Fitness Posted

Fat is the second source of energy. Fat acids are important for the development of the brain. Fat is a structural utility, providing thermal and mechanical protection to the body. It also regulates the metabolism. There are types of fat (good fats) that are needed and should be taken with the nutrition and some types of fat (bad fats) which are very bad for our health because of the influence they have on cholesterol levels. Saturated fats-bad fats . They are found in animal sources of protein such as beef, pork, ham and dairy products like full cream milk, ice cream, cheese. Many saturated fats raise the chances of heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats-good fats. They are found in olive oil, olives, almonds, walnuts, pistachios. They lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) without affecting the good cholesterol (HDL). We should consume olive oil in moderation and replace butter in our diet. Polyunsaturated fats . They are found in vegetable oils like corn...

The most common excuse not to go to the gym is lack of time. Are you really so busy that you can not consider putting exercising in your schedule? Did you spend your time on things that are not priorities? If you often use lack of time as an excuse for your absence from the gym, here are some ways to see what really happens: 1. Complete a list of 10 things that are very important for you (things you love in order of importance) 2. Write down 10 things you spend your time on. 3. Look at the second list and note the activities (like waiting in line, talking on the phone, stuck in traffic, watching TV etc) from which you can steal 10 minutes during the day. 4. Next to each one, write how much time you spend on it and make a third list with the time you lose every day. 5. Sum the time and get your daily total average. 6. Compare the first with the second list. Do you dedicate most of your time on what is important for you? Do you catch yourself spending time on things that are not that imp...

Carbohydrates - the major source of energy. The main carbohydrate is starch. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates. They are found in pasta, cereals, vegetables, beans, rice, potatoes. They tend to have low-fat, low calories and they are rich in fiber. Sugars present in complex carbohydrates are recommended because they decompose slowly so our body gets a sense of completeness and we get the energy we need. Complex carbohydrates are a good source of fiber, which is related to the prevention of serious diseases such as cancer of the colon. Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars. Here we can find refined sugar, honey and sugars contained in fruits and milk. An excessive use of these products leads to dietary deficiencies because they replace other more nutritious foods. Simple carbohydrates are absorbed very quickly and the blood sugar goes up. Thus we feel tired and hungry. Sugars in fruit and milk are good choices because they are combined with vitamins, mi...

Many of us know that the main benefit of exercising is a healthy life. Healthy life is a wealthy life! But how does exercising affect longevity and what are the real benefits of it? Longevity Researches have shown that for every hour of workout we win up to 2.6 hours life. Physical activity gives us the possibility to delay various cancers while minimizing the risk of getting a heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, obesity, type II diabetes and osteoarthritis. Keeping the cardiorespiratory endurance, strength and flexibility in high levels, we minimize the need of medical care. The strength helps us improve our neuromuscular system (better control of body movements). Exercising makes our life more qualitative. It fights insomnia strengthens the mental clarity and helps reducing depression. Exercising gives us a better body Improved cardio respiratory system. Regular exercise (at least 3 times a week with a minimum of 20 minutes) strengthens the heart.  Improvement in cholester...

Nutrition is the provision of the nutrients (materials in the form of food that are necessary to support life) to the human body. It contributes to health, beauty and longevity.What is energy? The ultimate source of energy is the sun. This energy bounds in plant chlorophyll. Then animals eat plants so the energy is saved in their body. Our food is consisted of plants and animals, so we eat in order to provide ourselves the energy that is needed for our activities. Energy is available in our body in two forms: potential and stored. The potential energy is available in the process of metabolism. Energy that is stored in our body has the form of the glycogen. What is a calorie? We use calories as a unit of food energy. They come from nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Vitamins, minerals and water do not contain calories. When we eat, our body separates the nutrients from the food and turns them into glucose. Part of it is burnt because it’s the direct source of energy for our a...

Fat is an important element of the body and it's necessary for our life. Vital organs would not have any protection without it. Fat regulates the temperature of the body in extreme weather conditions. It is an important fuel for the body and it is burned to provide energy and safety mechanism against famine / hunger /malnutrition. We eat three to four times more fat than we need per day. We need a teaspoon of fat per day but in fact we consume 6 to 8 teaspoons. How can we avoid this? There is a way to measure fat we get from the foods. When you buy food you can find out how much fat is in that food with simple arithmetics. As you already know, the calories contained in the ingredients are: Fat = 9 calories / gram Protein = 4 calories / gram Carbohydrate = 4 calories / gram On the label of the product you buy you'll find the weight of all the components (usually per 100ml) and total calories of the product. Follow the following procedure to find a percentage of fat contained i...

The importance of exercising the whole body is really huge. We have to exercise the front and the back side of it proportionally. When we workout the front of the thigh we should workout the back side as well in order to balance the result. The schedule in the gym should include a variety of exercises to practice all the parts of the body.  Without muscle balance, problems such as humps (strong chest - weak back), spine problems (dorsal strong - weak abs) may appear. This can happen as a result of a bad workout but also because of the fact that we don't workout at all. Our modern sedentary lifestyle leads to such imbalances. If we finally decide to include some action in our lives we must do it right... The workout should be stable, progressive and specific (it should be continuous, change progressively and be in accordance with our needs). Frequency (how many times a week), intensity (how much burden on the body), duration (how long) are required if we want to see the results. T...

Fitness is the ability to make muscular effort for the physical activities without getting tired but improving the physical condition. Fitness is about: how to cope with the daily tasks dynamically, how to obtain energy to enjoy various activities, how to react immediately to the immediate situations and the ability to face and keep control over the stress and generally, how to bear with the situations where a physically non-capable person could not. Fitness is the basis for a good physical and mental health! Good cardiopulmonary condition It's the ability of the heart, the blood vessels and the lungs to transfer oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, especially in muscles and tissues during the exercise. Being in good cardiovascular condition, is directly related to health and the ability to enjoy long-time activities (swimming, jogging in the countryside, playing with our kids). Aerobic exercise improves the strength of the heart and protects us from heart diseases. Muscular/s...

Before you begin consult your fitness trainer and (if needed) your doctor. An estimation of your physical condition before exercise will help you start with the safest and most appropriate way. Afterwards the fitness consultant will help you determine your short and long term goals. Achieving the objectives increases our self esteem and our confidence. Do not worry if you feel a little nervous about starting a fitness program. Concentrate on the following parameters. Improving your aerobic capacity: there are numerous choices for aerobic exercise. Cycling, walking, dancing, aerobics, swimming are some of them. Try to do 30 minutes of cardio a day at least 3 times a week to reduce your body fat percentage and increase your balance and mobility. Improving your strength: the muscle stimulation improves our posture. Improving flexibility: you should exercises at a slow, steady manner while keeping the stretch for at least 30 seconds. Make sure you feel the muscles stretch and not the ...

Let's start with some terms related to weight, because weight adjustment seems to be the most "urgent" topic here.  Overweight  people weigh more than the average weight for their age and their body type, according to international standards. Obesity is the condition characterized by excessive fat storage. Obesity is not just about appearance. It's a disease that increases the chances for heart attacks and diabetes. Underweight people have lack of fat to such an extent that their health is endangered. Body composition . The percentage of body weight that is fat, compared to the percentage of lean body mass (muscle, bone, skin, organs and water). Local fat . The points with stored fat (thighs, abdomen). Fat stored in the abdomen is more dangerous for the health than fat stored in the legs. Energy balance characterizes a body that has the ability to keep the weight stable. Energy balance is achieved only with a proper calorie intake. This way the calories that we gai...

Below there are some basics of a Mediterranean diet. You can also use a food pyramid in order to eat healthily. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and seeds.  Limit the consumption of animal fat, choose to eat lean meat. Replace it with chicken, fish and vegetable protein. Eat less food which is rich in fat and replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated. Instead of full cream milk consume nonfat or low fat milk. (except children) Limit the consumption of food which are rich in cholesterol, like eggs and meat. Decrease the consumption of refined sugar and other products that are rich in sugar. Reduce the consumption of salt and don't eat too salted food. If you drink alcohol, do it sparingly. Eat the necessary calories from nutrient-rich foods in order to maintain an appropriate weight.

The food pyramid is a simple guide for selecting foods during a month, a week, a day. It includes six basic categories of foods (cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and poultry, fish). The food pyramid should be used in combination with counting calories received from fat. The use of the food pyramid will help us eat better every day. Start with cereal, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add 2 to 3 equivalents from the category of milk and 2 to 3 from the category of meat. Each one of these foods contains some but not all of the ingredients you need. No category of food is more important than another - to be healthy we need them all. We should consume fat, oils and sweets sparingly. Calories of energy nutrients Nutrients provide the following calories: 1gr=  fat 9 calories 1gr protein = 4 calories 1 gr carbohydrate = 4 calories Ratio of energy nutrients for healthy eating 30% fat 10% saturated fat 10% monounsaturated fat 10% polyunsaturated fat 12% protein 58...