Vitamin Information Center

The acai berry is a native of the Amazon rainforests in the land of Brazil. It is a small, grape-like fruit that contains more seed than pulp and is highly valued for its very high nutritional content. Also, it contains a high level of antioxidants, the free-radical fighting compounds that fights cancer, among other illnesses. While it contains more antioxidants than any other fruit in the world, it is also said to contain more kinds of different antioxidants in any one fruit and more amount of any of these types in a single fruit.

The acai berry is increasingly becoming more popular for its fat burning properties. Many weight loss products are now claiming to be acai berry based. Online, you will find several offers and risk-free trials that uses acai berry as the main constituent of their product for fast and efficient weight loss.

The truth is, acai berry weight loss products are not a “magic pills” that can make people lose 25 pounds in a week. Such claims are not supported by scientific studies, and there is wisdom in the old adage that when something is too good to be true, then it probably is.

However, the acai berry does indeed contain elements that can aid in weight loss, especially if the use of such products is combined with proper diet and exercise. First, the acai berry contains what is called the omega fatty acids, a kind of fat that is medically proven to improve metabolism. These fatty acids are usually found in fish oil. It cannot be produced by the body so we have to get it from the food we eat. So having these added fatty acids in the diet can make a person have a faster metabolism, which aids in weight loss and dieting. Also, the acai berry contains a lot of fiber and we know that fiber aids in digestion and helps in detoxifying the system and flushing out fats. Because of the fiber content, it also helps in making a person feeling fuller, thus suppressing one’s appetite. In turn, it aids in avoiding eating too much and thus helps in dieting.

What’s more, it also helps in improving the muscle tone. This is because the acai berry contains a good amount of amino acids. Amino acids help the muscles to work properly during exercise, so more amino acids on the diet helps in increasing the muscle mass. The increase in muscle mass, on the other hand, is proportional to the increase in the amount of calories the body burns, which, in turn, makes one lose weight faster. Also, the acai berry is a good source of energy, as many athletes, specifically Jiu-Jitsu fighters, in Brazil has been using it to provide an energy boost before any major tournament. The increase in stamina and energy is definitely a big plus because for those trying to lose weight, increased energy level means increased ability top perform cardiovascular exercises, such as running or working out in a treadmill. Thus, the acai berry is a good and efficient aid in losing weight.

Life - and certainly health - are all about balance.

If your body’s systems stay in an equilibrium, you won’t need medication, said Dr. Dominic Lascola, who developed that attitude while studying to be a chiropractor and has translated it into a new venture.

The 28-year-old Evergreen Park resident has developed a new combination vitamin pack, launched through his on-line company, www.PureCoreNutrition .com.

It’s become popular enough to be used by NFL players Eric Steinbach, of the Cleveland Browns, David Diehl, of the New York Giants and Matt Roth, of the Miami Dolphins, all Chicago-area natives.

“This is all about getting your body into its optimal situation so it can heal itself,” said Lascola, whose office is in Oak Lawn. “If you can work on a nutritional plan, focus on proper diet and exercise and include dietary supplements, you’re not going to get sick. You’ll start correcting the imbalances in the body that lead to disease.”

The daily multi-pack includes three whole-food multivitamins, two omega-3 fish oils, one probiotic blend and one digestive enzyme.

Lascola said the development started about a year ago when he was discussing supplements with Steinbach, an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns. The two crossed paths when Steinbach attended Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox and Lascola went to Brother Rice High School in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community.

Steinbach took many supplements to recover from the extreme stress of his workouts. Lascola said he was annoyed at having to keep track of many pills.

“I was talking with him about how he can get all the nutrients he needs after a workout,” Lascola said. “He didn’t like the time it took sorting out these pills or carrying around the bottles. So I put together packets for him with everything he needed for one day.”

Of course, Lascola had to consider the supplement restrictions placed on professional athletes. They can’t chance taking a pill that might contain a substance banned by the NFL.

His laboratory helped him out, giving him a list of eligible and forbidden chemicals. But Lascola’s combination isn’t meant to bulk up the players.

“Understanding there are strict rules they must adhere to, of course I was really careful to analyze everything I was putting in,” Lascola said. “But the stuff they’re taking isn’t muscle-enhancing. It’s about giving them sound nutrients to recover from this extreme strain they’re putting on their bodies.”

Now that these football players are in training camp, Lascola said he hopes they’ll spread the word about the multi-packs to rookie players, especially those with no vitamin regimen.

Lascola didn’t want to limit the benefits of his daily packets to athletes. So he developed a slightly different set for average people.

One of those regular people taking the multi-pack is Lascola’s patient Sal Laspina. But while Steinbach takes the athletic recovery packs, Laspina takes the daily multi-packs.

The music teacher said he took various daily multivitamins on and off for years. He’s been taking Lascola’s combination for about three months now.

“I noticed that especially during the day when I’m teaching, I have more energy,” the Orland Park resident said. “I just feel sharper, more alert.”

He takes the vitamins while he’s eating lunch and said he likes the convenience of the packet. Sometimes he waits to take the fish oil pill until later in the day, and said it’s easy to roll up the envelope and stash it in his pocket.

“In the past, I would have to take the vitamin out of the big container and roll up the pills in a Kleenex to take later,” Laspina said. “Or I would just forget. It was kind of a pain in the neck.”

Lascola said it’s common for people to start a vitamin regimen, but drop off after a few weeks or months, especially if they’re trying to keep track of more than one supplement. He said he hopes the convenience and portability of his packets helps people stay committed.

It wasn’t a medical degree that gave Lascola the health bug. Throughout his youth, he played baseball and basketball.

“I was interested in nutrition from about age 15,” he said. “Seeing the changes the body could make just through exercise and eating right was fascinating for me.”

He said he’s amazed when his patients report more energy, better regularity and fewer illnesses - all from regulating their bodies’ nutrients. Some have even been able to discontinue prescription medications.

Also, having all the supplements in one packet is more affordable than buying two or three bottles, Lascola said.

“It makes me want to get this idea out to as many people as possible,” Lascola said.

Carole Sharwarko can be reached at csharwarko@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-6872.

Everyone is searching for wellness.

Wellness is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as “The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise and habits”. So, understanding wellness can help us live life to the full.

And of course, in an ideal world, wellness would be easy to achieve. But the stress and strains of modern day living create many factors that impact our level of wellness, most notably diet.

Our food choices can adversely affect Wellness in several ways. These would include Fast food diets that are high in fat and low in nutrients, overly processed convenience foods and a lack of dietary fibre from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, not enough healthy sources of protein in our diet will affect wellness, as protein is needed to support muscle and bone tissues.

However, small changes in diet and lifestyle may help to reverse any adverse effects and produce optimum wellness.

Three keys to optimum wellness include: 1) Balancing your diet. Your body requires sufficient amounts of the right balance of foods and nutrients. These include protein, good carbohydrates and fats, also colourful fruits and vegetables. Also, your body needs vitamins, minerals and fibre so that food can be used correctly. Vitamins and minerals are not always present in food in adequate amounts, but they can be obtained from dietary supplements, providing your body with nutrition at the cellular level.

2) Exercising Regularly. Regular exercise will help you to look and feel your best, as exercise creates muscle tone and provides your body tissues with oxygen - so necessary for optimum wellness!

3) Drinking lots of Water. Your body is about two-thirds water, so for optimum wellness, you need to drink about 6 - 8 glasses of water every day

By following these three steps and making the necessary changes, you can achieve optimum wellness starting today!

If you are looking to develop great abs then there are some important questions you must answer. How do I need to eat for great abs and what are the diet rules I need to follow? Those can be hard questions to answer. After all we see hundreds of advertisements answering those questions in hundreds of different ways.

Once you know how to train your abdominal muscles in the gym. Once you know how to burn the fat off of your stomach by raising your metabolic rate. You can really increase your success rate to six pack abs with the proper diet.

One of the key things to remember is that you don’t have to follow any of the so called fad diets. One program tells you to go low carb, one tells you to go low fat, one says to go high in protein. If you want to see your abs underneath that layer of fat surrounding your belly then don’t try to make it difficult. Don’t sway with this and that fad diet that all your friends are trying out. I like fitness expert Mike Geary’s advice. Keep it simple with the key being on balance and eating foods that are high in nutrients that have not been damaged through food processing.

Eating a proper diet is not as easy as getting your daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. The way our foods are grown, and made have made it difficult to eat right. Foods have been chemically altered for taste, shelf life, and growth. That has left us with potential adverse health effects which are still unfolding. You are much better off sticking with unprocessed nutrient rich foods.

A good ab diet can be had by following these four dieting keys.

* Consume quality protein in large amounts. You will burn more calories by the simple act of consuming protein. Foods rich in protein require more work to digest. In addition the protein builds muscle which also need energy to maintain and grow. As this energy is used calories are being burnt. If you have ever heard that eating 6 small meals a day is good for you its true. Your energy level is maintained throughout the day, you don’t crave junk food, and you burn more calories through the process of digestion.

* Take in food high in fiber. Try and take in your carbs from high fiber sources. Foods that are rich in fiber will satisfy your hunger. Natural fiber from unrefined grains, fruits, and vegetables are a much better choice than fiber supplements. It’s a good idea to stay away from foods such as sugars and fruit juice. The fiber has been removed from them to make digestion easier. A key cause of body fat struggles is refined grains and sugars. Two to three grams of fiber per ten grams of carbs is a good rule of thumb when comparing food choices.

* Some fat is good. Fat free diets can be damaging to the human body. Here are some good sources of fat. Organic meats, fish, nuts, olive oil, egg yolks, and seeds. Remember that fat gives us many of the vitamins and minerals that our body needs to function. Get rid of all fat and you create vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

* Stay away from these two enemies of the lean body. If you can stay away from processed foods you will avoid these enemies. The first is high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately most food items that have been sweetened are high in fructose corn syrup. The second is artificial trans fats. Trans fats are neither required nor beneficial to the human body. They increase the chance of coronary heart disease among other ill effects. Most trans fats are industrially created to increase the shelf life of food. These trans fats come in the form of margarines, hydrogenated oils and shortening.

Mike Geary (fitness expert) says you will gain control of your hormone levels, blood sugar levels, and appetite by following these 4 keys. Don’t do everything right in the gym and then fail in your diet. If you really want your ab muscles to show then follow these diet tips to success.

Admit it. You are having a hard time saying no to the sweetness of chocolates or to the crunch in every bite of your favorite junk food. You say no of course as that’s the logical thing to do. You’re trying to stay fit after all.

From that corner of your eye, they tempt you even more. The craving cramps your stomach and so you give in. You take a bite. Delightful, it was! The result, you’ve consumed more than you thought you did.

And you don’t feel guiltless at all.

According to food and fitness experts, successful dieting may start with saying no to these snacks, no matter how unavoidable. Definitely though, it doesn’t end there. Sticking with that pledge and eventually making it a habit to stay away makes it work.

A good diet sticks to the proper food enriched with vitamins and minerals; fruits and vegetables never fail. These nutrients aid in healing sickness, providing energy for your body cells, prevent diseases and build and strengthen your immunity. Only these sources can offer us the life-supporting power. From a common cold to the complex osteoporosis, you definitely need to have a full range of the right nutrients that can only be found in nature’s foods.

Keeping your guard up when it comes to eating non-healthy food does pay off. The vitamins and minerals which aren’t found in your favorite stuff to chomp play a vital role in your body’s well-being. Vitamins regulate metabolism, ensure proper growth and help keep your physical well-being in the overall.

However, since our bodies don’t produce their own vitamins, acquiring them can be effectively done through proper diet.

Doing away with the traditional dieting can be tricky. While some people think that a balanced diet means tasteless diet, the opposite may be true. Nutritionists entice people to explore the wide diversity and variations of possible food choices. A balanced diet that comprises healthy yet diverse foods primarily promotes good health. It keeps you away from being deprived and eventually, depressed.

Similarly, counting your carbohydrate intake and calorie consumption can offer you great help. Remember, though, to take things lightly. When doing this causes you irritation, find better alternatives to keep track of your efforts. All weight loss experts agree on one thing, that keeping a journal of your food intake and the exercises you have performed, almost always means success. During moments of success, big or small, gives yourself a pat on back. This, other than proper dieting, is a healthy habit.

A reminder though, for the health-conscious who are either under medication or are suffering from medical condition, ask your physician on what food is right for you. Under certain circumstances, special arrangements on diets may be provided. You may be too eager to do the dieting the normal way, but some limitations or prohibitions may be applicable. Check it with your doc!

As somebody puts it, “making a different choice gives you the opportunity to live a different life.” The new you will show you that everything you have done to keep fit is well worth it.

Maintaining a healthy colon is one of the single most important steps you can take to detoxify your body of accumulated toxins and waste. A healthy colon is truly essential to one’s overall health, especially when you consider that literally everything you eat ends up in your bowels as toxins. Part of the reason so many Americans have an unhealthy colon is the lack of fiber benefits to their diet. Furthermore, the average American diet includes less than a fraction of the fiber foods necessary to promote elimination of toxins from the body.
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Number one risk factor for colon cancer is age. Importantly, colon cancer is also one of the most curable forms of cancer. It has been well demonstrated that if colon cancer is caught in the earliest stages, the cure rate could be increased to 90%. Although colon cancer is among the most common forms of cancer, the number of new cases and the number of deaths attributed to the disease have declined in recent years due to improved screening and diagnostic techniques. Continue Reading…

Iron is one of the most important minerals that our body needs in order to function well. Without the recommended dosage of iron, you can feel tired, irritable, and nausea. With a proper diet and the right supplements, you can be back on your way to restoring your iron deficiency and energy! Continue Reading…

Beautiful, soft, shiny hair is every woman’s dream but few know how to get it. Expensive shampoos and conditioners and trips to salons would give you the desired hair but at an expense. Home products are far less expensive; give amazing results when used properly and very light on the wallet too. Besides, unlike off the shelf products, they are free of any side effects too.
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Any form of acne can be eliminated if following diet tips will be followed.
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