Archive for the well being Category
Never in a million years did I think I would become a runner.
15/04/2012 by admin.
Never in a million years did I think I would become a runner. Here we are though, four months down the line and I’m still going strong.
I wanted to do an activity that didn’t need any major equipment. I didn’t want to sign up at the gym and I wanted to be able to exercise any time I liked. The answer was staring me in the face. There was a free treadmill right outside my front door.
The problem was, I had often seen runners as if they were from another planet. I saw runners as a strange group of Lycra-lovers, pounding the pavements day after day. Not quite the crowd I wanted to be associated with.
I chucked on my normal trainers and leaving my fears at the front door I took my first step into the cold early spring evening. I broke into a very light jog and I was off.
1. There is no need to buy loads of expensive clothing and equipment when you first start running. At least work out you are going to stick to it before you spend £50-£80 on a pair of new running trainers.
So, I decided to run to the end of the road and back. There was a slight incline but it felt achievable, and it was. I didn’t try to overdo it but I felt out of breath when I got back. The run was about ten minutes max.
2. Start slow. Physiologists believe that any running pace can deliver health benefits. Start slow and take walk breaks.
Going out in the evening was great. I aimed for three times a week. I loved the peace and quiet. How the rhythm of your breathing fell in with your step. It was hard but the endorphins were kicking in and they were giving me such a lift. Before I knew it I was back at my front door.
3. Keep an exercise diary, mark the calendar every time you do a run and for how long. It’s a great motivator.
I did a few calf and quad stretches and I was done. Some nights the job felt easy and others it felt like you were lifting someone else’s legs but you still got the same buzz from it.
4. There is no need to stretch before you run. Stretch after your run or later that same evening. You only need to stretch for 10 – 15 minutes.
So, by chance I found a running partner. They showed me a nice route with a gentle incline, a tough finish but quickly followed by a heavenly downhill return home. Now I feel bad if I don’t run. Not only for me but also for my running partner. I hardly notice the run any more. I’m not sure if I’m getting fitter or whether my running partner is taking my mind off the hard work. Either way it’s good.
I expect some injury but I’m not worried as long as I treat it correctly with rest, ice, compression and elevation. So, now I’m a runner. My kids know I’m a runner and I’m aiming for my first 5km and yes, I just bought some lycra!
Adidas knee support http://www.naturalmatter.co.uk/adidas-knee-support-lxl-25855-p.asp
Adidas ankle support http://www.naturalmatter.co.uk/adidas-ankle-support-lxl-25853-p.asp
CNP Pro Knee wraps http://www.naturalmatter.co.uk/cnp-pro-knee-wraps–22833-p.asp
Manuka Honey Health Benefits
27/02/2012 by admin.
Manuka honey is marketed as the health honey but is it really? What does this magical honey have that others do not and is it as good for our health as manufacturers would have us believe?
Even though its main constituent is sugar there is no question that honey is good for you. Honey is not only a natural sweetener but also has vitamin B6, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin c, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. However, Honey can sometimes carry a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can be dangerous for infants as they have underdeveloped intestinal tracts. Therefore, it is not recommended that you feed honey to a child under one year old.
Honey also has antioxidants, which can help counteract harmful free radicals. Free radicals are unpaired electrons inside our cell’s molecules. The unpaired electron searches for another electron to become stable. It then steals an electron from another stable molecule. Thus producing another unstable electron. This causes a chain of events, which may end up destroying the entire cell. It is thought that Antioxidants neutralise free radicals by donating an electron and therefore halting the destructive process.
In addition to these health benefits, honey is also said to have antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Honey has been used to treat wounds for infection for thousands of years. Recent research suggests that honey may be beneficial in treating some bacterial infections, which have become resistant to certain drugs. It has been suggested that it may be beneficial in treating MRSA.
The antibacterial properties of honey come from the Hydrogen Peroxide produced by the activity of the enzyme Glucose Oxidase. This enzyme, in standard honey, is reduced when light or heat is introduced. The more light or heat the honey is exposed to, the quicker the enzyme will be deactivated. This is where Manuka honey excels. The difference between standard honey and Manuka honey is said to be that Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties are produced from non-peroxide activity. This means that its antibacterial properties are not affected by light and heat and will not be deactivated.
It is easy to identify these Manuka honeys as it has a UMF rating. This means ‘Unique Manuka Factors’. This represents the antibacterial properties of the honey. The higher the UMF rating on the honey, the higher the antibacterial properties will be. These properties will have been independently tested in a laboratory.
Honey is a delicious energy provider with the added bonus of nutrients and antioxidants. If you are looking for something delicious to put on your toast in the morning, standard honey is fine. However, if you are looking for a honey that is not only delicious but retains its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, Manuka honey may be worth the extra cost.
For more information please visit www.naturalmatter.co.uk
Herbal Tea Health Benefits
29/01/2012 by admin.
Have a look at this Herbal Tea Health Benefits page. It lists many herbal teas and their suggested benefits. Herbal teas have been used for centuries to cure minor ailments. Whether or not you believe that they do have specific medicinal benefits, one thing the teas do have is a high vitamin content. Why not substitute your fizzy soda drink or your high caffeine jet fuel for a delicious fruity tea instead. Who knows, they may have those hidden health benefits after all.
For a fantastic range of organic herbal teas, including green tea and fruit flavoured teas visit the natural matter herbal tea page.
Horsetail Herbal Tea
05/12/2011 by admin.
The Horsetail herb has a mild diuretic effect and increases the activity of the kidneys and bladder. It has the ability to rid the body of water. Therefore, it is often found to be an ingredient in many weight loss products.
Other studies have suggested that horsetail has antioxidant properties. Therefore, Horsetail could help the body neutralise harmful free radicals.
The horsetail herb has been used in herbal medicine for centuries . The herb dates back to ancient Greece or Rome when it was used to stop bleeding and heal wounds.
Horsetail contains silicon which is important for bone strengthening. The Silicon helps the body process more Calcium.Therefore, the herb has been linked with the treatment of Osteoporosis.
To enjoy this drink it is recommended that you pour fresh boiling water over the bag. Brew the Horsetail for up to 10 minutes. You do not need to remove the bag from the cup. You can sweeten the drink if required.
We also have Horsetail Plant Juice 200ml.
An alternative is to drink horsetail in a delicious juice. This horsetail juice may help support the urinary system. Horsetail contains plant complexes including many minerals and trace elements. Together these nutrients help strengthen, the skin, hair and nails. However, a more pronounced feature of their interaction is the natural diuretic and anti inflamatory effect it has on the urinary tract system.
Please see more in the Natural Matter health and fitness shop for the entire Floradix range.
Warming Up and Cooling Down
22/11/2011 by admin.
Warming Up
You need to warm up for at least 10 minutes. Your aim is to increase your heart rate slightly and then move onto gaining flexibility. It is good to start with exercises that increase the heart rate so you are slightly warmer when you start your stretches. You are less likely to damage muscles this way.
Exercises that increase the heart rate slightly are gentle jogging, fast walking or jumping. You should feel that your heart rate is slightly raised as you begin your routine.
Exercises which increase flexibility include knee lifting, placing your hands on your hips and making a circular movement, raising and lowering your shoulders, gently tilting your head from side to side to stretch the neck and also gently stretching the back.
stretch mat fitness mat yoga mat
Cooling Down
Cooling down is also a vital part of your exercise routine. You want to return your cardiovascular system to its former level. When you are exercising your body is delivering a high level of blood to muscles. If you stop suddenly this flow continues when it is not needed, this could cause dizziness or even fainting.
Your aim is to cool down slowly and let the muscles cool down at the same pace. If you are running it is good to slow the pace to a walk, if you are weight training it is good to perform stretches of the muscles you have been using. Cool down should last for at least 5-10 minutes. Try to hold the stretches for a longer time than you did when you were warming up. Stretching the muscles you have worked also reduces post workout aches.
Back and Muscle Support during weight training
If you are weight lifting, it may help to wear a back support belt. This helps improve body mechanics and posture, ensuring that the back is supported when lifting heavy weights. Do not wear the belt expecting it to stop injury. It is a support. All support socks and knee braces are meant to support the body. They cannot prevent further injury. Make sure you do not exercise when your body is not 100%
lifting belt weight lifting belt reebok weight lifting belt
For fitness equipment visit www.naturalmatter.co.uk
Warning:- The information contained on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any medical condition. Should you have any medical condition, always consult your doctor, before undertaking any change in exercise or dietary advice.
Exercise can be hazardous. If you use any of the ideas, techniques or suggestions discussed in these documents, all are undertaken at the reader’s sole discretion and risk.
Calipers can help you on your way to a beautiful body.
23/10/2011 by admin.
Do you want to change your body shape? Maybe you want to lose weight or develop more muscle mass? Maybe you’d like both. Whatever your goal, all bodybuilding or weight loss programs are going to take time, so a great way to start is by drawing up a fitness plan.
1. Set a healthy and achievable target weight with a shape up routine that can be easily maintained.
Don’t aim for an unrealistic or unhealthy body shape. Severely underweight people are certainly not healthy. At the other end of the scale, even the most shredded muscular physique cannot be maintained indefinitely.
2. Use body fat calipers to work out your fat and lean body mass ratio or perhaps ask your gym to measure you.
A great way to get your exercise program off on the right foot is to get a set of body fat calipers. This instrument measures your body fat and lean muscle mass ratio. It is important to have an accurate measurement of your fat / lean muscle ratio from the very beginning of your program, rather than relying on the bathroom scales.
Scales are inaccurate because they do not let you know if you have replaced body fat with lean muscle. They give you the same reading regardless of dramatic changes in your body. You may have reduced body fat but replaced that weight with lean muscle. Unfortunately, your bathroom scales are unable to detect that difference. If you attend a gym you could ask them to do this measurement for you, as they will have the correct instruments. When you are training you need motivators to keep you on course. body fat calipers allow you to see any results immediately helping you stay on track.
Check your progress on a monthly basis. This will allow you to see any changes and plot progress. Don’t check yourself any more than this as there are natural changes in the body throughout a period of a month, depending on whether you are retaining water, perhaps from food you have eaten. It is best for females to check themselves after their period has finished due to water retention. Try to stick to the same part of the month when you record your fat/lean muscle mass ratio.
3. Measure four folds of skin with your body fat calipers and work out your body fat/lean muscle percentage by using the table provided with them.
Body fat calipers measure the thickness of a fold of skin. There are 4 places on the body where a measurement should be taken, because of where these places are someone else can help you do this. They are,
· Centre of the back of arm (the triceps)
· Centre of the front of arm (the bicep)
· The back, just below the shoulder blade at a 45% angle.
· The waistline between the hipbone and the naval horizontally.
By recording your fat/lean muscle ratio regularly you can see positive changes in your body that you wouldn’t normally be seen with a set of weighing scales. 4. Work out a diet plan. Remember, you don’t have to starve, just eat the right foods.
5. Work out an exercise routine incorporating stretches, a cardiovascular routine and weight training for all the muscles.
6. Check your improvements on a monthly basis, no more than this. It will encourage you on when you start to lose heart or waver.
7. Stick to it, even if you have a bad few days just start again and you’ll soon be looking and feeling fantastic.
The Health Benefits of Cacao Powder
11/10/2011 by admin.
The seed of the cacao tree, the cacao bean, has had a lot of attention recently due to its apparent health benefits. This sweet tooth alternative is the new super-super food of choice, as it is a fantastic alternative for chocolate lovers and health advocates alike.
Cacao beans are grown and cold pressed. The cacao butter oil is removed after pressing and the cacao cake-like residue is ground into a fine powder.
The powdering process is ‘undertaken in a controlled environment ensuring the temperature remains low, therefore maintaining the nutritional potency. In fact processing Cacao in this way actually increases the health benefits up to 33%.’ - Creative Nature.
Cacao powder is packed with nutrients. The powder has a higher amount of antioxidants than green tea, raw blueberries or any other nutritionally dense food. This has been measured using the ORAC test. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. This test measures how a food can combat the harmful effects of free radicals. (Free radicals are responsible for disease and the aging process). Therefore, cacao beans really are a true super food as they outperform even the top foods on this scale. As well as having an abundance of antioxidants, the Cacao beans have a high amount of Magnesium. Magnesium plays many roles within the body but one important role is to help with the formation of bones and teeth. In addition to this, it assists in the control of blood pressure.
When mixed with fruit or anything with a natural sweetness the chocolaty flavour of the cocoa bean is released. Why not mix it into ice cream to make a truly delicious dessert? Smoothies and shakes taste delicious with the addition of cacao powder. The mouth-watering alternatives are endless. Just use your imagination.
Adding the Cacao powder to diary products does however inhibit the body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in the Cacao powder. So for best results the powder is best uncooked and not added to any diary products.
Try our extensive range of cacao nibs, cacao powder and many more healthier alternatives at www.naturalmatter.co.uk