How to Swim ?

I will focus on Freestyle.  Before taking swim lessons, I was able to swim but without proper technique. Swimming can be a lot of fun, once you master the three fundamentals:

1.) Learn how to kick your legs: I know everyone knows this. I used to kick my legs vigorously without paying attention to keeping my legs straight.  Your toes should be pointed, like ballerina, and kick using your thigh muscles. No bending the knees.  Train yourself to kick hard with your thigh muscles, its the key.

2.) Learn how to use your hands: Its important to get your hands as high and forward as possible and then pull yourselves forward. Your hands should go all the way forward and enter the water at a 45 degree angle. Fingers together. Pull with your shoulder muscles.

3.) Knowing how and when to breathe: Probably the most difficult one.  Your head should be underwater most of the time. One mistake I used to make was keep my head above all the time. No that’s not the right way to do it. You should learn to take a breath and release air from the mouth. At no point should you try to breathe when under water.  Some people breathe every 3-5 strokes, whichever is convenient.

Swimming is all about getting these three right at once. So you have to train your mind to focus on these three aspects.

First, work on them individually and then combine them to become an expert swimmer.

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JDK 6 Documentation

JDK 6 Documentation.

Health Tips

General tips:

Long periods of starvation lower your metabolism.

Fat helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, K and carotenoids (whatever that is).

Almonds are high in protein, monounsaturated (“good”) fat, rich in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, and a good source of vitamin E. ( Not all fat is harmful like that monounsat…. )

Select fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring.

Germs that make food go bad can grow if you don’t keep food at the right temperature.

Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Milk products, especially yogurt and fluid milk, provide potassium.

Your body produces vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. So make sure to get your 10-15 minutes of sunshine a few times a week.

Meat, fish, poultry, and milk are the best sources of carnitine, In general, the redder the meat, the higher its carnitine content.

Recent data from clinical trials on humans finds that soy may improve brain function.

Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium.

If you cut down fatty foods and eat more fruit, vegetables, grain and protein, you will automatically cut calories and lose weight.

Saturated fat is found in high-fat dairy products, ready-to-eat meats, the skin and fat of chicken and turkey, lard, palm oil, and coconut oil.

Workout tips:

When you work out, your need for several vitamins and minerals increases. So be sure to take a multivitamin to replace what’s lost during exercise.

Jumping rope is a good cardiovascular exercise and calorie-burner.

Mental health benefits have been found in people who do aerobic or a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

A warm-up is a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise performed for 5-10 minutes until prespiration begins.

Strength-training workouts, and not just cardiovascular exercise, should be preceded by a warm-up.

Working out with weights improves your strength and muscle tone and helps you lose weight by improving your metabolism.

Stretching all parts of the body is crucial before any workout.

To get the most from your abdominal crunches, your lower back should stay pressed against the floor throughout the crunch.

An effective cardio exercise will increase your heart rate,which burns more calories while strengthening your cardiovascular system.

By doing too much aerobic work, you run the risk of overtraining and severely limiting your body’s ability to recover and get stronger.

How to reduce the risk of Coronary heart disease ?

To reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, the goal is to decrease your overall level of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

First lets understand what is cholesterol and the role it plays in our body:

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body because it’s used to form cell membranes, some hormones and is needed for other functions. But a high level of cholesterol in the blood — hypercholesterolemia — is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.

Cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are several kinds, but the ones to focus on are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

What is LDL cholesterol?

Low-density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. A clot (thrombus) that forms near this plaque can block the blood flow to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the blood flow to part of the brain, a stroke results. A high level of LDL cholesterol (160 mg/dL and above) reflects an increased risk of heart disease. If you have heart disease, your LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL and your doctor may even set your goal to be less than 70 mg/dL. That’s why LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol reflect a lower risk of heart disease.

What is HDL cholesterol?

About one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because a high HDL level seems to protect against heart attack. The opposite is also true: a low HDL level (less than 40 mg/dL in men; less than 50 mg/dL in women) indicates a greater risk. A low HDL cholesterol level also may raise stroke risk.

What is Lp(a) cholesterol?

Lp(a) is a genetic variation of plasma LDL. A high level of Lp(a) is an important risk factor for developing atherosclerosis prematurely. How an increased Lp(a) contributes to heart disease isn’t clear. The lesions in artery walls contain substances that may interact with Lp(a), leading to the buildup of fatty deposits.

What about cholesterol and diet?

People get cholesterol in two ways. The body — mainly the liver — produces varying amounts, usually about 1,000 milligrams a day. Foods also can contain cholesterol. Foods from animals (especially egg yolks, meat, poultry, shellfish and whole- and reduced-fat milk and dairy products) contain it. Foods from plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds) don’t contain cholesterol.

Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people don’t need to consume it. Saturated fatty acids are the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease. Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol. But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. The average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman, 217 milligrams.

Some of the excess dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver. Still, the American Heart Association recommends that you limit your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams. If you have heart disease, limit your daily intake to less than 200 milligrams. Still, everyone should remember that by keeping their dietary intake of saturated and trans fats low, they can significantly lower their dietary cholesterol intake. Foods high in saturated fat generally contain substantial amounts of dietary cholesterol.

People with severe high blood cholesterol levels may need an even greater reduction. Since cholesterol is in all foods from animal sources, care must be taken to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and poultry per day and to use fat-free and low-fat dairy products. High-quality proteins from vegetable sources such as beans are good substitutes for animal sources of protein.

How does physical activity affect cholesterol?

Regular physical activity increases HDL cholesterol in some people. A higher HDL cholesterol is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Physical activity can also help control weight, diabetes and high blood pressure. Aerobic physical activity raises your heart and breathing rates. Regular moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging and swimming also condition your heart and lungs.

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Even moderate-intensity activities, if done daily, help reduce your risk. Examples are walking for pleasure, gardening, yard work, housework, dancing and prescribed home exercise.

How does tobacco smoke affect cholesterol?

Tobacco smoke is one of the six major risk factors of heart disease that you can change or treat. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol levels and increases the tendency for blood to clot.

How does alcohol affect cholesterol?

In some studies, moderate use of alcohol is linked with higher HDL cholesterol levels. However, because of other risks, the benefit isn’t great enough to recommend drinking alcohol if you don’t do so already.

If you drink, do so in moderation. People who consume moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women) have a lower risk of heart disease than nondrinkers. However, increased consumption of alcohol brings other health dangers, such as alcoholism, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, cancer, suicide, etc. Given these and other risks, the American Heart Association cautions people against increasing their alcohol intake or starting to drink if they don’t already do so.  Consult your doctor for advice on consuming alcohol in moderation.

Tips related to heart disease and cholesterol:

Eating a large amount of trans fatty acids raises blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

Vitamins

Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid:

Vitamin C helps body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system and aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you’re trying to avoid or kick a cold or other illness. Together with calcium and iron, it’s also an important part of a diet that counteracts lead poisoning.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90 mg.

Oranges:

One medium orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C and 62 calories.

If you prefer it in liquid form, 3/4 cup of orange juice contains 61-93 mg of vitamin C and 79-84 calories.

Guava:

Guava is rich in vitamin C — one half cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories.

Red Sweet Pepper:

You probably instantly think citrus when you think of immune system-boosting vitamin C, but red sweet pepper offers a solid dose of the nutrient. One half cup of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and 20 calories. If you cook the veggie, a half cup offers 116 mg of vitamin C.

Green Sweet Pepper:

Green sweet peppers offer 60 mg of vitamin C per half cup, with only 15 calories. When cooked, the vegetable provides 51 mg of vitamin C.

Grapefruit:

Grapefruit juice provides almost the same amount of vitamin C as green peppers: 3/4 cup has 50-70 mg vitamin C and 71-86 calories.

Strawberries:

Strawberries are full of fiber and antioxidants, including vitamin C. A half cup of strawberries contains 49 mg of the vitamin and 27 calories.

Brussels Sprouts:

This veggie is packed with 48 mg of Vitamin C, 300 micro-grams of Vitamin K and just 28 calories.

Cantaloupe: (its that orange fruit .. which is like papaya. You eat this a lot as part of parfait).

One quarter of a medium cantaloupe has 47 mg of vitamin C and 51 calories.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/top-sources-vitamin-C-44102808#ixzz0cbMpYCqv

Benefits of Vitamin C:

Read more on the benefits of Vitamin C:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c