Vigour – Health and Sports Nutrition

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is an important nutrient that is vital to the health of your eyes. It helps produce rodopsin that is necessary for dark adaptation. It helps maintain the natural structural integrity of the cornea, retina and other eye tissues. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to numerous ophthalmological disorders especially xerophthalmia and night blindness.

Xerophthalmia is a serious condition of eye that might lead to blindness. This disease affects the cells of cornea and tear ducts. Night blindness makes it nearly impossible to see in relatively low light. This condition occurs due to inability of retina to respond to the light due to vitamin A deficiency.

The rich dietary sources of vitamin A are fish, fish oils, liver, nuts, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. These food items contain carotenoids which are converted into retinol by your body.

It also makes a good idea to use a dietary supplement that contains vitamin A in its formulation. BioCare One-A-Day Multivitamins & Minerals with Lutein & Bilberry is a popular brand on the market that makes an effective broad spectrum, antioxidant and one-a-day multinutrient tablet. It contains vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, and E, minerals, and additional antioxidant support from beta carotene, lutein and bilberry. Vitamin A helps maintain the health of your eyes and skin. B vitamins help release energy from food and boost your immune system. Vitamins C and E act as antioxidants and help destroy free radicals in your body. Vitamin D strengthens your bones and helps absorb calcium. Take one tablet daily with food.

Drinking freshly pressed fruit-based juices twice a week offers numerous health benefits. Not only are they easy to digest, but they also help your body heal from chronic health problems. They are full of essential nutrients especially vitamins and minerals, which boost your immune system and help destroy free radicals within your body.

Fruit juices supply your body with energy and help maintain the energy while performing everyday life activities and strenuous exercise sessions. They help stabilize blood pressure and support a healthy cardiovascular system. Moreover, they promote healthy digestive and immune systems. Fruit juices are rich in vitamins A and C, which help maintain the health of your skin.

Another benefit of drinking fruit-based juices on a regular basis is that they help reduce or eliminate pains and aches in joints and muscles. Fruit juices help detoxify the body from the harmful effects of toxins. Furthermore, they help stabilize the bowel movement and promote loss of excess weight. According to a recent research, fruit juices promote better quality sleep and decrease or eliminate headaches.

If you find it very hard to drink fruit-based juices on a regular basis due to your hectic lifestyle, make sure that you take a dietary supplement on a regular basis, which contains vitamins and minerals in its formulation.

Higher Nature True Food B Complex Energy & Nerves contains B vitamins plus vitamin C and Magnesium in a food-based form, which help transform food into energy and maintain vitality and energy. They support a healthy immune system and vein circulation. Moreover, they work together to reduce fatigue and tiredness in situations of inadequate micronutrient status and maintain joint health.

Porotic Hyperostosis or Osteoporosis Symmetrica is a disease of bones that makes your bone tissue soft and weak. In this disease, the spongy marrow within the bones overgrows, which causes the outer table of the bones to become shallower and thinner. An iron deficiency is thought to be responsible for the onset of osteoporosis symmetrica and numerous studies have revealed that people who consume diets rich in iron have a much lower incidence of this disease than those who do not.

Therefore, it is recommended that you should consume iron-rich foods on a regular basis to avoid this disease. The rich food sources of iron include liver, spinach, apple, aubergine and avocados. You should also include an iron supplement in your daily dietary routine to nourish your body with the daily recommended allowance of this essential nutrient.

In order to maintain the health of your bones and joints, make sure that you take a joint care supplement on a daily basis. Health Perception Joint-Flex 1000 Plus Rosehip is a successful brand on the market that provides a high strength combination of key ingredients to provide nutritional support for your bones. Each tablet contains rosehip, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate in its formulation. Rosehip plays an important role in the production of soft tissues, whereas glucosamine and chondroitin help rebuild the ligaments and tendons, and stimulate the uptake of nutrients and fluid into the cartilage. Moreover, these ingredients also help in the production of cartilage and keep your joints supple and flexible.

Boron is an important micro-mineral that is required by your body in the trace amounts. It is vital for your health, fitness and normal growth. Boron helps in the absorption of the magnesium and calcium from foods. Moreover, many conditions such as osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms are naturally managed by this trace mineral.

The deficiency symptoms of boron include an imbalance in sex hormones, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, brain malfunctioning, hyperthyroidism, fatigue, tiredness, arthritis, osteoporosis, dull and pale skin, and development of dark brown spots on the face and hands. Moreover, a deficiency of boron leads to the low absorption of calcium and magnesium, which in turn slows down the metabolism of these nutrients in your body.

There are numerous health benefits of consuming boron-rich diets on a regular basis. First of all, boron is very important for reproductive system as it helps in the production of oestrogen. Therefore, boron helps increase the level of natural sex hormones in menopausal women. Similarly, it positively affects the testosterone hormone and promotes a great male sexual health. Boron is also essential for proper embryonic development. Moreover, it lowers plasma lipid levels and helps maintain the normal blood cholesterol levels.

Boron plays an important role in enhancing brain function, short memory and concentration. Another important function of this trace mineral is that it helps in bone building. Boron plays a vital role in the metabolism of calcium, magnesium, and copper, thus promoting the healthy bone development. This micro-mineral also protects body from the fungal and bacterial infections.

A regular consumption of boron-rich diets minimizes the risks of arthritis, osteoporosis and post menopausal osteoporosis. Furthermore, it helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis as well as rheumatoid arthritis. Last but not the least; boron reduces congestive heart failure conditions and helps maintain proper cell membrane function.

The rich dietary sources of boron include pear, apple, grapes, red grapes, orange, lemon, kiwi, dates, almond, peanuts, soybeans, nuts, vegetables, red kidney beans, hazel nuts, chickpeas, olive, tomato, onion, lentils and beer. Small traces of boron are also present in borlotti beans, peanut butter, sultanas and potato wine.

Moreover, an oral multivitamin supplement can also be used to provide your body with the recommended daily allowance of boron. Gaspari Anavite Multivitamin is a popular brand on the market that provides 25mcg of boron in a single dose. It is a high potency multivitamin and mineral formula that keeps you fit, healthy and full of energy. It includes vitamins A, C, D, E, K and B complex such as B1, B2, B6, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid. Each capsule also contains minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, selenium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, potassium, molybdenum and zinc.

Nowadays, there is an emerging trend of consuming tinned and processed foods especially in western countries. Although tinned foods provide us with a convenient way of eating, their nutritive value and health benefits can not be matched to those of fresh foods.

Tinned foods fulfil the dietary demands of a large number of people all around the globe. To some people, they make ideal food sources because they can easily be stored and their packaging can be recycled. Moreover, they have a longer shelf-life and numerous food items such as vegetables and fruits can be tinned soon after being picked.

However, one needs to understand that nutrients especially vitamin C, copper and potassium are lost during the canning process. Moreover, sugar or salt are added to the tinned food items to preserve them. Therefore, tinned foods do not make a good choice for people who are diabetic, high blood pressure patients or on a weight loss program. Another disadvantage of tinned food items is that they are low in texture and taste as compared to fresh foods.

Make sure that you prefer eating fresh foods especially fruits and vegetables over tinned foods. Not only are fresh foods high in nutritive value and energy, but they also have a more attractive appearance. Another advantage of fresh foods is that they have a better texture and taste than tinned foods.

Along with using fresh foods, make sure that you incorporate a multivitamin supplement into your daily dietary routine in order to meet the daily recommended allowance of many nutrients. For example, you can use Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil Plus Multivitamins to provide your body with the benefits of cod liver oil, omega-3 fish oil, vitamins A, D and E in a single dose. Not only does this supplement help release energy, but it also maintains strong teeth and bones. Moreover, it helps keep your joints flexible and supple, while maintaining healthy nails, skin and hair at the same time.

If you avoid red meat due to its harmful trans and saturated fat contents, then it is important to realize that you may be prone to iron deficiency at the same time as red meat makes a rich source of iron. Therefore, it becomes very important that you consume iron-rich foods in order to avoid the iron deficient anaemia.

Iron is an important mineral that helps in the haemoglobin formation and carries oxygen to human blood cells. Moreover, it is present in the muscle tissues and plays a vital role in the brain function.

Furthermore, a regular supply of iron to your body is important for the proper functioning of your immune system. Another benefit of iron is that it helps eradicate different causes of fatigue.

Foods that make an excellent source of iron include liver and green vegetables. Moreover, dried fruits, seeds and eggs are rich in iron and they should be consumed on a regular basis. Iron is also found in small traces in wheat bran and some fruits.

It is also important that you use a supplement that contains iron in its formulation. Vitabiotics Wellman Sport Multivitamin makes a perfect supplement that provides you with recommended daily allowance of iron. It makes a wonderful gift for those people who do not want to consume the red meat due to health concerns, but still want to nourish their bodies with iron at the same time.

It also contains vitamins A, B complex, C, D and E. Minerals include iron, zinc, magnesium, iodine, manganese and copper. Moreover, it offers specific micronutrients such as L-Carnitine, which is used by the body to assist in electron transport in cell mitochondria and burn fatty acids into energy. It contains plant isolate Octacosanol that supports muscle function by preventing the build up of lactic acid.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer all over the world. In UK only, an estimated 120,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this coming year. Factors which elevate the risk of breast cancer include excess body weight, high fat intake and low consumption of fruits, vegetables, soy and fibre. Moreover, frequent exposures to synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and pollution also contribute in the onset of breast cancer. A recent research has revealed that women who drink alcohol as little as one drink a day are more susceptible to this disease than those who do not.

Other risk factors which are not associated with your lifestyle include family history, age, your genetic make-up and late menopause. It is important to realize that you can not control the non-lifestyle risk factors but it is possible to avoid the breast cancer to some extent by bringing positive changes in your lifestyle. For example, you should perform a daily aerobic exercise to lose your body weight. Similarly, you need to consume fruits and vegetables on a regular basis to provide your body with plenty of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E destroy the free radicals, which have damaging effects on the health of your tissues. Furthermore, vegetables and fruits are full of roughages which help in bowel movement and help prevent colon cancer as well.

If you are unable to consume fruits and vegetables due to your hectic lifestyle, then make sure that you use a multivitamin tablet such as Seven Seas Multibionta Probiotic Multivitamins daily. It makes a complete supplement with vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Vitamins provide you numerous health advantages including protection against breast cancer. Minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium help you stay fit and full of energy. Probiotics help maintain a healthy immune and digestive system.

A recent research has revealed that people who take two servings of vegetables and one serving of fruits per day remain more energetic and healthy than those who do not. According to a recent internet survey, 47% people take only one serving of fruits every three days and 65% people take one serving of green vegetables every four days. Therefore, these people need to consume green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits on a daily basis.

It is important to remember that coloured fruits such as citrus, orange, pomegranate, peach, mango and apple are rich in carotenoids and antioxidants. Similarly, highly coloured vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, pumpkin and broccoli are rich in flavonoids which are health-promoting natural pigments. Moreover, brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, aubergine and cauliflower are rich in isothiocyanate and indoles which protect you against numerous types of cancer including breast and colon cancer.

There are many supplements on the market which contain antioxidants and flavonoids and they provide you with the health benefits similar to those of raw vegetables and fresh fruits. For example, you can choose Berocca Multivitamin Tablets to maintain your concentration and alertness. This supplement makes a unique combination of vitamins B, C and minerals such as zinc and magnesium. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant which destroys harmful free radicals and supports a healthy immune system. B vitamins help release energy from food to support stamina and vitality. Zinc plays a key role in maintaining the male reproductive health while magnesium keeps your muscles and nervous system working properly.

One of the best strategies for an effective weight management is to include fruits and vegetables in your daily dietary routine and decrease the energy intake at the same time. Not only fruits contain a lot of water and fibre, but they are high in vitamins and minerals as well. When they are incorporated into your diet on a regular basis, they reduce energy density, suppress your appetite and decrease energy intake. All these benefits of fruits lead to an overall weight loss.

To your surprise, numerous recent researches have revealed that dieting among adults may lead to more weight gain than in non-dieters. The reason is that dieters tend to eat more during the non-restricted periods of their dieting regime, thus consuming more number of calories than those they lost during the dieting period. Therefore, it makes a good idea to replace calories-rich foods with the raw vegetables. Make a salad of tomatoes, radish, carrots, onions, cucumbers and green leaves of vegetables and consume it almost every day.

Another strategy for an effective weight management is to use a fat loss supplement such as Met Rx Thermo Surge Weight Loss Capsules on a regular basis. It helps weight management by keeping energy levels high while curbing your appetite at the same time. It is a unique combination of Dill Weed, Cinnamon, Ginger and Yerba Mate.

Dill Weed helps in combating stomach cramps while Cinnamon helps to destroy free radicals within the body because it is naturally high in antioxidant activity. Similarly, Ginger relieves the symptoms of nausea. Therefore, the combination of Dill Weed, Ginger and Cinnamon help promote a healthy digestive system. Yerba Mate is extracted from the local trees grown in South America and it contains a lot of natural alkaloids which help suppress appetite, boost energy, aid weight loss and reduce fatigue.