If you suffer from arthritis pain, chances are you’ve heard of a relatively new over-the-counter remedy called Glucosamine. But what is Glucosamine, and how does it work to relieve arthritis? In this article, I’ll introduce you to this new treatment and provide you with the pros and cons of its use. By the time you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on whether or not Glucosamine is right for you.

What is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine, together with a related ingredient called Chondroitin, are substances which exist naturally in your body. It is believed that glucosamine helps to build and repair cartilage (the soft, spongy material between your joints), while chondroitin lends to the elasticity and flexibility of joints. A deficiency of either one can lead to increased wear and tear on the joint, and cause redness, swelling and stiffness as a result. When used together, glucosamine and chondroitin act as a tag-team of arthritis fighters, improving flexibility, soothing inflammation and reducing swelling caused by achy joints.

Where Can I Buy Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplements?

You can find these products in virtually any pharmacy or health goods store. The downside to this is, like other herbal and alternative medicines, supplements are not regulated by any governing body. That’s why you’ll need to do a little bit of research to find the best, most potent brand for your needs. Here’s what you need to know when comparison shopping for a glucosamine supplement:

You should expect to pay anywhere from $1-3 per pill when taking glucosamine daily. Since insurance companies rarely cover supplements of any kind, you’ll most likely be paying for them out of pocket.

Read the ingredients label on the bottle to determine the dosage. Approximately 1500mg of glucosamine and 1200mg of chondroitin have been safely used in clinical trials. Depending on your individual medication tolerances and the severity of your arthritis, you should consult your physician or rheumatologist to find the right dose for your individual needs.

Select supplements manufactured by a well-known, reputable company. Recommended brands include: Osteo Bi-Flex, WholeHealth, Flex-A-Min, MoveFree and individual pharmacy brands.

Are There Any Side Effects I Should Know About?
As with any medication or supplements, there are a few warnings you should know:

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, as no long-term studies have been done to gage what materials (if any) are passed on to the baby either internally or through breast milk.

If you are diabetic, chondroitin (a form of sugar) may cause your blood sugar to rise.

Chondroitin also acts as a mild blood thinner. Therefore, if you are taking any heart medication or are taking an aspirin regimen, have your blood clotting time checked more frequently by your doctor.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements should not be taken by children since no studies have been done to determine their effect (if any) on the child’s development.

(Please note: The information contained within this article is not intended to replace or substitute for that of an experienced physician. Remember to check with your doctor or rheumatologist before starting daily glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, and don’t stop or reduce any of your current medications (whether they’re for arthritis or not) without first talking with your doctor).

Arnel Ricafranca
Founder of Fitness VIP
Fitness Expert/ Qualified online personal trainer
http://www.fitness-vip.com

If you would like additional support and coaching along the way - I strongly suggest you take a peak at my online “member’s only” site at http://www.fitnessgenerator.com/fitness-vip - as what we have for you there can definitely help you make progress fast.

Visit http://www.fitness-vip.com for more articles.

If you ask people who eat a plant-based diet in order to promote and support their health and their lives whether eating meat is detrimental to human health, they would all agree, without hesitation, that meat negatively affects health, fitness, and well-being.

If you ask experts in the field of health, diet, and nutrition, such as John McDougall, M.D., Neal Barnard, M.D., Joel Fuhrman, M.D., John Robbins, T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and many others, who understand the principles of health and how a diet rich in plant foods is ideal for human health, they would all agree that eating meat jeopardizes mobility, function, fitness, and overall health.

But what if you ask our government whether eating meat is hazardous to human health? What would it say?

Interestingly enough, in 2000, the U.S. Public Health Service, reported that 54% of all deaths in the United States could be directly attributed to eating animal products. Isn’t that shocking? The very government that supports and loudly touts the beef, poultry, and dairy industries tells us that these very same sources of foods actually kill us.

And because this is a government statistic, we can deduce that this is a very conservative number. Our government wouldn’t want to step too hard on too many delicate toes.

The U.S. Public Health Service told us that:

633,500 deaths caused from heart disease can be directly attributed to eating animal products
Cerebrovascular Disease: 166,000 deaths attributed to eating animal products
Vascular Diseases: 58,200 deaths attributed to eating animal products
Cancer: 258,800 deaths attributed to eating animal products
Diabetes: 68,700 deaths attributed to eating animal products
Kidney and gallbladder deaths: 40,500 deaths attributed to eating animal products

In spite of the numbers of deaths that are directly caused by eating meat of any kind, how many national cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other disease organizations really stress cutting out, not just cutting back, all animal products from people’s daily diet,?

When is the last time your health care professional discussed with you the hazards of eating meat, any kind of meat?

“But isn’t it okay to eat just a little bit?” you may be thinking. Let’s face it. Most Americans have no clue what a little bit means.

Secondly, consider this analogy for a moment. What would you tell a cigarette smoker if he asked if it was okay to just smoke a little bit? Would you tell him that a few cigarettes a day was just fine? Or maybe one cigarette a day wouldn’t affect his health?

So when you ask if eating a little bit of food that is high in fat, cholesterol, and animal protein is okay, the answer is clear.

If you want to be your healthiest, then, no, it is not okay to even eat a little bit of animal foods.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and life style coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and useful nutrition plan.
This statement is hardly earth shattering or groundbreaking and few (if any) jaws
will drop at the sight of it. It is common knowledge that water is essential to our
survival as living beings. Most people are very well aware of this fact, but do they
really know why water is so essential? What does water do in our bodies and why
does it make a difference what kind of water we drink? Is a water filter truly
necessary and worth its price? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and
find out how much you know (or don’t know) about that magical, life-giving fluid:
water.

Some Water Basics
Depending upon whom you ask, water makes up anywhere from 60% to 90% of our
body’s matter. Not only is water essential for ensuring our survival as human
beings, it is also essential for the survival of the earth and all living organisms on it.
In its simplest, most pure form, water is a molecular compound composed of two
hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Although water contains no calories, it is
absolutely essential for maintaining energy levels, regulating body temperature,
controlling cravings, and cushioning sensitive organs, tissues, and joints within the
body. Water is the substance that ensures that our bodies continue to run; water
also ensures that they run efficiently.

Once water enters the body, it quickly travels through the esophagus into the
stomach where it is digested and sent to the appropriate locations within the body.
Water then becomes the major constituent of blood, ensuring the transfer of all
other nutrients to the organs and tissues of the body. After all organs and tissues
have received their needed amount of water and accompanying nutrients in order to
ensure proper cell functioning, the body then sends excess water to aid in the
transfer of wastes out of the body through the kidneys, bladder, and rectum. In
essence, water is the major means of transport for all substances in and out of the
body.

It is necessary to continuously replace water in the body as such a large amount of
water is expelled from the body each day through simple respiration. While a
person may live for four weeks or more without food, he or she will only live for
approximately one week without water. The exact amount of water one needs to
drink each day to replace water in the body depends upon a number of factors and
cannot easily be calculated. However, most nutritionists agree that eight glasses
(two liters) of water each day is an appropriate amount for most people. This
number may change when a person’s level of physical activity and environmental
climate are taken into consideration.

Benefits of Drinking Enough Water
Besides the maintenance of normal bodily functions and the regulation of body
temperature and general energy levels, drinking adequate amounts of water can
result in some significant health and cosmetic benefits. First of all, water has long
been known and recognized as a valuable diet aid. Many cravings for food are often
misdirected cravings for water. Once the body is satiated with the needed drinking
water, cravings are greatly reduced. Water also ensures a general level of health
and fitness by quickly transferring toxins and other harmful substances out of the
body. Water naturally moisturizes the skin and hair, as well, giving them a healthy,
glowing appearance. Water can also serve as a natural protection against several
types of cancer.

When a person becomes dehydrated (meaning he does not have adequate amounts
of water in his system to ensure proper body functioning), the symptoms of
dehydration quickly appear. These symptoms include, but are not limited to:
fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and constipation.

How Important is Clean Drinking Water?
Water is something of an interesting substance. It is a natural solvent; therefore,
wherever water travels, it dissolves and carries along other substances. For this
reason, there really is no “pure” water available in the world. Water always carries
other substances, whether these substances are useful minerals or dangerous
chemicals and biological contaminants. One would be absolutely amazed at the
amount of contaminants a simple water filter removes from “treated” tap water.

While the natural solvency of water is one of its most valuable characteristics (due to
the usefulness of this characteristic in allowing water to carry and dissolve food
nutrients for use in the body), it can also be one of its most volatile and dangerous
characteristics. It is certainly vital to maintain an adequate amount of water in the
body, but to be truly beneficial and effective, that water needs to be as clean and
pure as possible. When water carries such contaminants as chlorine or lead into our
bodies, it can actually become more harmful than beneficial. Water, laced with such
contaminants, can become a cancer-causing agent or a purveyor of brain damage
and learning disabilities.

We cannot simply cut water out of our diet, despite its penchant for carrying
contaminants with it; water is far too essential to our survival. Thus, it becomes our
responsibility as wise and conscientious individuals to clean that water and know
what it contains before we take it into our bodies. We will likely never receive pure,
clean water directly from the tap, but a home water filter can remove several of the
most dangerous contaminants from that water before we drink it. A water filter can
help to ensure that we receive all of the benefits of drinking adequate amounts of
water and none of the adverse health consequences of drinking contaminated water.

Vanessa Lausch is a technical writer for http://www.allaboutwater.org/, an online
guide to drinking water.

Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and other essential vitamins and minerals through our diet. A proper diet is necessary to offset the signs of aging and the foods listed here tend to be healthier than a burger and fries.

However, it is not always possible to eat enough of the foods in the proper form, e.g. raw, and we never know if the food in question has enough of the essentials we need (maybe due to soil depletion) so taking supplements is still necessary.

Here is the list of dietary sources. Try to include some of the foods missing from your diet right now in your meals. You will find that many of these foods contain more than one essential vitamin or mineral and in many cases contain quite a few nutrients.

Also note that some substances, such as Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine, have no specific dietary sources and must be taken as supplements, although someone with a healthy diet, concentrated on the foods listed here is not likely to have a deficiency.

Dietary Sources for Antioxidants and Vitamins

Vitamin A: liver, dairy products, darkly colored fruits, leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, watercress), red bell peppers, halibut and cod.

Vitamin B Complex: brewer’s yeast, wild Alaskan salmon, raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds), beans (pinto, soy, black, lentils, chick peas, kidney), dairy products (yogurt, milk, cottage cheese - preferably low-fat), vegetables (asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, spinach), chicken and turkey breast, melons and oranges.

Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli.

Vitamin D: fortified milk, salmon, mackerel, sardines, eel, fish oils such as cod liver oil, egg yolk.

Vitamin E Complex: vegetable oils, nuts (hazelnuts, pecans), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, olives and asparagus.

Astaxathin: wild Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, shrimp, lobster and crabs.

Co-enzyme Q-10: small amounts in oily fish such as sardines. Best taken as a supplement.

DMAE: Fish, especially wild Alaskan salmon.

L-Carnitine: dairy products, meats.

Lycopene: red fruits and vegetables (watermelon, tomatoes)

Lutein: green leafy vegetables (kale, turnip greens, collard greens, spinach, broccoli), eggs, oranges and orange juice, papayas and tangerines.

Green & White Tea: prepare according to package directions and drink in place of coffee, black tea or soda.

Dietary Sources for Essential Minerals

Calcium: diary products (milk, cheese, yogurt), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables (kale, collard greens, turnip greens, broccoli), seeds and nuts, tofu, sardines and salmon.

Chromium: calves liver, brewer’s yeast.

Magnesium: nuts (almonds, peanuts), oatmeal, tofu, avocados.

Selenium: fish, poultry, nuts and garlic.

Zinc: fish, poulty, nuts and oatmeal.

As you can see, wild salmon is enriched with many important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. For those of us who do not live in the Pacific Northwest, this is hard to find. Even there it is seasonal.

Antiaging starts from the inside out. Work these foods into your diet and you will be obtaining their antiaging and antidisease benefits naturally.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

Jean Bowler is a life long fitness freak. She was a ballet dancer and teacher, a private fitness trainer and more. Visit her site, http://www.ageless-beauty.com for advice on diet and nutrition, skin care and more.