Staying In Motion

We do a lot of sitting around and that is mainly a consequence of our work; we are mentally extremely busy, but physically not much at all. Therefore, we do not need many calories and have to be mindful not to eat more then we burn, because that equates in weight gain.

I recently found out that there are more negative aspects to sitting down too much; it can and eventually will mess with our blood sugar levels. Being physically active means using muscles and the muscle cells need glucose to be and stay in motion.

When being inactive, this glucose is not used and when it stays in the blood too long it causes an increase of levels of AGEs which are dangerous compounds that will lead to extensive damage to nerves and blood cells.

Another consequence is that some of the sugar which remains in the blood stream is converted into body-fat. The cells of this fat produce chemicals which will affect your immune system, because it leads to a decreased resistance to insulin and inflammation. In other words; it's a health hazard.

This all sounds pretty scary, but we can do something about it by watching our diet and incorporating exercise. Just going for a walk will already take care of both the unburned glucose and calories and when you find yourself sitting down more often then not, you better get in gear. It sure sounds like we need to give our treadmill a good work-out. Grin.

We all need a day to rest, relax, to refuel and recharge. There is nothing against that after a week of hard work and there is a special day for doing so; the day God appointed!

Genesis 2:3
Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Maintaining Muscle Mass

The awareness that exercise needs to be incorporated into my day was already present for a long time. No, I haven't succeeded yet, but that is mainly due to a lack of determination, commitment, and gumption on my part.

That may be about to change since I recently learned that muscle mass steadily decreases as we grow older. That is a scary thought and I certainly don't want that to happen. I like to keep the strength I have now, but I also know I can not participate in an Extreme Body Workout as a result of my RA.

It doesn't mean though that I can not do any workout at all. Even the most intense exercise programs like the 90 Day Review have several movements in them which I can take part in and that are easy on the joints. I just have to be realistic and diligent in my choice.

The goal is to increase my stamina, at least maintain my muscle mass, and keep my muscles in a good and healthy condition. I certainly don't have any aspirations for ending up with a Beach Body; I just want to be able to play with our grandchildren without constantly being out of breath and ending up with stiff and sore muscles!

This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance.

Causes Of Fatigue Part 2

Some other causes which might lead to fatigue are infections and other conditions which are not immediately obvious, like Fybromyalgia for instance, or poor functioning adrenal glands.

The latter is usually a result of being under stress for a long time which eventually wears out the glands and results in fatigue. Taking vitamin B5 and C, as well as meditation and exercise should help getting them back on track, but in case of an underlying infection or disease, you better see a doctor.

Did you know that fatigue can be brought on by what you eat? You may be sensitive or intolerant to a certain type of food and you may not even be aware of it. The person to see for finding out is either a dietitian or an internist.

Obstructive sleep apnea may be the culprit for not catching enough and recuperative hours of Z's at night. The solution to this problem depends on how severe the sleep apnea is and there are several methods for solving it. A night at a Sleep Study Center is required to determine what the best option is.

Interrupted and/or insufficient sleep is usually the most common cause for fatigue. Worries or stress may keep you from falling asleep quickly and waking up several times at night are not helping either.

When you know the culprit, you may be able to do something about it, but when it is out of your hands, it is best to give it to God. There is no better place for it to be and you can rest assured!

Proverbs 3:24
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

On The Spot

Over the past years, I have noticed that after having been in the sun for even just the smallest amount of time, all kinds of dark spots and freckles appear on my skin. They pop up so fast it is not funny and I contributed it to getting older.

I was right on the money with that assumption, but what I was unaware of was the fact that it is a consequence of sun damage. Since the skin is aging, it is no longer able to protect us as well as it used to from the sun's UV rays and that results in a blotchy appearance.

It is nice to understand where they are coming from, but it is even better knowing what to do about them. One of the things is avoiding the sun as much as possible. That is not always possible and it only works as a prevention to keep more sun spots from showing up and not as a cure for the existing ones.

A good, safe solution which will take care of these spots is using Luminaze. This skin-friendly product works only on the melanin, out of which the age spots exist, and ensures they will quickly vanish into thin air. In other words; it works on the spot!

An Introduction

We would like to introduce you to our newest grandson: Levi Michel Christiaan who was born on January 23rd and is the first child to our second youngest daughter and her husband, who live in the Netherlands.

The little guy weighed in at 7 lbs and 4.9 ounces. We don't know how tall he is because she said they don't measure anymore at the hospital because of potential damage to the babies' hips.

It doesn't matter; he is healthy and well and that is the main thing! We got some pictures yesterday and I wanted to share our little cutie with y'all.

It says 'little rascal' on his hat.


Mom and son are doing well and were home the same day. Levi had a little trouble keeping his temperature, but a hot water bottle in his crib did the trick and when I called yesterday, he was doing fine already without it.

The proud mom told me that he resembles his dad as far as looks go, but that he has the traits of his mom: he likes to sleep. I couldn't help but laugh when she said that, but she explained why she preferred it this way, instead of the other way around: she was told Levi's daddy cried a lot when he was a baby.

We are so happy with and thankful for our healthy little grandson. May God bless, protect, guide and lead him and grant him wisdom. God is so good! :-)

Colossians 1:3
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Causes Of Fatigue

Being tired is not necessarily caused by lack of sleep, but it can also be an indicator of a lack of vitamins and/or minerals. An iron deficiency can cause anemia which also makes you feel tired and light-headed and a lack of vitamin D or B12 can do the same and even result in weakness and pain in your muscles. Taking a multi-vitamin and some extra vitamin D can solve this problem.

Here is another cause of fatigue, which I wasn't aware off: dehydration. You may think that is out of the question, because you drink a lot of fluids, but when those liquids contain caffeine, you better think twice; too much caffeine acts as a diuretic. Therefore, make sure to drink enough other, non-caffeinated fluids and eat foods which are high in fiber, because they absorb and retain water.

Fatigue is another consequence of depression. A depression can occur as a result of too much sorrow, stress, hopelessness, etc, but it can also be seasonal; many people experience depression during winter. Exercise can help lighten the mood, if the depression is not too severe, and in case of the latter, a light box or spending at least 20 minutes outside in daylight can be very beneficial.

Another excellent cure for beating a depression which is not caused by lack of sunshine is pointing our minds in a positive direction. Instead of lingering on the bad, let's try to focus on the good. God gave us more then plenty to rejoice in!

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

Some Acupuncture Facts

I have no experience whatsoever with acupuncture, but I have heard and read a lot about it and from what I understand, the positive results are quite stunning and often already noticeable soon after one or two sessions.

This ancient old, Chinese method of healing is not something everyone can practice. It takes a pro to know all the pressure points, or acupoints as they are called, and for an expert on acupuncture houston would be a good place to go.

It seems that there are many conditions which can be cured by it. If nothing else, it can alleviate the pain substantially which would already be a major plus. It sure can't hurt to give acupuncture houston a try and I also mean that in the literal sense of the word.

I never wanted to try acupuncture, because I am not keen at all on needles and it looked rather painful. However, acupuncture houston is not painful at all and you hardly feel anything due to the thinness of the needles. That is a comforting thought.

When you want to give it a go then be sure to check with your health insurance provider beforehand. It may turn out that they entirely cover, or reimburse a great portion of the treatments. Every little bit helps!

A Healthy Sleep

I suppose we all heard that we need to get a good, seven to eight hours of sleep at night. Unfortunately, that is not a story made up by people who like to stay in bed as long as they can, but it is based upon the actual results of studies.

Research found that sleeping less then seven consecutive hours has all kinds of negative effects on the body. The first one we will usually experience right away by being tired throughout the day, grouchy, and not as sharp as usual. It even inhibits our learning abilities, memory, and makes us slow to react.

Another, less obvious consequence is that we tend to eat more. Too little sleep has a negative impact on the levels of the hormone leptin. This hormone is needed to keep our hunger under control and when the levels go down, our appetite goes up.

Where sleep deprivation lowers the levels of leptin, it increases the levels of stress hormones and that means that more glucose is being pumped into our blood. Another side effect is also that insulin may not work as well as it used to, because the body becomes less sensitive to it.

An even more serious effect is that a shortage of sleep lowers your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to catching a cold, suffering from inflammations, and it increases the risk for a heart attack, stroke, and also osteoporosis.

When waking up each day before your clock sounds its alarm, you get enough sleep, but you don't when you experience one or more of the above symptoms. It may well be that worries, stress and pressure, deprive us from our so needed sleep.

We shouldn't give into it, because in many cases it so turns out that there is nothing we can do about it. God can and He certainly will in His appointed time!

Psalm 127:2
It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Health Made Cheaper

When you take a good look around in the stores and see all the available, ready-made meals, it is not surprising at all that many are tempted to buy them. They save a lot of time, because all you have to do is pop them in the oven or microwave and often are relatively cheap as well.

There are more options when it comes to putting food on the table without having to go through a bunch of trouble. The fast food restaurants offer a wide range of cheap, quick meals and cater to practically any taste and preference and a couple of dollars go a long way.

There is nothing against taking advantage of all these quick and simple meal solutions, but not all of them provide all the necessary nutrition the body needs and when consuming too many unhealthy food for a while, you may eventually end up with a shortage of vitamins and minerals and an oversupply of weight.

The lack of vitamins and minerals is rather simple to overcome and doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg either. With a coupon from gnc you can save some money and take care of the problem at the same time. Many of those coupons can be found online and all it takes is for you to print them out and bring them to the store.

You shouldn't have a problem finding a GNC store close by; there are over 6,000 of them scattered throughout the country and it would be a good idea to check your local Rite Aid and see if there is not one of the GNC stores located within this particular drugstore. Redeeming your coupon from gnc shouldn't be much of a hassle, if any at all.

Loosing weight may take some more effort and may not be such an easy task, but lots of help can be found in the General Nutrition Centers as well. Besides vitamins, supplements, minerals and herbs, they also offer a wide variety of diet and weight loss products. Loosing weight doesn't have to mean loosing money; there probably is a coupon from gnc for weight loss products online as well.

If you decide to get into an exercise routine then don't forget to check out their health and fitness books and take in account that you may need some sports and energy products. The last thing you need is coming to the conclusion that you made up for one deficiency, while creating another!

Recognize The Signs Part 2

There are a few more other hints and tips which are very helpful when it comes to making your immune system stronger.

I don't think many are aware of the fact that sugar has a great negative impact on the functioning of white blood cells. These cells kill bacteria, but a study has shown that consuming 100 grams of sugar hinders them from doing so for up to 5 hours after the sugar intake.

Being overweight can cause a lot of health problems, but it also decreases the ability of your immune system to battle infections and inflammations. A well balanced diet would kill two birds with one stone; it helps you loose the excessive weight and improves your overall health.

Drinking lots of fluids is an excellent way of ridding the body of all kinds of toxins which in return will strengthen your immune system. The recommended daily intake is eight 8 oz. glasses of fluids and that includes water, coffee, tea, or sugar free soft drinks. Since it often differs per person, you know you are drinking enough when the color of your urine is pale.

You have to be cautious with well water though, because it may contain more arsenic then the levels which are allowed by the EPA. The higher levels of arsenic will suppress your immune system and cause several types of cancer. If you want to be sure, have the water tested and when the arsenic level is too high, you can either drink bottled water or consider installing a system to purify it.

There is water which we can safely drink without limits and fear; it is the fountain of living water God gave us and it is refreshing, healthy, healing, and gives everlasting life!

John 4:14
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

Recognize The Signs

Have you noticed that every now and then you have a craving for something sweet, protein rich, or fatty foods for instance? Most of the times, this is your body telling you what it lacks and needs in order to function at its best.

It is not easy recognizing those signs, but here are some pointers on the pros and cons when it comes to your immune system and how best to give it a good boost.

Getting a cold is quite common and it is normal catching a cold one to three times a year. In case you are suffering from a cold more then this average, it could be a sign that your resistance is low. You can give your immune system a boost by trying to sleep more, exercising, and eating plenty of healthy vegetables.

A runny nose is not necessarily a bad thing; it greatly hinders germs and viruses from entering your body, which they do easier when your nose is dry. Should nasal dryness be constantly present then you may want to check with your doctor, but when it is only temporary, irrigating your nasal passages with a saline solution or obtaining a humidifier is a good solution.

I suppose we know by now that stress has a negative impact on our immune systems. It is not easy to shed ourselves from stress or diminish it. We need to though, for our own health and well being; especially when we know we have done all we could and should do.

That is the time to let go and let God and rest in the peace He gives us!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.