Fitness Avenue - Your Daily Dose of Wellness Info

Mobile Health & Fitness Training Video

2010-12-27T03:10:00.000-08:00

I got this video intended for mobile(iphone/ipod) using very simple exercise and easy to understand videos & its targetted group of muscles.

Enjoy

Chillies: Ever heard of its benefits?

2010-11-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've travelled to some parts of the gulf areas. I've observed and seen this people are really making chilli part of their daily dishes. And sometimes, they just eat it alone with some other steamed or grilled meats and veggies. Never thought that there really are some health benefit these chillies provide .

Chillies are excellent source of Vitamin, A, B, C and E with minerals like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium, thiamin, and copper. Chilli contains seven times more vitamin C than orange.

Ever since its introduction to India in 1498, chillies have been included in Ayurvedic medicines and used as tonic to ward off many diseases. Chillies are good for slimming down as it burns the calorie easily. Chillies stimulate the appetite, help to clear the lungs, and stimulate digestive system.

* Capsaicin : Chillies have vitamin C and Vitamin A containing beta-carotenoids which are powerful antioxidant. These antioxidants destroy free radical bodies. Usually, these radical bodies may travel in the body and cause huge amounts of damage to cells. These radical bodies could damage nerve and blood vessel in diabetes.

The antioxidants present in the chilli wipe out the radical bodies that could build up cholesterol causing major heart diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Chillies have antioxidants that can destroy cholesterol which could cause major disease like atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. Other disease like cataract and arthritis like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing.

* Detoxicants : Chillies acts as detoxifiers as they removes waste products from our body and increases supply nutrients to the tissues. It also acts as gastrointestinal detoxicants helping in digestion of food.

* Pain killer : Chillies stimulates the release of endorphins that are natural pain killers. It relieves pain caused due to shingles (Herpes Zoster), bursitis, diabetic neuropathy and muscle spasm in shoulders, and extremities. It also helps in relieving arthritic pains in the extremities.

* Antibiotic : Chillies brings fresh blood to the site of the infection. The fresh blood fights infection. The white blood cells and leukocytes present in the fresh blood fights viruses.

* Brain : Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense of pleasure when ingested. This is the reason people get addicted to chilli.

* Cancer : It has been noted that vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid found in chilli reduces the risk of colon cancer. Chillies such as red pepper have cartonoid lycopene, which prevents cancer disease.

* Heart Attack : Chillies have vitamin B6 and folic acid. The vitamin B reduces high homocysteine level. High homocysteine levels have been shown to cause damage to blood vessels and are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts homocysteine into other molecules which is beneficial to lower cholesterol level.

* Lung disease : Chillies gives relief from nasal congestion by increasing the metabolism. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. It relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy drinkers.

Cigarette smoke contains benzopyrene which destroys the vitamin A in the body. The vitamin A present in chilli reduces inflammation of lungs and emphysema caused due to cigarette smoking.

Secrets of Longevity

2010-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Nice video of Secrets of Longevity.
Enjoy.

Healthy diet to fight stress

2010-11-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

You can reduce your level of stress just by eating right, and have the added benefit of increased health and beauty. Here’s what you need to know!
Fight stress with a healthy diet Photograph: GoogleFight stress with a healthy diet Photograph: Google

Stress is one of the biggest problems faced by people today. Stress is basically a physical reaction and it starts when a person feels vulnerable or besieged. As we get busy and stressed, we tend to make poor nutritional choices that can actually increase our stress levels and cause other problems. Studies have shown that food and stress are linked together. Diet plays an important role in maintaining our physical as well as mental health. Signs of stress generally are fatigue, headache, constant health problems, stomach disorders and giddiness. Proper diet and rest is one of the best ways to get relieved of stress.

1. Despite the best advice, most people under stress neglect food, so at least start your day with 5 almonds and either milk/lassi/protein drink or egg. You can also start a multivitamin multi-mineral supplement during the stress period.
2. Try not to skip lunch and if you do not have the time to eat then always keep a packet biscuits.
3. Avoid heavy and late dinners. Instead of the regular atta roti (wheat chapati) for dinner, use a healthier atta with a mix of channa, soy, wheat, ragi, mung. On weekends try to take rest and a light dinner.
4. Avoid consuming too much of tea and aerated drinks. For people who are prone to eating processed food, try having muesli with milk if nothing else is available at home. It can be made at home also with equal mix of cornflakes, oat flakes, rice flakes, wheat flakes.

Here are some food that will help you keep stress at bay
1.Fiber – Green, yellow and orange vegetables are very good source of fiber. Vegetables like carrot, capsicum, tomatoes, should be included in the diet for stress treatment. Food rich in fiber can be helps control stomach disorder and maintain the right bowel system.
2.Milk – Milk is rich in tryptophan which maintains serotonin. Serotonin is a mood stabilizer, which helps to control stress level. Mood swings is one of the basic features of stress and milk helps in controlling that.
3.Apricots – Apricots are rich in magnesium, which is a natural stress buster. It is also a good source of vitamin C and is rich in fiber. It helps in relaxing the tensed muscles and nerves.
4.Fish – Too much of stress may lead to a weak heart and fish is the best source for a healthy heart. Fish contain Omega fatty acid which keeps the heart healthy and is also a memory booster. Fish diet for stress is one of the major requirements.
5.Sweet – If you are stressed then indulge into some sweet treat. Sweet, helps in controlling the stress impulses in brain. This helps in controlling your stress level. Sweet diet for stress works wonders. Sweet also generates a feel good factor which helps one to get rid of stress.
6.Water – Drink loads of water. This helps your body to stay hydrated. Stress tends to dehydrate the body and water prevents it. A stressed person may also develop acidity problem. Water helps to wash out all the extra acid and thus keep your digestive system healthy.

Getting High Nutrient Foods in Your Diet

2010-10-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

An excellent video of Dr. Furhman explaining why an excess of macronutirents (fat, protein and carbohydrates) and deficiencies of micronutrients in our diets cause most of the diseases that we are so typically facing today.

Stress Relief Balls

2010-10-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

At some point in life, we all do face situations where we deal with stress. We all face stress that is a result of work issues, relationship troubles and finances. This stress comes into our lives and goes away or it stays. A given types of stress require medical attention. They affect our emotional and physical health negatively. In such cases, you have many ways to combat this stress and continue the daily life with a calm and a refreshed mind. The smallest tool that victims of stress usually use for temporary stress is a stress relief ball. It requires minimum effort in order to enjoy the benefit fully.

Stress relief balls are squishy balls that that you repeatedly squeeze and roll between palms. Any stressed up person who wants to relieve the tension can use this special ball. These ball other names are stress toys, and stress relievers. Musical balls, Steel balls and Chinese balls are all types of stress balls. The robustness and texture of any stress ball is necessary for proper use. The common stress ball is spherical in shape, although they are available in many sizes, shapes and colors. Since they are available in so many different kinds, one has a variety to choose. Make sure you pick a unique ball for yourself.

HealthWatch: Health, Wellness & Fitness Campaign

2010-10-12T01:24:00.001-07:00

Lavender Oil Aromatherapy

2010-10-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

There are many types of oils used in relation to aromatherapy, all different in order to achieve different effects. Aromatherapy oils are most commonly divided into several different categories. These categories include:

* essential oils
* absolutes
* floral waters (hydrosols)
* resins
* carrier oils
* infused oils

Lavender oil aromatherapy falls into the first category listed, the essential oils category.

Lavender oil aromatherapy is a liquid most often distilled from the purple blossoms of the lavender plant, or also known as lavendula officinalis. Lavender oil is usually extracted by using a delicate process involving water or steam. Being extracted this way, lavender oil aromatherapy most often captures the absolute essence of the lavender plant itself. It is normally so highly concentrated that a few drops is all that is necessary to reap lavender oil’s full therapeutic benefits.

The appearance of lavender oil is normally clear, with just a hint of yellow. With it being called lavender oil, one may think it is an oily substance. However, despite it’s name, lavender oil aromatherapy is not oily. To the contrary, the consistency of lavender oil aromatherapy is one of the thinnest among all of the other essential oils.

Because the consistency of lavender oil aromatherapy is so thin, the smell of this scent only goes to a medium level. However, once the medium scent starts to settle in the air, lavender oil aromatherapy can be one of the most relaxing scents there is. It is not too strong, and it is not too light. Lavender oil aromatherapy smells very fresh, as well as sweet, with just a twist of a floral aroma. Some people think lavender oil also smells a little fruity.

As with most aromatherapy oils, lavender oil aromatherapy is most often used by diluting it with carrier oils. These carrier oils can include:

* sweet almond oil
* apricot kernel oil
* grape seed oil

Once the oils are blended, they are usually applied to the skin for the best adsorbtion.

In addition to applying lavender oil aromatherapy to the skin, it may also be used by careful inhalation. Once the lavender oil molecules enter the lungs, these oils can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This will provide you with the therapeutic benefits you need to soothe whatever ailments you may be experiencing.

There are a wide variety of ailments that lavender oil aromatherapy may help treat. Some of these health issues can include:

* acne
* allergies
* anxiety
* asthma
* athlete’s foot

Lavender oil aromatherapy can also help treat ailments such as bruises, burns, colic and chicken pox. Those with cuts, who are suffering with depression, or have an earache may also benefit from the therapeutic benefits of lavender oil aromatherapy. Other possible uses for this healthy oil can include headache treatment, treatment of hypertension, as an insect repellant, to relieve itching, to help reduce labor pains, to treat oily skin, skin scarring, stretch marks, as well as to treat whooping cough.

Apple cider vinegar

2010-10-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. During this process, sugar in the apple cider is broken down by bacteria and yeast into alcohol and then into vinegar. Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid (like other types of vinegar) and some lactic, citric and malic acids.

Unlike white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a light yellow-brown color and is often sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with a dark, cloudy sediment called mother of vinegar (consisting mainly of acetic acid bacteria) settled at the bottom of the bottle.

Unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is sold in health food stores, online and in some grocery stores.

Apple cider vinegar pros
• One of the best pros of apple cider vinegar is that it is mostly made out of apple, therefore it contains vitamins, and mineral salts, which means it does not contain potentially dangerous drugs/chemicals.
• Drinking diluted apple cider vinegar helps with sore throats.
• You can use apple cider vinegar to cook. (salad dressing among a few other things)
• It can also be used as a skin toner and beauty treatment.
• Drinking a few spoons of apple cider vinegar before dinner can help you loose weight.
• Reduce blood sugar levels.
• Remove difficult stains.
• Helps relief arthritis discomfort.

Apple cider vinegar cons
• Although apple cider vinegar is known for its many pros, it is also its biggest con. This is because ones people hear of its many uses, they usually do not carefully research it before taking it, and therefore it could be dangerous.
• Apple cider vinegar has an awful taste.
• Apple cider vinegar contains various acids that can be harmful if it is not diluted before usage.
• If it is use to often for long periods of time, it can lead to lower levels of potassium and lower bone density.
• If you use medication wile drinking apple cider vinegar, it can interfere with your medications.
• Because apple cider vinegar is very easy to purchase, some apple cider brands may contain harmful chemical that can be dangerous for your body.
• Although many people use apple cider vinegar for various things, there is no exact proof from clinical studies regarding how apple cider vinegar manages to do all it does. In other words, apple cider has no scientific back up.

How to reduce your risk of heart disease?

2010-09-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the United States according to the Center for disease control and prevention. Common risk factors for cardiovascular disease include: hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, family history, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, metabolic syndrome, and physical inactivity.

From that list, there are plenty of risk factors that are deemed, modifiable, which means you can make changes to reduce your risk. For many people quitting smoking, eating healthier, losing weight, or getting more exercise are more difficult than they sound. It takes a lifetime to develop bad habits, so it’s not surprising that it’s difficult to change.

Summary of steps to lower your risk of Cardiovascular Disease:

1. Achieve and maintain ideal body weight
2. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, soy products, and low-fat dairy products in your diet.
3. Eat baked or broiled fish at least twice per week
4. Limit intake of saturated fat and trans fat/ try to consume food rich in omega-3 fatty acids
5. Limit alcohol intake (less than 2 drinks per day for men / 1 drink per day for women.
6. Reduce salt intake (< 2400 mg/d of sodium)
7. Exercise – Walking 30 minutes per day can reduce your risk of MI by as much as 50%!!!
8. Quit Smoking
9. Talk to your doctor about Aspirin use (risk of bleeding) but effective for reducing risk of MI.
10. Proper medical care for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.

Best Fat Burning Foods

2010-09-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

The best fat burning food forces your body to use a large part of the calories during the digestion and utilization process.

This is one of the major secrets of an effective, long term weight loss program.

By eating meals that have food with a high thermic effect you can produce some truly amazing fat loss results.

This is a long term nutrition strategy because once you reach your ideal weight you will have to keep eating this way for as long as you want to maintain this weight.

If you go back to your old eating habits you will simply gain all the weight back, and will be wondering why you can’t maintain your ideal weight eating whatever you want whenever you want.

The reason is simple, people that have problems losing unwanted body fat have body types with a slow metabolism, and in order to maintain ideal weight they have to eat an almost perfect diet on a daily basis.

One or two cheat meals per week are the most that they can allow themselves. If they eat more they will gain body fat.

The best fat burning foods are lean protein and complex carbohydrates. These two nutrients force your body to burn up to 30% of the calories that come from them during the digestion and utilization process.

If you want to create the body of your dreams and lose unwanted body fat permanently, you will also have to use cardio and weight training on a regular basis.

Trying to use a diet without exercise is the major reason why 95% of the people that use this approach fail in the long term.

Exercise, especially cardio is the real secret to permanent fat loss. Without regular exercise long term weight loss is simply impossible for most people.

Hot Stone Massage

2010-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hot stone massage therapy is not new to the world. This technique is administered by tactically placing the heated stones on some key pressure points of the body. It is a traditional form of therapy, which is mainly used for the relaxation of muscle adhesion, improvement of blood circulation and release of tension or stress. When the heated stones are placed on certain points of back and legs, the underlying muscles get massaged and relaxed.

A massage therapist uses some heated stones to rub your body off that produces a divinely experience and healing effects for the user. Actually, the warm heat getting out of the heated stones is the key that helps in relaxing the muscles. The heat of the stones makes it easier for the therapist to apply deep pressures on different parts of the body. This type of deep tissue massage reduces the muscles' stiffness and as a result the entire body relaxes. This therapy also helps in stimulating the blood circulation of the entire body.

Dip tissue massage and pressure techniques are the ones that have helped this therapy to become so popular among people. This therapy is also very effective in flushing out any excess toxin from a person's body. It has been found to be effective in curing several different types of diseases and disorders, like:

Muscle aches and pains
Anxiety and stress disorders
Back pain
Depression
Fibromyalgia
Insomnia
Arthritis

It is the river rocks that are used in hot stone massage therapy. But only those river rocks are used that has been smoothened by the force of river current. These stones are basically made of basalt and they attain their smoothness after bearing the wear and tear of river currents for several years. The secret behind using these stones are their high iron content. This high iron content is the one that makes these stones retain the heat for long. The therapists store them in fresh water and when they need the stones, they heat them up to a specific temperature.

This technique is especially beneficial for all those people who are suffering from some kind of stress related symptoms. Before applying this therapy on an individual, it is the responsibility of the therapist to make sure the individual is comfortable with the light massage strokes. However, if you are suffering with some kind of skin disorders or other severe disorders, it is advised to first consult with an experienced therapist before going for the hot stone massage therapy. This simple precaution can save you from the problems that you may experience after going through this therapy.

Flu shot may help reduce heart attacks

2010-09-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

A flu shot can do more than just fight against influenza, a new study suggests. It may also fight against heart attacks.
Adults who take the flu vaccine may be less likely to get their first heart attack the next year, researchers say.
The study, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, was conducted to add to other studies that suggested that there is a link between respiratory infections and heart attacks.
"By the nature of the study, it does not prove cause and effect. So it does not prove that the flu vaccine prevents heart attacks. But it does show that the flu vaccine is associated with the reduction," said Niro Siriwardena, one of the authors of the study and a professor at the University of Lincoln in England.
British researchers, who conducted the study, compared the medical records of a little more than 16,000 first-time heart attack victims age 40 and older with the records of nearly 62,700 people who had not had heart attacks.
After factoring other major risks for heart attacks, such as smoking and family history of heart ailments, the research found that the flu shot was associated to a 19 percent reduction in the rate of first heart attack, the study found.
And the benefit was even more for those that received flu shots earlier in the flu season.
Those who got the shots early had a 21 percent reduction in the rate of heart attacks in the next year, the study found.

Source

Does your Weight Loss Program Sucks?

2010-09-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

Trying to lose weight is not easy. Many people struggle their whole lives trying to get down to a healthy weight.

They’ll often tell of years of yoyo dieting trying to find something that would work. Unfortunately for them no two diet programs are the same. Some work well. There are some that aren’t worth your time. Some only work for a short time. It can be nearly impossible to find a program that will help you keep the weight off for good. In this article we will take a closer look at some of the more popular weight loss plans and programs out there. Radiowerbung has more information’s for you.

Atkins is a well known weight loss programs that may help you. This diet is known for it’s “no carbs, lots of meat” set up. This is not a safe way to lose weight as it is incredibly harmful to the body. Sure you will lose a lot of weight. The weight loss is quick, as well. The weight loss you see with this program is rarely permanent. The weight piles back on when you reintroduce carbs into your diet. The nutrients in the carbs are necessary for your body to function properly. Carbs are used to create energy. Not only is going carb free difficult, it is nutritionally a bad idea.

The Perricon Prescription is another popular diet. This diet, though very popular for a while, has been recently criticized. If you want to keep your skin looking healthy and young, then this weight loss program would be for you. Instead of being a weight loss program it is commonly referred to as the4 “anti-wrinkle” diet. Two similar ideas are that certain foods can make you retain water or even gain more weight. When considering this option, be sure to talk to your doctor first.

There is another program on the market now called volumetrics, have you heard of it? Not many people know alot about this one because they’ve kept it pretty much on the down low. Amazon.com sells the book for around ten dollars or so.

This program is well liked because of it’s flexibility. Bacon is even allowed on this program! This program’s focus is on providing more filling foods than most of the other diet programs you’ll try. That means for you that you’ll eat less and still have plenty of energy. With all the weight loss programs out there it is hard to find the right one. So how do you know which ones are a good investment? However, whatever your desired end results are will help you to determine the best fit for you. As always, talking to your doctor, can be very beneficial in finding the right program for you. He can look at your history and will know where you are starting from. He or she will be able to help you find a program that works best for who you are right now, not who you want to be later.

What You Should Keep In Mind While Doing Work Out

2010-09-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Fitness training is a subject that brings out varied opinions. Some of them are false. A person should not believe everything they are told about exercising. There are several items at there that are commonly accepted as true. Unfortunately, people often fall into their traps.

Number one is that walking is not as effective as running. The truth is that if you do both for the same amount of time you will expend more by jogging. If you do not go by time, but instead look at how far you walk or jog, there is no difference in the use of the calories by your body. That means a person should cover more distance at whatever the pace that they choose if they want to lose the most weight. There is plenty of research that supports the idea that it is more important to invest the time than it is to invest the increased effort.

The second one is that your appetite will grow as you work out. It is a common misconception. People feel that they will require extra calories to keep their energy level up because they are working out more. The amount a person works out does not mean that their appetite will increase as shown by many studies. The only exception is that of endurance athletes who exercise for two hours a day or more. Fitness training not only does not increase your appetite, but instead works as an appetite suppressant according to many reports.

Number three is that it doesn’t matter where your calories come from. Calories are not created equal. First, some foods, in particular, proteins take more energy to chew, digest, metabolize, and store than others, while others, such as fats and carbohydrates require fewer calories to digest and store and this information is repeated often on message boards like how to lose weight fast where people discuss the myths about weight loss and exercising frequently. Also there are things that cause a body’s glucose level to fluctuate more. There are foods that are full of fat and sugar that have a negative effect on a person’s sugar level. This encourages fat storage, weight gain, and hunger. By eating things that will not raise your sugar levels, a person will have more energy and will not gain the unwanted fat. It is also helpful for a person to choose things that have more liquid in them, so that their stomach is filled faster. You’ll be more likely to stop eating them way before you stop eating more calorie dense foods.

Number four is that diet alone is enough for sustained weight loss. You’ll lose weight in the short term by slashing calories and you can lose weight fast, but experts say exercise is what keeps pounds off for good because exercise burns calories and it also builds muscle, which takes up less space than fat, and since muscle tissue also requires more calories to sustain it than fat tissue does the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. Research has shown, that while a person can drop some pounds through dieting, they are more likely to get to a healthy weight and stay there if they would just exercise and dine normally.

The fifth one is that you can workout whenever you want and it will be effective. If you’re simply walking to get healthy or take off some weight, it doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you do it even if it is the six pack ab exercises that was found late one evening while watching an infomercial. but if you’re an athlete looking for the best quality workout, choose the late afternoon, when body temperature is highest. Muscles are warm, reaction time is quick, and strength is at its peak. If you push yourself harder as a result, you will burn more calories.

So there are some real facts about exercising. By following the truths, you can exercise better. You will enjoy the results.

How to Lose Weight after Pregnancy

2010-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

It is common to retain additional pounds after the baby arrives. There are several things to consider about weight loss as well as ways to help you shed unwanted weight.

If you step on the scale several days after you give birth, you will likely have one of two reactions. Disappointment or complete horror. The weight loss is either not as much as you had hoped, or in some cases, your weight might not have changed much.

Here are some techniques to help you lose post-pregnancy weight.

1. Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. Replace your high sugar beverages such as sodas and juices with some water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. You could also try flavored seltzer water which has no calories. You can cut out hundreds of calories a day this way.
2. Keep healthy snacks handy such as raisins, popcorn, wheat crackers, and nuts. Refuse to buy store-bought baked goods or junk food.

3. Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and the leanest cuts of beef.
4. Eat whole grains (breads, cereals, pastas) instead of the "white" versions
5. Don't be fooled by foods that are labeled as nonfat. Some are loaded with calories and can have hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or high fructose corn syrup, neither of which are healthy. Read your labels!
6. Resist the urge to indulge in a fast food meal. Or if you do, order the salad and not the fat-filled burgers and fries.
7. As soon as you feel ready, start light exercise. Weather-permitting, take a 10 minute walk with the baby every day and slowly increase your time to 20 minutes per day. Babies can be worn in a snugli or sling or you can use a baby jogger or stroller when they get too heavy. Even better, walk at a regular time with a friend.
8. Find easy ways to increase your exercise like parking farther away or using stairs instead of elevators.
9. Breastfeeding uses up your fat stores! Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories per day so the longer you breastfeed, the more calories you burn.
10. Consider joining a gym and trade babysitting hours with a friend so when you each go to do your workout, the other can watch the babies. Some gyms may offer babysitting services as well.

Just remember it took 9 months to gain the weight; give yourself at least that long to take it off. I am not a fan of completely avoiding or drastically reducing food groups such as the popular diets of limiting carbs or sugars. I believe the more you deprive yourself of an occasional treat, the more you will crave it.

It is consistent exercise, making healthy food choices and changing your lifestyle (if that includes a poor diet) that is the answer to losing weight and keeping it off.

Top Ten Practical Diet Tips

2010-09-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of diet tips espoused by people with apparently unlimited income and time? For a lot of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. And there are those of us who cringe at the thought or mention of weighing food to achieve "optimal portion sizes."

Here are 10 free diet tips for practical people…

1. Eating out a lot? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we are inclined to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s menu or select an appetizer, where portions are more reasonably sized. You can also split an entree.

2. Keep healthy snacks and make them easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the fridge, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first snaking desires begin.

3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned vegetables tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need, and low in real nutrition, which you do. Use economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.

4. Get a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegies. The food retains nearly all of its natural nutrients as opposed to leaching them out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great -- which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods.

5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to "eat without thinking." Treat eating with the respect it deserves. Fix yourself a plate and sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

6. Spread out your meals. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need at that moment. By adopting a "grazing" habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day.

Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an "after school snack" mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food to your daily diet.

7. Grab a fruit juice instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar and carbonation. Grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or pure water.

8. Drink water. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling -- water helps your body digest properly and cleans out your system.

9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends and exercise together. Set a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk, or spend half an hour doing something active.

10. Skip on the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and are terrible for you. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt. You'll get the same amount of calories and these contain a lot more nutritional benefit!.

When you add these tips to the amazing tried and proven Herbalife programs, you will be even more astonished by your results.

Black Rice as antioxidants

2010-09-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

Blueberries and blackberries have topped the charts for their antioxidant qualities, but hovering at $5 a pound, they have to scream “Buy Me” a little louder than most produce on the farm stand. Now foodies have a healthy and inexpensive alternative: Black rice.

At the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, La., reported: “Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants.”

Black rice, like many richly colored fruit, contains anthocyanin antioxidants, which have been shown to stave off heart disease and some cancers. When the outer husks of black rice are removed, it becomes brown rice. When the underlying bran from brown rice is removed, the rice becomes white.

The bran of brown rice contains high levels of the vitamin E compound gamma-tocotrienol as well as gamma-oryzanol antioxidants. Numerous studies have shown that these antioxidants can reduce levels of LDLs (bad cholesterol).

According to an American Chemical Society press release, Xu and colleagues believe food manufacturers could potentially use black rice bran or the bran extracts, to boost the health value of breakfast cereals, beverages, baked goods, and and more.

Xu said: “If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?”

Source

Top 15 fat burning foods

2010-09-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is the list of the top 15 fat burning foods:

1) chicken breast

2) turkey breast

3) egg whites

4) lean red meat

5) fish

6) shellfish

7) oatmeal

8) yams

9) potatoes

10) brown rice

11) whole wheat bread

12) whole grain products

13) vegetables

14) fresh fruit

15) low fat and non-fat dairy products

The first is a high thermic effect, which means that your body must expand a large part of the calories that come from these foods. In the protein section I explain the thermic effect in a little more detail.

And the second is what is considered negative calorie foods, where there is such a small amount of calories contained in certain foods that your body expands more energy to burn them than there are contained in the food itself.

Both of these types are food are covered in the nutrition sections, and in many other sections of this site.

When you have the time, come back and read the sections which interest you the most and you will find many nutrition strategies for helping your body burn unwanted body fat.

This list of 15 fat burning foods is based on the food that I consume on a regular basis that helps me maintain a low body fat percentage year round.

From my experience eating high quality food that is as close as possible to its natural state will not only help you to reach your ideal weight, but will also provide your organism with everything it needs to function properly and will produce high energy levels on a daily basis.

Have you heard about sugar alcohols?

2010-09-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

Sugar alcohols are a class of chemicals that are derived from plants. They are commonly used in low-fat or low-calorie foods as a way to reduce the overall calorie count of the food. Sugar alcohols are the middle ground chemical between pure sugars like sucrose which have a sweet taste and high calories and artificial sweeteners, which have an unnatural sweet taste but no calories.

Sugar alcohols contain a large number of calories, but provide a strong sweet taste to the food and are derived from natural sources. Artificial sweeteners provide a weaker sweetness, but contain no calories but some have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory testing. Sugar alcohols contain less than half the calories of pure sugars, provide a strong sweet flavor and are derived from natural sources. The taste provided by sugar alcohols is also a ´cooler´sweetness that is often associated with chewing gum and hard candy.

Sugar alcohols are also different than sucrose and other pure sugars in that they are not completely absorbed by the intestines. What this means is that while sugar alcohols contain less than half the calories as common sugars, the amount of calories absorbed by the body is even significantly less than that. Because sugar alcohols are not absorbed as rapidly by the small intestines, it makes it a great choice for diabetics because there will not be a spike in blood sugar levels following consumption of sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols, while a true alcohol do not cause the altering of mental state associated with other alcohols. But because of their slow absorption by the small intestines, bacteria in the intestines are able to cause fermentation of the sugar which can result in bloating and gas formation. Sugar alcohols also behave much differently in the mouth. While normal sugars are closely associate with tooth decay and bad breath, sugar alcohols do not cause tooth decay, and certain sugar alcohols actually diminish the amount of bacteria in the mouth, thus reducing bad breath.

The only real danger in consuming sugar alcohols is in the labeling that is often used by foods that contain them. Sugar alcohols are not calorie free so it is important to remember that they are not a free pass for natural sweetness. They also have slightly less sweetness than sucrose, so, in some cases, the calorie-to-sweetness level may not be as great as one would originally think. But as a middle ground sugar substitute, they are an excellent addition to foods as long as they are used in moderation.

Common Approach to Weight Loss

2010-08-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

The fight to stay healthy isn’t an easy one. There are no quick answers, no magic pills or formulas, no shortcuts to maintaining a healthy body weight. While some individuals may need to work a bit harder than others to stay in shape, weight loss is a goal that anyone can reach, but only when approached in a healthy and natural way.

The secret to weight loss is a simple one: in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in. Calories that are not burned are stored as fat, and start to add up, especially around the waist, hips, and thighs. A pound is equivalent to 3500 calories, so it doesn’t take too many fast-food binges before you start to notice your jeans don’t fit as comfortably.

Before you can start taking steps toward weight loss, it’s important to have an idea what your healthy ideal body weight truly is. Remember that each person is shaped differently, and the ideal body image for one person is simply not realistic for another. Women, especially, may find they look and feel their best when 5 pounds heavier ,or 5 pounds lighter, than their recommended body weight. Check your Body Mass Index to get an idea of what is a healthy weight for your height and body type, but don’t fixate on a certain number as a definition of your accomplishment.

The health benefits of yogurt

2010-08-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Eating yogurt everday is very healthy for the body. For those looking to supplement their protein, calcium and dairy, yogart is a healthy choice.

Yogurt is not just a delicious snack with fruits on the bottom, it has great health benefits. It is an excellent source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12. When yogurt is compared to milk, yogurt contains more calcium and protein because of the added cultures in the yogurt.

Yogurt must contain active and living cultures to be yogurt. Cultures are composed of unique living microorganisms which are responsible for many of the health and nutritional benefits of yogurt. Some of the health benefits of yogurt are"

It improves natural defense, it contains a good amount of phosphorus and 88% water. People with a risk of osteoporosis should eat at least one serving of yogurt per day.

There are three types of yogurt: regular(whole milk), low-fat and skim. Low-fat and skim yogurt are good for people who are on a cholesterol lowering diet or just simply watching their weights. These types of yogurt does not raise blood cholesterol levels.

Some people have trouble digesting lactose, a carbohydrate in milk and milk products, because of the deficiency of enzyme lactase in the body. Live yogurt cultures produce lactase and break down the lactose. Yogurt is a healthy way to get the calcium the body needs, for the people who can not tolerate milk products.

Other benefits of live and active cultures in the yogurt are, they may help to boost the immune system. They encourage the right kind of bacteria to multiply in the gut. These bacteria help to digest food and prevent stomach infections. Also, they help to provide relief from vaginal infections.

Yogurt is fresh dairy product that must be stored in the refrigerator. The heat treated yogurt has a longer shelf life but it does not give the nutritional benefits like the yogurt with live cultures because heat processing destroys the cultures. To get the most health benefit from yogurt, there must be a live and active cultures seal on the label.

Yogurt is known and consumed in almost all parts of the world. Mediterranean Countries use a lot of yogurt in their cuisine. They usually eat yogurt, plain with no sugar along with main dishes like stuffed cabbage and spinach. They add yogurt to their salads or use it to make traditional "meze" They also prepare yogurt drinks made with plain yogurt, salt and water and serve it with shish kebabs. Fried vegetables such as eggplant or zucchini are eaten with yogurt. Cucumber and yogurt salad is very popular among the Mediterranean countries, it is prepared with yogurt, cucumbers, fresh or dried mint, garlic and salt.

To add more yogurt to everyday diet, here are some healthier alternatives and tips:

- Replace mayonnaise and salad dressings with yogurt

- Replace ice cream and milkshake with frozen yogurt and mixed fruit yogurt smoothie

- Make dips with yogurt instead of sour-cream

- Try using yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese

- Use to marinate meat and poultry

- Yogurt can also be stove cooked, but it will curdle if heated to too high a temperature or boiled. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch into each cup of yogurt before cooking it, can prevent this problem.

Still want to eat hamburgers?

2010-08-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hamburgers have become a popular food option. Whether it’s lunch, dinner or a snack in between many people tend to go for the hamburger. With so many fast food places around it’s no surprise. Hamburgers are convenient and cheap and usually they taste pretty good which is more reason why they are eaten so often. However there are also many reasons why you should eat less hamburgers.

1 – Hamburgers are generally unhealthy when purchased from a fast food place. The ingredients and products used to prepare them aren’t always of the best and freshest quality. So unless you’re making healthy home made hamburgers it’s probably a good idea to eat less of them to stay healthy.

2 – Fat. Fat. And more fat. There’s a lot of fatty stuff on hamburgers. The meat is cooked in oil which is usually deep fried. Then there’s the mayonnaise that is drenched over the lettuce. Oil and mayo on the same hamburger along with the meat, cheese, and whatever else they pile on is a calorie bomb. Stay away from them as much as possible.

3 – Eating too many hamburgers is likely to result in weight gain. The average hamburger contains more than 30g of fat and over 500 calories. Too much fat around your belly and your health will suffer. With such a large amount of fat and calories found in one hamburger eating too many of them can lead to obesity problems for both adults and children.

4 – Hamburgers assist in clogging your arteries. The more hamburgers you consume the easier it is for your arteries to start clogging and your heart to stop functioning correctly. The fat found in hamburgers is usually the unhealthy kind which leads to cholesterol problems and clogging. Avoid it by eating less hamburgers.

Generally eating hamburgers is extremely unhealthy. They are made in a way to be cheap and tasty but are usually filled with stuff that is damaging to your body. If you enjoy the taste of hamburgers and don’t want to give them up completely why not have a hamburger night at home and cook them on your own. Mince some turkey meat yourself and make it into small patties. Fry the patties in a small amount of rice oil and put one on a dark grainy roll. Add some lettuce, tomato, onion and reduced fat cheese and tomato sauce. It’ll be much healthier and lower in fat than the stuff you get from the fast food place

The Better Sex Workout - Exercises That Benefit the Bedroom

2010-08-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Most of us work out to lose weight, prevent disease or strengthen bones. But here’s another reason to exercise: Your sex life will rock. Here are 7 workouts that have fringe benefits in bed…

If your fitness routine could also kick up the ‘ole sex life a notch, you’d do it in a heartbeat, right? Well, what are you waiting for? These workouts will get your heart pumping and the you-know-what thumping:

1. Cardio What’s involved: Running, biking, swimming, aerobic step class, power walking. The same old cardio routines can step up your sex life. These include any activity performed for 30-60 minutes a day, where your heart is working at 65%-75% of its capacity (and you can still talk to the person next to you).

Bedroom benefits: Regular cardio workouts build stamina by improving your oxygen consumption. They also boost your body’s ability to bring oxygen into your muscles, which in turn burns calories and breaks down nutrients into energy.

And that helps you in the sack. “Not only will you be able to last in bed without getting tired, but you’ll also recover faster and be able to go again,”

Here’s another benefit: Cardio workouts improve blood flow, which helps not only your heart but also all those naughty bits that become deliciously sensitive when you’re aroused.

2. Interval Training
What’s involved: This is cardio on ‘roids: Whatever you’re already doing − biking, running, power walking − give it your all for 1-2 minutes. Slow down for 2-5 minutes, then speed it back up. Repeat throughout your workout.

Another option: Running hills or stair-climbing. (Do the real thing or set the program on your treadmill, elliptical machine or stair-stepper.) These exercises build quads, hamstrings and glutes, the big muscles used during sex,

Bedroom benefits: Short bursts (or intervals) train your muscles to go full-tilt for brief spurts without petering out.

“When you’re getting close to orgasm and you’re in a great position, you can hold that position without the muscles getting fatigued or cramped,”. “You don’t want to lose the enjoyment of that moment because your muscles are too fatigued to keep going.”

3. Qigong (aka Chi Kung)
What’s involved: Qigong, a close cousin to tai chi combines a series of slow, flowing movements with breathing exercises for a total body workout that improves balance, flexibility and muscle strength. Best of all, qigong is so easy that anyone − regardless of age or fitness level − can jump in and get started.

Bedroom benefits: Along with sculpting your body so you look fabulous naked, one of the more esoteric benefits of a qigong workout is that it promotes the free flow of chi (“life-force” or “energy”). According to Chinese medicine, chi moves the blood, which has obvious advantages in the bedroom.

“If chi is flowing better through your arms and legs, you can bet it’s going to be flowing better through your genitals,” “It’s like opening up the pipes.”

The theory is that blocked chi causes illness, stress and tension, which can certainly put a damper on desire, not to mention performance.

“If your chi is blocked, your joints and muscles can be tight.” Cole explains. And you're probably not breathing very deeply.

“Shallow breathers tend to have more shallow orgasms or they orgasm infrequently or not at all,” he says.

People who do a lot of qigong report more explosive (even multiple) orgasms. And for guys (and the women who sleep with them), there’s the added benefit of rock-hard erections that last longer and spring back faster for an encore performance.

“I’m 47 and I get erections like I’m 22,” Cole says. ‘Nuff said.

4. Cardio Striptease
What’s involved: A sexy dance class in which you work your butt − and your shirt − off. OK, we’re kidding about the shirt. In public, keep your clothes on.

But along with the bump-and-grind choreography, you'll learn some moves “to sex up taking off your clothes,”

Bedroom benefits: You can give your guy the lap dance of his life. Besides toning hips, abs, inner thighs and tush, the class is a workout for the spirit.

It will give you the self-confidence to bare all and move your body in sensual ways that strippers have in spades − no matter your body type.

“The people you’d assume at the beginning of class would never be willing to get up in class and perform the routines in front of the others generally will feel comfortable performing at the end,” Madden says.

She loves to tell a story about a student who got up and started dancing in front of an appreciative crowd at a party.

“At that moment she felt sexy, attractive, powerful and strong,”. “For her, it doesn’t matter what she looks like or what her size is.”

7 Fat Loss Strategies for Busy Moms

2010-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today I have another guest post for you from one of the experts on post-pregnancy fat loss for moms, Holly Rigsby. Check out the fat loss advice she offers below and let me know what you think by posting below. By the way, the fat loss advice below can really be used by anyone so even if you’re not a mom, it’s definitely worth the read.

7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
Would you like to “jump start” your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly’ once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans’ out of the closet.

1. The majority of your workouts should be composed of free-weight, bodyweight or cable exercises.
Compared to machines, free-weight, bodyweight and cable movements often require more skill, create muscular balance, and have a greater metabolic cost. For example, it is more difficult to balance the weights, and to coordinate muscles when performing free-weight exercises. Although this may sound like a disadvantage, it is actually a benefit. By balancing and stabilizing free-weights or cables you are working more muscles through a greater range of motion resulting in more muscles developed and more calories burned.

2. Use exercises that work more than one muscle at a time.
When focusing on fat loss, you can’t worry about “shaping” exercises, instead you should use exercises that’ll get you the biggest bang for your buck and work as many muscles as possible. Isolation exercises can be used at the end of a workout to work on a specific target area, but they just serve to supplement your core movements.
Virtually every savvy fitness professional is privy to the fact that compound exercises recruit the most muscle groups for any given body part.
If you seek lean, toned muscles and the increase in metabolism that comes with them, you must choose exercises that work as many different muscles as possible. One of the main reasons why squats are superior to leg extensions for improving your body is that they also work your butt, hamstrings and inner thighs in addition to toning your quadriceps while leg extensions focus on just the front of your thigh and don’t really offer any other benefit. That same rationale hold true for arm exercises too. That’s why dumbell presses and dips will are more valuable for your arms than triceps kickbacks and pushdowns.
A good rule of thumb is to use movements that will allow you to use the most weight. These will have a systemic effect on your body that’ll help maintain or increase your lean muscle, and in turn ignite your metabolism.

3. Pair exercises.
Pair your exercises together so that you alternate between upper-body exercises and lower-body exercises or between exercises that target opposing muscle groups (e.g. chest and back).
This type of approach will keep your workouts short and efficient by eliminating much of the downtime that comes between sets of a single exercise since you are working on one movement while resting from another. This approach can also yield huge benefits in your mission to burn fat. Since you’ll constantly be moving and keeping your heart rate elevated, you’ll be burning far more calories than you would during a typical workout.

4. Keep your reps between 8 and 12.
Through research, it has been determined that the best range for building lean muscle is roughly between 8-12 reps. Since the main focus of your resistance training efforts is to gain lean body mass and stimulate your metabolism, this rep range fills the bill perfectly. “High reps for tone and fat loss” is one of the biggest (and most unproductive) training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga and Pilates’ community have convinced us that when we perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy!

5. Rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets.
When you keep the rest periods under one minute, it’s easier to stay focused on the task at hand and keeps your heart rate elevated. In addition, it forces your muscles to recover more quickly between sets, along with keeping your nervous system revved up.
If your first movement in an upper/lower body pair is squats, you might want to rest 60 seconds before attempting your second movement. However, if your first exercise is a fairly “easy” exercise, like lat pull downs, you might only wish to wait 30 seconds before doing the second part of the pair.

6. Perform total body workouts.
You must drop the notion that muscle groups work independently of one another. Muscles work together and should be trained that way. Besides, not only does this approach mean less time in the gym, but by working the whole body three times per week, you’ll be maximizing the fat burning effect of your program.

7. Cardio is not the cure-all for fat loss.
Cardiovascular exercise aids in the creation of a caloric deficit, but the caloric expenditure during cardio is temporary. Strength training addresses the core of the problem by permanently increasing the rate at which the body burns calories by adding muscle. The best programs will include both strength training and cardiovascular training, but the core or the programs effectiveness is resistance training.
Take these strategies and incorporate them into your workout routine. Not only will you save a lot of time, but you’ll also soon see a leaner and more toned body. Not to mention a few more turned heads and the re-emergence of your skinny jeans.

About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy – Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: “The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.”

Obesity as a symptom, Isn’t a disease…

2010-08-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting study the other day.

In this study, the researchers argued that when it comes to Metabolic Syndrome (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, central adiposity {big belly}, high blood sugar) obesity may actually be a good thing.

Here’s why.

    * Metabolic Syndrome is a result of our Standard American Diet
    * The S.A.D. combination of too many calories and the over-consumption of sugar + fat-centric meals causes…
    * An increase in the secretion of insulin. When this happens on a regular basis, we end up with…
    * hyperinsulinemia, which…
    * Causes the expression of the lipogenic transcription factor SREBP-1c and its target enzymes and so on and so on and so on until we end up with Metabolic Syndrome and all of the wonderful ailments I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Sounds pretty grim, doesn’t it?

And the first thing that your doctor is going to tell you if she suspects you have Metabolic Syndrome is to lose weight.

As if obesity is the cause of Metabolic Syndrome.

But, it ain’t.

We know that our bodies respond to our Standard American Diet by increasing the amount of circulating insulin.

This leads to an increase in body-fat.

Common sense tells us that this is bad.

These researchers disagree.

    They propose that this new body-fat delays, rather than causes, the metabolic syndrome induced by chronic caloric surplus.

    They argue that subcutaneous fat in general exerts a positive effect on insulin sensitivity. Subcutaneous fat is the body-fat that exists between your muscles and your skin – we’re not talking that solid “beer belly” kind of fat.

    This “healthy” type of adipose tissue is genetically determined and has a strong sexually dimorphic component as well. Females, at any given body mass index, are protected against insulin resistance more than males.

    And if we prevent insulin resistance…we prevent Metabolic Syndrome.

To test this hypothesis further, the researchers bred obesity resistance mice with with db/db mice, which normally become obese and develop severe metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by the age of 8–10 weeks.

Sucks to be a db/db mouse.

They ended up with some mice who stayed lean despite their voracious appetites.

Unfortunately, these mice developed Metabolic Syndrome in 4 weeks instead of the typical 8-10 weeks.

The researchers concluded that body-fat is a normal response designed to permit stockpiling of fuels while simultaneously protecting our lipid-intolerant organs.

    Metabolic syndrome appears only after the storage capacity of the adipocyte compartment has reached a maximum, at which point a gradual accumulation of ectopic fatty acids begins.

Ectopic means “not where it’s supposed to be”. It accumulates in the abdominal region (beer belly), the liver, muscle tissue including the heart, the pancreas, and perhaps in lipid-rich deposits in the arteries.

    Obesity should therefore not be regarded as a pathology or disease, but rather as the normal, physiologic response to sustained caloric surplus without which the advent of metabolic syndrome is accelerated.

Conclusions

    * Obesity isn’t a disease
    * It’s a symptom of another disease – Metabolic Syndrome
    * It’s better to have squishy, subcutaneous fat than the big, hard beer belly kind of fat

My Suggestion

Stop thinking of obesity as a health issue unto itself.

If obesity is a result of something else, you need to know what that cause is and then take action to reverse the problem.

You can start by dumping the Standard American Diet and replace it with something more Mediterranean or Asian or Paleo.

Pre Natal Care

2010-08-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know that routine chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help mom and baby be healthier? Also, have you heard that it can shorten labor time and pain? Yes, research has shown all this to be true! Isn’t that encouraging and exciting news?! It is a big task for one’s brain to orchestrate and control all functions for one person, yet alone two… So, during this busy time that a mom’s brain and body are functioning for two, why not use chiropractic care to experience optimal health and wellness?!
At conception, mom’s body releases a hormone called “relaxin”. This hormone loosens all of mom’s joints, ligaments and muscles to accommodate the precious new life growing inside of her. Also, throughout the pregnancy mom’s weight and center of gravity will drastically change. These are just some of the reasons why chiropractic care is so important during this time. Mom needs to make sure that everything is in the right position to allow maximum room for baby to move and position him or herself correctly. After all, movement helps baby’s brain development and baby’s positioning not only affects mom’s comfort but also her labor and birth. Making sure everything in mom’s body is positioned correctly will also help minimize mom’s chances of injuring herself.

Eating Berries May Activate the Brain's Natural Housekeeper for Healthy Aging

2010-08-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

Scientists have reported the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study, presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.
Shibu Poulose, Ph.D., who presented the report, said previous research suggested that one factor involved in aging is a steady decline in the body's ability to protect itself against inflammation and oxidative damage. This leaves people vulnerable to degenerative brain diseases, heart disease, cancer, and other age-related disorders.
"The good news is that natural compounds called polyphenolics found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline," said Poulose, who is with the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston. Poulose did the research with James Joseph, Ph.D., who died June 1. Joseph, who headed the laboratory, pioneered research on the role of antioxidants in fruits and nuts in preventing age-related cognitive decline.

Source

Plank on Elbows and Toes

2010-08-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Another abdominal exercise is plank on elbows and toes. The plank exercise is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as the stabilizer muscles.

How to:

   1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
   2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
   3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
   4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
   5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

How safe are artificial sugars?

2010-08-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

More than ever, people are consuming large amounts of sugar as part of their daily diet. But in excess, sugar can take its toll. Eating large amounts of sugar adds extra calories, which can cause weight gain. So many people opt for artificial sweeteners — also referred to as sugar substitutes or low-calorie sweeteners — as a way to enjoy their favorite foods without as many calories.

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that offer the sweetness of sugar without as many calories. Because the substitutes are much sweeter than sugar, it takes a much smaller quantity to create the same sweetness. Products made with artificial sweeteners have a much lower calorie count than do those made with sugar. Artificial sweeteners are often used as part of a weight-loss plan or as a means to control weight gain.

People with diabetes may use artificial sweeteners because they make food taste sweet without raising blood sugar levels. But keep in mind that if you do have diabetes, some foods containing artificial sweeteners, such as sugar-free yogurt, can still affect your blood sugar level due to other carbohydrates or proteins in the food. Some foods labeled "sugar-free" — such as sugar-free cookies and chocolates — may contain sweeteners, such as sorbitol or mannitol, which contain calories and can affect your blood sugar level. Some sugar-free products may also contain flour, which will raise blood sugar levels. Also, remember that foods containing sugar substitutes may also contain calories that may undermine your ability to lose weight and control blood sugar.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Body Building Legend

2010-08-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

So let’s look back at where it all began and how he started his bodybuilding career. It all began when he moved from Austria to the USA in 1968, at the age of just 21. He had a very strong accent and didn’t know anyone, so he started going to the gym. Not just any gym though, it was Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica. Which is now one of the most popular gym’s in the world.

Good reasons being a vegetarian

2010-08-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

In the past fifty years millions of meat-eaters have made the personal decision to stop eating the flesh of other creatures. There are five major motivations for such a decision.

The DHARMIC/SCRIPTURAL LAW reason

Ahinsa, the law of non injury, is the Hindu's first duty in fulfillment of his religious obligations to God and God's creation as defined by Vedic scripture.

The KARMIC CONSEQUENCES reason

All of our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death, even indirectly by eating other creatures, one must in the future experience in equal measure the suffering caused.

The SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS reason

Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love for all creatures, then he cannot eat meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs. By ingesting the grosser chemistries of animal foods, one introduces into the body and mind anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, suspicion and a terrible fear of death, all of which are locked into the flesh of butchered creatures. For these reasons, shakaharis live in higher consciousness and mansaharis abide in lower consciousness.

The HEALTH reason

Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and thus live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and skin more beautiful.

The ECOLOGICAL reason

Planet earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoils and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat. Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone.

Coconut Water Benefits

2010-08-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Coconut water is the purest liquid second only to water itself. It has many health benefits and uses that you probably did not know about.

    * Low in Carbs
    * 99% Fat Free
    * Low in sugars

Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help

   1. Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
   2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
   3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
   4. Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
   5. Raise your metabolism.
   6. Promote weight loss.
   7. Boost your immune system.
   8. Detoxify and fight viruses.
   9. Cleanse your digestive tract.
10. Control diabetes.
11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
13. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
14. Boost poor circulation.

Long Arm Crunch

2010-08-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

The long arm crunch is changing the traditional floor crunch by straightening the arms behind you. This adds a longer lever to the move, adding a bit more challenge and difficulty. This move also emphasizes the upper part of the abs, although it's important to remember that your rectus abdominis is actually one long muscle that travels from your lower chest to your pelvis. While you can emphasize one part, any exercise you do will work the entire muscle.

How to:

   1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
   2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
   3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
   4. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

The Truth About Caffeine

2010-08-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

Health Benefits of Grape Seed Oil

2010-08-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Many studies have been carried out to determine the benefits of using grape seed oil and today, it is used in controlling various health problems like heart diseases, cancer and for regulating the level of blood sugar. Grape seeds contain antioxidants, which protect the body from a number of health problems caused by the free radicals. Besides, this oil is rich in vitamin E, flavonoids, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Grape seed oil presumably lowers cholesterol, especially the harmful LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, it has been found to increase HDL, a good cholesterol, which reduces risks of coronary diseases. Some studies have shown that grape seed extract may be helpful in checking the growth of cancerous cells in the stomach, colon, prostrate and lung. Certain compounds found in grape seed oil are believed to improve vision, flexibility of joints and blood circulation. Many are of the opinion that it can also be effective in reducing the symptoms associated with allergies and asthma, as it suppresses the production of histamine (an amine released by the immune system during allergic reactions).

Grape seed oil is usually colorless with a high smoke point and is widely used in cooking. It can be used in baking, frying, salad dressings, marinades and sauces. It can also be used as an ingredient in making mayonnaise. However, the oil available for cooking is different from the one used for external applications.

Vertical Leg Crunch

2010-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques.

How to:

   1. Lie on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
   2. You can place your hands on the floor for support.
   3. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
   4. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
   5. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Exercise Ball Crunch

2010-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here's another abdominal exercise thats effective in trimming those bulging tummies.The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and is the third most effective move for targeting the rectus abdominis. What makes this move a bit more effective than crunches on the floor is that the legs are often involved in floor crunches. On the ball, the abs do more work.

How to:

   1. Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back.
   2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
   3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
   4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).
   5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Nice Abs

2010-08-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting video on six pack abs. Hope you like....

Captains Chair

2010-08-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors.

How to:

   1. Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
   2. Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
   3. Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
   4. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Bicycle Exercise

2010-08-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Want to know the most effective ab exercises? It's important to remember that, while ab exercises won't get rid of fat from the belly, a strong core is important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine.

The most effective ab exercises start with the bicycle, which is the best move for targeting the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to the study.

How to
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring knees up to about 45- degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keep even, relaxed breathing throughout.

   1. Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
   2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
   3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.
   4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
   5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Burn those Fats!

2010-08-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Losing fat has become an obsession with today's generation. However it is important to stay lean and fit and lose unnecessary fat. The most common way adopted to lose fat is going on weight loss diet that restricts the intake of specific foods, or food in general, to reduce body weight. The strict regimen knocks pounds in few weeks. What works to reduce body weight for one person need not necessarily work for another, due to metabolic differences and lifestyle factors. Also, for various reasons majority of all people find it very difficult to maintain significant weight loss over time.

It is important to prioritize and decide what the ultimate goal is? The answer is that the goal should be lifelong fitness regime and healthy body and not temporary quick fixes offered by diets. To inculcate fitness regime one may start by taking small steps. There are simple tips that can bring about fat loss without harming the system. Starters should include a thirty-minute walk to the normal daily routine and gradually build on it. Similarly they should not commit the mistake of going on diet suddenly. Instead starting with gradual changes in the eating habits can be more beneficial. For example order salad instead of fries with your burger. For starters, it is advisable to eat just 100 calories a day less than previous week's diet. Then add to those changes until they become part of their daily routine.

In the correct diet plan, protein, carbohydrates and fat ratios are important as they stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn promote the flow of energy in body and fat loss. Physical exercise complements dieting regimen in securing effective weight loss and achieve a fitter and leaner body. For effective fat loss, it is important to start the day with a balanced breakfast that includes essential carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat. Breakfast breaks the "fast" from an overnight sleep and revs up the metabolism. Dependency on diet alone, especially if you are over 30, will result in deprivation as your metabolism slows down with age. The correct method is to pump up that metabolism with exercise so you can have an occasional treat without doing any harm. Aerobic exercise helps in maintaining good health especially the muscular strength of the heart. Brisk walking can also help to accomplish significant fat loss. Cardiovascular activity combined with weight training will result in much more effective fat loss.

It is imperative to regularly monitor body weight to avoid weight regain. Similarly it is necessary to maintain and rather increase the water intake. From the flashpoint of water intake and fat loss, one should be in a position where the liver is converting stored fat to energy to boost the body metabolism. Another of liver's function is managing the slack for the kidneys, which require great intakes of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, then liver is overburdened and has to do the work of the kidneys. The liver then is unable to metabolize fat as quickly and store up fat in the body. That's why increased water intake helps to reduce fat. It is important to maintain discipline. Keep up the work and make it a lifestyle habit. This is the best way to a leaner and fitter body.

Loneliness

2010-08-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

I ever thought that I will feel this kind of thing in my life now. Working in a country way far from my family and friends you can really feel some boredom & loneliness. Loneliness has a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health. Sometimes you really cant prevent to have a feeling like this. Some of the the health risks associated with loneliness includes

    * Depression and suicide
    * Cardiovascular disease and stroke
    * Increased stress levels
    * Decreased memory and learning
    * Antisocial behavior
    * Poor decision-making
    * Alcoholism and drug abuse
    * The progression of Alzheimer's disease
    * Altered brain functions

Considering the facts about this, here are some tips to overcome & prevent loneliness.

Recognize that loneliness is a sign that something needs to change.
Understand the effects that loneliness has on your life, both physically and mentally.
Consider doing community service or another activity that you enjoy. These situations present great opportunities to meet people and cultivate new friendships and social interactions.
Focus on developing quality relationships with people who share similar attitudes, interests and values with you.
Expect the best. Lonely people often expect rejection, so instead focus on positive thoughts and attitudes in your social relationships.

Just Stay happy!

Benefits of Coconut Oil

2010-08-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

How many coconut oil benefits can you think of? Coconut oil benefits range from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

No other oil can compare to its favorable effect on your overall health. None!

Many people call it, The Healthiest Oil on Earth, The Miracle Oil, The Drugstore in a Bottle, etc.

For thousands of years, tropical communities have used this divine oil in key areas of their lives like cooking, disease cure and prevention, hair and skin, etc. My relatives in the province still use it the old-fashioned way and their health is enviable.

The benefits of coconut oil on your health are countless and unparalleled. The list below is just the tip of the coconut oil benefits iceberg.

COCONUT OIL:

    * Reduces your risk of having heart disease
    * Stimulates your metabolism
    * Promotes normal thyroid function
    * Helps you loose and maintain your ideal body weight
    * Kills viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa
    * Has natural antioxidant properties
    * ..... and much, much, much more .....

The Truth is Out

After decades of being maligned in the name of profits, raw coconut oil health benefits are no longer buried and hidden from you.

Thanks to the undying efforts of honest researchers, best-seller books, countless testimonials, and of course the internet, you can now take advantage of this wonderful gift from God.

Health Benefits of Grapes

2010-08-05T02:34:00.001-07:00

The health benefits of grapes include its ablity to treat constipation, indigestion, fatigue, kidney disorders, macular degeneration and prevention of cataract. Grapes, one of the most delicious fruits, are rich sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants, which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and slacken ageing.

Grapes, owing to their high nutrient content, play an important role in ensuring a healthy and robust life.

Benefits: Some of the health benefits of grapes include the following:

    * Asthma: Due to its eminent therapeutic value, grapes can be used for cure of asthma. In addition to it, the assimilatory power of grapes is also higher. It increases the moisture present in lungs.
    * Heart diseases: Grapes increase the nitric oxide levels in the blood, which prevents blood clots thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks. In addition the antioxidant present in grapes prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which blocks the blood vessels.
    * Migraine: Ripe grape juice is an important home remedy for curing migraine. It should be taken early in the morning, without mixing additional water.
    * Constipation: Grapes are very effective in overcoming constipation. They are considered as a laxative food, as they contain organic acid, sugar and cellulose. They also relieve chronic constipation by toning up intestine and stomach.
    * Indigestion: Grapes play an important role in dyspepsia. They relieve heat and cure indigestion and irritation of the stomach. They are also preferred as they constitute a light food.
    * Fatigue: Light and white grape juice replenishes the iron content present in the body and prevents fatigue. Though, the dark grape juice might not give an iron boost and on the other hand, decrease the iron levels. Drinking grape juice also provides you with instant energy. The anti-oxidants present in grapes also provide the needed boost to your immune system.
    * Kidney disorders: Grapes can substantially reduce the acidity of the uric acid and helps in the elimination of the acid from the system, thereby reducing the work pressure of kidneys.
    * Breast cancer: Through a latest study, it has been discovered that purple colored Concord grape juice helps in preventing breast cancer. Significant reduction in mammary tumor mass of laboratory rats was seen after they were fed the grape juice on the experimental basis.
    * Alzheimer’s disease: Resveratrol, a beneficial polyphenol present in grapes reduces the levels of amyloidal-beta peptides in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that grapes can enhance brain health and stall the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
    * Macular degeneration: Grapes can prevent the age related loss of vision or macular degeneration. Three servings of grapes a day can reduce the risks of macular degeneration by over 36 %.
    * Prevents cataract: Flavonoids present in grapes have antioxidants, which can reduce and fight the damage caused by free radicals such as cataract apart from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and age related problems.
    * Blood cholesterol: Grapes contain a compound called pterostilbene, which has the capacity to bring down cholesterol level. Saponins present in grape skin can also prevent the absorption of cholesterol by binding with it.
    * Antibacterial activity: Red grapes have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties and can protect you from infections. They have a strong antiviral property against poliovirus and herpes simplex virus.
    * Anticancer properties: Grapes are found to have strong anti cancer properties due to the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol present in grapes. It is particularly effective in colorectal cancer and breast cancer. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins present in grapes have properties of an anti-proliferate and can inhibit the growth of cancer causing agents. Grape juice not just prevents the risk of cancer but also suppresses the growth and propagation of cancer cells. The pigments contained in grapes enhance the overall immunity of the body.

Thus, grapes play a pivotal role in preventing innumerable health disorders and can be used as home based remedies for several ailments. Dried grapes, known as raisins, are extremely nutritious and help in many disorders including constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, sexual weakness and help in gaining weight and eye care.

Trampoline exercises for weight loss

2010-08-03T03:09:00.000-07:00

Trampoline exercises are a great way to provide steady weight loss when used in conjunction with a good, healthy meal plan.

As with any exercise program, always consult your physician before you begin. The trampoline exercises we are going to discuss are a great way to provide you with steady weight loss, as long as you also adhere to a healthy meal plan. You will want to follow the exercises as directed and perform them three to four times each week (unless otherwise directed by your doctor).

Before we discuss the basic workout used on a trampoline, first let’s talk about what you should do before you begin. You will start your workout with a series of warm-up exercises designed for use with the trampoline. You will need to refer back to these exercises once you complete your basic workout and do them as cool-down exercises. Once you have completed your warm-up, you will need to do a series of stretching exercises to ensure reducing your risk of injury to any of your joints and/or muscles during the workout.

The purpose of warm-up exercises is ensuring your body’s muscles are warmed up and ready for the workout. Cool-down exercises allow your muscles to wind down after working them so hard. However, follow the exercises as instructed herein and do not exceed five minutes during warm-up or cool-down. Remember that these exercises are designed for use with a trampoline and if followed correctly, you will see a steady weight loss within six to eight weeks.

Warm-up and Cool-Down Exercises

1. Trampoline Contact Bounce: With your feet placed shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and place your hands on your waistline. Begin the trampoline contact bounce very gently without your feet leaving the mat. Repeat the motion ten times to get yourself comfortable with using the trampoline.

2. Trampoline Foot Tap: Keep your body in the position used for the contact bounce and shift your weight to one side. Now, tap your one foot out to the opposite side. Repeat the movement ten times by shifting your weight to the right and then to the left, while tapping your foot to the opposite side each time. Then go into a steady bounce.

3. Trampoline Hamstring Curls: While bouncing, you will need to shift your weight to the left or right side of the trampoline. Now, bring the opposite foot up to your buttocks. Repeat this exercise ten times, while shifting your weight back and forth each time. Then go back into a steady bounce.

4. Trampoline Side-to-Side: Place both of your feet together and begin bouncing by slightly leaning to one side of the trampoline. Repeat this movement ten times by shifting your weight to the right and then to the left each time. Then, go back into a steady contact bounce.

5. Trampoline Jogging in Place/Jog Bounce: Bring your body’s weight back to the center of the trampoline and begin jogging in place, as you would if you weren’t on the trampoline. Continue to jog in place and slowly count to ten. Then, begin bouncing twice on one leg before switching to the other leg. This is called the trampoline jog bounce. Repeat the jog bounce ten times on each leg and then wind down into a steady contact bounce for ten seconds and then remove yourself from the trampoline to perform your stretching exercises.

Stretching Exercises

1. Lower Body Stretch: Place your feet shoulder-width apart and put your hands behind your back. Now, bend over as if you were going to touch your toes. Hold this position for thirty seconds and repeat the movement ten times.

2. Bent Torso Pull: Sit on the floor and stretch your legs completely apart, but without straining. Now, bend one knee upward toward your torso. Then pull your chest down to touch your thigh on the bent leg and twist at the waist. Hold this position for ten seconds and then repeat the movement on the opposite side. Repeat this exercise ten times on each side.

3. Floor Stretch: While sitting on the floor, keep your legs stretched apart and bend your upper torso by pulling yourself toward one thigh. Hold the stretch for thirty seconds and then repeat it on the other side. Repeat this exercise ten times on each side.

4. Bent Over Leg Stretch: Bring your body back into a standing position and stretch your legs so that they are shoulder-width apart. Now, slowly pull your upper torso down towards your right leg for ten seconds. Then slowly pull your upper torso down towards your left leg for ten seconds. Repeat this motion ten times on each side, but do it slowly.

Trampoline Basic Workout Exercises Designed for Steady Weight Loss

1. Contact Big Bounce: Begin bouncing gently and then begin bouncing high enough for your feet to leave the mat of the trampoline. Continue with this motion ten times and then go into a steady contact bounce.

2. Knee Raise: While bouncing, begin to raise one knee just above your waistline. Repeat this movement ten times on each knee and then resume back into a steady contact bounce.

3. Jumping Jacks: While bouncing, begin doing jumping jacks. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart each time you land on the mat. Also, be sure to work your arms and legs simultaneously during this exercise. Repeat this exercise ten times and then resume back into a steady contact bounce.

4. Upright Row: While in a steady contact bounce, alternately raise your knees just above your waist and do an upright row with your arms each time you raise a knee. Repeat this motion until you have worked both knees ten times and then resume back into a steady contact bounce.

5. Twist Bounce: While bouncing, put both feet together in the center of the mat on the trampoline. Now, simultaneously twist your body back and forth while gently bouncing. Repeat this motion ten times and then go back into a steady gentle bounce.

Once you have completed your trampoline workout, you are ready for your cool-down exercises. Refer back to the exercises you performed during warm-up and repeat those exercises as directed. If you use this trampoline weight loss program along with a healthy meal plan, you will begin to see a steady weight loss within six to eight weeks.
Source

Thai Massage

2010-08-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

Thai massage is a type of massage in Thai style that involves stretching and deep massage. This form of bodywork is usually performed on the floor, and the client wears comfortable clothes that allow for movement. No oils are used in Thai massage. It is known in Thailand as "nuat phaen boran" literally, the ancient-manner massage.

The massage recipient changes into loose, comfortable clothes and lies on a mat or firm mattress on the floor. It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room. The receiver is put into many yoga-like positions during the course of the massage.

The massage practitioner leans on the recipient's body using hands and usually straight forearms locked at the elbow to apply firm rhythmic pressure. The massage generally follows the Sen lines on the body — somewhat analogous to meridians or Channel (Chinese medicine) and Indian nadis. Legs and feet of the giver can be used to fixate the body or limbs of the recipient. In other positions, hands fixate the body, while the feet do the massaging action. A full Thai massage session typically lasts two hours or more, and includes rhythmic pressing and stretching of the entire body; this may include pulling fingers, toes, ears, cracking the knuckles, walking on the recipient's back, and arching the recipient's into bhujangasana or (cobra position). There is a standard procedure and rhythm to this massage.

Source

Thai Massage: Intoduction

2010-08-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

Health Benefits of Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera)

2010-07-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

Malunggay - The very famous herbal & multi-purpose tree in the Philippines (its scientific name is Moringa Oleifera), once considered “the poor man’s veggie,” has been touted as a “miracle tree” or “nature’s medicine cabinet” by scientists and health care workers from around the world.

Here are some very useful information with the health benefits of the Malunggay:
    * Malunggay leaves helps strengthens the immune system.
    * Malunggay can help restores skin condition, controls blood pressure, relieves headaches and migraines.
    * Malunggay tea can help strengthen the eye muscles.
    * Malunggay tea can help heal inflammation of the joints and tendons.
    * Malunggay tea can prevent intestinal worms.
    * Malunggay can help increase semen count.
    * Malunggay help normalize blood sugar level therefore preventing diabetes.
    * Malunggay has anti-cancer compounds (phytochemicals) that help stop the growth of cancer cells.
    * Malunggay helps relax and promotes good night sleep.
    * Malunggay tea is used to treat fever and asthma.
    * Malunggay help heals ulcers.
    * Malunggay is high in calcium (four times the calcium in milk), therefore lactating mothers are advised to consume malunggay leaves to produce more milk for their babies. The young malunggay leaves are also boiled and taken as tea.
    * Malunggay contains three times the potassium in bananas.
    * Malunggay contain four times the vitamin A in carrots.
    * An ounce of malunggay has the same Vitamin C content as seven oranges.
    * Malunggay leaves contain two times the protein in milk.
    * Malunggay seed is used to clean dirty or polluted water.

Steps to Deal with a Health Crisis

2010-07-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

As you get older, there is a good chance you will face a health crisis. It could be an illness that comes on gradually or one that happens without notice. You could be going about your normal routine and the next moment find yourself lying on the ground. You may notice that you are not as energetic as you usually are and have difficulty breathing. You may find yourself in the hospital emergency room plugged into several devices to determine your pulse, blood pressure and the state of your heart.

This is all a frightening scenario for anyone. You wonder if you are going to live or die. You are free falling in unchartered waters and you don't know what the next step will be. If you are fortunate enough to have adequate health insurance, you can put the worry of how you are going to pay for your health crisis out of your mind. However, at this moment of the beginning of your health disorder you are in a state of shock and not sure of what will happen next.

Perhaps one of the most terrifying experiences in life is to know something is terribly wrong with you, but you have no idea what is causing you to feel so awful. The time between feeling like you may die at any moment and being diagnosed is nothing short of sheer agony.

Once you are diagnosed, you can take the following steps:

Don't be afraid to ask your physician questions. If you are unsure of what he is talking about, let him know that you desire clarity and a written diagnosis and treatment plan. It will be helpful to have a partner, relative or close friend with you so they can also ask questions that you may be too overwhelmed to ask. You can also discuss this meeting afterwards with your support person to validate what your diagnosis and treatment plan are.
Talk about your fears and apprehensions with friends and loved ones. It is easy to become isolated in this situation. Sharing your feelings is a way of processing your trauma as well as developing a plan for dealing with it.
Exercise as much as you are medically cleared to do. Exercise will help alleviate stress and make you feel more positive about your health.
Make sure you eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. Eating and sleeping right will enhance your recovery as well as give you a sense of well being.
Don't spend too much time investigating your medical condition on the internet. You can eventually find the worst case scenario for any illness and this will only increase you worry.
Have faith that you will eventually recover from your illness.
Understand that your recovery isn't necessarily a linear process. It is possible that the journey to getting better will be filled with extreme ups and downs. You may discover that other medical issues come up during this time. Being patient with your self is imperative here.

Great-Paying Jobs That Keep You Fit

2010-07-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

Get a workout - at work - with these great-paying jobs.

Are you the kind of person that likes to keep fit?

With today's demanding schedules, it's getting harder and harder to fit fitness into our daily routines.

But what if you could get your work out at work?

Check out these seven great-paying careers that let you get a good workout on the job!
Job #1 - Nurse

Fit Factor: Nurses are on their feet all day, caring for patients, consulting with doctors, managing medication and equipment - and burning calories. Ever wonder why you often see nurses in comfortable athletic shoes? Now, you know.

Education: Registered nurses usually hold an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing. Nurses must also be licensed by their state.

Pay: Registered nurses have an average salary of $62,450 per year.

Find Nursing schools near you now.
Job #2 - Police Officer

Fit Factor: Whether it's responding to calls, chasing a suspect, or walking the beat, police officers are moving all day long. Most departments have physical fitness requirements - not a problem if you like staying in shape! Many departments even have officers who patrol on bicycles.

Education: While some police academies accept applicants with only a high school diploma, many prefer or even require a college degree. Prepare with an associate's or bachelor's degree in criminal justice or forensic science.

Pay: Police and sheriff's patrol officers have an average salary of $51,410. Detectives and criminal investigators average at $60,910 per year.

Search for local and online Criminal Justice schools now.
Job #3 - Chef

Fit Factor: Chefs are on their feet for many hours at a time, often working hardest during "rush" periods (usually at dinner or lunch) that can last several hours. They're also always on the move - often lifting heavy pots and pans. Those are all good calorie-burning activities. Just watch out for all that good food!

Education: An associate's degree in culinary arts or a certificate from a culinary arts program will get you started.

Pay: The average salary for chefs and head cooks is $38,770 per year. Average pay can be higher in certain industries, such as traveler accommodation, where the average salary is $44,660 per year.

Search for Culinary schools now.
Job #4 - Elementary School Teacher

Fit Factor: If you've ever been in a room of fourth graders (or even in crowd of two or three fourth graders), you know there's never a dull moment. Moving from desk to desk, monitoring recess activities, and writing on the board, teachers are burning calories from the morning bell until school lets out. Physical education teachers are even more active...think about playing soccer with all those fourth graders!

Education: A bachelor's degree in education will prepare you to get a teaching certification from your state.

Pay: The mean annual wage for elementary teachers is $52,240 per year.*

Search for online Education and Teaching degrees now.
Job #5 - Physical Therapist Assistant

Fit Factor: Physical therapist assistants help patients rehabilitate after an injury or illness. This means helping patients stretch injured muscles, rebuild muscles, and do other exercises designed to improve mobility and strength. Assistants also have the job of moving patients from one area to another and making sure all equipment is prepared for sessions (and that often includes weights!).

Education: Most physical therapist assistants have an associate's degree in physical therapy; some states require licensing as well.

Pay: Physical therapist assistants have an average salary of $46,140 per year.

Find a Physical Therapist Assistant training program near you.
Job #6 - Massage Therapist

Fit Factor: Massage therapists spend most of their days helping clients relieve tension or recover from injury - and that takes a lot of physical strength. Whether it's shiatsu or Swedish, massage therapists are on their feet getting a workout while they work on their clients.

Education: Requirements vary by state. A certificate or associate's degree in massage therapy is often required, and some states require therapists to obtain a license as well.

Pay: The mean annual wage for massage therapists is $39,850 per year.*

Search for Massage Therapy and Health Care schools now.
Job #7 - Camera Operator

Fit Factor: Whether it's on a movie set or at a live sporting event, camera operators spend most of their time on their feet, moving around to capture the action - often lugging cameras that can weigh over 50 pounds. Think of the upper-body and cardio workout you could get from one day of work!

Education: An associate's or bachelor's degree in film and video production will give you the skills you need to get started.

Pay: TV, video, and motion picture camera operators have a mean annual wage of $41,670.

*Salary information from the U.S. Department of Labor's May 2008 national estimates for mean annual wage.

All other salary information represents the May 2008 data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Source: Yahoo Education

White [Bleached] Flour

2010-07-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

Alloxan, a chemical that is used to bleach flour, also destroys the beta cells in your pancreas. If you occasionally eat bread or pasta, choose those made from whole grain.
On our good food list you may find it interesting that we have included both chocolate and caffeine, these two both have a place to play in our antiaging wellness program diet.

Trans Fat

2010-07-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

There are four types of fats:

   1. Monounsaturated fat – good fat
   2. Polyunsaturated fat – good fat
   3. Saturated fat – bad fat
   4. Trans fat – worst by far

What is Trans Fat?

Trans fat is formed when a liquid vegetable oil is partially hydrogenated. This chemical process changes a liquid fat to a more solid fat. It also keeps the fat from spoiling quickly.

Why Limit Trans Fat?

Trans fat raises LDL cholesterol levels. It may also lower “good” HDL cholesterol. People who eat more trans fat are at greater risk of heart disease.

Tips for Limiting Trans Fat:

Read food labels: You’ll want to check the ingredients list and the Nutrition Facts panel. The Nutrition Facts panel lists the amount of saturated fat and trans fat in one serving. Choose foods that are low in both of these fats. The ingredients list will show if a food contains partially hydrogenated oils. If you see this kind of oil, the food has trans fat. Note that if a product contains partially hydrogenated oils but has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, the Nutrition Facts panel will list 0 grams trans fat. However, if you eat more than one serving of that food, you may get a lot of trans fat. Do not choose a food just because it is labeled “trans fat free.” Read the Nutrition Facts to see how much saturated fat the food has. A product with 6 grams of saturated fat and no trans fat has similar LDL raising effects as a product that has 3 grams of saturated fat and 3 grams of trans fat.

More Tips to Keep Trans Fat Intake Low

When you eat margarine or a “buttery” spread, pick a tub or liquid product. Look for spreads with less than a total of 2 grams from saturated and trans fat per serving.Be careful with cookies, pies, doughnuts, some crackers and snack products. These baked goods and convenience foods may be made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.Avoid fried fast foods. These are often fried in partially hydrogenated fats.Keep the sum of your saturated and trans fat below 7% of the calories you eat.

Hidden Sugar

2010-07-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Many of the foods you purchase contain corn syrups.
Fruit Juice - Juices contain around 8 to 10 percent sugar; usually added sugars extracted from grapes, apples or other fruits rather than from sugar cane. Diabetics shouldn't drink fruit juices because they drive blood sugar levels too high, nor should people who are trying to lose weight drink fruit juices because a rise in sugar calls out extra insulin that makes you hungry.
And, in spite the juice bar craze, juices are not healthier than whole fruits or vegetables. How can an extract from food be more healthful than that food? A glass of orange juice contains about one tenth as much fiber as an orange and twice the calories.
Colas - each can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and chemicals. Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, tooth decay, and heart disease. Despite this, soda accounts for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States; the average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year. Each can contains:

Phosphoric Acid -may interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, leading to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is not an “old age” disease. It’s a lifestyle disease. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to absorb nutrients.
Sugar: Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.
Aspartame - used as a sugar substitute in diet soda, has over 92 different health side effects including: brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders, and seizures. When stored for long periods or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
Caffeine - cause sleep problems, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, and perhaps some forms of cancer. Caffeinated drinks can be as addictive as coffee.
Tap Water - is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks. It carries chemicals including chlorine, fluoride, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants.

Toxic Foods

2010-07-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

There are three key food groups that we can regard as "toxic foods" in that they are known to produce high levels of free radicals, that is, they do not support the antiaging wellness program.

   1. Sugar and industrial fructose (high-fructose corn syrup).
   2. Trans fats
   3. Bleached flour

Symptoms of an Optimal Wellness Diet

2010-07-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

We all have different metabolisms and different abilities to digest and absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals. So how do you know if your diet is right for you? There are physical and functional symptoms of an optimal wellness diet that is the correct balance for your individual needs. These include:

Lasting energy throughout the day
Clear thinking and good concentration
No indigestion
2-3 bowel movements per day
Good skin conditions
White eyes
No furry tongue
Even general moods and stress management

Likewise, there are reliable markers that your diet is not right. Poor skin, rings or bags under the eyes, and discoloration of the eyes.

Strengthen Your Core With Cable Gripping Trunk Twists

2010-07-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

When most people think ab training, they don't think explosive rotational movements...they think crunches or sit-ups.. But YOU'RE not most people, are you!

Because you know (or at least you will in a second!) that powerful, rotational movements against resistance are the REAL key to developing a tight, strong core that not only looks great but gives you serious improvements in functional strength.

And I'm not talking "functional" like standing on a Bosu ball on one leg catching bean bags "functional." I'm talking throw harder, run faster, jump higher NOW type of "functional." Basically, the kind of functional you actually WANT.

That's where the Cable Gripping Trunk Twist exercise comes in...

This is not your standard twisting exercise where you use little light weights or even no weight at all. You are going working against resistance and eventually working your way up to substantial resistance.

Anger Managing Breathing Exercise

2010-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Energy Guru explains what an anger breath is and how to do it to cleanse yourself from anger.

Surefire Ways to Relax

2010-07-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

I love weekends. Why? I can wake up and just spend a few minutes lying awake without the need to do anything. No need to rush to work, or to speak to anyone. Just lying there with eyes wide open and nothing in mind. I realized then that those are some of the calmest moment in my life.
It has always been a personal mission for me to be calm in every thing I do. I believe it will allow us to make better decisions, to be more focused and ultimately to live a stress-free life. Read more

Three Simple Ways to Relax and Refresh

2010-07-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Simple as it can be, this are some very simple ways to relax, refresh & unwind.

When you’re not at work, consciously switch from busy-life mode to vacation mode—you know, the one where you’re not annoyed by a slow store clerk or frantic to get to the next thing on your schedule. “When you’re away, you look at everything in a completely different way,” “You’re more relaxed and patient, and you enjoy everything more.”

You don’t have to make big trips to the beach to enjoy the summer. Each morning, think: “What can I do today that will make it an amazing day?”. Maybe it’s sipping lemonade on the patio before work or catching fireflies with your kids after dinner. Create your own personal list of simple pleasures, and work them into your day.

Just 30 minutes in the sun can boost your mood. So “go for a morning walk or a lunchtime stroll. It’ll lift your spirits way up naturally,”

Health Benefits of Dates

2010-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have personaly seen & tasted dates during my travel in some arab countries. Didn't even wonder how powerful and uncountable several health benefits this fruit has. Aside from having affluent in natural fibers, these natural products also contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. Dates are even rich in several vitamins and minerals.

Health Benefits of Dates are as follows:

    * Constipation: Date is termed to be a laxative food. This is the reason that dates are beneficial for people suffering from constipation. For getting the laxative effect from dates, you need to soak dates for one full night in water. You should consume these soaked dates in the morning like syrup to get their actual advantages.
    * Intestinal Disorders: The nicotinic content that is present in the dates is said to be beneficial for curing any kinds of intestinal disorders. Continuous intake of dates helps to maintain a check on the growth of the pathological organisms and thus, helps in the rise of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
    * Weight Gain: Dates are said to be a part of healthy diet. They consist of sugar, fats, proteins as well as many essential vitamins. If the dates are consumed with the paste of cucumber, one can easily come out from the problem of over-slimming. One kilogram of dates contains almost 3,000 calories. These calories alone are sufficient to meet the daily requirements of a human body.
    * Heart Wealth: Dates are quite helpful in maintaining your heart in healthy condition. When soaked for whole night and crushed in the morning and consumed, they prove to be quite advantageous for weak hearts. They help to fortify heart, if taken twice in the week.
    * Sexual Weakness: Dates are even beneficial for increasing sexual stamina in the human body. A handful of dates, when soaked in fresh goat's milk for the night and then grinded in the same milk with the mixture of cardamom powder and honey, becomes a very useful tonic for increasing sex endurance and sterility due to functional disorders.
    * Diarrhea: Ripe dates contain potassium. Potassium is beneficial for controlling diarrhea. They are easily digestible, which helps to cope up with the problems of diarrhea.
    * Intoxication: Dates are known as an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication. Dates provide quick relief in the case of alcoholic intoxication. They should be rubbed and soaked overnight for getting more nutritious values from them.
    * Abdominal Cancer: Dates are beneficial for curing abdominal cancer. They work as useful tonic for all age groups. They work as better as the medicines, and are natural and do not bear any side effects in the body. They can be easily digested and used for supplying extra and needed energy.

Please be cautious in eating this natural fruit, have it washed before eating because they consists of sticky surface which attracts various impurities in them.

Swedish Massage

2010-07-12T05:24:00.003-07:00

Swedish massage was pioneered by a Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling, at the University of Stockholm in 1812. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1858 as "The Swedish Movement Cure. Then what we call now as swedish massage. It is the most commonly offered and best-known type of massage.

• During Swedish massage, massage therapists use massage oils to facilitate smooth, gliding strokes called effleurage. Other classic Swedish massage moves include kneading, friction, stretching and (sometimes) tapping.

• Swedish massage uses firm but gentle pressure to promote relaxation, ease muscle tension and create other health benefits.

• Generally during Swedish massage you're nude underneath a towel or sheet. The therapist uncovers only the part of the body he/she is working on, a technique called "draping".

• You can keep your underwear on during Swedish massage, and many newcomers do.

• Feel free to state your preference for pressure during Swedish massage. It can range from light to firm. Swedish massage usually includes some deeper work on areas of specific muscle tension. If you want more intensive work and firmer pressure, get a deep tissue massage.

Techniques includes:

Effleurage: Gliding strokes with the palms, thumbs and/or fingertips
Petrissage: Kneading movements with the hands, thumbs and/or fingers
Friction: Circular pressures with the palms of hands, thumbs and/or fingers
Vibration: Oscillatory movements that shake or vibrate the body
Percussion: Brisk hacking or tapping
Passive and active movements: Bending and stretching

Stress Management

2010-07-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

There are many ways of managing your stress for us to stay healhty & stressfree. Though some instances we cant really avoid it, here's some ways of better coping with it.

1. Learn how to say no! Know your limits. We are not a superhuman to do everything possible.Wheather its in your personal, social, physical or other means you can always refuse if you really cant do it.

2. Avoid people that stress you out. You can either limits your time with them or end the relation early.
3. Take control of the environment. Adjust yourself! If instaance traffic gives you stress, take another route that is less traveled. If doing shopping in the supermarket, mall or gadget store. You can always do online shopping which can surely ease your stress.
4. Avoid hot button topics. If your in a group or in the office that usually talks about religion, politics & other views in life that might ignite a unfavorable discussion. Cut them off.
5. Manage your time better. Poor time management can lead to a very stressful & tiring day. Plan ahead, that way you can alter the amount of stress you're under.
6. Adopt to stressors. If you can't alter the stressors, be the one to adjust with it and gain your sense of control by changing your expectations & attitudes.
7. Be Positive! Look at the better picture of the stress. Ask yourself will I be benefited with this in the long run? Take a moment in your life to make a reflections on the positive things happened in your life and other things that this might give you.
8. Adjust your standards. We're humans, we're not perfect. We can always adjust ourself in a way that we can set ourself in a very reasonable standards that prevents us for future failures.
9. Learn to forgive! Let yourself free from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.
10. Make some time for relaxation and fun. Nurture yourself. There are many ways to have fun and relax a bit.
11. Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Proper diet and exercise are the key for this.

Unhealthy Ways Coping with Stress

2010-07-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Think of your ways you do stress management. Are they healthy, helpful or productive? Unfortunately, majority manage stress in a way that compound the problem.

Consider this as list of improper & unhealthy ways of managing stress.

Smoking
Drinking too much
Overeating or undereating
Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
Using pills or drugs to relax
Sleeping too much
Procrastinating
Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

For as we know this provides temporary relief but more likely aggravates in the long run.

Laughter and Stress

2010-07-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Stress is the number one enemy of health today. It is estimated that majority of all doctors’ visits and medication prescribed today are for stress-related illnesses that accounts for 70% or more.

Some stress symptoms include:

* a negative state of mind with a cynical, sarcastic and critical outlook;
* lack of motivation;
* irritability and lack of patience;
* lack of energy;
* lack of satisfaction with one’s own life and personal achievements;
* disillusionment;
* the feeling of facing insurmountable barriers;
* lack of productivity and efficiency;
* self-medication using food, alcohol and drugs to feel better or to not feel;
* changes in sleep and appetite habits;
* headaches, neck and lower back pain;
* loss of the ability to experience joy.

Laughter is nature’s counter to stress ─ they are physiological opposites. As what we all know - laughter is the best medicine.

A clue to this may be found in the body’s typical actions after extreme stress of the fight or fight kind: deep panting and using laughter make light of events that provoked fear.

The predominance of one (deeper breathing and laughter) tends to prevent the other (fear).

In short:

* Laughter quickly reduces the levels of stress chemicals and hormones in our body. Significant reductions can occur in minutes and last for days;
* Laughter switches on and boosts physiological systems that stress switches off, including the circulatory, digestive, sexual and immune systems;
* Stress, worry, fear and emotional problems stifle learning ability, creativity, teamwork, productivity, efficiency and motivation while laughter boosts and strengthens these attributes;
* Stress promotes illness, depression and anguish. Laughter promotes health, wellness, emotional balance and joyfulness;
* Laughter can not only help reduce stress levels, it can also effectively protect our systems from the effect of further stress.

Laughter Yoga

2010-07-09T04:29:00.000-07:00

Laughter Yoga is a deceptively simple, yet very powerful and potentially life-changing, form of exercise that anybody can do — anytime, anywhere. Its core premise is that your body can and knows how to laugh, regardless of what your mind has to say; Laughter Yoga is a body-mind approach to laughter, not something mind-body. The distinction is very important. Here you do not need to have a sense of humor, know jokes, or even be happy. Laughter Yoga invites you to fake it until it becomes real.

An article by Sebastien Gendry, C.E.O. of the American School Of Laughter YogaLaughter Yoga is non-political, non-religious, non-racial, non-threatening, and non-competitive. It comes with no strings attached. There are no jokes or comedy, and there is no judging. Because there is no mind, there is also no ego, and no room for conflict or power struggle. Laughter is a universal language that transcends all barriers: language, age, gender, race, and social background. It improves interpersonal relationships and enhances communication. It interrupts the power struggle and breaks down the instinctive barriers between people.

At a deeper level it proves that pain can be overcome and also that we can all live in peace together. It is now indisputable that laughter plays a role in healing, staying healthy, controlling stress reactions, and maintaining emotional balance. Laughter has been rediscovered as a powerful tool in the battle against many mental and physical diseases.

Laughter Yoga also teaches you emotional resilience: how to make happiness a choice and not a consequence, and how to respond positively even in the face of adversity.

Should you laugh every day? Only if you want to feel good.
Read More

Back Massage 7

2010-07-09T04:10:00.001-07:00

Back Massage 6

2010-07-09T04:09:00.005-07:00

Back Massage 5

2010-07-09T04:09:00.001-07:00

Back Massage 4

2010-07-09T04:07:00.001-07:00

Back Massage 3

2010-07-09T03:57:00.001-07:00

Back Massage 2

2010-07-09T03:45:00.003-07:00

Back Massage

2010-07-09T03:34:00.001-07:00

Massage Basics

2010-07-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Simple massage explained

Why is smoking an issue for non-smokers?

2010-07-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

There are some 4000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke; more than 50 of them are known to cause cancer in humans. Tobacco smoke in enclosed spaces is breathed in by everyone, exposing smokers and non-smokers alike to its harmful effects.

Neither ventilation nor filtration, even in combination, can reduce tobacco smoke exposure indoors to levels that are considered acceptable. Only 100% smoke-free environments provide effective protection. Contrary to common belief, smoke-free environments are widely supported by both smokers and non-smokers.

Read more on WHO

Loosing weight in a very simple way.

2010-07-01T00:58:00.001-07:00

Today, due to our busy schedule in work or in school we find it really difficult to go to gym or do simple exercise especially when you feel lazy at home. But do you know there are very simple ways of making yourself lose weight just by eating right food. Yes, just by eating right food and vegetables make it easy for us to lose weight. One type of fruit is apple. Apple is rich in pectin that functions to lower the bad cholesterols. Aside from this, pectin also make us feel that we’re still full for longer period of time. Thus helps us in craving for more food intake.

Replacing your usual snacks with apples make you more fit. About 3-4 apples per day are ideal which is in between meals or just after your regular meal. We can substitute also banana if you want which also has an abundant benefits. Eating apple for a month or several combined with proper diet and exercise will surely pave the way of your healthy living.

Core Stage III- Dynamic Movement

2010-06-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

During day to day activity we use dynamic movements, e.g. lifting groceries or running after children. So now that we have mastered the simple core exercises, we can progress to achieving stability during more functional movements.
The Lunge

    * Stand with feet hip width apart in front of a mirror
    * Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral and your back is tall with your shoulders back and head up
    * Lunge forward and bend your knee about halfway down
    * Ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes; your hips are level, your back is upright with your lumbar spine in the neutral position.
    * Push back up to the starting position by first pushing down into the floor with your front foot. Use only the leg muscles. Ensure you back remains totally still and hips level throughout the return.

Avoid:

    * Lunging too far forward so that you knee is further forward than your ankle. Maximum 90 degrees between lower leg and thigh.
    * Initiating the up movement by pulling your head and shoulders back first. rform the movement up and down.

3 Sets; 10 Repetitions per set on each leg.
The Press Up

    * Start from your knees, place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, with your chin in front of your hands and head looking slightly down.
    * Lift your hips to form a straight line with your entire body from your knees to your head. Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral
    * Bending your arms, slowly lower your body down all the way to the floor. Keep your head still throughout.
    * Push up, by pressing down into the floor with your hands. Your back should remain still, straight and your lumbar spine in neutral throughout.

3 Sets; 10 Repetitions per set.

These core stablility exercises should remain a part of any workout routine. During weight training, use core stability to ensure that muscle groups are working together and the back is supported.

I notice even during walking, that by using the abdominal hollowing, it tilts the spine into a better position, moving the walking movement emphasis back to the legs, away from the pelvis and spine.

Core Stage II - Static Movement

2010-06-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

The next two exercises are examples of learning to keep the spine in a state of neutral, controlled static contraction, whilst moving other parts of the body.
Lying Leg Lift Stabilisation

    * Lie on your back with your knees bent up, feet flat on the floor
      Ensure your back is in neutral and place your hands on your hips for biofeedback
    * Breathe in and relax
    * Breathe out and, as you do so, perform the abdominal hollowing or zipping-up action
    * Slowly slide your left leg out along the floor until it is straight and then slide it back
    * Keep the lumbar spine in the neutral position as the legs move.
      If your back or pelvis moved, you did not achieve the correct stability

3 Sets; 10 Repetitions per set on each leg.

Progressions: Do the same exercise with knee lifts up and knee drops out to the side.
The Waiter's Bow

    * Stand up with good posture, knees soft, lumbar spine in neutral, head up and shoulders back and relaxed
    * Breathe in and relax
    * Breathe out and as you do so perform the abdominal hollowing action
    * Keeping the tension, slowly lean forward from the hips 20° and pause, like a waiter's bow, keeping your back completely straight.
    * Hold for 10 seconds - check your TA and MF are contracted, supporting the correct position
    * Keeping the tension and the alignment, slowly return to your start position

1 Set; 10 Repetitions.

NB: Be very careful of this exercise if you have previously had lower back injury. You must be vigilant on maintaining core contraction throughout the movement.

Core Stage I- Hollowing Contraction

2010-06-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

Core-stability training begins with learning to co-contract the TA and MF muscles effectively using the "abdominal hollowing" technique. This is an endurance, not strength exercise, and is the core pilates exercise.

    * Lie on your back with knees bent; the spine in the neutral position. Check there is a small gap between the floor and your back.
    * Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach muscles
    * Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is going back towards the floor.
    * Hold the contraction for 10 seconds and stay relaxed, allowing yourself to breathe in and out as you hold the tension in your lower stomach area.
    * Check the tension of the TA using your fingers on either side of your lower abdomen. This biofeedback technique is used in all core stability exercises.

1 Set; 10 Repetitions.
Avoid:

    * Tilting your pelvis nor flatten your back, away from the neutral position
    * Bracing your TA muscle too hard; just a gentle contraction is enough.
    * Tensing the stomach with your upper abdominals bulging outwards. This means you are using the large rectus abdominus [six-pack ] muscle, instead of TA
    * Holding your breath, as this means you are not relaxed. Learn to breathe normally whilst maintaining the co-contraction of TA and MF

Progression: Practise abdominal hollowing sitting, standing, lying on your front, and kneeling on all fours.

Core Stability Training Program

2010-06-30T03:52:00.000-07:00

The training protocol for improving the function of the deep-trunk muscles is very specific, and takes into account the type of contraction, the muscle fibre type and the anatomical position required.

By co-ordinating the training over all the muscles we aim to encourage these stabiliser muscles to hold the lumbar spine in the neutral position, allowing for natural curvature of the spine.

Stage One - Hollowing Contraction
Stage Two – Static Movement
Stage Three – Dynamic Movement

Knowing your Core Muscles

2010-06-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

The “Core” refers to those deep trunk muscles, which stabilise the lumbar [lower] spine. They include:

Transversus Abdominis (TA)
Multifidus (MF)
Internal Oblique (IO)
Paraspinal
Pelvic Floor

The co-contraction of these muscles produce forces which stabilise the lumbar spine, and act directly to resist forces acting on the lumbar spine.
These deep-trunk stabiliser muscles are not involved in producing movements, but instead involve static, or isometric contractions. They are employed continuously throughout everyday activities as well as fitness and sport activities, and so require very good endurance of low-level forces. They do not need to be very strong, but they must be correctly co-ordinated and capable of working continuously.

The Core Stability

2010-06-29T03:14:00.000-07:00

The “Core” refers to your mid-section of our body [lower abs, upper abs, obliques and lower back]. It is the core that coordinates all the movements of the other two major regions: the upper body and lower body. Imagine your body as three links in a chain... the upper body, the core and the lower body.

Core strength training is a major focus in pilates and yoga exercises. Well, basically it uses high tension techniques to train your body to function as one complete unit. This will translate into greater overall performance improvement.

The truth is you cannot develop core strength using machines; use of machines eliminates the adaptive stress for the stabilizer muscles in the body. These stabilizer muscles give stability to the core and permit the extremities, to exert force. Lack of core muscle strength will prevent the movement.

Core strength training uses a variety of exercises, stresses and resistance. They can be incorporated into many other exercises; thereby training the body to function as one complete unit. You should look at every exercise you do as core strength training! This is martial arts experts use.

The essence of core stability training is quality of movement and relaxation. This promotes fitness and wellness in you

Hemorrhoids Prevention and Cure

2010-06-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Hemorrhoids (US English) or haemorrhoids (Commonwealth English), also known as piles[1], are part of the normal human anatomy of the anal canal. They become pathological when swollen or inflamed. In their physiological state they act as cushions composed of arterio-venous channels and connective tissue that aid the passage of stool

Eating the right kind of food and following good eating habits will speed up your healing of your hemorrhoids. If you have a diet that is hard to digest and moves slowly through your colon, then, expect to have constipation which will encourage formation of hemorrhoids or prevent the their healing.

Here are some foods that will help give you relief from hemorrhoids

Use the following foods to help reduce hemorrhoid bleeding:

. Alfalfa
. Dark green leafy vegetables
. Blackstrap molasses
. Flax seeds - are high in omega-3 oils, which reduce
inflammation and pain. They are also high in fiber.
. Lima and butter beans are high in iron, which help to
build more blood. If you have bleeding hemorrhoids,
adding lima beans to your diet would be a good
choice.
. Sweet potatoes provide fiber, B vitamins, iron,
potassium and many other vitamins and minerals.
This is a good body building food.

If after trying different hemorrhoid remedies listed here for up to two week and your hemorrhoids do not have shrunk or go away, you
might consider seeing a doctor. You need to find out if your hemorrhoids exist because of a more serious medical condition.

See your doctor right away if you have a lot of anal bleeding, a lot of blood in your stools, heavy pain, or fecal incontinence.

Ginger, Garlic, and Onion

Add these three herbs - ginger, garlic, onions - to your diet. Each one of these helps to break down fibrin. As I mentioned before excess fibrin creates inflammation and blood congestion by trying to repair arteries and veins.

Iron foods

Here are the foods that contain iron to help you build up
your blood or to keep iron in reserve, if you ever need it.

. Chicken liver, steamed crab
. Beef liver
. kelp
. Prunes
. Dried apricots
. Blackstrap molasses
. Spinach
. Sunflower seeds
. Pistachios
. Cashews, almonds, sesame seeds
. Baked potatoes
. Cooked Swiss chard
. Lima beans,
. Raisins
. Cooked broccoli
. Tuna

Oils

At every meal, use olive oil, flax seed oil, and apple cider
vinegar in your salad. In your soups or other food dishes where it's appropriate, use olive and flax seed oil.

At the end of each meal take your capsule of fish oil.
Fish oil is probably one of the most important oils to use
daily. Read other articles I have written on fish oil..

Salads

Eat plenty of salads with raw vegetable. Vegetables and
fruits that you heated destroy their natural enzymes and turn calcium into an inorganic form. You body can't process this inorganic form of calcium.

This excess inorganic calcium moves into body areas that
are sluggish and precipitates in these areas causing inflammation and disease. One area that can migrate to is the rectum where it activates
the formation of hemorrhoids.

So eat plenty of raw vegetable sprinkled with apple cider vinegar, flaxseed oil, and olive oil for a healthy and fit body.

Nuts for Bodybuilding?

2010-06-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

We always have in mind that almond nuts are just fatty food junks thats high in fats, but thats not the catch. They’re the perfect addition to a bodybuilding meal or they can stand alone as a quick and nutritious snack.

Nuts are chock-full of bodybuilding basics such as protein and the "good" fats that are often overlooked as part of a smart bodybuilding diet. So grab a handful of almond nuts and keep reading.

Nuts are indeed high in fat, but recent studies have shown that instead of making you fat, they can actually help you maintain your weight. This may be because almonds are a nutrient-dense food. One ounce of almonds has 167 calories, 6 grams (g) of protein to help you pack on mass and 3.1 g of fiber to keep your digestive tract healthy and help sate your hunger. That amount also contains almost 10 g of monounsaturated fat and 3.1 g of polyunsaturated fat--both good fats that your body needs. The same handful of almond is also an abundant source of the antioxidant powerhouse vitamin E, and it contains iron, magnesium and potassium. Health bonus: Recent studies have shown that eating nuts can lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Make your own trail mix for an on-the-go snack by combining almonds, dried fruit and granola. Sprinkle chopped almonds on a salad, or coat chicken or fish in crushed almonds before cooking.

After eating almonds, you should feel satiated, making you less inclined to grab a bag of Oreo cookies later. This said, you shouldn't be eating almonds in excess because of the calorie count they bring to your diet. Limit your nut consumption to one or two one-ounce servings a day, and make sure you cut down on "bad" fats (such as butter and margarine) at the same time.

Basic Gym Ball Exercise

2010-06-25T02:30:00.001-07:00

Cancer Fighting Foods

2010-06-20T04:31:00.000-07:00

Knowing the various risk factors for cancers. Here's another artcle on how we can prevent or minimize having the killer cancer cells as well as inhibiting the tumor size. Yet some of there are readily available in every kitchen.

Avocados are rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body by blocking intestinal absorption of certain fats. They also supply even more potassium than bananas and are a strong source of beta-carotene. Scientists also believe that avocados may also be useful in treating viral hepatitis (a cause of liver cancer), as well as other sources of liver damage.

Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower have a chemical component called indole-3-carbinol that can combat breast cancer by converting a cancer-promoting estrogen into a more protective variety.

Broccoli, especially sprouts, also have the phytochemical sulforaphane, a product of glucoraphanin - believed to aid in preventing some types of cancer, like colon and rectal cancer. Sulforaphane induces the production of certain enzymes that can deactivate free

Carrots contain a lot of beta carotene, which may help reduce a wide range of cancers including lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestine, bladder, prostate and breast. Some research indicated beta carotene may actually cause cancer, but this has not proven that eating carrots, unless in very large quantities - 2 to 3 kilos a day, can cause cancer

Chili peppers and jalapenos contain a chemical, capsaicin, which may neutralize certain cancer-causing substances (nitrosamines) and may help prevent cancers such as stomach cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage contain two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin that may help decrease prostate and other cancers.

Figs apparently have a derivative of benzaldehyde. It has been reported that investigators at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Tokyo say benzaldehyde is highly effective at shrinking tumors, though I haven't seen this report. Fig juice is also a potent bacteria killer in test-tube studies.

Flax contains lignans, which may have an antioxidant effect and block or suppress cancerous changes. Flax is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to protect against colon cancer and heart disease

Garlic has immune-enhancing allium compounds (dialyl sultides) that appear to increase the activity of immune cells that fight cancer and indirectly help break down cancer causing substances. These substances also help block carcinogens from entering cells and slow tumor development

Grapefruits, like oranges and other citrus fruits, contain monoterpenes, believed to help prevent cancer by sweeping carcinogens out of the body. Some studies show that grapefruit may inhibit the proliferation of breast-cancer cells in vitro. They also contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid.

Grapes, red contain bioflavonoids, powerful antioxidants that work as cancer preventives. Grapes are also a rich source of resveratrol, which inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth and suppress immune response. They also contain ellagic acid, a compound that blocks enzymes that are necessary for cancer cells - this appears to help slow the growth of tumors.

Studies show that consumption of green and yellow leafy vegetables has been associated with lower levels of stomach cancer.

Kale has indoles, nitrogen compounds which may help stop the conversion of certain lesions to cancerous cells in estrogen-sensitive tissues. In addition, isothiocyanates, phytochemicals found in kale, are thought to suppress tumor growth and block cancer-causing substances from reaching their targets.

Licorice root has a chemical, glycyrrhizin, that blocks a component of testosterone and therefore may help prevent the growth of prostate cancer. However, excessive amounts can lead to elevated blood pressure.

Mushrooms - There are a number of mushrooms that appear to help the body fight cancer and build the immune system - Shiitake, maitake, reishi, Agaricus blazei Murill, and Coriolus Versicolor. These mushrooms contain polysaccharides, especially Lentinan, powerful compounds that help in building immunity. They are a source of Beta Glucan. They also have a protein called lectin, which attacks cancerous cells and prevents them from multiplying. They also contain Thioproline. These mushrooms can stimulate the production of interferon in the body.

Extracts from mushrooms have been successfully tested in recent years in Japan as an adjunct to chemotherapy. PSK is made from the Coriolus Versicolor. Maitake mushroom extract is PCM4.

Nuts contain the antioxidants quercetin and campferol that may suppress the growth of cancers. Brazil nut contains 80 micrograms of selenium, which is important for those with prostate cancer. (Note: Many people are allergic to the proteins in nuts, so if you have any symptoms such as itchy mouth, tight throat, wheezing, etc. after eating nuts, stop. Consider taking a selenium supplement instead or work with someone on how to eliminate this allergy.)

Oranges and lemons contain Iimonene which stimulates cancer-killing immune cells (lymphocytes, e.g.) that may also break down cancer-causing substances.

Papayas have vitamin C that works as an antioxidant and may also reduce absorption of cancer-causing nitrosamines from the soil or processed foods. Papaya contains folacin (also known as folic acid), which has been shown to minimize cervical dysplasia and certain cancers.

Raspberries contain many vitamins, minerals, plant compounds and antioxidants known as anthocyanins that may protect against cancer. Black raspberries are rich in antioxidants, thought to have even more cancer-preventing properties than blueberries and strawberries.

Red wine, even without alcohol, has polyphenols that may protect against various types of cancer. Polyphenols are potent antioxidants, compounds that help neutralize disease-causing free radicals. Alcohol can be toxic to the liver and to the nervous system, and many wines have sulfites, which may be harmful to your health. You should probably switch to non-alcoholic wines.

Rosemary may help increase the activity of detoxification enzymes. An extract of rosemary, termed carnosol, has inhibited the development of both breast and skin tumors in animals. We haven't found any studies done on humans. Rosemary can be used as a seasoning. It can also be consumed as a tea: Use 1 tsp. dried leaves per cup of hot water; steep for 15 minutes.

Seaweed and other sea vegetables contain beta-carotene, protein, vitamin B12, fiber, and chlorophyll, as well as chlorophylones - important fatty acids that may help in the fight against breast cancer. Many sea vegetables also have high concentrations of the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and iodine.

Soy products like tofu contain several types of phytoestrogens — weak, nonsteroidal estrogens that could help prevent both breast and prostate cancer by blocking and suppressing cancerous changes. There are a number of isoflavones in soy products, but research has shown that genistein is the most potent inhibitor of the growth and spread of cancerous cells. It appears to lower breast-cancer risk by inhibiting the growth of epithelial cells and new blood vessels that tumors require to flourish and is being scrutinized as a potential anti-cancer drug. However, there are some precautions to consider when adding soy to your diet. Eating up to 4 or 5 ounces of tofu or other soy a day is probably ok, but research is being done to see if loading up on soy could cause hormone imbalances that stimulate cancer growth. As a precaution, women who have breast cancer or are at high risk should talk to their doctors before taking pure isoflavone powder and pills, extracted from soy.

Sweet potatoes contain many anticancer properties, including beta-carotene, which may protect DNA in the cell nucleus from cancer-causing chemicals outside the nuclear membrane.

Teas: Green Tea and Black tea contain certain antioxidants known as polyphenols (catechins) which appear to prevent cancer cells from dividing. Green tea is best, followed by our more common black tea (herbal teas do not show this benefit). According to a report in the July 2001 issue of the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, these polyphenols that are abundant in green tea, red wine and olive oil, may protect against various types of cancer. Dry green tea leaves, which are about 40% polyphenols by weight, may also reduce the risk of cancer of the stomach, lung, colon, rectum, liver and pancreas, study findings have suggested.

Tapioca is derived from the cassava plant. It is one of the many plants that manufactures cyanide by producing a chemical called linamarine which releases hydrogen cyanide when it is broken down by the linamarase enzyme. Spanish researches have been studying the cassava and attempting to clone the genes from the plant which are responsible for producing the hydrogen cyanide and then transfer it to a retrovirus

Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that attacks roaming oxygen molecules, known as free radicals, that are suspected of triggering cancer. It appears that the hotter the weather, the more lycopene tomatoes produce. They also have vitamin C, an antioxidant which can prevent cellular damage that leads to cancer. Watermelons, carrots, and red peppers also contain these substances, but in lesser quantities. It is concentrated by cooking tomatoes. Scientists in Israel have shown that lycopene can kill mouth cancer cells. An increased intake of lycopene has already been linked to a reduced risk of breast, prostate, pancreas and colorectal cancer. (Note: Recent studies indicate that for proper absorption, the body also needs some oil along with lycopene.)

Tumeric (curcuma longa), a member of the ginger family, is believed to have medicinal properties because it inhibits production of the inflammation-related enzyme cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), levels of which are abnormally high in certain inflammatory diseases and cancers, especially bowel and colon cancer. In fact, a pharmaceutical company Phytopharm in the UK hopes to introduce a natural product, P54, that contains certain volatile oils, which greatly increase the potency of the turmeric spice.

Turnips are said to contain glucose molaes which is a cancer fighting compound. I haven't confirmed this.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with decreased risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.

Foods that Promote Cancer

2010-06-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

Afraid of cancer? Especially if it runs in the family. Ever woder that some of foods that we ate also increases the risk of aquiring it? Cancer is a common illness in our society. I've compile some of the high risk food factors that are known to promote cancer.

1. Refined sugar.

Cancer feeds off of sugar in the blood stream. Given this information, it makes sense to keep your blood sugar levels at a reasonable point, rather than eating sugary foods that elevate them. Not only will this cut a source from cancer cells, but it will allow your overall health and immune system to function more effectively.

2. Refined or simple carbohydrates.

Foods made from refined carbohydrates, like white flour, turn to sugar in your system. For the same reason that we cut refined sugar from our diets, we should reduce our intake of simple carbohydrates.

3. Hydrogenated oils, Trans Fats, and Acrylamides.

Hydrogenated oils, with trans fats, are used because of their prolonged shelf life. Hydrogenated oils are made by heating oils with other elements and in a way that replaces healthy fatty acids with trans fats. Not only are these types of fat dangerous for the function of your heart, but they produce the perfect environment for the development of cancer. Acrylamides are fats that are created during the process of frying food. They have been shown to cause cancer in rats.

4. Sodium Nitrite.

This chemical is added to foods as a preservative. It accounts for the pink color of meat and is used in pickled and smoked foods, as well as beer and cheese. The problem with sodium nitrite is that it is converted into a carcinogen called nitrosamine in the digestive process.

5. Processed Meats.

Sodium nitrites are found in processed meat such as bacon, hot dogs, and other processed meats.

6. Fried sweets (doughnuts, elephant ears).

The combination of hydrogenated oils, refined flour and sugar, and the frying process which produces acrylamides causes fried, sweet food to be potential cancer causing disasters

7. Fried potatoes.

French fries are usually fried in hydrogenated oil and contain simple carbohydrates that rapidly change to sugar in your blood stream

8. Chips.

Not all chips are ‘bad’, but many are fried and contain trans fats, sugar, and simple carbohydrates.

9. Crackers.

Look for or make your own whole grain, baked crackers without harmful preservatives as opposed to those with trans fats, sugar, and simple carbohydrates.

10. Soda.

If you are looking for a way to quickly put sugar and chemicals into your blood stream, look no further than a bottle of soda.

By eliminating cancer causing foods from your diet, you put yourself one step ahead in warding off the disease. If colon cancer, or breast cancer runs in your family, go beyond the traditional health screening and provide your body with the nutrition it needs to fight cancer, without the foods that promote it.

Long Cardio Workout & HIIT for Fat Loss

2010-06-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Cardio is the most popular way to lose fat. But is it the best? And should you do long duration cardio or HIIT? Empty stomach cardio or not? This article will teach you how to really lose fat with cardio

Wrong Ways to Use Cardio. Cardio only speeds up fat loss. You can lose fat doing strength training & eating healthy only. 2 common cardio errors are:

* Neglecting Strength Training. Don’t try to lose fat doing cardio without strength training. Excessive cardio burns muscle, causing the skinny-fat look. You need strength training to prevent muscle loss & build muscle.
* Eating Unhealthy. Cardio without healthy nutrition is a waste of time. A healthy diet will make you lose fat faster. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.

Long Duration Cardio. This is cardio for 30-45mins at a steady state. On a machine or long runs outside. Pros & cons of long duration cardio:

* Burns Fat. 30mins long duration cardio burns about 500kcal. This allows you to create a caloric deficit without dropping your daily calorie intake.
* Increases Endurance. If you’re out of shape, long duration cardio is the easiest way to increase your cardiovascular fitness.
* Boring & Time Consuming. For maximal fat loss you’ll need 3 sessions of 30-45 mins per week. This can be boring & repetitive.

HIIT. High-intensity interval training. Example: alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprints for 15mins. Pros & cons of HIIT cardio:

* More Efficient. Burns more fat and increases your cardiovascular fitness more than long duration cardio does.
* More Fun, Less Time-Consuming. Takes only 15-20mins and is much more fun than 30-45mins long duration cardio.
* More Difficult. HIIT will make you puke if you’re a beginner with zero endurance. HIIT can also mess with your recovery.

Long Duration Cardio or HIIT? If you’re a beginner with 20-30% body fat, lose fat using long duration cardio. This is physically & mentally easier than HIIT. Couple this with strength training & healthy nutrition.

Your endurance will increase once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. That’s 300lbs if you weigh 200lbs – with your hips going lower than your knees. When you can do that, you’r ready for HIIT.

Realize that although long duration cardio is less efficient than HIIT, it burns fat. While our body fat might not go down as fast, it will go down. And since long duration cardio is easier, you’re less likely to skip workouts or quit.

How to Do Long Duration Cardio. I recommend long duration cardio if you have zero endurance. Remember: cardio without strength training & healthy nutrition is useless.

* Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate (which is 220 – your age). So if you’re 20 years old, that’s between 120-140bpm.
* 3×45mins. Start with 15mins straight post workout without eating in between. Add 1min each workout until you can do 45mins.
* Elliptical trainer. Most people enjoy the elliptical trainer most. But anything works: rower, stationary bike, outdoor runs, …

How to Do HIIT. The point with HIIT is to get out of breath. If you’re doing it on a machine: choose a resistance that allows you to go as fast as you can when sprinting. But better is to go outside and have fun. Some ideas:

* Sprints. You can do these on a machine, but outside is better. Alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprinting. Repeat for 15mins.
* Burpees. 5 sets of 10 burpees with 30sec rest in between. Always try to beat your previous time. Build up to 10 sets of 10 burpees, then to 100 burpees in a row. Make sure you do a Push-up from the floor.
* The Bear. Do without resting 1 rep Power Clean, Front Squat, Overhead Press, Back Squat & Behind Neck Press. Repeat 4x without resting. This is your 1st set. Do 5 sets with 30sec rest in between. Build up to 8 sets of 5. When that gets easy, start adding weight (5lbs/2.5kg). Video.

When to Do Cardio. Most people don’t have time to train 6x/week. Those who can often burn out physically & mentally after a few weeks.

* Post Strength Training. Harder, but you have more rest days and can do more cardio. Example: MO/WE/FR weights first, then cardio.
* On Rest Days. Include days for total recovery: 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 1 day off. Example: MO/WE/FR weights, TU/SA cardio.

What About Empty Stomach Cardio? While it can be more effective for fat loss, I don’t recommend empty stomach cardio for 2 reasons:

* Time Consuming. You have to train 2/day since your Squat would suffer if you’d do cardio first. Means more driving back & forth and showering.
* Lower Back Health. Your spines hydrates at night. This makes it more prone to injuries. Your spine needs 1 hour on waking up to dehydrate. Loading & bending your lower back during that 1st hour is risky. Best is to have a solid breakfast, then do strength training and then cardio.

Do You Need Cardio for Cardiovascular Fitness? No, read this & this post. Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness. Personal example:

* I have a sedentary job. I do strength training 3x/week. No HIIT, no runs, nothing. You can follow my training log for more info.
* Last time I went for a run, I ran (not jogged) for 30 mins. Most people I know can’t even handle 15mins. When I went ski-ing, endurance was never holding me back while it was with some of the other guys.

Unless you do sports that need endurance (MMA, boxing, rugby, …) you don’t need cardio. Strength training will increase your cardiovascular fitness above average. Increase your Squat and you’ll see. The proof is in the pudding.

What is Burpee?

2010-06-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

The burpee is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps:

* Begin in a standing position.
* Drop into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.
* Kick your feet back, while simultaneously lowering yourself into a pushup
* Immediately return your feet to the squat position, while simultaneously pushing up with your arms.
* Leap up as high as possible from the squat position with your arms overhead (you may also clap your hands above your head at the peak of your jump).
* you may also add some variations as stated in the video.

Pilates

2010-06-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Pilates (pronounced: puh-lah-teez) improves your mental and physical well-being, increases flexibility, and strengthens muscles. Pilates uses controlled movements in the form of mat exercises or equipment to tone and strengthen the body. For decades, it's been the exercise of choice for dancers and gymnasts (and now Hollywood actors), but it was originally used to rehabilitate bedridden or immobile patients during World War I.

What Is Pilates?

Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk. In addition, pilates increases circulation and helps to sculpt the body and strengthen the body's "core" or "powerhouse" (torso). People who do pilates regularly feel they have better posture, are less prone to injury, and experience better overall health.
Joseph H. Pilates, the founder of the pilates exercise method, was born in Germany. As a child he was frail, living with asthma in addition to other childhood conditions. To build his body and grow stronger, he took up several different sports, eventually becoming an accomplished athlete. As a nurse in Great Britain during World War I, he designed exercise methods and equipment for immobilized patients and soldiers.

In addition to his equipment, Pilates developed a series of mat exercises that focus on the torso. He based these on various exercise methods from around the world, among them the mind-body formats of yoga and Chinese martial arts.
Joseph Pilates believed that our physical and mental health are intertwined. He designed his exercise program around principles that support this philosophy, including concentration, precision, control, breathing, and flowing movements.
There are two ways to exercise in pilates. Today, most people focus on the mat exercises, which require only a floor mat and training. These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own weight as resistance. The other method of pilates uses a variety of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the principle of resistance.

Starter Guide for Building Muscle

2010-06-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest mistake when building muscle is imitating Pro Bodybuilders. Most of them don’t train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won’t make you build muscle fast.

The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle fast and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon. Here’s how to build muscle: the definitive guide to building muscle.

1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight lifting because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises work too.

    * Weight Lifting. Start with an empty bar. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone.
    * Calisthenics . Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, Pistols, Reverse Crunches, etc. Switch to harder versions or add weight when they get easy.

2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from machines.

    * Safe. Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Free weights replicate natural motions.
    * Efficient. Free weights force you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines, which balance the weight for you.
    * Functional. Strength built on machines doesn’t transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in real life.
    * Versatile. You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Do Compound Exercises. Don’t imitate Pro Bodybuilders. Isolation exercises are ok once you’ve built base strength & muscle mass. But if you’re starting to build muscle, exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better.

    * No endless Biceps Curls -> Pull-ups, Chin-ups & Barbell Rows
    * Also no Triceps Kickbacks -> Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips
    * And definitely no Leg Extensions -> Squats & Deadlifts

4. Train Your Legs. Squats work your whole body, they’re the most important exercise. You’ll look totally different once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. That’s a free weight Squat with hips coming lower than knees.

All your muscles tense when doing Squats & Deadlifts. They work your body as 1 piece and let you lift heavy weights. Don’t lose time with Biceps Curls. When you can Squat & Deadlift heavy weights, you’ll have bigger arms.

5. Do Full Body Workouts. Don’t compare to Pro Bodybuilders. 3rd time so this gets into you. Body part splits with isolation exercises is fine once you’ve built a foundation. That’s once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight.

6 Get Recovery. Pro athletes workout 5-6 times per week. But they didn’t start that way. They added workouts as they got stronger & bigger. You’ll overtrain if you jump into their routines. As a beginner you need more recovery.

    * Rest. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you workout. Start with 3 full body workouts per week and focus on intensity, not gym time.
    * Sleep. Growth hormone releases when you sleep, building muscle. Aim for 8 hours sleep. Nap post workout if your lifestyle allows.
    * Drink Water. Avoids dehydration and helps muscle recovery. Drink 2 cups water with each meal, and sip water during your workout.
    * Eat. “Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed”. Your training is useless if you don’t eat plenty of whole foods. More below.

7. Eat Whole Foods. You’ll achieve a lower body fat, so the muscles you’ve built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

    * Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, milk, …
    * Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, …
    * Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot, …
    * Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, …
    * Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, …

8. Eat More. You need food for energy and for muscle growth & recovery. More frequent meals also boosts your metabolism, helping fat loss.

    * Eat Breakfast. Get calories from the first hour. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast.
    * Eat Post Workout. Get proteins & carbs post workout to help muscle recovery & replenish energy stores. Try this post workout shake.
    * Eat Every 3 Hours. 6 meals/day. Gives your muscles a steady intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair & recovery, boosts your metabolism.
    * Eat BW in lbs x 18kcal. Track your daily calorie intake using FitDay. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 18kcal to maintain weight.

9. Gain Weight. You’ll never look muscular weighing 140lbs at 6″. No matter how much training you do. Check the guide on how to gain weight for skinny guys. Here’s the most important part.

    * Eat Calorie Dense Foods. 100g raw spinach is 25kcals. But 100g raw rice is 380kcals. Eat pasta, oats, olive oil, mixed nuts, etc.
    * Get Stronger. Increase your Squat to 1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. Deadlift 2x BW for at least 1 rep. More strength is more muscle.
    * Drink Whole Milk. If you don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon whole milk daily on top of your current food intake. You can gain 25lbs in 1 month if you combine this with 3 weekly Squat sessions.

10. Get Protein. Proteins have the highest thermic effect. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight daily to build & maintain muscle. That’s 160g of daily protein if you weigh 160lbs/72kg. Eat whole proteins with each meal.

    * Red Meat. Ground round, steaks, deer, buffalo, …
    * Poultry. Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey, duck, …
    * Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …
    * Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
    * Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, quark cheese, yogurt, whey, …

If you weigh 160lbs: 1 can of tuna at lunch, 300g quark as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day gets you 160g protein.

Persist. Get stronger, track progress and persist until you’ve built the muscles you want. You’ll see the biggest change in physique after following this method for 2 months.

Yoga explained

2010-06-14T22:26:00.001-07:00

Simple Nutrition Rules for a Fitter You

2010-06-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

How you look is largely influenced by what you eat. Lack of muscle mass, high body fat, lack of energy at work or at the gym, bad skin, digestive problems, … All of that can be caused by unhealthy nutrition.

Since there’s a lot of confusion about what to eat and why, here are 8 simple nutrition rules that will help you build muscle, lose fat & get stronger.

1. Eat Breakfast. You get energy from the first hour and you’ll be less hungry the rest of the day. It also sets the trend: you’ll tend to eat healthier if your day starts with a strong & healthy breakfast.

Your best bet: omelets, smoothies & cottage cheese. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast and try these breakfast recipes.

2. Eat Every 3 Hours. The easiest way: breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, pre bed and 2 snacks in between. Benefits:

    * Less Hunger. Eating more smaller meals vs. few big meals will decrease your stomach size. You’ll feel full faster and your waist will trim.
    * Less Cravings. Not eating for long periods usually causes overeating at the next meal or ending at the candy machine.

Eat at fixed times every day and your body will get hungry at those fixed times. Example: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6pm, 7pm & 10pm.

3. Eat Protein with Each Meal. You need protein to build and maintain muscle. Proteins also help fat loss since they have the highest thermic effect. And they satiate: proteins make you full longer than carbs.

How much protein should you eat daily? At least 1g per pound of body-weight. That’s 200g/day if you weigh 200lbs. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat a whole protein source with each meal. Some include:

    * Red Meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
    * Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
    * Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
    * Eggs. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths. Eat the yolk.
    * Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
    * Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

4. Eat Fruits & Veggies with Each Meal. Most of them are low calorie: you can eat your stomach full without gaining fat or weight. Fruits & veggies are also full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which helps digestion.

Some of my favorite fruits & veggies are: apples, berries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, roman lettuce, chicory, peas, etc

5. Eat Carbs Post Workout Only. 70% of population is carb intolerant: they get fat eating excess carbs. While you need carbs for energy, most people eat more than they need. Limit your carb intake to post workout only.

    * Eat Fruits & Veggies with all Meals. These contain little carbs compared to whole grains. Exception: corn, carrots, raisins.
    * Other Carbs Post Workout Only. This is rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, oats, etc. Avoid white carbs and eat whole grain.
    * Exception. If you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight: eat carbs post workout and post post workout. More if needed.

6. Eat Healthy Fats. Healthy fats improve fat loss and health. They also satiate, digest slowly and are cheap. Eat healthy fats with every meal and avoid artificial trans -fats & margarine. Balance your fat intake.

    * Saturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Real butter, whole eggs, red meat.
    * Monounsaturated Fats. Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
    * Polyunsaturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels, promote fat loss, decrease inflammation, … Fish oil, ground flax seeds, mixed nuts.

7. Drink Water. Strength training causes water loss through sweating which can impair muscle recovery. Drinking water prevents dehydration but also hunger since an empty stomach can make you think you’re hungry.

    * 1 US Gallon Water/Day. Drink 1 cup of water first thing on waking up, 2 cups with each meal and sip water during your workout.
    * Get a Brita Filter. Cheaper than bottled water and tastes better than straight tap water. Try also green tea & water with squeezed lemon.
    * Ignore Water Intoxication. Eating healthy as explained in this post will make sure you replenish your electrolytes. Unless you do crazy stuff like drinking 2 gallons water in 10mins, you’ll be safe.

8. Eat Whole Foods 90% of The Time. Read 10 foods you think are healthy but aren’t and 20 super foods. To really get the results you want, 90% of your food intake should consist of whole foods.

    * Whole Foods. Unprocessed and unrefined (or little refined) foods that come as close as possible to their natural state. Examples: fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veggies, legumes, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa, …
    * Processed Foods. Usually contain added sugars, trans-fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium and more chemicals. Examples: bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen meals, supplements, …

Eat whole foods 90% of the time. Difference in result is insignificant compared to eating 100% healthy. So if you eat 6x/day, you can eat 4 junk meals per week guilt-free. Same with alcohol & sweet drinks: 10% of the time is ok.

Example Diet. Forget about portion size and calories. Just eat your stomach full. You won’t get fat eating healthy foods. Especially not if you exercise and with all the veggies. Example diet using the above 8 nutrition rules:

    * Breakfast: eggs with veggies, orange, green tea
    * Snack: mixed nuts, pear
    * Lunch: tuna, roman lettuce, olives, olive oil
    * Snack: cottage cheese with apple
    * Post workout: ground round, quinoa, spinach, banana
    * Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, peer
    * Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil

Nobody has time to cook 6x/day. Prepare your food for the day while making breakfast or dinner. This takes about 1 hour and is key to making this work.

Breakfast Recipe for Fat Loss

2010-06-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

They say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Its really true for me since sometimes I ate a lot more in breakfast rather than lunch & dinner. But it really true that a healthy breakfast is key to fat loss? By eating a healthy breakfast, you’re less likely to eat something unhealthy the rest of the day. Eating breakfast will also make you less hungry which prevents cravings.

But what should you eat for breakfast? The most common fat loss mistake is to start your day with starchy carbs like cereals or muesli or oats. While you need carbs for energy, it’s easy to overdo them and get fat.

That’s why the 8 nutrition rules advise to avoid starchy carbs at breakfast. What should you eat then? Here are the 3 simplest & quickest breakfast recipes that don’t contain starchy carbs and that will help you lose fat.

1. Omelets. High in protein, low in carbs, high in veggies. You can remove the yolk if you don’t believe dietary cholesterol doesn’t influence blood cholesterol. But realize you’re throwing away all the vitamins and half the protein.
Avoid boredom by rotating the veggies. For even more variety, add meats or cheese and learn to use spices. Here are some ideas:

    * Veggies. Baby spinach, mixed peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, …
    * Meats. Ground round, minced beef, chicken ground/slices, tuna, bacon, …
    * Cheese. Feta cheese, grated cheese like Pecorino or Parmesan, …
    * Spices. Cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt, …

2. Cottage Cheese. High in protein, no carbs, zero preparation time. You might need time to get used to its taste. Quark cheese works too if you can find it. So does plain fat free yogurt although it’s lower in protein.
Avoid boredom by switching the fruits and/or nuts. And try cottage cheese with tuna so you can also add veggies like cucumber. Ideas:
    * Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, cashew, peanut butter, …
    * Fruit. Chopped banana, pineapple, apples, pears or berries.
    * Tuna. Sounds gross, but tastes good: try tuna with cottage cheese.
3. Smoothies. Take zero time to prepare. Get a strong blender. Throw (frozen) veggies, fruits & whey in there. Mix it. Done. Some tips:

    * Get cheap whey with little carbs like ON whey.
    * Vary your fruits and veggies to avoid boredom.

Simple Food Remedies for Colds

2010-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

As we know, cold is the most common viral illness in the world. But have you ever imagine that you can simply do something about it by taking some food from the kitchen? To help reduce the severity of a cold, the best foods to eat are ones that are packed with beta-carotene, vitamin C, and zinc. They boost immunity and help with cold symptoms. Especially around this time of year, these nutrients can also help prevent you from catching colds in the first place.

Foods such as horseradish, garlic, and chili peppers move mucus and help clear it, thus, alleviating congestion. Capsaicin is a substance in chili peppers that acts as a mucus-mover. Allyl isothiocyanate, a compound in horseradish, also helps to thin mucus.

Garlic
Naturally occurring chemicals (allin, allicin, and ajoene) in garlic are believed to regulate mucus flow, and may be helpful for reducing congestion caused by the common cold. Leading Food Sources of garlic: Garlic

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a superb immunity booster. If taken at the first signs of a cold, it may keep the cold from fully developing and may produce a faster recovery. However, taking vitamin C does not prevent colds. Leading Food Sources of vitamin C: Red Cabbage, Strawberries, Potatoes, Tangerines, Red Bell Peppers, Oranges, Kiwis

Zinc
When taken immediately at the first signs of catching a cold, zinc may weaken the cold virus, minimize the duration and the severity of a cold. Zinc is believed to promote a strong immune system by processing the essential fatty acids that encourage healing. Zinc lozenges are helpful for this purpose.
Leading Food Sources of zinc: Barley, Chicken, Lamb, Wheat, Turkey, Oysters, Crab, Beef

Ginseng Guide for Consumers

2010-06-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

Ginseng is the best known and most popular Chinese herb. It is known as the "King" of Chinese herbs. With Ginseng, you get what you pay for. Some roots cost thousands of dollars. Most consumers will not be seeking out the highest quality Ginseng. The more affordable Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen) may be substituted in most situations.
All ginseng is not created equal.There are three major types of ginseng, compared in the table below.

American Ginseng (Xi Yang Shen)	Panax Ginseng (Ren Shen)	Korean Ginseng (Gao Li Shen)
Least effect on qi of the three.	Stronger effect on qi than Am. Ginseng.	Strongest effect on qi of the three.
COLD	Warm	HOT (red in color)
Nourishes the yin (its best use)	Generates fluids, stops thirst	Very bad to use when yin deficient.
Good for fever/coughing up blood	Calming action	May cause headache/anger/etc.

The average consumer who walks down the herb aisle in the drug store may be unaware of the consequences of their choices. The popular conception that ginseng equals energy, much like coffee equals energy is not necessarily so. If you are looking for energy, first of all, you need to be sure that you really need it. Many people would never feel that they have enough energy. Some people may actually be Yin Deficient with Heat signs. In this case, the appearance of energy (which may be scattered and manic) is really heat and, underneath, the person is deficient. This is analogous to spending money on a credit card when you're already in debt. You appear to be rich, but your finances are actually in very bad shape. You can spend what you do not have but you will pay the price. The price may be your sanity, or other health problems down the road. These people would do better to nurture their yin, which is deficient, and spend less energy. Look at American Ginseng; it nourishes the yin and benefits the qi. The heat of yin deficiency sometimes manifests as excess energy in the head: headaches, and tempers flaring. Anyone with heat signs like this would actually be harmed by Panax or Korean Ginseng. It is liable to make your headaches and temper worse.
American Ginseng is considered an endangered species due to excess harvesting. If you plan on using it, the ethical thing would be to grow it yourself, or at least be knowledgeable of the source of your Ginseng.
If you really need energy, you might not even take Panax Ginseng (Ren Shen). Traditionally, it is used for the elderly, or in extreme health situations. The more common, and more affordable, choice is Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen).
The following table shows that moderate situations call for codonopsis root, while serious situations, or extreme age call for panax ginseng.

Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen)		Panax Ginseng (Ren Shen)
neutral		warming
"supports the normal"		"fosters wisdom"
Used For:		Used for:
Spleen qi deficiency	Lung Qi deficiency	Abandoned Syndrome	Collapse of Qi
Lack of appetite, fatigue, weak limbs, diarrhea, prolapse	Cough, shortness of breath, reluctance to speak	Heavy sweating, cold hands and feet, sagging jaw, closed eyes, incontinence	Shock, loss of consciousness

When NOT to take Ginseng: If you have headaches, palpitations, insomnia, pregnant, hysteric, manic or schizophrenic do not take ginseng. If you have very high blood pressure (systolic >180mmHg), and/or are hypertensive, do not take panax ginseng.

Panax and Korean Ginseng	Codonopsis Root	American Ginseng
headaches, anger, palpitations, insomnia, pregnant, hysteric, manic or schizophrenic, very high blood pressure (systolic >180mmHg), hypertension, yin deficiency	No contraindications	Stomach problems (damp-cold of Stomach)

It is important to know what the things you are putting in your body are going to do for you, and to you. After all, if you just want to dig a hole in your garden, it is better to use a shovel than a stick of dynamite!

Diabetes and Exercise

2010-06-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

There are positive effects the exercise can give to a diabetic person. The 2 types of diabetes are type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90 f individuals with diabetes have type II.

Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.

Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.

As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.

Important Facts about Whey Protein

2010-06-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

Are you concerned about taking care of your body before and after
strenuous activities or workouts? Do you try to avoid supplements
that contain additives and possible side effects?

If you are interested in better health and improved physical
fitness you have surely heard that bodybuilders and other
athletes are turning to a simple, natural supplement called whey
protein.

Why do Athletes use protein?

Protein levels are depleted through exercise. Muscles require
amino acids to prevent deterioration, give endurance and build
mass. Proteins supply these amino acids to the muscles which is
why athletes use whey protein.

What is whey protein?

Commercial whey protein comes from cow's milk. Whey is the
by-product of making cheese and was usually thrown away as a
waste product. Now researchers know that whey protein is high
quality, natural protein that is rich with amino acids essential
for good health and muscle building. It is naturally found in
mother's milk and also used in baby formula. It is being
considered for use as a fortifier of grain products because of
its considerable health benefits and bland flavor.

Although protein is also found in other foods such as meat, soy
and vegetables, whey protein is proven to have the highest
absorption (digestion) levels in comparison to all others.

Who should consider using whey protein?

Whey protein has many health benefits including immune support,
bone health, sports health, weight management and overall well
being.

Because amino acids are 'building blocks' for the human body it
is sometimes used by patients to speed up the healing of wounds
or burns.

The high quality protein that comes from whey makes it a
recommended choice for those who need optimal benefits from
restricted diets including diabetics, those on weight management
diets and even ill patients not able to consume enough protein in
their diet to assist with healing.

Can whey protein be dangerous?

Whey protein is a food and so it does not have have the risks
associated with other supplements. That said, too much of
anything carries risks. Extremely high use of whey protein can
overload the liver which can cause serious problems. Moderation
is always recommended.

If you are lactose intolerant you might try whey protein isolate
which has less than 1% lactose and should be tolerable for most
users.

Whey protein is a natural and healthy way to bring protein into
your diet and increase well being.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2010-06-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

As an old proverb says: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But how true is this? Have you every imagine the benefits an apple can give in our everyday living for Fitness and Wellness? In advances of technologies in healthcare, as well as sprouting multimillion dollar business in the food supplement industry. This low cost fruit offers a wide array of medical benefits which are justified in their health rich properties.

Detoxification

Apples are excellent detoxifiers and apple juice can destroy viruses in the body.

Bone Protection

French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

Asthma Help

One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

Alzheimer's Prevention

A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Lower Cholesterol

The pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Lung Cancer Prevention

According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.

Breast Cancer Prevention

A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.

Colon Cancer Prevention

One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Liver Cancer Prevention

Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

Diabetes Management

The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

Weight Loss

A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.

Also, recent study shows that apples has many beneficial effects in prevention and cure of the following due to their health rich properties:

- Gout

- Rheumatism

- Indigestion

- Viral infection

- Diarrhea

Simple yet powerful fruit that you can buy easily has many benefits to offer! So what are you waiting for?

Ideal Body Weight

2010-06-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

Ideal body weight (IBW) is the weight that people are expected to weigh based on age, sex, and height. The ideal body weight today is used as a tool to calculate the dosage of most medications and gauge us if our fitness training or diet is really that effective. There are two different formulas to determine ideal body weight; one formula for men and another for women. Especially nowadays, many of us are busy with their jobs and other matters. We dont burn some calories ending to those fat abs and flobby arms & legs. List below are some ways to measure if we're on the right track or not.

^{Broca formula}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = [Height (cm) - 100] - ([Height (cm) - 100] x 10%)}

^{Women: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = [Height (cm) - 100] + ([Height (cm) - 100] x 15%)}

^{Devine formula}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 50 + 2.3kg per inch over 5 feet}

^{Women: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 45.5 + 2.3kg per inch over 5 feet}

^{Hamwi formula}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight kilograms) = 48kg + 2.7kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Women: Ideal Body Weight (in kilograms) = 45.5kg + 2.2kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Miller formula}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight kilograms) = 56.2kg + 1.41kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Women:Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 53.1kg + 1.36kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Robinson formula}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 52kg + 1.9kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Women:Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 49kg + 1.7kg for each inch over 5 feet}

^{Simple rule}

^{Men: Allow 110lbs for the first 5 feet and 5lbs for each additional inch.}

^{Women: Allow 100lbs for the first 5 feet and 5lbs for each additional inch.}

^{Other formulas}

^{Men: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 50kg + 2.3kg for each inch of height over 5 feet}

^{Women: Ideal Body Weight (kilograms) = 45.5kg + 2.3kg for each inch of height over 5 feet}

^{Note: 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lb)}

The ideal body weight calculator was discredited by all major medical institutions as a tool for measuring obesity and malnourishment in the last quarter of the 20thCentury. The tool did not account for the nutritional needs of patients, especially women