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Uncomfortably Healthy-Meet David Goggins

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Davis Goggins
David Goggins at The Badwater race

Before I start this article on David Goggins I want to let people know-Goggins’ story is a mental story not a physical one…I think I’m late to the David Goggins bandwagon; it doesn’t bother me. I’m just glad that I came across him on Instagram. I was wasting time-cruising through Instagram, checking out the peacocks and motivators.

I follow quite a few people who move the needle, people who have done good in life and try to motivate others to do the same. It’s one of the things I like about ‘the Gram”. It’s easy to eliminate people who post-drama or who are totally about peacocking and no substance, I try to exclude those people from my Gram feed.

So I see this guy who has little to no body fat jogging talking into a camera. I usually scroll Instagram with the sound off, but I wanted to hear what this guy was saying, so I turned it up.

Goggins

Goggins had a gravel voice like a drill sergeant or a pirate. He was out west someplace jogging during the heatwave the happened a couple of months back. There were tons of heat advisories in California, and the news was talking about people dying because of the heatwave. But Goggins was out jogging barking at his followers talking about STAY HARD.

This leads me to do a couple of Google Searches and look at some Youtube videos of this man David Goggins. It turns out this wasn’t a waste of time. Goggins I came to find out was the real thing. He grew up in the Midwest (Indiana) like me (Iowa).

His high school problems were the same as mine. He had decided to enter the military after high schools, like me. David Goggins became a Navy Seal, Paratrooper and Army Ranger. I went into Miltary Intelligence. By the way, no one has ever been a Navy Seal, Airforce Tactical Air Controller, and an Army Ranger. The U.S. Defence Department and numerous publications who monitor these things have called Goggins Toughest man in the world.

Goggins the Book the Legend

I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about Mr. Goggins; I found out that Goggins was a Navy Seal legend for going through Seal boot camp three times in one year. But digging deeper into his story, I found out he was also an ultramarathoner, once held the world record for pull-ups doing 4031 in an 18-hour span. But there was a lot more to Goggins than the physical feats.

He continued to push his body and mind to new levels and that was the real message of his book “You Can’t Hurt Me”. Goggins self-published autobiography, the book was No.2 behind Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” for a couple of months when it was first released. The book has went on to sell more than a million copies and seems to have really connected with the readers.

I purchased his book and brought the book on tape to listen to during my workouts and walking my dog-Juniper. His book was compelling, he was a man that had a tough childhood, and he could have easily taken the comfortable path that most people take and lived a whole different life.

This, in my opinion, is what resonated with readers, and is also what he preaches in his YouTube videos and his “Goggin shorts” his minute-long videos he records on his runs. What I take from his message is that each of us has a lot more in the tank, a lot more, we could accomplish if we can push past that voice that says- “I’m uncomfortable and should probably quit now”. 90% of people listen to that voice and shut it down every time.

David Goggins running in the Dessert
David Goggins uncomfortably healthy

In his book, Googins faced numerous obstacles, from high school learning challenges to losing 100 pounds in three months to join the Navy. Along with having to repeat the Navy Seal Boot camp three times, and running 100-mile marathons on two bad legs and three days’ notice. During each of these challenges in his life, he ignored that voice and pushed through, to accomplish things most people dream about.

Goggins 40% Rule

Goggins showed in his book that if you can get your brain to push past that initial urge to quit when things got uncomfortable you could really surprise your self and become stronger both physically and mentally.

If there is anything that Mr. Goggins was a master at was not listening to that voice that tells you to stop. Goggins talks about how people push to about 40% of their max. To Goggins that little voice usually shows up at 40 % of max and this is when this feeling uncomfortableness sets in and people shut it down.

It’s true; I remember going through basic training when I was in the Army and being on a mountainside that was almost straight up, with a rucksack that weighed 50 pounds and a rifle in my hand and thinking about how incredibly hard it was not to make a mistake and being dead.

I was three fourth of the way up, and I wanted to stop, I was scared. But no one was coming to save me. I pushed through and made it to the top. It was one of the first times I had to go past 40% in my life. It took about 90% of me not to meltdown and maybe not be here. I that was 25 years ago, and I still think about that time all of the time and measure things in my life by that.

There were other instances in the military that got my motor up to 75-80% but nothing even close to as much effort as that mountainside took out of me to-just-not-die. Goggins did this all of the time, and he had trained his mind to push past and even enjoy the uncomfortable goals in life.

David Goggins Unreal Work Ethic

Goggins has run more than 60 Ultramarathons (over 100 miles). He has entered numerous triathlons and has built a career speaking to pro sports teams and fortune 500 companies about tapping into the 60% percent that we all leave on the table.

I’ve listened to his books a couple of times and have read the book as has my wife. I thought I was being a fanboy, because Goggins had made me think about how much I was left in the tank, in my work and my workouts. Goggins is known for doing 10-20 mile runs every day and maybe 1000 situps and pushups.

Another thing Goggins was known for his cold water training in the seals and in his training. This is just one day, so he’s showing that these large goals can be done regularly.

As he says over and over in his books and videos a person doesn’t have to do the stuff that he does, but also a person shouldn’t try to say that he some superhuman or something, he just a person that pushes through that voice in your head that says that this isn’t comfortable lets shut it down.

For example, I worked with a trainer for the last ten months. My trainer Stan is a good guy; he helped me when I need to get back into shape. But he didn’t push past tat 40% much either.

I’m in Miami; it’s very hot and humid down here in the summer rainy season. Stan had me working out in the shade. We would do 3 or 4 sets with 5 or 6 reps; he didn’t believe in setting rep totals. It was good, I would sweat through, and I guess he thought he was doing his job.

David Goggins Mental Toughness

For me after discovering Goggins -I knew that I could do more, a lot more. I stopped seeing Stan my trainer and did research on my problem areas and https://e-healthynews.com/how-to-lose-10-pounds-in-one-week/. I work now in full sun, on the roof of my building, I do five sets with 12 reps.

Plus I run on the roof with a 50-pound weight vest. When I am finished with that part of the workout, I swim 20 laps, and as I get stronger, I will add more reps and more laps to this workout because I want to at least get up to 80- 90 % of myself and push past being uncomfortable.

Goggins’ message seems to resonate with a lot of people-his videos on Youtube have millions of views. If you read the comments on his social media or videos channels people love him and understand that they have been coming up short on what they can accomplish.

Being in tip-top shape-with your mind, and body is something that people will see a lot and embrace more in the future. The smart crowd is not going to want to get mixed up with our hospital system. They understand that a lot of the worst germs are in the hospitals.

Along with avoiding hospitals, people are also discovering the health benefits for your body but also you’re MIND when our in great shape. I’ve noticed that a lot of Tech titans in California and New York- Jeff Bezo’s owner of Amazon, looks like a bodybuilder, Mark Zuckerberg owner of Facebook is jacked, and in great shape. Look at your a lot of your favorite music artist and actors, these people hit the gym hard daily.

These people got the memo, Doctors have stated in numerous new health and exercise studies that they have NO MEDICINE THAT REVILIES EXERCISE. When I heard that, it told me everything that I needed to know. The future of healthy living will be people who exercise and people who don’t, it’s as simple as that, Goggins figured this out before a lot of us, but we still have time to change our ways.

11 Ways to Loss a Bunch of Weight

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11 Ways to loss weight
Cutting the pounds

THE WEIGHT LOSS INDUSTRY is a multi-billion dollar money grab. Companies like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig print money giving suggestions on how to lose weight with really no guarantees that any of it is going to work. This industry has a lot to do with our obsession with losing some weight.

But really it’s our lifestyle choices that have always posed the threat to our health. We Love food, we love sugar and after we get sick of being fat we look for the Jenny Craig website or head to Amazon to buy Garcinia Cambogia.

With the kinds of foods, a lot of us consume daily, the risk of obesity and its associated hazards are always on the rise. The health dangers of being overweight are numerous, including issues like high blood pressure, Diabetes, Stroke, and Heart Diseases.

In the face of all the negative effects of being overweight and with more people getting obese or being at the risk of obesity, lots of people are seeking healthy ways to lose weight and preserve their health.

Here are 11 healthy steps you should take if you’re looking to shed that extra weight.

Drinking-Water for Weight Loss

Numerous studies have shown that drinking water one hour before meals helps a person lose five times more weight than a person who doesn’t.
Water helps to boost metabolism by about 25% to 30% in nearly an hour or an hour and a half.
If you are a dieter, drinking half a liter an hour before your meal can help you eat fewer calories and lose 44% more weight.

Green Tea is a Great Weight Loss Helper

Drinking green tea is another excellent way to get rid of excess weight. Green tea consists of antioxidants called catechins as well as caffeine in small amounts. These catechins can work with the caffeine to help you burn the excess fat.

Sugar is one of the biggest causes of obesity. Besides the fact that it comes with the risk of other health issues like diabetes, sugar is not your friend.

Cut Down or Cut out Sugar Altogether

Significantly reducing your intake of sugar and foods containing lots of sugar is one of the most effective ways to get rid of unwanted weight.

11 Ways to Loss Weight
Your biggest obstacle the plate.

Go Low on Carbs

Commit to a low carb diet. Apart from helping you https://e-healthynews.com/how-to-lose-10-pounds-in-one-week/, eating low carb diets also has numerous other health benefits.

Eat Eggs (or any quality protein) for Breakfast

You probably already know that whole eggs come with tons of health benefits, and one of these is undoubtedly weight loss. One of the newer ways that people have discovered to get the protein of eggs into their diet is –egg white protein powder, they call it muscle egg.

Eating an egg or any quality protein sources for breakfast can help you consume fewer calories over the next 36 hours and of course, help you lose unnecessary fat.

Aerobic Exercises Helps you Lose Weight

There is definitely another excellent and effective way to get rid of that excess weight. Aerobic exercises are particularly effective in getting rid of belly fat, which can cause metabolic diseases. Exercise steps classes are an excellent way to get off your butt and get to it.

Aerobic exercises will not only help you burn weight but will help improve your mental and physical health.

Chew Slowly to Loss more Weight

Eating too fast, or should we say chewing your food slowly can help you eat a lot fewer calories as well as increase the production of the hormones responsible for triggering weight loss.

Chewing your food more thoroughly may also help to reduce your intake of calories at a single meal. This will definitely help you cut down on the excess weight.

Get Enough Sleep is Essential in Losing Weight

A lot of people do not even consider sleep when they think of losing weight. However, getting sufficient sleep is as important, in your weight loss journey, as eating a healthy diet.

Not getting enough sleep escalates the risk of obesity to about 89% in children and 55% in adults. If you’re going to lose that excess weight, you really should be thinking of improving your sleeping habits.

Many people are in sleep deprivation and don’t know they aren’t functioning at 100 percent.

Control Your Portions is Very Important to Cut Weight

Eat less food than you typically do, that’s it. Controlling how much food you take in per time goes a long way to help you get off the unwanted weight.

Having a food diary can make this process a lot easier for you to be disciplined with your intake of food and lose weight.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

There are many nutrients that fruits and vegetables contain which make them excellent food options for weight loss.

Eating just fruit before noon is excellent for weight loss and balancing your energy output in the early part of the day.

Fruits and vegetables contain a lot fewer calories and a lot more fiber, making them perfect for you if you want to lose weight.

Fruits also contain a lot of water which makes them very filling. This prevents you from getting hungry as quickly and needing to eat more unhealthy foods.

Let Go of the Carbonated and Sugary Drinks

Sugar in liquid form is just about the worst thing for you if you want to lose weight. We already noted that sugar is terrible, but sugar in liquid form is even far worse.

All soft and sugary drinks like coke and even fruit juice are bad for you if you want to lose weight.

Studies have even shown that drinks and beverages sweetened with sugar are responsible for about 60% of obesity in children. That’s how risky sugary drinks are.

Replace your fruit juice with fruits instead and make smoothies if you want a drink.

In Conclusion

On the journey to weight loss, a lot of people choose to diet as a way of getting back in shape. However, while this may bring results, the results are not sure to be lasting ones.

The truth is, when you diet, you’re still at risk of gaining unhealthy weight over time.

You should also know that, in most cases, dieting is not a habit a lot of people can maintain for a very long time.

People over the course of their lives have tried numerous ways to lose excess weight.

As an alternative to dieting which will not bring you the lasting results, you should look to make lifestyle changes.

Choose healthy eating habits because is actually the easiest way to stay at a healthy weight. A lifestyle you maintain over the course of your life is much easier than yo-yo diets.

In addition to eating healthy, developing healthy routines like exercising regularly will help keep your weight in check and keep you healthy.

13 Reasons Cold Showers and Ice Baths enhance your Health

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Ice bath, Cold Shower
Ice bath

Cold showers and ice baths have numerous benefits for your health. A cold shower typically enables an improved flow of blood, which improves overall health naturally. The shock of the cold water also improves your cardiovascular health.

I have been a proponent of cold showers and ice baths for a few years now, I find that it really helps my skin complexion and overall skin tightening.This article is going to tell you just why you need to be having more cold showers and ice baths in your life.

Ice Baths for Recovery

An ice bath is believed to be a beneficial step for recovery after a workout. Here’s how an ice bath can help your recovery process after a workout:

Generally, ice baths reduce inflammation and support recovery by altering the way blood as well as other body fluids flow through the body. When you immerse yourself in cold water, it causes your blood vessels to constrict.

The blood vessels open right back up when you come up out of the water. This process helps you to get rid of the metabolic waste and lactic acid in your muscles after a workout. This works especially well in people’s lymphatic system.

Unlike your heart, which can continuously send blood to all parts of your body, the lymph nodes are void of a pump. Since ice baths can manually cause vessels to constrict and open, it enables stagnant fluids present in the lymph nodes to be transported around the body.

An increase in blood flow feeds your cells with oxygen and other nutrients which can help your body recover after a workout.

Ice baths make your body resilient and prepare you for tough situations in the future. From a mental standpoint, you’re challenging your body by being exposed to different stresses and stimuli, which makes you more resiliency. This will prepare your body for the different challenges you face in a long life.

Ice Bath Benefits

Cold water supports your central nervous system: An ice bath can be of great help to your Central Nervous System by helping you to sleep and hence, reduce tiredness and make you feel rested and ready for your next workout.

Really cold water helps to train your vagus nerve: Your vagus nerve is connected to your parasympathetic nervous system. Training this nerve can help you deal with stressful conditions a lot more easily. This is one other compelling reason to have an ice bath.

It soothes sore and aching muscles: Ice baths know precisely how to make you feel excellent. An ice bath can be your best relief after you’ve done an intense workout. Sitting in ice can soothe those sore muscles and help your body relax.

It resists inflammation: An ice bath can hinder an inflammatory response and thus reduce the level of inflammation your body could suffer. This will, in turn, help your body to recover quickly.

It reduces the impact of heat: An ice bath can significantly reduce the effect that humidity and heat can have on you. If you have an ice bath before a physical activity such as a long race in a place with higher humidity and temperature, you may experience hugely improved performance.

Cold Showers Health Benefits

Cold Showers and Ice Baths
The Proverbial Cold Shower

Here’s a list of some of the benefits of having cold showers: It enables weight loss: Cold showers stimulate the activity of the ‘good fat’ which burns calories; hence, keeping the body warm. Of course, burning calories means you’re going to lose the unwanted fat.

It enables better circulation: A cold shower allows good blood flow allowing blood to get down to organs, so they stay warm.

It reduces the risk of depression and stress: A cold shower would stimulate the blue spot of the brain, which would release the noradrenaline hormone responsible for overcoming depression.

It improves immunity: A cold shower will cause an increase in the metabolic speed rate as well as an increase in the body’s white blood cells. This will help to strengthen the immune system and resist diseases.

It supports the lymphatic system: A cold shower will support the activities of the lymphatic system, which takes the waste out of the cells. This will, in turn, help to fight infections.

It enables better sleep: Cold shower works just like tranquilizers and will help to relax you, enabling you to get better sleep at night.

It supports emotional resilience: Cold showers enable your nervous system to resist stress.

It boosts energy levels: You know that feeling when you pour cold water over your body on a cold morning, that shocking feeling that makes you nearly gasp? That’s what’s right for you.

That deep breath which a cold bath compels you to take in response to the shock increases your intake of oxygen hence, increasing your heart rate and causing blood to flow through the body. This helps to give you higher doses of energy for the day.

It improves your hair and your skin: One of the best and most natural ways to maintain got hair and skin is by having cold showers.

Coldwater will help to tighten your pores and cuticles and prevent them from getting clogged as opposed to hot water which can dry out your skin. Coldwater can also close up the pores in your scalp (as well as even your skin) to prevent dirt from going in.

Cold showers can also protect your skin from losing its natural oils too fast and can flatten your hair follicles to make your hair look stronger and shinier.

Cold Showers After Workout

Do you know that soreness that happens at your muscles after you’ve worked out? Cold showers have their way of dealing with that efficiently.

A cold shower after a workout will help to relieve your muscles after a workout and of course, help to relax even your whole body.

Typically, exercise inflames your muscles, tendons, and joints, and it is unhealthy for them to remain inflamed for long periods. A cold shower will help to get rid of inflammation, stiffen your joints and muscles, and get rid of the pain.

A cold water shower is an essential step for quick recovery https://e-healthynews.com/how-to-lose-10-pounds-in-one-week/.

Is Marijuana as Bad For Pregnant Mothers as Cigarettes?

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Marijuana, Mothers Health
Marijuana Mothers Health

When you are pregnant, everything that you do affects you and your baby. It’s no secret that smoking tobacco is bad for your health – pregnant or not.

Smoking during your pregnancy escalates the risk of your baby having a low birth weight, which in turn puts your baby at risk of developing health complications soon after birth. But what does marijuana do to babies?

Marijuana Use and Pregnancy

Research shows that using marijuana during pregnancy can impact your child’s development. The chemicals found in marijuana may be hazardous to your baby’s health.

Marijuana, Pregnant, Cigarette, Mothers

Evidence suggests that marijuana use causes health complications in newborns, such as low birth weight, anencephaly, and stillbirth. Marijuana is used in several ways, including smoking from joints or pipes, eating edibles, and dabbing. It is also reportedly the most commonly used drug during pregnancy.

Marijuana’s Connection to Premature Birth

Using marijuana is linked to premature births, as indicated by a new study that evaluated marijuana use during pregnancy and premature delivery.

Results from the study show that women who used marijuana while pregnant were five times more likely to have a preterm birth. The chemicals from marijuana may be able to pass through the placental barrier, which can cause complications both during pregnancy and after birth.

It is important to note that this study doesn’t make a distinction between edibles and smoking. However, it does indicate that researching the effects of marijuana use during pregnancy is difficult because many women who smoke marijuana potentially use other substances.

Medical Marijuana and Pregnancy

As more and more states legalize medical marijuana, pregnant women may try to use it for its purported health benefits, such as improving appetite and relieving nausea.

Although more research regarding the use of medical marijuana during pregnancy is needed, there are a few barriers to the regulation of the substance. The limited available research means that medical marijuana lacks standard dosages, delivery systems, and formulations.

Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have approved recommendations about using medical marijuana during pregnancy. Thus, doctors recommend avoiding marijuana use during pregnancy.

Consult with your physician to learn about alternative treatments for any symptoms that you may have.

Honesty is always the best policy. If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor. Conversations about your use of marijuana, or any other substance, are important in evaluating your risk for complications, not only during pregnancy but also throughout your child’s life.

Do you have more questions about marijuana and how it may affect you? Check out this article about using marijuana while working out.

How Are Migraines Different from Headaches?

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Migrane's Hurt
Man with the dreaded Migraine headache

Migraine headaches are painful headaches that occur on a regular basis. Besides the pain of the headache, some people have a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including personality changes, nausea, vomiting. and photosensitivity. Some migraine sufferers even find sounds, smells, and touch painful.

Occurrence

The recurrence of a migraine is different for different people. Some women, for example, have migraines around the time of their menstrual period. Migraines afflict other people after they’ve eaten hard cheeses or salty foods, when they don’t get enough sleep, when the weather abruptly changes and if they take certain medicines such as birth control pills. Migraines can last hours or even days.

Severity

Migraines are notoriously painful. Some people describe the pain as an axe or a power drill against one side of their head. Some people even feel the pain on both sides of their head. The pain is often described as throbbing and is sometimes resistant to treatment. Long-term migraines can be considered a disability.

Types of Migraine

There are actually different types of migraines with somewhat different symptoms. They include having a migraine with an aura, a phenomenon when the person sees zig-zag lights, goes numb on one side of their body and suffers from aphasia. There are migraines without an aura, which are called classic migraines. People can also experience a migraine without the pain. Though migraine sufferers may long for a migraine without pain, this is a very scary type of headache. It comes with an aura, nausea and vomiting.

The hemiplegic migraine may make a person believe they’re actually having a stroke,  because they go weak on one side of their body and experience the aura. This type of migraine is also free of head pain.

In a retinal migraine the person goes temporarily blind in one eye, which is terrifying for someone who is experiencing it for the first time. A person with chronic migraine has the headache for more than half of the month.

Migraine Treatment

Fortunately, there are many ways to treat migraine. One newer way is through Botox injections. Botox paralyzes the muscles in the head that many doctors believe lead to migraine when they contract. Medicines can either relieve the pain when it’s happening or prevent it altogether. Doctors also prescribe anti-nausea drugs to help with the nausea and vomiting of some types of migraines.

Migraine headaches suck...
Migraine Headaches suck

Migraine headaches can be ghastly. The pain and other symptoms can be severe enough to make the person think they have a brain tumor or are having a stroke. The good news is that migraine headaches can be treated, and they’re actually not life-threatening. 

Interested in following more recent content on Health topics? Try reading these other similar articles from E-healthy News! 

3 Things to Know if You Use Marijuana

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Marijuana acceptance is increasing within the U.S. This is an exciting time for many people, especially for those who are using Pot to treat symptoms of medical conditions. Read on to learn three things you should be aware of it you decide to use marijuana.

Intake Method Matters

There are many ways to consume marijuana with the three most common being smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting. For many years, smoking has been the most common way to consume bud.

Other forms of consumption are replacing smoking due to the toxic chemicals within marijuana smoke. The benefits of smoking, however, are the low cost and availability.

Vaporizing is beneficial because it eliminates smoke and is highly concentrated, but it can also be more expensive. Lastly, because of its milder and long-lasting effects, consuming marijuana via edibles is becoming a popular option for those interested in maintaining productivity.

MARIJUANA
Marijuana has helped many with tough exercise sessions.

The downside to edibles is that they are still illegal in many states, and they are often more expensive and harder to obtain. 

How Long It’s in Your System is Unique to You

Marijuana affects everyone differently. This depends on a few variables, with the main one being that marijuana is fat-soluble, which means that it dissolves in fat as opposed to a water-soluble substance which dissolves in water, and excess amounts leave the body through the kidneys.

Since the primary psychoactive chemical is fat-soluble, how long marijuana remains measurable in a person’s system depends on fat levels, which in turn depend on a variety of other factors such as how often you smoke.

Marijuana Can Trigger Addiction

Though predominantly praised for being much less addictive than traditional cigarettes, as with any substance, if you are prone to addiction, then it is possible to become addicted to weed.

This is controversial and is often a source of heated debate. Anyone who chooses to explore weed should be self-aware and monitor their habits as well as how the substance is affecting their life.

If you suspect that you may be addicted to marijuana or that it is having a negative impact on your health, please seek medical attention as soon as possible. 

Pot use can be a beneficial tool. However, along with this new landscape comes more responsibility and the need for self-education. Be sure to stay abreast of your local legislation and the different ways that marijuana can affect your health.

Want more content like this from E-Healthy News? Check out these similar articles:

What You Need to Know About Using Blood Thinning Medications

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Blood Thinning
Check for Blood thininng Problems

There are quite a few ways to thin your blood. Most people thin they’re blood like myself, by taking a baby aspirin daily, I’ve been doing this for the last 20 years. It’s served me well…

I haven’t had a heart attack and I still do pretty strenuous exercise regime. As of resonantly, there have been stories about large groups of people who don’t need to take aspirin that are.

Blood thinners are medication used to prevent blood clots. When used as directed, they’re safe and effective, but before using them, it’s essential that you learn more about how they work and how to manage their side effects.

Here are just a few things you should know about using blood-thinning medications before you try them.

How They Work

There are two types of blood thinners: anticoagulants and antiplatelet aggregation inhibitors. Anticoagulants interfere with the chemical reactions in the body that cause clotting.

Antiplatelet aggregates reduce the ability of platelets to stick together. Some are taken by mouth, others are administered via injection, but both effectively control the unwanted clotting caused by certain medical conditions such as heart valve disease and atrial fibrillation.

Used for more than sixty years, blood thinners remain the treatment of choice to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Risks

Using blood thinners can save your life, but they’re not without risk, and some medications like Xarelto can have dangerous side effects despite being marketed as a safer alternative to warfarin.

The most serious side effect for all types of blood thinners is abnormal bleeding. Bruising and bloody noses are especially common. When someone is taking a blood thinner gets cut, the bleeding may be hard to control.

These types of minor bleeding are a nuisance, but they’re easy to manage. Of more concern is the potential for internal bleeding that is harder to recognize.

Symptoms can be vague and include things like a lower backache, dizziness, a pink tinge in urine or blood in bowel movements. Long-term use of the blood thinner warfarin is associated with the risk of osteoporosis and vertebral fractures in women.

Living Your Best Life

Blood thinners save lives, and while they’re not without side effects, taking one shouldn’t hold you back from living life to its fullest. Use it only as directed, and in most cases, you’ll still be able to enjoy an active lifestyle.

You’ll need to take routine precautions against injury such as wearing a helmet if you ride a bike and keeping a first aid kit with bandages and wound clotting products handy is recommended. Millions of people successfully use blood thinners to prevent heart attack and stroke.

However, it’s important to remember that risks and side effects come with every medication. By educating yourself on the risks of blood-thinning medications and how they work, you’ll be able to be much more confident when taking these kinds of medications.

Are Carbohydrates good for us?

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Carbohydrates are not the Problem
Bread and carbohydrates

Are Carbohydrates good for us– YES!. For years, my father read heavily about how to stay healthy for himself and his family. My mother had been diagnosed with cancer, and I’m sure this had something to do with it.

Back then, about 15 years ago, the argument was being made that Carbohydrates were our biggest problem when it came to keeping our weight in check. To an extent, this is still true with the advent of the Keto Diet craze.

But as of recently, I have heard a lot of the ‘healthy set’ start championing the complex carb. Especially carbs during days that people train or workout. One of the most in-shape people on the planet – The Rock swears by carbs to help develop muscle and to have enough fuel in the tank to perform at peak ability.

Are Carbohydrates Good?
Pasta is not a problem.


When people talk about carbohydrates many times, it is usually about the physiological phenomenon: blood sugar and energy. Sadly, most people only hear the wrong side of the carbs story as related to their bodies and their health.

However, carbs may not be as ‘detrimental’ to your health after all. The trick is to understand where to strike a balance and give your body just what it needs, no more, no less. So what is it with carbs anyway?

Of all the classes of food available to humanity, carbohydrates have to be the commonest. They are about the most crucial food that the body needs: they supply the body with energy to carry out all its other activities, both internal and external.

Carbs are not the only sources of body energy (fats are also stored as glycogen in the liver and converted to energy when the body is short on glucose). Sugars and starches get broken down and stored in our body cells, tissues, and organs as glucose.

Types of Carbohydrates

Biologists have divided them into three broad categories based on their chemical structure and complexness (how long they take to get broken down and used by the body).

Usually, people use ‘starch’ and ‘sugar’ to refer generally to carbohydrates, but there is another type of carbs called FIBRES. We will discuss each of them further down.

Simple Sugars

These simple sugars are usually made of one (monosaccharide) or two (disaccharides) molecules of sugar.monosaccharides. They can be found in vegetables, grains, syrups and table sugar.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are made of many linked molecules of monosaccharides, also referred to as ‘complex sugars’. There are various types of polysaccharides, but four major ones are found in the in food and the body, namely starch, fiber, cellulose, and glycogen.

Starch

Starch is found in most plant-based carbs. Until broken down into smaller particles, starch does not dissolve in water and takes a longer time than the simple sugars to digest. Examples of starchy foods are rice, yam, corn, and potatoes.

Fibers

Fibers are quite a unique kind of carbs: they mostly do not digest in the body but help to aid the process of digestion. They also help in regulating body cholesterol and blood sugar. Some examples of foods that contain fibers are fruits like oranges, mangos, and berries, vegetables like carrots, sweetcorn and cabbage, nuts, peas, cereals, and grains.

Cellulose

Cellulose polysaccharide is an energy store found in plant cells. It forms the plant cell structure and is located in plant cell walls.

Glycogen

Glycogen is a form of carb that serves as energy storage for the body. When the body is running low on energy, it converts already stored glycogen into glucose for energy.

How the Body Uses Carbs

When food is ingested, the body sets to work to process the food into usable molecules by the body organs and cells. This digestion process varies with the different types of foods and the complexity of carbohydrates.

For simple sugars, the process is usually faster. For polysaccharides, however, it takes longer. At each stage of digestion, beginning from the mouth- the body releases enzymes that aid the breaking down of these carbs into simpler, digestible, absorbable forms until it becomes glucose, which the body can use as energy.

Not every molecule of carb introduced into the body becomes glucose immediately, however. While part of the ingested carbs become glucose and are absorbed into the bloodstream and body cells, some other parts are converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and body muscles.

When the body runs short of glucose, the stored glycogen is converted into glucose, and I turn into energy, Through this process, the glucose level of the body is regulated.

Are Carbs (not) Good for Your Health?

Health professionals and nutritionists have a lot to say about the good and bad sides of carbs in the body. Because many health problems can be traced to them, most people have thought it safe to reduce their intake of carbs drastically.

While it as a great safety precaution, it is also important to ensure that the body gets enough supply of carbs, as they may not be as hazardous to our health if ingested in the right quantities. Actually, carbs have a number of advantages when you take them regularly.

They Help to Regulate Blood Sugar

Fiber aids the easy digestion process and helps to regulate body cholesterol.
Carbs serve as vast energy sources for our bodies. When in need of instant energy supply, it is advisable to take the simple sugars. However, complex carbs serve as long-term energy suppliers for continued body activity.

Carbs help the brain function effectively

Carbs also regulate body weight. When healthy starchy foods and fibers are eaten regularly, the body is continuously engaged in breaking down this food particle which

Like every other good thing, carbs can become a health hazard if taken in unwholesome quantities or patterns. Nutritionists, therefore, advise that intake of simple sugars in large number should be kept at a controlled rate, especially in adults.

It is also advisable to consult with the doctor before to ascertain the amount which is healthy for your body.

Gut Bacteria and Whole-Body Health

Gut Bacteria Whole Body Health
Gut Bacteria

Over the course of 10 years, I have taken a Probiotic tablet for good gut bacteria. Sometimes I’ve gone on yogurt sprees for a few weeks until I read about how much sugar is in yogurt. Sometimes its fermented foods for a week or two.

But I have to admit I am conscious of my gut health. I regularly do gut exercises because I hear it’s good for your overall health including your gut, and with good Probiotic supplements, you can take care of this very easily.

Billions of bacteria live in the digestive tract and play a vital role in the health of the body. Inside the gut, there are about 300 to 500 billion bacteria, which also contain almost 2 million genes.

Billions of Bacteria

These bacteria play an essential role and decide the probability that you will or will not have certain health conditions like depression, diabetes, and colon cancer.

These gut bacteria cover your whole digestive system, and they significantly affect things like your mood, your metabolism, and your immune system.

Depending on circumstances, these gut bacteria either have positive effects or negative ones even though they’re generally meant to protect your health.

Too much or too little bacteria could lead to conditions like obesity, heart disease, and even depression. This article will provide insight into gut bacteria, their effects, and how they affect your health.

Why Bacteria is Good

The bacteria in your gut offers several health benefits and supports body functions such as:

Digesting Fiber

Several bacteria in your gut help with the digestion of fiber. By doing this, they also support the production of short-chain fatty acids that support the health of the gut. Fibre also has other health benefits such as helping to stop weight gain, fighting heart disease and diabetes as well as reducing the risk of cancer.

Digesting Breast Milk
When babies are born, bacteria begin to grow inside their intestines. Some of these bacteria are called Bifidobacteria. These bacteria help to digest the healthy sugars in breast milk and are essential for the growth of the child.

Gut Bacteria and brain health
Research has shown that the bacteria in the gut protect the central nervous system, which controls the function and health of the brain.

Gut Bacteria for whole body health
Gut Bacteria Farm

Gut bacteria to control the Health of the Immune System

The bacteria in the gut also controls the function of the immune system. These bacteria communicate with your immune system and by that, determine the response of your body to infections.

Why are some Gut Bacteria bad?

We already noted that personal circumstances could determine whether gut bacteria is good or bad. Now, research has shown that people with some diseases have their gut bacteria different from those of healthy people. People with disorders may have too little or too much of these bacteria or even lack some varieties of the bacteria. Here’s the link between gut bacteria and some ailment:

Colon Cancer: Research shows that people who have colon cancer have higher levels of disease, causing bacteria and in fact, different gut microbiota from healthy people.

Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease: Your gut bacteria have a significant influence on the metabolism of your body. They influence things such as how much calories you get from a meal and which nutrients you get from such a meal. Too much bacteria in your gut can make your body begin to turn fiber into fatty acids. This could cause fats to be deposited in your liver. This can result in something called Metabolic Syndrome, which results in other health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, as well as obesity.

Arthritis: Some gut bacteria have been linked to inflammation. People with rheumatoid arthritis are believed to have higher amounts of bacteria than people who are not suffering from this disease.

Anxiety, depression, and autism: We’ve also already mentioned that the gut communicates with the central nervous system and thus, the brain. Research has shown a link between bacteria in the stomach and central nervous system disorders such as depression, anxiety, and an autism spectrum disorder.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: And these also include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. People who have certain anti-inflammatory gut bacteria in lower levels are the ones believed to suffer from these conditions.

People with these conditions are found to have lower levels of certain anti-inflammatory gut bacteria. However, the connection between this condition and lower levels of those bacteria is currently unclear. However, some bacteria can make your body turn against your immune system and create an environment for diseases like this.

How Gut Bacteria Affects Your Mood

Gut bacteria have such significant influences on a person’s, and this is obviously because of their connection to the brain. A study of two groups of Europeans has even shown that some kinds of gut bacteria are absent in people with depression.

The bacteria release neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, which are necessary for the regulation of mood. The gut has its nervous system, which is known as the Enteric Nervous System. Typically, the Enteric Nervous System and the Central Nervous System send messages to each other.

The influence to gut bacteria have on the Central Nervous System and by extension, the brain is what causes their impact on the mood. Balanced gut bacteria would typically mean to some extent, a stable climate while on the imbalance in the gut bacteria could negatively affect mood.

Types of Gut Bacteria

Good Bacteria
Beneficial to the body and health and support most body functions like helping digestion and enabling our bodies to break down food and draw nutrients. These good bacteria also support the health of the immune system and are essential to our survival. Most of the bacteria in our guts are functional and support our good health.

Bad Bacteria

The harmful bacteria are traditionally called pathogenic bacteria. This means that they’re the bacteria that can make us sick or cause infections. Sometimes and in extreme cases, these harmful bacteria can even kill us.

These bad bacteria typically come from external sources such as the environment, our food, or even stress. Imbalance in our bodies can also turn a healthy gut microbe to a whole group of very unhealthy bacteria in our bodies. Imbalance is caused by things like excess sugar, too much stress, lack of sleep, excess antibiotics, and improperly prepared food.

caused by things like excess sugar, too much stress, lack of sleep, excess antibiotics, and improperly prepared food.

Sugar is the Enemy-7 Reasons Why!

Sugar is the Enemy
Sugar isn't good for your health

We’ve all been lied too…Sugar is the enemy…For years, decades or longer health officials, the government, and so-called independent researchers have told people to avoid fats to avoid carbs.
This led to a new industry of low-fat foods and drinks. Also 0 Carb food and beverages, but we are finally figuring out with new research that the culprit is really SUGAR!

Some of the adverse effects of Consuming Sugar

Sugar can cause many health complications you would really rather avoid. Contrary to some opinions that sugar is only dangerous for diabetic people, even people who have no such current health conditions can be at high health risks with high sugar consumption. Sugar is one of the leading if not the no.1 link to weight gain. Being obese is a leading cause of numerous ailments in life.

Foods with Hidden Sugars

Both added sugar and hidden sugars in foods like cereals, yogurts, crackers, alcohol mixers, instant oatmeal, Nut butter like Nutella along with Granola Bars and sauces like Barbecue and Honey Mustard. Everyone knows sugars are in your pastries and cakes and can be harmful if consumed in excess leading to a lot of health problems. The problem is the foods that the sugar is snuck into, this is where more questions need to be asked.

Common Misconceptions about Sugar

There’s a common misconception that you do not have to watch your sugar intake if you are not suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure. However, that is not always the case, and just because you do not have these medical conditions does not make it safe for you to take lots of sugar.

Sugar and Diabetics

WebMD states, “if your blood sugar stays over 240, it is too high. High blood sugar usually comes on slowly. It happens when you don’t have enough insulin in your body. High blood sugar can happen if you miss taking your diabetes medicine, eat too much, or don’t get enough exercise. Sometimes, the medicines you take for other problems may cause high blood sugar. Be sure to tell your doctor about other medicines you take”.


This could be you, even if you’re currently healthy. Whether you’re diabetic or not, whether you have lifestyle-related disorders or not, it’s probably time for you to rethink your consumption of sugar and possibly even let it go for your own sake. There are more than a thousand reasons you should reduce your sugar intake, but we will discuss just a few.

Sugar is our Enemy
Sugar isn’t good for us…

Reasons Sugar is Not Good for Your Health

It puts your liver at significant risks, every cell of our human body needs sugar. Our bodies break the foods we eat into two kinds of sugar: fructose and glucose. Glucose is the sugar that the body cells need while fructose, on the other hand, gets into the bloodstream and does not have so much importance to our bodies. Now, the liver metabolizes this fructose and converts it into glycogen which is stored and can be used at a later time by the body to fulfill energy needs. However, if the quantity of stored glycogen, as well as fructose, becomes too high in the blood, the liver turns these into fat. This will, in turn, inhibit or slow down the normal functioning of the liver. This situation can also put you at risk of the fatty liver syndrome and even cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes complications.

Is Sugar linked to Cancer?

Sugar is linked to weight gain, one of the leading causes of cancer in people. So it’s safe to say that there is a link between Cancer and sugar. You probably already know that insulin is very vital to the regulation of cell growth. Now, high consumption of sugar can lead to elevated insulin levels, which can, in turn, put you at the risk of breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers.

Sugar also Increases your Risk of Heart Disease

Sugar actually does have the power to damage your arteries and heart and increase your risk of heart disease or attack. Even fructose, the sugar found in fruits and honey can actually improve your LDL or bad cholesterol, increase insulin levels and blood glucose as well as also constrict your arteries. These can actually increase obesity at the abdomen as well as increase your risk of diabetes and heart diseases.

High levels of fructose in the blood can hinder the natural circulation of insulin and leptin, decreasing the quantity of those hormones circulated and increasing hunger levels by increasing the concentration of ghrelin which is the hunger hormone. This increase in hunger levels can, of course, increase your risk of obesity and make it more robust for you if you’re looking to lose some weight.

Sugar increases your hunger levels

Eating more sugar would often mean higher levels of glucose in your blood. With higher levels of glucose, your pancreas secretes more insulin to enable the glucose to get into your cells. Now, with the higher levels of insulin being emitted, the cells of your body could become immune to insulin leading to insulin resistance. Seeing as this happens when there is high glucose in the body, it could be a starter for diabetes as well as other metabolic problems.

Sugar and Alcohol Addiction

You may have noticed that people who are deep into drugs and alcohol also have an obsession with sweet foods like and junk rich in sugar like desserts and pastries. Well, the thing is, when you consume sugar, it releases the happy hormone, dopamine. This hormone is a neurotransmitter and can increase your desire for sugar, which releases the hormone as well as other addictive substances. The link is in the fact these other addictive substances like alcohol also release dopamine, which enhances mood and enables addiction.

 Sugar is the Enemy
Gummy bears are made of a lot of sugar.

Sugar and your Dental Health

Sugar is one of the biggest causes of cavities. Besides, you or someone close to you may have had the experience of toothache after chewing sweets and having remnants in your teeth. The thing is, when you do not rinse sugar remnants out of your mouth, it provides a conducive environment for harmful bacteria to live and grow.

Will Sugar Age you?

Increased sugar levels can have adverse effects on the collagen in your skin. This will naturally result in wrinkles as well as cause spots that can take away the shine of your skin and make you look older than your real age. If you want to avoid fast aging, you probably also want to cut down substantially on your intake of sugar.

Will Sugar raises your chances of Obesity?

It’s easy to link sugar and obesity. We’ve already established earlier that sugar reduces satiety and increases hunger levels. Of course, this increase in hunger levels will compel you to eat a lot more, and this can result in abdominal obesity, especially if they are carbohydrate-rich foods. This obesity can, of course, result in issues like renal disease and heart diseases.

Conclusion
Of course, obviously. We already noted that too much insulin in your blood can make your cells resistant to insulin. When this happens, the pancreas which secretes insulin will lose its ability to emit as much insulin as the body needs. With the less production of insulin, glucose levels get to hazardous high levels. The typical result of this situation is diabetes.

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