Health and Fitness Oasis

Overweight and obesity in the US is increasing at a disturbing pace.  Every month more ideas turn up about the reason people can’t seem to manage to keep the weight off. Ideas include genetics, a heavy bone structure, a slow metabolisms and even contacting a virus.

But to be realistic, it is evident that if you are in a negative calorie balance you can lose weight. Put simply, if an individual eats less calories than they burn or they burn more calories than eat, they will lose weight.

Achieving this negative calorie burn can be accomplished using several different techniques.  The most common to eat less and exercise more.  But, before undertaking any fitness program to achieve your weight-loss goals individuals must consult with their primary care physicians to determine the level of exercise intensity and the length of time at which they should begin.  Your primary care physician will make suggestions based on your current health, fitness level and any interactions that exercise may have with the medications you might be on and any underlying medical conditions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fitness  fever has taken hold of our society.  People are converging on the gyms to get fit.  Join in but make sure that the gym you choose is right fit for you.

A gym membership should not be taken carelessly.  After all, once you sign on the dotted line, you have made a two or three year commitment.  The payment is made each month whether you darken the gym door or not.  Who wants to give away free money?

There are a variety of gyms, probably right in your city.  They range from small family-oriented centers to large megaplexes with all the equipment and amenities you could ever ask for.  But, the decision of what suits your needs is up to you. Read the rest of this entry »

Slimming teas are becoming popular weight loss supplements available on the market today.  Stores sell these slimming teas, dieter’s teas and others but all of them are actually the same. They may appear to be effective, but what is not seen may actually harm you.

One of the effects of drinking dieter’s tea is frequent bowel movement. This gives people the feeling of body cleansing. These people may get toxins out of their body but it isn’t exactly the only thing that slimming tea actually does to the body. Slimming tea contains herbs which are natural laxatives. These include aloe, senna, rhubarb root, cascara, buckthorn and castor oil. These are products which are derived from plants and are used since the ancient times because of their potency in treating constipation and to inducing bowel movement. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve had one of those hectic weekends of shopping, working out or being on your feet all day, nothing makes you feel better or relieves stress and pain better than a relaxing foot massage in the privacy and comfort of your own home.

Knowing how to do a foot massage can come in handy in a number of ways. It can be an all natural stress reliever that you can give as a gift to yourself or to a loved one. A relaxing foot massage can also help you sleep better, feel rejuvenated and be ready for another hectic day.

The foot has 12 different muscles that are designed to support the weight of the body and provide a movable platform on almost any surface. Your foot is designed to carry the full weight of your body whether you are walking on in the solid ground, or rocks or a tightrope. Having a foot massage can help you to relax, improve blood flow to the feet and relieve any tight or cramping muscles after a full day on your feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are not the only types of arthritic conditions. Diseases such as gout, pseudogout, childhood arthritis and lupus fall into this category.

Treatment modalities for all methods of arthritis will include rest, exercise, medication, weight loss, joint protection and cold or heat. The goal is to decrease pain and inflammation, slow the progression of the disease, decrease the disability in the joints and improve your overall health.

Some individuals also find that while altering their diets to effect a change in their overall health they also improve the cartilage production and their pain and discomfort. By altering their diet to improve weight maintenance they also decrease the amount of stress placed on the large weight-bearing joints. Research has also proven that given the opportunity, correct nutrition, water and light, the body is able to do an amazing number of things to heal itself.

Read the rest of this entry »

Support is important when dealing with any medical condition.  It is important for the sufferer and the family that loves them.  That is no different with ADHD.  Parents and children need to know that they are not alone.

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.  This condition is common among children of school age.  What happens is that the brain does not make enough of certain neurotransmitters that are important to the function of certain areas of the brain.  The areas affected are mostly those that deal with organizational functions. Read the rest of this entry »

Educating yourself about your candida infection is the first and most important step in curing this painful, annoying and relatively dangerous chronic condition and taking responsibility over your health and well-being.

Although yeast infection (known by the names of Candida, Monilia or Thrush) is in fact a very common condition, (as three out of four women develop it at some point in their lifetimes), it is little discussed. Most people regard candida infection as a ‘on the surface’ problem that should be treated with creams and antibiotics whereas few are aware of its potentially risky complications.

Yeast Infection is first and foremost an internal problem. Like most chronic conditions, there is never one cause for this fungal problem and thus yeast infection cannot be permanently eliminated using medications or creams that work superficially and fail to tackle the root factors that trigger the formation of candida infection in the first place. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have stairs you can climb them, but for those who do not, a stair stepper is convenience to those looking for this type of workout.   A stair stepper can range from taking up quite a bit of room and come with handrails.  However, they also make portable stair steppers without the rails and these are considerably more inexpensive and take up very little room.  Some things that you should think about when buying a stair stepper is cost, space, quality, and its features. 

Do you have only a limited amount of money to spend?  You can purchase a portable stepper for a reasonable price.  You can also purchase one with rails, but it will cost you quite a bit more even the least expensive.  There is quite a difference in price between the portable stair stepper and the stair stepper with rails.  If you have difficulty balancing yourself though the portable stair stepper could be unsafe for you.  Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone wants to grow old gracefully.  Some go under the knife to get that youthful look while others opt for a more natural way to maintain that healthful glow.  The way to make peace with age can be found in the types of foods that we eat and the miracle ingredient they contain.

This hidden “miracle” is called antioxidants.  They have graced the pages of magazines, medical journals and every product from hand cream to supplement pills.  But what are antioxidants and what can they do to keep you looking your best?

Antioxidants are substances that fight the aging process that goes on in your body.  They are not produced by the body so to get the benefit of these power-packed substances you must ingest them.  A variety of foods contain antioxidants.

Fight the aging process

 Let’s go back to the beginning.  The body continually replenishes its cells.  Through a process called cellular metabolism, the body produces energy, more cells and repairs any damage.  One by-product of cellular metabolism is unstable molecules called free radicals. Read the rest of this entry »