26 Oct 09 The Health Importance Of Pumpkins

Now that Halloween is rolling around this weekend, you’ve probably got pumpkins on your mind. Whether because you see them all around, considering Autumn is pumpkin time, and North America is where pumpkins originated. Or because you’re gearing up for some pumpkin carving sessions, as part of the holiday fun. You may have overlooked just how nutritious pumpkins are to your health, opposed to just the fun they offer this season.

Pumpkins are actually another one of those foods that is spectacular for you health wise. You may not have even thought about it, but pumpkins offer a variety of healthy benefits. Most of those being antioxidants. The meaty part of a pumpkin contains a variety of antioxidants that do everything from eliminate free radicals to clear out your veins lowering your cholesterol.

Pumpkins also contain plenty of zinc which strengthens your bones by helping to fend off osteoporosis. Pumpkins also have plenty of fiber, which functions to clear out your entire system, from your intestines, to your veins. Fiber clears everything up, and pumpkins offer plenty of great healthy fiber.

But it’s not just the pumpkin meat that’s fantastically good for you, don’t discard how important the seeds are. Pumpkins are very high in lean healthy protein. Pumpkin seeds are also known to contain plenty of iron, magnesium, copper, and plenty of zinc. All of which are important for your body to soak up in the appropriate amounts.

Pumpkins seeds also are high in phytosterols, which are like a form of healthy cholesterol that can actually help to aid in reducing harmful cholesterol within the body. Pumpkin seed oil is actually full of these healthy fatty acids, and are a great place to turn for them. So don’t underestimate what that pumpkin can do for you. And when you’re carving one up with the family, save the seeds and try baking them for a tasty, and very healthy snack.

Tags: Autumn, Bones, Cholesterol, Copper, Entire System, Fatty Acids, Free Radicals, Healthy Snack, Holiday Fun, Intestines, Lowering Cholesterol, Lowering Your Cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Phytosterols, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Time, Pumpkins, Veins, Zinc

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15 Aug 09 Caring For Your Feet

If you’re not real big on making sure you properly care for you feet day in and day out, you’re probably making a mistake that could have a negative effect on your health later on in your life. Consider this, your feet have to endure an impact about 2-3 times your body weight any time you do vigorous activity like running or jogging. Thinking about that, consider the fact that your foot has 26 bones, 19 muscles and tendons, and 107 ligaments. That’s an awful lot of opportunity to go wrong, and all of them good reasons for why you should be properly caring for your feet.

The first step is in the right shoe. Find a good shoe specific store in your neighborhood, as they will be better suited to your needs than a department store. Make sure you do your shoe shopping in the afternoon, as your feet tend to swell to a larger size later in the day, so a shoe that fits in the morning might not fit at night. Also make sure that your foot has plenty of room, and is held in a natural position. This way you can ensure you’re not putting extra pressure on sensitive parts of your foot, and also that your alignment remains as natural as possible. Remember the wrong shoe can lead to all manner of ailments, including back pain.

Beyond your shoes, make sure to clean your feet preferably twice a day, but at least once a day. If it’s in the shower make sure to pay special attention to lathering up between your toes to ensure you get rid of any fungus or bacteria that may be building up. Then dry with a clean towel, especially between your toes, and apply some form of lotion so that you can ensure your feet aren’t too dry. When your skin is too dry on your feet it can cause the skin to crack on the base of your foot and in between your toes, both of which can be quite painful.

Finally, there’s just the preventative care. You should bleach your shower or bathtub at least once a week so that you can ensure no bacteria builds up. Showering while you stand in bacteria is hardly good for your feet. Also if you’re using any sort of public showering area, such as at a pool or gym, make sure you wear thong sandals, to avoid any of the bacteria that builds up from the many different people that walk barefoot on the floor.

Tags: Ailments, Alignment, Bacteria, Bathtub, Bleach, Bones, Department Store, Extra Pressure, Fungus, Ligaments, Mistake, Muscles, Natural Position, Neighborhood, Preventative Care, Shoe Shopping, Shoes, Tendons, Toes, Vigorous Activity

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23 Apr 09 Picking Out The Right Running Shoes

Running is a fantastic way to lose weight and keep yourself in shape. But the most important aspect of becoming a runner is finding the correct shoe to wear, as the most important aspect of running is how you care for your feet. Your feet contain 26 bones and 33 joints, all of which suffering a blow equal to three times your body weight with every stride of your run. You can see why you want to be careful as to finding the shoe that will be the right fit for you.

In the beginning you’re going to want to find either an athletic store, or a store that specializes in running shoes, they will be better designed to serve your needs. Not to mention that specialized stores have a better availability of different types of running shoes, and the way that you run will affect just which type of shoe you should buy.

In choosing a shoe you need to figure out how it is that you run. Feel out your feet during a normal run and pay attention to the way that they leave the ground, as where your feet take the most impact will affect which sort of shoe you should purchase. If you run pushing off with the front of your foot you’re called a forefoot runner, which means you’ll want shoes that are designed with more padding in the front. If you find that you push off with the middle of your foot you are a midfoot striker, which means you’ll want shoes with cushioning in the toe and heel of your shoes. And if you predominately use your heel you’re a rear foot striker, and you want to find shoes with a higher concentration of padding in the back of the shoe.

Other than figuring out those mechanics there are just a few things to keep in mind when shoe shopping. You don’t want a shoe that feels too tight, as your feet swell during and after a run, meaning a shoe that’s already tight when your foot is resting is going to be really uncomfortable for running. In most cases it’s actually best to go to a shoe store after you’ve just finished a run, that way your feet will be in the same condition as when you are running, and you can better find the shoe that fits.

Tags: Bones, Concentration, Correct Shoe, Feet, Joints, Mechanics, Padding, Rear Foot, Running Shoes, Shape, Shoe Shopping, Shoe Store, Shoes Running, Striker, Suffering, Three Times

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26 Oct 09 The Health Importance Of Pumpkins

15 Aug 09 Caring For Your Feet

23 Apr 09 Picking Out The Right Running Shoes

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