Your body follows a circadian rhythm, a series of sleep-wake cycles that are regulated by your brain. In some individuals, this preset system is faulty, which can cause sleep problems, fatigue and even depression. Melatonin is a hormone in your body that works to help regulate your internal rhythm.
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Diabetes increases your risk for developing many other chronic diseases, including heart disease. Your chances worsen if your blood glucose is not in control. Everything you eat contributes to your blood glucose, so choose your foods carefully. Fruit, especially the high-fiber pear, is a good food for diabetics to eat.
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If you experience loose, frequent and watery bowel movements, you have diarrhea. This condition occurs when your stool passes too quickly through your digestive system. Usually diarrhea lasts only one to two days, but it can persist if there is a serious problem.
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Natural bodybuilding, in which you change your physique and strength through frequent exercise, can be an exhilarating and satisfying sport. The changes you make to your body can produce beneficial and harmful long-term effects. Your muscles and bones can benefit and these gains can stay with you into old age.
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After you reach a certain age or if you have risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, your doctor may recommend a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. Generally, this blood test occurs after a 12-hour fast.
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The inability to walk as far and as long as you'd like to can be frustrating and even depressing. It may also be a sign your body is giving you to alert you of a health problem. Two causes of leg weakness after walking a short distance may be spinal stenosis or peripheral artery disease, especially as you age.
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During exercise your body's system for regulating temperature is kicked up into high gear. Heat production by the body can cause your internal temperature to rise up to as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which can lead to potentially fatal complications.
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Exercise is a stress to your body that elicits changes to your physiology. These changes make it possible for your body to perform the activities you ask of it more effectively and efficiently. However, these changes take time and will be lost if you do not maintain your activity.
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Your nutritional and dietary habits influence the effectiveness of your exercise program. What and when you eat are the biggest factors. Eating too soon before your exercise program can be counterproductive to your goals and leave you feeling sick.
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Starch is the main form of dietary, digestible carbohydrates. The process of digestion involves the breakdown of a complex molecule into the simplest form the body can use. Once the starch molecule is broken down, the small intestine transfers it into the bloodstream, where it is shuttled to the cells that need it.
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Your shoulder joint can move throughout a large range of motion, working through flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation. When you lose this range of motion, activities of daily living can be particularly difficult. If you experience pain along with a loss of range of motion, life can be that much harder.
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Black coffee can affect your blood sugar, causing it to rise. For some people, mainly diabetics, this can be a real problem. Controlling your blood sugar may mean you have to cut down on coffee intake.
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Ulnar nerve pain can make it difficult to do the simplest activities. Pain in the hand and fingers can make life pretty unpleasant. The ulnar nerve branches off from the brachial plexus and runs down through the forearm and into the hand, innervating the ring and pinky fingers.
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Becoming a new parent is both exciting and frightening. The smallest of symptoms, such as cold feet, may have you concerned. Try to relax, because cold feet are common, especially in an infant. Infants cannot fully regulate their body temperatures, so it becomes your job.
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Diet and exercise for the aging takes on special considerations. Exercise becomes less about losing weight to look good or to get first place in your respective sport, but more about maintaining health.
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Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can reduce your risk of chronic disease when you are overweight or obese. If you still need another reason to exercise, think about how riding a bike used to make you feel when you were a kid. Bike riding is a fun and easy way to burn extra calories and lose some weight.
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Exercise intensity is an important part of your exercise program. Working at the right intensity can mean the difference between weight and health improvements or wasted efforts. You can judge your intensity in respect to your own fitness level or as a generalization.
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A sudden onset of blurry vision is a symptom that something is going wrong inside your body. When you are on a severely restricted diet, such as a low-calorie diet, blurry vision may be a sign of hypoglycemia. If you experience hypoglycemia, take action by bringing your blood glucose back up.
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Body composition is the makeup of fat and fat-free mass in the body. Fat-free mass is anything that is not fat and can include water, bone, muscle, and skin. Fat mass is solely fat, found on the body and throughout the organs.
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Your blood pressure is a good indication of the health of your cardiovascular system. When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working under stressful conditions. A high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is categorized as such when you have chronic readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher.
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