Healthy Pets Make a Happy You!

March 31, 2009

A recent study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) revealed that 44% of dogs and 57% of cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese. The main cause of pet obesity is overfeeding. No one can stop themselves from feeding their pets when they give a longing look. But veterinarians say that overfeeding is not the right way to show your love for your pet. On the other hand, it causes a lot of harm to your pets.

High-calorie-treats and table scraps may reduce the life span of your pets. Diabetes, heart complications, back and joint pains, hip dysplasia and other endocrinal diseases are a few of the consequences that your pet might suffer due to an irregular or bad pet feeding habit. If you love your pet, then it is your responsibility to keep it hale and healthy. Here are a few tips to prevent overfeeding so that your pet doesn’t become obese.

First, purchase a pet scale. This is essential in maintaining a healthy pet. Most of the pet foods have a healthy diet printed on their cover for different age groups. Take a quick peek at the recommended amount before feeding your pet and strictly stick to the diet. You should also take your pet to the nearest veterinary practice. Veterinarians can help you chalk out a diet plan for your pet. There a number of diet pet foods available on the market today. Pick one from a local pet store. You can also choose to buy it online. Gradually, start replacing the regular food with the diet food in order to maintain your pet’s weight. To keep track of your pet’s weight, measure them regularly using pet scales.

Pet obesity can also be due to lack of exercise. Walking is the best option if your pet is a dog. If it’s a cat, then you can let it play around your house.

Yoga for Healthy Living

Obesity has become more common these days due to several factors, including improper dietary habits, less physical activity, and stress. It is usually accompanied by other physical and mental disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels. Taking weight loss pills to overcome obesity is even worse. In fact, they can turn out to be harmful to your health. There are many other natural ways of reducing weight such as using home exercise equipment or taking up new training programs; the best among them is yoga.

Yoga asanas are a set of exercises that helps maintain physical fitness. But yoga is not just a physical discipline; it is also a mental discipline. Practicing pranayama, meditation and other yoga kits will help in maintaining body weight and develop a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Let me give you an idea about pranayamas or yoga deep-breathing exercises. This practice will help boost the amount of oxygen absorbed by the body cells, which in turn helps in the burning up of fat cells. This breathing exercise not just reduces fat content, but also increases your energy level.

Most of the yoga asanas stimulate the glands of your body and increase the hormonal secretions. Thyroid gland plays a vital role in increasing your weight, because it affects body metabolism. Yoga exercises like shoulder stand and fish pose help to regulate the functioning of the thyroid gland and the rate of metabolism.

Other yoga exercises, like tree pose, sun salute, triangle pose, butterfly pose, locust pose, camel pose, cat pose, and angle pose help you reduce your body fat. They also strengthen your muscles and give you a great physique.

Yoga exercises not only make a person flexible, but also help in reducing the temptation to eat between meals. You will also maintain a calm and cool attitude and avoid anxious eating. Yoga is a sure shot way to healthy living.

Burn off Your Body Fat Right Now!

March 20, 2009

The presence of fat is never a problem. You need some fat to remain healthy. The problem is the amount of fat that is present in the body. A high body fat percentage and a high Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 can turn out to be dangerous to the body and the health of the individual. By shedding this body fat percentage and boosting your lean body mass, you will also get that ‘dream figure.’ You can do this by using a body fat monitor.

By carefully avoiding foods, like those with a high level of starch and sugar, deep fried foods, and also heavily-preserved and processed foods, you can keep the body fat percentage under control. The very mention of cheese, French fries and potato chips might tickle your taste-buds. But beware! They have lots of trans fat or saturated fat that increase the amount of bad cholesterol in our body. To lose body fat, you must cut back on these bad fats and go for a high-fiber, low-fat diet.

Here are a few tips for you. Most of us use cream while preparing sauces and desserts. Evaporated skim milk can be an excellent healthy alternative to it. When it comes to your favorite recipes, in the place of every three eggs, try using six egg whites and a whole egg.

By expending more energy than what you are consuming, you will be able to lose the excess fat in your body. Regular exercise is the best means of doing it. Moreover, adhering to a strict diet without any exercise will not help you at all. In fact, it is likely to result in the loss of vital muscle content. If you are looking for a short cut to remove enormous amount of fat, then the only way out is a bariatric surgery. But you should only use it as a last resort when everything else fails.

Astonishing Facts about Fat!

The human body consists of two weights: the lean weight, which comprises of the weight of internal organs, muscles, and bones; and the fat weight, which is the weight of just fat. A pound of fat tissue stores an unbelievable 3,500 calories of energy! You need a weight scale to constantly measure the amount of fat in your body.

Contrary to popular belief, an adequate amount of body fat actually keeps you healthy. You need not get worried and exert yourself to lose this! It is only when it is in excess that fat can lead to a whole lot of related health problems, from heart diseases and diabetes to cholesterol.

If you were of the idea that a lot of exercising can help you get rid of the excess fat in your body, then you are wrong! One interesting fact that many are not aware of is that, the number of fat cells in the body cannot be reduced. Loosing body fat merely implies that the fat cells have become smaller and not fewer.

Having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30 is an indicator of high percentage of body fat. A quick and easy way to calculate your BMI is to multiply your weight (in pounds) by 703 and divide the resulting number by your height (in inches).

A body fat estimator helps you analyze your body fat percentage. If you are interested in finding out how much fat your body has, divide your total body weight by 3. You will be able to get a fair idea as to how much of your body weight is fat. If you want a more accurate number, then multiply your weight by 0.36 to get the exact figure. You will also be surprised to know that while an average American male has just 26% fat, the average American female adult has a bit over 36%.

Body Water Content

March 12, 2009

Remember biology from school? Okay, so most of us weren’t paying attention in class, but there were a few important lessons in there that everyone should remember. One of them is body water content – the amount of water that is present in your body. You can use a specialized weight scale to measure the amount.

The average human being is about 55% - 60% water. In fact, the blood is 95% water, lean muscle tissue has 75% water, and bones are 22% water. Water is required for the digestion and absorption of food as well as the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells. It also helps maintain proper muscle tone. Water is also needed for getting rid of our bodily waste. Maintaining proper body water content also helps you pass your bowel easily.

Without water, the important nutrients and minerals cannot reach the cells because there is not enough water in the blood. This affects the most important functions of your body. In fact, severe dehydration can even cause death. This is why dehydration is such a big problem.

By now you must be thinking about ways of measuring your body water content. There are tests that can be done at clinics, which are time consuming and elaborate. But that is not the only way to do it, thank goodness for modern science. Now you can simply buy a body fat and body water scale. They are a convenient way to measure water content in your body on a daily basis.

A body water scale is a simple way to go about an otherwise complicated procedure. They are easy to use, cheap to buy and are very accurate in the results they produce. They let you monitor your body water content and watch out for any problem. A body fat and body water scale, no doubt, is one useful thing to have around the house.

What is Cholesterol?

March 10, 2009

A tempting burger, or a pizza with extra cheese, or a huge chocolate bar, or big scoops of vanilla ice cream might please your taste buds. But you must know all these foods have too much of cholesterol in them and must be avoided.

So what is cholesterol? It is a type of fat that is found in your blood. This waxy substance is produced by the liver. You can also find it in fatty foods (mostly from animal sources) that you eat. Cholesterol is not a bad thing. It is needed by your body for the following

• To produce vitamin D and some hormones

• To help the growth of brain, skin, and other organs

• To build cell walls

• To produce bile salts that help digest fat.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are the two important types of cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol away from the liver whereas HDL carries cholesterol to the liver where it can be broken down by bile salts. Of these two, it is LDL cholesterol that is bad for the body. It sticks to the walls of arteries and blood vessel and can block them.

That is why a complete lipid panel, which includes LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels, at least once in a year is important for everyone. It will exactly tell you what your body cholesterol levels are.

Obesity, a family history of cholesterol problems or cardiac diseases, and sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of high cholesterol in your body. Watch what you eat, stay away from foods that have saturated fat, trans fat, and those that are high in cholesterol to maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels. A low cholesterol diet that has higher HDL and lower LDL, and regular exercises will ensure you a long, healthy life. Measure cholesterol levels on a regular basis, stay fit, and live happily.

How Does Near Infrared Interactance Help in Determining Your Body Fat Percentage?

March 3, 2009

As promised I am back with information on Near Infrared Intearctance (NIR), one of the techniques used to estimate your body fat percentage. This body composition analysis technique is completely safe, fast, inexpensive, and completely non-invasive, which to me seems the biggest factor working in its favor.

This method is based on principles of light absorption, reflectance and near infrared spectroscopy. The biceps of a person’s dominant arm is usually the site preferred for estimating his/her body fat using the Near Infrared Intearctance method.

A computerized spectrophotometer with a rapid scanning monochromator and a fiber optic probe helps assess your body fat. The monochromator, which is also called light wand, sends a low-energy beam of near-infrared light. This beam penetrates the underlying tissue before it is reflected back to the built-in detector of the wand, which measures the intensity of the re-emitted light. Using the shifts in the wavelength of this light the body fat percentage is calculated with the help of a prediction equation. The prediction equation also takes into consideration the person’s height, weight, frame size and level of activity to give a correct body composition analysis.

Near Infrared Intearctance is one of the popular body composition analysis techniques outside of the laboratory owing to its simplicity and speed, as I have already mentioned before. It is inexpensive too, You can easily get it done at health clubs and weight loss centers for something between 20 and 40 dollars.

But I must also make you aware of the downsides of this method. It is not one of the most accurate methods of determining your body composition, especially in case of lean and obese people. Further, the readings may vary depending on the amount of pressure applied to the probe. The skin color and hydration levels can also result in errors. The validity of a single-site measurement is also a major bone of contention. So, my concluding remarks would be that more research is required to prove the validity and accuracy of Near Infrared Interactance.

What is Body Fat Percentage?

Among the health conscious, fat is a taboo that has to be kept away from at all costs. But is it actually so bad? In this post, this is what I intend to take up. Read on to know more.

As much as the poor thing is detested, fat has an important role to play in the bodily functions. Fat is the main form of the body’s energy storage. It is the one that cushions and insulates organs and tissues inside the body. In addition, fat also regulates the body temperature. It is only when it goes beyond a certain level that it begins to spell trouble. In fact, it is the perfect example of the adage, “anything in excess is bad.”

I am sure that the term total body fat percentage needs no introduction. But for those who are hearing it for the first time, let me define it. A person’s total body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat his/her body contains. Technically, it is the measure of the amount of fat mass relative to the rest of your body’s organs and tissue mass.

The total body fat percentage includes both the essential fat as well as storage fat. Essential fat is the amount of fat necessary for maintaining life and reproductive functions. This percentage is greater for women than men to meet the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. To give you a clearer idea, while the essential fat percentage is just 2-5% in men, it is 10-13% in women. The minimum recommended total body fat percentage is higher than this value. Storage fat, on the other hand, accumulates in the adipose tissue and helps protect the internal organs in the chest and abdomen. It is also used as fuel by the body in times of need.

The value of the total body fat percentage can’t be exactly determined, but can only be estimated. There are various techniques like near-infrared interactance, body average density measurement, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and anthropometric methods to do this. I have already taken up the bioelectrical impedance analysis, the others, I promise to take up in future posts.

So friends, in future before you decide on losing weight, chalk out a realistic weight loss goal by knowing your body fat percentage.