Natural Herb or Supplement of the Week - Soy Isoflavones

Many natural remedies have not been approved by the FDA yet have had success with many people. We at Healthy Living are just going to give you the treatment and claims of some of these Natural cures. In the end you have to decide whether it is right for you. Todays supplement is Soy isoflavones .

Soy isoflavones
Soy isoflavones are a group of compounds found in and isolated from the soybean. Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens which are plant-derived nonsteroidal compounds that possess estrogen-like biological activity. Isoflavones bind to estrogen receptors, affecting estrogen-regulated processes, and are therefore referred to as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Soy isoflavones are heterocyclic phenols with structural similarity to estradiol-17beta and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Isoflavones are a unique class of plant flavonoids that have a limited distribution in the plant kingdom and can be physically described as colorless, crystalline ketones. The most common isoflavone compounds are the conjugate, glucoside, and aglucone forms. The most common and important dietary source of these isoflavones are soybeans. Soy isoflavones comprise three main isoflavones and their glycosylated forms. The three main isoflavones are the aglycones genistein, daidzein and glycitein. Their glycosylated forms are called soy isoflavone glycosides which include genistin, daidzin, and glycitin. Isoflavones compounds, such as genistein and daidzein, are found in a number of plants, but soybeans and soy products like tofu and textured vegetable protein are the primary food source.
Health benefits of soy isoflavones
Soy isoflavones have been a component of the diet of certain populations for centuries. Soy isoflavones have estrogenic, antioxidant activity. They may also have anticarcinogenic, anti-atherogenic, hypolipidemic and anti-osteoporotic activities. Soy isoflavones are powerful plant substances chemically similar to the female hormone estrogen. Soy isoflavones can be used alone to treat or
prevent breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer or as mechanism inhibitors. Isoflavones alone may also reduce or prevent various symptoms related to the onset and duration of menopause, including hot flashes and osteoporosis. Isoflavones alone may also be effective in certain cardiovascular applications, including heart disease, reducing cholesterol-lipid levels, modulating angiogenesis, and other vascular effects. Moreover, isoflavones alone have been implicated in reducing headaches, dementia, inflammation, and alcohol abuse, as well as immunomodulation.
Isoflavones acts as antioxidants to counteract damaging effects of free radicals in tissues. Isoflavones may reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer, as well as other cancers. By blocking enzymes thought to contribute to prostate cancer, soy isoflavones may delay or prevent its development. Isoflavones also have been found to have antiangiogenic effects (blocking formation of new blood vessels), and may block the uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancer, most likely by inhibiting the activity of substances in the body that regulate cell division and cell survival (growth factors). The soy isoflavone genistein has been reported to inhibit angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that, when abnormal, can contribute to the development of cancer. Soy isoflavones have also been shown to inhibit 5 alpha-reductase, the enzyme that activates testosterone in the prostate gland and other tissues. Epidemiological studies have shown that populations with high intakes of soya foods, such as those of China, Japan and other Asian countries, usually have a reduced risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and uterus.
Isoflavones can act like estrogen in stimulating development and maintenance of female characteristics or they can block cells from using other forms of estrogen. The mild estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones may ease menopause symptoms for some women, without creating estrogen-related problems. Soy may also be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis. Women approaching menopause who eat isoflavone-rich soy protein are significantly more likely to boost their bone mineral density than women whose diets are low in soy isoflavones. Soy isoflavones may help alleviate hot flashes and night sweats that many women experience during menopause.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adding at least 25 grams of soy protein per day to a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart disease. Soy isoflavones prevent LDL cholesterol from harming the walls of blood vessels by decreasing the formation of plaque in the vessel wall.
Dietary sources of soy isoflavones
Isoflavone concentrations vary among soy products and among different brands of the same product. The highest levels are in whole bean products that have not been highly processed. Although many varieties of vegetables, grains, and legumes contain small amounts of isoflavones, by far the largest quantities are found in soybeans. Roasted soy nuts, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, meat substitutes, soy flour, and some soy protein isolates are also high in isoflavones. The soy germ, found in whole soybeans, is particularly high in isoflavones.In addition, the isoflavones present in soy are available as supplements, in capsules or tablets.
Dosage, intake, recommended daily allowance (RDA)
No formal recommendations for isoflavone intake have been reported. Consumption of isoflavones in Asian countries varies between 25 and 200mg a day. In general, 250ml soya milk or yoghurt, or 50g soya flour, cooked soya beans or textured vegetable protein (TVP) provide approximately 50mg isoflavones. 2 grams of soy protein contains approximately 1 milligram of soy isoflavones. Most isoflavone supplements provide 25-100mg total isoflavones. The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) HAS reported that the consumption of 50 mg/day may reduce cholesterol, 40 to 80 mg/day may strengthen blood vessels and possibly improve blood pressure, 50 mg/day may keep bone health, and 40 to 80 mg/day may reduce hot flashes.
Side effects, overdosage symptoms, interactions
Soy products are generally very safe. Common allergic side effects include stomach upset and digestive problems including constipation and diarrhea. Soy isoflavones have been reported to reduce thyroid function in some people. Soy products may worsen kidney stones, decrease thyroid hormone production, or increase the risk of bladder cancer. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should not use soy isoflavone supplements because of their estrogenlike effects. The phytoestrogen components of soy may interfere with the drug tamoxifen and raloxifene. High intakes of soy protein may interfere with the efficacy of the anticoagulant medication warfarin. A high-fiber diet may interfere with the absorption of soy isoflavones.
source: vitamin and health supplement guide
General Safety Advisory
~The information in this document does not replace medical advice.
~Before taking an herb or a botanical, consult a doctor or other health care provider
-especially if you have a disease or medical condition,take any medications, are pregnant or nursing, or are planning to have an operation.
~Before treating a child with an herb or a botanical, consult with a doctor or other health care provider.
~Like drugs, herbal or botanical preparations have chemical and biological activity. They may have side effects. They may interact with certain medications. These interactions can cause problems and can even be dangerous.
~If you have any unexpected reactions to an herbal or a botanical preparation, inform your doctor or other health care provider

Nutrition Tips: Maximize Your Diet

10 Diet Tips for Faster Weight Loss

Diet is more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss. You have to make sure that you know exactly what the food you are putting into your mouth is going to do to your weight loss progress. Here are 10 tips that you should adopt if you want to make your fat loss a bit faster
10 - Don’t eat before morning cardio

If you are doing your weight loss cardio in the morning then do it on an empty stomach. Of course, you should take some water with you but the less sugar you have in your blood the faster you can start burning the fat cells.
However, if you cannot exercise on an empty stomach because you get light headed then don’t worry. The aim is to boost out metabolism and we can still do that by exercising at any time in the day.
9 - Avoid high carbohydrate foods

High carb foods, especially processed ones, are a really good way to slow down your weight loss. Try to avoid pasta, white breads, rice and so on while you are trying to lose weight quickly.
8 - Cut out all refined sugar

Refined sugar is posion to your body and very bad for your weight loss. You should cut out all foods and drinks that have this substance included in them as it will add pounds to your waist quite quickly.
7 - Eat fruit more often

Fruit will not make you fat. I always tell people this and they still don’t listen to me. Without going into a huge scientific explanation I will tell you that the sugar in fruit is different from other sugars and does not have the same effect on the body. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals and will give you a great boost to your metabolism and long term energy.
6 - Don’t eat within two hours of bed

You don’t burn many calories while you are sleeping so if you eat before bed all the calories are absorbed and stored as fat for later use. If you can do a little bit of exercise before bed and after your last meal you will be surpirsed at how much weight you can lose.
5 - Eat six meals a day every two hours

Eating more often is a great way to speed up your metabolism. Digestion takes up a huge amount of energy and you can burn quite a few calories jusy by processing what you have eaten! This sounds like a good deal to me. Forget three square meals a day, that is old news. If you want to lose weight faster then you should be eating six small meals a day every two or two and a half hours.
4 - Make your portion sizes smaller

Eat your meals on smaller plates or bowls as this will give you the illusion that you are eating a bigger meal . If you are eating more often (as above) then you have to make sure you are not eating the same amount at each meal otherwise you have effectively doubled your calories intake!
3 - More protein

Try and make the percentage of protein in each meal higher by adding a whey protein powder or eating high protein foods like steak, beans and so on.
2 - Don’t eat fat and carbs at the same time

This is pretty obvious. If you take in two of the most calorie dense molecules in at the same time your body is going to have a hard time sorting it all out. Keep your meals high in proteins and natural foods like vegetables and fruits.
1 - Drink more water!

You knew I was going to say it. This is the number one tip you can adopt if you want to speed up your weight loss. Water cleanses your system and supresses your hunger pains. Drink more of it

source:realwomens fitness.com

Circuit Training: Post Workout Recovery

Working out at lunch? Here's how to eat to recover

By Maureen Callahan CookingLight.com

Since squeezing fitness pursuits into an already busy day isn't easy, it makes sense to use the lunch hour for double duty. Work out, then eat. Trouble is, there's not much time for both. So save time by preparing a quick, high-caliber meal the night before.

Three key elements come into play when replenishing the body post-workout: fluids, carbohydrates, and protein.

"It's tough for muscles to work and recuperate when they're dehydrated," says sports nutritionist Jackie Berning, Ph.D., R.D., an associate professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. The best post-workout fluid source is water, of course, but soups, fruits, and vegetables also help hydrate muscles.

Next, muscles need carbohydrates to replace the carbs that were stored as glycogen and used during exercise. "You can fuel muscles on gummy bears, Cokes, and Twizzlers," says Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., senior sports nutritionist at Healthworks Fitness Center in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and author of "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook." Of course, the downside of that sugary strategy is that there aren't any other redeeming nutrition qualities, such as vitamins. Better choices, Clark says, are fruits, legumes, and whole-grain bread products. Not only do these complex carbs replenish muscles, but they're also loaded with fiber and other nutrients. (CookingLight.com: The athlete's pantry )

Clark also likes the fact that many complex carb foods, such as edamame and garbanzo beans, offer carbohydrates and protein in the same package. Preliminary studies suggest that this protein-carb combination may enhance muscle recovery and muscle refueling after exercise more effectively than carbs alone. The final word isn't in, Clark admits, but she sees a lot of advantages to adding protein to a pre- or postworkout meal. "It might optimize the healing of the tiny muscle injuries that happen [normally] while people exercise," she says. "Also, protein is satiating." Lots of people exercise because they want to lose weight, she says, and a little bit of protein at a post-workout lunch may help keep them full so they won't need a snack later. (CookingLight.com: Snacking strategies )

Berning, who has counseled Olympic athletes and routinely teaches sports nutrition to the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Indians, and other sports franchises, says the three-point strategy of carbs, fluids, and protein after a workout basically amounts to a balanced meal. And it doesn't need to be a big production. You could grab a carton of yogurt and a banana, she says. Or make one of these eight quick lunchtime offerings. Just remember, you need to refuel the body correctly in order to reap the benefits of your workout. "I am a proponent of the notion that something is better than nothing," Berning says. "I would rather see someone put together a balanced meal." That way the muscles are refueled and afternoon energy levels stay high.

Replenishment specifics
After an hour of physical activity, here's what your body needs for nutrition.

Fluid: Replace what's lost through sweat. Use foods that are full of fluids (fruits, salads, soups) or fluid alone. Ideally you should drink before and during exercise, too.

Carbs: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends refueling muscles with 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate in the first 30 minutes after an hourlong workout. "If you wait more than 30 minutes, it will take the body longer (about 24 to 36 hours) to refuel muscles," says sports nutritionist Jackie Berning.

Protein: Contrary to popular belief, the amount of exercise you perform during a normal lunch break doesn't increase protein requirements. But protein is satisfying, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, who recommends that exercisers include a little protein at each meal.

Food writer and registered dietitian Maureen Callahan trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She lives near Denver, Colorado.

Source: cookinglight.com

30 Minute Fitness: Accelerated Weight Loss Tips

Accelerated Weight Loss Tips

1.Drink More Water

The human body requires a fresh supply of water every day. Not only is water one of the most abundant nutrients available, but it's also the most important. Water helps regulate and maintain your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen, removes waste products, and moistens your mouth, eyes, nose, hair, skin, joints, and digestive tract. Limiting your water intake can result in dehydration, elevated body temperature, fatigue, decreased performance, and increased risk of heat-related illness. Consume at least ten 12-ounce glasses of water per day. Use the water calculator here to determine your suggested daily water intake based on your weight and activity level.

2.Eat More Protein

A diet that's 30% protein helped 19 overweight people lose an average of 11 pounds, 8 of them fat, finds University of Washington research. Remarkably, the subjects consumed 441 fewer calories per day in 3 months on this regimen than they had during 2 weeks on a 15% protein diet--despite the fact that they could eat as much as they wanted, provided they maintained the 30% protein ratio. This study is the latest to show that protein can suppress appetite in ways that carbohydrates and fats can't, the scientists say, for reasons yet to be determined.

From an article at Prevention.com

Proteins require more energy or calories to digest them because of their density, they also provide the necessary amino acids to build muscle tissue. Because of the food density it tends to keep your hunger at bay longer , making you less likely to impulse eat.

3.Eat Healthy Fats

Before you add on additional, healthy fat, make sure you subtract extra calories from your usual diet or you will gain weight. For most of us, simply eliminating processed foods such as sweets and snacks and substituting nuts, olive and canola oils and including cold water fish, would be a step in a healthy direction. If you are dieting, you may find that the pounds are easier to lose if your diet includes a fair share of healthy fats.

4.Combine cardio and strength training exercise.

When trying to lose weight, study after study shows the highest levels of weight loss coming from combined resistance training with cardio work. Many make the mistake of only doing cardio workouts when trying to lose weight. Although they are very effective they also can leave you drained and weak because to much cardio can tear down muscle. Plus cardio workouts stop their fat burning effect usually within 20 minutes of working out. By adding resistance training into your workout you slowly replace some of the fat with lean muscle (don't worry ladies women, as a whole, can not NATURALLY gain large muscles) to give you a more solid and athletic look. Plus an added benefit is you don't develop the sagging skin pockets as easily because of the workouts. The biggest benefit however however is that the building of lean muscle require the consumption of stored fats to help with the healing process of muscle. This conversion brings up your thermogenic conversion rate to supply the muscle causing you to burn fat for a longer period of time after completion of your workout.

Thus the most effective types of workouts for burning fat and losing weight fast combine both cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Benefiting from the continued burning of calories hours after you have completed your workout.

5.Workout first thing in the morning.

Start your day out right and you'll reap the benefits all day long. Morning exercise will rev up your metabolism, helping you to burn more calories all throughout the day. If you workout before eating your body is forced to use more fat for energy. Ever notice that after you work out for awhile you actually feel like you have more energy than when you were taking it easy?

Many studies show that those who start an exercise routine and follow it in the mornings tend to stick with their routine at a higher rate than those who exercise later in the day.

Of course everyone can't workout first thing in the mornings because of other commitments they may have. If this is the case try to identify a set time to workout each day and try not to vary the routine. The more you create a time specifically for the task at hand, the more likely you will be to complete it.

Hopefully these pointers will help you accomplish your goals, Good Luck and Exercise Smart.

Circuit Training -Sports Drink Information

Whats the difference between Sport Drinks?

Sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electrolytes that provide fuel for muscles, maintain blood glucose levels, and quench your thirst. They help prevent dehydration as well as hyponatremia (insufficient sodium).

Don’t confuse sports drinks with beverages that are marketed as energy drinks. Energy drinks shouldn’t be used during exercise — they’re too highly concentrated in carbohydrates, have a lot of caffeine and may contain questionable herbal and other ingredients.

When to use sports drinksIt’s wise to consume a sports drink if you exercise continually 90 minutes or longer. Competitive athletes need a sports drink sooner. In these longer sessions, you must not only stay hydrated, you also need to replace sodium and sugar, which you lose through sweat and exertion.

Some sports medicine experts say that exercise suppresses your thirst mechanism. The sodium in sports drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade and All Sport stimulates your need to drink. However, there are other brands that claim to offer extra ingredients to enhance performance — and these added ingredients often turn out to be useless or even dangerous.

The risks of energy drinksSports medicine experts advise you to be cautious with energy drinks that claim to boost your strength and endurance. These drinks aren’t regulated or standardized, so it’s hard to know what you’re getting. You’re better off eating a healthy diet and staying well hydrated during exercise.

Consider these points if you choose energy drinks:
1- Many of these beverages are high in carbohydrates and contain excessive amounts of caffeine and other stimulants.
2- Some of them contain amino acids, protein and other ingredients in such small amounts that they won’t do you any good.
3- Some ingredients may interfere with medications.
4- Drinks that contain risky herbs such as ephedra could be life-threatening.
5- Depending on their ingredients, some energy drinks may be dangerous when combined with alcohol.
6- Some contain substances that may prevent you from properly absorbing nutrients and cause intestinal problems.

Remember that no beverage can replace getting enough sleep, training properly and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Information from Mayo Clinic

Nutritional Facts

Here is a good article that gives you a pretty good run down on Carbohydrates, Proteins, and fats. With all the crazy things we here about the different fats and what carbs and proteins actually do, maybe this will help you get it organized in your thoughts.

This one was found posted on an article board on the net.

Fat Facts: a brief review

With all the confusing dietary information available these days, it's helpful from time to time to get back to a few nutritional basics. Here we look at types of fat, and examine the role of each in our daily quests for healthier eating.

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats supply 100% of the energy we absorb from food. They are interchangeable in terms of the type of energy each supplies--but fats have over double the energy content: nine calories per gram versus four for proteins and carbohydrates. And they very much differ in how quickly they supply that energy: carbohydrates are the quickest, and fats are the slowest. Because fat is the most energy-efficient form of food, the body stores excess energy as fat. An excess of only 200 calories a day for 10 days will result in a weight gain of nearly half a pound, mostly as fat. This fat is stored in the abdomen and under the skin--but also within blood vessels and organs, where it blocks blood flow with often devastating results. The positive side of this is that a small reduction in fat saves far more calories than the same reduction in carbs or protein, and therefore might be viewed as a shortcut to weight loss. Of course, the main reason to reduce fat in your diet remains to lower cholesterol, the artery-clogging substance used to move fatty acids around the body.

It's widely understood that not all fats are bad. Still, this can sometimes be hard to remember when we, say, pick up a can of cashews in the supermarket and read with concern that there are 14 grams of fat in a one-ounce serving. Matters are further complicated when it turns out some of this fat is "bad fat"; the nuts were not dry-roasted but cooked in cottonseed oil. So what should we look for if we want to reduce bad fats and increase good ones in our diets?

Monounsaturated fat is the fat we refer to as "good fat." It is found in foods like canola oil, dry nuts, and avocado. Up to 20% of one's total calories can come from this type of fat. There's evidence that this fat can contribute to weight loss and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fat, which is found, among many other foods, in salmon, tuna, and mackerel, is the next-best fat. Up to 10% of our caloric intake can come from this type of fat. In our cashew example, nearly 10 of the 14 fat grams in a serving come from unsaturated fats (and mostly monounsaturated). Now the nuts are starting to look like a healthy snack.

Trans fat, which the FDA now requires manufacturers to list in the Nutrition Facts section of their products, was once thought to be okay but now is clearly recognized as an artificial food product to be avoided. These are the fats in many processed foods, as well as sweets like cookies and cakes. They are created when hydrogen is added to unsaturated oils to produce a solid fat. Ingredients like "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" indicate the presence of trans fat and should send off warning signals that the product is not a healthy choice.

Saturated fat is the fat from animal products, and is found in foods like meat, whole milk, whole-milk cheese, and butter. Meat is by far the best source of protein, and therefore lean cuts in moderate 3- to 5-ounce portions can be part of a healthy diet for those who exercise regularly. Still, look for ways to reduce saturated fat from your diet; for example, reserve fried foods as a special treat or eliminate them altogether.

There are a variety of food choices that are always a good idea. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and most nuts contain no cholesterol or saturated fats. Furthermore, fibrous foods like citrus fruit, strawberries, beans, and oatmeal lower cholesterol by binding fats in the intestine. Add these whole foods to your diet in liberal quantities.

There has been continued controversy over the value of carbohydrate for a number of years. It bears repeating that carbohydrate, which is a vital nutrient for distance runners, does not in and of itself cause weight gain. It is an excessive caloric intake that causes weight gain. That said, refined carbohydrates in large amounts can have other effects, such as causing many people to feel an energy surge at lunchtime followed by lethargy in the afternoon. Enter glycemic index (GI), and glycemic load (GL). GI refers to how rapidly a food converts to glucose in the blood; GL refers to how much carbohydrate it contains in the first place. The trouble with white rice or potatoes is that they have a high GI and GL, without the fiber. A food like corn has a fairly high GI, but you're benefiting from the whole grain, which is also slowing the rapidity of the food's conversion to sugar.

Viscous fibers like pectin, guar, and oat bran can delay stomach emptying and delay absorption of food. Even fat with a meal can delay gastric emptying. It's not that the index of the particular food changes, but rather that it acts differently when in a mixed meal. Because whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are absorbed more slowly, they don't disrupt your blood sugar and insulin levels nearly as much--and can help you feel even-keel and perhaps fuller longer--as foods with high GIs that provide a quick but short-lived energy spike.