Tag: Common Myth

What Is Arthritis?

What Is Arthritis?
Michael Russell

Arthritis is probably one of the most misunderstood of all diseases.
Quite honestly if you ask the average person in the street exactly what
arthritis is you won’t get an answer that’s even close. All they know is
that something hurts but don’t have a clue as to exactly what or why.
Before I go into the types and causes of arthritis I’m just going to throw
some facts at you. All of this can be gotten at the official web site if you
look hard enough for it.
1. In 1985 about 35 million people were diagnosed with arthritis.
Twenty years later the number is up to over 65 million.
2. Arthritis is the most common disability of Americans over the age of
15. Yes, young people can get arthritis.
3. Only heart disease is a greater cause of work disability.
4. The cost for treating arthritis in the US alone is over 86 billion
dollars each year.
5. Over 300,000 children have arthritis.
6. Half the people who have arthritis think there is nothing that can be
done for the condition.
7. There are actually over 100 different diseases associated with
arthritis.
8. Woman are more affected than men. The current numbers are 26
million women and 16 million men with doctor diagnosed arthritis.
How many of us knew all this? I certainly didn’t until doing some
research. Oh I knew about the poor lady in my church who’s about to
go in for knee replacement surgery and lives on pain killers. But I had
no idea this disease was this common.
So what IS arthritis?
A book can be written on the various forms of arthritis but the most
common MYTH of what arthritis is, aches and pains associated with
getting older, needs to be dispelled with quickly if people are going to
understand the disease. As I stated earlier, arthritis has nothing to do
with age as many children get it. Yes, it is more prevalent in older
people but it is not restricted to the elderly. Arthritis is a disease of the
skeletal system, mostly the joints which is where two or more bones
meet. Joint problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation, and
damage to the joint cartilage, which is the tough, smooth tissue that
covers the ends of the bones so that they can glide against each
other. It is the deterioration of this tissue that causes the pain because
what happens is you get bone rubbing against bone. The pain can
become so bad that it can interfere with everyday activities such as
walking or even trying to stand up from a chair.
However this is only one form of arthritis and only part of the problem.
Some forms of arthritis, called Rheumatoid arthritis effects the body’s
immune system and can ultimately end up damaging the heart,
lungs, kidneys, blood vessels and skin.
This is the most serious form of arthritis.
In my next article I am going to cover various treatments for arthritis
and their side effects.

About the Author
Michael Russell provides an online guide to arthritis which includes useful articles and resources for humans and pets.

What Is The Correct Diet For Body Building

There is a common myth going around that you can go on a see all, eat all diet for body building. The theory is that as you are lifting weights, you will burn off anything you eat. This is pure nonsense. If you continue to eat unhealthy foods you will never get the body you desire.

When bodybuilding or following any other form of exercise, you should also look at your eating habits. Instead of eating three large meals a day, you need to start eating five to six smaller ones every 3 hours or so. This will help to burn calories by speeding up your metabolism but it will also stop you feeling deprived which is a common feature of some diets. Also if you are working out and your body is not getting enough fuel you can enter something called the catabolic state. This is where your body thinks you are actually starving and starts to store calories as fat and feeds on lean muscle instead. The exact opposite of the effect you are trying to achieve which is to build lean muscle and burn calories!

Eating quality food more regularly, you should also find your blood sugars are more regulated and you are less likely to reach for a sugary snack. Every meal in your diet for bodybuilding should include a mixture of food groups. If you only eat carbohydrates at one meal sitting, your energy levels will spike and crash. You will also produce too much insulin tempting your body into becoming a fat storing device.

Your body needs a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates to work at its optimum levels. Good examples of proteins that you should be consuming are eggs, chicken and turkey breast, tuna and good quality red meats. You also need some good fats in your diet although less than 30% of your calorie intake should come from unsaturated fats.

Diet supplements are big business in the world of bodybuilding. Some work, others don’t and some actually harm your health. Approach all supplements with a degree of caution. If they are being recommended as part of your routine, ask why? What is it that you are specifically lacking that taking these powders or pills will accomplish?

If you are a vegetarian or a vegan and want to start weight training you need to be extra careful. Unless you have a great well balanced diet, you may find that you lack energy and focus. This doesn’t mean that you have to start eating meat but a lot of bodybuilders do eat eggs, tuna and other fish. In other words they cease to be strictly vegetarian but do still avoid meat. They ensure that they eat a wide variety of vegetables, complex carbohydrates and good sources of vegetable protein such as Kidney beans and tofu. Vegans can be successful bodybuilders without compromising their beliefs but they need specialist help and advice on their diet for bodybuilding.