Drinking your Way to a Healthy Body

Author: John Scott While dieting it is important to watch what you drink just as much as you watch what you eat. A great number of beverages and "healthy" fruit juices are packed with high amounts of sugar and will cause weight gain if not properly burned off. This actually defeats the purpose of dieting because by drinking all these beverages full of sugar, you are actually working against your goal. Here are a couple of rules when it comes to what to drink while dieting.  Rule # 1:   Drink plenty of water. I know, you've probably heard this a million times but it's true, this is a key ingredient of a healthy lifestyle.  If you are the kind of person who just can't stand drinking water because it doesn't taste like anything, try adding a lemon wedge to give it a little twist in flavor.     Rule # 2:   Lay off the booze. We all know about the beer bellies but what many don't know is that it has been proven that alcohol has elements which actually make it more difficult to burn off fat.  This isn't to say you can never drink again but you shouldn't exceed 1-2 drinks if you are looking to be healthy. Our liver is one of the organs mainly responsible for metabolizing fat. Since alcohol seriously impinges on proper liver function, too much alcohol means your body isn't being able to metabolize fat and therefore, you're not burning fat like you should.  Drinking alcohol also dehydrates the body which completely defeats the whole idea of drinking enough water. Not to mention the fact that alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat.  The fact is that if you are serious about getting in shape and losing the extra pounds, you have to lay off the serious drinking. If you must drink, try light beer or a small glass of wine.   Rule # 3:   Try not to drink too much coffee. Although coffee is very controversial, the truth is that a couple of cups a day isn't going to do too much harm.  Coffee does, however, dehydrate the body as well and extra water should be consumed if you want to keep hydrated.  If you are looking to lose weight quicker, then stay away from the creamy latte's that are packed with fat milk and creams and loaded with too much sugar. Rule # 4:   Don't over due low-fat drinks. The fact is that diet beverages, be it tea, soda, sports drinks, etc., often bring a lot of sugar which, as we all know, is completely detrimental to losing weight. Again, the best way to hydrate is water.    Anyhow, diet drinks haven't been proven to help you lose weight and sometimes they may even cause cravings for real sugar which can work against you.  Remember that the consumption of excessive liquid may cause the onset of Cellulite. Read more about  Cellulite . Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/drinking-your-way-to-a-healthy-body-187625.html About the Author: John Scott is a researcher and writer for  compareop.com  (Phentermine OPs Reports and Discussion board).

Vitamin a - Health Secrets of Vitamin a Which you Must Know

Author: Dr John Anne In this Article i will tell you in detail the Vitamin A Benefits, sources and Deficiency. Vitamin A or Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin and plays an important role in vision, development and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, mucous membranes; immune functions; and reproduction. Vitamin A or retinol, helps your eyes to adjust to light alteration when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A is essential for the utilization of protein and the production of testosterone and other development factors. Vitamin A is found in any of these forms: * Retinol * Other retinoids - retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and compounds of similar nature. * Carotenoids - organic pigments that are naturally found in plants. what is the Daily requirement of Vitamin A- Quantity of the amount of vitamin A is measured in retinol activity equivalents (RAE). The suggested daily requirement for vitamin A is 700 RAE (retinol activity equivalent) per day for women and 900 RAE per day for men. But the requirements may be different from one person to another. The requirements may differ for growing children, during puberty, and for women who are pregnant or lactating; therefore, it is necessary to consult doctor for differences. what are the Benefits of Vitamin A - 1) Vitamin A supports healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts. 2) It Helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses. 3) It can also help boost the power of your white blood cells 4) It also keeps the mucus membranes, like the ones in your nose, moist. Food sources of Vitamin A Eating a range of foods that include vitamin A (and carotenes) is the finest method to get a sufficient amount. Alcohol, coffee, or excessive iron can all reduce the body's supply of Vitamin A. But, the good information is that vitamin A is readily obtainable from numerous food sources. Vitamin A can be obtained from food in two dissimilar forms - 1. Pro-vitamin A (also called beta-carotene). This is obtained from plant sources. It is mostly found in fruits and vegetables. 2. Pre-formed vitamin A (also called retinol or retinal) . This is obtained through animal sources. Main sources consist of liver, whole milk, and some equipped food products. The top most vitamin A-rich foods consist of: 1) Sweet potato 2) Mango 3) Carrots 4) Spinach 5) Dried apricots 6) Cantaloupe 7) Egg yolk 8) Milk 9) Mozzarella cheese 10) Liver Skimmed milk is often equipped with vitamin A because it is removed from milk with the fat. What can happen with vitamin A deficiency? 1) Night blindness is one of the first Vitamin A Deficiency symptom 2) Vitamin A deficiency reduces the capability to fight infections, such as pneumonia. 3) Vitamin A Deficiency may increase a child's threat of developing respiratory infections, diarrhea, decreased growth rate and slow bone development. Vegans who do not consume eggs and dairy foods need pro vitamin A carotenoids to fulfill their requirement for vitamin A. They should include at least of five servings of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet and habitually choose dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow fruits to fulfill suggested amounts of vitamin A. Storage of Vitamin A - Vitamins are simply destroyed during food preparation and storage. 1) To get the maximum vitamin possible from food, refrigerate and store milk and grains away from strong light. 2) To retain vitamin A try to supply fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible. 3) Steam vegetables, roast or bake meats in place of frying. 4) If you take vitamin supplements, keep them at room temperature in a dry place that is moisture free. Vitamin A Overdose Overdose of vitamin A cause tiredness, sluggishness, severe headache, vomiting, peeling of skin and hair loss. Research recommends that having more than an average of 1.5mg per day of vitamin A over a lot of years may affect bones and make them more liable to fracture when grow older. Older people, especially women, are already at danger of osteoporosis. This is where bone compactness reduces and so the risk of fractures grows. If pregnant, having overdose of Vitamin A can harm your unborn baby. Therefore, if you are pregnant or thinking of having a baby, you should avoid eating liver products because these are very high in vitamin A quantity. Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/vitamin-a-health-secrets-of-vitamin-a-which-you-must-know-187094.html About the Author: For Complete Information on Vitamin A Deficiency, Vitamin A Food Visit http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com/ - Information on Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids