A-Z health improvement Articles

Borage oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 essential fatty acid. “Essential” means that the body does not produce the fatty acids on its own and therefore they must be taken in through the diet. Your body uses GLA to produce hormone-like substances (eicosanoids) that support cardiovascular health. GLA also helps maintain cholesterol levels because healthy fats build HDL cholesterol.

Top Health Benefits of Borage Oil

HDL Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol is responsible for moving fat, from storage or plaques, into the liver where processing and excretion of fat occurs. Decreasing fatty build-up in arteries helps to regulate blood pressure. GLA reduces the production of an inflammatory compound called arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid causes pain and inflammation in conditions such as arthritis.

Nerve Functioning

GLA helps to make the sheath (myelin) that surrounds the nerves that conduct messages from the brain to the muscles and organs of your body, performing a similar function to the insulation sheathing of electrical wires. If this protective sheath degenerates (as in MS), a "shorting out" of the message that the nerve is carrying occurs. 

Hormone Function

Since healthy fats play a large role in hormone formation, borage oil can help optimize hormone levels in both men and women. 

GLA supplements are also used to help atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, arthritis, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, PMS, menopausal discomforts, multiple sclerosis and liver cirrhosis.

Borage Oil Supplement Considerations

Borage seed oil contains a significantly higher concentration of GLA than other GLA supplements. Ensure your borage supplement is not processed with heat because it damages the acids and creates free radicals. Some of the damaged fats turn into trans-fatty acids, which are well known for their promotion of cardiovascular disease. 

Cautions & Considerations

It's important to follow labelling directions on the supplement of your choice and to look for a high-quality supplement made from pure, potent ingredients that haven't been heated to high temperatures or refined. Refrigerate all liquid borage supplements and keep capsules away from heat because they can become rancid speak to a knowledgeable team member at your favourite natural health store to ensure you're selecting a trustworthy brand. 

Understanding Obesity

A person is considered obese if their weight is 20% over the normal weight for their age, sex, build and height. Unfortunately, 80 million North Americans fall into this category. Many medical conditions are brought on or worsened by excess weight. They include: joint problems caused by the need to bear excess weight, circulatory disturbances, depression, diabetes, gallbladder disease, heart disease, hernias, hypertension, infertility, kidney disease, sleep apnea and skin infections.

What Causes Obesity?

Yo-yo dieting leads to obesity by making the body more efficient at storing fat and altering normal appetite signals. Emotional factors, such as grief or stress, can contribute to obesity by the use of food as a coping mechanism.

Medical conditions that lead to obesity include:

• Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes
• Hypoglycemia
• Candida 

The use of medications, such as antidepressants, cortisone and oral contraceptives, may cause obesity by increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism. Pregnancy causes weight gain in order to provide nourishment for the fetus and nutrient stores for breastfeeding. It is normal and should not be limited as long as the woman is eating a well-balanced diet. Genetics also plays a role in determining your body type and metabolic rate.

Obesity Support Tips

Diet Support For Obesity

Dietary advice regarding weight loss is plentiful; just go to your local bookstore. The caloric theory states that: If you take in more calories than your body requires, it will store them as fat; if you take in less calories than your body requires, it will metabolize energy stores to make up the difference. The key is to alter your caloric intake by only small amounts and increase your metabolism. Skipping meals or starving yourself actually slows metabolism by signalling to the body that food is scarce. Exercise is essential in order to stimulate the body to burn fat and build lean tissue.

Other theories believe that you can eat as much as you want as long as the food contains less fat and no simple sugars. The diet should also contain vitamins and minerals that are necessary for fat burning, such as vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin E, lecithin and essential fatty acids.

Another theory believes that hidden food allergies can lead to obesity. Irritating food proteins cause small amounts of inflammation, as the body attempts to neutralize the irritants and can downregulate metabolism. Eliminating the most common food allergens, milk, wheat, corn, eggs, chocolate, soy and yeast, can be an important part of weight maintenance in some individuals.

The reason that there are multitudes of weight loss theories is that everyone is an individual, and what works for some will not work for others. The key is to look at the maintenance of normal weight as a lifestyle change, not just as a diet that will be over in a given amount of time.

Lifestyle Support For Obesity

General healthy eating habits and nutritional supplements can enhance weight loss. See a health professional to ensure that there are no medical conditions that are causing you to gain weight. Then detoxify the body to make sure it is working to capacity. Have a positive mental outlook and deal with stress effectively. Start moderate exercise that is maintainable in your daily routine. Remember, healthy weight loss is no more than 2-4 lbs weekly.

Water is a very important nutrient because it flushes waste products from the body and prevents dehydration. Drink 2L of filtered water or herbal teas daily. A large part of your food intake should be whole grains and vegetables because they are rich in nutrients and enzymes, and help to stabilize the blood sugar. Increase your consumption of tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds. Vegetable protein is lower in saturated fat than animal protein. Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein and contain essential fatty acids. These fats actually increase the metabolism of stored fats. Use unrefined, cold-pressed nut and seed oils made from flax seed, walnut, hemp seed and pumpkin seed. Water-soluble fibre, like pectin, psyllium and inulin, is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fibre is an appetite suppressant and binds bile to prevent the reabsorption of fats in the intestine.

Healthy eating involves avoiding lots of food that is easily available in our society. Limit your intake of white flour products, processed foods, junk foods, candies, fried foods, hydrogenated fats, simple sugars and alcohol.

The diet you eat every day affects the results from your exercise. You can spend all day in the gym, but without a proper diet, you won't get the results you seek. Muscles are the biggest energy-burning cells in your body. When they don't get sufficient food, they literally begin to break down. Muscle tissue that is worked without sufficient food will break down its own mass to create energy to burn. This is why low-carb (carbohydrate) diets aren't the answer to those hoping to burn fat and build muscle. Results in the gym start in the kitchen, so let's explore some of the best workout supplements to support your gains.

What Macros Contribute to Muscle Gain?

Carbohydrates are the fuel that muscle cells use to do their work. Protein provides the building blocks the body uses to repair damaged muscle and build more muscle. It is important that you time your intake of these nutrients. This timing will give your muscles fuel during exercise and the building blocks to repair themselves and grow afterward.

Preworkout Supplements: What Are The Best Supplements to Take Before Exercise?

It is generally a good idea to eat a small snack consisting of easy-to-digest carbohydrates before the workout. This can be as simple as eating a piece of fruit. 

As for supplements, there are a number of pre-workout supplement powders available. These often contain essential vitamins and minerals, as well as energy-boosting supplements. These pre-workout supplements also contain nutrients that boost your muscle metabolism, and as long as these nutrients are quickly absorbed, they can help increase your energy as you go into your routine.

It is important to warm up for at least 5 minutes prior to any exercise. This can include a light jog, jumping rope, or doing slow jumping jacks. This gives your body the time to increase your heart rate and promote increased blood flow to your muscles. Blood flow to the muscles is extremely important for nutrient delivery and waste removal during your workout.

Intra-Workout Supplements: What Supplements Should I Take During My Workout?

If you exercise for longer than 2 hours, you should include simple carbohydrates (complex sugars). This will prevent your body from breaking down muscle and to rebuild depleted energy reserves. These carbohydrate boosts are often supplemented using an energy gel or bar.

The average person hitting the gym has very little dietary requirement during their workout. It is generally not necessary to eat during a workout unless it goes on longer than 2 hours. The premise is that your pre-workout snack should cover your energy requirements for the first 2 hours. However, adding the above mentioned carb boost during a workout can interfere with weight loss goals. This includes sugary beverages, even if they claim to be "sport drinks". Excess carbohydrates ingested above and beyond that used for activity are stored as fat in the body.

Fluid intake during exercise is also important to prevent dehydration. In general, it is beneficial to simply drink water during a workout to keep fluids balanced; however, with more strenuous activity, a gentle electrolyte solution may help keep electrolyte levels up as well, which can reduce muscle cramping.

Post Workout Supplements: What Supplements Should I Take After My Workout?

The average person exercising to maintain fitness should eat and drink as soon as possible after a workout. This can simply consist of a healthy portion of protein, complex carbohydrates (starches), and fluid such as water. It's often not convenient to prepare a full meal immediately after a workout. One simple way to get the benefits of the meal, without the work, is to supplement with a protein shake or bar. These protein supplements often contain sufficient protein and carbohydrate to replenish what you lost during your workout. With protein powders, you are mixing it with a fluid, which helps replenish fluid balance as well. If you are using this to replace a meal, you can also try a meal replacement powder, which contains essential vitamins and minerals you may have depleted during your workout.

For those training harder for marathons or endurance events, you should be sure to include a much higher amount of carbohydrates and protein. In general, fat should make up 20 - 30% of your daily caloric intake. Healthy fats are important for health, particularly skin, hair and digestive health.

How Can I Reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)? 

Anyone who has ever done an intense workout is familiar with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is that feeling you get the next day, or even two days following a workout, where your muscles are stiff, sore, and not as strong as they usually are. This is caused by the microscopic damage that strenuous exercise does to our muscles. An accumulation of tiny muscle tears and the buildup of lactic acid from exercise without sufficient oxygen and blood flow causes local pain. If you are having difficulty performing your normal activities the next day, it is generally a sign that your workout was too intense for your current fitness level. When this occurs, it is a good idea to scale back a bit until your fitness level improves, and then gradually increase your intensity over time.

If you are just trying to avoid the slight stiffness and sore muscles of a challenging workout, there are a few supplements that can help, such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) or glutamine powder. Both of these are supplemented prior to a workout to help prevent the problem in the first place.