While most ergogenic supplements have similar effects on both men and women, several nutritional supplements can be used for more female specific concerns.
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| • | Menstrual Cycle |
| | Studies have shown that nutritional supplements have positive effects on several perimenstrual problems including premenstrual syndrome (PMS), painful periods or dysmenorrhea, fluid retention and bloating, and fibrocystic breast disease. |
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| • | Anemia |
| | Iron deficiency anemia is a common problem with women of child bearing age. Women who exercise, because of the increased need for iron and other nutrients, are even more prone to developing anemia. It's important for all women to take a good vitamin and mineral supplement as a safety net against developing anemia. This supplement should contain not only iron, but also other nutrients that are commonly deficient, such including folic acid, B12 and zinc. |
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| • | Osteoporosis
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| | Calcium is the usual suspect when we talk about bone health. However, although calcium is important so are other nutrients including vitamins, minerals and fiber. |
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| • | Infertility (Eating to Conceive) |
| | Poor nutritional status can be a deterrent to getting pregnant. Although there are few studies looking at the effects nutritional supplements on fertility, correcting deficiencies in folic acid, zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 with nutritional supplements may be part of the solution. |
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We'll cover these and much more in later articles. Also when we cover various nutritional supplements I'll be sure to highlight any differences in effects between men and women.
Don't go to bed with makeup on. Makeup left on overnight seeps into your pores, clogs them, and congests your skin. Make sure that you wash your face twice at the end of the day. Once to get the makeup off. A second time to wash the skin itself.
* Exfoliate daily. After washing your face at night, be sure to exfoliate. Use a delicate scrub. If you don't have one on hand, a tablespoon of sugar or oatmeal will work just fine.
* Use facial masks regularly. If possible, everyday is ideal. Again, if you don't have one on hand, make your own. Mashed banana or avocado is good. Plain yogurt also works well.
* Keep a treatment and moisturizer on your face, day or night. Put your skin first. After you wash it at night, put on some kind of skin treatment, whether it's alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin A or C, or any kind of special cocktail treatment. Let that sink in, then put a moisturizer over that. In the morning, do the same.
* Don't use the cheapest or most expensive cosmetics. Mom tells me that moderately priced cosmetics are the best. They get the job done, and the ingredients are usually pretty good. You have to keep trying various brands until you find something that works well for you.
* Hydrate your face throughout the day. Whether it's a commercial product, or one you make yourself (fill a spray bottle with distilled water, add a few drops of chamomile or rose essential oil, shake it gently before each use, and spray it on) hydrate your face, even over makeup, frequently throughout the day.
* Treat your face gently. Never pull, tug, or scrub your facial skin. Be very gentle when you clean it, moisturize it or makeup on it. This will lessen the chance that you'll damage your skin and get wrinkles.
* Keep your face covered when you're in the sun. As beautiful as she is, my mom never lets anyone see her face when she's in the sun. She'll slather on a high factor sunscreen, put on sunglasses, and a wide brimmed hat.
* Eat fresh foods and drink lots of water. My mom tells me to stay away from "dead food" food that's basically not fresh. She always eat lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, and drinks tons of water.
* Let go of stress. Stress can show up on your face, no matter how well you take care of your skin. Do something your enjoy everyday, whether it's watching TV or going shopping. Your face reflects what's going on inside of your mind.
The attraction between men and women is actually instinctual by nature. The instinct to join together with the strongest and fittest is in our genes, passed down to us from the early humans who struggled for daily survival. These early humans learned that by aligning themselves with the fittest among them, meant better odds of survival for each. This also meant that procreation could take place ensuring the continuance of human lineage, and with time, this knowledge was incorporated into the genes passed from one generation of related humans to another generation.
The women of today are so attracted to fit men because fitness signals that a man cares about his health, and fit men give off other signals that women find very attractive. Women want to be closer to men they feel offer them protection from the people and things that can hurt them. Fit men can offer physical strength to overcome the harmful obstacles that might otherwise cause serious harm to a woman. Women find the obvious physical prowess that fit men possess very attractive. Fitness is said to signal the high virility and sexual abilities of men. It is true that the fitter you are, the better your sexual experiences are. Being fit provides a man with the stamina he needs to fully satisfy his partner and also increases his own sexual pleasure. If you need motivation to begin exercising to become fitter, learn more about how your fitness level affects your sexual performance and pleasure.
Women are also attracted to fit men because their fitness level also signals the existence of character traits and abilities that are very attractive such as, determination, dedication, goal setting, working hard, and achieving success. If a man takes the time to get fit and then keep fit, this is usually a signal of how he goes about everything else, including his work and personal life. Having these traits as well as being fit puts men at the head of the pack in careers, and their earning potential is much greater. This displays financial health which is very attractive to women, and it can also signal financial security to a woman considering marriage. Financial security is an important concern to many women.
Women are attracted to fit men because fit men enjoy better health and are more active as they age. Women want to be with men who are fit because there is less chance of them developing the serious health conditions that so often cause early deaths, and a woman wants a man who is as active and as ready for adventure as she is.
The Bosu is one of the most brilliant fitness equipment inventions. The word “Bosu” stands for “both sides up.” This domed shaped product look like half of a stability ball. It can be used either on the dome side or platform side. The Bosu can be used for abdominal exercise, leg exercise, upper body exercise and flexibility exercise. Unlike the stability, you can safely perform squats and lunges while standing on the Bosu. The company recently created a smaller version of the Bosu that is suitable for home exercise.
Because of its versatility, the Bosu is favorite training product for the US Ski Team, as well as other athletic teams. In fact, Peter Twist, sport-conditioning specialist for the Vancouver Canucks, has developed a set of six bosu sport videos:
- Bosu for Football
- Bosu for Golf
- Bosu for Hockey
- Bosu for Skiing/Snowboarding
- Bosu for Tennis
- Bosu for Soccer
The Bosu can be used in conjunction with weights or exercise tubes and bands. You can also perform aerobic exercise, Pilates and back care exercises. The Bosu website features a variety of exercises that can be performed on the Bosu, as well as videos and other products to purchase.
Exercise balls are probably the one of the most economical, portable and versatile forms of home exercise equipment. They are also referred to as stability balls, fitballs, balance balls and gymballs. Prices range from $10-$40, depending on the quality. The higher priced balls usually have a burst resistant property. Working out on an exercise ball requires active deep core muscles. This makes them excellent for developing the balance needed for athletic performance enhancement.
Virtually every body part can be exercised on the ball; abs, glutes, legs and upper body. Resistance tubes can be used in conjunction with the ball for added challenge. Some people even perform their weight training exercises on the ball. Many people sit on a stability ball when they are working at their computer in order to promote better postural alignment. The balls are inflatable and deflatable, which means that you can take them along on vacation!
Although there are many types of abdominal exercise equipment on the market, nothing beats the stability ball for activating the deeper abdominal muscles, thus providing a superior workout to anything that can be done on a traditional machine.
By Janjua
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