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The Free Fitness
Tips Newsletter - Newsletter 2008
brought to you by
http://www.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
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The Free Fitness Tips Newsletter -
November 2008 is sponsored by:
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Hello everyone and welcome to the
November 2008 edition of the Free Fitness Tips Newsletter.
This month I finished my article series on
vitamins, covering all the
B vitamins and finishing off with
vitamin C. There's still a few more vitamin themed
articles I have in mind but I am going to put them on hold for next
month as Christmas is coming and I have a few festive articles lined
up for December. So without further ado let's get on with this
month's newsletter. This month I have for you:
1)
Featured Article
As I
mentioned above I finished off my
vitamin articles this month. Like always there were a
number of contenders for the featured article but I decided to go
with...
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Explained
Vitamin C
(also known as ascorbic acid) is a
water soluble vitamin and is probably the most well known
vitamin of them all. The discovery of vitamin C was the result
of a search for a cure for scurvy (a disease which leads to problems
with the connective tissue now known to be caused by a lack of
vitamin C). Scurvy has been reported to affect explorers, sailors
and soldiers throughout history. This is now thought to be because
they stuck to a diet of dry biscuits and salted beef. They did not
often take fruit and vegetables with them on their travels because
they were not easy to preserve on long journeys. A number of folk
remedies for scurvy (which contained elements of fruit and
vegetables) did materialise over time but James Lind, a Scottish
Naval surgeon, is generally credited as being the first to discover
a cure. After reading multiple historical accounts, Lind noticed
that scurvy developed in people with a limited diet. He then tested
this theory by taking a ten week voyage where he treated sailors who
had developed scurvy and discovered that citrus fruits provided the
quickest cure. Lind published his findings in 1753 and as a result
British soldiers were prescribed daily doses of lime juice in 1795
(hence the nickname limeys). However, it was not until 1928 that
two independent researchers managed to isolate this scurvy cure.
During this time Albert Szent-Györgyi extracted a substance from
cabbage, oranges, paprikas and adrenal glands which he named
hexuronic acid whilst Charles G. King extracted a substance from
oranges and lemons that he called vitamin C.
The most
important role of vitamin C is that it assists in the production of
collagen (the main protein in animal connective tissues). It is
therefore essential for healing all types of wounds including cuts,
burns and broken bones. However, it also has further benefits which
include:
- Assisting with the absorption of iron from food.
- Preventing cancer (according to
How Stuff Works).
- Protecting the body’s cells against oxidative damage.
- Protecting the eyes.
- Protecting against heart disease.
- Reducing the symptoms of the common cold.
- Supporting the body’s immune system.
Unlike most
animals, humans cannot produce their own vitamin C and therefore
have to rely on diet for their daily intake. Men and women are
advised to consume 40mg of this vitamin each day. As you probably
know citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes are the richest
source of vitamin C. However, strawberries, sweet peppers and
potatoes are also good sources of this vitamin. Like the other
water soluble vitamins, vitamin C is quite easily destroyed.
Bruising and cutting of fruits and vegetables can destroy some of
their vitamin C as can cooking at high heats. Therefore, I advise
you to make sure that you take care when preparing these foods and
steam your vegetables instead of boiling them.
As already
discussed, not getting enough vitamin C can lead to scurvy. The
symptoms of scurvy include bleeding, swollen gums, tooth loss and
wounds that will not heal. Ultimately, scurvy can be fatal if left
untreated but this is very rare because treatment simply involves
returning to a normal intake of vitamin C.
Since
vitamin C has been popularised by the media a lot of people take
vitamin C supplements. Unfortunately, this can lead to overdosing
which has a number of associated complications. These include
cramps, diarrhea, headaches and vomiting. Getting too much vitamin
C can also destroy vitamin
B12 and reduce copper absorption in the body. Therefore, if you
are considering vitamin C supplementation I advise you to see your
doctor first. Vitamin C supplements can be a good addition to
certain people’s diets but you may be getting enough from your food
already. Your doctor will be able to assess your need for
supplementation and give you an answer.
Vitamin C is
vital. It helps you produce connective tissue, helps your wounds
heal properly, protects your body’s cells from oxidative damage and
much more. However, you can get too much of a good thing.
Therefore, if you are considering supplementation see your doctor
first.
Sources:
Vitamin C Information (Food Standards Agency)
Vitamin C Information (How Stuff Works)
Vitamin C Information (Life Clinic)
Vitamin C Information (World of Scientific Discovery)
2)
Free Fitness Tips Blog Updates
Like last month,
vitamins were again the main focus at the
Free Fitness Tips
blog during November. I also got featured on Andrew
Rubalcava's blog -
Go Healthy,
Go Fit in a special post about bloggers and their
top five workout tunes. Full details are below:
-
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Explained - November 2nd 2008
-
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Explained - November 5th 2008
-
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Explained - November 8th 2008
-
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Explained - November 11th 2008
-
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Explained - November 14th 2008
-
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) Explained - November 17th 2008
-
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) Explained - November 20th 2008
-
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Explained - November 23rd 2008
-
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Explained - November 26th 2008
-
South Beach Diet Basics - November 28th 2008
-
My Featured Fitness Playlist at Go Healthy, Go Fit - November 29th
2008
3) Special Offer
You may have already guessed this
month's special offer from the banners on this month's newsletter
but if not then I will tell you here. For one month only you
will be able to get a copy of my ebook Lose Weight for the
Holidays at a significant discount. I usually sell it for
$19.97 but for the entire month of December I am going to be selling
it at the special, discounted price of $9.97.
If you are worried about piling on the
pounds this Christmas then Lose Weight for the Holidays is
the perfect ebook for you. Inside I discuss how you can use a
'three pronged plan of attack' this Christmas to keep your weight
under control. This plan will work during the busiest holiday
periods even when you have family visiting and your fridges are
stocked full of high calorie treats.
The price will revert back to $19.97
on 1st January 2008 but until then you can grab your very own copy
for $9.97 using the link below:
http://www.holidayweightloss.co.uk/christmasoffer/
4) Free Fitness Ebook
It's been quite a while since I've
been able to provide readers with a free fitness ebook but this
month that trend has changed and I proudly present you with...
South Beach Diet Basics
It may appear odd that I am giving
away a free ebook about diets when I am
not a huge fan of diet plans. However, the South Beach
diet does have some solid principles such as cutting down on
processed foods and increasing your intake of
fibre. Therefore, I am giving South Beach Diet Basics
away so that you can have a read and hopefully apply some
of these principles to your existing diet. The ebook also
comes with full resell rights and giveaway rights so if you want to
pass it on or sell it on to anyone you think will be interested feel
free to do so.
Click Here to Download South Beach Diet Basics!
5) Final Words
Wow. Another month just seems to
have flown by and now the year is almost over. Where does the
time go? Next month is December and since it is the run up to
Christmas, I'm going to be getting a bit festive at
Free Fitness Tips.
I will be posting a selection of articles on how you can stay fit
and healthy during this challenging time (in fitness terms).
The articles will cover eating, exercising and more so stay tuned.
Once again thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Tom Parker (Owner and Creator of Free
Fitness Tips)
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November 2008 is sponsored by:
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