TOP 25 REASONS TO GET RUNNING

Running is one of the best forms of exercise, not only for getting fit but for weight control too. A 30-minute run, three to four times a week, trims your waistline, strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves muscle tone and definition and helps foster a positive mental attitude. Running can also be a great social activity. Here are the top 25 tips on why you should start running today.

1. Running is the quickest way to cardiovascular fitness. You get fitter faster by running regularly.

2. Running is one of the cheapest forms of exercising. You only need a pair of running shoes and shorts and T-shirt to get started.

3. Running is easy to learn. Most people have run at some point in their life, either competitively or at school/college, so there is no steep learning curve involved.

4. Running makes you feel good, not only physically, but mentally as well.

5. Running is excellent for reducing stress levels. There is nothing better than a run to clear your head and concentrate the mind. Many great ideas have been formulated on training runs.

6. Running is one of the most flexible methods of training around. Wherever you are in the world, it is nearly always possible to get out for a run. You can jog, steady run or sprint depending on how you feel that particular day.

7. Running is good for your heart. It not only strengthens the heart but also reduces the actual resting heart rate.

8. Running is accessible to all. As long as you are physically able, you can go for a run virtually anytime and anywhere. There are no race barriers to running.

9. Running helps you to lose weight and tone muscles. The more your train and run, the more weight you will lose. Also by toning up, you are getting rid of the excess fat and converting it to muscle.

10. Running is for people of all ages. Old or young, everyone can benefit from running.

11. It is good for your sex life! By being more physically active you increase your sex drive.

12. When run training, you can get away with eating chocolate and legitimately say it is part of your training program.

13. Running is a great way to recover from a hangover. A run will help clear your head faster than sitting around feeling terrible.

14. Running is a great safety aid. Being able to run away from people puts you in a much better position if you are chased.

15. You can use running to change other people's lives. Run for a charity and raise money to help the needy or less able.

16. Running with friends gives you time to catch up on gossip and get fit at the same time.

17. Running is a time-efficient way to get fit and lose weight so you have more free time after exercising to enjoy yourself.

18. Running is a challenge that can be motivational and bring great personal satisfaction.

19. Running is a great way to see a new place if you have limited time available for sightseeing. Just think how much more of a place you can see when running around it compared to walking.

20. Running improves your concentration as you are forced to concentrate more when running. This in turn improves your concentration when you have to focus in other areas of life.

21. You nearly always work better after a run because you are still on a runner's high and feel ready for anything.

22. Running is a great way to meet people, especially if you join a club or enter a race.

23. There are no monthly subscriptions with running. You just put your running shoes on and go.

24. Endurance built-up through running can be transferred to other sports.

25. If you drink alcohol you can just run a little bit further the next day to work off the extra calories.

DIETARY RESTRICTIONS DURING HYPOTHYROIDISM

1. Iodine Intake

It's no secret that iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormone in your body. If you have hypothyroidism, diet should always include foods that are high in iodine.

You should make sure to use iodized salt instead of plain rock salt in cooking.

2. Water

You need to drink lots of water, at least 64 ounces or 8 glasses a day. Remember when you are dehydrated,        your body stores more fat and making you gain more weight.

3. Fiber

Fiber is beneficial to you if you have hypothyroidism. Diets high in fiber will not only help you lose weight but    also promote regularity in your bowel movement and can help lower your cholesterol. How does it make you           lose weight? Fiber makes you feel full so it lessens your hunger levels, and will simply make you burn more calories. Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber content.

4. Coconut Oil

It has been identified that consumption of coconut oil stimulates the production of thyroid hormone. It increases your metabolism and is considered as an energy booster but this should be taken in moderation, appropriate to your age and body structure.

5. Green Tea

Green tea helps you lose weight by raising your metabolism and also through fat oxidation. You can start             drinking a cup of green tea everyday.

6. DIET RESTRICTIONS

Complete Restriction : Spinach (PAALAK)  & COFFEE (coffee beans only)

Once a week (only)    : Cabbage, Cauliflower, Soyabean (all products)  

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AND HOMOCYSTEINE

What is homocysteine? 

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced by the body, usually as a byproduct of consuming meat. Amino acids are naturally made products, which are the building blocks of all the proteins in the body.

Why is it important to monitor homocysteine levels?

Elevated levels of homocysteine (>10 micromoles/liter) in the blood may be associated with atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries) as well as an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clot formation, and possibly Alzheimer's disease.

In 1969, Dr. Kilmer S. McCully reported that children born with a genetic disorder called homocystinuria, which causes the homocysteine levels to be very high, sometimes died at a very young age with advanced atherosclerosis in their arteries. However, it was not until the 1990's that the importance of homocysteine in heart disease and stroke was appreciated.

What are the possible symptoms or features of elevated homocysteine levels?

Theoretically, an elevated level of homocysteine in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia) is believed to cause narrowing and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). This narrowing and hardening of the vessels is thought to occur through a variety of ways involving elevated homocysteine. The blood vessel narrowing in turn leads to diminished blood flow through the affected arteries.

Elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood may also increase the tendency to excessive blood clotting. Blood clots inside the arteries can further diminish the flow of blood. The resultant lack of blood supply to the heart muscles may cause heart attacks, and the lack of blood supply to the brain causes strokes.

Elevated homocysteine levels also have been shown to be associated with formation of blood clots in veins (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism). The mechanism is complex, but it is similar to the way that they contribute to atherosclerosis. In some studies, even moderate levels of homocysteine level showed higher rates of repeated incidence of blood clot formation.

Does lowering homocysteine levels prevent heart attacks and strokes?

Currently, there is no direct proof that taking folic acid and B vitamins to lower homocysteine levels prevents heart attacks and strokes. However, in a large population study involving women, those who had the highest consumption of folic acid (usually in the form of multivitamins) had fewer heart attacks than those who consumed the least amount of folic acid. In this study, the association between dietary intake of folate and vitamin B6 and risk of heart disease was more noticeable than between dietary intake of vitamin B12 and heart disease, which was minimal.

Many other observational studies have been performed to assess the effect of folate and the other B vitamins on heart disease. Most of these studies have concluded that oral intake of folate has been associated to lower risk of heart disease, possibly because due to lowering of homocysteine levels. The relation between oral intake of vitamin B12 and B6 and heart disease was not as obvious in many of these studies.

In one study, it was concluded that even in people with elevated homocysteine levels due to genetic reasons, oral intake of folate and possibly the other B vitamins was related to lower incidence of heart disease.

Most of these data, however, are obtained from observational studies rather than purely controlled scientific data. Therefore, it is important to mention that despite these studies suggesting an association between the intake of these vitamins and the lower incidence of heart disease, in general, there is no compelling clinical evidence to treat hyperhomocysteinemia other than homocystinuria (the severe genetic form) in regards to heart disease, stroke, or blood clots.

(Ref.: MedicineNet)