How to get a bootilicious butt

Who doesn't want it? Most women will admit that one of things they'd most love to change about themselves would be a nicely shaped, sculpted butt. Our backsides consists of three main muscles — the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

These function in sync, which helps you move your legs in all directions. And since they're connected to the hips, lower back, and legs, strengthening your seat muscles means strengthening your back. Experts say that with a proper diet and exercise, one can improve the strength and shape of their butt. Just don't keep your expectations sky high! Some of the best butt workouts include climbing a slope or climbing stairs. Here are a few other exercises that will give you good results...

Squats : Not only is this exercise great for your hips and thighs, it also does wonders to your butt. Stand with your feet apart and gradually lower your hips. Just ensure that you don't let your knees go out past your toes.

Lunges : Keep your feet parallel to each other and take a big step forward or backward. Next, lower your body slowly, bending both your knees. Keep your front knee aligned over your front ankle and then get it back to the original position. Repeat with your other leg. 


Step-ups : If you don't have a weights bench at home, find a ledge which you can step on. Step one foot on the legde at a time and increase the speed gradually.

Bridges : Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, slightly apart. Lift your spine off the floor from the bottom and tighten your butt and hamstrings. Come back down slowly.

Leg extensions : Extend your leg behind your body and stand as straight as you can. Switch legs regularly.

Remember:
- Don't set goals that seem too hard to achieve. Give yourself an appropriate time period to get what you want. Setting out unrealistic goals will only get you disheartened. Keep a diary to chart your progress.

- Read books that inspire you and surround yourself with people that motivate you. The way you think plays a big role achieving good results. Stay focussed and positive.

- Don't lose hope if you don't see results immediately. Give yourself time and stay consistent. Experts say that working out in front of a mirror will help you see yourself working out so that you can know if you're going wrong somewhere.

- Never forget to stretch a bit before you start any exercise. This will warm up your muscles and give faster results.

- Just exercising is not enough. You need to eat right in order to get the look you want. Follow a diet that is not too strict but at the same time, is healthy. A diet comprising wholesome foods that are processed as little as possible, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates will help you build lean muscle.

- Sitting for long periods without much movement puts a lot of pressure on your lower back and hamstrings since your butt is not used. This leads to the muscles starting to shrivel. Solution? Don't spend so much time on your ass! 

Fish livers 'are good source of beneficial fatty acids'

A team of researchers from the University of Almeria (Spain) has confirmed that fish livers are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to healthAnchovies are one of the fish whose livers contain the highest levels of these substances.


"The livers of edible fish are a good source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially those in the omega 3 family, such aseicosapentaenoicacid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)," said Jose Luis Guil-Guerrero, lead author of the study.

These fatty acids are used to prevent and treat various complaints, such as some kinds of cancer, depression, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, behavioural problems and cardiovascular diseases.

The study focused on 12 kinds of fish that are commonly eaten in south eastern Spain, such as hake, shortfin mako and European pilchard. The livers of the great weever (Trachinus draco) and the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were those that showed up the highest levels of LCPUFA.

In addition, all the species had a combination of omega-3/omega-6 acids that was "beneficial for human consumption", especially in the case of the liver of the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou).

"Unfortunately, discarding these livers means that all their nutritional properties are missed", said Guil-Guerrero, "and if they were used this would also reduce the environmental pollution caused by throwing innards into the water, which is an inherent problem in the fish product processing industry in coastal areas".

The study has been published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.--ANI.   

Mechanism that could provide potential cure for diabetes identified

People develop diabetes because they don''t have enough pancreatic beta cells to produce the insulin necessary to regulate their blood sugar levels.. But now, researchers from UCLA''s Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center have discovered the underlying mechanism that could convert other cells in the body into the insulin-making cells, which could provide a potential cure for diabetes.


While the current standard of treatment for diabetes — insulintherapy — helps patients maintain sugar levels, it isn''t perfect, and many patients remain at high risk of developing a variety of medical complications.

Replenishing lost beta cells could serve as a more permanent solution, both for those who have lost such cells due to an immune assault (Type diabetes) and those who acquire diabetes later in life due to insulin resistance (Type 2).


"Our work shows that beta cells and related endocrine cells can easily be converted into each other," said study co-author Anil Bhushan, an associate professor of medicine in the endocrinology division at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The researchers showed that chemical tags called "methyl groups" that bind to DNA — where they act like a volume knob, turning up or down the activity of certain genes — are crucial to understanding how cells can be converted into insulin-secreting beta cells.

They showed that DNA methylation keeps ARX, a gene that triggers the formation of glucagon-secreting alpha cells in the embryonic pancreas, silent in beta cells.

Deletion of Dnmt1, the enzyme responsible for DNA methylation, from insulin-producing beta cells converts them into alpha cells.

The findings suggested that a defect in beta cells'' DNA methylation process interferes with their ability to maintain their "identity." So if this "epigenetic mechanism," as the researchers call it, can produce alpha cells, there may be an analogous mechanism that can produce beta cells that would maintain blood sugar equilibrium.

"We show that the basis for this conversion depends not on genetic sequences but on modifications to the DNA that dictates how the DNA is wrapped within the cell," said Bhushan.

"We think this is crucial to understanding how to convert a variety of cell types, including stem cells, into functional beta cells," he added.

The study was published in the April issue of the journal Developmental Cell.

to produce the insulin necessary to regulate their blood sugar levels.

Muscle cramps- symptoms, causes,prevention


What is Cramps
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. When they use the muscles that can be controlled voluntarily, such as those of our legs and arms, they alternately contract and relax as they move our limbs. A muscle that involuntarily contracts is in a "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes a cramp. It lasts for few seconds.
Causes
Some medicines like diurities may cause cramps.
Several vitamin deficiency may directly or indirectly lead to muscle cramps.
These include deficiencies of thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5), and pyridoxine (B6).
Poor circulation to the legs, which ends in inadequate oxygen to the muscle tissue, may cause extreme pain in the muscle that occurs with jogging or exercise.

Symptoms of cramps
A cramp is painful, often severely so. Usually, the sufferer must cease whatever activity is under way and seek relief from the cramp; the person is unable to make use of the affected muscle while it is cramping. Extreme cramps may be associated with soreness and swelling, which can occasionally persist up to several days after the cramp has subsided. At the time of cramping, the knotted muscle will bulge, feel firm, and may be tender.
How can muscle cramps be prevented?
Most cramps can be stopped if the muscle can be stretched.
For lots of cramps of the feet and legs, this stretching can often be accomplished by standing up and jogging around.
 For a calf muscle cramp, the person can stand about four to four.5 feet from a wall  and lean in to the wall to place the forearms against the wall with the knees and back straight and the heels in contact with the floor.
Gently massaging the muscle will often help it to relax, as will applying warmth from a heating pad or hot soak.
Cramps are inevitable, but if feasible, it would be best to prevent them.

Activity: Authorities recommend stretching before and after exercise or sports, along with an adequate warm-up and cooldown, to prevent cramps that are caused by vigorous physical activity. Nice hydration before, in the coursework of, and after the activity is important, if the period exceeds hour.
Rest cramps: Night cramps and other rest cramps can often be prevented by regular stretching exercises, if completed before going to bed. Even the simple calf-stretching maneuver (described in the first paragraph of the section on treatment), if held for ten to 15 seconds and repeated or times before going to bed, can be a great help in stopping nocturnal cramps.


Constipation Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis


What is constipation

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. The normal length of time

between bowel movements ranges widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements three

 times a day;others, only one or two times a week. Going longer than three days without a bowel movement is

too long. After three days, the stool or feces become harder and more difficult to pass.

What Causes Constipation?

Constipation is usually caused by a disorder of bowel function rather than a structural problem. Common causes of constipation include:
  • Inadequate water intake.
  • Inadequate fiber in the diet.
  • A disruption of regular diet or routine; traveling.
  • Inadequate activity or exercise or immobility.
  • Eating large amounts of dairy products.
  • Stress.


Constipation & Exercise: 

Running Your Way to Healthy Digestion

 Of the best choices of exercise for constipation relief is a brisk 10- to 20-minute walk. Make running a habit by taking a stroll after dinner & before bedtime. If you"ve eaten a sizable meal, you may need to wait an hour or so before running. After you eat, blood flows to the intestines to help you digest your food. In case you exercise immediately following a meal, blood will be diverted toward your heart & muscles & away from your digestive tract.

Constipation is a common digestive issue. Fortunately, there's several natural cures, like eating a diet rich in fiber & drinking plenty of fluids. Most notably, exercise may be what you need to help relieve your constipation if your bowel movements are not jogging on schedule. Exercise that accelerates your breathing & gets your heart pumping can help get everything else going.

If running doesn"t appeal to you, try yoga. Yoga masters think that positive yoga positions & breathing exercises aid digestion & strengthen stomach muscles, thus helping to relieve constipation.

Aerobic activities
Aerobic activities are probably the best exercises for relieving constipation. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to our organs, & bringing more blood to the gastrointestinal tract ends in stronger intestinal contractions & more digestive enzymes. The stronger the contractions & the more those juices flow, the more quickly & basically food waste will move through the colon & out of the body. Aerobic exercise can include running, jogging, swimming, biking, & plenty of other similar activities.


Do"s and Dont"s¦

You can get constipation relief or work to prevent constipation now with the right constipation diet. Follow these diet dos & don"ts.
Dont"s
Depend on processed foods. Processed foods don"t have much fiber. Eating lots of of them can lead to constipation  better to go with natural foods like fruits & vegetables than to get your meals & snacks from a box or bag.
Drink coffee or caffeinated drinks all day. Caffeine is a stimulant so it may cause you to have a bowel movement. But it can also cause dehydration, which can have the opposite effect & lead to constipation,
Go overboard on dairy. Dairy by itself may not lead to constipation, but the lactose in dairy can produce gas & make you uncomfortable if you"re backed up already. Also, foods that are loaded with cheese aren"t usually part of a balanced diet, so be positive to get the recommended every day servings of dairy from healthy, low-fat sources, such as nonfat milk & yogurt.
Drink too much alcohol. Like caffeine, alcohol can dehydrate you & cause constipation. Limiting your alcohol intake can help relieve constipation.
Do"s
Drink lots of fluids. Getting the recommended six glasses of water a day helps to soften your chair, making elimination simpler. Drinking the right amount of fluids may also help chair leave the colon.
Eat fresh & dried fruit. Fruit, dried fruit, is loaded with fiber & is of the foods that help relieve constipation. Along with water, fiber helps give chair the right consistency to pass basically. Nice fruit choices for a constipation diet are raisins, prunes, figs, bananas, apples, & applesauce.
Load your plate with vegetables. Vegetables are also high in fiber & can help prevent constipation. Pinto beans, legumes, salads, & raw vegetables are all high in fiber, making them great choices for constipation relief & prevention.
Fill up on whole grains for fiber. Look for whole-grain bread, oatmeal, ground flax seed, barley, & wheat bran cereal. Your objective ought to be to get up to 35 grams of fiber a day, & ounce of wheat bran cereal gives you ten grams.