Taking care of your body through exercise and giving back to the community by donating blood are two ways to promote personal health and wellness. Combining the two tasks, however, leaves many people wondering what the safety guidelines are for exercising in relation to giving blood.

Carbohydrates provide your body with essential energy, but an overload of carbohydrates can have negative side effects in your body and for overall health. Some of the common symptoms associated with a carbohydrate overload include high blood sugar levels, adrenal fatigue, bloating and weight gain.

Your red blood cells carry oxygenated blood throughout the entire body. In apparently healthy adults, the red blood cells that pass through the lungs are between 95 and 100 percent saturated with oxygen. Each red blood cell is able to carry four molecules of oxygen.

The human body contains many thousands of different types of proteins. Each protein has its own job to do, such as clotting blood, regulating metabolism, and fighting off bacterial and viral infections. The total protein blood test measures the amount of all proteins found in the liquid part of the blood.

Sodium is an electrolyte that helps regulate blood pressure and fluid levels in your body; it also plays a role in the normal function of nerves and muscles. A blood sodium level below 135 mmol/L is considered low.

If your doctor says you have high enzymes, he is referring to an elevated liver enzyme level. High enzymes in your liver indicate damage to the cells or inflammation in your liver. Inflamed liver cells leak higher-than-normal amounts of liver enzymes into the bloodstream.

Red blood cells are the most abundant type of blood cell. They carry oxygen through the body from the lungs to the tissues. A low red blood cell count is called anemia. There are several ways to classify anemia. One way is by the size of individual red blood cells.

Understand that post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the result of the inflammation of the skin. It is most commonly a result of the healing process in the skin. As skin tissue heals, cells secrete chemicals called cytokines that help cause new skin to form in the healing area.

Oxygen saturation is a clinical measurement that determines what percentage of a patient's red blood cells are saturated with oxygen after passing through the lungs. It is a result that reflects not only how well a patient's lungs are working but also how effectively oxygen is being delivered to all parts of the body.

Multivitamins can be great additions to your diet, but if you are on Coumadin or other blood thinning medications, avoid multivitamins that contain vitamin K and high doses of vitamin E. These vitamins can interfere with how Coumadin works.

White blood cells, or leukocytes, are an essential component of the immune system, fighting infection and disease and helping the body heal from such damage when it arises.

Insulin and glucagon are hormones that help your body regulate blood sugar level. The level increases with the secretion of glucagon and decreases with the release of insulin, advises the “Journal of Clinical Investigation.” The amount of sleep you get affects your body’s release of glucagon and insulin.