As the year draws to a close you are probably winding down, enjoying the festivities and preparing for your New Year celebrations. Unfortunately, the end of the year also brings with it an increased risk of contracting the common cold and the flu. These viral infections can leave you feeling weak, tired and in the worst cases completely bed ridden. The good news is that you can protect yourself by supplying your body with the right foods. Making the correct dietary choices gives your body the fuel it needs to supercharge your immune system and fight these nasty infections. Today I will be … [Read more...]
The Free Fitness Tips Christmas Diet Checklist
Christmas is a time when your diet usually takes a back seat. Tasty treats are always on offer, alcohol is flowing constantly and you will probably eat more 3 course dinners this month than you will have done for the entire year. Whist it is almost inevitable that your diet will suffer over Christmas, if you follow a few simple steps you can make sure it does not completely fall apart. Today I am going to give you those steps with the Free Fitness Tips Christmas Diet Checklist. 1) CONSUME LOW CALORIE ALCOHOL Don’t get too excited when reading this. I’m not saying you need to make sure … [Read more...]
The Xanthophylls Explained
WHAT ARE XANTHOPHYLLS? The xanthophylls are a group of phytonutrients (plant based chemical compounds that have various health benefits in the human body) that can be found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. They can also be sourced from certain types of seafood and certain spices. Whilst you can technically survive without these natural nutrients, they are all powerful antioxidants that keep your body’s cells safe from free radicals (harmful by-products that are released during oxygen based reactions) so should definitely be included as part of your diet. In this article I … [Read more...]
Lutein Explained
WHAT IS LUTEIN? Lutein is a carotenoid and phytonutrient (health boosting, plant based chemical compounds which are not classed as essential nutrients) that can be sourced from green leafy vegetables. In this article I will be providing a detailed breakdown of lutein and discussing its role in the human body. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF LUTEIN? Lutein was discovered around 1930 and it was identified in the macula lutea (an oval shaped, highly pigmented yellow spot close to the centre of the retina of the human eye) in 1945. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LUTEIN? Lutein is a powerful … [Read more...]
Astaxanthin Explained
WHAT IS ASTAXANTHIN? Astaxanthin is a carotenoid and phytonutrient (health boosting, plant based chemical compounds which are not classed as essential nutrients) that is mainly found in red fish such as crab, shrimp and salmon. In this article I will be providing a full breakdown of astaxanthin and its potential health benefits. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ASTAXANTHIN? Astaxanthin was discovered by the British chemist Basil Weedon in 1970 along with a selection of other carotenoids. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ASTAXANTHIN? Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant which can keep your … [Read more...]
Alcohol & Fitness – Can The 2 Go Hand In Hand?
Over the last couple of years I have wrote quite a few alcohol themed articles during the festive period. After looking back at a few of these articles I realised that they could be quite misleading to new readers. After all this is a fitness site but in these articles I appear to be promoting the consumption of alcohol. Today I want to set the record straight and give you my take on alcohol and whether I believe you can still drink alcohol and live a healthy lifestyle. ALCOHOL IS NOT HEALTHY I want to begin by saying alcohol is not healthy. It has been suggested that alcohol can protect … [Read more...]
Echinacea And Its Many Benefits
Hello everyone. Today's article is a guest post from Holland & Barrett. ----- Echinacea is a well-know health food remedy that has been used by many people across the world for years. It offers an assortment of immune advancing properties, which in turn allows it to fight infections effectively. It is sourced from the Midwestern United States and is not only popular for its beneficial health qualities but also for its looks. As well as housing an assortment of herbal ingredients, it also has a beautiful purple hue! This is why it is often seen in many gardens. It works by … [Read more...]
Zeaxanthin Explained
WHAT IS ZEAXANTHIN? Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid and phytonutrient (health boosting, plant based chemical compounds which are not classed as essential nutrients) that can be found in green leafy vegetables. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at zeaxanthin and its potential health benefits in the human body. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ZEAXANTHIN? Apart from being found in plant based foods, zeaxanthin can be found in the macula lutea (an oval shaped, highly pigmented yellow spot close to the centre of the retina of the human eye). The macula lutea was first described in 1782 but … [Read more...]
16 Potential Carotenes Health Benefits
The carotenes are a group of phytonutrients (non-essential, plant based nutrients that have a number of health benefits in humans). There are 3 main carotenes which are: - Beta Carotene. - Lycopene. - Phytofluene. The carotenes are mainly found in orange and red fruits and vegetables. Carrots, grapefruits, oranges and tomatoes are some of the best sources. Although these plant based nutrients are not believed to be essential in humans, studies have shown that they have a number of promising health benefits. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at these and providing you with 16 … [Read more...]
Alcohol Explained
WHAT IS ALCOHOL? Alcohol (also known as ethanol) is a compound that gets produced when glucose is fermented by yeast. It is not an essential nutrient but it does contain calories and so can be used by your body for energy. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at alcohol and the impact it has on your body. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ALCOHOL? Alcohol is believed to have been around since the stone ages with beer jugs from as early as 10,000 B.C. being discovered. It was identified as a separate compound by the Iranian alchemist Muhammad bin Zakaria Razi (also known as “Razes”) … [Read more...]