Everyone wants to have a healthy body but very few take the pains to supplement their diet with the right amount of vitamins. It is important to consume the standard daily requirement of vitamins which has been decided by WHO. If you body is deficient of a certain vitamin for a long time it can lead to complications. The top ten vitamins which are required for our body are explained here in detail. There are many questions asked by people regarding these vitamins and their uses.

Vitamins are divided into two types, fat soluble and water soluble. What are fat soluble vitamins? A, D, E, and K are normally found in the fatty tissues present in the body. These are known as fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin B and its components are considered in the group of water soluble. They easily dissolve in water and find it difficult to penetrate into the tissues. These vitamins are not stored in the body and get excreted if present in excessive amounts.

Let me explain you the important vitamins which should be included in the diet to live a healthy life. Always be careful not to take vitamins in excess quantities as they can cause toxic effects on the body.

Vitamin A

There are many health complications which are produced due to decreased intake of this vitamin. Some of the main uses of this vitamin are,

• Protects vision.
• Prevents night blindness.
• Useful for protein synthesis.
• Produces glycogen.

Thiamine or Vitamin B1

The common uses of this vitamin are,

• Helps in the metabolism of protein.
• Produces hemoglobin which is required to supply oxygen in the body.
• It also promotes growth.

Vitamin B3 or Niacin

Niacin is helpful in performing many activities of the body. Here are a few uses of this vitamin,

• Helps in energy production.
• Athletes require more amount of niacin than the other people.
• Niacin is produced from amino acid tryptophan which is found in turkey meat. Body makes this vitamin even in conditions of deficiency.

Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine

The main uses of this vitamin are,

• Helps in protein metabolism.
• Promotes growth and utilization of carbohydrates.

Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

Here are a few uses of this vitamin,

• Important for body building.
• Helps in metabolism of carbohydrate.
• Protects the nervous system.
• Useful to stimulate nerves and cause contraction of the muscles.
• Control the action of muscles.

Biotin

This vitamin is more essential in people who perform heavy training exercise. The main uses of Biotin are,

• Helps in amino acid metabolism.
• Do not eat raw eggs because it contains Avidin as it inhibits the uptake of biotin.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is very essential in our body. Some of the uses of this vitamin are,

• Helps in the production of energy.
• Oxidizes fatty acids.
• Helps in the metabolism of glucose.
• They are mainly required to shut down hydrogen ions in Krebs cycle.

Vitamin D

You can find this vitamin from all natural sources. Deficiency of vitamin D can lead to many health problems. Sun is a major source of this vitamin. The main uses are,

• Helps in Calcium and Phosphorus absorption.
• Calcium is necessary for proper bone growth and muscular contraction. If your body does not contain enough calcium it can lead to the formation of brittle bones.
• Phosphorus helps in quick muscle contractions which is necessary if you doing heavy weight exercise.

Vitamin E

Here are a few uses of this vitamin,

• Helps in protecting the cell membrane and also is a good antioxidant.
• Useful for treating skin diseases.

Hence vitamins are essential to promote good health and a strong body. The deficiency of these vitamins can lead to many health hazards. Supplement your diet with these vitamins to improve the quality of your life.

It is a hectic task to burn your fat and maintain your body slim and trim. Many people feel exhausted and back off half through the process. The worst part is it takes time to feel the difference in your body. Are you frustrated with your overweight? Do you want to cut down your extra pounds fast and quickly? Do not be surprised at this statement because following these simple tips will help you in slimming down rapidly and naturally.

Let me explain you the top ten best ways to burn your calories and which are easy to follow.

1. Exercise is an allergic term to many people. This is mainly because they overexert themselves in lifting weight and tiring out in the gym. Do not indulge in stressful techniques instead you can choose simple ones like walking, jogging and swimming which relaxes your body and at the same time you can also enjoy working out.
2. Adopt a healthy diet, which includes a lot of green leafy vegetables, fruits and salads. Cut down the amount of meals you have daily to half the quantity. Improve the quality of the food, as it is essential in weight loss. Stick to low calorie food substance and indulge in rich food once in a week so that you craving is also satisfied.
3. Maintain a dairy and update your weight in it every week. Even though there will no marked difference in a week’s time keep on doing this procedure. Mention all the food substance, which you have regularly and cut down one by one in the initial days. Be persistent and determined and prepare yourself to face all the obstacles, which will come up in the way of loosing weight.
4. Your aim is not to become thin rather to become healthy and to get rid of the extra fat deposition. Weight loss does not mean becoming skinny and lean. Health is wealth and always keeps these words pinned to your mind.
5. It is important to determine the cause of your overeating. It is often noticed in some people stress and strain make them indulge in food. At times, this symptom is an indication of an underlying disease. If you are not able to follow these simple tips on your own, it is advisable to join a community, which supports weight reduction. There are many people similar to you and a combined effort will work out in your case.
6. Do you know that eating food slowly helps in burning your fat? The logic behind it is very simple, the slower you are in finishing your food, the faster digestion takes place. Try to increase your metabolic rate, which is the key to slim down faster. This is achieved by breaking up your meals into four times and dividing the quantity of food accordingly.
7. Avoid soda, sweetened beverages and fruit juices from your diet completely, instead substitute it with water, which helps in removal of the toxic products from the body and is healthy and safe. Another factor, which you have to take care, is not to skip your meals. It is a wrong notion prevailing in the society that avoiding your breakfast will help in loosing weight. No, it only tends to increase your weight.
8. It is useful to always wear a pedometer around your waist. This small electronic gadget records the number of steps you walk everyday. As days go by you can increase the steps accordingly. As it is attached to your body you will not forget to check it every time you walk around.
9. Last but not least keep yourself practical while setting your goals. Do not dream higher and aim for something which you cannot achieve. You should be able to catch hold of your dream otherwise it can lead to depression. It is safe to loose around 1 to 2 pounds a week.
10. Do not sit clumsy and lazy; be active and energetic throughout the day. Make a decision today and earn yourself a well trimmed body.

Today many parents are anxious about their children’s obesity and obesity-related health issues. They do not know how they can get their children into active lifestyle. If you are also from those parents and are looking for effective solution then read on this article that will highlight the main “ingredients” of healthy lifestyle for your kids and all family.

Here are top 3 tips every mom should consider for her kids:

There is simple solution you may apply in this case. Try to be active yourself first! Our children are always attentive to every detail of our daily lifestyle. Therefore they will surely notice any changes in your daily life and will join you if they find this interesting. In general, kids are trying to imitate their parents. So first become a live example for your child and then watch him. He/she will more likely get into an active lifestyle with you together.

Digestion is so important to make sure our bodies are functioning comfortably and correctly. There is a very long list of digestive problems which many people are at risk for. Proper digestion is something most of us overlook, so when a problem arises, we may not know how to treat it or what it is.

Digestive problems can cause bloating, constipation, diarrhea and stomach pain. It can also be the culprit of a loss of appetite and so if it goes untreated, it can worsen very quickly and be detrimental to your health.

Digestion starts in our heads. When we begin to eat (and even before we begin) there are many things which signal our digestive system (sight, smells, tastes, etc). We then begin to chew the food, breaking it down and lubricating it with our saliva. Once we have accomplished this, we use our tongue to push the food into the esophagus. The esophagus then pushes the food downward in a series of contractions and the food ends up in your stomach. The stomach then breaks the food down physically and chemically.

The food is then passed on into the small intestine, where it is continued to be broken down. Finally, the food is passed into the large intestine. By the time the food has gone through the entire process, only a small amount of what you ate remains. What is left comes out as fecal matter.

Some of the most common symptoms of digestive problems are:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal cramps or pain
• Abdominal bloating
• Changes in bladder or bowel habit
• Difficulty swallowing or digesting food
• Heartburn or gastric difficulties

Common reasons for digestive problems are:

• Reflux
• Peptic Ulcers
• Gallstones
• Lactose Intolerance
• Diverticulitis
• Inflammatory Bowell Disease
• Constipation
• Food Allergies
• Parasites

Treatment for Digestive Problems

Here are some practical solutions that can help you to relieve or eliminate your digestive problems:

1. Eat slowly chewing food thoroughly.

   You can help treat digestive problems by being careful to chew your food slowly and thoroughly. Eat slower and avoid overeating.

2. Avoid late night snacking.

   This is beneficial for both total health and digestion process.

3. Go for a walk on a daily basis.

   Taking a leisurely walk after a mean will help aid the digestive track.

4. Use grapefruit essential oil for eating disorders.

   This amazing essential oil has an energizing effect and is considered to help in getting rid of eating disorders. Besides, grapefruit essential oil can be an effective detoxifier which promotes the lymphatic system to rid the body of toxins. According to their practice some people say that inhaling this aroma can help even to lower the craving for sweet foods and desserts.

5. Cinnamon Essential Oil can be also useful in treatment of digestive problems.

   This aroma oil is great not only for helping with indigestion problems and appetite loss, but also dealing with dyspepsia with nausea, flatulent dyspepsia, intestinal colic, digestive atony.

6. Reduce consuming soda.

   You should minimize intake of soda and other products containing preservatives or artificial sweeteners.

7. Avoid coffee and other hard drinks.

   It is recommended to reduce or even avoid drinking coffee and hard drinks. Instead consume more herbal teas such as fennel, chamomile or peppermint tea.

8. Stop smoking and avoid too much alcohol.

   Stay away from alcohol, cigarettes and all other things which may irritate and harm your stomach.

9. Reduce intake of foods that are “culprits” for digestive problems.

   This list includes spices, onions, garlic, cauliflower, and beans. If you are lactose intolerant, you’d better to avoid all dairy products as well.

10. Try natural remedies for indigestion problems.

    Avoid any medicine that is not natural. Otherwise, you may only worse your condition. Here are 2 options to choose from:

    • Try to use only 100% natural, herbal based supplements. Today you can find a number of such effective remedies in the market.
    • Or try digestive enzymes that you can get at your local health food store. They are fairly inexpensive and work rather well. I would suggest using papaya enzymes.

Things haven’t changed that much – the word “diet” sells, and people are quick to jump on the latest diet craze. Some make more sense than others, and all of them will work in the short term to produce weight loss, as long as the calories are low enough, that is the plain truth. Many of the popular diets don’t provide healthy eating guidelines since the goal of many weight loss diets are short term and don’t focus on developing lifelong habits, but there are some eating styles that fit very well into a healthy, well balanced approach to eating and to weight control.

First of all, diets that are very high in protein or fat and very low in carbohydrate do not meet long term healthy eating guidelines at all. Diets such as the Atkins Diet and Sugar Busters fit into this category. Diets that are very high in animal protein or fat, or those that exclude or severely limit entire groups of foods are not practical and may even be harmful. These kinds of diets are popular because they are extreme and are much different from the way most people typically eat, so this can trick you into thinking that eliminating certain foods is the cure for obesity. But as we have learned from research in diet and nutrition, the diet that helps people maintain a healthy body weight is one that is low in fat and high in carbohydrate, and contains high quality, nutrient dense foods like vegetables and fruits, and whole grains. “High” in carbohydrate doesn’t mean that you eat a lot of carbohydrates; it means that you eat the amount of food that is right for your body size, and that about 50% of that right amount of food would be in the form of carbohydrates. With that in mind, let’s look at a few different eating styles and see how these fit into a healthy eating plan.

15 Daily Fat-Fighting Tips:

1. De-automate your housework and make your body work harder. Wash dishes, mix batters and open cans by hand, and hang your wash on the line instead of using a dryer.

2. Use whipped or softened butter or margarine. You’ll spread the flavor around using a lot less than if it were hard and you had to scrape it on.

3. Learn that it’s okay to say an assertive “No, thank you” when other people offer you food.

4. Hold a conference and explain your weight-loss wish to family, friends or doughnut-bearing co-workers. Ask them to understand if you turn down their dinners or candy.

5. Go out dancing, miniature golfing, bowling – anything active – if you normally sit around and play bridge or watch television. The most calories you can burn in an hour playing cards is 95, but waltzing can whisk away 195 to 305 for every hour on the floor, and an hour of square dancing can stomp away 330 to 510 calories.

6. Drink no-calorie sparkling waters when you’re out, instead of alcoholic beverages.

7. Set a realistic goal for yourself. “Take it one day at a time and don’t punish yourself for slipping,” says Suzann Johnson, a registered nutritionist with Weight Watchers International. “You’ll be more successful if you remember to be your own best friend.”

8. Exercise during television commercials. Those 3-minute spurts will keep you out of the kitchen.

9. Use good plate psychology. Don’t use place settings with intense colors such as violet, lime green, bright yellow or bright blue; they’re thought to stimulate the appetite. The same goes for primitive-looking pewter and wooden plates. Instead, appease your appetite with elegant place settings in darker colors. Choose plates with broad decorative borders and a slightly “bowled” design. You can fit less food in them.

10. Eat only at scheduled times in scheduled places and leave the table as soon as you’re finished eating, instead of lingering over the last bites.

11. Ask for smaller portions and don’t eat everything on your plate (unless you’re having steamed vegetables and fish, or an equally good-for-you meal).

12. Remove food stashed in inappropriate places – get the candy bars out of your desk drawer and remove the nut bowl from the coffee table.

13. Chew each bite of food at least ten times to really taste it and to make yourself eat more slowly.

14. Don’t skip meals. You’ll only overeat later.

15. Invite your spouse or house mate into the kitchen with you when you’re preparing meals and cleaning up to keep you from sampling as you go.

A well planned weight loss diet gives you the flexibility to adapt to any food situation and serves as a very good basis for eating foods from any culture. With the right diet plan, the same rules to eating well can be applied to any eating style, you just need to make the appropriate modifications. An obvious example is that when ordering food in a Chinese restaurant, sweet and sour pork, deep fried wonton appetizers, and fried noodles are certainly Asian fare, but do not meet healthy diet guidelines because of the high fat content. A steamed vegetable dish, with steamed rice rather than fried noodles, wonton soup, or a stir-fry dish that doesn’t contain deep fried meat or fish are much better choices. Enjoy the wonderful variety of great tasting foods from other countries. You don’t have to eat a boring diet in order to lose fat and maintain a healthy eating style!

When it comes to weight control, it’s not just about limiting calories. Learning how to eat the right amount of foods is critical, but learning how to make the best eating choices in any situation is what will make your diet really “doable” so that you don’t go nuts counting calories, fat, or any other nutrient. Simple guidelines can help you balance your food choices so that you get good nutrition and good weight loss at the same time.