Being Thin Does Not Mean Being Healthy

Increased body fat percentage and being overweight result in lifestyle disorders that cause heart disease, hypothyroid, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Excessive saturated fat consumption increases the cholesterol levels in the body. Certain types of fat are bad for health and some are  equally important which are commonly referred to us essential fat without which the body will fail to absorb and process nutrition in the body. Read here to know more about this.

The distribution of fat varies between gentics and gender. Women tend to store more subcutaneous fat which is under their skin. Distribution of fat in women is generally in their hips and thighs area while men tend to store more fat in the middle area or the abdomen. Once the person enters adolescence the fat cells don’t increase in number instead they only increase or decrease in size. Its the male and female hormone that decide the fat deposit destination in the body. For example women with big bellies are considered  to have higher levels of testosterone ( male hormone) in their system that causes fat accumulation on the stomach. While if men have large hips its due to the high levels of estrogen (female hormone) in that body part.

We presume that fat people are more prone to metabolic disorder ( also known as lifestyle disorders) but a study by Ruth Loos at the Medical Research Council in the U.K. found that lean people with a specific genetic variant were equally at risk of diabetes, heart disease even though the reports confirmed lower fat percentage in the body. Read more

Will extra protein help build more muscle?

So many people are talking about protein, from celebrities to fitness trainers, to people building body to anyone trying to get fit. Suggestion to eat meats, plant based food and protein supplements come in plenty when it comes to building muscles and getting fit. But do you require that much of protein in your diet to add the muscle mass to your body. The calorie intake has to be monitored carefully whether you want to build  muscle mass or just lose some weight.

 

Protein helps build muscles mass and is the building block for our body. Muscle, skin, hair etc are made up of protein and plays a role in all the cells in our bodies. Our bodies cannot synthesis all the amino acids present in protein, so external sources are required to fulfill it. It is important to understand protein and not consider it as a supplement to your normal diet. The intake of protein increases your calorie intake as one gram of protein
provide 4 calories.

If you exercise or are training your body, you are using the muscles to work. The muscles require protein for wear and tear and repair of tissues present in it. 1.2 gram per kg is recommended for active bodies for muscle maintained and 1 gms per kg for inactive bodies as they have least muscle involvement. Those on a rigid exercise pattern can increase it by 20 - 25% for muscle repair and maintain the growth of the muscle.

Protein solely is not the driving factor in building muscles but requires carbohydrates for energy during workouts and healthy fats to help optimise hormonal levels, like promoting testosterone growth for improved muscle repair and growth. There has to be a balance between the intake and consumption.

What happens to the extra protein consumed. If you believe in the myth that eating extra protein will add muscle mass then you are going for a toss and accumulating fat in your body. The body will process according to the requirement of the muscle and the extra protein will get saved as fat in your fat cells. The metabolic benefit of eating too much protein, is counteracted by the fat storage from it. Anything extra that the body consumes above it requirements gets stored and that is why most people fail to meet their objective of a strong muscular body.

Health News – Running, Exercise & Motivation

It’s been known for a while that hormone levels drop in women treated for cancer. Now a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology is showing similar effects in older men. Read more to know if cancer effects testosterone level in men.

Sometimes there are just days when we just don’t feel like exercising. I’m sure that everyone has those days. When it all comes down to it, exercising is definitely a way to feel physically good about yourself, lose weight, or get ready to achieve a physical goal. To really see a difference in your physique, in addition to a healthy diet of course, you need to exercise. Read more for 5 ways to stay motivated.

Running is one of the best, most complete exercises for improving general fitness. It works legs the most, but also has an impact on your back, your core, chest, arms, and the cardiovascular system. Running is also one of the easiest ways to get exercise; and you don’t need a lot of special equipment. As easy and straight forward as it is, there are a few things that you should know if you are just getting started with running. Read more to know how to get started with running.

If you do just one thing to fight fat, exercise might be the way to go, judging by a new study. Read more to know how exercises fight “Hidden” body fat.

Stand for a few minutes on a platform that vibrates. Get off and try to do some weight lifting — squats, for example. Or try a short sprint. Or see how high you can jump. You are somehow supposed to be able to lift heavier weights, sprint faster, jump higher. Researchers report that they actually seem to slightly improve performance in the few minutes after a person gets off the machine. Read more if you like a shake with that workout.

Manage Menopause Weight Gain

Weight gain during menopause is a big concern for women. The menopausal phase triggers changes in body shape resulting on an average weight gain of about  5-10 kg. This weight is primarily  hormone related and has a direct impact on appetite, metabolism, and fat storage.  Therefore controlling weight during this time becomes extremely difficult due to fluctuating estrogen, testosterone, and androgen levels. These added kilos further aggravate depression and anxiety which in turns can bring on the hot flashes and disturbed sleep.

Estrogen plays a big role in menopausal weight gain especially as the estrogen levels decline with age as the body stops ovulating. Due to the decrease in estrogen levels produced by the ovaries, body searches for other sources to substitute the shortage of estrogen in the body. Meanwhile fat cells in our body have the natural capability to produce estrogen, hence the body starts restoring to these cells  to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels. Unfortunately fat cells don’t burn calories the way muscle cells do, which causes this unwanted Read more

Fatty, unhealthy diet negatively affects your sex life

We’ve told you how fitter people have better sex, but an unhealthy diet can affect your sex life too in more ways than one! And not in ways that thrill your partner.

A fatty diet can lead to cholesterol build up in your arteries, reducing blood flow to all parts of your body including your privates, and thus reducing arousal. Every 1 point increase in your total cholesterol correlates to an 1.5 times greater risk of erection problems.

If you are on an unhealthy diet, then you probably have more fat deposits in your body. This is more bad news for men, since higher fat deposits in the male body is correlated to lower testosterone production- the male sex hormone. A substantial increase in fat deposits can affect the hormonal balance and can increase estrogen in the male body. Increase of estrogen production in the male body is related to growth of male breasts and other feminine features.

Did you know that drinking alcohol also lowers testosterone? And it promotes the production of estrogen, the female hormone in the male body.

In our next article, we will tell about what you can do to get fit to improve your sex life. Till then, start watching your diet and alcohol intake.

How to Live Longer?

The following are 4 simple ways to live longer -

Cut Back on the Booze: A glass of red wine a day promotes healthy heart function, but throwing back pegs of scotch will damage the liver and can lead to premature aging of the skin and brain. Besides, all this damage, alcohol is laden with calories leading to more fat storage in your body!

Stay Sexually Active: A University of Chicago study revealed that people who had sex more than once a week (or at least took matters into their own hands) had stronger immune systems and lived longer than those who went without. Next time you’re turned down for sex, tell them its good for their health.

Put out the Cigarettes for Good: Smoking not only contributes to the death of millions of people each year, but it can also cause you to age faster. Plus, some studies show that smoking can reduce testosterone levels in men. Many people want to quit- maybe the new smoking ban will help them get healthier.

Exercise Regularly to keep your body and brain working properly. A study from Johns Hopkins University reports that a person increases the risk of developing dementia by as much as 80 percent if they are obese. So, you not only look hotter, but also live longer.

Push Ups- Best exercise for upper body & abs

If you had to pick one exercise to build everything in your upper body, it would be the mighty push-up. There isn’t any gym equipment that can replace the old school push-up. It works your chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, back and abdominal muscles.

Done right, it works your whole upper body, including your core. And as a test of fitness, it is probably one of the best exercises out there. A push-up tests how much strength you have in your upper body, to lift your own weight.

So, how do you correctly perform a pushup?
Kneel on a mat or the floor. Bend over placing your palms on the floor just outside your shoulders. Straighten your legs so the only contact points with the floor are your palms and the front of your soles. Keep your legs straight, and in line with your torso, ensuring your back is also straight. This is your starting position.
Now, slowly lower your body by bending your arms, till you’re almost touching the floor. Pause for a moment at the bottom, and lift yourself back into the starting position.

If you cannot perform a push-up, then make it easier by supporting yourself at the knees. So, your contact points with the floor are your palms and your lower legs. This is your starting position. Lower yourself in the same manner
This is also called a girl push-up; though I’m always impressed by women who can do full push ups. If you can’t do a proper push up, start with this, but build yourself towards doing proper push ups.

Ladies, the push up is for you too. It’s a great exercise to get those toned arms, well shaped shoulders and a hot bod. Push-ups will not only burn calories while you’re working out. But you will build some muscle, which helps you burn calories even as you sleep! And note that you will not get bulky by doing push-ups (You need the male hormone testosterone and lots of food to make your bulky. Testosterone is a male hormone, so don’t worry about it).

So, drop now and give me 30… Seriously, go and do 30 push-ups, now!

Fitter people have better sex

Do fitter people have better and more sex? I don’t know if its better and if its more, but sex for sure is better for people who are in better shape.

There are plenty of reasons for this:

1. When you are fitter, it is easier for blood to flow through your arteries, to supply blood to every part of your body. Now, your genitals are part of that system. When you get aroused, the physical effects happen because of the increased blood flow to your genitals. So, if its easier for blood to flow through your arteries, it’ll be easier for it to flow to your genitals to get aroused. Erectile dysfunction is partly physiological, and is due to the reduced blood flow to penile tissue.

(Viagra, the world famous drug was concocted to help patients with high blood pressure. The goal was to increase blood flow to all parts of the body, but in clinical trials, it induced marked penile erections. And Viagra happened.)

2. For men, when you have more muscle in your body, your body produces more testosterone, the male hormone. This hormone is responsible for making you manly and attracting more women towards you. Its surprising, but hormones have a strong role to play in attraction between the sexes. When people talk about chemistry between individuals, it happens at a more primal level that most of us think.

Why are men attracted to women with a nice shapely butt? Sure its attractive, but its attractive because at a primal level, our brains look at it as prime property for making babies.

Why are women attracted to men with well developed shoulders? Because her brain at a primal level suggests that a man with muscle can not just protect her, but also has more testosterone and thus will produce higher quality semen and thus is a better baby making machine.

(Unfortunately, at a primal level, our brains are tuned to ensuring that we keep producing babies. Thank god for contraception!)

3. Last but not the least, fitter people are better looking. For the same individual, being in better physical shape makes them more attractive to their partners. So, even if you’re in a steady relationship, chances of your sex life sizzling are way more if you’re in better shape.

In a recent study, women were shown photos of men to rate based on their attractiveness. The highest rated men had the highest testosterone levels.

So crank out those push ups and crank up the sizzle of your sex life!