Adolescent Health

Are You participating in National Physical Fitness and Sports Month?

If not May is Your month and it is your time to get started Now!

At-A-Glance: A Fact Sheet for You and the 2009 Physical Activity Guidelines

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans At-A-Glance: A Fact Sheet for Professionals is designed for busy professionals as a quick desk-side reference to the 2009 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

These Guidelines are needed because of the importance of physical activity to the health of Americans, whose current inactivity puts them at unnecessary risk. The latest information shows that inactivity among American children, adolescents, and adults remains relatively high, and little progress has been made in increasing levels of physical activity among Americans.

Key Guidelines

Substantial health benefits are gained by doing physical activity according to the Guidelines presented below for different groups.

Children and Adolescents (aged 6–17)

Children and adolescents should do 1 hour (60 minutes) or more of physical activity every day.
Most of the 1 hour or more a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
As part of their daily physical activity, children and adolescents should do vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days per week. They also should do muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week.

Adults (aged 18–64)

Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.

Older Adults (aged 65 and older)

Older adults should follow the adult guidelines. If this is not possible due to limiting chronic conditions, older adults should be as physically active as their abilities allow. They should avoid inactivity. Older adults should do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling.

For all individuals, some activity is better than none. Physical activity is safe for almost everyone, and the health benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risks. People without diagnosed chronic conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, or osteoarthritis) and who do not have symptoms (e.g., chest pain or pressure, dizziness, or joint pain) do not need to consult with a health care provider about physical activity.

Adults With Disabilities

Follow the adult guidelines. If this is not possible, these persons should be as physically active as their abilities allow. They should avoid inactivity.

Children and Adolescents With Disabilities

Work with the child’s health care provider to identify the types and amounts of physical activity appropriate for them. When possible, these children should meet the guidelines for children and adolescents—or as much activity as their condition allows. Children and adolescents should avoid being inactive.

Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Healthy women who are not already doing vigorous-intensity physical activity should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. Preferably, this activity should be spread throughout the week. Women who regularly engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or high amounts of activity can continue their activity provided that their condition remains unchanged and they talk to their health care provider about their activity level throughout their pregnancy.

I hope you enjoy these tips and guidelines and will be able to apply these to your life! Have a healthy and happy day!

By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness and Weight loss expert, Author, and NSA Speaker

Calcium is an important mineral which is needed by the human body. However, when people talk about the advantage of coral calcium plus it can sometimes get confusing and can make it hard to put into an instance on how people can take the advantages from the suitable calcium levels in a diet, whether it is on a food or from drugs and other supplements.

Coral calcium plus is a salt-form which can be acquired from fossilized coral reefs. Since coral reefs today are one of the most endangered marine life and they are usually protected by the law, coral calcium plus is instead harvested through crushing up ground deposits of limestone that were in the past a part of a coral reef.

Coral calcium plus is composed of magnesium, calcium carbonate, and other minerals. When we talk about chemistry, calcium carbonate is not different from calcium. Calcium is a kind of mineral, as is calcium carbonate. They just differ on the way they were acquired.

However, some other mineral coral calcium plus presents some benefits which makes coral calcium have more additional benefits. Therefore, coral calcium plus is not only calcium. It is a part of a group of minerals that is healthier and better.

While real calcium is included in coral calcium plus, it is the same as the other calcium content with limestone deposits, the fossilized reefs usually hold some traces of other minerals which can greatly help a person’s body. Most of these minerals must be acquired from a healthy diet.

It is known that most average individuals do not eat exactly the foods that must be taken and recommended. So, many people may take advantage from the additional minerals that can be found in coral calcium plus. It all depends on you.

However, despite of its increasing popularity, coral calcium plus still have many unconfirmed claims. One of these is the claim that it can help cure cancer. Manufacturers of the coral calcium plus explained how it works for cancer patients because of the many mineral it contained. But it is still left unproven.

Calcium is essential to the life of humans and the normal operation of the human body. It is actually the most common mineral that can be found in the body. Coral calcium plus is a known supplement for calcium in order to improve a person’s nutrition and not as a form medication or treatment for a disease.

Eating too much of any one food is not the best way to achieve a healthy weight loss, we all know that. But some foods eaten on a regular basis can provide you with enough health benefits that they will begin to actually accelerate your healthy weight loss! No, I’m not talking about eating as much bacon as you can stuff into your mouth like some of these fad diets convince people to do. I’m talking about bananas!

Here are six benefits the trusty banana can provide you to achieve a healthy weight loss:

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #1: Bananas Give You Energy
Even though it does not come with a fancy packaging promising you anything, a banana will give an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy because it contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose. Just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. The banana is not the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes for nothing!

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #2: Bananas Provide Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins are the cornerstone to good health, and the banana is packed with mostly everything the body needs. The vitamin B6 that a banana contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Its extremely high levels of iron and potassium reduces the risk of blood pressure and lowers the desire to snack on high carbohydrate foods. Since potassium is a vital mineral that sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance, you can see how important it is for healthy weight loss.

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #3: Bananas Promote Optimism
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system control our blood sugar. Since they also contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, bananas will improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. The happier you are, the more likely you will stick with your healthy weight loss program with positive thoughts about reaching your goals.

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #4: Bananas Are Rich With Fiber
Including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Fiber is important for healthy weight loss because it helps absorb fat and helps the body so it functions at the optimal level. Bananas have the ability to neutralize over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach!

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #5: Bananas Are A Healthy Alternative
When you compare it to an apple, a banana has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. That makes it one of the best value foods around. Don’t ever fall victim to the many fad diets out there that tell you an all-natural banana is bad for you. You’ll be hard pressed to find a healthier alternative.

Healthy Weight Loss Benefit #6: Bananas Are Easily Accessible
Most people think about just the health benefits of a food, but never stop to think that the reason America is obese is because they just don’t make the time to stop and think. A banana is the ultimate fast food. It’s even faster to eat than pulling up to a drive through window and waiting for that greasy cheeseburger that you think is your only choice when you’re in a hurry. Being active is an important part of a healthy weight loss program. Bananas are quick and easy to eat at any given moment.

Even with its over-abundance of benefits, you obviously can not go around eating bananas all day long as your healthy weight loss plan of action and expect successful results. No one food has it all, that is why it is important to incorporate a variety of healthy foods into your lifestyle. Most people fail to achieve their healthy weight loss goals because they grab a fat free processed snack loaded with preservatives instead of an all-natural fruit from the earth.

I lost 70 pounds in 4 months and have kept it off for over 15 years, and the almighty banana has been by my side the entire time. Understanding the importance of soy-based protein, I start every day off with a meal replacement shake and a banana is always thrown into the mix for good measure. It is all part of making healthy choices when you are serious about losing weight safely and keeping it off for good.

Teen wants to be best in everything they do such as school, sports, music, dance, or whatever it is that they are fond of doing. A youngster knows all too well that he needs to be in tiptop shape to do all the things the he wants to do. This is one among many reasons why teens want to try the next best supplement that are being offered in the market.

Flashing TV ads and banners claiming that another super pill is discovered which can enhance performance or loose weight without much effort, which is something a girl teen wants, are all over the media. Not only that. They can sometimes be seen anywhere. The question here is how safe are teenagers when it comes to using diet supplements. Will it really be bring no side effects if ever a young person wants to try them?

Teenagers who are trying to stay ahead of their crafts will most likely resort to these well advertised supplements. The sad fact is that most of these have unproven benefits. There are also supplements that were not listed as safe but are being sold in some stores. What’s worse is that some have even contributed to the death of several teens.

In fairness, there are some diet supplements that work well enough but extra care is still advised if they are taken in together with other supplements or vitamins. Some of these supplements have inhibitory or antagonistic effects to regularly taken medicines for. It is always advised that teens seek consultation first with an expert, a doctor most probably, before taking any of these supplements a teen wants to try, especially those adolescents or teenagers whose metabolic processes are very much active while growing.

Teens are easily enticed to use protein powder mixes that promised to develop well define muscles which most teen guys wants. The truth of the matter is that only half of the known building blocks of proteins can not be manufactured by the body. But they could be readily obtain from the food we eat, so if a teen wants to develop muscle mass, all he needs to do is maintain a balance diet. A teen girl that wants to loose weight is easily tempted to try herbal weight loss supplements. However, if these herbal supplements work is a question that remains unanswered.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) that checks the efficacy and safety of food and pharmaceutical products can not check each and everyone, including these diet supplements that mushroom out in the market ever so often. Although there are few that worked, there are plenty of others that don’t; they even have harmful effects to the body. That’s why teens must choose supplements wisely.

Definitely, a teen wants to be at his best but this should not mean that his health must be at risk.