Beetroot Benefits Stamina and Endurance

By Kirsten Whittaker 

Here's some news that's going to set the exercise world back on its ear. The news that the vegetable beetroot benefits a athletes endurance and stamina.

A University of Exeter team has discovered that the nitrates in beetroot juice lead to a reduction in oxygen uptake, this in turn makes working out less tiring so you can exercise longer.

And, the researchers say, the effect is greater than what you get from any other known means, including regular training.

Athletes who need endurance for their sport will be thrilled, but the findings are also welcome news for elderly patients or those dealing with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases.

The intriguing research focused on eight male subjects, ranging in age from 19-38, who were given 500 ml of organic beetroot juice a day for 6 days in a row.

They then had to complete a series of tests that involved cycling on an exercise bike. As a control, the subjects were given a placebo of blackcurrant cordial for an additional six consecutive days before having to do the same cycling tests.

When they drank the beetroot juice, subjects could cycle an average of 11.25 minutes. This was 92 seconds longer than when they drank the placebo juice.

This works out to about a 2% reduction in the time it takes to cover a set distance, or being able to add about ten minutes to your regular workout.

When asked to cycle at an easy pace, the subjects were found to use less oxygen after drinking the beetroot juice than with the placebo juice, which means the muscles of the body were able to do the same amount of work, but expend less energy.

The juice might actually help you exercise for as much as 16% longer.

Fitness experts know that you surely improve your fitness level with exercise and have always believed the oxygen uptake of the body remains fixed, meaning that a conditioned athlete and the man on the street would have identical oxygen uptakes at the same intensity of physical activity.

Yet the Exeter team found differing oxygen uptake readings in subjects who drank beetroot juice before exercise.

No one knows how the nitrate in the juice boosts stamina, but the researchers suspect it could be that the nitrate (especially concentrated in juice form) in the juice turns into nitric oxide in the body.

This causes peripheral blood vessels to dilate which improves the oxygen supply to the muscles and impacts how much oxygen is burned up while the body is exercising.

The nitrates can also improve the efficiency of muscle contraction during an exercise session.

What's more, beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure, and when the subjects in this latest study drank the juice they also had lower resting blood pressure readings.

This data supports research from the London School of Medicine and the Peninsula Medical School, appearing in the February 2008 issue of the journal Hypertension that found beetroot juice brought down high blood pressure.

The research is published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. While more work is needed, it's hard to deny the good-for-you benefits of nitrate rich fruits and veggies; these foods might just be the way to a healthy cardiovascular system. Beetroot juice carries nitrates just like some green, leafy veggies you may know like lettuce and spinach, though the juice form is considered especially beneficial to the body.

While beetroot juice isn't something you're likely to see at your local supermarket, you can find it in some health food shops or online sources.

Understand too that the amounts used in the research, 500-ml or just under a pint a day, are quite high, and the "earthy tang" of this nutrient rich juice isn't for everyone.

You might want to start with a small amount, diluted 4:1 with water or try some of the many recipes for combination juices to see what you prefer, and how these beetroot benefits can impacts your workout.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kirsten_Whittaker/10824

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Healthy and Gluten Free Recipes for Kids   

by Smarty Rocky

Gluten is not beneficial to kids. This protein can enhance the risk of the occurrence of celiac disease among children. Obviously, children should be protected from the bad effects of gluten. Celiac is a disorder which has a link with ADHD and autism. Gluten free recipes for kids must be selected only in consultation with professional dieticians as they can guide parents on proper selection of gluten free recipes. The recipes should be healthy.

Gluten is found in wheat in large amounts. Kamut is also a food grain which contains high amount of the same protein. At the time of tailoring the dietary program for children, one should avoid the specific food items which contain negligible amount of gluten.

There are a number of benefits of choosing Gluten free recipes for kids.

€ To gear up the energy level
€ To decrease cholesterol
€ To speed up the loss of weight
€ Minimize the risks of onset of autism, ADHD and celiac disease.
€ It also makes someone hygienic and competent.

Benefits of gluten free recipes for kids:

Gluten free recipes for kids ensure the proper nourishment of the body of a child. Kids will have sufficient energy to revitalize the tissues, cells and bones. The metabolic condition will be improved. Doctors claim that if any kid takes the nutritious food without gluten on a regular basis, his stomach will be more competent and functional. There are a number of metabolic disorders which will be under control in the event of the absence of gluten in the planned food items.

Chicken nuggets provide the lowest amount of gluten. If parents want to deliver the nutrients to their kids, chicken nuggets are very much helpful for kids to revitalize and energize the muscles. Gluten is remarkably very low in chicken nuggets.

Parents should follow the food preparation guidelines to cook this nutritious food. Highly sensitive utensils to gluten should be avoided.

There are many cost effective gluten free recipes for kids. You must search extensively to shortlist your favoriteGluten free recipes for kids. In this connection, you can talk to professional dieticians and health care experts to know about the recipes which don't have gluten.

Few Popular Gluten Free Recipes:

€ Chicken potpie bowls recipe
€ spaghetti mixed with meat sauce recipe
€ tacos recipe
€ pizza Recipes
€ buttermilk pancakes
€ Potato volcanoes
€ Oven baked sweet fried Potatoes
€ Chicken stock
€ Roast chicken
€ Banana rice pudding
€ Tropical fruits with pistachios and coconut
€ Vegetarian stuffed peppers
€ Raspberry cheesecake
€ Berry smoothie
€ Potato dumpling soup

There are different medical journals, e-books and research documents on Vegetarian recipes for kids. Ensuring healthy and food for kids is a great idea. This will promote fitness and make them feel very healthy. 

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How Are Health and Diet Interlinked?

By Darius Maslow  

Diet, exercise and health are interlinked. Nutrition and fitness is extremely important for all human beings as well. Many things have changed since the industrial revolution when many mechanized things made our everyday life less tedious and physically challenging. Unfortunately it also meant that our bodies became conditioned to the comfort and many people soon developed many lifestyle related diseases. There are very few communities such as the Amish, who still practice the old lifestyle when mechanised or electrical objects don't make life simpler.

Diet is an integral part of our health. What we eat makes our bodies and provides us with the nutrition to keep going. In our 20's and 30's we require 1800 calories to keep us going, when we lead a normal life. Those that participate in sports or a more active lifestyle would need a higher calorie count. Many sportsmen such as swimmers and cyclists can need as much as 5000 calories a day to keep them going.

As we progress towards our forties and fifties, we require a lower calorie count to be fit, healthy and lead a normal lifestyle. Diet and exercise plays a major role in making us healthy as well. With technological advancements, the average lifespan of a person has increased. Our diets have also gotten better as compared to the previous century. More and more people also have access to a variety of foods and diets as well.

Though people now have more access to different types of diets and foods, it doesn't mean that all of them are good for us. Junk food has crept up in a big way. Child obesity has also become a major issue as it impacts the health of young children. Obesity can lead to further problems when children become adults such as arthritis (excess weight on knees and legs), enlarged heart, other cardiovascular problems, diabetes and many more.

This is the reason that the right of kind of diet is extremely crucial for everyone. Diets need to include a healthy mix of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals and also oils. Each has their significance and provides nutrition for the body. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are extremely important for the bones. A lack of these minerals can cause osteoporosis and can lead to fractures quite easily. Fats and oils are important as they make our skin glow. Excess of oils can cause fat build-up in the artery, which is bad for our health.

Along with diet, exercise is extremely crucial for leading a healthy lifestyle as well and being fit.

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