10 Surprising Benefits of Turmeric

 By Lopamudra Sinha

Turmeric is an important spice in India and other Asian countries. It is widely available here, as it is best cultivated in this warm tropical climate. It is now also used in many other countries of the world, for cooking and other useful purposes. Scientifically, turmeric belongs to the family Zingiberaceae, which is the same family as that of ginger. Its scientific name is Curcuma longa, due to the presence of curcumin, which is the main chemical component and the coloring agent of this spice.

Turmeric is used in cooking most of the dishes of the Indian subcontinent, as the paste of the raw form or powdered from the roasted rhizome. It imparts a golden yellow color to the curries and lends a hot, sharp taste to the cooked foods. But apart from the culinary purposes, turmeric is also known for its high medicinal value, for which it is revered from ancient times, by the native medical practitioners of this region. It contains plenty of useful nutrients, like protein, Vitamin B3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc and fibers.

Therefore, the ten important medicinal benefits of turmeric are discussed here.

1. Acts as a brain booster

The power of the brain cells of the aged people often decreases due to the onset of any neurodegenerative disease, like Alzheimer's disease or dementia. But the presence of curcumin in turmeric is highly beneficial in removing all the obstructions that are preventing the smooth functioning of these old brain cells and it also helps in repairing much of the damages of the brain.

2. Prevents all types of cancers

According to the latest researches on cancer, turmeric has the power to prevent the formation of cancerous cells in certain parts of the body; thus it is highly effective in averting prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and even leukemia. The cancer patients can stop the rapid spread of cancer in their bodies through the regular intake of turmeric, as it prevents the multiplication of the cancerous cells within the affected body and it even destroys most of these diseased cells.

3. Restricts the rise of blood sugar level

The turmeric holds the unique ability to bring down the amount of glucose in the body to a fairly normal level, by decreasing the insulin resistance of the body cells. It is also known to make the usual diabetic medicines more effective; thus helps in controlling diabetes to a large extent.

4. Provides relief from arthritic pains

As the turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, it is proved to be useful in curing the arthritic pains or any ache of the bones or cartilages, to a great extent. Now, some scientists even claim that the turmeric is more effective than many pharmaceutical medicines, in reducing these joint pains.

5. Strengthens the immune system of the body

The turmeric contains a component called lipopolysaccharide, which is characterized by the ability to boost the immunity power of the body. Hence, anyone suffering from any viral fever or flu or cold should eat regular amounts of crushed or powdered turmeric, to get some relief from the painful symptoms. The antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties of turmeric further help in strengthening the immunity system of the body and thus, it helps the body to fight these diseases successfully.

6. Decreases the level of cholesterol

The turmeric can lower the level of serum cholesterol in the body, due to its highly active antioxidant property, leading to the lesser possibility of the common cardiovascular diseases, thus saving the lives of many patients who are suffering from the ill effects of high HLD cholesterol.

7. Cures all minor wounds

From the ancient period, the turmeric has been known as a wonderful healer of all kinds of minor wounds. Actually, the curcumin, present in the turmeric, has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities, which helps in healing any small cuts or burns and protects the wounds from bacteria and other infections, when applied externally over the wounded area of the skin. The intake of turmeric is also found to be beneficial for repairing the damaged cartilages, in case of any sprain.

8. Helps in reducing excessive body weight

The turmeric enhances the amount of bile production from the liver and these extra quantities of bile help in faster digestion of the fatty acids, thus prevent their accumulation within the body cells. Due to the anti-angiogenic property of turmeric, it also prevents the fat cells from acquiring necessary nutrition from the blood and thus stops the further growth of these fats within the body. Therefore, the daily intake of a spoon of turmeric paste or powder can help in reducing body weight considerably.

9. Improves the digestive power of the body

As the turmeric stimulates the liver and the gallbladder to produce more bile, it speeds up the digestive process of the body. Due to the anti-inflammatory property of turmeric, it helps in curing the diseases caused by bowel irritation; for example, ulcerative colitis can be cured by eating turmeric. Moreover, the daily intake of a small amount of this beneficial spice helps in curing many stomach problems, such as bloating and diarrhea.

10. Keeps the liver healthy

The turmeric safeguards the health of the liver, due to the effective action of curcumin, which gets rid of all the unwanted fats and other toxic substances from the liver cells and makes them fully active. Turmeric also increases the production of the detoxifying enzymes in the liver and speeds up the blood circulation within the body. All these factors caused by turmeric make the liver healthier.

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How to Recognize Scams in the Personal Training Industry

By Leslie M Smith

The Personal Training industry is lightly regulated, so there is rampant opportunity for scams and criminals to prey upon naive aspiring trainers (and clients alike) and part them from their hard-earned money.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've personally been taken in a scam...just to give you an indication of how prevalent and easy it is to fall victim to these people.

There are literally over 500 certification organizations out there posing as "the best certification money can buy". With so many certifications out there by all these 'gurus' and experts, its no wonder that we are all so easily preyed upon by scam artists that wish to get a few hundred dollars from us.

There appear to be at least two types of scams out there that are popular today. I'll describe what I've learned so far to give you some help in avoiding them.

Personal Trainer "Certification" Scam

Just as the name implies, this is a ruse where a self-appointed guru offers a certification, certificate, degree, or other form of educational verification in return for classes, materials, supplements, but most of all, your money.

With so many certifications out there, it's almost impossible to advise how to watch out for these scams other than tell you that the NCCA approved certifications - plus a few other well respected organizations - are safe bets that I can guarantee you won't be a rip off.

I've even found people that try to sell you NCCA certification courses that aren't even associated with the group. Watch out for offers to help you pass exams if they aren't directly from the organization.

* Always deal directly with the Certification Organization through the web (directly to their website) or a direct call placed by you to them.

* No reputable certifications are distributed "in-house", "remotely" or in some guy's gym.

* Solicitations are almost always a sign of lack of legitimacy.

* Poor quality study materials (or even NO study materials!)

* Certifications based on "previous" or "life" experiences

* Claims that they are the 'Most Recognized' program, certification, or etc. No one certification holds that title, therefore the reputable ones do not try and claim such a position.

* Courses that are only online and incredible cheap.

* Non-Profit Status asserted as an advantage (possibly why their rates are so low, they'll say). None of the legitimate certifications are non-profit.

Personal Training "Job" Scam

The other common scam is a job offer - usually at high rates of pay unheard of in other job offers - that require you to pass their "particular" fitness certification. Although many jobs require you to be certified by one of the NCCA organizations (which is 100% legitimate), these have their own certification that you've never heard of before that they require you can begin working for them.

This type of scam is becoming more and more common as there are more and more personal trainers. They ask you to pay a modest fee, say $230, to take their certification exam. Surprisingly, you fail and the relationship is over.

Of course, it's not a real company. They have no address, no clients, no references, and no standing in the community. They are just collecting money from us to take their fake exam and then disappear.

Here are some helpful hints for avoiding job scams.

* If the certification you are asked to pass isn't well known, it's not a real company. Google has a lot of hits for real certifications.

* Paying to qualify for a job is illegal. Paying to take an exam for job qualification assessment is NOT common in the legitimate side of this industry. If your local fitness studio needs you to get a certification for their requirements, they will give you time to get it through a NCCA organization while you shadow or assist them on the floor.

* Uncommonly high pay for trainers with no experience is a red flag.

* All respectable jobs ask to see your certification papers during the interview. They don't just settle for phone screens.

Trust your instincts. When I was scammed, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't listen to my own doubts. I paid for it and learned my lesson well. I hope my publication of this article helps other current and aspiring trainers avoid the same fate.

Leslie Smith is a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fun-2B-Fit, LLC. She has published a book on "Becoming a Certified Personal Trainer" to assist aspiring trainers with their goals of becoming Certified Fitness Professionals.

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How to Keep Fit and Healthy at All Times

By William Messruther

If you want to keep fit and healthy at all times, then you have to make some active effort. Keeping fit doesn't only mean looking good from the outside. It means being physically active, mentally sound, and feeling energetic and ready to face the tasks of everyday life.

In order to keep fit and healthy, you don't have to run for hours, or spend several hours at a gym, or playing football or tennis, or riding a bike. You can start by doing simple exercises. People have all sorts of excuses for not exercising. Most everyone has family, children, and busy work schedules to take care of. However, if you want to stay healthy, then you have to make some little changes towards a healthy lifestyle.

To keep fit and healthy, follow a healthy and balanced diet everyday. Make sure that your everyday diet includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein. You should cut down on red meat, junk foods, caffeine, and sugar intake. Avoid soft drinks or canned fruit juices. Instead, opt for a variety of fresh fruits, vegetable salads, freshly made fruit juices, milk, nutritious energy drinks, etc.

You need to be more active in order to keep fit and healthy. Modern life has become very sedentary, with fewer scopes for physical activities. You need to exercise in order to burn those calories. Minimum physical activity slows down your metabolism rate. So, you can put on weight even when you eat less. On the other hand, exercise and a more active life will burn up the calories, even when you eat a little more. You can simply go for a brisk walk, or jog, or you can join a gym. The important thing is that you must include some physical exercise in your everyday life, because fitness and health cannot be achieved without some physical exercise.

For a healthy life sufficient sleep is important. Lack of sleep can make you feel tired the next day. So work hard, but make sure that you have enough sleep; so that your body gets the time to replenish itself.

Do not skip your breakfast, no matter how busy you are. Breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day. It works as a fuel for your body and keeps you going for the rest of day. If you skip breakfast, you will feel hungrier in the latter part of the day, and you may end up eating more! So, you may run a risk of gaining weight, if you skip your breakfast frequently.

If you are not a healthy eater and find it difficult to improve your food habits due to busy, erratic, work schedules, then you may be depriving your body of the essential nutrients that are important for good health. In the long run, unhealthy food habits can lead you to serious health hazards. An easy solution to this problem is to include multi-vitamin supplements in your daily food intake. Multi-vitamins can be taken to replenish the nutritional deficiencies in your daily diet.

Following these simple but effective rules will enable you to keep fit and healthy at all times.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/