HealthStatus - How is your health? » Volume 107

Counting Calories

HealthStatus — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:54:25 +0000

Many people think that when they decide it’s time to lose weight, they have to count every single calorie that touches their lips. This really isn’t necessary. In fact, it could become quite tedious and cause you to give up.

So how do you know how many calories you’ve taken in during a 24 hour period? Estimate! Count portions instead of each individual calorie. This is where effective meal planning comes in!

When you know approximately how many calories are in that piece of bread and 2 ounces of tuna, you can have a general idea of how many calories you’re consuming when you eat a tuna sandwich.

If you insist on tracking all of your calories, you’ll have to be diligent about reading labels and eating only the portions that the label gives calories for. You’ll also have to carry around a small notebook to jot down what you’ve eaten so you can assign a calorie value for reference.

A much easier way might be to utilize a spreadsheet that lists your planned meals along with their caloric content. Be sure to include other particulars such as protein content, carbs, and fat grams as well. Then print it out and post it on your refrigerator to give yourself something to aspire to.

Body Building Diet

HealthStatus — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:36:35 +0000

In body building, your diet is one of the most effective weapons you can have if you want to achieve maximum potential. Diet is so important to the body builder as it not only supplies the body with the energy needed to perform your exercises as well as giving you the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A good body building diet will include a lot of protein. It is critical for building muscle, losing fat, and contributing to the overall health of our tissues and organs. You should be consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight. Body builders should increase that amount to a gram and a half per day. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, and milk.

Carbohydrates should also be a big part of the body building diet. Carbs are a major source of the fuel our body uses for activity. You should include complex carbohydrates in your diet through starches and fiber. That means eating pasta, whole grain rice, and whole grain breads as well as potatoes.

Believe it or not, fats are also an important part of a body building diet. Our bodies need fats to function correctly and efficiently. They are an energy source for the body and regulate most of our bodily processes.

Achilles Tendon Injury

HealthStatus — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:33:35 +0000

The Achilles tendon is one of the largest tendons that anchor muscle to bone and certainly one of the most vulnerable. The Achilles tendon attaches proximally (closest to the head) to the end of the calf muscles and distally (furthest from the head) to the calcaneous or tip of the heel bone. Movement of the foot from pointing to flexion requires the use of the calf muscles and therefore the use of the Achilles tendon.

The tendon was named after a mighty Greek warrior and one of the hero’s in Homer’s Iliad. In an attempt to make her boy immortal she held him by his heel and dipped him in the river Styx. Everything the water touched was invulnerable but what remained dry was not.

Identification and Diagnosis

The Achilles tendon bears the brunt of the force of pushing off against the ground in running and jumping, or pushing against the pedals in biking. But you do rely on this tendon every time you move your foot. The tendon is most often ruptured or torn during an explosive action requiring eccentric force – such as when jumping or starting to sprint.

First there is a pop or a snap and then comes a sharp pain in the lower leg and heel that makes it impossible to walk. In fact it is impossible to walk if the rupture is complete because the calf muscle is no longer attached to the heel and can’t move the foot.