Got Tummy Troubles? Our Gut Instincts As To What May Be Wrong

Tummy troubles are something common to all of us, and most of the time they are nothing to worry about. From stomach-ache to having wind, there are usually simple reasons behind our complaints.
Use this guide as a basis for the causes of some common problems. However, we aren’t qualified to give medical advice, so always see a professional, such as a doctor or dietician, for further information.

Image Courtesy of FLICKR



Gallstones
Gallstones are small deposits that can form in your gallbladder, normally as a result of a high-cholesterol diet or a chemical imbalance in your bile. Symptoms include short, sharp bursts of pain under your ribs, a yellowing of the skin, and dark colored urine.
You can prevent the risk of gallstones by eating a healthy diet to reduce cholesterol. Regular exercise will also help. It’s possible to get rid of gallstones naturally, such as drinking a quart of apple juice a day to soften the stones and flush them from your body. Your doctor will be able to spot gallstones using an x-ray, so don’t delay in seeking advice. Surgery is rarely required, though you may need an endoscopy for persistent blockages.

Gastroenteritis
Also known as gastric flu, this inflammation of your stomach and intestines is brought about by the norovirus or bacterial food poisoning. Symptoms include high temperatures, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
You won’t normally need medical treatment, but if the symptoms last longer than a few days, you should go and see your doctor. There are natural oils that can help relieve nausea, without the need to buy over the counter medication.  You are advised to drink plenty of water and eat bland, easy to digest foods until you start to feel better.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is a common problem that affects millions of people today. There is a dispute over the cause of IBS, but you can read more information here. Symptoms include constant feelings of bloating, stomach cramps, and issues with bowel movement.
IBS is a long-term condition with no full proof cure. However, the symptoms can be alleviated by focussing on a fiber diet, supplemented with probiotics to aid digestive health. Taking more exercise and reducing stress are also known to counteract some of the common symptoms.

Lactose Intolerance
This condition often runs in families and is the inability to absorb lactose from milk and dairy products. Symptoms include feelings of bloating, nausea, stomach cramp, and loose stools after consuming a dairy product.
Your doctor will probably advise you to cut out dairy products for a couple of weeks, as the symptoms may be indicative of another problem, such as IBS. Should you be intolerant to dairy, you should switch to a low-lactose diet, and use food supplements to ensure you get the proper nutrients your body needs.

Final word
We have only touched upon some of the medical conditions that could be causing your stomach problems. Seek medical advice for prolonged symptoms, and consider your lifestyle choices to reduce the chances of you being affected in the future.

 

Get on Your Bike! Why You Need To Include Cycling In Your Exercise Regime

Whether you’re looking to get back into fitness or you’re already a gym buff, cycling is the perfect exercise to add to your routine. It’s an incredible workout which is safe for most people and has some amazing health benefits too. Here are some of the reasons!

Get On Your Bike! — image courtesy of PEXELS

Accessible
Biking might not be as accessible as say walking or running, as all you need for those are a pair of good supportive trainers. But there are stationary bikes at any gym, and they’re the kind of equipment that anyone can use. There’s nothing confusing, and most people are going to be able to hop on and use them right away. Plus, most gyms offer different types of bikes so you can choose what’s most comfortable for you. If the saddle of spin bikes and upright bikes is a little uncomfortable, go with a recumbent bike. Here you’re seated in a far more comfortable position with the pedals out in front of you. Plus, you always have the option of buying an actual bicycle and going outdoors. This would make a great day out with the family and the perfect way to keep everyone fit and healthy.

Builds Strong Muscles
Cycling uses the large muscles in the legs, and repeated cycling builds strong lean muscle. Since your legs are essentially the foundation of your body, strong muscles help to keep you stable. Plus, these larger muscles burn calories at rest meaning working boosts your metabolism as you use more calories before you’ve even got out of bed in the morning! Strong muscles in the legs will improve your performance in other activities too. Its great for beginners so if you’re looking to build a basic level of fitness, starting by biking is the ideal way to go about it.

Builds Strong Joints
In most cases, overuse of a joint leads to weakening and pain. It’s why things like ‘tennis elbow’ and ‘golfer’s elbow’ can occur. However, when it comes to cycling this actually has the opposite effect, and the repetition over time actually strengthens the knees. If you can’t walk or run long distances due to knee or back issues, cycling is a far better choice. It allows you to push yourself,

Builds Strong Bones
Regular exercise is an excellent way to build your bone health. Building strong muscles directly correlates to building strong bones, and while cycling isn’t a weight bearing activity, it’s still an excellent exercise to incorporate into your routine. Strong bones are important because as we age, bone loss starts to accelerate leading to conditions like osteoporosis. We can actively defend against this when we’re young by doing exercise and eating the right foods. A calcium supplement can be helpful too, you could look at AlgaeCal reviews and testimonials if you’re curious about how these can work. Sixty minutes of cycling a week will have numerous health benefits, stronger bones is just one of them.

Great For Cardiovascular Health
Finally, whether you’re an exercise newbie looking to build up some fitness or already an athlete, biking is ideal for cardiovascular health. If you’re using an exercise bike, it’s easy to increase or decrease the resistance so that it’s perfect for you. Find a level that you can bike at for ten minutes without feeling too breathless, and then increase it from there. You will quickly notice yourself getting stronger and faster.

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Choosing A Fitness Program: It’s Not As Difficult As You Think

For any beginners looking to get into fitness, or for anyone that wants to bring more structure to their workouts, you should find a fitness program. These are programs designed by professionals that provide you with workouts and a routine to follow. They’re great if you need a sense of direction, but there are a few negatives to them.

Specifically, there are loads of rubbish fitness programs out there that just aren’t worth your money. They won’t work, and you’ll have wasted lots of cash. So, how can you choose a fitness program that’s right for you and will work? It’s simple, follow the advice below:

Understand Your Goals

This is a big thing as your goals will determine the type of program you’re after. Do you want to build muscle or do you want to lose weight? Some people want a combination of these things, so they need a program that combines both.

Different programs will be targeted at different goals. You’ve got programs like P90x that are really targeted at fat loss and lean muscle growth. Then, you have others that are designed specifically to lose fat and nothing else. Your choice depends on your goals, so make sure you know what you want to achieve.

Know Your Level

While there are lots of programs out there, some are aimed at people of different ability and fitness levels. There’s a fairly popular program at the moment called Body Beast. However, if you read the Body Beast reviews here, you’ll see people say it’s not for beginners. A such, if you’re a beginner, you need to find a program that suits your ability level.

Don’t pay for a program that’s too far out of your reach and too complex. It will only lead to you injuring yourself, not seeing results, and wasting loads of your hard earned cash.

Consider The Price

Of course, you need to think about how much you’re willing to spend on a program. This will depend on your own financial situation and how serious and committed you are to getting fit. I also suggest comparing the price of various programs to find the one with the best value for money.For example, one program may cost more than another one but provide you with way more features such as instructional videos, recipes, and a meal plan. As a result, it represents much better value for money.

Read Reviews

I already touched upon reviews earlier, but they deserve their own little section here too. If you want to find a fitness program that’s right for you, you need to see what others think. Do your best to look for honest reviews from people that tried the program. It will help you see if you’re getting ripped off or buying something that works. Take everything into account if you’re looking for a fitness program. Remember, you don’t need to buy one to get fit, that’s not what I’m suggesting. This post is for anyone that needs structure and wants a fitness program. Hopefully, you now know how to choose one.

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Multitask While You Build Muscle: Do These Things During Your Workout

Working out and keeping fit can take up a lot of your time. Before you even start, you need to get dressed in the appropriate clothes and maybe even make your way to the gym. After, you need to have a shower and make yourself presentable again. It can leave you with little time to get important things done, or to do other things that you actually enjoy doing. Not to mention, sometimes your workouts can be incredibly boring. If you find yourself getting bored or distracted, or feeling like you should be doing something else, there are some ways you can multitask while you exercise.

Watch TV
Watching TV and movies might not always be intellectually stimulating, but it can be hard to find the time to do it when you have a busy life. If you’re exercising indoors, it’s the perfect time to binge a favorite show or watch the latest blockbuster movie. In fact, it can help to motivate you. Choosing a workout where you’re not moving around too much is a good idea. So go for spinning or perhaps a gentle jog. You’ll want a sturdy indoor bike, so read this Sunny Health and Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike review to find an example of what you should be looking for. You can park in front of the TV or, with some models, put a tablet or laptop in front of you (if there’s a space for it).

Listen to Music, the Radio or Podcasts
It can be a little tough to watch TV while working out in some circumstances. If you’re moving around a lot, you’re not going to catch much of what you’re watching. And, of course, you can’t watch anything if you’re exercising outside. Listening to something instead is a good idea, although you still need to keep your wits about you if you’re jogging or cycling outdoors. Music, your favorite radio show or a podcast are all good things to listen to. They’ll keep you entertained, and it often helps you feel a bit less lonely when you’re working out on your own.

Listen to Music, the Radio or Podcasts

Study
Have you got something to study for? Whether you’re working toward getting your degree or just doing a quick course for work, you need to put in the study time. If you’re smart about it, you can study while you exercise. As with watching TV, you’ll need to do something fairly static if you want to study from a book or maybe a video. But listening to study guides and aids can be useful too.

Get Errands and Daily Tasks Done
Everyone has things they need to do every day, from going to work and picking the kids up to going to the store. Since you have to do these things anyway, why not get in a workout while you do them? Commuting to work by bike or running to the store technically means you’re multitasking because you’re getting two things done at the same time.

Even if you’re busy, you can still find time to fit your workouts into your life. Double up on what you’re doing to get even more done.

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Four Ways That You Can Increase Your Physical Confidence

When you look at yourself in the mirror, it can sometimes be hard to love the reflection staring back at you. As our lives move on, we sometimes end up gaining weight, getting frazzled because of our busy lives, and our skin loses elasticity as we age. Looking at your reflection can be tough when in your heart you’re still eighteen years old and perfectly happy to sprawl on the beach in the tiniest bikini in the world. If you find it hard to look at yourself in the mirror after a shower, here are a few ways for you to feel more body confident.

Focus On Being Strong
First and foremost it’s time to focus on what your body can do and not what it looks like. If you’ve had babies then your body is a marvel – it can house and grow these tiny human beings before pushing them out. Your ‘mummy tummy’ and stretch marks are a sign of your strength, and not anything to be ashamed of. Remember that skinniness is overrated – focus on the way that you feel instead and things like whether you get out of breath easily and whether you can run up a flight of stairs. Feeling strong and able to do things will feel a million times better than thin ever will.

Start A Fitness Class
If you want to get more toned and fit, don’t bother joining the gym – that’s no fun! Instead, go for a fitness class where you can meet new people and have some fun as well as getting fit. Yoga will help to tone you and improve your emotional and mental health as well as your physical strength. Pilates is known for improving your core strength, and if you want to have a dance and a laugh at the same time as getting fit then why don’t you try out zumba?

Consider Cosmetic Options
A lot of people shun cosmetic options but why not explore them? Get your makeup done at the beauty counter and buy a couple of products that make your skin look brighter, and get your hair cut in a new, different style that flatters the shape of your face. If you want to change the shape of your breasts after years of nursing your kids or if you’ve always been troubled by the shape of your nose then remember plastic surgery is nothing to be ashamed of. Just remember to get therapy as well – sometimes the way you feel about your body isn’t restricted to one specific part of it.

Love Yourself
Finally, the biggest challenge of all – and the greatest love of all, as the late and great Whitney Houston said – is learning to love yourself. This will take years of practice, of looking at yourself in the mirror and picking out the things you love, of choosing clothes to show off your shapely calves and delicate wrists and the other parts of your body that you love instead of hiding the parts that you don’t love. It’s a process that you’ll keep going through forever, but it’s more than worth it.

2 Things You Need To Think About Before Weight Loss

Losing weight has never been chalked down to one sure-fire method, has it? We all hear about some magic method, or we hear about the importance of healthy eating at every turn. And yes, it really is all about your diet, but with the word “diet” it implies a temporary fix. Going on a diet to lose some weight means that once you’ve lost the weight, you can go back to eating what you did before, but this isn’t the best way to keep weight off because you’ll put it back on again eventually. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to think about the following:

The Act Of Detox

Pexels

 

Yes, detox has had its fair share of supporters and detractors in the past, but the act of detox is something that our body does in one way or another anyway. Some of us are lacking in key minerals so you may need to have help in this department by taking iron supplements, or having some additional 5-HTP as you age. Detoxing is confusing because there are plenty of detox diets and juicing diets that don’t encourage you to eat, but you need to listen to your body.  You can help your body speed up its detoxification process by eating the right foods and drinking herbal teas, but the goal is to give your body what it needs, and that is different for all of us. There is a handy list of detox tea reviews if you need to give your body that head-start, but you can also help yourself to understand what is good for your body and what isn’t. For example, gluten is something that people aren’t aware of how it affects them until they’ve cut it out of their diet for a couple of weeks and they’ve found that they’re less tired and can think clearer. So, try a detox in one way or another and see how it affects you.

The Mindset Of Exercise

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We all think of exercise as an hour or two in the gym, pushing yourself until you can’t move, when the major flaw with this type of approach to working out is that it has become a mountain in your mind before you’ve even begun! And it may prompt you to give up after one session. Instead, the real way of getting yourself to exercise is to establish a baseline of fitness and increase it from there. So, if you are really out of shape, then you don’t want to say to yourself that you’re going to run 5-miles today when you haven’t done so before! A realistic approach is to do 5 press-ups. Once you’ve done that, and it was hard, you’ve done enough to push yourself a little bit, so the next day, do it again, and the next day, and do this until you can do 5 easily, you then ramp it up a bit more, and go for 10. The trick is to increase that baseline of fitness every time. So once you’re in a position to do so, you can do an hour’s workout, or that 5-mile run, because it will push you just enough so you won’t give up. Exercise is all about mindset!

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This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.