Veggie Blog

Getting the right amount of vitamins

If you eat healthy and balanced meals every day, you will get most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function. Even though we all have different dietary needs, we all need vitamins in order to live healthy lives and prevent disease. Vitamins were discovered in the early twentieth century, and since then we have learned a lot about how they keep us healthy.

There are many vitamins, and you need a certain amount of each one to keep your body healthy. They are classed by letter, including A, B, C, D, E and K. Each one serves a unique purpose for your body and your health; vitamin C, for example, is needed to make collagen and helps the body absorb iron.

The B vitamin family

When it comes to variety, the B vitamins are the most diverse. They were first thought to be a single vitamin, but scientists later found that ‘vitamin B’ is really a group of different compounds. Today the B vitamin family has eight members: B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B5, B6, B7, B9 (folate) and B12.

As with other vitamins, a lack of B vitamins can lead to different conditions, such as weight loss, weakness, tiredness, diarrhoea, anaemia and, with a long-term lack of B12, nerve damage and memory problems. If you think you may be low in a B vitamin, see your doctor, who can check with a blood test.

Together, the B vitamins help your body turn food into energy and keep your skin, nerves and blood cells healthy. Getting enough of them supports good health, but taking extra beyond what you need will not speed up your metabolism or lift your mood. All of these vitamins should be part of a balanced daily diet.

Even on a good diet, some people do not get enough of certain B vitamins. Vegans and many older people need a source of B12, such as fortified foods or a supplement, and women who may become pregnant are advised to take folic acid. If this applies to you, ask your doctor or pharmacist about vitamin supplements. For most people who eat a varied diet, supplements are not necessary, and very high doses of some B vitamins (such as B6) can cause harm.

Exercise and cholesterol: how physical activity helps

Cholesterol is a substance found in every human body. It is one of the many things the body produces in order to function properly.

Unfortunately, a diet high in sugar, saturated fat and alcohol can do more harm than good. Over time it raises the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that there are ways to prevent this before it happens. It takes some effort and hard work, especially as the body becomes less forgiving with age.

Why exercise helps

Along with eating less and improving your diet, exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve your cholesterol. Regular activity raises your heart rate, helps with weight control, raises HDL (the good cholesterol) and can modestly lower LDL and triglycerides.

Getting started safely

Those who have not exercised before should first talk to a doctor to find out what is safe. People with a heart condition may not be able to do strenuous exercise and may need low-impact activities such as walking, stretching or light weights.

If the doctor says the patient can do more intense exercise, options include running, swimming, aerobics and cycling. The right type of activity depends on several factors, not only medical history, but also gender, age and weight.

The doctor can recommend an activity, and the person can pass this on to a fitness instructor so they know what is safe. From there, an exercise program can be made, and all the patient has to do is follow it.

After a month or two, there are often improvements in good and bad cholesterol levels, as well as some weight loss.

Exercise works best together with a healthy diet, and it does not replace medication. If your doctor has prescribed a cholesterol-lowering drug, keep taking it and ask before making changes; for many people, medicine and exercise work together to lower cholesterol.

Easy ways to be more active

If you do not have time to go to a gym, there are other ways to work your muscles and raise your heart rate. For starters, you can go for a brisk walk early in the morning or before work.

Some companies and hospitals encourage people to walk up one or two flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. If your workplace has a big parking lot, you can park a little further from the door and walk the extra distance.

During any exercise, it is best to drink plenty of water. This prevents dehydration, which can lead to exhaustion. Instead of going to the fountain every few minutes, bring a water bottle.

This saves time and lets you keep pace with the group activity or the work you are doing on the machine.

Someone once said that health is wealth. By exercising, you can improve your cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease, unlike those who know the dangers but never make any lifestyle changes.

The old version of this post described hatha yoga as an ancient Indian practice that is “more spiritual than physical,” designed to prepare the mind for meditation, and promised a set of 24 poses that has not survived on the page. Another post on this blog, What Is Hatha Yoga?, describes a typical class. This one looks at the other side: what the word means, what the tradition was for and how to practice sensibly today.

What does “hatha” mean?

There are two common explanations. Many modern books say that ha means sun and tha means moon, so hatha yoga unites the two. The scholar Jason Birch, in a paper on the meaning of hatha in early hatha yoga, notes that this sun-and-moon reading is first found in a text from around the fourteenth century, and that other early sources suggest hatha means “force,” in the sense of forceful methods or effort. The two readings can sit side by side as long as the sun-and-moon one is understood as a symbolic interpretation, not the original meaning.

What was hatha yoga for?

The old post said the sages designed it to gain control of the body’s energies, as preparation for meditation. That is close to how the classic manual, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, presents it. It was compiled in the fifteenth century by Svatmarama, who introduces hatha as a preparatory stage for physical purification before higher meditation, or raja yoga. So the old post is right that the tradition is not only about fitness. But today most hatha classes in the United States are taught as exercise and relaxation, and many people value them for that.

What happens in a modern hatha class?

According to Harvard Health, hatha is a combination of many styles. A class typically begins with breathing exercises (pranayama), then moves through poses (asanas) and ends with a final rest called savasana. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that yoga in the United States generally emphasizes physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation, and that research suggests it may help with stress, neck pain and headaches, among other things. It does not show that yoga awakens “enlightened consciousness,” which is a traditional spiritual aim, not a health claim.

How should you move through the poses?

The old post gave advice that is still sound. Move smoothly from one pose to the next, like a slow dance. Stay in each pose long enough to settle in, breathe from the diaphragm and not the chest, do not stretch beyond your limit or force the body, and relax into the pose without worrying about doing it perfectly. Over time you should find that you become more flexible. Add one more rule from the safety research: stop if you feel pain, and skip extreme practices such as headstands and forceful breathing until a teacher has shown you how.

Do you need a teacher?

The old post said that hatha yoga is best taught in person, and that drawings and written instructions are only a rudimentary aid. The NCCIH agrees: yoga is generally considered safe for healthy people when done properly under the guidance of a qualified instructor, and learning on your own has been linked to increased risks. Pregnant women, older adults and people with conditions such as knee or hip injuries, severe high blood pressure, balance problems or glaucoma should talk with their health care provider and the instructor first.

How many poses do you need?

The old post claimed that its 24 poses were “all you will ever need” for quieting the mind before meditation. No fixed number is required. A gentle routine of a few poses, breathing and a short rest is a fine start; our guides to yoga postures and styles and a gentle morning routine for beginners show how to begin.

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Anti aging skin care

What anti aging skin care means

One of the most talked-about topics in skin care is anti aging skin care. As we get older, the natural protection of our skin (and of the whole body) weakens. Anti aging skin care is about protecting your skin from the effects of the aging process, and it can help you keep a young, fresh look for longer. Awareness of aging has grown over time, but many people still find it hard to recognize the signs of aging, and so they do not know whether they need additional anti aging skin care measures.

Signs of aging

Here is a list of common signs of aging that can help you plan your anti aging skin care strategy: wrinkles, dry skin, age spots, graying hair and hair loss. Changes in memory, eyesight and hearing, and the menopause, are also part of getting older, but skin care cannot do much about them. One or more skin signs are a good reason to step up your skin care. Note that we are talking about adding measures, not about starting anti aging skin care altogether. It really starts long before the signs appear. Serious skin care means building and following a good skin care routine much earlier in life (say in your teens). It does not need any special procedure, just a normal routine followed with real commitment, with protection from the sun at its center. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, drinking enough water, not smoking and managing stress are good for your skin and your health, but they will not stop aging.

Choosing anti aging products

Once the signs of aging show up, you may want to add anti aging skin care products. The market is full of them, so many that they will probably find you before you find them. Your skin also changes a lot with age, so check whether your current skin care routine is still suitable for your skin.

Remember that aging is a natural process and nothing can stop it. All anti aging skin measures can do is delay its visible effects.

When people begin the Atkins program they are often tempted by the many low-carb products on the market: snack bars, baking mixes, pasta and bread substitutes. The old version of this post argued that you should use them sparingly and build your plan on fresh foods instead. That advice holds up, but a few of the supporting claims do not, so I have rewritten the post.

What does an unprocessed Atkins plate look like?

Atkins’ own plan is built on foods such as vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, natural cheeses and, in later phases, fruit and whole grains. The old post said that the center of the plan is fresh vegetables and fresh meat, with natural cheeses, some fruit and, in time, whole unprocessed grains, and no packaged meats, canned vegetables or instant foods. Atkins says that in its Pre-Maintenance phase you still take 12 to 15 grams of net carbs a day from foundation vegetables, and that you add foods such as legumes, fruit and whole grains one at a time. Atkins has renamed some of its plans, but the approach is still built around whole foods. Our guide to Atkins diet foods and how to plan lists them.

Are low-carb packaged foods a problem?

The old post said that these products are technically allowed, can help in a pinch with cravings, but are chemically processed, can trigger carbohydrate cravings in some people and may have hidden carb counts. The last point is the one that holds up best. According to the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, “net carbs” is a term invented by food companies, and neither the FDA nor the American Diabetes Association endorses it. Read the total carbohydrate line, the fiber and the sugar alcohols. Some people find that sweet low-carb foods make them want more, which is worth noticing for yourself, although I did not find a study that proves it. For better snacks, see low-carb snack ideas.

Is bacon a problem?

The old post said that many Atkins dieters eat bacon daily, and that bacon contains sodium nitrite, which is known to cause cancer. The real concern is wider than one chemical. The World Health Organization classifies processed meat (meat that has been salted, cured, fermented or smoked, such as bacon, ham and sausage) as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans, because there is sufficient evidence that it causes colorectal cancer. The WHO says the risk increases with the amount eaten, and that it could not name a safe level. Red meat is classed as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic. The WHO also says meat can be part of a healthy diet and that many national guidelines recommend limiting processed and red meat. So a low-carb plan built on fish, eggs, poultry, vegetables, nuts and olive oil is a better choice than one built on daily bacon. See the WHO questions and answers on red and processed meat.

Are raw foods always more nutritious?

The old post said raw, whole foods contain more vitamins and nutrients than processed ones and that manufactured foods may contain chemical additives. As a rule, fresh foods have fewer additives and less added salt and sugar, and that is the real argument. But “processed” covers a wide range: frozen vegetables and plain canned fish are processed and can be good options. What matters is the label.

What if weight loss stalls?

The old post says to check whether low-carb processed foods are adding hidden carbs, to focus on the foods in the Atkins pyramid and to shop the outer edges of the store. This is sensible, and our post on overcoming plateaus on the Atkins diet has more ideas. If cravings are the problem, read carbohydrate cravings and the Atkins diet.

Can you still use packaged foods?

Yes, in moderation. The old post admits that busy people may use canned soup or canned vegetables from time to time. Check salt, sugar and added carbohydrates, and keep most of your meals simple.