Due to a lot of health complications, problems and stress related issues people are very cautious of what they eat and exercise too. Many people read books in order to get a deeper insight in the world of health. There are some books which are highly recommended for good health and greater self.

1. Yoga- A path to Holistic health: This book is written by B.K.S Iyengar, a yoga guru from India. His method of yoga became famous as the Iyengar Yoga. His previous books are also well known for his different ways of yoga and views on health. He is one of the leading yoga teachers in the world and getting direct views from him is very helpful for a yoga beginner or an established yoga follower. He has talked about poses which are helpful for some health ailments and also given other asanas which are helpful for proper respiration and also reduce stress.
2. The Pilates Body: This book is written by Brooke Siler. It provides a guide to the reader to tone muscles and strengthen the body without the use of any weights and introduces the reader to Pilates, a form of exercise. The author discusses the basic poses and alignments in Pilates. Besides the basic stuff, she has also given modifications for   people who have some joint, neck and back pains and people who have grown old. The author, who learnt  from the oldest living instructor of Pilates, has given a very brief and proper understanding of Pilates in the book.
3. SuperFoods HealthStyle- Proven strategies for Lifelong Health: The authors of the book, Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews have given a program for a year which is based on healthy food, exercise and other good and healthy habits. There are many healthy recipes which one can use to prepare delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner and also desserts. Along with the recipes, the authors have also given quantities of the food to be eaten daily.
4. Understanding Nutrition: The author of the book is Eleanor Ross Whitney. She talks about the latest developing trends in the field of nutrition and food. The book is very helpful for students learning nutrition and also for people who love to get into the depths of their own nutrition and food they eat. The language used by the author is simple such that commoners can also understand the concepts.
5. You- The owner’s manual: The authors of the book are Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, both doctors. This book written in a humorous way talking about the various body parts and organs which many do not even know about. Their basic aim of writing the book is to make the reader understand their own body and how to make sure nothing goes wrong with it.

Buy all your health books at The Nile, Australia’s largest online bookstore.

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Years of experience and research indicate that since men and women are different, there are different foods that are beneficial to each of them. In order to maintain good health and wellbeing, there are some food products that men and women should avoid.

Looking at food broadly, there are some categories of food products which should be an absolute no-no for men who want to have a better and healthier life ahead. The following are the categories of food products which have to be listed as ‘better to avoid’ food items:

•  Fats: Trans-fat and saturated-fat products: A balanced diet should include approved amounts of all food classes including fat. Avoiding fat does not mean that it should be banned from the diet. But, over eating trans-fat and saturated-fat food products is harmful, especially for men. More fat increases weight in the abdominal area. Moreover, men are more likely to put on weight compared to women around the abdomen due to excess fat. To add to the concern, fats serve as a trigger for the most feared chronic illnesses like high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The most common food item with saturated fat is meat. Sausage, pork, chicken meat and turkey should be eaten in minimal quantities. It would be better if men could avoid meat. Excess vegetable oil in fried items like chips and other foods like pastries and cakes are also sources of trans-fat. Men need to avoid these food items to prevent formation of bad cholesterol.

•  Food containing sodium: Salt is a main ingredient in the food we eat. Though it is often just a ‘pinch of salt’ in each meal, in totality it adds up. Most of the men are prone to high blood pressure due to excess intake of sodium in their diet. Along with high blood pressure, risk of liver dysfunction also is high. Though there may be control of salt in home prepared items, increase in consumption of canned food and preserved food, especially by men, has increased the levels of sodium among them. Thus, canned foods, frozen food, cheese, popcorn, fries and spices especially mustard which contains great amount of sodium should be avoided as much as possible. Men should also stay away from foods like burgers that not only contain saturated fat but also high amount of preservatives.

•  Soy: All Soy products are high in proteins and have become very common. Women need Soy protein in order to get their hormonal balance right especially in the middle ages. But, men do not require Soy for protein. Soy products do cause hormonal imbalance in men. It can lead to lowering the sperm count and also reduction in the testosterone levels in men. Thus, tofu based food and Soy milk should not be on the food list for men.

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Every smoker knows that quitting is difficult. It is hard to stop when you are not correctly motivated and when you do not have a strong support system to help you.  Giving up smoking is a gradual process. It requires total dedication and resistance. And ultimately, it depends on the person and his or her will to quit smoking.

Keep the following aspects of quitting in mind before you take the leap:

• Gradual process: Understand that quitting is a slow process. One cannot give up smoking completely in an instance. Your body and your mind will crave the addiction and when it won’t get what it desires, it will misbehave. Reducing cigarettes from a pack a day to even 3 a day is a big step towards quitting.

• Keep track:  Quitting will be easier if you make a note of the place and the time at which you smoke. At the end of the day, you will know how many cigarettes have been consumed. If you have the self-will to quit, you will try and reduce the count to see just one or two notes in the diary.

• Activities triggering smoking: If you identify the situation or activities that lead you to smoke, it will be easier to quit smoking. For example, a person who is working takes a smoke break when he is done with his assignment. If he recognizes this pattern, he shouldn’t leave his work station after finishing his work but he should reward himself with something else, like drinking coffee.

• Talk to a quitter: A person trying to quit should talk to a person who has quit. This will motivate the person and also ensure that a relapse does not occur in all cases. This will make the person feel more confident and allow him to quit smoking.

• Reward yourself: Once you have successfully completed your goal to reduce the number of cigarettes or to identify the trigger situation, you should reward yourself with something that you like. For instance, clothes or good food. Similarly, if you have been unable to stick to your goals, you should be fair and penalize yourself. The idea here is to get you into a habit of recognizing what is good or what is bad and then making you work towards mending your ways. This reward and reinforcement method is the best way to understand and keep a track of the progress to quit.

• Exercise regularly: Exercising and smoking are opposite activities. Increasing exercising and jogging will increase the stamina and will ensure clean and fresh breathing. This will automatically make a person reduce smoking since smoking affects continuous breathing which is essential for consistent jogging or running.

Pushing one’s boundaries is the most important aspect to quit smoking. Along with self motivation, motivation from close ones will increase the possibility of quitting.

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Eating food that you crave is not harmful. But, binging on it is unhealthy and unacceptable. Most of the food that you crave is not ideal for a healthy diet but when you consume small quantities, you allow yourself to enjoy the guilty pleasures of life and not harm your body in the process.

You crave certain kinds of foods because your mind tells you so. Thus, if you learn to keep a control on your thoughts and desires, there is a good chance for you to let those cravings die a natural death.

To help people live a healthier life, many dieticians, nutritionists and cooks have introduced foods that can be healthy substitutes for delicious yet dangerous foods.

• Milk and milk products are an indispensable component of human diet. Many people crave ice-cream, chocolate and other fatty dairy products. These can be replaced with fruit sorbets, low cal chocolates etc which taste similar but do not add the calories to your daily cal count. Cheese is another dairy product which people indulge in. Buying a healthier alternative is always a good option.

• Some folks may believe that their daily meat intake cannot be swapped with anything. Regular meat eaters should try and reduce their meat intake or replace their share of white meat with red meat, which is healthier for the body. It helps purify the blood and also keeps the protein levels high. Adding seafood delicacies to the diet plan is also another healthier alternative. Fish like sushi or even salmon are better options since they have more protein content as compared to red or white meat.

• Pastas, pizzas and burgers are common foods when it comes to getting a quick meal. To minimize the after-effects of eating pastas, one should be careful in adding cheese (maximum calories come from the cheese). Also, adding extra vegetables to the pasta makes it healthier and enjoyable. Same goes with pizzas. Avoiding mayonnaise in the burger will not only make it healthier but also allow you to eat what you desire.

• For the people with a sweet tooth, products like cakes, donuts, sweet croissants are unavoidable. But with little changes and replacements, you can cut down the unhealthy ingredients. If eating slice cakes or chocolate pastries is a regular affair, substitute chocolate with gingerbread cakes or a simple sponge cake. Eat regular donuts instead of the ones with gooey chocolate; it will reduce a lot of unhealthy calories. Or, replace donuts with English bagels which are not made out of refined flour but out of whole wheat. Chocolate Cookies can make way for graham crackers or oatmeal cookies.

• Chocolates cannot be substituted. We all know that. But, we can take certain precautions to avoid adding those calories. One can eat dark chocolates rather than sticking to milk chocolates or regular ones. Dark chocolates contain high levels of magnesium, a chemical that the body craves in chocolate. The best substitutes for chocolates are peanuts and dry fruits.

Though one cannot make perfect reductions in ingredients or substitutes for each and every food, one can try and make such food options healthier. Once in a while indulgence is needed, but for everyday satisfaction, one needs to look at replacements and yet enjoy the tempting foods.

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Exercise

Falling ill often is a clear indication of a weak immune system.  Working out in the gym or playing a sport does not only increase your stamina, it also increases resistance to harmful germs and bacteria in the environment, thus improving the immune system.

Everyday stress and tension weakens the immune system leading to chronic illnesses like daily cold and headache, acidity and other stomach infections. Daily exercise helps strengthen the immune system and also helps put a stop to the stress and the tension.

Most forms of exercise like running or jogging help improve blood circulation and also help eliminate waste and toxics from the body. This indirectly also helps fortifies the  immune system.

Along with removal of waste products, the body temperature also increases while exercising. This helps killing the germs that multiply in an otherwise cozy environment.

Working out and sweating it out, in any form does have other effects than just losing weight. It always helps to have an active and fast paced lifestyle.

Diet and Nutrients

Exercising in only one part of building a tough immune system; diet, ofcourse, is the other. Adding the correct nutrients to the daily intake of food is the basic reason of charting a diet. One has to make sure that the following nutrients are present in the daily diet:

• Vitamin C and Vitamin E are anti-toxicants and inclusion of these two Vitamins in the diet is vital. Vitamin C is available in most of the vegetables like cabbage and fruits like lemon, orange, tomatoes. Vitamin C also decreases the danger of heart attacks since it enhances the levels of good cholesterol in the body.
• Vitamin E on the other hand helps construct the B-cells or antibodies in the body which are essential to build a strong immune system. Most of the elderly people are given vitamin E supplements to give a boost to their fragile immune system.
• Zinc is found in foods like oysters, crabs and vegetables like beans. Zinc helps increasing the strength of the White Blood Cells (WBC) which combats germs. Inclusion of Garlic and Omega3 pills in the diet helps multiply WBCs too.

 

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Since the time of the Ancient Greeks, honey was used for its medicinal properties. During the World War II, it was utilized as an antibacterial agent for treating wounds. And now, after thousands of years, it continues to provide us with wondrous healing miracles.

The advent of antibiotic drugs and other medicines during the 20th century stole the limelight away from the medicinal value of honey. It was not only in these recent times that the glory of using honey for health purposes was slowly retrieved. It was through the efforts of Professor Molan, a New Zealand based researcher, that honey from the Manuka bush was discovered to contain antibacterial characteristics that are potentially better than any other honey sold in the market.

Honey has gained its antibacterial properties of hydrogen peroxide from the enzyme that bees add to the nectar. Prof. Molan was able to conduct a research on the efficacy of the Honey from Manuka Bush, a native plant in New Zealnd, in fighting bacteria. The degree of the Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties was then compared to a standard antiseptic. Results showed that the former had broader spectrum in fighting against bacteria than that of the latter.

As a matter of fact, there were evidences that illustrate its effectiveness against antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureas (MSA) which was found to be as sensitive as Staphylococcus Aureas, the most sensitive bacteria to honey. If this will be proven correct, Manuka Honey could be the key to eradicating the occurrence of nosocomial infections all over the world. Aside from that, Manuka honey also has anti-inflammatory effects that are helpful for the timely healing of the wound.

The Mauka honey is basically used as a treatment to wounds and ulcers regardless of its cause. For example, wounds caused by radiation treatment of cancer patients were applied with honey dressings. The effects turned out satisfactorily excellent. Aside form that, Manuka honey can also be used as an anti-aging agent. It is effective in removing scars on the skin that are caused by aging or injury. It can also be used for treating acne and other skin diseases. The product can also be utilized in treating seasonal health conditions like flu, hay fever, sore throat and cold as well as swellings caused by injury, infection or disease.

Some doctors and patients have already witnessed the healing prowess of the Manuka honey and they are convinced that it is a viable and effective treatment. What’s more is that Manuka honey is available worldwide at a reasonable cost. But the best part is that, the Manuka honey being a natural herb carries no harmful side effects and so it is safe for use.

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The Dukan Diet was developed 10 years ago by the French Nutritionist DR. Pierre Dukan. The diet is based on eliminating foods rich in carbohydrates and eating as many protein foods as possible. The Dukan Diet was not only designed to successfully lose weight but also to effectively maintain your ideal physique.

The body compensates from the elimination of carbohydrates in the diet by utilizing fats as the primary source of energy. This compensation mechanism occurs during the first few days of using the diet. In this process, the end result is the production of ketones which can cause dry mouth, fruity breath, weakness, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness and nausea. Constipation can also occur if all carbohydrate sources are removed in the diet. The short-term side effects of the Dukan diet may seem harmless.

Remedies are readily available to manage the side-effects. But on the long run, nutritional deficiencies can happen with the use of this diet. Later in life, it might cause serious health problems. Deficiencies in the intake of whole grains and fruits and vegetables may lead to a lack of antioxidants. Problems of heart diseases, cancer, cataract formation and premature aging may occur later on. Although the deficiencies can be managed with multivitamin intake, still the nutrients we get from food are of better quality and quantity than what we receive from these pills.

The Dukan diet may appear the ideal diet of all. But if one takes a closer look at it, you will see its flaws. Ultimately, the diet can be considered as unbalanced. Therefore, it’s not the best diet plan for every person to follow. Always consult your physician and nutritionist for an individualized diet program to prevent any major health threats in the future.

Buy your copy of the Dukan Diet with Nile.com.au 0 Australia’s largest online bookstore. Click on the link below to browse and buy:

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The winter season is a perfect excuse for a sedentary lifestyle. With the weather so cold, nobody would want to get out and exercise. But exercising and keeping an active lifestyle in winter doesn’t necessarily require you to stay out chilling in the freezing cold.

Here are our indoor winter fitness ideas:

1. Indoor Swimming. Talk to the local council about finding your nearest indoor pool. If you do not know how to swim, try water aerobics.

2. Invest in Fitness DVDs. There are loads of different forms of indoor fitness programs. We like pilates, yoga, aerobics, zumba and belly dancing. There’s also the internet where you can download videos for free! Now, all you have to do is to turn the living room into a make-shift gym.

3. Jump rope. When we were kids, we used it as a form of fun and play. Now that we are mature, jump rope is an inexpensive yet excellent way to burn calories and fats while staying indoors. A rope and a vast area like the living room or garage are the only things you need for this fitness activity.

4. Do household chores. 10-15 minutes of house cleaning is equal to a warm-up exercise. Stretch, bend and move your entire body as you clean windows, sweep the floor, dust furniture, rearrange household items, etc. Doing so gives you two benefits: a tidier home and boosted health.

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Each cell in the body contains a vital mineral called Zinc. Zinc is usually found in the body’s strong muscles and stored in high amounts in the red and white blood cells, liver, bones, pancreas, kidneys, skin and retina of the eye. In men, the semen and prostate gland comprises large quantities of Zinc. Adding all of them, there is approximately 2-3 grams of Zinc found in a normal and healthy human body.

People usually think of food and supplements as the primary sources of Zinc. But less to one’s knowledge is that, some organs in the body are producing a certain amount of Zinc. Like the pancreas, prostate gland, salivary gland and the cells in the immune system. Unfortunately, there are some conditions that may alter the amount of Zinc in the body that may lead to a deficiency. And sadly, many people tend to neglect the importance of this mineral for a healthy body.

Zinc functions to promote biochemical reactions in the body through stimulating about 100 enzymes. It is important for the development of the sperm and is required during ovulation and fertilization. Zinc also plays a significant role in DNA synthesis. It is also needed in the maintenance of a healthy immune system and consequently for timely wound healing. Growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence are being supported by Zinc.

Apart from its usual functions in the body, there are several health benefits that you can get from Zinc. It promotes proper digestion and energy metabolism; controls diabetes and acne formation; improves stress levels; used for hair care, eczema, weight loss; as management for night blindness, cold, eye care and appetite loss. Zinc handles all of these things to keep the self and body function normally.

Additionally, here are some other essential health benefits that one can gain from Zinc:

1. Protection from infection by boosting one’s immune system. Fungal infections and other infectious disorders like conjunctivitis and pneumonia are combated when given the right amount of Zinc in the body.

2. Antioxidant effects

3. Prostate Cancer prevention since zinc plays a vital role in the prevention of early prostate damages.

4. Alopecia both in adults and children are treated with a diet high in Zinc. Taking in medicines rich in zinc can also help prevent further hair loss.

5. Avoids bone loss by making the bone matrix strong and hard.

Indeed, Zinc is a super mineral and it is essential that one must maintain an adequate amount of Zinc in the body to stay healthy and at your best!

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Thousands of years ago, the early civilizations of the Chinese and Egyptian used bee pollen as a medicine and rejuvenator. The “Father of modern Medicine”, Hippocrates, even utilized bee pollen as a healing substance. Nowadays, natural health practitioners hold bee pollen in high regard with the many health benefits that it provides starting from weight loss to cancer prevention. But how is this supplement made?

Different flowers have different pollens. Pollen contains a wide variety of important vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein and enzymes that are needed by the body. In fact, it is considered the richest and most complete food that nature provides. It is high in B vitamins and contains minimal calories per serving.  Bees collect pollen from flowers and the quality of the bee pollen relies on where it was harvested. If the flower grows in an area which is polluted, the bees could also harbor the impurities and other chemicals with the pollen making it harmful to the body’s health. A healthy environment therefore is important to improve the quality of bee pollen. One of the best places for pollen is where pollution is at its least: New Zealand. Bee pollen from New Zealand is often regarded as one that has the best quality.

Some people believe that there are many conditions that bee pollen can be used to treat, including:

• Boosting your immune system. The bee pollen contains vitamins and minerals like lecithin, cysteine, selenium, magnesium, calcium, nucleic acids, proteins, mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins B, C, D, E, and beta-carotene which are all effective in strengthening the body’s immune system.
• The vitamins, fatty acids and essential amino acids present in bee pollen help regulate your mood. Therefore, bee pollen helps you greatly in controlling and coping up with the stress in your life.
• Increasing energy and endurance. Athletes who have been taking bee pollen for a long time have shown remarkable changes in their stamina and performance. With the many nutrients and vitamins present in bee pollen, it’s not difficult to believe that it can create such health benefit.
• Helps in weight management by regulating the body’s metabolism.
• Lowers the low density lipoproteins, the bad cholesterol, in the body. Consequently, it affects in the regulation of blood pressure and the heart.
• It may be helpful in managing skin problems like eczema and psoriasis
• Eliminates toxicity in the body
• Protection against premature aging and adverse effects from radiation treatment

The list goes on and on as this wonder food affects the body’s system. Although it gives you the best health benefits that you can get, it is forevermore wise to consult the physician before taking in bee pollen supplements.

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