Guest Post | 10 Benefits of Running

Top Ten Benefits of Running

Guest Post: Nordictrack gives the Top Ten Benefits of Running.

Guest Post | Surprising Information about Heart Disease

If you are someone who keeps up with the latest details about health and fitness you are probably already aware of the fact that heart disease is one leading cause of death in the United States. What you may not know is the many ways that heart disease can be described.

The Faces of Heart Disease

Though it sounds like an umbrella term or another way of saying that someone has a heart problem, the reality is that heart disease comes in more than a dozen different varieties. These include:

• Congenital - This is a form of the disease that is present at birth and due to a heart deformity or abnormality.
• Congestive - Prevalent in the elderly, it is a condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood easily to the rest of the body. It leads to swelling in the lower body, dizziness, fatigue, and eventually to disability.
• Coronary - The most common form of the disease, it is when hardening of the arteries leads to restricted blood flow into the heart.
• Coronary Microvascular - This is when the arteries in the heart are damaged and narrow.
• Cyanotic - A form of congenital heart defect that keeps oxygen levels throughout the entire body lower than normal. It leads to a bluish color in the skin, swollen face, and even to fainting.
• Hypertensive - Heart problems related directly to high blood pressures. This can cause heart attack, heart failure, chest pain, arrhythmias, and more.
• Ischaemic - This is a form that is the result from a thickening of the vessels that feed blood to the heart. Usually arthrosclerosis is the primary cause.
• Inflammatory - When the tissues and muscles around the heart are inflamed by infection or an immune disease it results in this form of the disease and causes angina, fatigue, and swelling in feet and ankles.
• Organic - This is the diagnosis given to someone with heart disease due to a deformity or inflammation of the heart.
• Pulmonary - This is when disease from the lungs spreads to the heart. This damages the right side of the heart and can lead to congestive failure.
• Structural - Refers to any defects in the physical structure of the heart, which means it can be congenital or can be due to aging or other issues. For instance, problems with valves and vessels are considered to be pulmonary heart disease.

What all of this tells us is that a single diagnosis of heart disease must be far more specific. A physician must first identify the exact type of disease present in order to provide the appropriate treatment. It is also essential that a patient learn the details of the condition in order to know warning signs of further problems.

For example, some forms are not prone to progression and can be treated by medication or surgery. Others will worsen and need attention given.

Symptoms and Warnings

We already understand that the different kinds of the disease lead to a wide range of symptoms, but anyone who has been diagnosed with heart disease should understand the different symptoms they can experience. It is also important to note that women tend to experience their symptoms in ways that vary widely from the ways that men do. For instance, a woman may not have the more obvious signs of a pending heart attack that a man will, and must be trained to notice subtle signs instead.

The most common symptoms that all people with heart disease must take seriously include chest pain, difficulty breathing, pain in the abdomen or back, a pain in the arm and neck, and extreme fatigue that does not ease after brief rest. If you have been diagnosed and experience any symptoms, you must get attention right away. 

Guest Author: Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.comensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

Guest Post - 5 Great Mental Health Blogs

Rather than pills many today are coming to discover that the company of friends who understand them is the better treatment for most modern mental health problems. And such communities can now be found around some very positive blogs from people who have actually passed through problems and are willing to tell their story and help those around them. So from the host of blogs that are available we have chosen 5 that stand out because of the quality of their writers and their communities. It would be unfair to say that these are the best since every experience and every honest story out there has some lesson of importance but these are the 5 great mental health blogs that impressed us.

Storied Mind, from storiedmind.com is perhaps the best organized blog and has a nice modern look about it. But that is not the great thing about it: what is great about this site is the fact that it has a very eloquent way of telling a story of depression and coming out from it. It is very well organized in stories about becoming aware of depression, finding ways to heal that hurt, coming back to the light and developing healthy relationships and learning to live well.

Life Challenges, from allaboutlifechallenges.org, is a blog on mental health that is just as well organized as Storied Mind but one that looks much more like a blog. However its great advantage lies in that it deals with a lot more types of problems and it is much easier to find a community of people here that has dealt with problems ranging from stress at work to manic depression and even with the question of how to die. And it is because it deals with so many difficulties that we consider this to be one of the best blogs on mental health.

Teen Mental Health, from teenmentalhealth.org, is a wonderful, refreshing site that deals with the mental problems, the stress, the uncertainties that teens face. And if you think that a mental problem is pretty much the same as the other just consider that this blog deals with the stress that teens face when going back to school. The sad truth is that, as we grow older and wearier with the problems of maturity, we tend to forget the problems we went through as teenagers, and that is why it is so great that this blog and its community are taking shape.

Fighting the Darkness: My Secret Battle with Depression, from fightingthedarkness.blogspot.com, is a very simple blog, hosted on the Blog Spot platform directly. Yet it has many interesting things to say and its value is certainly in the honest and open way in which Jamie, the blogs author, addresses her visitors. As is the case with many ailments she was advised to keep it secret but she chose to be frank and open and now we can all learn from her experience.

Sparking a Flame, from sparkingaflame.com, is one of the most beautiful blogs that deals with mental illness and personal growth by bringing in a spiritual view on the entire matter. The writers are open and they do not impose their views through the articles but you can sense the experience that they have behind them and can actually learn a lot from their alternative views on the matter.

Paige Forster she could do more than leave in the corporate world and she started her own business in article writing and blogging. This helped her grow more in the first year and feel more alive than she had ever felt so she has thrown all his energy in this endeavor. She has been working as a writer for 4 Best Diet Pills  since September of 2012 and is always looking to broaden her area of expertise.

Guest Post - Sleep Deprivation in 5 Ways

Let's Solve Sleep Deprivation in 5 Ways

Sleep is a necessity for the body in order for it to function properly. Sleep deprivation affects the body both mentally and physically to the point where it can cause the body to collapse. Sleep deprivation is when the body does not get enough sleep over a period of time. One of the best ways to help is to sleep on a good mattress. Sometimes, side sleepers need a different type of mattress than back sleepers and stomach sleepers to get high quality sleep. Here are five tips for finding the best mattress for side sleepers.

1) Mattress Comfort for Side Sleepers

In many cases, the best mattress for side sleepers in one that provides more cushioning. This is because weight support comes from the body's smaller surface area. This tends to create a larger amount of pressure points. In this case, you need a mattress that provides more cushion under your shoulder and hip areas. This helps to optimize your body's healing process while asleep. It also increases the amount of time you spend in a deep sleep. Cushion sleep pillows also increase sleep quality for side sleepers. They help to support the neck area properly so you don't wake up with cricks in your neck every morning.

2) Mattress Support for Side Sleepers

When it comes to getting good support from your mattress, the best mattress for side sleepers is one that is a bit more springy. Mattress experts call these medium-firm mattresses. A medium-firm mattress helps to accommodate the natural curves of a body that is laying on its side. Side sleepers position themselves in a way that can place the spine out of alignment. Medium-firm mattresses help to keep spines aligned correctly while allowing the side sleeper to rest comfortably.

3) Mattress Durability for Side Sleepers

Slide sleepers need mattresses that adjust to the contour of their body, yet do not leave body impressions in the mattress. Some people resort to measures such as flipping or rotating the mattress regularly to help eliminate making body impressions. In this case, you need to buy a mattress that doesn't have a pillow top because these can only be used on one side. If you like the way pillow top mattresses feel, try getting a separate mattress topper instead. This will give you the same effect without having to replace your mattress once body impressions have been made.

4) Mattress Sizes for Side Sleepers

The size of your mattress is also important for helping you to get a good night sleep. If the length of your mattress is too short, this can cause discomfort, which leads to sleep deprivation. If you're wider that your mattress, you will end up sleeping on the edge of the mattress during the night. The edge of your mattress was not made to support your body. Also, mattresses for couples need to be large enough to ensure that both people can fit comfortably. That way, neither of you will suffer from sleep deprivation due to the size of your mattress. Remember that as a slide sleeper, you will need to stretch out comfortably during the course of your night's sleep.

5)  Mattress Position for Side Sleepers

Side sleepers should pay very close to the way they position their mattresses. If you like to fall asleep watching TV, be sure that you bed is positioned so that you are facing the TV directly when on your side. Readers should also be careful to make sure that their way the mattresses are positioned allow them to get good light and body support while reading. No matter how you like to fall asleep, be sure that the contour of your body is supported properly by a good quality mattress in order to solve sleep deprivation problems.

Guest Post - Bodybuilding Fat Loss Diet

Good Substitutes – The Bodybuilding Fat Loss Diet

If you're one of those people who would like to lose fat and build muscles, you need two things – bodybuilding workout and bodybuilding fat loss diet. Yes, diet. You can't expect to lose body fat without watching what you eat, right? Don’t worry. It's not as bad as you think it is. Diets for bodybuilders don't have to be just the bland and boring fish, greens, and egg whites. You can gorge on healthy substitutes that are so packed with flavor; you won’t feel as if you’re on a diet. Here are a few of the good substitutes.

Switch coffee for green tea. Yes, you need your hot, caffeine fix in the morning. But instead of buying those lattes and cappuccinos, why not opt for green tea instead? If you order green tea, you won't have to add any whipped cream which means you're saving yourself from calorie-filled temptations. Green tea also helps burn more calories than coffee, which means you're able to lose fat and gain muscles faster.

Opt for bodybuilding fat loss diet breakfast foods like 2 slices of toasted wheat bread instead of bagels. Bagels are delicious but when smothered with cream cheese, bagels can be very filling yet fattening. So substitute your bagels with toasted wheat bread. Why toasted? Toasting can lower the glycemic content of the bread, which makes it better for bodybuilding.

Out with the guacamole and in with the salsa. If you’re craving for a Mexican snack like nachos, instead of dipping them in guacamole with fat from the avocados, dip them instead in salsa. It would be better if it's spicy salsa. The capsaicin in peppers can burn calories and fat, which make salsa the better option for a bodybuilder like you. 

Craving for burgers? Instead of using ground beef, why not use ground turkey instead? Ground turkey is not only a good source of protein, but also has much lower fat than beef. If you’re trying to lose fat and bulk up with muscles, ground turkey will be the better substitute for your ground beef burger patties.

If it's DVD night and you want something to munch on, have some popcorn instead of the oil-drenched, fattening potato chips. Choose the low-fat, un-buttered popcorn as it only has 20 calories a cup. If you want to add more flavor to your popcorn, sprinkle some low-fat Parmesan cheese. Another fine substitute for the chips is some roasted peanuts. Spicy roasted peanuts will be even better.

Tossing some salad for lunch or dinner? Instead of using Caesar dressing, go for vinaigrette instead. The oil and the vinegar content of the vinaigrette dressing are healthier than the creamy Caesar or ranch dressing. If you want the salty and nutty flavor of cheese in your salad, add low-fat Parmesan cheese instead of the usual mozzarella, ricotta, or blue cheese.

Your bodybuilding fat loss diet doesn't have to taste bland and boring. You can ditch the calorie-filled foods for substitutes that are not only healthy, but tasty as well.

Guest Author: Roger Navidad Pahuriray, His experience as a part-time writer usually dealing with articles on health, fitness and weight loss makes him somewhat of an expert on how people can bodybuilding fat loss and avoid illnesses that go with carrying extra weight around. The more Roger churns out these types of articles, the more he gets to implement these tips towards a healthier lifestyle. This means, eating right, maximizing workout sessions and keeping weight at a healthy level.