Health and Fitness Oasis

Exercise is very good for your health during pregnancy and can have many other benefits as well. Keep the exercise light, especially during your first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes.

Any type of heavy exercise can divert the blood flow from crucial areas, and most women that exercise on a regular basis should tone down their workout regimen during pregnancy.

Swimming, walking, and yoga are two very popular exercise activities that are suitable for pregnant women.  There are other forms of exercise such as weight lifting that are acceptable as long as it isn’t too strenuous.  Most pecialists recommend exercise 3 – 4 times a week, unless you have a medical condition that prevents it.  If you are ever in doubt, you should consult a physician first.

Below, you’ll find some of the best reasons as to why you should exercise during pregnancy.

Read the rest of this entry »

For those people who are unwilling to drink cow’s milk, the benefits of soy milk have been touted for several years now. Approximately 60-75% of the world is lactose intolerant. There are entire cultural groups, which have a tendency toward lactose intolerance that results in gas and moderate to severe intestinal cramping. The Asian population in particular is 90% intolerant to ingesting products with lactose; milk, cheese, yogurt – anything dairy.

There is also some research to show that drinking cow’s milk actually has some negative effects on health, although more objective research is needed to determine the long-term effects of cow’s milk on humans.

The benefits of soy milk is also controversial. It is accepted that it does contain some healthy compounds. It is high in protein, contains more fiber than cow’s milk and doesn’t contain the animal fats that cow’s milk does.

Soy milk is actually made from the very versatile soy bean. A simplified version of the process is the beans are cleaned and soaked for 12 hours. The are then pureed and the solids are strained out. The resulting liquid is Read the rest of this entry »