Vitamin "A" For Health

Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is absolutely necessary for both low-light (isotopic vision) and color vision. Vitamin A also functions in a very different role, as an irreversibly oxidized form of retinal known as retinoic acid, which is an important hormone-like growth factor for epithelial and other cells.

In foods of animal origin, the major form of vitamin A is an ester, primarily retinyl palmitate, which is converted to the retinol (chemically an alcohol) in the small intestine. The retinol form functions as a storage form of the vitamin, and can be converted to and from its visually active aldehyde form, retinal. The associated acid (retinoic acid), a metabolite that can be irreversibly synthesized from vitamin A, has only partial vitamin A activity, and does not function in the retina for the visual cycle.

All forms of vitamin A have a beta-ionone ring to which an isoprenoid chain is attached, called a retinyl group. Both structural features are essential for vitamin activity.[1] The orange pigment of carrots – beta-carotene – can be represented as two connected retinyl groups, which are used in the body to contribute to vitamin A levels. Alpha-carotene and gamma-carotene also have a single retinyl group, which give them some vitamin activity. None of the other carotenes have vitamin activity. The carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin possesses an ionone group and has vitamin activity in humans.

Vitamin A can be found in two principal forms in foods:

    * Retinol, the form of vitamin A absorbed when eating animal food sources, is a yellow, fat-soluble substance. Since the pure alcohol form is unstable, the vitamin is found in tissues in a form of retinyl ester. It is also commercially produced and administered as esters such as retinyl acetate or palmitate.

    * The carotene alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene; and the xanthophyll beta-cryptoxanthin (all of which contain beta-ionone rings), but no other carotenoids, function as vitamin A in herbivores and omnivore animals, which possess the enzyme required to convert these compounds to retinal. In general, carnivores are poor converters of ionine-containing carotenoids, and pure carnivores such as cats and ferrets lack beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase and cannot convert any carotenoids to retinal (resulting in none of the carotenoids being forms of vitamin A for these species).

 

Recommended daily intake

Life stage group	RDA           Adequate intakes (AI*) μg/day	Upper limit                         μg/day
Infants 0–6 months 7–12 months	400*                      500*	600                              600
Children 1–3 years 4–8 years	300                      400	600                              900
Males 9–13 years 14–18 years 19 – >70 years	600                      900                      900	1700                              2800                              3000
Females 9–13 years 14–18 years 19 – >70 years	600                      700                      700	1700                              2800                              3000
Pregnancy <19 years 19 – >50 years	750                      770	2800                              3000
Lactation <19 years 19 – >50 years	1200                     1300	2800                              3000

(Note that the limit refers to synthetic and natural retinol ester forms of vitamin A. Carotene forms from dietary sources are not toxic
According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, "RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all (97 to 98%) individuals in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data prevents being able to specify with confidence the percentage of individuals covered by this intake.To reduce the possible risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, an upper limit intake of 1500 μg RE/d has been recommended.

Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods:

• liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish) (6500 μg 722%), including cod liver oil
• carrot (835 μg 93%)
• broccoli leaf (800 μg 89%) – According to USDA database broccoli florets have much less.
• sweet potato (709 μg 79%)
• butter (684 μg 76%)
• kale (681 μg 76%)
• spinach (469 μg 52%)
• pumpkin (400 μg 41%)
• collard greens (333 μg 37%)
• Cheddar cheese (265 μg 29%)
• cantaloupe melon (169 μg 19%)
• egg (140 μg 16%)
• apricot (96 μg 11%)
• papaya (55 μg 6%)
• mango (38 μg 4%)
• pea (38 μg 4%)
• broccoli (31 μg 3%)
• milk (28 μg 3%)

Note: data taken from USDA database bracketed values are retinol activity equivalences (RAEs) and percentage of the adult male RDA, per 100 grams of the foodstuff (average).
Conversion of carotene to retinol varies from person to person and bioavailability of carotene in food varies.

*5* TIPS FOR MOMS TO STAY HEALTHY

Moms everywhere are looking for ways they can be healthy, and stay healthy.  Being a mom is a full time job, and that’s with just one child.  Add more children into the mix, which is common in our day, and even more common, a career.  How can mothers find the time, or the ways, to stay healthy?

Follow these five simple tips, and you will find yourself a healthier, happier mother.

1. BE SELFISH:
You have to make time for yourself.  And essentially, all the following tips are based on the foundation of this one.  It’s safe to say this is the most important one.  The key though, is to not become too selfish.  Just be selfish enough to make taking care of yourself important, but do not let it take priority over being a mom.  Find a healthy balance.  Make sure to take time for yourself.


2 EAT REAL FOODS:
Eat more foods from plants and nature; avoid foods made in manufacturing plants.  And this goes for your kids too!  If you want to be more alive, eat food that is more alive!  If you want to be less alive, eat food that is less alive.  It is as simple as that.





(3) EXERCISE:
Exercise a minimum of three times a week, but aim for five times a week.  Even if it is 20 minutes in the morning, and twenty minutes in the evening, get active!  Of course a regular gym or other exercise routine is best.  However, most experts will recommend at least 30 minutes  of cardio, but new studies are showing that several smaller cardio workouts can be just as effective.  Just get active!  You’ll feel better, and be healthier.


(4) TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY:
Wait, isn’t eating healthy food and exercising taking care of your body?  Yes, it is.  But that is not enough on its own.  I am talking about unleashing your bodies full potential.  Keep your spine in proper alignment.  Your brain controls your body’s functions, and your brain communicates to your body via your central nervous system , which runs along, and is protected by your spine.  So how do you do this?  Stretching and proper sleep posture help, but to properly care for your spine (body), visit a chiropractor.

(5) TIME MANAGEMENT:
Part of our discussion under being selfish is making time for yourself.  With proper time management, you can get the most out of the little time that you have.  Wake up ten to fifteen minutes earlier and make sure your day starts off calm.  Meditate or pray.  Take a few minutes and mentally prepare for the day ahead.  These fifteen minutes before the craziness of your day begins will become cherished.
With these five simple tips, moms everywhere can improve their health, along with their kids, leading to healthier, happier families.
Moms, just remember:

• Be Selfish – Make time for yourself.
• Eat Real Foods –  Be more alive by eating food that is alive.
• Exercise – Just get active.
• Take Care of Your Body – Keep your spine properly aligned.
• Time Management – Get the most out of the little time you have.

Strength Training to Tone Your Muscles

Do you frown whenever you see a cute sleeveless top, knowing you could never wear it because of the sagging skin under your arms? Do you sometimes bemoan the fact that your upper arms look like loose chicken wings? Do you find yourself struggling to fit into a pair of jeans because everything on your legs feels loose? Then perhaps it is time to hit a fitness regimen of some sort! But perhaps you have heard before that you will need to undergo a strict cardiovascular program in order to lose the excess fat. But do you know that there is a better way to tone those muscles?
Many women shy away from strength training thinking that it is only designed to bulk up muscles like the ones you see on the Incredible Hulk. Naturally, the average woman would not want her muscles to look like that, with the exception of those who are actually proud of their biceps on the covers of Sports Illustrated. But strength training is indeed not only limited to giving you large bulky muscles. If you know how to do it properly, it can actually tone your muscles and enhance your silhouette! The basic things you need to know about strength training are as follows:

1. The effects of strength training differ based on the weight that you carry. In order to bulk up, you need to workout with heavy weights, or those that you cannot lift more than five times per set. This builds strength, which results in the bulky muscles. So if you want to tone your muscles, opt for weights that you can lift at twenty times per set, and do three sets at a time. What happens is that you are building endurance, and your muscles break down and then repair themselves into longer, leaner form.

2. Take important note of the principle of rest. What happens during strength training is that the muscles break down from the strain, and then they rebuild themselves. This is why personal trainers and experts require at least a 24-hour gap between strength training sessions. If you go to a gym, they will likely instruct you to do strength training three times a week and intersperse those times with two or three times of cardiovascular exercise. This is in order to give your muscles time to recuperate and build themselves back up. If you fail to give them the rest they need, you will wind up with injured muscles.

3. Strength training may not necessarily make you lose more weight than cardiovascular training, but it will usually make you look leaner and fitter. This is because strength training builds muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat. So do not worry if your scale tells you that you are not losing weight as fast as you would like, since doing strength training will definitely burn up your fat but build up muscle mass in exchange.

4. The good news is, in the long run, muscles burn more calories than fat, even at rest. This means that the muscles you build up will help you burn even when you are just sleeping or doing nothing, which protects you from gaining back unwanted weight even if you wind up eating a little too much sometimes. Or, once you stop exercising, you still have a leeway of about a few months as the muscles continue to burn extra calories. You will only wind up gaining back weight once the muscle tone itself wears off, which you would not want to happen anyway!

5. Lastly, be sure to do your workouts properly. Working out with dumbbells is a lot more complicated than riding an exercise bike because you need to know the proper way to hold and lift them or else you risk injury. If you do not have a personal trainer, check magazines for illustrations, or better yet, find how-to videos on the Internet for the proper form. It will serve you well in the long run as you start to see the results you desire.
Now that you know that working with weights can actually work for your benefit, go ahead and buy a couple of dumbbells, and tone those muscles up for a better-looking, better-feeling you!

Feet Can Be an Attractive Feature

One of the most attractive and overlooked parts of the human body are the feet. Used to stand and walk or run many people do not care for their feet the way they should. Yet as a functional and beautiful feature, feet are among the most used and therefore the most important parts of the body. For anyone that is concerned about improving their posture or completing their beauty makeover the feet become just as important as having tight and firm skin.

Through the work of their Los Angeles podiatrist some people are correcting the problems that they have had with their feet and transforming them into a sensual part of their anatomy.

Many people that have a hammertoe or an ingrown toenail want to hide their feet. Wearing shoes and socks to cover up their feet, these individuals are doing themselves a great disservice. Although hammertoes and even bunions happen naturally, they can be corrected by an Los Angeles podiatrist who is skilled in altering the shape or position of the bones in the feet. Even removing bone spurs that can be painful and which make wearing shoes a challenge can be resolved by a skilled Los Angeles podiatrist.

Caring for the feet on a regular and ongoing basis is the only way to keep the soft underside of the sole from becoming tense. Through reflexology all of the strains and tension of the body can be eliminated and a person that cares for their feet can feel their whole body responding to the work of their Los Angeles podiatrist. Helping to improve their looks, posture and levels of stress a Los Angeles podiatrist is providing a valuable service that many people are passing by.

Giving People Better Functioning Feet

Bunions, corns and blisters are all fairly common ailments that affect a person's feet. Treating their hammertoes, ingrown toenails and other maladies that are associated with the feet a Los Angeles podiatrist is helping many people to feel better about who they are by treating the ailments that often make people cover up their feet. Instead of hiding away their feet and toes and hoping that no one will notice their imperfections, some people are doing something about the blisters, bunions and corns by having their Los Angeles podiatrist examine their feet and do what is necessary to correct the trouble that they have.

Being able to treat hammertoes, ingrown toenails and all manner of bone spurs or different growths that may have deformed a foot the Los Angeles podiatrist is helping a number of people to kick off their shoes and proudly go barefoot. Where the correct positioning of the 26 bones in the foot may be out of alignment the Los Angeles podiatrist can correct the placement of the bones and give an individual a beautiful and functional set of feet and toes. Because the foot is essential to good posture and balance as well as being connected to muscles and tendons that run throughout the body, there is a need to have a perfect set of feet. However many people do not care for one of their most important appendages and instead choose to suffer in silence covering up their feet and hiding them from the world. Yet with the a ability to correct the bones and clear away the ailments that a person has the Los Angeles podiatrist is able to give anyone a perfect set of feet that look amazing.

Causes and Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

Plantar fasciitis symptoms are most commonly felt first thing in the morning, or when taking the first step after a period of inactivity. If you get severe heel pain when you first get out of bed, or aching cramping underneath the arches of your foot, then you may well have this condition, which is one of the commonest causes of foot pain amongst adults.

Plantar fasciitis commonly occurs if people have incorrect foot motion, typically over-pronation, which is when the foot rolls inwards during motion. This causes over stretching of the long ligament which runs underneath the foot (plantar fascia), eventually damaging it. Another major cause of plantar fasciitis is overly tight calf muscles, because this also causes excessive stress on the plantar fascia, this tine indirectly through the connection via the heel bone.

Over time these stresses damage the plantar fascia, causing minute tears within it. Rather than healing, the damage is generally aggravated if people run or otherwise exercise a lot and if they wear ill fitting and poorly supportive shoes for long periods. In addition, people who are carrying more than a few extra pounds, and women who have had children, are also highly susceptible to this very painful foot problem.

And plantar fasciitis also gets worse as part of the normal aging process of the foot, as the ligaments become less supple and resilient.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis is not quick or easy. As soon as the ligament is torn or painful, it will take anything from a couple of months to a lifetime to fully cure the afflicted foot, depending on whether you continue to injure it. The best treatments are multi-pronged and long term. In fact the actual treatment depends on a consideration of the patient's medical history, activity level, precise symptoms and extent of pain.

The initial phase of plantar fasciitis treatment, when the inflammation of the fascia is causing significant pain, involves resting the foot as much as possible, icing it, padding it with orthotics to relieve the pressure as much as possible, taking analgesics to manage the pain and using night splints to allow the fascia to heal in an elongated state. Many people also advocate doing gentle fascia stretching exercises and directly massaging the ligament during the initial recovery stage but this really does depend on how badly damaged your fascia is and how much pain you are in.

Do not start exercises to increase the flexibility of the calf muscle, the hamstrings and the Achilles tendon until the plantar fascia is no longer inflamed and the pain has subsided. Although calf stretching exercises are some of the best to treat plantar fasciitis, they can be quite aggressive and can actually damage the tendon even more if attempted too soon. And no-one want that!

Why Is Laser Treatment the Best for Fungal Nail Infection?

To keep our body clean and hygienic is the most important thing. Some people are prone to fungal nail infection. The reason being they don't keep their self clean and hygienic from dirt and other unhygienic things. Fungal nail infection is mainly cause because of moisture that is formed by keeping our foot covered in shocks and shoes for long time. The air transfer is also not present because of the nails being covered in shoes or shocks. That's why toenails are most infected by the fungal disease. This fungal nail infection is not really scary or need to be very worried about as there are different methods to cure and get rid of it. All you need to do is look for the best treatment for you infection also to do it quickly to avoid it from spreading.

Due to technology many methods which weren't available before have been made available now. Most common is taking medicines. But that process takes long to cure and by that time it may all spread. Also medicines have side effects and too much medication is not good. I suggest the laser treatment to be the best because it's fast and kills the bacteria deep inside your nails making them dead and non transferable as to not to spread. Also laser is safe and super effective and few sitting of this treatment gets your full recovery. The laser treatment makes use of ultraviolet rays to destroy the infected area. This method has been very successful and recommended by doctors. Also like other treatment like applying creams would take too long to cure and as its only external it doesn't guarantee full removal of bacteria so that it doesn't happen again. Many patients have used the laser treatment for curing nail fungal infection and it has been the best so far.

There is certainly no flawless fix for toenail fungus. There are some oral medicines for toenail infection, like Lamisil, and these are mentioned to treat the infection about 10 percent of your time. A whole new current treatment for this fungus will be the utilization of lasers. To date there were a few scientific studies that indicate very promising conclusions. These lasers function from killing the fungus but additionally leaving the nail along with other foot tissues un-damaged. Many massive companies want to get in to the motion. These lasers are aimed with the fungus within the toenail that basically vaporizes it even though leaving your skin unharmed.

Foot Arch Pain, Go Go Away!

What is the shape of the arch of my foot? There are two types of foot arches, longitudinal arches and transversal arch. Longitudinal arches are broken into smaller categories, medial, lateral and fundamental longitudinal arches. But no matter which type or shape of your foot is, there will be instances when your foot will experience severe pains.

Why do I have to experience foot arch pain? Some of your activities or habits can trigger your foot to sore. This pain is commonly caused by plantar fasciitis. It is the inflammation of a band of tissues under the foot connecting the heel to the toes, which is called plantar fascia. This band of tissues also holds the bones of the arch and supports the weight of the body. Moreover, biomechanics of the feet, direct force, sprains and muscle strains can also contribute for you to suffer from foot pain. The most popular biomechanics of the foot that cause foot pain are flat feet and high arches. If you have flat feet, it is most likely that you will experience over pronation, in which your feet will roll inwards while walking. This will give uneven pressure on the plantar fascia and later results to arch pains. Conversely, if you have high arches, your feet will roll outwards while walking that can also lead to arch pains due to strains on the arch.

A step on your foot can also trigger damage to the tissues and a simple sprain of the arch occurs when the plantar fascia are overstretched in which the tissues may tear. Running on hard and uneven surface may also give stress and trauma to the foot. Furthermore, long period of exercising with weary leg muscles will leave all the dirty work to the feet. Proper assessment of the arch pain can help you decide on which remedy you should take.

The four grades of arch pain are as follows:

1) pain during activity only
2) pain before and after activity, and not affecting performance,
3) pain before, during, and after athletic activity affecting performance, and
4) pain so severe that performance is impossible.

What should I do when I am experiencing foot arch pain? When you first notice that you are experiencing a discomfort on your foot arch, doctors recommend doing self treatment at home. Give your feet a rest. This is the number one remedy for your arch pain, or at least it reduces the pain. Applying ice placed in a plastic bag or towel is another cure for foot pain. Doctors say that arch pains are easy to cure. You should just always consider the activities you are doing. If these do not work, taking of over-the-counter medications, like aspirins, can also be done. Therapies using machines are also introduced to help in healing. Surgical procedures are the last options of healing your arch pain, depending on your doctor's findings. What you should think about after reading this? My feet are very important!

Different Forms of Treating an Athlete's Heel Injuries

Experiencing heel injuries can be the result of various factors. The most common causes of these may include participating in exhausting activities or extreme sports involving your feet. It is a fact that athletes tend to move around a lot and use various parts of their body while playing different kinds of sports. Most sports require the use of their feet and sometimes, injuries are inevitable. Usually, these injuries are connected with an athlete's heel and it is only fitting to understand these injuries and how to treat them.

There are various types of heel injuries such as heel spur, plantar fasciitis, heel fracture, and Achilles heel injury. It is advisable to know the different ways to treat them in order to apply the best cure. When it comes to heel spur or plantar fasciitis, treatments such as resting your feet for a few days is worthwhile. When an athlete tends to continue using his or her feet even when it's injured, inflammation can happen. Applying ice massage to the injured part can do the trick, too. A good way to apply ice is to tend to the bottom part of the heel for ten to thirty minutes regularly. When you are suffering from any form of heel injuries, it is best to avoid walking barefoot. Another form of treating your injured heel is by using night splints. This can be worn while you're sleeping and it helps strengthen your calf muscles and plantar fascia. You can also try anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen.

Another common type of injury among athletes is the Achilles heel injury. As for treating this, exercises that involve stretching and muscle straightening are the key. Try to do these types of exercise on your calf muscles first. By doing this, the pressure on the Achilles can be a lot more relaxed. Most of the time, running on hard surfaces can be the cause of this type of injury. In order to avoid it, you should try running on soft surfaces instead. It is also best to do warm ups because bad blood circulation usually applies in the Achilles heel. Wearing shoes that support the arch is advisable as well. Always make sure that you wear firm shoes while training or playing sports. In addition, don't wear shoes that tend to bend in the middle. When buying for shoes, it is best to test their stability in order to avoid injuries as you use them.

In other cases, though, treating heel injuries can be more difficult. If pain persists even after thorough forms of treatment have been applied, consulting a doctor is necessary. Doctors won't usually advise you to undergo surgeries because a high percentage of injuries can be treated using a wide variety of means. Most of the time, doctors will just advise you to try and use customized orthotics or prescribed medicines that can further reduce pain. Athletes should take heel injuries seriously especially during early symptoms of pain as to avoid more problems later on.

Natural Remedies for Foot Corns

Foot corns can be extremely painful and over the counter creams are not recommended for everyone, especially those with circulatory problems or diabetes. Here are some natural remedies you can try to cure your foot corns:

· Soak your foot in Epsom salts for 10 minutes in hot water; Rub your corn with baby oil, then take a pumice stone and gently rub the outer surface. Be sure not to rub too hard, as this can cause irritation.

· Get better fitting shoes; high heels and shoes that are too tight are one of the main causes of foot corns. Buy shoes that are comfortable and are a good fit. Get your shoe sized by a professional if you need to.

· Cut a clove of garlic into little pieces and add a pinch of salt; keep mashing until it becomes pasty; apply it to your corn and put a band-aid over it for 3 days. When you take the band-aid off, the tough outer skin will come off as well.

· Mash six aspirins and mix in ½ teaspoon of water with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice; mix together and apply to your corns; wrap your foot with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and put a warmed towel around it; leave for 10-15 minutes; unwrap your foot and rub your corn with a pumice stone; the dead skin should easily come off.

· Apply ½ a teaspoon of raw papaya juice on your corns three times a day until it disappears.

· Use a raw pineapple peel and apply directly to your corns. Keep the peel in place by wrapping your foot with a plastic wrap or bag; leave on overnight.

· Try essential oils; use lemon or tangerine essential oil and apply several times a day; castor oil and baby oil are also effective, as well as tea tree oil mixed with cider vinegar.

· Soak your foot in chamomile tea, and then wrap your foot up overnight; the tea will seep in and help soften the outer surface. Rub off the callus with a course towel or callus brush.

Whatever natural remedy you choose, keep in mind that it will most likely take more than one treatment to completely get rid of your corns. It may take a few weeks before they are completely healed. If your corns persist or they are severe, you may have to go to your doctor for a prescription. Hope this helps!