Vitamin Information Center

To achieve a toned and well-sculpted body through muscle building, proper exercises with the right equipments, an obliging diet as well as a good muscle building supplement are essential. Muscle building requires specific workouts especially for the major muscle groups such as the abdominis, the quadriceps, the deltoids, the pectorals and the biceps. These parts of the body can be fashioned to be toned and well-sculpted as the muscles are elastic. Weight lifting is ideal for building muscle mass as well as other exercises such as swimming, running and brisk walking. When building the muscles, body fat is initially eliminated therefore there may be a need to reduce calorie intake.

Through the course of the muscle building regimen, it is necessary to add nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins in the diet. Carbohydrates is essential for energy maintenance during workouts. Proteins, on the other hand is the most required nutrient for developing the muscles. Rich sources of protein are chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs, dairy foods as well as nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. Aside from sufficient nutrients, a muscle building supplement should also be included in the regimen to augment vitamin and mineral intake. During the past decades, one of the most widely researched muscle building supplement is bee pollen.

It has been conclusively found in studies that bee pollen as a muscle building supplement contains twice as much iron as any other food. On a per calorie basis, bee pollen has been found to have more beneficial effects than fruits and vegetables alone. Bee pollen as a muscle building supplement promotes the effective flow of oxygen throughout the body. With protein being the most essential nutrient in muscle building, the bee pollen muscle building supplement contains twice the amount of muscle building protein found in beef. A remarkable amount of antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamins A, C and E are also contained in the bee pollen muscle building supplement.

In fact, bee pollen has been found to include the maximum amounts of Vitamin A than every known food except tomatoes. The bee pollen muscle building supplement also hold three essential forms of Vitamin B including thiamin and niacin. Studies carried out in 1992 showed results of bee pollen being an excellent source of calcium. A high level of dietary calcium is necessary for the development of strong and sturdy bones. As skeletal muscles need to be stimulated for successful muscle building, it goes without saying that the bee pollen muscle building supplement is beneficial for this endeavor. It is by far too broad and expanse to discuss the particular ingredients of bee pollen in augmenting the development of muscle mass.

It is interesting to note, however, that the bee pollen muscle building supplement contains the highest level of folic acid than any of today’s common foods. Folic acid has an indispensable function in cell generation and prostate gland support. In increasing stamina and energy levels in athletic performances, the bee pollen muscle building supplement also performs a vital role. Muscle building supplements are taken to boost muscle size, increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health and to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies. Scientific consensus supports the effectiveness of only a small number of commercially available muscle building supplements when the consumer is healthy and physically active.

When resorting to the bee pollen muscle building supplement a barrage of other supplements need not be taken as it is complete in itself.

Millions of Muslim started fasting with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan. During this month, health and diet issues are very important for all of us specially for the ailing and people living with specific health complications.

Most of the health problems are likely to arise during Ramadan from inappropriate diet, over-eating etc. Our diet in Ramadan should be as simple as possible and it is better to be similar with our usual diet. The diet should be consumed in a proper way so that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is obese, Ramadan is an ideal time to shade the extra pounds.

The foods eaten should be well balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat or chicken or fish, bread or cereals and dairy products. Fried foods which are prepared traditionally are unhealthy and should be limited. Fatty foods and foods containing too much sugar should also be restricted. These types of food cause indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems.

In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fibre containing-foods rather than fast- digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast- digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours. Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, beans, lentils (daal), whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates). Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).

The body’s immediate need at the time of Iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain and nerve cells. Dates are excellent source of fibre, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium and juices are good sources of sugars. Dates and juice are sufficient to bring low blood glucose levels to normal levels. Juice and soup help maintain water and mineral balance in the body. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. Haleem is an excellent source of protein and is a slow-burning food which includes beans, lentil and whole meal flour. An unbalanced diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets with added sugar have been found to be unhealthy.

You can develop constipation which can cause piles (haemorroids), fissures and indigestion with a bloated feeling. It happens due to too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fibre in the diet. Fibre-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, spinach, and other herbs like methie, iron-rich leaves, fruit with skin, dried fruit, etc.

Over-eating and drinking of too much tea and liquid at Sehri is not a healthy practice, but drink as much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time. Tea makes you pass more urine taking valuable mineral salts with it that your body would need during the day.

Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting position, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with slight fall of blood pressure. This tends to occur towards the afternoon due to little fluid in body and decreased salt. Intake of salty food in Sehri will help to overcome this situation of lethargy and tiredness. But persons with high blood pressure should check their blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadan after consulting their doctor.

Prompt headache, mood swings and irritability is usually due to a sudden decrease in caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, doing too much in one day, lack of sleep, hunger usually occurs as the day goes by and worsens at the end of the day. When associated with “low blood pressure”, the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar. You can cut down caffeine and tobacco slowly starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine-free teas may be substituted. Reorganise your sleep schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.

Again, weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky (tremor), unable to perform physical activities, headache, palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar. Having too much sugar (i.e. refined carbohydrates) especially at Sehri, the body produces too much insulin causing the blood glucose to drop. One should eat complex carbohydrates at Sehri so that blood sugar falls slowly and also the food lasts longer making you less hungry.

Increased acid levels in the empty stomach can aggravate the conditions. It presents itself as a burning feeling in the stomach area under the ribs and can extend up to the throat. Spicy foods, coffee, fast food and cola drinks worsen these conditions. Medications are available to control acid levels in the stomach. People with proven peptic ulcers and hiatus hernia should consult their doctor well before Ramadan.

Kidney and urinary tract infection and kidney stones may occur in people who drink less liquid. Therefore, it is essential to drink extra liquids so as to prevent stone formation and infection of kidney. Muscle cramps are not uncommon which happens due to inadequate intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium foods (e.g. vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat and dates).

During Ramadan, when extra namaz (prayer) are performed, the pressure on the knee joints increases. In the elderly and those with arthritis this may result in pain, stiffness, swelling and discomfort. Lose weight so that the knees do not have to carry any extra load. Exercise the lower limbs before Ramadan so that they can be prepared for the additional strain. Being physically fit allows greater fulfillment, thus enabling one to be able to perform namaz with ease.

It’s summer time and produce is fresh and easy! What better time to stock up on nutrients after a cold winter with the beautiful array of fruits and veggies that flourish at this time of year. Here are 10 amazingly vitamin rich foods to include in your diet to ensure that you never run the risk of deficiencies, not to mention helping out your brain, heart, vision, joints and just about everything else by consuming them….

#1 - Dark Leafy Greens Dark green is the key with examples of amazingly vitamin rich, leafy vegetables including spinach, mustard greens, beetroot greens, turnip greens and kale as just a few. Adding these to a salad will give you high amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and carotenoids. Mustard greens themselves have an incredible array with vitamin A, C, E, and B6, folate, dietary fibre, tryptophan (no this is not the radioactive rock that can kill Superman!), manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and copper all being found in this green. Continue Reading…

What good are they? You may not realize the benefits of eating a food that is not very interesting or exciting. There are ways to make boring food exciting. Aside from being boring they should be a part of your healthy diet. They contain an abundance of protein and fiber and are low in fat content. In addition they contain antioxidants and something called phytochemicals. Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and inflammatory diseases can be prevented or minimized through eating phytochemicals. In particular black beans contain soluble fiber, which is effective in lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 24%, in turn can lower your blood pressure. These beans can also keep sugar levels at a healthier level thus blocking the effects of hunger for diabetics. This concept may lead to a reduction or elimination for the need of insulin in the diabetics. Black beans are not the only beans that are chocked full of fiber- so are many other types of beans and peas as well. Continue Reading…