Fiber: Soluble vs. Insoluble

Women should aim to get between 25 and 30 grams of fiber a day . It keeps your digestive system happy and also helps prevent breast cancer . If you have high cholesterol, getting your fill of fiber has also been shown to lower the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in your blood. Is there anything fiber doesn’t do? We are all in agreement that fiber is good for us, but have you ever wondered if one fiber - soluble or insoluble - is healthier? To answer that question, you need to know the difference between the two. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and lengthens the time it takes for your stomach to empty, so sugar is released and absorbed more slowly. This helps regulate blood sugar levels, and also allows your body more time to absorb essential nutrients from your food. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, which is key to regularity. This type of fiber also controls and balances the pH levels in your intestines, which helps prevent colon cancer. Each type of fiber benefits the body, but only you know which type your body needs more of. I’d say that if you have issues with constipation, aim to eat more insoluble fiber. If you’re concerned with regulating your blood sugar levels, go for for soluble fiber. To learn which foods are good sources of each, read more. Soluble Insoluble Oats and oat bran Rice, quinoa, and barley Beans, lentils and peas Fruits such as oranges, apples, pears, and berries Veggies such as carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and celery Wheat and wheat bran Veggies such as green beans, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and leafy greens Skins from fruits and root vegetables Seeds and nuts Raisins and grapes

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Fiber: Soluble vs. Insoluble

Why You’re Forgetting to Take Your Ginkgo Biloba

In college, a few of my friends swore that ginkgo biloba was the reason they were doing so well in our program - they said it helped them remember things better and that it was easier for them to pay attention in class. I sort of wrote it off but a few years later there was a media explosion touting the benefits of the herbal supplement. Not only did it enhance memory, but there was speculation that it might slow down mental decline and prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. Years ago it was shown that the supplement did nothing to prevent the progress of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Now, a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that ginkgo biloba doesn’t do squat in terms of mental cognition either. It doesn’t help boost memory, and there is no evidence that the popular supplement can slow down the mental aging process. To date, the study is the largest of its kind in examining ginkgo biloba’s effect on mental cognition. It took place over an eight-year period with a pool of 3,096 participants ranging in age from 72 to 96. Over the course of the study, the participants were given a placebo or ginkgo biloba pill twice a day and their mental faculties were tested every six months. In the end, researchers saw no difference between the two groups. They all performed worse as the years went by, and in some tests the placebo group fared better. Researchers did say that taking ginkgo biloba doesn’t seem to be harmful, but that it’s simply ineffective. There’s also no indication given on whether or not it might be beneficial if taken regularly at a young age. Given this new study, I’m even more dubious than I was previously - how about you? Do any of you take ginkgo biloba and believe it works?

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Why You’re Forgetting to Take Your Ginkgo Biloba

Are You Concerned About Cankles?

“Cankles” is a slang term combining “calf” and “ankle,” suggesting that there’s not much definition between the two areas. Some people’s legs just look that way; there’s not much you can do about it except just accept it and move on! But apparently, cankles are becoming a new body obsession . Sometimes, thicker ankles can be caused by health problems, such as diabetes or hypertension. But usually, says Dr. Kathya Zinszer, they are just a “God-given” fact of life. She’s had patients request liposuction on their ankles, but she doesn’t recommend it. Rather, Zinszer says people shouldn’t worry about the size of their ankles, but about how to keep them strong to prevent injury. What do you think of all this fuss about cankles? Are You Concerned About Cankles? Yes - I don’t like that part of my body. No - That’s just a silly thing to worry about.

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Are You Concerned About Cankles?

Gym Gossip: Details on Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth’s Gym

Last January when asked if you would want to join Gwyneth’s gym she was planning to open with her trainer Tracy Anderson , most of you were not swayed by the celebrity affiliation. Well, the inner workings of the gym have been revealed, and for starters it is not a gym - it’s a studio. Let’s start with the cost of joining the gym studio. The initiation fee ranges from $790 for a six-month membership to $1,500 for a full year. The monthly fees are $900 a month. For that hefty price, you can choose from 85 classes offered weekly , featuring cardio dance aerobics, which Gwyneth described by saying , “It’s fun because it’s not like you’re running mindlessly on a treadmill.” And running is something Tracy thinks you should never do, since she believes running creates too much bulk on your backside, and “a bulked-up bottom is not a pretty one.” But I digress. To see what else you get for $900, read more. Unfortunately, Anderson will not be taking on clients at the Tribeca studio. She splits her training time between the two stars that made her famous, business partner Gwyneth and Madonna, whom Tracy and staff refer to as M. However, members will receive personalized attention from her staff. Every member receives a customized program every 10 days, which is good since it is recommended that you work out at for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 60 minutes, six days a week. Whatever you do, don’t supplement Tracy’s work with yoga. Tracy wants your undivided attention, and has forbidden her star clients to practice yoga. If you cannot make it to the Tracy Anderson Studio, you can try her method with a free mini webisode . Since the gym is out of my budget, I think I am gonna head out for a run. What about you?

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Gym Gossip: Details on Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth’s Gym

Foods that Gain Muscle Fast

If you are interested in gaining muscles then you must know that just by lifting weight you can never achieve your goal. Building muscles require much more than that. The other thing which plays a very important role in case of gaining muscle is the food that you eat. Both diet as well as weight lifting is necessary for gaining muscle fast. You need to have a balance between the two. Both should be given equal importance. Now this makes you ask a question. The question is that which foods you should eat so that you can help the growth of your muscles. Many of you might think that you need to eat fatty foods so that you can grow the muscle, but this is not true, in fact you should avoid fatty foods because they tend to add fat in your body. The foods which can actually help you to build muscles are fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. You can either consult a nutritionist or dieticians who will be able to give you list of all the foods that you need to eat. Other than this you can even decide this for yourself. You just need to have a steady diet of the lean meats and the fresh vegetables. This will surely help you to achieve your goal of gaining muscle fast. Try to eat foods like fish, chicken and turkey, these are the lean meats. All these foods are very rich in protein as well as amino acids and both of these elements are essential in building muscle. The amino acids are used to break the proteins down so that they can heal the muscle after the weight training. This is a fact that the faster your muscles will be healed the faster you will gain the muscle. Other than this you can also eat those foods which are rich in potassium. Potassium is also used to heal the muscles. The foods having potassium are bananas and strawberries. So these are the foods that you can consume to gain the muscle mass at a faster pace.

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Foods that Gain Muscle Fast

Men’s Fitness - How to Build Up the Upper Body Fast

There are many people who do special workouts only to build up their upper body. The workout regime for various body parts vary a little. There are various equipments that work for the different parts of the body; similarly there are special equipments for the upper part of the body. The problem is that there are many who want to build up their upper part but do not have the necessary equipment. You need not worry because there are workouts which can also help you achieve the goal. These workouts are quite easy and you can do these exercises for about 10 minutes everyday. You need to do two sets of each of the exercises and try to do 8 to 15 repetitions for each of them. The three great workouts are push ups, pull ups and finally hanging knee raises. These three exercises can help you to achieve an upper part which will be worthy of praise. These three workouts are usually targeted to build the upper part of the body for the boys. First the push ups, with the help of this you can work for your chest and your triceps. Put your legs on a chair so that you can elevate your legs, then start doing the push ups. You can also practice doing bring the hands together; this will work for your triceps. The next workout you need to do is pull ups. This workout will work for the upper back portion. You can do this workout either with help or without help. You can also do this exercise with the help of pull up bars if you are a beginner. The final workout is hanging knee. This workout will help you to give a perfect shape to your abs as well as your oblique. You also perform the hanging knees raises along with a twist. These workouts without any equipment will also save your money and you do not even need to go to the gym. You can also consult a body fitness expert who can tell you other ways to achieve a perfect upper part.

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Men’s Fitness - How to Build Up the Upper Body Fast

Best Men’s Fitness Workout Routine

There are different ways with the help of which you can start your fitness workout program. But before doing so it is better to have an opinion form a fitness expert. He will be the best person to tell you what you actually need to do and what will suit you. Different people have different requirements because the body of each person differs. A lot also depends on your age. You might start your workout routine either at the age of 20 or even at the age of 40. If it is 40 then the workout routine will be different from what it would have been if you were 20. So you need to give extra attention to these facts before starting your workout routine. The other thing which you need to consider is that whether you are completely out of shape and want to start from scrap or you had been in shape but due some reason you could not maintain it. This is because if you had been in shape at some point of time then your muscle will have different capacity. So it is very important to consider all these factors. Make sure that you do not avoid these necessary details. Again if you are above 40 years of age then you need to take medical tests before you can start with the fitness workout routine. This is because after a particular age there is certain amount of risk related to these workouts. You need to check whether you suffer from heart disease or you have high blood pressure or cholesterol. But again if you do not do some amount of exercise at this point of time then also, there can be a risk. First of all you need to start with warming up, a little bit of cycling or running can help you to warm up. After this you can jump with the help of the jump rope for at least about 5 minutes. Then you can start your exercises. Rest between the workouts is also equally necessary; the right amount of rest can be of great help.

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Best Men’s Fitness Workout Routine

10 Tips for Getting in Shape Before Summer!

These days most of the people are interested to stay in shape and if they are somehow out of shape they try their best to come into shape again. To come into shape you need to practice certain things. You need a good combination of diet and exercises. Your goal should be to burn off the extra calories as well as the fat which actually makes you fat. To avoid these things you need to avoid those foods which have high calories or high fat. Once you are out of shape it becomes a little difficult to get back into the perfect shape so you need to be very serious about this. Being in shape will also lessen your risks of heart diseases and other such diseases. The first tip for getting in shape before summer is you need to consult a doctor. It is always better to take an opinion from your doctor about the diet or the exercises you are going to start, whether they will suit you or not. Secondly do not set high expectations of getting in shape fast with these routines. Thirdly, while doing the exercises make sure that you perform an exercise of each kind. You can even go for cardio exercise because it has its own benefit. Fourthly, if you are interested to bring your abs into shape you need to start dieting; only exercises would not serve the purpose. Crunches are good but not when done without dieting. Fifthly, you need to ensure a great amount of protein intake. Your diet must contain a high quality protein. Sixthly, try to burn the fat as well as build the muscle at the same time. It might seem difficult in the beginning but it is not impossible. Seventhly, try to eat every two hours so that your body does not go to the starvation mode. Eighthly, before doing the exercises learn the correct way to do them. Ninthly, you can use free weights as well as other equipments for getting in shape. Finally, try to be in good postures, while you sit, walk or stand.

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10 Tips for Getting in Shape Before Summer!