How Modern Computer Systems, Like Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii, Can Improve Health and Fitness

The gaming industry is forever at the receiving end of wide-spread criticism from parents, teachers and critics. Most games are 'Violent' with nothing but "blood, gore and battles', it is often said. To a large extent, it's true and the gaming industry does have an Achilles heel. However, did you ever think that Health and Fitness can be improved by playing games on modern gadgets like Xbox and Nintendo Wii? Could playing games be possibly therapeutic? Some research seems to suggest so:

It reduces pain: If you are wondering how playing video games can reduce pain, according to the American Pain Society, our focus diverts away from any seemingly bothering pain points on your body and makes you to forget about pain, at least temporarily. More specifically, the study reports that patients undergoing Chemotherapy reported a great level of stress reduction and lessened fear. It is believed that the brain releases endorphins during gaming that generally makes us feel good.

Learning: While it might seem totally counter-intuitive, games play a crucial role in learning and development. According to an article on cited.org, games fall into the category of "interactive multimedia" where learning occurs through user control. For instance, a game called "Discover Babylon" enables students to scour through an ancient Mesopotamian route and time just by using basic skills like mathematics, reading and writing. In yet another game called Chemsense, students can tinker with chemical compounds and experiment virtually. Most of the other modern games on Xbox, Play station and Personal computers might be termed as 'violent' by critics, but there's a sense of spatial skills development, cognitive learning, adapting to various environments, etc.

Motivation: Games are intensely engaging and users usually experience a heightened state of excitement during play time. The scores, leader boards, team play, group wins, individual wins all provide a pumped up level of motivation for users - the very reason why games are so addictive. In fact, this addiction is a growing concern in the U.S alone with about 92%of kids under the age 18 play regularly. While the addiction part of the story is disconcerting indeed, when played in moderation games can really keep users' energy levels up, bring out a sense of "fighting to win" and invoke an increased level of action among users.

A Sharp and alert Mind: Playing video games, online games or even massive multi-player games have a direct impact on the level of alertness of your mind. CBS news mentions a report released at the University of Rochester, gamers who play games like Grand Theft Auto and Counter-strike have better visual skills, faster cognition, have quick reflexes and have a better ability to process information quickly.

When we believe that anything in excess is bad, it holds good for the time spent on video games. While there are alcoholics, smokers and gluttons there are addicted gamers too. As it stands for most things, moderate use is acceptable and even beneficial in many cases; so are games.


By Niko Taik

An Introduction To Health And Fitness Apps On The Apple iPhone 4S

In an age when health and fitness are becoming a priority for more and more people, Apple has a category in its famous AppStore for such applications. These make it easy for people to learn and track exercises and keep track of their diet etc.

In this article I will take a look at a couple of the popular health and fitness apps which are currently on among the top free apps within the category.

RunKeeper 

This handy application is available for free on the AppStore, with a paid version also available offering a number of extra features. The free version has received millions of downloads from people who want to track the progress of their running or cycling. The app uses several aspects of the hardware found on the iPhone 4S for users to achieve this. The app itself is activated when you set out for a run or a bike ride and it will display realtime information such as your current and average speeds, calories burned etc. When you have finished your exercise, it will display several similar statistics, and thanks to the GPS capabilities of the iPhone 4S, it will display your route on a map. You can then upload your statistics onto RunKeeper's site for future reference, or instantly share it via Facebook or Twitter. Next time you go for a run, it will compare your performance to your previous efforts so you can visually track your process thanks to charts and statistics.

Body Fitness 

This app allows you to learn and carry out hundreds of different exercises, so suits those you are into cardio, weight training or both. You can take your phone into the gym and it will teach you how to use weights and equipment safely using the correct technique. Illustrations show you step by step how exercises should be performed, and you can then input data such as how many sets and reps you performed, and how much weight you used. It will then give you a new target for your next workout which is scheduled in an integrated calendar.

There are of course thousands of other health and fitness applications. The subject matter of these ranges from exercise tuition and tracking, diet advice, calorie counters and weight management apps. Apps like these highlight the versatility of the iPhone 4S, and as mentioned, the apps discussed in this article have free versions which can be downloaded straight to the phone.

If your new year's resolution is to get into shape or improve your health, the iPhone 4S makes a handy companion during your efforts. The iPhone 4S is now available on several major UK networks, with a number of these currently offering the handset for free on selected tariffs.

By Chris Westley

The Endocrine System: The Music of the Body

The endocrine system enables the body to maintain a state of balance or equilibrium. It does so by causing adjustments in the normal cellular functions, processes and rhythms so they operate in harmony. Music is the organized rhythmic harmonic sounds that creatures consciously produce. They perceive it, appreciate it and respond to it. On the strength of these truths, the endocrine system is the music of the body. And the orchestra plays on.

The endocrine system is a symphony of glands and the hormones they produce and release into the bloodstream. The orchestra is the sum total of the activities of the endocrine system and the cells, tissues and organs it influences. And the orchestra plays on.

The theatre is the body - with its skeletal frame - and walls and roof of skin, muscle, sinews, and other connective tissue in between. The price of admission is birth. The performance is continuous and non-stop - for the orchestra plays on.

The players on instruments are the endocrine glands themselves. Their music is the hormones they secrete. The maestro of this biological orchestra is the hypothalamus of the brain. Its numerous receptors are the ears sensing the musical flow. Its many transmitted electrical and hormonal cues control the production and release of hormones by the glands much like the movements of the conductor direct the actions of the players on instruments. The hormones in turn evoke responses by the cells, tissues, and organs much like music induces emotional responses in its listeners. And the orchestra plays on.

Endocrine glands also respond to conditions within the body much like players on instruments respond to conditions within the theatre. It might be applause, lack of it, lighting, temperature, etc. Positive conditions heighten the performance and negative conditions might dampen it. Similarly conditions in the body which disturb the body's equilibrium cause changes in the secretion of hormones affected by those conditions. Some examples are an abnormal blood sugar level, pregnancy, fluid deficiency, mineral imbalance, etc.

The audience of this symphony is the cells, tissues and organs of the body that respond to the hormones. The emotional responses of the audience are the changes in the bodily functions and processes in response to the hormones. The ears of the audience which govern the discrimination and appreciation of the overtones and harmonics of the symphony are the receptors on the cells and tissues. For it is the stimulation of those receptors by the hormones which evoke biological responses much like the music of an orchestra provokes emotional responses in its listeners. And the orchestra plays on.

The metaphor ends though with the realization that we don't deliberately produce or orchestrate the music of our nonstop silent biological symphony. Neither do we consciously service it or maintain it. But yet, the orchestra plays on.

By Victor E. Battles, M.D

The Quality of Fitness Is Key

Whether a person is divorced, single, or married it's crucial to pay attention to physical fitness as it plays such an important role regardless of the direction a person's life takes.

Our muscles like to work, rest, and re-build.

They certainly do not like being left unused and sitting idle as that is not what they are meant for. They are meant for us to use in order to carry out any and all physical activities that may challenge us in the course of our lives.

Our heart has many of the same characteristics as all the other muscles in our bodies. The most important to remember is that when we challenge our muscles, they get stronger.

Our muscles like to be challenged and they like it when the work that is asked of them ebbs and flows.

I truly believe that our bodies are the first wonder of the world but in order to be at peak physical condition, our bodies need to be challenged.

If you go out for you walk three times a week at the same slow pace, your heart will get used to that pace and will not be challenged to work harder or to grow so much.

As soon as you challenge a muscle in your body to perform and to work harder than usual, it will grow and become stronger. If you never challenge it, most likely it will begin to shrink and grow weaker.

To me, that's what makes our bodies the first wonder of the world. It is so amazing and complex, that it will try it's best to do our bidding. In other words, if we ask little of it, that's exactly what we'll get.

Little.

Take for example, someone who is suddenly relegated to a wheelchair forever because of a very bad accident.

As the weeks and months pass, that person's arms, wrists, and shoulders will no doubt grow bigger and stronger. That's because that person's body is taking up the challenge of those arms and shoulders having to propel that wheelchair on a daily basis.

On the other hand, that person's legs will get smaller. The muscles will shrink as they will become victim of atrophy, or lack of use. The body senses no need for those muscles, bones, and tendons, and as a result sees no need to make them stronger.

So now, go back to your three times a week walk. Instead of doing "all" your walking at the same slow, steady pace, try something different. If you are walking for 45 minutes for example, try picking up the speed considerably every 5 or 6 minutes and hold that faster speed for 60 seconds or so. That will make your heart beat faster. It will make it pump more blood to the muscles that are suddenly working harder.

Your heart will get STRONGER.

It has no choice. It has to do your bidding. That's just the way it works. As soon as you challenge your body to work harder it will adapt to do just that.

So really, in all your different types of exercises you should vary the amount of effort. Go hard, go easy, but don't always go the same. Your body will respond to the change and you WILL grow stronger and fitter if you improve the quality of your physical exercise.

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By Ray Fauteux

Safe Fun in the Summertime

As summer kicks into high gear with fun and games, remember it is important to be aware of safety and the dos and don'ts to stay safe. In focusing on well-being, consider food safety, water safety and personal safety. Now keep in mind these three are not an all-inclusive list, but a starting point to share essential safety tips for the season.

FOOD SAFETY:

The mantra on this one is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Keep a cooler in the car---it doesn't have to be the chic model with all the bells and whistles-the value-priced white Styrofoam from the drug store will serve the purpose. As you're grocery shopping for perishables or picking up ready-to eat foods, place them in the cooler to make sure the food temperature stays cool. Now if you think it will be a bit longer than you expected to get home, add some frozen vegetables, juice or bagged ice to the cooler.

If you're making salads such as potato salad or coleslaw with mayonnaise or mayonnaise-like salad dressing, it is a myth that the mayonnaise or salad dressing causes foodborne illness. Commercially prepared mayonnaise and salad dressings are made with highly acidic ingredients, pasteurized eggs, and they're produced under stringent quality controlled methods. These factors add up to an acidic and unfavorable environment for bacteria. It's unlikely that the mayonnaise or salad dressings are the culprits for a foodborne illness. However, if these creamy dressings are blended with produce, meat, poultry or seafood that has not been handled or prepared using safe food handling guidelines, those items may be contaminated and foodborne illness can result.

WATER SAFETY

Playing in water is highly favored for cooling off and appealing to both children and adults. But it is important to make sure any age group stays safe at the beach, in the lake, or at the local or neighbor's backyard pool. The following guidelines will go a long way toward ensuring water safety.

-Make water safety a priority.

-Avoid unsupervised access to bodies of water.

-Enroll or encourage children to take swimming lessons.

-Maintain constant supervision of children and inexperienced swimmers.

-Know what to do in an emergency.

-If you enjoy boating, make sure everyone dons a U.S. Coast Guard approved lifejacket.

-Avoid alcohol which can impair judgment, affect swimming and diving skills and reduce the body's ability to stay warm.

PERSONAL SAFETY

Though food safety and water safety do affect personal safety, staying hydrated is essential especially during warm weather months. The temperature, humidity, your sweat rate and intensity of any exercise can affect the amount of liquids you need to stay well hydrated. Whether you're a week-end warrior or high performances athlete, it is critical that you're adequately hydrated before during and after exercise. The American Council on Fitness suggests the following guidelines for moderate to high intensity exercise:

-Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before you start exercising.

-Drink 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before you start exercising or during your warm-up.

-Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.

-Drink 8 ounces of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise.

As the temperature rises, the amount of water required to stay hydrated increases for everyone. When you recognize that you are thirsty, that is a red flag that you are dehydrated. In addition to thirst, symptoms of dehydration include dry lips and mouth, a small amount of saliva, a small amount of urine that is dark yellow. The following are warning signs that indicate immediate medical attention is needed:

-rapid strong pulse

-nausea

-dizziness

-confusion

-high fever

-weakness

Summer brings lots of options to enjoy food, activities and fun with friends and family, just remember to play it safe keeping these guidelines for food, water and personal safety top of mind.




By Michelle J Stewart 

Healthy Supplements To Keep Your Dog Healthy Forever

Dogs will eat healthy supplements without hesitation and as such it is very easy to administer as most will eat it in their normal food after it has been mixed from the capsule. The manufacturer suggests that for the dogs whose appetite is decreased, the contents of the capsule should be mixed with about 1 tablespoon of a special food that excites the dog. This could be a food the dog likes but does not get regularly. The contents of the capsule could also be mixed with a little tuna water or you may hide the capsules in a treat such as peanut butter.

Healthy supplements were introduced n the U.S. in the summer of 2011 and they have been pushed as the products that contain Avastamine which is said to contain biomolecules that occur naturally hence can basically be taken to mean that it is a proprietary mix of six specific amino acids and a peptide. The Proprietary merge of amino acids as well as peptides has 300mg: L-Carnosine, L-Aspartic, L-Glutamic Acid, Glycine, L-Arginine, L-Histadine and L-Glutamine,

While Amino acids are components that make up proteins, peptides are the molecules formed when two or more amino acids are joined together. Dogs have the ability to manufacture the amino acids they need themselves except for ten. These include Arginine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Lysine, Leucine Methionine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine and Phenylalanine. Lack of these can lead to serious health consequences and eventually death. Proteins are manufactured by a dog's cells in a step-by-step, assembly line fashion. If just one amino acid is lacking, the entire process shuts down. This nutrient missing is called "limiting amino acid". That is because the absence of this nutrient "limits" the process from making use of any of the other amino acids available altogether.

Kidney failure is among other many things that regulates the blood sugar, blood volume, the water symphony in the blood, as well as the pH levels, and then produces red blood the cells and some hormones may take so place very slowly, that at the time the signs have just become obvious, it may be too late to treat the condition effectively.

The US Food and Drug Administration do not require approval for Dietary supplements, and healthy supplements for dogs are marketed as a dietary supplement. They therefore make the bold claims that it can halt the progression of chronic renal failure in dogs and unlike other products and drugs, it does not treat the symptoms of renal failure, it treats the cause.

Many insist that there are no drug interactions or concerns in administering healthy supplements for dogs and can therefore be used by a dog while on other medications. Caution should however be taken and possible interactions discussed with your veterinarian.



By P K Martin

Elimination Diets: The Gold Standard for Food Sensitivities?

Have you ever gone through the rigor of an elimination diet to see if there are foods in your diet that are causing unpleasant symptoms? Many of us have, or at the very least thought about it. The classic Elimination Diet is still the gold standard for uncovering food sensitivities. It was originally invented and popularized by Dr. Albert Rowe in his book Elimination Diets and Patient's Allergies, written in 1941. We are still using his concept to this day. Many healthcare practitioners, even medical doctors, recommend these diets on a routine basis.

So what does an Elimination Diet entail exactly? As aptly named, this type of diet seeks to eliminate many of the known common allergens (or as they should be more appropriately called, sensitivities) from the diet for a set period of time, usually 3 or 4 weeks. This gives the immune system enough time to calm down, so to speak, and ample time to see a reduction in symptoms. When foods are reintroduced, the symptoms they provoke are typically obvious and more severe than previously experienced. This makes it much easier to pinpoint the culprit foods.

Here are the foods typically eliminated on a basic elimination diet:

Wheat

Gluten

Corn

Soy

Dairy

Nightshades

Eggs

Peanuts

Alcohol

Caffeine

Cane Sugar

Artificial Sweeteners

Other foods eliminated on stricter plans:

Beans, peas, lentils

All seeds and nuts

ALL sugar (including maple syrup, honey, etc)

Beef

Chicken

Pork

Shellfish

Certain chemicals (tyramine, phenylethylamine, nitrates, MSG, etc)

As you can imagine, these diets are clearly no walk in the park. They are typically only suggested for patients that are willing and able to follow the protocol with the strong suggestion that the diet be guided by a trained practitioner. The rigor of the diet can be a hurdle for some, but this can be overcome with proper education, advice, and support. Most of us Dietitians have had training and practice during our schooling and are well qualified to walk patients through the process.

While you know now that elimination diets have been around for some time, you may have noticed they have started to become re-popularized lately, almost faddish in nature. Nowadays there seems to be countless books hitting the shelves talking about anti-inflammatory diet plans and specialized eating plans that claim they will help you shed weight, increase your energy, and even make you look years younger. What do all these diets have in common? They are based on the classic elimination diet!

As noted previously, these diets can be moderately restrictive or very restrictive based on what criteria you follow. That criteria is usually decided upon by you and your practitioner and what foods they seem to think are likely problematic in your particular case. While guided, informed and well-meaning, it's essentially a guessing game. Similarly when you follow the plan put out by some author who has never met you and certainly doesn't know your history or symptoms, it is an even greater guessing game.

And there you have the number one problem with our "gold standard." How in the world do we know what to eliminate and what to leave in? Why are we never recommending someone take out apples, for example, or quinoa, or other "healthy" foods that could be equally problematic. If you are one of the lucky few that reacts to only one or two of the common allergens, then this diet works great for you. Problem solved! I've met these people and the elimination diet has been a miracle. For others, however, it ends up being just another plan that didn't work. Clearly elimination diets can be helpful, but they just aren't the answer for everyone. I know this first hand because elimination diets never worked for me.

As I mentioned previously, there are several authors and experts that are now recommending different elimination diets as the miracle plan to cure your ailments and help you shed stubborn weight. Even Dr. Oz has an elimination diet plan! Knowing what you know now, you can immediately ascertain that this may hold true for a select few. For many, these diets won't address all of the problematic foods and you just spent money on yet another book or wasted weeks of hard work for little reward.

All that being said, I do think elimination diets have their place. I have had clients who were unable or unwilling to spend money on food sensitivity blood testing (the only one I recommend is Mediator Release Testing by Oxford Biomedical) and we successfully found an elimination diet plan that worked for them. This is the minority, however. We guessed and won. That doesn't always happen. Most clients who have already tried everything typically come to find out, through blood testing, that no one figured out they were reacting to random healthy foods (ie fruits, vegetables, gluten-free grains, etc) and therefore they fell through the cracks. There is where elimination diets show their limitations and knowing the right blood test to use is crucial.

The best use of an elimination diet is with a trained medical practitioner, particularly one that knows your entire health history and can help you devise the best diet plan. A book, a TV show, or an online guide is not the way to go. Sure, those avenues have obviously helped some, but a carefully tailored plan is the best option, especially for those with more severe and chronic conditions. Of course blood testing is even better and more targeted if you can find a practitioner, such as myself, offering Mediator Release Testing. Educate yourself on all the options before starting or otherwise all that hard work may be for naught.





By Danielle VenHuizen

Understanding What Is Adrenal Fatigue

Understanding What is Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a syndrome caused with the depreciating functionality of the body's adrenal glands. This results in a series of symptoms wreaking havoc on the body depending upon the severity of the syndrome. This is a syndrome that has plagued and continues to plague numerous people around the world. In general, adrenal fatigue is caused due to prolonged duration of stress. Yet, it is not limited to just stress but other conditions such as respiratory illnesses.

Symptoms

People with adrenal fatigue will act 'fatigued' as the name suggests. It is often not noticeable as the symptoms can be assumed as signs of being tired and nothing more. However, patients dealing with this conditions are often found feeling down or having 'grey' feelings. This goes along with patterns of fatigue that will not go away with a few more hours of sleep.

The patient will often aim to recuperate from these feelings by energizing their body using fluids. These fluids can include items such as colas or coffee to get going. These are short-term solutions and a symptom on their own when the body becomes dependent on these fluids to get going and remain energized.

If the case is severe, it will become near impossible to get out of bed. It has less to do with not having enough rest and more to do with your mental disposition. This is where the stress ends up wreaking havoc on the body and resulting in it shutting down and being unable to do things without dedicated effort and exertion on the part of the patient.

This is a syndrome that ends up effecting all parts of a patient's daily life. This includes their willingness to get up in the morning to their sex drive. Everything is effected as all major organs end up being impacted.

Who is Affected?

Are there specific age groups that are more susceptible to this syndrome in comparison to others? No, this is a syndrome that can effect anyone at any age. There is no discrimination when it comes to the age groups dealing with these syndromes.

It is all based on the stresses present in the patient's lives and how it is effecting their body as a whole.

Those who make poor lifestyle choices such as not sleeping enough or worse smoking and doing drugs will be severely impacted. If the syndrome is already in action and these lifestyle choices persist, the issue can worsen in a hurry and remain problematic for a long time. It is best to stop these poor habits as soon as possible for those who are dealing with this syndrome and its symptoms.

How Do You Know It's Not Just Normal Fatigue?

This is a question that is asked by numerous patients who go to their physicians. After all, there is minimal difference between normal fatigue and adrenal fatigue.

The number one sign is when you are tired for no apparent reason (i.e. you are sleeping enough). This is one of the bigger red flags. There are other signs such as constantly feeling overwhelmed by your life even when things are not as difficult as they appear. This feeling will never go away and tends to linger for long periods in your mind.

This syndrome is regularly diagnosed and continues to have larger and larger numbers as patient become increasingly aware. It is important to make sure you are not moving forward with poor lifestyle choices that could worsen the issue. Stress has major negative impacts on the body and should not be ignored when it starts to set in.





By Rob Lagana

Antioxidants: The Best Antioxidant Supplemen

The health conscious mentality of most people these days has made them close to obsessed in finding the best antioxidant supplement available on the market. But how can you blame them? With so much scientific and health research citing the multitude of benefits antioxidants can provide consumers, it is no wonder people are searching far and wide for the best antioxidant supplement they can get their hands on. Whether it's a younger physical appearance, better-looking skin, or cancer prevention, antioxidants have been proven to be very healthy, versatile, and useful. After all, oxidation is the underlying cause of most health concerns, including numerous skin conditions, multiplication of cancer cells, and many other diseases. By taking these supplements, the supposed natural oxidation process is blocked and in some cases, even reversed.

However, in order to know which of these products is considered to be the best antioxidant supplement, we must examine the process involved in producing the actual product itself. This production process should be as natural as possible and should therefore not involve too many extraneous chemicals that might be found in a highly industrial factory or lab. A number of scientific studies have revealed that the human body is not that efficient, if at all, in absorbing or using antioxidants that have too many synthetic ingredients. Therefore, the perceptive and health conscious consumer should look for supplements that include mostly natural and organic ingredients. So, the question now is, what kind of foods containing healthy amounts of antioxidants do we recommend as a good source for antioxidant supplements?

It should be noted that the antioxidant content in food is actually measured through the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Many herbs and spices actually top the list as being some of the best sources of antioxidants, as they have a very high score on the ORAC scale. Berries and fruits are also considered powerhouses when it comes to their rank on the ORAC scale, thus making them the prime ingredients in some of the best antioxidant supplements. Grapes, pomegranates, blueberries, acai, mangosteen, and cranberries are amongst the top 20 best sources of antioxidants. Other sources that are not spice-based or fruit-based are things like tea, coffee, and vegetables (spinach, brussels sprouts, and kale just to name a few vegetables).

When looking for the best antioxidant supplement, you should look for products that contain mostly natural antioxidant containing ingredients, things like herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables.

By Edward L Rosenberg