Foods that Fight Illness
So you’re sick in bed, laying there, not wanting to move, let alone eat. But did you know that there are actually a good number of foods out there that could help you feel better and recover from whatever it is that’s got you miserable in bed?
There has been a decent amount of research lately put into the power of food – and don’t doubt that food is quite powerful – we eat every day, and what we put in our body definitely matters. Even if you’re not a dietician, you understand that eating an entire box of girl scout cookies for dinner rather than a meal of grilled chicken and veggies, is not a good decision for your body.
Look at all the celebrity diets out there, anyway. Food is powerful – but how many people know what they can eat when they’re feeling on the down and out to help them feel better?
Chicken Noodle Soup
Now this is actually an old wives tale that is actually accurate. Chicken noodle soup (where you actually have chicken in the soup and not just chicken flavoring) can actually help boost your immune system and help you recover – especially from the flu.
For the more technical info on why this works – here’s a short run down. Basically there is an amino acid that is released when chicken cooks that resembles the components of a bronchitis drug. It blocks the movement of inflammatory white cells in your lungs, which is important because the symptoms of your cold are actually a response to the inflammation that those white cells would cause.
So listen to your mother when she says to eat your chicken soup if you’re not feeling well. Though don’t go for the ramen – that’s the only brand that didn’t have any effect.
Tea
There have been more and more studies coming out about just how awesome tea is for your body, your brain, your immune system…just about everything. So – start drinking tea!
In this particular moment of tea-awesome, it was found that participants who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for 2 weeks had ten times more battle-ready interferon in their blood than those who had the placebo drink.
This is most likely due to the amino acid L-theanine that is present in both black and green teas.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are good for you in a lot of different ways, too – like tea – but they are an important boost to your immune system because they help out one of your major organs – and your first line of defense – your skin!
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene which your body then turns into Vitamin A. And vitamin A is vital to help keep your skin healthy – which helps your immune system to not get infected or penetrated in the first place.
If you aren’t a big sweet potato person, just try looking for (real) orange on your produce shelves – carrots, pumpkins…etc.
Emily Carmichael is a writer who hopes that everyone has someone to feed them chicken soup when their sick – and aims to stay healthy with a proper balance of exercise, laughter and natural health supplements in her life. She hates being sick just as much as everyone else, and works to avoid it!
Using a Stair Climber for Exercising
Stair climbers are great cardio machines that provide a completely different workout from the usual treadmills and elliptical machines. It’s basically a machine similar to an elliptical with two pedals or panels for your feet. However, rather than a circular motion with the pedals of an elliptical, your feet move in an up and down motion, simulating the movement of going up a flight of stairs.
You can get a great workout from these stair climbers if done properly. Some people out there totally swear by the stair climber over any other cardio machine available due to the intensity such a machine can allow. Don’t worry, as there are still setting ideal for beginners.
How to Use Them
Stair climbers are pretty straightforward to use. Like on an elliptical, step on the two pedals. Pushing one of these pedals down causes the other one to go up, so you simply repeat this motion over and over throughout the workout. Make sure that you have good, upright posture when using this machine. Leaning too far forward or back can put excessive strain on your body, increasing the risk of injury. The purpose of working out is to make you healthier rather than hurt yourself, so be very mindful of your posture.
Especially for beginners, the handrails on the sides can be used to help maintain your balance and posture throughout the workout on a stair climber. Once you start to develop your endurance, strength, and balance on this machine, then you can try working out on it without relying on the railings.
Also when starting out, don’t go overboard with the resistance settings. Start off in the lower end of the spectrum and gradually build yourself up over time. Forcing yourself to go really hard at a high resistance will burn you out really quick, resulting in a less effective workout or possibly an injury. Remember that the key to getting into shape and losing weight is consistency. If you tire yourself out when you’re just starting out your workout routine, you’re more likely to skip out on the gym more often. Start things off easy.
Another mistake most people run into on the stair climber is the reliance upon short, hop-like steps. While it may seem that such a technique will help you workout longer, you’re actually ruining the quality of your workout. Only your calves benefit from this and your overall calorie burn decreases.
The Benefits
There are so many benefits on your health for using a stair climber. You pretty much burn 2 times the number of calories compared to on a treadmill. This is excellent for improving your cardiovascular endurance as well. You’ll be breathing better and won’t tire out as quickly from physical activity. In addition, you’ll be developing the muscles and strength in your legs. The more muscle you have, the easier it’ll be for you to burn off fat.
Using a stair climber for exercising is one of the best things you can do for your health. As long as you use it properly while keeping your nutrition on track, you will see the results you desire.
Andrew is a stay at home dad living in a building in Long Island with no elevators. Stair climbing is his daily exercise even if you take away the stair climbers.
Five Tips To Help You Lose Weight And Belly Fat
Most people don’t know that the human body needs to have body fat to keep them warm, protect their organs and give their skin a healthy shine but too much or too little body fat can be very destructive. If someone has too much fat on their body it can not only be deadly it’s also not very nice to look at. There is one really common health risk a person with too much fat on their body can suffer from and that is heart disease, which can cause them to die a lot sooner than if they weren’t so big. 
There aren’t just physical problems a person who is overweight can suffer from there’s also the mental problems a person can develop when they constantly have their body mass on their mind. This added stress can be counterproductive as they get into a fluster with themselves about trying to lose the weight, they end up eating more to help comfort themselves alleviating the stress problems created from been overweight.
Losing weight especially belly fat isn’t an overnight thing, it can take months if not years and a person should really be thinking about a complete lifestyle change. I know this won’t be easy so I decided to write up this article to help you get off on the right foot and if you stray you can always come back and re-read wht I’m about to say.
Tip 1 Take up jogging and eventually build up to running, I say start off slow and build up over time as you may hurt yourself. Take it easy to begin with and gradually build your body up. If you love technology you could buy yourself a Garmin GPS watch just like the Forerunner 410, these devices not only track you they can give you motivation too.
Tip 2 Just simple move your body more often. Dump the car and walk to work, you’ll not only be burning the pounds of your waist you’ll also have more money. I almost out this as tip number 1 as it can be such an effective thing to do. If you don’t like this idea then why don’t you join a gym. Change your habit of watching TV every night and go and do a fitness class at your gym or just go and do a couple of dozen lengths in the pool.
Tip 3 You should start to watch what you eat a bit more and cut down on your junk food intake. Doing this alone won’t be enough you need to also follow the above two tips. Just simply eating less and moving more will work wonders for your BMI or Body Mass Index. 
Tip 4 If you decided to take my advice on signing up to a gym then you will find that they will have some kind of sauna or steam room or maybe even both. If you use these after a workout you’ll not only feel fully relaxed but you’ll also be helping to detoxify your body.
Tip 5 You may also want to look into slimming wraps, There has been some really good, positive reviews of slimming wraps and how they are so effective. So if you’re looking for a way to get rid of belly fat without too much exertion then this could work for you.
It won’t be easy and to keep things interesting I’d recommend making use of as many of these methods I’ve discussed. Just remember to bear in mind that as long as you’re moving your body around more and eating a lot less you will achieve your weight loss goals, guaranteed!
