself. It also gives you more time that you can use for recreation or for a family outing.

A good sense of humour is very important to reduce stress. A good hearted laughter is an excellent tonic to help you relieve stress. History is a witness that most well known artists who faced many hardships in their early life had very good sense of humour.

Meditation and yoga are exceptional stress busters. Do some meditation to relax your mind. Try to have more self control in situations when you are expecting conflict. Develop the ability to listen and the temperament to disagree. Remember that ability to live with disagreement is very important in any relationship.