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Vitamin B-2

Riboflavin is a common name for vitamin B-2 and was once
known as Vitamin G. You will see Vitamin B-2 described as
Riboflavin on the back of vitamin bottles and in other food
packaging.

An interesting and curious fact about Riboflavin is that it
is naturally produced by the bacteria in your gut. Although
it may not be produced in sufficient quantities to prevent
deficiencies. Intestinal production, however, can reduce
the symptoms of a deficient state.

Some experts claim that B-2 deficiency is the most prominent
nutrient deficiency in North America. Those who eat a diet
largely constructed of refined and fast foods may be at
risk. And of course, alcoholics are at higher risk of B
vitamin deficiencies. Low-income individuals may also tend
to be at higher risk due to diet.

Problems with blood proteins may lead to deficiency. And
states that block or reduce the uptake of riboflavin into
the cell can also be responsible for a deficient state.
Therefore, just having an adequate supply of Riboflavin in
your food does not necessarily preclude deficiency.

Brewer’s yeast and organ meats are sources that are high in
Riboflavin. Lower amounts may be found in milk, eggs, green
leafy vegetables and some fruits.

As a side note, I once had a biochemistry teacher whom
offered two pieces of advice to his students. He told us to
drink a gallon of water per day and to take some brewer’s
yeast every day. As I remember it, he talked about how
brewer’s yeast was excellent food for the cellular processes
of the body. That was probably due to the fact that
brewer’s yeast is an excellent source of the b vitamins.

Drinking a gallon of water per day was slightly unusual
advice as most experts and nutritionists agree that 2 liters
is an adequate intake. This biochemistry teacher was
recommending twice that amount. Remember to consult with a
physician before changing your diet, supplement or water
intake.

Riboflavin is very important in cellular metabolism, the
process by which your body produces usable energy. It is
important in forming the coenzymes that are necessary to
make ATP, which is the energy currency of the cells.

A partial list of deficiency symptoms include fatigue,
sensitivity to light and dermatitis. Nerve tissue damage
and retarded growth in infants and children can result from
a deficiency.

More detailed and technical information about Riboflavin can
be found at emedicine.com. If you have any doubts about
your health as it relates to Riboflavin, ask your doctor for
a proper diagnoses and treatment. Each human body is
different with different needs and contraindications, that
is why it is important to consult your physician.

This article is for information purposes only and is not
intended to prevent, treat or diagnose any health issue. If
you have or think you might have a health condition or
issue, please contact your primary care physician for proper
diagnoses and treatment. The statements in this article have
not been evaluated by the US FDA as far as I know.

You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the author bylines
are included and any hyperlinks are left active on web
pages. You may make minor editorial corrections only.

David Snape writes for All Things Pondered: http://allthingspondered.com - where you can have your say and (almost) anything is pondered. He also writes for To Be Informed: http://tobeinformed.com - a site supportive of health, fitness and wellness.

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5 Ways To Stay Motivated

Do you remember the day you first joined your gym? Wasn’t it a great feeling, knowing that you had finally taken that first step towards living a healthier life? Making a conscious, positive decision to improve is rewarding, and hopefully we’ve all kept that promise to ourselves. But try as we might, it seems that there’s always a handy excuse to not exercise.

While gym attendance peaks around January, it slacks off every March/April as people forget about their New Year Resolutions. Summer BBQ’s and vacations tend to make people stay away from the gym, and six months later holiday parties and planning to the same thing. Finally, we can all relate to those days when we simply don’t want to work out!

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry, reports that the average health club member in the United States spends only about 90 days at the gym per year.

The purpose of this article is to help you STAY MOTIVATED to exercise! We don’t just want to help you with the ‘how’ of exercise - we want to help you with the ‘why’ too! We want you to look forward to exercising!

So what can you do to stay motivated? Here are five great ideas to help us all keep that inner fire burning..

1) Find an exercise buddy! When we know that someone else is going to meet us at the gym at a certain time, we will automatically be much more likely to show up ourselves. After all, who wants to abandon their friend? Don’t have a friend at the gym? Invite one along! She will appreciate the invitation, and will be much healthier for it!

2) Get to know people in the gym! One of the many reasons why women enjoy the gym so much is that it’s part exercise facility and part social club! Visiting with friends and family while we’re exercising makes the time go by so fast it hardly even seems like we’re doing something good for us. It’s great to get out of the house or office and just have some fun with other ladies!

3) Talk with your doctor! We all know that exercise is good for us. From helping to prevent cancer to lowering our blood pressure to helping us fit into that swimming suit, exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even with that knowledge, it’s sometimes encouraging to hear about our progress from our doctor. Here’s a hot motivation tip: ask your gym for a copy of your fitness records (monthly body fat analysis and measurements) and then share that information with your doctor. He or she will be so happy that you’re exercising, and will encourage you to continue!

4) Chart your progress! The CEO of a Fortune 500 company once said “What gets measured gets done”, and that advice is as good for us as it was for that business. Take the time to keep a food journal, an exercise log, or simply write down your fitness goals. Post it where you will see it every single day (on the ‘fridge, in the car, on the mirror, etc.). Life is just so busy these days, a constant visual reminder of our goals may be just the motivational push we need.

5) Give yourself a reward! Sometimes the ‘big picture’ can be too intimidating. For example, if you have 80 pounds to lose it’s tempting to think “It’s too much! I shouldn’t even try.” That’s one of the biggest motivation-killers out there, so combat those discouraging thoughts by rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments. Treat yourself to a manicure when you lose that first five pounds. Buy a new outfit when you’ve lost ten pounds. Take a mini-vacation when you’re halfway to your goal. Give yourself small rewards for achieving smaller goals, and guess what…..many small steps make up a long journey! Before you know it, you’ll have accomplished your overall goal!

There are many other ways to give yourself the motivation to succeed. Try some of these tips today - the only thing you have to lose is the fat!

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

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Lose 1.5 Pounds This Month With Zero Effort

Did you know that it’s possible to lose 1.5 pounds this month and almost 20 pounds this year with absolutely zero effort? It’s true! We’re going to reveal a weight loss ‘trick’ that will help you LOSE FAT and will make a nice addition to your exercise program!

So exactly what is this fat loss trick? It’s really quite easy to do, and the results are virtually guaranteed! The trick is to switch from regular soda to diet soda.

Now, don’t get all excited about the thought of drinking diet soda! It’s really not bad once you get used to it, and once you realize how much fat that regular soda is putting on your body you’ll be more likely to make the change from regular to diet.

Consider that a 32 oz. Classic Coke has 310 calories. That’s the average McDonald’s serving size. (Source: www.mcdonalds.com)

The Super Big Gulp holds 44 oz. of soda, and how about the 7-Eleven X-treme Gulp? It has 52 oz. of calories! Talk about sugar overload! (Source: www.7-eleven.com)

Enjoying the occasional soda doesn’t make our waistlines expand. Just like most other things in life, it’s the OVER-CONSUMPTION that makes regular soda a belt-buster!

Back in 1942 the average soda consumption in the United States was sixty 12-ounce servings per year. By 1997, the average annual soda consumption in the United States was a whopping 576 12-ounce servings!!!!! That works out to almost two 12-ounce cans per day for every man, woman and child in the country. (Source: Center for Science In The Public Interest - www.cspinet.org)

That same year (1997), diet sodas accounted for only 24% of soda sales. While that was up from 8.6% in 1970, it’s still too low a number.

So just how much fat can you lose by switching from regular to diet soda? Well, assuming you’re an average American, that means you’re drinking about 6,912 ounces of regular soda each year (576 12-ounce servings = 6,912 ounces). Each ounce of regular soda (we used Coca-Cola in this example) has about 9.6875 calories. So, by switching from regular soda to diet soda you can eliminate 66,960 calories per year!!

Do you want to get really excited? Let’s translate that calorie loss into FAT loss: It’s a fact that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. If you eliminate 66,960 calories per year in regular soda then you will probably avoid putting on an extra 19.13 pounds of FAT (66,960 / 3,500 = 19.13). That’s more than 1.5 pounds per month!

Of course, there are certainly some factors that come into play here other than simple soda consumption. But isn’t that a great start? Just by switching from regular to diet soda you can literally eliminate almost 20 pounds per year!

Still don’t want to give up your regular soda? Then how about switching to a smaller size? Did you know that in the 1950’s the average soda serving was the 6.5 oz. bottle made popular by Coke? Compare that with the super-duper big mugs of today, and it’s easy to see where some of the problem comes from! Opt for a smaller size soda, and you’ll still reap some of the fat loss benefits.

Of course, the best solution is to dump the soda altogether and drink water instead…..but that’s a topic for another article…..

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

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