Weight Loss Diet Solutions – Page 1013 – Weight Loss Diet Solutions

The Critical Importance of Zinc In Your Diet

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Post date January 31, 2017
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Zinc is a nutrient that people need to stay healthy. Zinc is found in cells throughout the body. It helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses.

Why Do You Need Zinc?

The body also needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells. During pregnancy, infancy, and childhood, the body needs zinc to grow and develop properly. Zinc also helps wounds heal and is important for proper senses of taste and smell.

Zinc preparations can protect against sunburn in the summer and windburn in the winter. Applied thinly to a baby’s diaper area (perineum) with each diaper change, it can protect against diaper rash.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study determined that zinc can be part of an effective treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Zinc supplementation is an effective treatment for acrodermatitis enteropathica, a genetic disorder affecting zinc absorption that was previously fatal to babies born with it.

People need between 2 and 14 mg of zinc in their diet or supplement.

Sources of Zinc

Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods. You can get recommended amounts of zinc by eating a variety of foods including the following:

Oysters, which are the best source of zinc
Red meat, poultry, seafood such as crab and lobsters, and fortified breakfast cereals, which are also good sources of zinc
Beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products, which provide some zinc

Other sources include fortified food and dietary supplements, which come in various forms. A 1998 review concluded that zinc oxide, one of the most common supplements in the United States, and zinc carbonate are nearly insoluble and poorly absorbed in the body.

This review cited studies which found low plasma zinc concentrations after zinc oxide and zinc carbonate were consumed compared with those seen after consumption of zinc acetate and sulfate salts. However, harmful excessive supplementation is a problem among the relatively affluent, and should probably not exceed 20 mg/day in healthy people, although the U.S. National Research Council set a Tolerable Upper Intake of 40 mg/day.

For fortification, however, a 2003 review recommended zinc oxide in cereals as cheap, stable, and as easily absorbed as more expensive forms.

A 2005 study found that various compounds of zinc, including oxide and sulfate, did not show statistically significant differences in absorption when added as fortificants to maize tortillas. A 1987 study found that zinc picolinate was better absorbed than zinc gluconate or zinc citrate

Zinc lactate is used in toothpaste to prevent halitosis. Zinc pyrithione is widely applied in shampoos because of its anti-dandruff function. Zinc ions are effective antimicrobial agents even at low concentrations.

Gastroenteritis is strongly attenuated by ingestion of zinc, and this effect could be due to direct antimicrobial action of the zinc ions in the gastrointestinal tract, or to the absorption of the zinc and re-release from immune cells (all granulocytes secrete zinc), or both

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The 300 Workout

I think I made it clear last week in one article about doing workouts to increase your strength that it is important to do a very few sets with low reps to failure. I keep finding however references to the 300 workout. The 300 workout is a workout inspired by the movie called 300 and is supposed to make you lean and incredibly strong and buff. We will see how this influences regular workouts but this is long and mentally grueling with lots of sets and lots of reps for a workout.

Chris Aitkin is a martial arts trainer and expert and inspired this spin to the 300 workout which although I believe would work very well for overall fitness would also take a long time and really beat you up. I can’t wait to try it out.

What is the 300 Workout?

Ever since the movie “300” came out and the rippling abdomens and rock-hard pectorals of dozens of stars and extras made their debut, many versions of the so-called “300 workout” have arisen on the internet.

As a trainer and someone who enjoyed watching that movie, I was interested in what types of exercises these body-breaking workouts were employing, and I managed to find three or four different variations on the same theme.

The general rules they followed were:

1. Use a multitude of exercises
2. Hit every part of the body possible
3. Use ridiculous reps and weights
4. Hit 300 reps as the total of all repetitions

Typical exercises would include 50 throws of a 45 lbs. dumbbell from the ground to over your head. Retrieve the weight and do it again! Or even sit-ups with 70-100 lbs. sitting on your stomach. Needless to say, that’s a hell of a load!

My goal was to create a workout for my Haidong Gumdo students that would mimic the overall feel of the 300 workout (hitting the whole body with a multitude of exercises), but it would be achievable by even my weakest students.

I took to doing some of the exercises suggested by several of the 300 workouts and started picking and choosing those we could do without extra equipment. Also, these would have be appropriate for practicing on an indoor basketball court at a college (which is what we were doing).

After some trial and error, as well as a few practice sessions with the actual class, I came up with this general regimen. You can switch it up slightly, but the order is designed to hit different parts of the body in succession, then go back and hit them again. The goal was a good workout without overly taxing any one portion of the body at a time, but getting to overall failure (or nearly so).

The Martial Artist’s 300 Workout

Here I’ve indicated the sequence of exercises I used to drill my students into the ground without them realizing it. I’ve indicated the exercises, the portion of the body they work, and any special instructions for performing them you would need.

You’ll notice as you go through that I don’t include any time for rest. This is because there isn’t any! The workout is designed to be hard, and you shouldn’t take any more then 15-30 seconds to change positions between exercises. If you want to add in some sort of rest during the workout, allow them to take 1 minute intervals for water before Decline Push-ups again before lunges.

100 jumping jacks:This is a total body exercise, emphasizing the legs and arms as the gross movement. Perform it as a 4 count move where “spread-in-spread-in” equals one repetition.

20 push-ups:This one emphasizes chest and arms. The instructor calls the exercise with “dow, up” commands, where down is held with the chest about 1-2 inches off the floor, and up is held with the arms straight.

30 bicycle crunches:Abs and obliques are the main target with these. Lay on the back with your hands behind your head, elbows out. When you rep up, touch your elbow to the opposite knee, and keep your legs off the floor. You should look like you’re riding a bicycle (just a very uncomfortable one) during the movements.

20 prisoner squats: Great one for legs, emphasizing the thighs. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, hands behind your head like you’re being arrested. Squat down to at least 90 degrees (sitting on a chair), but as far as 30 degrees. Stand up and repeat. Try not to fall down.

10 decline push-ups: This one really hits your chest and arms, placing more on you during the movement. You’ll need something to place your feet on that’s at least eight inches off the ground, but as much as two feet. Perform push-ups with your feet so inclined as normal, with the instructor calling “down-up” commands.

5 suicides: I hate to run, but for total body, cardio, and legs, suicides are awesome. Pick a good amount of area, about 100 feet long and able to house your students side by side on the short side. Mark out a place 50 feet down the line, then 100 feet down (we used a sword on the ground and the wall of the gym). Have them run to the mid-line, back to start, to the end line, and back to start. That’s one rep.

30 sec flutter kicks: Lower abs especially love flutter kicks, but it isn’t bad for legs either. Lay on your back with your hands just barely under your glutes. Raise your feet about six inches off the floor and lift your head up to look at them. Now raise one foot another six inches, keeping your other leg at the same height. Kick them like your swimming between the six inch and twelve inch marks for 30 seconds. You should complete 30 reps or more during that time.

5 pyramids: Back to the arms and chest. Pyramids start in push-up position. You’ll call “down-up” and perform one rep, then immediately turn over into a sitting positions with your hands straight over your head. Call “down-up” and bend your arms down to the shoulder, then back up again. Immediately flip over to push-up position after. That’s one rep. For rep two, you’ll do two push-ups and two arm drops, then three each for the third rep, and so on.

For added “fun you can make them go back down the scale from 5 to 1 after going up from 1 to 5! They will probably hate you though.

20 lunges: Lunges are an excellent leg exercise, and they give you ample opportunity to practice good posture and strengthen your back as well. With your hands on your hips, step one leg forward, planting the other foot, and bend your knees so that you are almost kneeling, but don’t touch the floor. Stand back up in an identical, opposite motion, then do the same with the other leg. One lunge is equal to going out and back with both legs.

15 leg throws: Abs, obliques, legs, and arms beware, the leg throws are going to be tough on you, especially after all the other reps in this workout. Choose partners, with one partner on the floor, back down, holding onto the standing partner’s ankles. The standing partner throws the other’s legs to the center five times, the left five times, and the right five times.

Hard. And the laying partner stops their legs before hitting the floor, and raises them up again. When one partner finishes, switch.

10 min Stretching: You can either stretch freely, use your own routine, or refer to my article on “Stretching 101” to finish up. Just make sure everyone hits all the muscles that they worked out in this exercise. I didn’t start with stretching because I assume you would have already done that during your normal class time. I finish with it because it is essential to making sure you keep the now-fatigued muscles cramp free and help them heal.

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Sleep Apnea – Causes, Symptoms, and Cures for Sleep Apnea

Post author By admin
Post date January 29, 2017
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My brother in law told me at one point that he had sleep apnea.

The next week my boss, who never slept well and had a problem staying up in meetings, told me that he had sleep apnea and after having it treated he was really happy to be sleeping better and to be more rested all of the time.

Sleep Apnea is a very exhausting condition that causes you to wake up a bit all night long all the time so that you never get a restful night sleep.

A horrible thought for everyone and real hell if you are the one that is suffering from this.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

The most common kind of sleep apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Sleep apnea means “cessation of breath.” It is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation.

In other words, the airway becomes obstructed at several possible sites. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, a large tongue and usually includes the airway muscles relaxing and collapsing when asleep.

Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages. Sometimes the structure of the jaw and airway can be a factor in sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Excessive daytime sleepiness
Frequent episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep. (The patient may be unaware of this symptom — usually the bed partner is extremely aware of this).

Associated features of Sleep Apnea may include:

Loud snoring
Morning headaches
Unrefreshing sleep
Dry mouth upon awakening
Chest retraction during sleep in young children (chest pulls in)
High blood pressure
Over irritability
Change in personality
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Excessive perspiring during sleep
Heartburn
Reduced libido
Insomnia
Frequent nocturnal urination (nocturia)
Restless sleep
Nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up)
Rapid gain
Confusion upon awakening

How Serious Is Sleep Apnea?

It is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.

The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease.

In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems.

The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

How Does the Doctor Determine If I Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

A sleep test, called polysomnography is usually done to diagnose sleep apnea. There are two kinds of polysomnograms.

An overnight polysomnography test involves monitoring brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, respiration, oxygen level in the blood and audio monitoring. (for snoring, gasping, etc.)

The second kind of polysomnography test is a home monitoring test.

A Sleep Technologist hooks you up to all the electrodes and instructs you on how to record your sleep with a computerized polysomnograph that you take home and return in the morning.

They are painless tests that are usually covered by insurance.

How is Sleep Apnea treated?

Mild Sleep Apnea is usually treated by some behavioral changes. Losing weight, sleeping on your side are often recommended.

There are oral mouth devices (that help keep the airway open) on the market that may help to reduce snoring in three different ways.

Some devices (1) bring the jaw forward or (2) elevate the soft palate or (3) retain the tongue (from falling back in the airway and blocking breathing).

Sleep Apnea is a progressive condition (gets worse as you age) and should not be taken lightly.

Moderate to severe Sleep Apnea is usually treated with a C-PAP (continous positive airway pressure). C-PAP is a machine that blows air into your nose via a nose mask, keeping the airway open and unobstructed.

For more severe apnea, there is a Bi-level (Bi-PAP) machine. The Bi-level machine is different in that it blows air at two different pressures.

When a person inhales, the pressure is higher and in exhaling, the pressure is lower. Your sleep doctor will “prescribe” your pressure and a home healthcare company will set it up and provide training in its use and maintenance.

Find out about the different manufacturers who provide respiratory equipment for obstructive sleep apnea.They have photos of their CPAP machines, masks and other equipment, so take a look.

Some people have facial deformities that may cause the sleep apnea. It simply may be that their jaw is smaller than it should be or they could have a smaller opening at the back of the throat.

Some people have enlarged tonsils, a large tongue or some other tissues partially blocking the airway. Fixing a deviated septum may help to open the nasal passages.

Removing the tonsils and adenoids or polyps may help also. Children are much more likely to have their tonsils and adenoids removed.

Tracheostomy

The only available treatment until the early 1980’s was a tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where a small hole is cut in the neck and a tube with a valve is inserted into the hole.

During the day the valve is closed so the person can speak. At night, the valve is opened, thus avoiding the obstructions.

This procedure is only used today as a last resort or to avoid respiratory distress, or other serious medical complications (You would have to be extremely sick to require this).

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

What is available today in the way of surgery is the uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty (UPPP). What does this mean?

The uvulo refers to the uvula, that fleshy thing hanging in the back of your throat, palato refers to the palate, and pharyngoplasty means plastic surgery of the pharynx (the pharynx is the joint opening of the gullet and the windpipe).

The uvula is removed along with excess tissue. This surgery is usually done for patients who can’t tolerate nasal CPAP.

This surgery has mixed reviews, it helps in around 50% who have the surgery and in others it does not help at all or it helps only partially and the patient may still need to use the C-PAP machine due to scar tissue.

Mandibular Myotomy

A procedure called mandibular myotomy was crafted by Drs. Nelson Powell and Robert W. Riley who are associated with the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Center.

This procedure, mandibular myotomy ( mandibular = relating to the lower jaw bone, and myotomy = surgical division of a muscle) with genioglossis (chin and tongue) advancement, involves cutting a rectangular piece of bone in the anterior (front part) portion of the mandible (jaw) to which the tongue muscles are attached.

At that point, the rectangular piece is pulled outward, rotated 90 degrees and attached so it overrides the defect produced by the osteotomy (cutting of bone), where it is reattached. This pulls the tongue forward six to ten millimeters and almost always eliminates the sleep-related obstruction.

These surgeries requires much research and consideration before you undertake it. They should only be performed by surgeons with considerable experience and documented training and skill in both ENT surgery and maxillofacial surgery.

Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP)

There is also Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP), is a surgical procedure to remove the uvula and surrounding tissue to open the airway behind the palate. This procedure has been used to relieve snoring. It has been used somewhat successfully in treating sleep apnea. Always make sure you have a doctor who has done the procedure many times and is preferrably extremely knowledgeable about sleep apnea. Ask lots of questions and do your homework!

Radiofrequency (RF) Procedure or Somnoplasty

The newest surgical procedure for snoring and sleep apnea is called somnoplasty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for snoring that uses radio waves to shrink tissue in air passages and eliminate snoring.

The procedure is called radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the palate.

A new treatment for sleep apnea, radio frequency volumetric reduction of the tongue has been approved by the FDA.

The radiofrequency treatment involves piercing the tongue, throat or soft palate with a special needle (electrode) connected to a radio frequency generator.

The inner tissue is then heated to 158 to 176 degrees, in a procedure that takes approximately half an hour.

The inner tissues shrink, but the outer tissues, which may contain such things as taste buds, are left intact. Several treatments may be required.

Unfortunately, at this time the procedure is so new that insurance companies are not covering it yet. It is still seen as an experimental procedure.

Nasal Obstruction

Sometimes the nasal passages are a site of obstruction. It can be from a deviated septum, large turbinates (nasal bones) or a collapse of the nostril area, called the nasal valve.

The Radiofrequency procedure (see above) can effectively reduce the size of the turbinates. Septoplasty surgery can fix a deviated septum and nasal valve surgery will take care of nostril collapse.

Oral Positive Airway Pressure (OPAP)

Another new invention that is being tested is the OPAP, a dental appliance that conducts air through it (interesting info starts on third page of that link – a little dense as well). It may prove to be to be an alternative to the mask and headgear.

This is the apparatus that my boss used. What it does is move the lower jaw forward and has a screw in it that allows you to move the jaw forward to a comfortable position.

Of course this is only worn while you sleep and after the first night is apparently comfortable enough to sleep with.

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