Exercise

You know, the idea behind weightloss for so many people is removing a particular food group from their diet

And that food group that has suffered a lot is carbs.

You know, the advent of the keto-diet, Atkins diet, and other “ low carb diets” can make you question the health benefits of carbs in our body and even label carbs as “bad”.

Lets do that same explanation on how carbs affect weightloss and why you get to lose weight easily when you take off carbs

So, what are Carbs?

Basically, carbs are one of the three macronutrients that form a major part of our diet. Other macronutrients are protein and fats. All these macronutrients provide the body with energy usually measured in calories.

There are basically 3 types of carbs found in food and they are:
1. Refined Carbs: these type of carbs have been processed, and during the processing, some vital nutrients especially fibre has been removed, leaving just sugars. It is very easy for these types of carbs to spike your blood sugar and lead to other complications Examples include some breakfast cereals, white flour, pastries, snacks, sodas.

2. Dietary Fibres: also a type of carbs which aids easy digestion and help reduce blood glucose spikes. Examples include leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, ugwu,tete etc.

3. Starch: also found in plants and slowly release energy to the body throughout the day. Examples include potatoes, yam, plantain, whole wheat or white bread, brown or white rice.

These foods also contain varying amounts of dietary fiber which could provide extra health benefits.

Can Carbs make you Fat?
Whatever food consumed in excess would definitely lead to fat gain over a long period of fat. Whether it is from carb, protein or fat source. Each of these macronutrients contain calories.

Why do I lose weight when I cut Carbs?

1. You shed water weight
so many times when people put off so much weight over a short period of time, what happens is that they just lost water weight.
Now that sounds weird, but let me explain.

The body stores arbs in the liver as glycogen, and each gram of glycogen is stored with 3g of carbs. So, when you continue to cut out carbs, what you are doing is cutting out the glycogen store with water, not necessarily fat. Ever noticed that the weight comes back when you add carbs back?

That is because the process is a reversible one.

2. You’re on a Calorie deficit diet
Cutting out carbs means cutting out a source of calorie to the body, that will obviously lead to weight loss. Ideally if 500kcal is removed daily from the diet, it will lead to 0.5-1kg loss in weight, so you’re on a calorie deficit, you must lose weight.

The bad thing here is that this might in turn lead to muscle mass loss.

What’s the best approach to Weight-loss?
Sustainability over a long period is very important when trying to shed some pounds or when adopting a “diet”.
The best approach is to adopt a lifestyle that suits you. Calorie deficits, exercise regimes, and lifestyle modifications all go hand in hand to help lead a healthy lifestyle.

The weight loss approach should not be ‘all or nothing’, strict, rigid, or a quick fix. It should be what you can live with over a very long period of time.

Summary
Losing weight isn’t a do or die affair, you don’t need to take out any food group to achieve that, we could always work together and attain your desired/ideal body weight.

Sources:
https://paleoleap.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-water-weight/
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a26361054/water-weight/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7332312/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320603#ways-to-lose-water-weight
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/#:~:text=In%20the%20absence%20of%20carbohydrates,%2C%20you’ll%20gain%20weight.

OVERVIEW
Ever felt a reddish and tender pain on your big toe or even both?
If yes, then you should go through this article.
Gout is a type of arthritis that forms as a result of formation of crystals in and around the joint.
It is actually the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. It affects one join at a time (especially the joint at the big toe).
Gout is actually an ancient disease; the Egyptians actually noticed it first.
Gout mostly occurs when there are excess amounts of uric acid deposited in the urine and kidneys.
There is no cure for gout, but it can be managed effectively with the right approaches.
It is most common in the big toe, and is also common in the mid foot, ankle, and knee

WHAT SYMPTOMS SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR?
Acute gout flare mostly come as a rapid onset of pain at the site of the affected joint followed by warmth, swelling, reddish discoloration, and marked tenderness.
Sometimes most people, the pain is so intense that even if a paper touches it, you feel so much paper.
Symptoms in the affected joint(s) may include:
• Pain, usually intense
• Swelling
• Redness
• Heat

CAUSES
the accumulation of uric acid known usually as hyperuricemia is the cause of gout. When this happens, uric acid crystals are formed then they build up in joints, fluids and tissues.
What increases your chances for gout?
You’re more likely to develop gout If the following is present:
• Being male
• Being obese
• Having certain health conditions, including:
• Congestive heart failure
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Insulin resistance
• Metabolic syndrome
• Diabetes
• Poor kidney function
• Using certain medications, such as diuretics (water pills).
• Drinking alcohol. The risk of gout is greater as alcohol intake goes up.
• Eating or drinking food and drinks high in fructose (a type of sugar).
• Having a diet high in purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. Purine-rich foods include red meat, organ meat, and some kinds of seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna.

ARE THERE POSSIBLE TRIGGERS?
Sometimes these crystals might not go into your joint cavities, and sometimes they might. Possible reasons why they would include:
• a knock or injury to the joint
• an illness that may make you feverish
• having an operation
• having an unusually large meal, especially a fatty meal
• drinking too much alcohol
• dehydration
• starting urate lowering therapy, especially at a high dose, or not taking your treatment regularly each day.

ARE THERE TREATMENT OPTIONS?
Oh sure!
With self-management and medications, gout can be effectively treated. You can achieve this If you:
1. Manage the pain of a flare: Treatment for flares consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, steroids, and the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine
2. Get physically active: every minute of activity counts. It is at least better than doing nothing. It is recommended that you do at least 15 minutes of physical activities daily.
3. Eat a healthy diet: foods high in purines are most commonly the triggers for gout flares. Avoiding them could totally help to alleviate pains and soreness in gout. Foods that has high levels of purines includes red meat, seafood like shellfish, limit the intake of alcohol or totally give it up.
4. Protect your joints: low impact types of exercises which won’t lead to joint injuries are preferred. Swimming, bicycling and skipping are actually very good options for exercises.

SOURCES: https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/ss/slideshow-gout
https://www.hss.edu/conditions_gout-risk-factors-diagnosis-treatment.asp
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gout/
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/gout/

 

As you may have heard, the body builds its muscle from amino acid (they are known as building blocks) . However, some athletes believe that when they consume protein supplement (such as casein or whey protein), their bodies build more muscles. This is untrue. Working those muscles is what builds them! Getting adequate protein for protein synthesis in the body is very important but taking too much of it does not make the muscles grow any bigger or faster. This is especially true when the muscles are not exercised adequately and regularly. As you might have heard, “use it or loose it, pal”.
Let me breakdown what happens when too much protein is being ingested.

The body uses the surplus to replace normal daily loss from growth, healing and other anabolic activities. Any excess protein available is either stored as fat or excreted in the urine as either urinary nitrogen or creatinine. Available research has also revealed that an excessive intake of these protein supplements could stress the livers and kidneys (the organs responsible for protein synthesis).

However, we dietitians recommend getting required amino acids such as arginine and glutamine from your diet. Foods that are rich in these amino acids include milk, nuts, eggs, chicken, lean beef and pork and turkey. This would ensure that you consume them alongside other important nutrients.

Therefore a person can grow fat by eating too much protein and not muscles. Exercising your muscles make them bigger. Stop gulping protein supplements if you are not going to work those things!

Even More Tips for Better Sex

If pushups, crunches, and deadlifts aren’t your idea of a sweaty good time, you’ve still got plenty of exercise options to help keep things steamy.

Pick your pleasure: 

Rather walk, swim, or jog? How about Pilates or yoga? Maybe you prefer biking or skiing? Great, because Paul Frediani, fitness coach and co-author of Sex Flex: The Way to Enhanced Intimacy and Pleasure , says “barring any health problems, cardiovascular exercise of any kind is a great way to stimulate your sex life”. Now trust me, enjoying the stuff you do helps relieves you of the stress of the activity, makes you look forward to it and enhances it’s benefits.
But you’ll want to avoid the weekend warrior syndrome to get the most out of exercising. Th.s means you have to exercise more than just on weekends to reap full benefits. Aim for a 30-minute workout five times a week. Get your blood pumping regularly and the payoff is simple: endurance, more strength to hold positions, and the flexibility to hold them comfortably. Now that’s sexy. *wink*

Bonus: Better Erections!
Wowza!

You may already be sold on the benefits of exercise, but here’s a bonus free of charge. Exercise may also help beat erectile dysfunction. One study showed that, for men over 50, being physically active means a 30% lower risk of erectile dysfunction as compared to men who are sedentary. Studies also show a strong link between obesity and erectile dysfuncton.
In addition, people who exercise often have a better body image than people who don’t. This can help them feel more sexually appealingnt and confide. One study found that “80% of men and 60% of females who exercised two to three times a week felt their sexual desirability was above average,” Weil says. Exercise could also help produce more muscles, which in turn increases testosterone production and sex drive.

Practice! Practice!! Practice!!!

If you’re not lasting as long as you’d like in bed, you might need some practice. While sex is the best way to practice for sex, masturbation can also help you improve your longevity.
However, how you masturbate could have detrimental effects. If you rush through it, you could inadvertently decrease the time you last with your partner. The secret is making it last, just like you want to when you’re not alone.

Dietary Management of Sexual Dysfunction

Certain foods can also help increase blood flow towards those parts you want them most. They include:

Onions and garlic: These foods may not be great for your breath, but they can help your blood circulation.

 

 

Bananas: This potassium-rich fruit can help lower your blood pressure, which can benefit your important sexual parts and boost sexual performance.

 

 

Chilies and peppers: All-natural spicy foods help your blood flow by reducing hypertension and inflammation.

Nutrients that can help you achieve better blood flow:

Omega-3 acids: This type of fat increases blood flow. You can find it in salmon, tuna, avocados, and olive oil.

Vitamin B-1: This vitamin helps signals in your nervous system move quicker, including signals from your brain to your penis. It’s found in pork, peanuts, and kidney beans.

Eggs: 

High in other B vitamins, eggs help balance hormone levels. This can decrease stress that often inhibits an erection.

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/male-sexual-performance.Accessed 27th July, 2016.

http://www.askmen.com/dating/love_tip_250/287b_love_tip.html

http://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercises-better-sex. Accessed 27th July, 2016.

Hamilton, L.D., Rellini, A.H., & Meston, C.M. “Cortisol, sexual arousal, and affect in response to sexual stimuli” Journal of Sexual Medicine 5 (2008): 2111-18.Accessed 27th July, 2016.

Ojanlatva, A., et al. “Sexual activity and perceived health among FinnisAccessed 27th July, 2016.h middle-aged women.” Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 4 (2006).Accessed 27th July, 2016.

McNamara, E., Alfred-Thomas, J., & Freedland, S.J., “Exercise Correlates to Higher Sexual Function Scores in a Cohort of Healthy Men” (paper presented at the 105 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association, 31 May 2010).Accessed 27th July, 2016.

His and Her Heath. ” Smoking, Lack of Exercise Impacts Sexual and Urinary Function .” Accessed 27th July, 2016.