The Health Risks Associated With The Use Of Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are classed as illegal drugs and are banned by most legitimate sports organizations. There can be no disputing the fact that testosterone boosts the development of muscle mass and aids sporting performance. Equally there is no doubt that its use can adversely affect the health and wellbeing of users.
The androgenic properties of testosterone can affect the body in many ways but often users see these as inconveniences that can be treated by using other drugs. The most common side effects of testosterone supplementation include the following:

1. Testicle shrinkage - the body responds to testosterone overload by reducing its own production of the hormone. This causes the testicles to shrink due to lack of use. When steroid usage stops, the testicles will grow again but they could take at least six months to return to normal size.
2. Addiction - despite some users trying to convince themselves otherwise, the use of steroids can result in physical and psychological addiction. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe with muscle shrinkage, weakness and loss of libido.
3. Growth of breast tissue - this affects roughly one third of male steroid users. It is caused by the conversion of some excess testosterone into the female hormone estrogen. The breasts usually disappear when use of steroids ceases but in some cases they are permanent and may require surgical removal.
4. Baldness and skin conditions - excess testosterone can be converted into DHT, a hair unfriendly by-product that is responsible for male pattern baldness and oily skin.
5. Pain, bruising, infection and scarring may result from careless or incompetent injecting.
Some people have died as a result of steroid abuse and even those who adopt a careful, pragmatic approach have to accept that these health risks are unavoidable. My advice is, follow the natural route and use nutritional supplements to boost the anabolic process.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com [http://bodybuildingadvisor.com] website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice [http://www.bodybuildingadvisor.com/index.html] to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

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Drink Green Tea for the Health of It and How to Make It Taste Better Not Bitter

For most food or beverages I usually say "Have it for your health not for the number of the scale". There really is no true diet or weight loss food. Same applies to green tea.

5 Tips to get the most nutritional benefit from your Green Tea

1. Drink it more often. If you are only drinking green tea on occasion you could be missing out on the daily antioxidant boost you would be getting from drinking 1-2 cups/day.


2. Choose a quality tea. Tea bags are okay but loose leaf teas tend to be a better quality (I can't say this across the board though). Either way stick with the real deal vs processed powders or pre-prepared bottled versions.


3. Brew it at the right temperature. Heat your water until it boils, remove from heat, wait a few seconds to a minute for it to cool a bit, then add your tea bag or loose leaf tea. To be more specific steep your green tea at about 175 degrees Fahrenheit.


4. Brew it for the right time. Brew your tea for 3-4 minutes to get the most out of the tea bag. You can brew less if you want a lighter flavor. Be sure not to over brew or you will end up with a bitter tea.


5. Avoid adding milk. The protein casein in milk may bind with the catechins in green tea making them harder for your body to absorb. However, I do want to mention I am a huge fan of enjoying food and minimizing food rules. If you really enjoy milk in your tea then go for it, especially if it will make you more likely to drink it.

Green tea is very healthy and I happen to enjoy the taste of it just as it is. But many people don't drink it because they simply don't like it. Or they have to doctor it up with too much sugar or additives that they probably aren't really benefitting. Unless there is a significant medical reason, I don't think we should force ourselves to consume anything on a regular basis if we really don't like it. That is why I have developed some delicious Green tea ideas and a recipe below:

Making Green Tea Taste Good

• Be sure not to over steep your tea or you will get a bitter tea. Remember, suggested brew time is 3-4 minutes. Less if the flavor is too strong for you. More than that and it will be bitter.


• If you can't handle tea without a little sweet then simply try to make it less sweet by using less sweetener, whatever that may be. So in other words don't go cold turkey and just cut out the sugar, just try to use less.


• Add a splash of juice to your brewing water to give it a little sweetness.


• Try a flavored green tea


• Add fresh mint. This is one of my favorite! Especially when I am going to turn it into iced green tea. It takes the bitter edge off of the tea and gives it a slightly sweet and very refreshing flavor. My kids beg me for it.

Spiced Apple Green Tea

Ingredients:

1. 2 apples, cored and cut in thin wedges. (Sour varieties work best such as granny smith)


2. 3 lemon slices


3. 2 orange slices


4. 4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half


5. 2 cloves


6. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice


7. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


8. 8 cups water


9. 2-4 green tea bags

Directions:

Put all ingredients, except tea bags, into a crock-pot and cook on high for a few hours. This will also make your house smell warm and inviting. Turn the heat to low. Add the tea bags and allow to steep for 3-4 minutes. Strain (carefully!) into a pitcher or tea pot and serve hot.

Chef's Tips: Mix things up and use this combination with original tea, black tea, white tea, or even herbal teas. I even like to swap the spices for some fresh mint.

Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, Dietitian-Nutritionist and Mindful Eating Coach, helps people create balance in their life and diet so a healthy lifestyle can become habit and stress-free. After losing weight and reversing her own pre-diabetes she has a true passion for helping others live the healthy energetic life they deserve. To access her FREE download 3 Simple Steps to Creating Healthy Meals +BONUS Menus, visit:http://VidaNutrition.com

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The Health Benefits of Magnesium

You are always being told how important calcium or protein or even iron is for your body's health. What is rarely ever brought up is how important magnesium is for your total health. Magnesium has been largely overlooked until the last few years. Researchers and physicians are now beginning to understand what an incredibly important thing magnesium really is.

Magnesium is so vital to our overall wellbeing. It's required for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body and helps so many different parts of the body. Your heart is dependent on it to perform at its peak. Magnesium stabilizes the hearts rhythm and helps prevent abnormal blood clots in the heart. This helps to lower the chance of stroke or heart attack and even aids in the recovery of stroke and heart attack. Magnesium deficiency is one of the causes of irregular heartbeats, mitral valve prolapse, stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure. It is so essential to the heart that the heart cannot function properly without it.

Another problem with magnesium deficiency is depression. As far back as 1996, doctors knew of the connection between magnesium deficiency and depression and a study by Dr. Norman Shealy, neuroscientist and colleague Dr. Richard Cox proved this connection. Out of 475 chronically depressed people, 100% were deficient in magnesium. Amazing correlation. In 2009, a study performed in New Zealand showed the same connection. The "why" of these discoveries has yet to be revealed, but the connection is definitely there.

Not getting enough magnesium also plays a role in problems such as type II diabetes, migraines, muscle pain, glaucoma, osteoporosis, emphysema, pre-eclampsia, asthma and kidney stones. All of these diseases are linked to low magnesium. In the case of fibromyalgia, doctors have begun prescribing magnesium because it has a relaxing effect on the muscles.

One of the main reasons that people may suffer from a lack of magnesium is that, even though it is found in foods like Spinach and other green leafy vegetables, it is never in a large quantity. Because of this, the average person does not get enough magnesium in their diet. The average healthy man should be getting 420mg a day. The average woman should get 320mg a day. Most people aren't even close and get less than half of the recommended daily allowance.

Our diet is the recommended source for magnesium, but because of its small quantities in food, it is suggested that one should take a supplement. Due to the recent discovery of some "store brand" supplements being bogus and full of fillers, name brand supplements are recommended. Additionally, it's best to take magnesium with food as it is digested and has better absorption. Make sure to check if any prescription medications you might be taking blocks magnesium or deplete it in anyway. Your doctor may recommend a larger supplement.

It is imperative to keep your intake of magnesium at the RDA. So many body systems and organs rely on it. Hopefully, magnesium will no longer be overlooked but rather recognized as the essential mineral that it is.

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The Health Benefits Of Saunas Are Surprisingly High

Most of us know that spending time in a sauna raises the internal body temperature and certainly makes you sweat. Sweating makes the pores open and enables the release of the grime that has built up inside of them and it is also thought that it enables the body to flush out alcohol, salt and cholesterol. Researchers also believe that saunas and sweating can help to relieve pain, help to control mood, could help to reduce the risk of kidney stones and could reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 50%.

Fever is actually the body's natural way of fighting off infection by stimulating the immune system and preventing bacteria from growing and spreading. It also makes it uncomfortable for the viruses and bacteria as most need a fairly stable temperature range and level to continue to reproduce. Purely for this reason, it is a good idea to make sure your first aid kit contains a good clinical thermometer. So it makes sense that a sauna which is creating an artificial fever, will be beneficial but research has indicated that they could actually help to save lives.

Results were published recently of a study carried out in Finland over a twenty one year period commencing in the 1980's and involving 2300 men between 42 and 60 some of whom took regular saunas and some who took none at all. The results have shown that the more often the men had a sauna and the longer they stayed in the sauna, the lower their risk of fatal coronary or cardiovascular or sudden cardiac death during the 21 year period.

Those who had two or three saunas a week had a 23% reduction in Coronary heart disease death rates which increased to 48% with between four and seven saunas a week. Similarly the death rate from cardiovascular disease was cut reduced by 27% for those taking two or three saunas a week and 50% for those who had between four and seven. Impressive figures, but when you also look at the risk of sudden cardiac death being reduced by 22% for those taking two or three saunas and 66% for those taking four to seven it becomes quite exciting.

The length of time spent in the sauna also made a difference, the longer the time, the greater the benefit. Those staying in the sauna for 11-19 minutes gained a 7% advantage over those staying under 11 minutes, whilst in excess of 19 minutes produced a 52% reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and similar levels for coronary and cardiovascular heart disease

The research hasn't as yet confirmed why saunas have this effect on life span but as the results have been so positive further studies will be carried out to establish the links. It should be stressed however, that saunas are not advisable for the very young, the very old or pregnant women and anyone with existing health problems should always consult their doctor before taking the plunge.

If you are interested in your health and that of your family and what to do more to look after it, TempIR offers home health care solutions at affordable prices, using the latest technology.

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What Is Worksite Wellness All About? - A Series - The Health Status Concept (Today's Approach)

The various definitions of health status indicate that it can be determined on the basis of both objective and subjective measures. Typically, in the workplace, it is determined on the basis of clinical biometric measures such as BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels and blood sugar level. These objective measures are derived through a process commonly known as biometric screening.

Since health status can involve both objective and subjective data, knowing these different data points is important.

Subjective Data Sources

• Biographical information

• Physical symptoms

• Past health history

• Family history

• Health beliefs and values

• Lifestyle

Objective Data Sources

• Physical characteristics

• Appearance

• Health, lifestyle and other behaviors

• Body systems functioning

• Measurements and screening results

• Results from lab testing

Since there is no standard for health status, it can be based on either objective or subjective data. Generally though, current approaches are focused almost exclusively on the effects of illness and the varying states of ill-health.

How individuals conceptualize their health has been shown to vary as a function of:

• Age and gender

• Social class

• Culture

This means that how they view their health status will vary as well. Given that the conceptualization can vary, it is important to make the assessment about the individual employee as a whole person and not just about their current biometric data. This means that the employee needs to be viewed in the various contexts that can and will influence their health and not just as an isolated individual. An effective health assessment requires a contextual awareness and understanding in addition to observing and understanding any objective measurement and test results.

Despite the worksite wellness community's heavy reliance on objective measures as indicators of health, I found it interesting to read that "self-assessed health contributed significantly to the prediction of mortality, even after controlling for a wide array of objective health indicators." (Wright, 1977)

In his book, Healing Beyond the Body, Dr. Larry Dossey wrote: "Our own opinion about the state of our health is a better predictor than physical symptoms and objective factors such as extensive exams, laboratory tests or behaviors." Dr. Dossey also wrote that how people answer the question "Is your health excellent, good, fair, or poor is a better predictor of who will live or die over the next decade than in-depth physical examinations, and extensive laboratory tests."

The quotes by Wright and Dossey are particularly note-worthy given the worksite wellness community's heavy promotion of workplace biometric screening results as being indicators of an employee's health status. Given that health can be defined in very broad conceptual terms and health status can be very subjective as well, it might behoove the worksite wellness community to take a look at its current approach to wellness being limited to just individual employee health status that is based on biometrics and health risk assessments.

When it comes to the status of an employee's health, the worksite wellness community would be wise to look beyond just the results of biometric screenings.

Resources

Dossey, Larry. MD. 2001. Healing Beyond The Body. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

Wright, Stephen. 1997. Health Status Assessment in Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine. Baum, Andre. Newman, Stanton. Weinman, John. West, Robert. McManus, Chris. (Eds.) New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wellness or Health Status

Employee wellness and wellbeing programs can deliver considerable value to an employer. I invite you to let me help you create your own effective, successful and sustainable program. I specialize in mentoring worksite program coordinators and creating DWY (done with you) employee health and well-being programs. You can contact me at williammcpeck@gmail.com.

This article is brought to you by Bill McPeck, Your Worksite Wellness Mentor. I am dedicated to helping employers and worksite program coordinators create successful, sustainable employee health and well-being programs, especially in both large and small employer settings.

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The Health Benefits of Playing Tennis

It has been called the 'sport for a lifetime.' Perhaps this is because it is an enjoyable game for people of all ages. Another reason may be the sheer number of health benefits that regular players have. In reality, it is probably a combination of the two. Tennis is a remarkable game with varying levels of simplicity and complexity. For the amateur, it is a fun way to spend an afternoon, and for the professional, it is a nuanced art form that requires the player to be on top of their game both physically and mentally. Let's see why this game is so beneficial to a person's health and learn more about the classic game in the process.

What the Studies Found

Medical research has found out some truly incredible things about people who play just an average of three hours of tennis a week. These three hours need to be moderately vigorous in terms of activity. If you play to win, even if you are just out having fun with some friends, then you are doing just fine in terms of effort. In a study conducted by Ralph Paffenbarger, researchers found that three hours of tennis per week reduced a person's risk of death by any cause by 50 percent! This study examined over 10,000 participants over a 20-year period.

Dr. Joan Finn and her team of researchers at Southern Connecticut State University found that players had higher self-esteems and were more optimistic. Additionally, regular participants were less depressed, anxious, and were less tense. A University of Illinois study concluded that, thanks to the high-level of physical exertion and mental strategy required from the sport, regular participation in tennis matches fosters a continuation of brain development even in older patients.

It Is A Lot of Fun and Can Be Done By Anyone with a Racket and Ball

The problem with a lot of sports like hockey, football, and swimming is that they often cost a lot of money to participate in. Tennis can be played anywhere there are courts, and there are public courts all over the country. All you need is a racket and a ball, which are affordable for almost everyone interested in participating. The best part about this game is that you can still play even if you are on your own. All you need in this scenario is a brick wall. You will be able to work your shots, both forehand and backhand, and the ball will return to you every time.

Is it any wonder that this incredible sport is known as the sport for a lifetime? The benefits of participating in only three hours of this game a week are incredible. You won't even notice you are working out!

When looking for a place to pay tennis, Panama City residents visit http://www.baypointgolf.com.

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Aqua Feed Grade Fish Oil Revolutionizing The Health Industry

Every once in a while there are scientific discoveries that revolutionize the various industries and health industry is no exception. For all those who love to pay attention to their health and want to stay strong through proper exercises and dietary supplements, they understand the importance of fish oil for their health. The omega-3 fatty acids found in the aqua feed grade fish oil is the best way to attain good fitness and health levels. Some people take flaxseed or fish oil and in particular the salmon oil.

One needs to be very attentive with regard to what they are getting out of the product they are using. They should be aware of how pure the product is, whether it is industry grade or not, is it contaminated with mercury, what is the processing procedure followed and so on. Also, could it be rancid or could it be doing what it is meant for and how can one be certain? These are some of the pints one should get clear answer to since one cannot afford to play with their health with any sort of low-grade product.

People often get confused when selecting the fish oil. Some people put cold pressed virgin olive oil on a variety of their dishes and even take cold pressed coconut oil and still they are not sure whether they are getting the right amount of nutrients or in particular the right kind of fatty acids that they want. Then they try to experiment by switching from one brand of fish oil to the other depending upon the availability and price. Still, they can't be sure whether they are getting the right kind and amount of fatty acids their body requires. Everybody has different nutrient requirements.

It must be emphasized that it is important to get the worth of your money no matter what product you choose. Depending upon one's budget and availability, one can choose the omega-3 products offered by the renowned companies that are known to develop the world' most authentic and powerful omega-3.

The aqua feed grade fish oil guarantees that the capsules are cold pressed, certified free from toxic contaminants such as PCB's, heavy metals and for that matter other contaminants that might be found in the lower grade fish oils. The aqua feed grade fish oil is obtained from fish that thrive in the thinner zones in clean and sunny environment. They are a rich source of the anti-oxidants that come from the fish. To this oil are sometimes added a potent anti-inflammatory that endure to enhance and improve health.

There are a myriad of health benefits of the aqua feed grade fish oil and so one should not trust their body with anything else. There has been a continuous rise in the general awareness of healthy eating habits. This has led people to incorporate more and more of seafood as part of their regular diet. These have been instrumental in providing long-term health benefits. The most noteworthy among the health benefits of the seafood is that it is beneficial in fighting asthma, various types of cancer, mental illnesses, etc. The aqua grade fish oil is one of the richest sources of natural and purest form of omega-3 fatty acids. One can even consult their dietician to know about the exact dosage before going for the right kind of aqua feed grade fish oil. It is also imperative for the people with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels to know about the right kind of diet that they need. Nevertheless, the pregnant women should also consult their dietician before taking to aqua feed food grade fish oil.

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