Realgoalgetter Health Blog

The Importance Of Acid Alkaline Balance In The Body

2010-11-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

Acid Alkaline Diet - The Top Seven Reasons to Go Alkaline and Avoid Acids By Roy Dawson

The body is a marvelous tool, and its myriad processes and systems all interlock to create a streamlined machine that is designed to work without any glitches. But as with all machines, the body needs the right kind of fuel to function properly and, when functioning properly, the waste products generated by burning this fuel are flushed out with no problem.

Perhaps once the body was perfectly balanced, and perhaps humanity once lived in a perfectly balanced world, but over the millennia we have become unbalanced; our diets and our ecosystem both becoming overwhelmed with acids and acidic wastes. The problems associated with over acidification are many and varied ranging from fatigue to arthritis to depression and even cancer.

While there is not a lot that can be done about global pollution levels, at least on an individual scale, we can control our diets and what we allow into our bodies. Adhering to an alkaline diet may seem like it takes a lot of effort and energy, but the benefits of going - and staying alkaline far outweighs the inconveniences. There are dozens of reasons to begin an alkaline diet, and it would take a book to list them all, but the top seven reasons to go alkaline and avoid acids have been listed below.

1.) Weight Loss

This is a big one, for who hasn't had a weight problem at one time or another? And for those who have, what would you have given for a simple, safe and free way to lose weight?

The average western diet and lifestyle is composed of so many acid-producing substances (refined flours, sugars, meat and dairy products) and habits (smoking, alcohol consumption and prescription drug use) that our bodies have become inundated with acid wastes. And acids have a nasty way of eating into and deteriorating healthy muscle, tissues and even organs.

One of the automatic defense mechanisms of the body is to produce fat cells in order to protect our delicate organs from these excess acids. The fat cells' function is to shuttle these acid wastes away from the organs and store it in less important parts of the body, but as long as there are excess acids in the body, the fat cells will cling to the organs defensively. Once we are able to rid ourselves of these excess acids ( through maintaining a high-alkaline diet, proper hydration and exercise) the fat cells are no longer needed and the body releases them from duty, resulting in weight loss.

2.) Increased Energy

The more acids that build up within the body, the less the body's natural balancing systems can process effectively, and the higher the body's acid levels become. And the higher the acid levels become, the more alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphates etc) will be leached from the body's bones, muscles and tissues to make certain that the blood is able to maintain the alkaline levels necessary in order for the body to function. When these sorts of alkaline minerals are removed efficient metabolism is inhibited, resulting in sluggishness and fatigue. The leaching of these kinds of minerals has also been linked to osteoporosis. Once the acid levels are reduced through proper diet and exercise, energy levels will increase.

3.) Alleviate Allergies

An acidic environment overworks the immune system and stimulates the immune system into what is known as "response mode". The end result of this being that the body develops incredibly heightened sensitivity to all sorts of things; pollens, chemicals etc. This heightened sensitivity we know as allergies. Some of the other ways that the body rids itself of excessive toxins and acidic wastes is through soreness, swelling, eczema and excess mucus, all things that are related to allergies. Once the excess acids have been removed from the body, the allergies and their related symptoms will disappear.

4.) Reverse the Aging Process

Aging is caused by a buildup of acid wastes and the subsequent breakdown of bodily functions. When a body is too acidic a condition called acidosis occurs. Acidosis is, quite simply, the over stressing of oxidation systems and the breakdown of limpids. When this occurs it releases free radicals into the bloodstream. Free radicals are cells that attack cell walls and membranes; killing the cell walls and membranes before finally killing the cells themselves. When this occurs the visible result is wrinkles, poor eyesight, age spots, bad memory, fatigue, dysfunctional hormones; in short - premature aging. By removing these acids you can prevent further damage to your cells and even reverse the breakdown process.

5.) Oxidation

One of the side effects of the build-up of acid wastes is that the body's cells don't get enough oxygen and this causes a slowdown in all of the cell's myriad of functions. Just like the body itself, without enough oxygen cells can die. By eliminating the acids that have been built-up in your body by changing your diet and drinking alkaline water you can re-originate your blood.

6.) Decrease Blood Pressure

When a body is overly acidic the cells begin to slow down their functions (see #5) and the heart has to work all the harder to make up for their sluggishness, this causes high blood pressure. Another side effect of high acidity is the build-up of plaque in the arteries and the decrease of the diameter of the blood vessels - which can also lead to high blood pressure. By removing the acid waste build up from your system you can improve your cell functioning and take some of the pressure off your heart.

7.) Decrease Chances of Developing Degenerative Diseases

Last but not least, the build-up of acid wastes in the body (or Acidosis) is the underlying cause of almost all known degenerative diseases including (but not limited to); diabetes, obesity, liver disease, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, premature aging, hormonal imbalances, osteoporosis and even most cancers.

Degenerative diseases thrive in acidic environments, so by removing their preferred environment you can deprive them of their ability to multiply or even to take hold at all.

What Can You Do?

If you are truly interested in maintaining your health, or in reversing any health issues you may have, there is one step you can take right now, and that is to commit to an alkaline diet. By choosing to eat alkaline foods (fresh and raw vegetables, salads, alkaline fruits, seeds, nuts) and drinking alkaline water, you can rid your body of years worth of accumulated acidic wastes and turn back the hands of time.

The Alkaline Diet Network is dedicated to enlightening the American public as to the benefits of an acid alkaline diet high in alkaline-rich foods and water in order to promote optimum health. For more information visit http://www.alkalinedietnetwork.com

Roy Dawson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Dawson

Weight Loss Exercises Must Lead Your Weight Loss Plans

2008-09-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Lets face it – our country is filled with overweight people who want to be thin. We try all kinds of things, from weight loss diets to lose weight exercises, but nothing seems to work for many of us. The fact is that we just can't seem to keep the weight off.

Even if we use the best exercises to lose weight, we tend to not be able to stick with them. Sometimes it starts off with an extra treat on the weekends. Other times, our resolve breaks down all of the sudden. Whatever the reasons, our diet plans and our lose weight exercises tend to lose steam eventually.

The only way to make your weight loss exercise really stick is to be fanatically dedicated to losing weight. This means that you must live every day as if weight loss were your most important priority. You have to start exercising at least three times a week and do both cardiovascular and weightlifting exercises.

You have to eliminate junk food completely from your life, not even snacking on it on special occasions. Your weight loss exercise must be complemented by a good, healthy diet.

In my opinion, you should avoid fad diets altogether. Maybe some of them work, maybe some of them don't, but there is one thing that we all know: a good, sane, healthy diet works for everyone.

All you have to do on top of your lose weight exercise is to eat lots of vegetables, some grains, proteins and only healthy fats. You don't have to cut out fat entirely – if you use olive oil and other vegetable oils, you should be just fine.

Perhaps you won't lose weight quite as quickly as on the Atkins diet, but you will be much healthier long term.

The most important thing, and the cornerstone of any weight loss plan, is the lose weight exercise routine. You have to be sure to vary your exercises. Doing just one type of cardiovascular activity can do a lot to help you lose weight fast, but you will get even better results if you can switch it up from time to time.

Your weight loss exercise needs to include muscle building routines. When you can build lean muscle, it helps you to burn fat faster and more efficiently. It makes you stronger, makes your posture better, and helps you in your lose weight exercise workouts.

Don't lose your focus. Center your weight loss plans around a good solid weight loss exercise program.

Al Smith

Al Smith writes for and publishes The Realgoalgetter Ezine and The Realgoalgetter Blog. His articles deal mostly with goal setting, self improvement, and motivation. Get some free reports, ecourses, and ebooks at FREE Ezines, Reports And Ebooks.

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Are You Getting Enough Fiber In Your Present Diet?
5 Simple Steps To Eating healthfully On The Go
Eating Healthy And According To A Preset Eating Plan
12 Weight Loss Secrets To Successfully Lose Weight

Kevin Gianni On Health Habits - The Renagade Health Show

2008-05-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been a week for meeting old friends. Since I signed on to Twitter, I have been making connections with people I haven't run into for some time.

One of these is Kevin Gianni. Somehow because we got so darn busy, I kind a lost track of him. Now, a couple of years later, I see he is producing a daily health show online. It is called The Renagade Health Show and he shares some great information. FREE.

Yes, you are reading that right, FREE. I recommend that if you are seriously interested in great and bountiful health, go over there right now and check it out, maybe even sign on to get his daily updates.

Today's show is about developing daily health habits and you can see him here at:

The Best Formula for Health and Diet Success
- The Renegade Health Show Episode #50

There are some powerful episodes that can help us gain energy, lose weight, increase our fitness, or just overall improve our health and well being. I signed up right away.

Anti Aging - Enzymes And Raw Food

2008-04-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Enzymes and Raw Food – Can You Cheat Time and Stay Young for Longer?

I’m going to be a bit radical here, but know that I’m only encouraging you to question and think and ideally do your own research, both theory and practice. I’m pretty confident that you’ll thank me for it.

WHAT IF THE SO-CALLED ‘AGING PROCESS’ WAS A CHOICE?

Clearly, we can’t stop time from moving on. When we have a birthday, we are another year older. That’s a fact that, for the moment at least, we cannot change. But what if the weakening organs, bones and tissues and all the 'usual' signs of old age were not actually a part of the aging process we've come to accept as 'normal'?

Have you ever considered that these conditions are simply symptoms of us mistreating our bodies over the course of our lives to date? Wouldn’t our senior years be a whole lot more fun if we were pain and disease free and could jump around with the energy and vitality of a teenager?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

That this is a crazy, impossible idea borne out of fantasy? Or are you willing to open your mind and accept that actually, if you treat your body right and nourish it properly, it may in fact be possible? And this is where Enzymes come in...

In his book Intuitive Eating, Dr Humbart Santillo MD writes:

"A human being is not maintained by food intake alone, but rather by what is digested. Every food must be broken down by enzymes to simpler building blocks. Enzymes may be divided into 2 groups, exogenous (found in raw food) and endogenous (produced within our bodies). The more one gets of the exogenous enzymes, the less will have to be borrowed from other metabolic processes and supplied by the pancreas.

The enzymes contained in raw food actually aid in the digestion of that same food when it is chewed. One can live many years on a cooked food diet, but eventually this will cause cellular enzyme exhaustion which lays the foundation for a weak immune system and ultimately disease."

Put simply, we are born with a finite supply of endogenous enzymes. It should be enough to last us a lifetime based on current life expectancy, but if we don’t supply some exogenous enzymes through our diet, we will use up our original supplies and that’s when we become susceptible to the accepted ‘signs of old age’ including premature death! And the fact is that when we cook our food, we kill all enzymes instead of allowing them to boost our immune system, our brain function and our energy levels.

Another doctor, Edward Howell, has written a book called Enzyme Nutrition. In it, he says:

"Humans eating an enzyme-less diet use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in lavish secretions of the pancreas and other digestive organs. The result is a shortened lifespan (65 years or less as compared with 100 or more), illness, and lower resistance to stress of all types, psychological and environmental. By eating foods with their enzymes in tact and by supplementing cooked foods with enzyme capsules we can stop abnormal and pathological aging processes."

THESE SCIENTISTS ARE NOT CRACK-POTS WORKING ALONE

The raw food movement is gathering pace and the practice is becoming more mainstream now. In her book You Are What You Eat, Gillian McKeith places raw or living foods at the top of her list of Good Foods and has a section entitled The Case Against Cooking.

Now don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that you switch overnight to a 100% raw food diet. Though plenty do and never look back, it's not always wise. Instead I would give the same advice as Gillian in urging you to eat something raw with every meal.

Just before I sat down to write this, I ate a yummy Quinoa Avocado Salad which other than the cooked quinoa was loaded with raw, enzyme-, EFA- and nutrient- rich foods. I ate it on its own, but you could serve it alongside a piece of grilled chicken or fish instead of dead, heavy, sugar-rush potatoes which do little more than bloat you up. Find the recipe on my Blog at Claires Blog.

by Claire Raikes

Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who 'cured' herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival.

If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Healthy Eating For Weight Loss And A Long Life

2008-04-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Eating is a wonderful thing. It is also necessary for keeping you alive and healthy. But with the hectic pace of life today, it’s hard to keep to a healthy eating schedule.

It seems so much easier to snack and hit up fast food joints, rather than eat a healthy diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, and fish, while cutting down on saturated fats, trying to eat less salt, while getting more active and drinking plenty of water without skipping breakfast. Sounds so difficult even when you say it fast. (GRINS)

But you already know that, don’t you?

Price is a factor as well. The cheap food at the takeouts that tastes the best also happens to be the same food that clogs your arteries, and makes you fat. Oh the irony!

Why does a soy dog cost five bucks, when street meat only costs two bucks? Is the life of a bean curd worth more than that of a pig? Life is just full of mysteries.

However, healthy foods are really more inexpensive in the long run.

If you can’t exercise regularly, and you can’t quit smoking, at least you can try your best to start eating healthier.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Eat a good breakfast.

How many times have you been told it’s the most important meal of the day? The reason: because it is! And by the way, beer for breakfast doesn’t count.

2. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and veggies.

Eating healthy is all about routine and finding things that are healthy but tasty as well.

3. Eat regular meals.

Snacking has been the downfall of many a healthy person. Try to avoid unhealthy snacking, like deep fried butter and pork rinds, and replace it with a fruit bar or muffin.

4. Eat moderate portions.

If you are going to eat fatty, sugary foods, at least keep the portions small. There is no such thing as good or bad foods, only choices that are right or wrong for you.

5. Quit deep frying everything.

Instead, try baking, broiling, grilling, poaching, roasting, steaming, stir frying etc.

To make things easier, try reducing foods instead of completely eliminating them. Balance your food choices over time and recognize your eating pitfalls.

You should try eating 2-4 servings of fruit, and 3-5 serving of vegetables each day, while basing your meals around complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Eating healthy can be so beneficial and so easy. Really, all you have to do is just decide to take the leap and start your life headed in a new, healthy direction. It is so much easier than you think.

Al Smith

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Weight Loss Motivation Revisited

2008-04-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

4 Effective Ways To Encourage Yourself To Lose Weight

A lot of people quit in the middle of a weight management program because they have lost their weight loss motivation. After a few weeks of dieting and exercising, it is normal for people to start losing some interest in what they are doing.

In fact, during the first few weeks of a weight reduction program, a lot of people would decide that they do not want to continue because they are no longer interested.

If you are one of those people who have lost their enthusiasm about their weight program, you should find a weight loss motivation. Remember that if you quit, you will never be able to shed off that extra weight off your body. Besides, if you have already invested money in your weight reduction program, you investment will simply go to waste!

Setting reasonable expectations
According to weight loss trainers, you should keep your expectations reasonable and realistic so that you will not lose interest easily. Focusing on short-term goals is very effect when it comes to motivating people to continue with their program.

For instance, you set a goal of losing at least two pounds per week. Since losing two pounds in a week is very realistic and easy to attain, you will be motivated to work towards that goal.

Aside from focusing on short-term goals, you should focus more on your activities rather than your weight. If you give your whole attention on the amount of calories that you eat versus the amount of calories that you burn during your daily exercise routine, you would mostly be more motivated to go on with your program.

Having an ideal body image
To keep you in the right track, you should keep an idea body image for yourself. Having that mental picture of yourself looking slim and healthy is a powerful weight loss motivation for you.

If you need some visual image, find somebody whose body you admire and keep a picture of that person in your room. Tell yourself everyday that someday you will look like this person. The power of suggestion always work especially when you repeat it constantly.

Working with a partner
One of the best ways to motivate yourself you continue your program is to have a partner. If you do your diet and exercise all by yourself, you will easily get bored and then stop.

If you have partner who is also into the same weight loss program, dieting and exercising becomes a social affair so you are less likely to lose interest. According to studies, working out with a partner or a team is more effective. Having a support group where you can share your diet and exercise troubles is a good way to keep toy interested.

Rewarding yourself
Rewarding yourself for your achievements is a weight loss motivation. Set a goal for yourself and once you achieve that goal treat yourself to something that you have always wanted to.

For instance, if you have been planning to go to the spa and relax, make that as your reward for yourself. Tell yourself that if you achieve your goal for the month, you will treat yourself to the spa.

by Andy Jefferson

HowToGainMuscleMass provides weight management information and expert articles. To find out how to lose body fat permanently, even in your mushiest spots, without drugs, without supplements and without messing up your metabolism, visit http://www.howtogainmusclemass.com/ for Free Underground Weight Loss Tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Jefferson
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Some related articles:

Are You Getting Enough Fiber In Your Present Diet?
5 Simple Steps To Eating healthfully On The Go
Eating Healthy And According To A Preset Eating Plan
12 Weight Loss Secrets To Successfully Lose Weight

Veggie Colors Will Tell How They Can Help You!

2008-03-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Can These Veggies Save Your Life?

Would you like to live a long time? Most of us would.

Would you like to be healthy and disease free? That’s a pretty easy question, since the alternative is being sick and miserable.

So how do you go about it? One simple way to be leaner, healthier, and full of energy is to do what grandma told you—eat your veggies.

Why? Because vegetables are full of chemicals that your body uses to fight disease and stay healthy. These are things that you can’t get anywhere else.

Plants are made up of chemicals. Some of the chemicals help the plants fight off viruses, bacteria and pests. It turns out that these same chemicals help our own bodies in countless ways.

The details would fill a book, but here are a few examples:

Purple: plums, prunes, raisins, and other berries — these fight off cancer, heart disease and help your memory.

White: garlic and onions — these help fight cancer and infections, and they lower blood pressure.

Orange and yellow: peaches, sweet potatoes, and carrots — fight cancer and heart disease.

Green: broccoli, peas and cabbage — help your vision, fight heart disease and reduce risk of cancer.

Red: beets, apples, and tomatoes — lower risk of prostate and lung cancer, and help your circulation.

So how do you go about it? It’s simple. Pick by the color. Eat a variety of colored fruits and vegetables, and you can’t go wrong.

And it’s particularly important if you are trying to take off weight. When you are reducing calories, you need to pack in all the nutrition you can. And these colored gems are the way to do it.

By Dan Curtis

Dan Curtis, M.D. can help YOU lose weight. Sign up for our free newsletter: Dr. Dan’s Super Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Secrets. It's free! Click here http://www.superweightlossplan.com/newsletter/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Curtis

Brain Power - Are You Keeping Your Brain Well Nourished?

2008-03-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Do you ever stop to think how hard your brain works for you every Day? Most of us do not consider the importance of our brain while we focus on the rest of our body. Your brain is the most essential organ and yet it is the organ least cared for.

You need not study hard or become a bookworm to boost your mental faculties. Just a few smart tricks, techniques, habits, changes in diet, lifestyle and behavior could energize your grey matter and get the best results from your brain.

Here are some thoughts to help your brain stay healthy and alert.

1. Physical exercise strengthens your brain. Exercise benefits your brain cells. The blood vessels inside your brain dilate and increase blood flow when you engage in regular exercise. Exercise helps to excrete toxins and allows oxygen and other nutrients to flow into your brain strengthening your brain cells.

2. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast affects your brainpower and performance at home, school or work.

3. Kick-start your brain with problem solving in the morning so that it wakes up and is all ready to go when you start. Why don’t you start off your day with a crossword puzzle or sudoku from your morning newspaper? Your brain needs these teasers to be more efficient during the first few lazy hours in the mornings.

4. Research backs up the support in favor of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is the best brain food. Omega 3 fish oil is not just healthy brain food for babies. It's also an essential brain food for children, adolescents and adults. The EPA and DHA in fish oil seems prevent dementia.

5. Here is a trick to remember something important for the next day – read and review over the matter needed for the next day before you go to sleep the previous night. While you sleep your brain does its sorting and filing for you and stores it for you. When you think about it the next day your brain supplies this information fresh out of its memory cells.

6. Did you ever get stuck with a small detail when your brain just stops and you experience a mental block? Try darting your eyes from side to side. You would be amazed at the results! What is the reason behind this? Everyone has a left and right hemisphere in the brain. They communicate constantly on a daily basis throughout your thinking process.

Sometimes when this communication link or connection gets weaker for some reason you may experience a memory lapse. Darting your eyes helps to strengthen this connection to jerk your memory and bring back into focus that little detail you had forgotten all along. All it takes is 5 to 10 seconds to jolt your brain. Try it.

7. Good sleep, music, busy life and plenty of water are also factors that help in building your brainpower.

It is possible to boost your brainpower at any age. Try these strategies and you would start praising your brainpower in as little as two weeks!

Benefits Of Having Apples For Snacks

2008-02-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Just about everybody has heard how eating apples regularly can improve your health in a number of ways. But, do you know why this is true and by the way, is it really true?

Here's a good article that explains some of the reasoning behind the 'rumor'.

Is an Apple a Day Really OK?

Young or old, there is probably a good chance that at some time in your life you have heard the phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Is there any substance to this claim? Or, is it just a cute little saying that has managed to linger in our modern vocabulary?

What are Flavonoids?

In fact, Apples and other fruits have been shown to have health benefits primarily attributed to the antioxidant flavonoids they contain. Flavonoids are compounds that help protect various plants from pathogens, ultraviolet light, and other stress factors. Flavonoids are also responsible for the deep rich colors of many fruits.

What are Antioxidants?

A particular flavonoid that is found in apples is polyphenols. Polyphenols are phytochemicals that act like astringents and are the major source of antioxidants in apples. Antioxidants are a group of chemicals that help to neutralize a group of molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals, nasty little varmints that can damage cells and tissues, appear to play a part in the onset of heart disease and prostate, colon and other cancers. So, what does all this science talk actually mean? Well, a recent Canadian study has confirmed that apples just might help keep the doctor away. But some apples may do a better job than others.

According to the Canadian researchers some apples did pack more of a disease fighting punch than other apples in the study. Red Delicious came out on top with the most antioxidant activity of any variety.

From highest to lowest the order of antioxidant activity in apples was as follows:

Red Delicious
McIntosh
Cortland
Northern Spy
Ida Red
Golden Delicious
Mutsu
Empire

As this was a Canadian study, some of the apples that are more popular in the United States were not included. Popular varieties that were not in the test group included Gala apples, Granny Smith, Jonathan, York, Stayman and Rome.

However, I believe it would be safe to assume that these varieties also carry levels of antioxidants. The Canadian researchers also found that antioxidants were five times more prevalent in the apple skin than the actual flesh. So, wash but don't peel before you eat.

In addition to the Canadian study, three recent studies by research teams at Cornell University in New York offer a few other great reasons to make apples part of your regular diet:

Alzheimer's disease - In a study done on rats, antioxidants found to be abundant in apples seemed to protect brain cells against oxidative stress. This is a tissue damaging process that has been linked with Alzheimer's and other brain degenerative disorders.

Heart Disease - Some antioxidants found in apples could possibly lower the "bad" form of cholesterol. The process of lowering this cholesterol is similar to the mechanism that statin drugs use to help lower your LDL (low density lipoprotein).

Breast Cancer - Rats exposed to cancer causing agents and then given the human equivalent of one, three and six apples a day respectively over six months were up to 44 percent less likely to develop breast tumors.

What's the moral to this story? Fruits and vegetables CAN help keep the doctor away. There may be fruits with higher levels of antioxidants but in terms of fruit popularity, apples are second only to bananas.

Don't wait any longer, go grab your favorite apple and start getting healthy!

Michael Brooks
Copyright 2005

Mike Brooks is a life long follower and proponent of the fitness lifestyle. Mr. Brooks believes that being healthy is a choice and includes not only a proper diet but total fitness of the mind, body and soul. His column appears weekly at http://www.ultimatehealthreport.com.

Reasons To Exercise

2008-02-04T20:43:00.001-08:00

I just thought this would be interesting to those who are on the fence about whether to exercise or not. Check out these benefits!

Why Do We Exercise?
By Tracie Johanson

In this article we're going to focus on REASONS TO EXERCISE. Even though most of us know that regular exercise is "good for us", we may not be able to give the specific reasons WHY exercise is good for us.

First and foremost, before we start the list, let's just admit right up front that the main reason we exercise is to look better. Hey, there's no shame in that! Perhaps we want to look better for our spouse, or maybe we want to get into shape because we're looking for a spouse! Whatever the reason, our desire to look good is a major motivator.

Many of us want to look better.....for ourselves! When we engage in regular resistance and aerobic exercise, it changes our appearance for the better. Less fat, toned muscle, healthier skin, a bigger smile, and more "pep in our step" are all great reasons to exercise.

In addition to just looking better there are some real physical benefits to regular exercise!! So for those of us who are working out to just look great, consider these reasons to exercise a bonus:

* 1. Strengthens muscles
* 2. Strengthens bone
* 3. Strengthens ligaments
* 4. Strengthens tendons
* 5. Strengthens immune system
* 6. Improves muscle tone
* 7. Improves endurance
* 8. Improves strength
* 9. Improves self esteem
* 10. Improves confidence
* 11. Improves balance
* 12. Improves physical appearance
* 13. Improves physical performance
* 14. Improves glucose tolerance
* 15. Improves circulation
* 16. Improves memory
* 17. Lower risk of heart disease
* 18. Lower risk of diabetes
* 19. Lower risk of cancer
* 20. Lower blood pressure
* 21. Lower cholesterol
* 22. Lower risk of stroke
* 23. Lower risk of osteoporosis
* 24. Lower risk of osteoarthritis
* 25. Lower requirements for medication
* 26. Lower risk of injury
* 27. Lower bodyfat
* 28. Helps with sleep disorders
* 29. Reduces post-operative complications
* 30. Reduces frequency of illness
* 31. Prevent Alzheimer's disease
* 32. Prevents muscle loss
* 33. Increases metabolism
* 34. Eases symptoms of menopause
* 35. Healthier pregnancy
* 36. Fewer problems with childbirth
* 37. Reduces ovulation problems

Moderate weight loss - of fat, not muscle - and a healthy and active lifestyle (NOT dieting) have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients. In addition to the exercise benefits listed above, fit people are eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.

So the next time we're tempted to just sit back and watch television instead of exercising, let's remember that there are a lot of reasons to drop the remote and get moving!

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops?

2007-11-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops

You see, the words "Fruit Loops" enticed you in here to see what the rest of the article was about. Maybe even that Fruit Loops had become the next great diet program and was the answer to weight loss.

Sorry to burst that bubble but we won't quite be traveling down that road.

Without exception, breakfast represents the first and, without question, the most critical meal in a normal day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and will directly influence what your mood will be for the day and how productive you will be.

It sends the first message to your metabolism as to what you expect it to do and how hard it's going to have to work. Can your body call in sick or does it have to work efficiently for the next sixteen hours giving you good health and an optimum weight?

That's a big burden to put on just meal, especially one we approach still-half awake as we stumble to the kitchen. It is critical but your body is always up to the task.

Think of breakfast as the first position on an assembly line. If you don't put the frame of the car on the line at step one, the guy putting on doors at step two is not that important.

Did you know that over 50% of Americans are either overweight or obese? Of that group, an amazing 80% admit to skipping breakfast.

Without exception, it is the first approach most choose in trying to lose weight. Skipping a meal equals fewer calories equals weight loss is the formula that pops into the mind of someone desperate to lose weight.

Statistics clearly show that it doesn't or can't work otherwise those that did it would lose weight, which is the desired goal of the formula.

Why would anyone choose a method to try that you know will fail? The psychology behind that question sadly shows just how desperate and frustrated Americans have become to break this over-weight pattern.

I read a ton of literature on nutrition but far from consider myself an expert in it. Since I take full responsibility for my body and how I want it to look and act, I have spent the better part of my fifty plus years trying to understand nutrition and how it affects my overall health and appearance.

I have never read even one study or research report that even remotely suggests that skipping breakfast, or any meal helps lose weight. To the contrary, it directly contributes to gaining weight or maintaining an overweight condition.

Yes, it helps you to gain weight by skipping the meal.

Within 60 minutes of awakening in the morning, you must put calories into your body. You need to act and act rather quickly in turning on the key to your metabolism. It should be about 10-15 percent of the total calories your body needs to maintain normal activities.

For most adults, this will fall into the 250-400 calorie range.

It is critical to fall within this range, a King's feast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice is just as bad as skipping.

A cup of a whole-grain, natural cereal with skim (or reduced fat milk) is the perfect choice.

I use 100% natural and safe Stevia to sweeten it just a bit. I use the Kashi Go Lean cereal as it does not have the additives of the commercial brands, cost no more and is high-glycemic as far as carbs go.

These break down over hours, thus fueling you longer. Low-glycemic carbs, such as white bread or sugary cereal spikes your insulin almost immediately but results in a quick crash to your system when the level drops in about an hour.

Very poor approach to the end goal of keeping your metabolism running at the same level all day, where the most efficient burning of calories is accomplished.

Another approach is to make breakfast all protein, which breaks down slowly as well and gives you a much fuller feeling until the next meal. Egg whites or a whey protein shake or even cottage cheese are great choices.

If you have time constraints and kids to get off to school, plan ahead and have natural breakfast bars available.

However you tackle it, don't make the number one mistake that keeps your body from giving you the optimum weight you desire. You must eat, and eat often.

Although it represents the topic of another article that can go into depth on it, the body is meant to "graze". By that I mean, that you should eat six or seven times during the day, each light in calories.

By doing this correctly, there is never the sensation of hunger, and the internal engine called your metabolism works at top level and is able to fully digest all food and burn and use each nutrient available.

Keep in mind, the total calories of the day still must be considered and stuck to.

The main point I wanted to address here is how critical it is to rev up the engine at breakfast, not hours later. It's like driving a high-performance, finely-tuned car for a sixteen hour trip versus chugging through the same sixteen hours in a misfiring, broken down Pinto, with smoke pouring out of the exhaust. So buckle up and get started.

Stay healthy and fit with good nutrition and plenty of exercise!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Kuzniacki

Ho Hum, Getting Tired, Should I Take A Nap?

2007-11-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Nap Today, Perform Better Tomorrow

A couple of new reports came out this week addressing sleep in our culture. Everyone knows that they feel a little cranky when they don't get enough sleep. It's therefore no surprise that sleep affects your mood. What may be surprising, though, is that scientists know very little about why that's true.

We understand quite a bit about why sleep disrupts your immune function, your metabolism and your ability to learn and remember things. I have discussed each of these in past articles. But we don't know much about how sleep regulates mood. An interesting new study published in Current Biology by Michael Walker, sheds some light on this subject.

A loss of reason

A complex brain circuit that involves both higher thinking centers and reactive centers controls your emotions. It's the higher thinking centers that separate us from other animals. We have the ability (although we don't always use it) to evaluate our responses thoughtfully, before just reacting impulsively.

In the new study, volunteers were either deprived of a good night's sleep or allowed to sleep normally. Researchers then looked at both their higher thinking and their reactive brain centers after presenting them with some emotionally negative images to stir their reactions.

They found that specific reactive centers of the brain acted the same whether or not the volunteers had slept well the night before. But certain higher thinking centers responsible for keeping those reaction centers under control, were much less active in the sleep deprived group.

The interpretation of this is that our 'gut reactions' are not really that affected by lack of sleep (at least in this situation) but our ability to reason and monitor those reactions is weakened, which can have all kinds of downstream consequences.

Is a longer workday productive?

Why is this important? Other studies show that we are getting far less sleep today than we did a century ago and throughout history. The advent of artificial light has extended the length of our daily 'productivity', but many argue that this is actually counter-productive.

By not getting optimal sleep, we are decreasing our ability to function efficiently the next day, and actually getting less done.

In fact, another study just released shows exactly that. In this one, researchers, Patricia Murphy and Scott Campbell, showed that napping is actually productive.

First of all, midday napping did not cause people to sleep less well at night, as many believe.

Second, midday napping improved performance on math, decision-making and reaction-time tests. This increased performance was true after the nap and lasted all the way into the next day, following the nap.

Many of us are so busy that we steal hours from our sleep to attempt to get more done. But science argues that we are not getting more done this way. We are actually reducing our ability to be creative, make decisions, work efficiently and cooperate with other people.

Perhaps a little more time invested in our rest could dramatically improve our career and personal relationships.

Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family. Your Brain Fitness holds is the key to unlock your maximum potential. Dr. Simon Evans and Dr. Paul Burghardt at BrainFit For Life put together the right ingredients in right amount to create the recipe for success.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Evans

Old Habits Die Hard - Hard Enough To Feel The Pain

2007-11-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Old Habits Die Hard - Hard Enough To Feel The Pain

Why is it so tough to quit something that is bad, usually it is something that is soooo good too?

You know what I mean; chocolate, alcohol, laziness, even what you eat for breakfast.

We all have habitual actions that we often feel a little embarrassed by, such as buying a chocolate bar and a can of coke every time you go to the petrol station to fill the car up...

That one used to be one of my worse habits, I just knew it was not good for me, but I just couldn't quit it. It was like I was on auto pilot.

Do you get home from work, immediately turn on the TV instead of doing your workout?

Do you go out on a Friday and Saturday night, just because it is the weekend, and then spend the rest of the weekend in bed regretting your excesses?

One of the biggest challenges as a fitness professional is to get my clients to change their eating habits so that it compliments their training efforts. One common hang up relates to breakfast, getting them to stop eating cereal based breakfasts is like putting a heroine addict through cold turkey!

The problem is our bad habits can cause us a myriad of health problems, such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, a weak immune system, and poor structural health. All of which cause a great deal of misery.

Brain researchers at MIT in the US have discovered that once a poor habit is established, certain neural patterns are created in the brain which ingrain the habit to becoming almost completely automatic.

We just don't even think about the action, we just do it. These patterns can be erased just as readily as they are created in the first place, BUT the patterns can be rekindled much quicker the next time round.

Obvious stuff really, when you think about how many people relapse back into a smoking habit, or poor nutritional habits.

Breaking habits can be tough though.

The fear of social alienation if you stop smoking (where will you get the office gossip from, if you are not smoking with your co-workers!). Not going out on a Friday night can cause a similar fear.

Not having that glass of wine with your evening meal each night, it has become so ingrained that you would feel uncomfortable if only water was available.

Thankfully there are solutions to these problems, and it is not just down to will power. Pattern breaking is simply a matter of becoming more conscious of each action that you take. A simple example:

Do you drive the same route to work each and every day? I bet on many days the journey to work does not even register, it is just like you are on auto pilot. You have no idea of how many cars cut you up, or even if you indicated at the right moments, or even indicated at all!

Breaking this habit is a simple act of deciding to take a different route to work. I have about 5 different routes to the gym and have actually gone further out of my way, just to get in a new route, it keeps me focused.

For the more serious issue of eating and drinking habits, simply get into the habit of stopping just before you consume something and make a judgment on the quality of the item you are about to eat or drink. I use a 3 point grade A, B or C type foods.

A's are your good clean foods like fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish and water plus some diary items like eggs too.

B's are not so good, slightly processed products including breads, pasta, cereal based products

C's are the junk food, including sodas, highly processed items like cakes, chips, burgers, pizzas etc.

This simple process makes me more conscious of my food choices, allowing me to make better choices and ones that compliment my exercise habits.

One other common poor habit is laziness or procrastination from exercise, this is because you may associate exercise with hard work, pain, or you have low self efficacy. To break this habit you may find it useful to find a purpose for actually doing your workouts...

Getting involved in a sport may just give the reason you need to start doing your workouts.

Rather than simply working out to lose weight, why not make your workouts more focused towards a sport, so that you improve your speed, agility, flexibility, balance and strength. You may just find that the side benefit is that you'll lose that weight after all.

One of my current clients came to me a few months ago with really poor motivation, the habit to workout just wasn't working. It was becoming a real struggle to get to the gym to do the workouts.

I simply asked her one question - has there ever been a sport that you thought would be just so cool to do? Immediately I saw a spark of excitement in her face, she told me she always wanted to do rock climbing, but never had the belief that she could do it. Fantastic we had just found her motivation.

Two weeks later after the change of focus and some adjustment to her routines, she joined a local club and got right back into the workout habit. 30 days later she had dropped a dress size and was really enjoying her time in the gym, plus doing great with the climbing too!

So you see habits can be broken down, simply by recognizing the patterns, then making a conscious decision to do or try something else. Yes it is NOT easy, but don't you think your life would be fuller, richer, more interesting if you didn't spend so much time on autopilot?

So start right now, decide what different route you are going to take to work tomorrow, stop yourself before consuming anything and really SEE what you are eating, and start making better exercise habits by changing the focus to an outcome that really excites you!

The best of luck

by Tim Goodwin

Tim is a fitness professional specialising in help the busiest people achieve more with their amateur sporting interests, and at the same time ridding them of excess body fat.

Based in Luxembourg, Tim writes about general fitness for keeping in shape, sports training for non professional sports people, goal achievement strategies and many other topics.

Visit http://www.getfit.lu/success.html to get a free 18 page report "How to lose weight even when you are really busy" containing a full 4 week program which you can start today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Goodwin

Tomatoes Anyone?

2007-09-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't ignore this article when I read it so I decided to post it here. I absolutely love tomatoes, and I'll eat them just about anyway they can be prepared. Except for tomato soup that is.

I don't know how that came to be, except to say when I was young my mom used to feed tomato soup to us quite often, probably a "money" thing. She used to add milk to it and at the time I sure didn't like creamy tomato soups. Maybe that is it, I just got sick of having it too often.

Anyway, soup aside, I love tomatoes plain and simple, and wouldn't you know it they are terrific for you!

Why Do You Need To Eat Tomatoes?
By Riana D Lance

Do you eat tomatoes? Of course you have known that tomatoes are now eaten easily around the world. You can find tomatoes everywhere as part of fruits and vegetables.

Some experts said that tomato is known as a source of power of nutrition, as it contains a large number of vitamins and minerals that can support our body’s health.

Tomatoes have been first cultivated in Peru, and then brought to Mexico. Now, tomatoes are sold everywhere. In American grocery stores, tomatoes are often picked unripe, and ripened in storage with ethylene.

Which one is better, unripe or ripe?

Tomatoes that are ripened in storage with ethylene, plant hormone produced by many fruits and acts as the cue to begin the ripening process, tend to stay longer, but have poorer flavor than tomatoes ripened on the plant. They may be recognized by their color, which is more pink or orange than the ripe tomato's deep red.

Based on the nutrition content, red tomatoes have more vitamin A than green tomatoes. But in this case, green tomatoes have more protein.

If you eat tomatoes everyday, it is beneficial in preventing cancer to 50%. Tomatoes will fight different kinds of cancer and protect your heart from heart attack.

Why tomatoes are beneficial for health?

Tomatoes contain various kinds of ingredients. Here are some of them:

*Lycopene, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants. It is beneficial to fight different kind of diseases, most of all to fight cancer.

*Fiber in tomatoes prevents diabetes, asthma, colon cancer, and lowers the amount of cholesterol from the body.

*Vitamin C and A, antioxidants which fight free radical. They fight against aging, soothe skin and hair.

*Potassium, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin have proven effect in lowering cholesterol level, lowering blood pressure and works against heart disease.

*Vitamin K in tomatoes helps to build bone.

*Chromium and biotin make the body's ability to process sugar and fat, which may improve fighting diabetes and help nerve function.

*Riboflavin helps with energy metabolism and fights against migraine headaches.

So, if you consume ripe, unripe or tomato-based food products (tomato sauce, tomato pasta etc.) all deliver many nutrients with multiple mechanisms of action to prevent you from different kinds of diseases.

About the author: Riana D. Lance writes about health in some publications. Twice a week she informs her health tips and knowledge in a newsletter. Subscribe to get your free twice a week newsletters so you can stay healthy for the rest of your life from Heathifica.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Riana_D_Lance

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Get Fit And Stay Fit This Summer!

2007-07-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

While most of you have probably been working out all winter long and watching your diets, the key now is to maintain exercise and diet throughout the summer and retain all those great results you have worked so hard for.

Here are a few tips and suggestions on how to stay fit this summer.

No matter what type of diet regimen you’ve been on, it may be a good idea to continue the diet until after the summer is over. Maintaining a healthy diet will enhance your ability to participate in all forms of sports and activities throughout the summer months.

Also, your diet will afford you the opportunity to continue to eat light, healthy meals as opposed to fried, fatty, and heavy foods during the summer.

Summertime is synonymous with barbeque. No doubt you will have your fair share. Stick to your diet and you will keep the pounds off, especially on those special occasions when outdoor barbeques entice you with foods and drinks which may add excess calories.

Continue your exercise routine throughout the summer.

During the hot summer months, your body will fair much better in the heat if you are in good shape. No doubt, you may engage in running, walking, or other strenuous exercises.

Therefore, continue your exercise program and you will benefit in the long run. Whether you spend time in your garden, swim, or bike ride – any physical activity will enhance your health and help you achieve your weight goals.

No matter what form of physical activity you do choose, whether it's cycling, hiking, swimming, gardening or hitting the gym, make it enjoyable. Have some fun! Also, you can turn it into quality time with family, or perhaps some quiet time to de-stress after a busy day.

Keep active and continue your diet regimen throughout the summer so that you will look your best at all those patio parties. After all, you’ve worked very hard over the long winter months to achieve your goals. Now is the time to stay that way.

I read a great post over at the Burn The Fat Blog today. Check it out and see how others keep slim and trim after losing unwanted fat. The article is about women but it is very useful to men also. Keep the faith!

Weight Loss Discipline - Are You Really In Control Of Your Driving Forces?

2007-06-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Appetite versus Diet - A Tough Battle

Our bodies are complicated machines, not unlike an automobile. The way that we treat it, is the way it will perform. Feed it high grade nutrition and it runs well. Feed it low grade and it will sputter and stall, and you will have trouble starting it again.

Most of the operation of the body is done automatically. You don not have to think about it. Just put it in drive and let it run. While in drive, the autonomic nervous system is in control of most of the operation.

The nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the endocrine or hormonal system all run smoothly, until the driver (you) disturbs it with emotion or activity. and, even then it adjusts to the circumstances.

Two bodily functions operate outside the normal, automatic, operation. Sex drive and appetite consume much of our daily time. Though, they may affect the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems, they are for us to control.

Sex and appetite are driving forces in our bodies. They produce cravings, and sometimes overpowering desires. Appetite and sex drive are present in us for two important reasons. They are necessary for survival of the individual and survival of the species.

Either one of these can spiral out of control. You are the driver of this human automobile. You must control thee urges. The body does not automatically turn of these cravings or desires. This is the first thing you must realize about a diet.

You must control the cravings, the same ones that were needed by our ancestors and still needed by poorer nations in the world today, to keep the species growing.

Appetite is a strong urge to overcome. We exist today, because our ancestors got fat during the good times , so they could survive harsh winters or droughts.

Today, in our modern American culture, food is plentiful. Food can be bought with little money, although the less expensive food is generally,of a poorer quality. Again, you are the driver. You decide when to stop or go. You decide where or when to turn.

There is no magic pill to make your body lose weight. If you are not committed to a diet plan, you will not succeed.

There have been diet aids, in pill form, to help you over the years. In the 1960's and 1970's amphetamines were given out rather freely by the medical community. These worked well for many people. But amphetamines had the risk of being habit forming or even addicting in some cases.

Strict control by the DEA ( Drug Enforcement Agency ) changed the ease of distribution of amphetamines. Then a new generation of diet pills were marketed by pharmaceutical companies. They were less effective and less addicting.

Around the same time, the herbal industry was experimenting with herbs and combinations of herbs for appetite suppression. The main ingredient in the formulas was ephedrine, in one form or another. Again,government regulations put a stop to the use of this ingredient a few year ago.

There has been many new herbal blends, developed over the last couple of years, to help suppress appetite. Perhaps, the most effective ingredient to have come out of these discoveries is Hoodia gordonii . It comes from a a cactus in southern Africa. Studies show that it actually curbs appetite and has not shown any serious side effects to date.

What you need to do first, is get your head right. Decide what you want to do and when you want to do it, as far as diet goes. Develop a healthy eating plan.

It should be a well balanced diet. It should contain foods that you enjoy eating, and foods you continue to eat for a long period of time. There are healthy, tasty, healthy meals that you can have delivered to your door, at a reasonable cost.

You may want to add a herbal, like hoodia gordonii to aid you in your diet. Most importantly work out your diet plan before starting. Decide when you are going to do it, then do it. Adding an exercise regimen to your diet program would be a good idea.

by John Markus

Written by John Markus at http://www.feelmorelife.com John had been a pharmacist for 33 years. His wife has type I diabetes. Also, his eight year old granddaughter has diabetes. He and his family have been dealing with these type of problems for a long time. Tough at times, but successfully in end. John has also been studying exercise and nutrition and their effects on the human body.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_H_Markus

Prevent Weight Gain Or Increase Weight Loss By Doing This . . .

2007-05-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Received an informative newsletter from Chet Day this morning (I have been getting his newsletters for years and they always have something to say), here's a taster of an article on how eating slower benefits weight loss, and then a link to the rest of the article below.

Slow Eating May Prevent Weight Gain
by Craig Weatherby
Courtesy of Vital Choice Seafood

Last May, we profiled the Slow Food movement, which started in Italy in reaction to the arrival of McDonald’s in central Rome, and has been gaining American adherents. (See 'Slow Food’ Movement Gains Momentum'.)

The five-point mission statement of Slow Food USA encapsulates the purpose of this grass-roots movement:

* Stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production;
* Revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community;
* Invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions;
* Creation of a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization;
* Living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.

Implicit in the last goal – and the Slow Food movement’s very name -- is a desire to pay greater attention to the act of eating: an approach that the research we’re reporting today suggests could help halt this country’s fast-growing obesity/diabetes epidemic.

Following up on our story about the weight control benefits of using smaller dishes and bowls to achieve portion control – see 'Portion Control for Weight Control' – we’ve found substantial evidence that it makes sense to savor food more slowly than Americans typically do.

Advice posted on the National Institutes of Health Web site, under the heading “Get The (Fullness) Message” puts the point succinctly: 'Changing the way you go about eating can make it easier to eat less without feeling deprived.' (NHLBI 2007)

This line refers to the fact that it takes about 15 minutes for your brain to receive hormone-borne “I’m full” signals from your gut. So it’s logical to presume that eating fast lets you eat too much before you’re fully aware of it.

For instance, all of the few studies on the subject suggest that people eat more when they are doing other things at the same time, such as talking, reading, or watching TV (Liebman M et al 2003; Salmon J et al 2000).

But only recently has anyone looked for links between the rate at which people eat and the risk of becoming overweight.

Slow Eating . . . continued

Permanent Weight Loss Strategy Goes Beyond The Physical Aspect

2007-05-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Three Bodies of Permanent Weight Loss

The following words may seem taboo: weight loss is easy!

We have just been going about it the wrong way. Almost all of the products and diets on the market today miss key components to achieving permanent weight loss. Almost all of them only focus on the physical body - what we eat, how much we eat, when we eat and how much we exercise.

If that is all that is necessary, then why have you not achieved your ideal weight? Why do diets and pills have a success rate of less than 9%? The reason is simple: there is a missing link to permanent weight loss.

The physical aspect of weight loss is only one third of the equation.

There are three separate aspects that must addressed for permanent weight loss, and I like to refer to them as the three bodies. The physical body is the first. The other bodies for weight loss are the missing links; the mental body and the emotional body.

The mental body includes your eating habits, orientation and perception of food. The emotional body includes the emotional reasons you eat, your attitudes toward food, and the underlying reasons you are overweight.

When you work with all three bodies, it makes weight loss easy!

Imagine sitting on a stool with only one leg. How long could you balance yourself? That is what it is like attempting to lose weight while only focusing on the physical- it becomes a balancing act and a struggle to stay upright!

If you find a stool that is steady with three legs, there is no balancing act at all. It is easy to comfortably sit on a balanced stool! When you have a plan that focuses on the physical, mental and emotional bodies of weight loss, you feel comfortable and secure, and your success rate dramatically increases from that of diets alone.

It is important to understand why the mental and emotional bodies play such a large role in weight loss. If making a change was as easy as simply stating the desire, we would all be ultra-healthy, thin millionaires with the perfect partners.

How many times have you made a New Years resolution and had it fall through? Because we are creatures of habit, change can sometimes be difficult. When you want to make a change, sometimes it feels as though you are pushing against something inside of yourself. What you are pushing against is your unconscious (AKA subconscious) mind.

Let’s talk quickly about the unconscious mind. The unconscious works very differently than the conscious mind. For example, when you think about not being allowed to eat cheesecake, it makes the unconscious mind want to eat cheesecake even more because you are thinking about cheesecake!

The unconscious does not know that cheesecake is bad because it only understands pictures and emotions, so all it sees is cheesecake! The more you think about not wanting the cheesecake, the more and more appealing it becomes until finally… well you know what happens.

In order to easily avoid “bad” foods and cut down on or totally halt cravings, it is important to work with the “language” of the unconscious mind.

While I could go into much more detail, I also want to briefly discuss the emotional body of eating.

There are two types of hunger - biological and emotional, and it is easy to tell the difference. Biological hunger comes on gradually and patiently, while emotional hunger comes on suddenly and feels urgent.

Underlying feelings such as self-loathing, hopelessness, sadness, or worthlessness are often at the root of emotional hunger. Less intense emotions such as boredom can become a culprit as well. Whatever the underlying emotion is, eating is simply masking what is going on in your life.

When you notice that you are experiencing emotional hunger, instead of asking “What should I eat?”, a better question to ask is “What is eating me?”

Start keeping a list of those feelings and thoughts and find a way to resolve them!

There are so many modalities that can help you let go of negative emotions and beliefs, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Time Empowerment (my personal favorite), and Body Alignment, just to name a few.

In my personal practice, I find that having multiple modalities in my toolbox greatly increases the amount of change I can help a client achieve. If you are looking for assistance, you may want to seek someone skilled in many modalities as well.

In summary, when you work with all three bodies of weight loss- the physical, the mental, and the emotional- you greatly increase your chances at achieving permanent weight loss and you feel much better!

Weight loss can be totally easy if you approach it in a way that works with you, instead of against you!

by Pete Pantaziz

For continued advice on learning about all three bodies of weight loss, I highly recommend visiting my website at www.YourEmpowermentSource.com. We have also included a free law of attraction meditation download on our site.

Pete Pantazis, PhD(c) has become a recognized leader in the practical application of self-empowerment techniques and hypnosis. He is the President of YES! Your Empowerment Source™ (formerly known as The Pantazis Group), one of the nation's fastest growing companies in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnotherapy. This year, hundreds will benefit from Pete's goal-oriented sessions in weight loss; smoking cessation; career advancement and relationship troubles; emotional issues like depression, rage, and anxiety; and even some physical issues as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pete_Pantazis

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds And Flus

2007-03-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

I just read a great newsletter I receive from Dr Ben Kim, and he wrote an article on his website about colds and flu that is awfully good info. If you aren't already getting his newsletter, you should.

Here is the article link and a little teaser to get you interested.

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus

The next time that you experience a cold or the flu, remember this: giving your body plenty of rest while allowing the cold or flu to run its course is good for your health.

Conventional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry would have you believe that there is no "cure" for the common cold, that you should protect yourself against the flu with a vaccine that is laden with toxic chemicals, and that during the midst of a cold or flu, it is favorable to ease your discomfort with a variety of medications that can suppress your symptoms.

Unfortunately, all three of these positions represent a lack of understanding of what colds and flus really are, and what they mean to your body.

Colds and flus are causes by viruses. So to understand what colds and flus do at a cellular level, you have to understand what viruses do at a cellular level.

First, do you remember learning about cellular division in grade seven science class? Each of your cells are called parent cells, and through processes of genetic duplication (mitosis) and cellular division (cytokinesis), each of your parent cells divides into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell is then considered a parent cell that will divide into two more daughter cells, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Viruses are different from your cells in that they cannot duplicate themselves through mitosis and cytokinesis. Viruses are nothing but microscopic particles of genetic material, each coated by a thin layer of protein.

Due to their design, viruses are not able to reproduce on their own. The only way that viruses can flourish in your body is by using the machinery and metabolism of your cells to produce multiple copies of themselves.

Once a virus has gained access to one of your cells . . . Read the whole article here

Take Care Of Your Stomach, Intestines And Bowels And They Will Take Care Of You

2007-03-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

A Case For Eating More Vegetarian Meals

Take Care Of Your Stomach, Intestines And Bowels And They Will Take Care Of You

Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, more than animal products.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly.

The Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathemas to our insides.

When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as well.

When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population.

Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet.

And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer.

When you consider the risks that come with a diet that includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to you?

Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a stir fry.

Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.

Detoxification, Cleanse Your Digestive System And You Cleanse Your Body!

When people talk about detoxification and cleansing the body of harmful toxins, it’s often seen as a fringe element of vegetarians. People really don’t like to think about harmful toxins building up in their colons or in their arteries, but it’s often a by-product of a carnivorous diet.

A diet that’s high in fat and processed foods tends to slow down our digestive systems, and our elimination processes are also interrupted.

This can allow harmful bacteria and toxins to accumulate and can create a general feeling of sluggishness, as well as a host of digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or colitis.

When we begin eating a more healthy vegetarian diet, we start to get more dietary fiber into our systems, and all of a sudden, our digestive systems start to work better,

When you reduce high-fat meat and processed foods in your diet, then much of your body’s energy is freed from the intense work of digesting these foods.

Everything becomes clearer – your blood, your organs, your mind. You start to become more aware of the toxic nature of the food you’d been eating before.

Toxicity is of much greater concern in the twentieth century than ever before. There are many new and stronger chemicals, air and water pollution, radiation and nuclear power.

We ingest new chemicals, use more drugs of all kinds, eat more sugar and refined foods, and daily abuse ourselves with various stimulants and sedatives. The incidence of many toxicity diseases has increased as well. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the main ones.

Arthritis, allergies, obesity, and many skin problems are others. In addition, a wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs, gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all be related to toxicity.

When you start a more vegetarian eating plan, your body eventually will cleanse itself of the harmful effects of these toxic foods. It’s kind of like a river gradually cleaning up after we stop dumping toxic materials into it

Nothing feels like health and energy as much as a clean toxin reduced digestive and elimination system working as it was made to.

Men And Weight Loss in General

2007-03-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

Men and Weight Loss

Men and weight loss is a subject which has hardly been discussed, but it should be; at least among men. When it comes to dieting, men have a different point of view. Place a dinner consisting of steak and potatoes in front of them, and they are most happy.

Perhaps it will not be evident when they are young, but as they grow older, all of the fatty foods they’ve eaten may eventually catch up with them.

While weight loss is a topic most women can discuss, chapter and verse, men seen to fall into the “yeah, whatever” category. There is a wonderful commercial which nails the problem on the head.

A man is sitting in a chic restaurant with his woman friend. He is given a gourmet lunch (which you can hardly see on the plate). He stands up, throws down his napkin and says, “Enough of this chick food!” Runs out of the restaurant and goes across the street to a fast food restaurant.

A song begins, and a stream of men start filing out of the restaurant with a cheese burger in their hands rejoicing about the virtues of being able to eat what they want; and what they want is a cheese burger.

Although it was a wonderful commercial, it really brought home the fact that men want hearty meals; meaty meals; and are not engaged in eating “chick” food.

While the daily recommended diet should include two servings of fruit plus three servings of vegetables, needless to say it is difficult for many men to follow these guidelines. In order to assist men and weight loss, here are some tips you may wish to utilize:

Instead of high fat content meals, reduce the fact by consuming lean meats instead. Reduce sugar intake by substituting water instead of sodas and alcohol, especially beer.

If you need to snack, try low-fat cheese or non-fat yogurt. Stay away from Trans fats and foods which are fried.

You can certainly have sandwiches, but try to choose roast beef or ham; (you may want to try the Subway Restaurants which have low calorie, but delicious subs). Stay away from the fast food restaurants as much as possible. Bring lunch to the workplace or job site.

You can just as easily make a healthy meal at home, and save money as well. Eat vegetables and grains that are high in fiber and low in fat. Limit your sodium intake as well.

Try to do some form of exercise daily. You don’t have to kill yourself but a steady 20 to 30 minutes at least 4 or 5 times a week will make a huge different to your weight and life overall.

The good news is that studies have shown that men do tend to lose weight faster than women once they embark on a plan of healthy eating and exercise.

Men and weight loss usually bond together at an older age, when a doctor advises your cholesterol is too high; you’ve developed a paunch; or you have high blood pressure.

While you may be healthy now, undoubtedly you wish to remain so as you age. The only way this will happen is if you begin to understand the diet process; and why it is so important to your health.

Let's face it men, our metabolism will tend to slow down through the years and our eating habits will start to catch up with us, unless we actively prevent them from doing so. So this is not one to procrastinate with . . .

Some Alternative Thoughts To Conventional Thinking?

2007-03-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Conventional Wisdom – Is It Really Wisdom or Lazy Thinking?

Many of us rely on conventional wisdom to help guide us through routine decision-making processes. But, does conventional wisdom really serve us that well? Or does it actually keep us from making the best decisions possible?

While common knowledge can be helpful in certain situations, it keeps us from making progress in almost every aspect of our lives, as well as that of our society and the worldwide community.

By now, we’re all too familiar with the example of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Western World. Conventional wisdom of the day was that the Earth was flat and if you sailed far enough you would simply fall off the end of the Earth. Having little more than intuition and faith, Columbus defied conventional wisdom and set out on his voyage of discovery. Of course, the rest is history.

One of the areas most affected by conventional wisdom is in the area of health and wellness. For centuries, Western cultures have favored scientific advances in the fight against death and disease. Obviously, advances have been made that improved the plight of mankind. Discovery of the causes of many diseases have led to improvements in sanitation and drinking water supplies.

Unfortunately, these advances have received little credit for the virtual elimination of such diseases as polio and tuberculosis (in developed countries) while mass vaccination programs have received almost all of the credit. Conventional wisdom says that vaccination prevents disease. In depth analysis might point to many differing perspectives.

Another bit of conventional wisdom is that animal protein is unhealthy for humans. It’s supposed to increase cholesterol and cause cardiovascular disease. Just this week, though, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study that counters that conventional wisdom.

For years, Dr. Robert Atkins, developer of the high protein, low carbohydrate weight-loss program named after him was called a quack, huckster and charlatan by mainstream medicine. The JAMA study showed that the high-protein Atkins diet was more effective at helping participants lose weight than other mainstream programs, like The Zone diet and the Ornish diet.

Even more amazing is that with the unconventional high-protein, high-fat Atkins diet participants not only lowered blood pressure, the reduced LDL, or bad, cholesterol and increased HDL, or good, cholesterol. Maybe Dr. Atkins’ critics will now let him rest in peace.

Conventional wisdom also tells us “germs cause disease”. Fortunately, the theory that germs alone cause disease is about as silly a notion as the one that Columbus had to overcome. Unfortunately, the Germ Theory (misapplied) has done much to set up Western civilization for potentially huge public health problems in the near future.

Let’s take a closer look. If germs really caused disease then why doesn’t everyone in a household get a cold or the flu at the same time? Or, why do just some people at work get the flu and not everyone?

In its haste to eliminate disease by killing germs, modern Medicine has abandoned the real precepts of the Germ Theory that tell us it’s the strength of the germ (or pathogen), the amount of exposure and the strength (or weakness) of the host (you and me) that determines if one will actually develop a disease or condition when exposed.

The main reason that some get sick and some don’t is the strength of our immune system and it’s ability to isolate and kill those germs. Many believe that conventional wisdom regarding the war against disease is that it has caused potential problems with over-vaccinating children and abuse of antibiotics among a host of other problems. It has also created a situation that actually invites a pandemic catastrophe.

There are many sets of conventional wisdom that bear scrutiny, including global warming, mandatory vaccination programs and the net benefit of mandatory public education. Of course, the list is limited only by your own observation.

So, how can we keep from becoming a victim of conventional wisdom as both individuals and as a society?

First, realize that “common knowledge” is just that. It’s common, accepted by all without little thought or analysis, the lowest common denominator and far from the final answer.

“Conventional wisdom” is more consensus than wisdom. It stifles thought and fosters ignorance among the masses.

Second, force yourself to ask “Is this true or does it just seem true because so many people accept it?” Finally, let principles guide you rather than the mere assertions of others.

Here are some principles that will never let you down.

· The human body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism. It doesn’t as much need help as it just needs less interference.
· If drugs worked, rich people wouldn’t die.
· Individual freedom is superior to group identification.
· Morality, self-restraint and personal responsibility are more effective than regulation.
· If something can be imagined, it can be done.
· The human mind contains all the knowledge of the Universe. Don’t allow your thinking to be limited by common knowledge or conventional wisdom.
· The Earth has been here a long time. It can correct anything Mankind can do to it.
· The wisdom of Nature is greater than the sum of all Mankind’s knowledge now and forever.
· Mother Nature always wins in the long run. Work with it not on it or against it.

Just know that principles win out over knowledge every time. Live your life in accord with solid principles.

Don’t be a victim of common knowledge or conventional wisdom. Think for yourself. Be all that God designed you to be.

by Dr. Tim Langley

Dr. Tim Langley is a chiropractor, economist and business consultant. He lives and practices in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Dr. Langley writes on issues that relate to health, business, personal development, economic development and politics. He is also the developer of “The Membership Practice”. You can find out more about Dr. Langley at his web site http://www.langleychiropractic.com or through his blog at http://drtim.wordpress.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Langley

Aspartame Sweetener, Side Effects Revisited

2007-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Aspartame May Be Causing Your Headaches

Go to any medical institution that has an online website, such as Mayo Clinic and MedicineNet, and you'll find aspartame is always listed as a potential trigger for migraine headaches.

Aspartame is an artificial, non-nutritive sweetener that is found in Equal, Nutrasweet, diet colas and in over a thousand other food products, vitamins, sports drinks and chewing gum.

Studies have shown that one out of every three women have headaches associated with aspartame. Some people have actually had seizures that have been attributed to aspartame and most of them experienced severe headaches just before.

Other symptoms associated with aspartame include: depression, insomnia, tinnitus, memory loss, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, vision problems, heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, vertigo, irritability, weight gain, seizures, brain tumors and even more.

People with hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia and hypertension are at greater risk for getting a headache after consuming aspartame. I am hypoglycemic and cannot tolerate aspartame at all and do get headaches whenever I consume it.

About 10% of aspartame is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. This methanol is then absorbed and is converted into formaldehyde. Scary, huh? Fruit juices and alcoholic beverages also contain methanol but they have another substance called ethanol that blocks the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde.

Aspartame does not have this protection. Experiments have shown that consumption of aspartame causes a build up of formaldehyde in the brain, kidneys and liver as well as other parts of the body.

About 40% of aspartame is broken down into aspartic acid. Again, because aspartame is quickly absorbed it can spike the levels of aspartate in the blood plasma. Aspartic acid is called an excitotoxin which can cause damage to the brain and nerve cells.

High levels of excitotoxins can damage areas of the brain not protected by the blood-brain barrier, causing neurotoxicity. Excitotoxins can also be found in MSG and when combined with aspartame can increase the negative effects of this substance on the brain.

Another substance found in aspartame is phenylalanine. This is an amino acid that is commonly found in foods. The phenylalanine in aspartame, however, is absorbed more quickly than that found in natural foods and can spike blood plasma levels of phenylalanine. This adversely effects the production of neurotransmitters in the brain.

And finally, another product of aspartame that may be dangerous to your brain, is partylphenylalanie diketopiperazine (DKP). A very long couple of words. Some scientists are concerned that the DKP in aspartame may cause brain tumors. There is, however, almost no research yet on this substance.

Here's a little political information about the approval of aspartame by the FDA. Aspartame was discovered in 1965 and there was a lot of controversy over the health risks associated with it.

In 1980 the Board of Inquiry of the FDA denied a petition for approval of aspartame. But in l981 a newly appointed FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, ignored the ruling and approved aspartame for dry goods.

It was recorded in the Congressional Record of 1985 that Donald Rumsfeld, the CEO of Searle Laboratories, said he would do everything he could to get aspartame approved. Rumsfeld at that time was on President Reagan's transition team and the day after taking office appointed Hayes.

No FDA Commissioner in the previous sixteen years would allow aspartame to be approved. It looks to me as if aspartame was pushed through without regard to the dangers it could cause to our health.

I don't know about you, but I think there is enough evidence out there concerning adverse effects of aspartame and lack of proof that aspartame is not dangerous to keep me away from this substance. And as I said at the beginning, I always have a headache when I consume aspartame. If you have recurring migraine headaches and consume aspartame regularly, you might want to consider that it may be the cause.

If you are curious about aspartame and other excitotoxins such as MSG, you should google excitotoxins and read some of the information. It's scary stuff. I don't touch either of these substances and haven't, at least knowingly, for the last 15 years.

by Kathy Love

Kathy Love is the creator and webmaster for natural-cure-remedy.com where she has compiled information about natural cures and remedies for various health problems and ailments. For more information about headaches, go to her Cure Headaches Naturally page.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Love

Exercise Does Not Have To be Complicated. Just Move And Burn Those Calories!

2007-03-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

A Few Simple Ways to Burn Your Calories

It is not always necessary to run 15 miles each day to burn some real calories. It may be tiring as well as boring doing the same thing every morning. A better idea is to engage oneself in physical activity each and every week.

This way you will be able to create a solid base to ensure that you can build a successful exercise program. The following simple exercises can be included as a part of that program.

It is important to know how the calories are burned during an activity. It depends on both the weight of the person, as well as the intensity. The following are estimates for the number of calories burned for an average 150 pound person during an hour of activity.

If you are walking briskly, expect to burn about 300 calories.

Basketball is a great way to spend calories. You can burn well over 450 calories in an hour.

If you have to clean your house, why not do it with optimism? Light cleaning consumes about 240 calories an hour.

Do you have a green thumb? Yes, gardening uses about 324 calories!

Golfing on the weekends is a favorite pastime of many. 385 calories are burned if you carry your clubs! Forefront!

Put a stationary bike in front of the television. You’ll be burning 380 calories an hour while you catch up on the latest news.

Are you a fan of the aerobics class at the local gym? Great if you are, because this activity uses 405 calories for just an hour of sweating.

Also, that elliptical trainer can burn an amazing 630 an hour!!

Even ping-pong has healthy benefits! This activity uses 280 calories per hour.

Apart from the above ways of burning calories, there are some other activities doing which we start burning calories unknowingly. Like a mother or a person with children knows that chasing after these little ones can burn calories. The number probably depends on just how wild that kid is, but that can certainly count.

Hey, if nothing else, even sleeping burns calories. You’ll be using up 45 for just an hour! But that’s not an excuse to take a nap! Actually being active as much as you can is the master key to weight loss success as well as leading a healthy life.

No dieting or medicine can cover up the requirement of physical activity or exercise if you are considering a healthy lifestyle or a good shape of your body.

Burn those extra calories. Follow the simple ways to bring positive change in your life style to ensure a healthy life and beautiful body and mind. You can make it a success, as we say where there is a will, there is a way.

by Isabel Hayek

The author, Isabel Hayek, addresses health and fitness related issues. If you wish to seek help for your fitness related problems, you can log on to http://www.adipexpower.com for more information and advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isabel_Hayek

How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

2007-03-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Great post about weight loss vs fat loss, why diets fail, and how to keep weight off permanently post diet period. Check out the 'KSuccess Blog'.

Rodger is currently hosting a Physical Fitness & Weight Loss Challenge. It started some time ago and is still open and the information alone is worth heading on over and checking out.

Back to the article link and a little teaser for you:

SMART Weight Loss - How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Did you know that as many as 95% of all diets fail to produce long-term weight loss? I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty dismal success rate to me. Why is losing weight and keeping it off such a difficult challenge?

Now, before you tell me all about your friend Joan who went on the XYZ diet and lost 30 pounds in 2 months, you have to be clear about what success means when it comes to weight loss and dieting.

It turns out that losing weight is generally NOT the problem. In fact, most overweight people will find that they can lose weight using almost any popular diet. The real problem is keeping the weight off after you’ve lost it.

That’s where most diets fail to deliver, and usually leads to the “yo-yo” dieting vicious cycle that can wreak havoc on your sanity!

In this article, I’ll show you why most diets actually set you up for failure right from the start. I’ll also show you an alternative way to lose weight based on a strategy that I have been using successfully over the past 10 months. It took me a while to figure out the best way to go about it, but that means that you won’t have to go through the same trial-and-error process that I did.

My Own Struggles with Weight Loss

A few years after finishing college, I started eating more and stopped exercising as much as I used to. Not surprisingly, my weight slowly started to go up.

About six years ago, I reached my peak of about 170 pounds, which clearly put me into the “overweight” category based on my height. I didn’t necessarily feel fat, but I was definitely overweight.

Since then, I’ve tried to lose the weight three times.

The first time was about four and a half years ago. My strategy then was to follow a traditional “diet” and eat less food to create a caloric deficit. I would often skip breakfast altogether, or have just a small piece of fruit.

Using this approach, I felt hungry a good portion of the day, particularly in the morning. I could hear my stomach rumble while I was trying to do work. I got cravings for food nearly every day. I definitely did not enjoy the experience.

This “diet” only lasted for about 3 months. My weight did drop down to about 165 pounds, but it quickly went back up after I stopped dieting.

My second weight loss attempt was about three years ago. At that point, I had started playing racquetball regularly 3 times a week. The regular exercise from racquetball helped me get my weight down to about 166 pounds. Then, I tried going on another diet to get my weight down even more.

After about 4 months, I finally broke 160 pounds for a single day! Unfortunately, I had the same problems sticking to this diet as I did before, and I never reached my target of 158 pounds. To make matters worse, I dropped one of my regular racquetball days because the gym was too crowded and ended up going back up to about 167 pounds.

I started my third attempt on March 2006. This time, I didn’t want to have the same poor results that I experienced before, so I changed my strategy.

I’m very confident that this time I’ll be able to lose the weight and keep it off long-term because I’ve already reached and surpassed my original target weight of 158 pounds. Plus, I have kept the weight off for well over 3 months.

So far, I’m down to about 155 . . .

Read more . . .

How Persistent Are You When You Hit The Wall And Think About Wimping Out?

2007-03-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

Motivate Yourself To Move - No Matter What

"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." - Wayne Dyer

I'm absolutely miserable our first morning back in town after a marvelous month spent in sunny, but quite cool, Florida. I find myself faced with the prospect of pushing myself out into Chicago's sub-zero cold for my daily five mile walk.

“Ain't happenin',” I think. “Now what?”

The bare minimum I will walk on a day like today is one hour. So, my only other option is to bundle up, race down the street to East Bank Club, chain myself to one of their high-tech treadmills, tough it out for that hour and get the whole thing over with.

As treadmills go, I especially favor the ones that look like “Star Wars” Strato Scooters, so I pick my favorite on the end, punch the “quick start” workout button and away I go.

However: by 13:09 into my workout, I'm already bored silly without my I-pod. I can't believe I forgot it. That thing's like an appendage to me, but today it's in a different spot than usual because of last night's travel and I just plain forgot it. My dang knees are crying, too.

How many of you would quit right here and now at the first sign of a little discomfort?

If you want to lose weight and get healthier, you have to work past the pain and walk every day. (Consult with your doctor first, but do get your butt moving ASAP.)

You know what your personal pain tolerance is and what everyday aches you have that you always use as an excuse to not move as much as you should. Stop letting those things hold you back. Stop holding yourself back.

Get on the scale. Look at yourself in the mirror. Feel how tight your waistband is. Look at yourself from behind. Notice how snug your shirts, sweaters and blouses fit.

It's time for you to get moving. Or are you waiting for some catastrophic health event to strike where, if you're lucky enough to survive, THEN maybe you'll start to do what you need to do for a healthier, more fit life?

Why wait?

Back to the music matter: it works wonders as a distraction from pain. It's one of the things that keeps me walking day after day after day. Studies prove that people who walk and listen to their favorite music are more likely to develop walking into a daily habit. (And for safety, listen only in one ear while you're walking outside.)

15:51 minutes: I'm restless and looking for an escape. I spy some of Nautilus's new, split treadmill machines called treadclimbers. Hmmmm.

17:09: My curiosity gets the better of me. I feel the need to switch over to one of the treadclimbers and keep my warm up going while I get oriented on this new cardio contraption.

“No need to run. 2 X's the workout!” blare the red-dotted words on the screen. We'll see.

I last five whole minutes - that's the amount of time allotted to figure out how to work the thing - before I call it quits. I can't move my legs another revolution.

“Continue workout?” red-dot flashes next. Not!

“Treadclimber, indeed,” I wonder. What genius thought this one up? But in my heart I'm envious of those who zoom along, cardio-cranking, proficiently smooth and sweating like hell. That's the real name of the fitness game if you can handle it. Lucky dogs. Otherwise, take it slow, do what you can, but you do have to push yourself and practice every single day to get results.

And if your heart, knees, hips and back can take it, the treadclimber will seriously boil off your excess pounds in no time flat and then keep them off for as long as you continue to use it daily. That's the key to one of dieting's biggest “secrets,” consistency - doing it daily. Forever.

I can't beat a path back to my old treadmill fast enough. The grass was not greener, and clearly I need music to get me through the rest of this workout.

Another turning point: how many of you would quit now? How many of you would figure, “What the heck,” and just stop right here?

I have to press on. No excuses.

Doing some quick math, I figure seventeen minutes on the first treadmill, plus the five minutes I spent on the tread climber, equal twenty-two minutes. That leaves me with a minimum of thirty-eight minutes to go - back on my original “Strato Scooter.”

A few minutes into it, I wish my knees would stop screaming while I wait for the Excedrin I popped a bit ago to kick in. I'm just thankful to be back on level “ground,” if you know what I mean.

My one eye slits open: only 30 more minutes to go. This is pure, unadulterated penance for my 30-days of wayward vacation behavior. Miraculously, however, I didn't gain any weight even though we wined and dined with tastes of dessert almost nightly. (OK, so some nights there was more than just a “taste.”)

And don't think I was a total slug while we were away. It was 30 straight days of walking a minimum of five miles a day on the beach and swimming an hour in a perfectly heated pool every afternoon that helped me keep my weight in check.

Plus - two more dieting biggies: weighing myself every morning and being very stingy with every single white starchy, sugary carb I put in my mouth at breakfast or lunch that helped, too. (I never eat both on the same day anymore.)

Vigilance is vital. There is no other option.

I quickly count my blessings. In the old days I would have figured, “Heck with it, we're on vacation,” and toss all caution and training to the wind. And by the time I'd get back home - I could easily be up ten, fifteen or twenty. Not any more.

But, at 11:23, (of the 38 minutes I have left this go-round) I discover I have to pee.

“No way,” I think. If I stop again I will never be able to get back on this thing. I know it. This is way too hard for me today - especially without my usual musical diversion.

15:52: For distraction, I sneak my Bluetooth outta my purse and clip it on my ear, placing a verboten call (club etiquette rules) to my business partner, whispering to her that I'll be in within the hour.

I then slam my eyes shut, grab hold of the handlebar and by 20:44 I gleefully realize I'm over halfway there.

Failing to keep my mind occupied, I compulsively open my eyes again and again only to find the first thing I stare at is that dang elapsed time.

25:52: How will I keep on walking for the duration? Then I think about the consequences if I don't - that does it for me every time. After struggling for a lifetime of being mostly overweight, I know full well what will happen if I ever succumb to such lazy thinking again.

An almost anorexic gal climbs onto one of the treadclimbers just a bit in front of me. Her legs and feet are a dizzying blur as she gears up to speed instantly without so much as a how-da-ya-do warm up. She's tall and weighs maybe ninety pounds dripping wet - half of what I weigh, so what do I expect. The lighter the load, the faster you move.

“Only ten minutes to go, no one would know if you stopped now,” I hear. I know it's not me but that dang Demon voice in my head trying to sabotage me yet again. I refuse to listen. “I would know, you butthead, and that would never do.”

Why risk entertaining such a bad habit now, after all I've done, after how far I've come? Quitting early just isn't my style. I know how much better I look and feel without that extra 130 pounds. Even with my chronic pains, the effort's well worth it. The pains are far less and I'm much healthier now.

Onward.

33:17: My Demon is hard at work begging me, demanding, stomping his foot to get me to stop now “before it's too late.” “Too late for what,” I snarl? Demon doesn't come up with a good enough answer, so I press on, eyes clamped tight to shut out the elapsed time's red-dot display.

36:28: Just a few more minutes. “You can do it,” I encourage myself.

“Don't be a fool. No you can't,” hisses Demon.

37:01: Only 59 more seconds of this misery. Rest assured, I will never forget that dang I-pod again.

I see myself punch the cool down button. Am I crazy or what? Adding five more minutes onto this treadmill torture for good measure is insane, but I do it anyway - just because I can, thinking, “Take THAT, Demon.”

I always make sure to get my daily walking workout in no matter how hard it is, no matter what.

How about you? You know there is no REAL excuse.

Do whatever has to be done. It's always your choice.

by Laura Dion-Jones Casey
P.O. Box 10876
Chicago, IL 60610
312-933-7325
February 16, 2007 ©
http://www.poundbypoundonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Dion-Jones_Casey

A Short Lesson On Body pH And It's Importance To Your Health!

2007-03-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

How Body pH Can Affect Your Energy Levels

WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE; WE ARE BIO ELECTRICAL ENGINES
In order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, your body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. And do you know how it does this? Through pulses of electricity. That's right, electricity.

Your body operates on an electro magnetic current. Believe it or not, all of the organs in your body emit these fields of electrical current. In fact, nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges.

What creates this electrical power in your body is a very fine balance that exists in your bio chemistry. And of all the systems in your body that depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance, one of the most important is your blood stream. This is where pH comes into play. But what is pH?

WHAT PH IS AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL YOUR BODY FUNCTIONS
PH is a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 1 being very acid, 7 neutral and 14 very alkaline.

So what does pH have to do with you and your blood? Well, the pH of your blood is extremely important. The ideal pH level for your blood is right around 7.35 and your body goes to enormous lengths to maintain this level.

Why? Because if your blood pH were to vary 1 or 2 points in either direction, it would change the electrical chemistry in your body, there would be no electrical power and in short order you would drop dead. As you can see, maintaining the right pH level in your blood is pretty important!!

With this in mind a good way to avoid upsetting this delicate bio chemical balance would be to take a look at those things that can compromise the maintenance of the ideal pH level in your body. And what is the main culprit in this case? The answer is the creation of acid in your body.

Before we look at what causes acid, here's a graphic example to give you an idea of what can happen in the blood when your pH drops to less than ideal. Red blood cells are how oxygen is transported to all the cells in your body.

As red blood cells move into the tiny, little, capillaries, the space they have to move through gets pretty small. In fact, the diameter of the capillaries gets so small that the red blood cells sometimes have to pass through these capillaries one red blood cell at a time!

Because of this, and because it's important for the red blood cells to be able to flow easily and quickly through your body, they have a mechanism that allows them to remain separate from each other.

This mechanism comes in the form of the outside of healthy red blood cells having a negative charge. This causes them to stay apart from each other, sort of like when you try to push the negative ends of two magnets together. They resist each other and stay apart.

Unfortunately, acid interferes with this very important mechanism in a pretty frightening way. Acid actually strips away the negative charge from red blood cells. The result is that your red blood cells then tend to clump together and not flow as easily. This makes it much more difficult for them to flow easily through the bloodstream.

But it also makes it harder for them to move freely through those small capillaries. This means less oxygen gets to your cells. Acid also weakens the red blood cells and they begin to die. And guess what they release into your system when they die? More acid.

I could describe a whole list of processes that occur when your system becomes and remains acid but I think you get the idea. The point is that aside from the acid that is secreted into your stomach to aid digestion, acid in your body is bad. Really bad.

In regard to producing energy in the body, here's an easy question for you. What do you think happens to a person's energy level if over time their system becomes more and more acid, their biochemical balance is disrupted and their red blood cells can't deliver oxygen and nutrients as efficiently to all their cells? The answer is simple. Their energy level drops. Dramatically.

Are you beginning to get the picture here as to the importance of pH in your body? Good. Now let's take a quick look at what causes acidity in your body and then look at steps you can take to get your body pH back to an ideal level.

WHAT CAUSES ACID IN THE BODY
The primary cause of an acidic condition in your body is from what you put in your mouth. In other words, what you eat and what you drink. And it isn't how "acid" something may seem when you eat or drink it. It has to do with what is left over when you digest it.

Specifically, does eating or drinking something leave behind an acid or alkaline "ash". For example, I don't know about you but I love seafood. Scallops are one of my favorites. However, when your body digests scallops, it leaves an extremely acid ash. In fact, scallops are one of the most acid foods you can eat.

Unfortunately, a lot of the things most people put in their mouths create an acid ash. These include alcohol, coffee and a lot of flesh protein in your diet. Interestingly enough, stress also tends to create an acid condition in the body.

STEPS YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR PH
Fortunately, it is pretty easy to immediately change your pH for the better and make it more alkaline. The first step is to understand which of the foods you are eating and the drinks you are drinking are acid and which are alkaline. Then it's simply a matter of eliminating some of the more acid foods you are eating and adding in more alkaline foods.

However, before you start, it's important to get a baseline of what the pH is in your body so that you can see how you are improving or if you need to continue to eliminate more acid foods and add in more alkaline ones.

You can do this by testing the pH of your saliva on a regular basis. This is really simple to do. More details on how to do this are provided on some web pages I have created for you to help you out. A link to these pages is provided below.

In addition to decreasing the amount of acid foods you eat and increasing the amount of alkaline foods you eat, one of the best ways to immediately begin changing your pH is to drink "green drinks".

You can make these by simply adding a powder that is made up of a whole host of vegetables that are highly alkaline to a glass of water. Information on suggested green drink powders to use is included on pages that I have a link to below.

RESOURCES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE
Clicking on the following link will take you to some pages I created that have more information on alkaline and acid foods, how to test your own pH and what to look for in green drinks.
http://www.ajpip.com/resources/site_map.htm

Start taking the steps described above and you may very well find your energy levels increasing over time. Mine certainly have.

- by Andy Long

After years of extreme fatigue, severe digestion problems and frequent sickness, Andy Long now enjoys energy levels that allow him to windsurf in 30 mph winds for 3-4 hours at a time.

He now shares with others what he did to completely regain his health through his health related web sites and newsletter.

To see a list of the topics covered in Andy's newsletter, click on the following link: http://www.ajpip.com/rbopi/ancrb.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Long

Goals And Goal Setting In Weight Loss and Health Building

2007-02-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

OK. OK. I admit it, the reason I have been posting so many weight related articles lately is that I was getting pretty chunky myself and it was time to start focusing in on dropping down to a more healthful weight.

I am in the process of dropping 40 pounds from my December 2006 weight. I was not doing my regular exercises and walking that is normally part of my daily schedule. Let's face it, my work has kept me pretty busy and I sacrificed fitness activities for business growth.

I do not feel bad about this. Sometimes my life does get out of balance and then I need to swing back and forth from time to time.

Overall, I do pretty well at balancing my hectic schedule with my personal physical fitness time. I choose my own schedule and commitments, and sometimes the urgency of business overwhelms the importance of healthful activity.

I never get that far out of shape, but performing more computer time has definitely caused me some grief as far as reduced calorie burning this time. So, it was time to get the old metabolism fired back up and get serious about my fitness goals! LOL!

There are some great articles on Paul Piotrowski's Blog that deal with the mind set needed to succeed with your weight loss goals. The links to the information can be found at the bottom of this post.

Weight Loss Tip: Why You Must Know Exactly What You Want to Look Like

Ok, I’ve got it: you want to lose weight. Yes, you want to “look good naked”.

But do you know exactly what you want to look like?

Maybe, just maybe that’s why most people never arrive at their dream( be it a body or a ‘place’). Their minds don’t know what they really want. They don’t know what they’re aiming for. You want to “lose weight” but you don’t have a clear picture of what you want to look like. Your poor mind does not know what you want.

How can you expect to ever get that body!

Remember This: You are never going to make any real progress towards getting the body you want, unless you tell your mind, your real, inner mind called your unconscious mind, what exactly it is that you want.

You see, everything we achieve in our lives, we achieve because of our minds. In fact, the (overweight or out-of-shape) state that you have arrived at today, is because of your Mind.
Now you may be saying to yourself: “I did not set myself the goal of getting my body to look like it does right now! That statement just can’t be true!”

Ok. Look at it this way.

Our minds are what are known as “goal-seeking servo-mechanisms”. That means, our minds need something to strive for, to work for, to achieve.

And if we don’t set a real goal for our minds, that mind of ours is always striving for goals that others have set for us. And it is always striving for our 'default goals'.

And how did these “default goals” get into our system?

Listen: Somewhere, somehow, in our past (or present) environment, we have learnt certain things, quite unconsciously. We have learnt:

What is ‘True’

What is ‘Important’ to us

What ‘Feels Good’ And these ‘Truths’, ‘Important’ things and things that ‘Feel Good’ set a kind of ‘default goal-set’ in our unconscious minds.

Let me explain with an example that I see happening today, right before my eyes:
I know a family, with a young son. That son is already showing the signs of becoming Big. On more than one occasion, when we went out for pizza with this family, I watched the parents and the son each consume a full pizza.

I could not believe my eyes!

My 3 kids were hard-pressed putting away 2 slices of the same pizza! My wife and I could hardly eat one pizza between us (and I am a bodybuilder who can eat quite a bit, though I draw the line at pizza...). But this family gobbled up 3+ pizzas like there was no tomorrow!

That young boy has unconsciously learnt from his parents the doubtful ‘joy’ (the 'Feel Good') of eating big amounts of food at one sitting. And it shows in his young body.

Unfortunately, it will take quite a bit of work for him to un-learn these lessons, lessons that are being reinforced daily by his family.

You see, you already have what I call ‘default goals’ in your unconscious mind. These default goals have been programmed into your mind from way back when through your immediate family and other influential people (your friends, school, etc).

And even one of those ‘default goals’ could have brought you to your current body shape, where you need to lose weight to live to see your children graduate … from Grade 2!

Remember this: It is your unconscious mind that really guides your body and your life, long-term.

Therefore, it is very important for you, especially if you want to tip yourself in favour of losing weight, to have a clear goal for what you want your body to be.

You see, a Strong, Clear Goal of your New Body, will over-ride your default goals, and set a new direction for you, so that you automatically start out on losing weight.

You have to have a clear picture of yourself, sitting right in front of your mind: "This is what I want to look like with my New Body". If you want to lose weight and get a great body, then you must have this picture constantly in your mind, not only now while you are reading this article.

And once you inform your subconscious about this body that you are targeting, you are going to lose weight until you look like that body. Almost automatically.

So, as part of today’s Weight Loss Tip, let’s set about getting a clear picture for yourself.

Get out all the magazines you have in your cupboard under the stairs. Leaf through the magazines. Tear out large images of the best bodies for display in those magazines. If you like those pictures, they are in the running for what you consider to be a great body.

Make sure that these pictures are very scantily clothed (and your gossip magazines are sure to have many images along those lines). You should be able to see pretty much all of the body (so that you can give your mind a very clear idea of what it must head for.)

Line up your pictures next to each other and then select the 3 best pictures. Remember, you need to be able to see the bodies clearly, so these should be the largest pictures you can find.

Can you find any that are “all-round” views of the same beautiful body? Then that’s the body (and the set of pictures) you choose!

Now stick those pictures up on a board in your private room, in a position that you can see every day.

And from today, for the next 60 days (or until you are sure your mind is “set” in the right direction), look at that collection of pictures for 2 minutes every morning, and 2 minutes each evening before going to bed.

And while you look at those pictures, say to yourself: “That is the body I want for myself. And I am taking action right now, each day, to get myself that body.”

And watch yourself take action to lose weight, and start moving in the direction of your fantastic body!

This weight loss tip alone is worth its weight in gold to you.

Now get cracking! Put this tip into practice, right now!

by Melroy d'Rego

Melroy d’Rego is the author of the book “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!” as well as the “Fix the Mind that Keeps You Fat” Workbook and dozens of articles (both audio and text) on getting the Mental Attitude + Action mix that can make anyone’s body permanently lean and strong.

Melroy is an award-winning public speaker and a bodybuilder. He loves to teach people to use their mind to Lose Weight and get the great body they deserve.

Visit http://www.winnerology.com/ or call 61-2-9466-7545 to get your copy of “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!”, the Book that will Help you Lose Weight, and Keep it off, Permanently!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melroy_Drego

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Looking To Get Into Shape Before Summer?

Here is a series of great articles on Paul's blog which really helped me get serious results at the beginning of this year . . .
Getting in Shape Series - Step 1 - No Holds Barred
Getting in Shape Series - Step 2 - The First Few Steps
Getting in Shape Series - Step 3 - The What, The Why and Beliefs
Getting in Shape Series - Step 4 - Getting Leverage
Getting in Shape Series - Step 5 - Shifting Your Identity

I hope you enjoy them. A successful mindset can keep you in the game when all else fails.

Salt - Good Or Bad? Depends On Your Product Choice

2007-02-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

As usual, the difference between good and bad salt is down to whether we choose our processed product rather than an organic source. I thought this article would illuminate some of the positive attributes of salt, that is unprocessed Sea Salt or Celtic Salt, of course.

Our bodies do require salt to operate properly and taking in the optimal amount and type of salt is critical to whether we are helping or hurting our systems. Check this article out:

Salt of the Earth: The Real Story Behind Salt

It’s everywhere. It always has been. I’m talking about salt. You see, salt is a primary source of minerals for our bodies. Minerals are vital to every chemical transaction in our body – 35,000 of them, per second, per cell. Multiply that by the body’s 100 trillion cells!

Salt has been traditionally derived from sea water and, like gold, used as currency around the world for almost all recorded time. By now you’re probably thinking, “So if salt is so important and it is everywhere, why the article, Doc?”

Like many of our foods today, salt has been hijacked and adulterated. Almost all salt you see today (table salt) is made of just three minerals, sodium, chloride and iodine. Sodium and chloride give off that salty taste and iodine was added in the mid 1900’s to help reduce thyroid goiters (swellings).

In contrast, whole, un-processed grey salt gently combed from the sea contains 84 minerals and trace elements in all their natural ratios. Grey salt is not iodized, as it naturally has a small amount of iodine.

Many, if not most, of the chronic health problems we see in America today are in part contributed to by the lack of minerals in our daily diet. Worsening the situation, our over-sugared, over-worked, over-stimulated, under-rested lifestyles lead to adrenal gland distress, further pushing minerals out through the urine.

Utilizing a moderate amount of grey salt (sometimes called Celtic Salt) can help improve the body’s mineral balance. The benefits of a healthy mineral balance may include: better, more restful sleep, better energy and stamina, better weight and blood sugar control and reduced sensation of stress/anxiety.

Because farming soils have been so significantly depleted over the last 50-75 years, it is increasingly difficult to get all of the minerals we need for optimal health. So the addition of grey salt to the diet can have terrific health benefit.

Additionally it can also have a great culinary benefit—most people find that “table salt” (sodium chloride) often makes foods taste salty, where grey salt brings out the flavor of the food.

by Brett Saks

Dr. Brett Saks is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD), author and lecturer. His book “The Bio-Logikal Diet: Your Guide to Optimal Health” helps readers develop the knowledge to make better, more informed lifestyle choices that they can implement in their daily lives. For more information, or to order a copy of his book, please visit http://www.bio-logikal.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Brett_Saks

The Body's Acid Alkaline Balance And How It Affects Your Energy And Weight Loss

2007-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Is Acid Weighing you down?

The body is naturally acidic. This is a true statement. However, the foods we eat add to this acidity and the fat in our body stores the additional acid, which results in overweight problems and an unhealthy body.

There are specific foods that are alkaline and help to flush the acid and fat from the body. These alkaline foods replace the acid and rapid weight loss is inevitable.

Here are some foods from the alkaline food list:

1. Vegetables
2. Wheat Grass
3. Fruit (grapefruit, lemon, lime are good)
4. Nuts (almond)
5. Fish oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil and liver oil
6. Grains – Buckwheat, quinoa, spelt7. Condiments – red chili pepper, sea salt, most herbs and spices
8. Goat milk
9. Beans and legumes
10. Pumpkin seeds and Sesame seeds

In addition to these foods, water is very essential in our daily diet. We can also supplement our food list with products that already contain all these ingredients above. There is a product called Energy Green that has all these alkaline foods as part of its ingredients so there would be no need to consume each item on the food list - there would be everything all in one product.

The body requires more attention to survive longer and remain in good health. Our health is a product of what we eat. Taking back control of our health and weight requires more awareness of our food consumption.

Here are some strong acidic foods to avoid or eat in very low moderation:

1. Dried fruit
2. Mustard
3. White sugar
4. Soy Sauce
5. Cashews and peanuts
6. Barley, corn and rye
7. Beef, organ meat and pork
8. Cottage cheese
9. Ice cream
10. Whey protein powder

The key to taking back our health is education and knowledge about food intake and its effect on the body. Weight loss is the primary goal of most people, but pursuing a weight loss diet will not necessarily meet the long-term goal of keeping the weight off.

Healthy eating and moderate exercise should become a lifestyle. Taking a supplement is also recommended if the foods we eat don’t contain all the right amounts of alkaline to assist in healthy living.

Learn all you can about the effects of alkaline versus acid in the body. Here are some effects that will give you a head start:

1. Acid –can cause overweight problems, indigestion, acid reflux, loss of energy, stores the fat

2. Alkaline- gives more energy, natural and safe weight loss, eliminates chronic digestive problems, regulate blood sugar, strengthen the immune system, gets rid of the acid.

Acid overload drains so much of our energy that the body doesn't have enough energy to fight off viruses and disease. In other words, the immune system is weakened. More so, when the body is overly acid there is more vulnerability to germs, yeast, bacteria, molds and fungi.

Why? Because all these microorganisms thrive in acidity! In an alkaline environment they are weakened and cannot multiply as well. Therefore, by keeping the body alkaline it can prevent colds, the flu, and many other illnesses.

To protect against acid buildup, the body begins to create and store fat. Even if you are on a weight loss diet and you exercise, your body will try to hold on to this fat because it is important for protection against acids.

That is why many people who restore alkalinity in their body find it incredibly easier to lose weight. There are so many weight loss pills available today. Hoodia is a very popular one. However, more pills are not the solution.

The true way to lose weight is to do so naturally and with permanent results and a healthier body.

by Cheryline Lawson

Cheryline Lawson, author and owner of http://www.alkalinedietdetox.com

Managing Weight Loss Motivation Levels To Persist To Your Goal Weight

2007-02-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Staying Motivated While Losing Weight

Anyone who has ever had to lose weight knows first hand just how difficult it can be. And for those people who tell you just stop eating or just cut back, you can rest assure they’ve never had to struggle with weight issues in their lives.

The truth is losing weight is hard work and the more you have to lose the harder it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. There are many, many people who have achieved weight loss and are living happier and healthier lives.

One of the biggest struggles of weight loss is staying motivated. Sure most of us start out with great enthusiasm and usually have great results the first week or even two but once the weight loss slows down that’s when our willpower has to work overtime to keep us from reverting back to bad habits.

Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during your weightloss:

Picture It
– Visualization has been used for years by many and it works. Take 5 minutes out of your day to visualize the pounds melting off, but don’t stop there.

Imagine what your life would be like if you were thinner. Would you have more confidence, would you buy new clothes, start dating again, what would you do? Visualize it and stay motivated.

Journal It
– Start a journal at the beginning of your weight loss journey, write how you’re feeling, what your goals are and what a difference it would make to your life.

Then take a picture and stick it to that page. Depending on how much weight you’d like to lose you can update the journal weekly or monthly (as difficult as it may be, you should probably do it weekly).

Take the time to take a new picture every week and stick it in a new page along with a few notes, if you hit a plateau, look back through your journal and see just how far you’ve come.

Reward It
– Set small goals throughout your weight loss and rewards to go with it. For example 5 pounds can be a nice body lotion, 20 pounds can be a fab new outfit.

Make the rewards whatever you want but try to stay away from food rewards as this is not constructive to your weight loss.

Instead do have little treats here and there throughout your weight loss phase (don’t deny yourself completely) and see these treats as everyday part of life not something to use as a reward, just make sure you eat them in moderation.

Flaunt It
– Why not? You’ve worked hard, share your thoughts with friends and family members. Let them know how proud of yourself you are and bathe in their compliments.

You’re taking steps to change your life and doing something that’s not easy at the best of times, so be proud of yourself and share it with others.

Keep yourself focused on the big picture, the prize at the end of the program, not the process. Managing your motivation properly will be the key to attaining your goals in weight loss. Good luck!

Meditation - Great For Stress Relief and . . .

2007-01-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

I remember seeing comedy shows or skits when I was young where someone is practicing meditation. There was usually one person closing their eyes and “ohm”ing while the other person tried to imitate them or simply made snide remarks.

While we used to look upon meditation as being funny, ridiculous, or just plain odd; we now know about all the benefits it has to offer. Originally, meditation was used to focus and gain religious knowledge. Now, it is commonly used to reduce stress and live longer, happier, healthier lives.

So why is mediation so helpful for relieving stress?

First of all, it helps focus the mind on something that is deeply and spiritually rooted. By focusing on one thing, you’re forced to forget the world around you and all the stressors that come with it.

By closing your eyes and sitting in a quiet room, you also filter out the sights and sounds that may stress you. Meditation also helps repair the physical and mental damage caused by stress.

The chemicals present in your body actually change during meditation making you more relaxed and peaceful.

The relaxing benefits from above are only the short term benefits Those factors are only successful in filtering out stress that you’ve already experienced and making you relaxed during and after your meditating.

The real benefit of meditation is its longer term effects.

If practiced on a daily basis, meditation can actually balance the levels of hormones and other stress related chemicals on a day-to-day basis; even when you’re not meditating. This means that meditation will not only help you unwind at the end of a stressful day, it can also leave you more peaceful and less stressed during your long day at work.

The best part about meditation is, unlike yoga, it requires no special physical skills. While good meditation requires mental skills, you can start small and build your way up as you get more practice.

Here’s how to get started.

* Find a quiet room and sit in a comfortable position. There is no specific “better” position, just one where you feel comfortable and can relax.
* Close your eyes and relax your muscles. Do this by focusing on each individual muscle, starting at the feet and working your way up. Focus on the stress leaving each muscle as it relaxes.
* Begin to breathe slowly while you repeat your mantra. This can be anything from the traditional “ohm” to something you find personally important. If you are religious or spiritual, you can chant something related to your beliefs.
* If you find your mind wandering, don’t beat yourself up about it; simply remain calm and return to your focus word.
* After 15 to 20 minutes, you can stop meditating and sit quietly for a few minutes before you return to your regular life.

By doing this meditation regularly, you will train your mind and body to be more relaxed, peaceful and focused. You will find this not only affects your stress levels, but also your physical and mental functioning.

Invest some time in remaining quiet daily and reap the exponential benefits of this discipline.

Did You Set 2007 Resolutions Regarding Your Health

2007-01-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

I just had a new report come available for setting healthy New Year's Resolutions. It is fairly long and well detailed so prepare to spend some time going over it. There are many extremely useful tips and strategies for making resolutions work long term. So if any of your goals are in this health area, then read on. The link to the whole report is below.

Setting Healthy New Year Resolutions
How to set and stick to your health goals this New Year

Staying Healthy for a Life Time

“This New Year I’m going to go to the gym four times a week”, “My resolution is to quit smoking”, “I will lose 20 pounds and look great for summer”…We’ve all been there at some point or other, the New Year starts and so do our resolutions.

And why not, the New Year is all about new beginnings, hopes and dreams. The problem can be when we’re not realistic with our resolutions or don’t map them out appropriately it can be difficult to accomplish all our goals.

It’s great that you want to get healthy this New Year. By now, we all know the important link the foods we eat play in our health. We also know how smoking, excessive drinking and lack of exercise can affect our health for the worst.

If you’ve been putting off starting your healthy habits because it seems like too much of a daunting task or just haven’t had the motivation this is a great time to get started. This report will give you information on staying healthy and keeping your body in optimum shape, by incorporating small achievable steps into your everyday life.

Continued on site here.

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year!

2006-12-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

For all those who celebrate the Christmas Holidays, I just wanted to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. I will not be posting much from now until just after New Years.

Like many others, I will be enjoying all the holiday season has to offer. Family, Friends, Fun, and Food. Thanks for a great 2006, and let's try to make 2007 even better.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Al Smith

Phytonutrients And Phytochemicals, How They Positively Affect Your Health

2006-11-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

What Are Phytonutrients?

Folk wisdom has always singled out fruits and vegetables as being indispensable for health, but it has only been within the last thirty years that we know why. Science and technology have isolated compounds in plants and vegetables that have literally been our life-savers.

These are phytonutrients which all fruits and vegetables produce because their means of survival in the environment is through the release of disease-fighting phytochemicals.

Phytochemicals stimulate the production of protective self-repairing cells in plants. They also produce the same kinds of responses in humans. For example, they release protective enzymes that inhibit cancer-producing substances, thus reducing our susceptibility to disease.

It makes sense for us to harness the powers of plants in our diets. Four sources of phytonutrients that cannot be ignored if we want to remain healthy and cancer free are berries, cruciferous and dark, leafy vegetables, soy and red wine.

Berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries offer the highest sources of phytonutrients. They all produce a natural substance called ellagic acid which has been shown to be a good defense against carcinogens because they suppress tumor development.

Blueberries have the highest antioxidant content. High in flavonoids, they also provide powerful protection against prostate cancer.

Two and a half cups of fresh strawberries a day can supply enough vitamin C to help restore sperm production in men.

Cranberries have been known to prevent cystisis, a painful and often recurring urinary tract infection in women. A study involving 72 postmenopausal women found that 10 ounces of cranberry juice every day reduced the likelihood of bladder infection by 58%. Cranberries have also been shown to reduce stomach ulcers and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower) and dark leafy vegetables (like swiss chard, spinach) also have high levels of antioxidant phytonutrients.

In a study conducted by New York's Strang-Cornell Cancer Research Laboratory, women who consumed a diet high in cruciferous vegetables experienced a dramatic drop in estrogen levels, which means that these vegetable are definitely powerful tools for fighting against breast cancer.

The assumption is that the phytochemicals in these vegetables deactivate potent estrogens, thus preventing estrogen-sensitive cells, particularly in the breast , from developing tumors.

Sulforaphane, another phytochemical in cruciferous vegetables, triggers a self-defense system in the body that acts to detoxify carcinogens. Spinach contains four times more beta carotene than broccoli and is a good source of vitamins C and E. It also has high levels of photosynthetic proteins which convert sunlight into energy.

Researchers at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology are harnessing the power of spinach in a new direction--creating highly cost-effective solar panels.

Soy is another phytonutrient rich food. Soy products contain genestein, which has been shown to have strong anti-cancer properties. It contains as well phytoestrogen, which has been shown to reduce the risk and spread of prostate cancer. Researchers suggest that the phytonutrient isoflavones, like phytoestrogen, may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Another isoflavone compound in soy called daidzein has also been found to improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels in women. A study conducted at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has uncovered evidence that this estrogen-like compound is the main reason for soy's healthy effects.

Women with low estrogen levels seemed to have benefited most from daidzein, which reduced LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, leading researchers to recommend that women include soy food products as part of their cardiovascular risk reduction strategies.

And last but not least is the phytonutrient, resveratrol, found in red wine, that literally makes wine drinking a cancer-fighting measure. Resveratrol is present in the leaves, twigs and bark of the grape vines. And red wine, which is fermented from grape skins, seeds and twigs tends to have large quantities of these cancer-fighting substances.

Resveratrol has also been demonstrated to be a potent antioxidant (more potent than vitamin C alone) which can act synergistically with vitamin C, thus enhancing the effects of each. It also prevents the formation of blood clots and promotes the formation of new dendrites in the brain.

Let us put all these phytonutrients to good use. Why not sit down to a hearty soy burger, broccoli spears and cauliflower salad, warm berry compote and a glass of red wine? Yummy! Life cannot be better!

by Mary Desaulniers

A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at http://www.greatbodyat50.com/ or learn how she lost her weight at http://greatbodyproteinpower.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Desaulniers

Tips On How To Take That Extra Weight Off And Keep It Off

2006-11-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

10 Secrets to Keeping the Weight Off for Good

What’s interesting about weight loss is that many people think that it’s just a process that begins when you make changes to lose weight and ends when you’ve lost all the weight.

However, if you’re not continuing with the changes that you’ve made, you might find yourself back at the original weight that you were. Instead of going up and down on the scale, here are ten secrets that you can use to keep your slim figure.

Weight training works – Studies have shown that people that have more muscle mass will burn more calories, even at rest. Because of this fact, you will want to incorporate some weight training into you maintenance plan so that as you increase your calorie intake, you’re able to burn them off without any gain.

Food journaling- When you write down what you eat, you will be able to control the amount of food that you are eating. Even if you only write down your food intake for a few days a week, keeping an eye on how you’re eating can help alert you of problems before they become pounds.

Daily exercise – When you want to keep the weight off, exercise will need to become a part of your life. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to workout for hours each day. Try to fit in thirty to sixty minutes of exercise each day to keep extra weight at bay.

Allow yourself treats – Life isn’t about deprivation, so neither should your new figure. When you’ve lost weight, you have learned about how much you needed to eat in order to cut back on calories. Once you’ve learned this, you can also learn to have a treat every now and then, enjoying it instead of overindulging in it.

Look at making changes rather than dieting – When you’re looking to lose weight, the ‘sprint’ approach isn’t going to be a long term fix. You need to permanently change your eating habits in order to ensure that your weight stays at its new position.

Learn to make favorite recipes healthier – If you have a favorite cheesecake recipe; why not learn how to make it lower in fat and sugar? This way, you can still enjoy the foods you love.

Get support – You don’t have to join a weight loss club to do this, but telling your friends and family about your goals can help to get everyone into supporting your efforts. When you do this, people will start to recognize that family gatherings should have healthy options as well as not always revolve around food.

Keep the stress away - Many people eat when they are stressed, but when you’ve lost weight, you want to avoid this kind of trigger. Instead, figure out ways that help you deal with stress. What can you do instead of eating to help calm down and relax?

Watch your weight – Studies have shown that those that regularly monitor their weight tend to keep off weight better than those that don’t. You don’t have to get on the scale every day, but weighing in once a week can help alert you to when you might need to rethink that second slice of pie.

Recognize a slip up and forgive yourself – When you start to get angry about mistakes, you can backslide into old eating habits. You will have times when eating right will be more difficult, but you will persevere. Acknowledge that you made a poor eating choice (or several) and then forgive yourself and eat better at the next meal. There’s no need to punish your self.

Keeping the weight off can actually be more difficult than losing it in the first place, but when you’re committed to keeping trim, these tips will make sure that you do.

About the Author:
Lynn VanDyke is a master trainer and fitness nutritionist. Her fitness site, http://www.strength-training-woman.com/ is ranked within the top 1% of all websites. She has authored the wildly popular ebook, Melt the Fat. It is yielded as one of the best fitness and nutrition ebooks available.

Fruits and Vegetables - Nature's Healers, And How To Maximize Their Benefits

2006-09-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

Fruits and Vegetables - Nature's Healers

Natural healers have long known about the power of fruits and vegetables. Did you know that green leafy vegetables have almost 20 times more essential nutrients, ounce for ounce than any other food? Fruit (eaten properly) and vegetables contain all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids the human body requires.

Fruit is, without exception, the most cleansing and most easily digested food you can eat. Both fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber which help the cleansing process. Water transports toxins from the cells and tissues of your body, and fiber keeps the eliminative system working.

I did previously mention the importance of eating fruit “properly”. This means it should be eaten fresh and apart from any other food, with the exception of plain, unsweetened yogurt. The reason being, fruit takes less digestive energy than any other food. When you eat fruit with or after other food, the sugar ferments instead of being assimilated, creating gas. The body then has to work very hard to process the remaining food.

Because yogurt is a cultured food, it is predigested by virtue of the live enzymes it contains, and is very easily assimilated. Fruit does not digest in the stomach, as other foods do. It is digested partially in the mouth when you chew it, bypasses the stomach, and is digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Cooking or canning fruit destroys its nutrients and its sugars turn acidic, making it of no benefit to the body.

There are studies that show that people who eat lots of vegetables have half the cancer risk of people who eat few vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables accelerate body cleansing and proper elimination of wastes, which in turn normalizes body chemistry. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants like Vitamin C and mixed carotenoids (converts to Vitamin A in the body). Antioxidants support and protect your immune system.

One of the many beneficial elements of fruits and vegetables are bioflavonoids, a significant part of the vitamin C complex. Bioflavonoids:

• Build a protective antibiotic barrier against infection
• Boost immune response
• Are anti-inflammatory
• Help relieve allergies and asthma
• Assist in preventing cardiovascular disease
• Protect eye health
• Detoxify your body of carcinogenic chemicals, radiation and heavy metals

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most nutrient-dense foods you can find. This means that they are packed with nutrients in comparison to the number of calories they contain. As a result, they are essential for any kind of weight loss program. You can eat as much of them as you want, which can’t be said about any other kind of food.

In case you’re saying to yourself, “Yes, but it’s so hard to eat fresh fruits and vegetables… I’m just too busy… how can I eat more of them,” I have listed some ideas below that I think will help simplify matters for you.

How is it best to shop for, store and prepare fruits and vegetables?

• Use leafy greens, broccoli, berries and ripe fruit within two or three days of purchase to get the most out the vitamin content.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables under cold running water. Avoid soaking.
• Cook vegetables such as potatoes, beets and sweet potatoes whole or in large pieces and in their skins to preserve vitamins.
• Cook vegetables by lightly steaming or using a pressure cooker until just tender.
• Grilling, roasting and stir-fry are also excellent ways to cook vegetables.
• Don’t boil them in water, unless you drink the water or use it in a soup or as a broth. The water-soluble vitamins will escape into the cooking water.
• Shop just for two or three day’s worth of most fruits and vegetables at a time to preserve their freshness.
• Don’t eat canned fruits or vegetables. They contain very few nutrients and too much sodium and/or sugar (added as preservatives).

Tips for including more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

• Take a piece of fruit with you to work or school for a mid-morning snack.
• Have fruits and vegetables cut up and ready to eat on the refrigerator shelf.
• Combine fruits of different colors, flavors, and textures like red grapes and pineapple chunks.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables first, then add the other food.
• Try a new fruit or vegetable.
• Make a point to have at least two vegetables every night for dinner. Make one of them a “high-powered” choice like carrots, greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, red pepper, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, squash or eggplant. Rule of thumb: The more intense the color, the more nutrients it contains.
• Add fresh vegetables to foods you already eat, like to pasta, or rice.
• Experiment with different ways to cook vegetables – grilling, roasting, stir-fry, streaming
• Experiment with fresh or dried herbs and seasonings for flavoring.
• Eat fruit for breakfast and vegetables with lunch and dinner.

The human body is designed to consume a diet that is predominantly vegetarian. Fruits and vegetables are true healers and, for optimal health, should constitute the majority of the food you eat every day.

Merry Rose is a Certified Nutritionist with a private practice in Los Angeles. She has been passionate about nutrition for over 25 years. Formerly, a professional singer and dancer, she noticed that what she ate and drank had a tremendous impact on her level of energy and overall health. Merry received her certification (CN) from the National Institute of Nutritional Education. Merry designs personal nutrition programs for a broad range of issues with an emphasis on women’s and children’s health. She is the consulting nutritionist for the Nike Fitness Academy.

RoseNutrition.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Merry_Rose

Meditation - 6 Easy, Practical and Quick Strategies to Quiet the Mind

2006-08-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

6 Easy, Practical and Quick Strategies to Quiet the Mind

One very powerful way of reaching the still, small voice of our soul is through the practice of mediation. Before you run off, meditation simply means familiarizing ourselves with our mind, with our thoughts and with our emotions. It is learning what happens between thoughts.

Meditation means taking the time to go within and experiencing your imagination and serene inner core. Many people turn to addictions (food, anorexia, bulimia, busyness, drugs, alcohol, etc) because they do not know how to achieve an internal state of calmness. While meditation alone isn’t the magical solution to all of life’s issues, it can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and hyperactivity, and decrease mental chatter.

Meditation doesn’t have to involve any detailed, complex practice. It can be as simple as learning to stop, breathe, and center within yourself for a moment or two.

Recall how you typically start off each morning, or how you end each day. Now imagine how your life would benefit if you allowed yourself a few moments of quiet. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you took a few moments to center and achieve relaxation, greater calmness, and useful insights?

Meditative practice is a technique for connecting with your inner spirit. It allows stress reduction, relaxation, healing, problem solving, visualizing and imaging. Taking the time to create a few moments of stillness allows us to move past the eternal chatter of the mind and listen to our inner knowingness.

Are You Your Thoughts?
Meditation helps us learn that thoughts are just thoughts. They easily come and then they go. And we see that we can let them drift away without generating any drama around them. In meditation we can watch our thoughts passing by us like clouds on the sky. Teachers of mediation often describe this state as we are the sky, always present, and our thoughts are the clouds which simply float on past. The clouds may change, but the sky itself is ne*ver changing and always present.

This is like our soul. No matter what thoughts, feelings or emotions come, there is always a peaceful calm that is present within us. Mediation is one way of changing our relationship with the thoughts that typically drive us crazy, or drive us to overeat.

When we first begin to meditate, our minds resist. We are used to a constant chatter in our minds. Our minds jump from thought to thought like a crazed leap frog. As you continue to practice, you will notice that meditation is a simple effort that becomes easier the more it is practiced. The main effort is in creating a new habit to set aside a few minutes to sit.

What? Me Meditate?
Many of us quickly dismiss the entire concept of meditation. We conjure up images of strange people sitting in cross-legged positions repeating “ohm” over and over again. Luckily, there are many options. Listed below are some easy suggestions to help quiet the mind -- and they don’t require much time or learning ability.

Try one or more of these ideas if you either don’t know how to begin, or if swear that you’re just so busy that couldn’t possibly create a moment of silence for yourself. Enjoy!

1. Sitting in Silence

One method is to simply sit in silence every day for about 1 to 20 minutes. Sit quietly, take a deep breath, and simply ask, “What is it I need to know?” And then listen. Notice as your thoughts come and learn to let them go. Imagine placing these thoughts on clouds and letting the wind blow them across the sky.

2. Sitting with a Problem

Try this experiment. When something is deeply troubling you, just sit with it. Don’t do anything. Learn to listen to the wisdom of your being. See if you can drop down from the thoughts circling with frenzy within your head. Drop down into your body and see what lies there. Simply listen, be still and move into silence. Let the wisdom of your body find its own voice

3. Deep Breathing

Lie on your back. Breathe evenly and gently, focusing your attention on the movement of your stomach. As you begin to breath in, allow your stomach to rise in order to bring air into the lower half of your lungs. As the upper halves of your lungs begin to fill with air, your chest begins to rise and your stomach begins to lower. Don’t tire yourself. Continue for 10 breaths. The exhalation will be longer than the inhalation.

4. One Minute Mediation

Each morning, before leaving your house, find a minute to sit down. You don’t need a special position or reserved place. Just sit somewhere comfortable. Keeping your back straight, slowly take in one full breath. Imagine yourself filling up with energy that flows throughout your whole body. At the end of your inhale, wait to exhale for about three seconds.

Then exhale, releasing your breath slowly, imagining that you are releasing from your mind and body all that is negative or heavy. When you believe the exhale is complete, push a little more air out of your lungs. Repeat for about one minute. Lastly, while you are resuming your normal breathing, remain still for about five more seconds.

5. Visual Meditation

If you want to relax and meditate, select a calming photograph. Sit back and relax. Breathe gently, slowly and calmly. Imagine you are there and that you are feeling good and calm. Allow your imagination to take you into a more and more relaxed state.

6. Basic Meditation

Meditators focus on three different kinds of things: a) Some people focus on a phrase -- for example, "I am peaceful." b) Some people focus on an object -- for example, a religious symbol or a candle. c) Some people focus on breathing.

* Find a quiet place. In the beginning, it is easier to meditate in a relatively quiet spot. This will help you “turn off” internal stimuli as well as external distraction.

* Sit so that your spine, neck and the back of your head are in a straight line Sitting in a chair with feet on the floor is a good position. You can also sit cross-legged on the floor or in a traditional lotus position.

* Close your eyes. This is the best way to begin controlling your wandering mind.

* Breathe naturally. Sit quietly for a minute or two and relax your body. You may focus on your breath, mantra or object. A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated to yourself. Some people think that the best mantras are sounds which have no clear meaning. A mantra is used as a way of displacing usual thoughts and moving awareness inward.

* Allow thoughts and feelings to come and go with detachment. Don’t try to control them in any way. Just note them, and when you realize that you are not repeating the mantra, gently return to the mantra. Do not try to force yourself to think of the mantra to the exclusion of all other thoughts. You may experience a deep state of relaxation but it is OK if you don't.

* Continue this for about 20 minutes.

* When done, take a couple of minutes to slowly return to normal awareness. Be gentle with yourself when opening your eyes or coming to stand after a meditation. Allow your body and mind to readjust.

Dr. Annette Colby

Helping people let go of self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has been the life work of Dr. Annette Colby. Her fascination with the power of the mind, emotions, spirituality, and physicality has led her to become a leader in the field of personal growth and consciousness. She is a valued counselor, and an inspiring teacher, as well as an independent writer, mentor, and guide. She is a highly sought-after trainer with a unique ability to inform and inspire individuals to open their hearts, love more openly, and pursue their dreams.

by Dr. Annette Colby, RD Nutrition Therapist & Master Energy Therapist

Subscribe to our FREE content filled newsletter and see why it’s been called the best e-zine on the net! www.LovingMiracles.com, Miracles@AnnetteColby.com
PH - 972.985.8750, "Opening Creative Portals to Success"

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Top 10 Fitness Tips And How To Lose Fat

2006-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Fitness Tips

"I don't exercise. If God wanted me to bend over, he'd have put diamonds on the floor," comments Joan Rivers.

It's true, many of us simply do not enjoy fitness and exercising. It's also true that every single person in this world can benefit from a proper fitness and nutrition program.

Use these top 10 fitness tips to get your workout routine started today. As always, talk with your doctor before starting a new fitness or nutrition program.

Tip #1- Set Realistic and Tangible Goals

Simply stating that you want to lose weight is not effective. Be specific. For example, I want to lose 5 pounds of fat by February 14th.

Tip #2- Measure Your Progress

Take your base measurements and then re-take them on a regular basis. You cannot measure your progress if you have no idea where you started from.

Tip #3- Log Your Workouts

Each and every workout session should be logged. Keep all of your fitness logs in a binder and create your very own success journal.

Tip #4- Mix Up Your Cardio Workouts

Cardio sessions should vary in intensity and in length. Try new cardio activities and keep things fresh.

Tip #5- Strength Training Is Not Just for Men

Everyone should strength train. Strength training builds muscle and increases bone density. Train all major muscle groups 1-3 times per week.

Tip #6- Rest

Get 7-9 hours of deep sleep each and every night. Also rest your muscles by not working out 1-2 days each week.

Tip #7- Warm Up

Warm up for 5-10 minutes before every workout session. You should feel a rise in your body temperature.

Tip #8- Cool Down

Cool down by stretching out your entire body. This helps increase flexibility and decrease muscle soreness the next day.

Tip #9- Nutrition Is Half the Battle

Eating small meals throughout the day complements your fitness routine. Learn to eat healthy and kick diets out of your life forever.

Tip #10- Stay Motivated

Find a workout partner. Sign up for a marathon. Work with a personal trainer. Do whatever it takes to remain committed. If you falter, let go of guilt and get back on your routine as soon as possible.

These top10 fitness tips build the foundation of a safe and effective fitness program. Anyone can drop body fat and gain lean muscle mass by following a realistic workout and nutrition plan. Stay the course and you will be healthier and happier for it.

Lynn VanDyke is the creator of A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Melt the Fat & Gain a Life. It is the only program that shows you exactly how to eat, exercise and succeed with life. The 400+ page interactive program comes complete with over 100 exercises, 130 daily menus, 63 ways to stick with it and loads more. Learn more by visiting: How to Melt the Fat

Who Is Your Doctor Really Serving?

2006-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting and also disturbing article today. I receive a newsletter from Dr. Ben Kim which I have enjoyed immensely since I began receiving it some time ago. I heartily recommend it, there is always some great health information in it.

Here is a bit of the article here and the link to the rest. Being Canadian myself, I have always suspected that there was more in play here with our health care system than just serving the greater good. Here it is:

A Sick Health Care System

One of the main goals that I have for this web site is to encourage our readers to learn how to be their own best doctors.

Please don't misunderstand me; I think that there are some wonderfully caring and competent doctors in our world.

But there are also many doctors who don't have each of their patients' best interests at or even near the top of their list of priorities.

Over the years, it's become clear to me that a big part of the problem with our health care system is the system itself; our current health care system doesn't encourage doctors to teach their patients to prevent disease and address health conditions with simple food and lifestyle choices.

Take, for example, the health care system here in Canada . . . Read further

Pointers For Healthy Muscle Stretching

2006-07-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Stretch It Out!

1. Stretch when you are warmed up. You increase the chance of pulling a muscle if you stretch when your body is cold. When your body temperature is elevated, your muscles are more pliable. Think of your body as taffy. When the taffy is cold you can't do much with it, warm it up and it will stretch easily!

2. Hold your stretches for AT LEAST 10 seconds. Longer than that is better, 30 seconds to a minute for each major muscle group would be great.

3. Stretch everyday! Stretching improves your flexibility, which is the range of motion available at your joints. It is something that you can continue to improve upon, however if you stop stretching you will lose gains in flexibility fairly quickly.

4. Stretch all major muscle groups each day. This includes Chest/Back/Hamstrings (back of the thigh)/Glutes (rear end)/Quadriceps (front of the thigh)/Shoulders/Biceps (front of the upper arm)/Triceps (back of the upper arm)/Calves (back of lower leg)

5. Don't stretch into pain! You should feel tension on the muscles when you are stretching, but don't stretch if you are feeling sharp pains.

6. Stretching is a fantastic way to work on improving your posture. Poor posture is oftentimes caused by tight muscles. Think about this. You all know someone who is hunched over, shoulders rounded, maybe you yourself are!

It is a very common postural deviation since we are all hunched over so much in life (i.e. driving, sitting at a computer) causing the chest muscles to be tight. In turn the back muscles are probably weak. An easy way to improve this problem is to stretch your chest muscles.

7. Stretching is a great way to help alleviate stress. Taking five minutes out of your workday for some light stretching can increase your daily productivity and lower your stress levels.

8. Don’t bounce! The general population should perform static stretches. Move into a stretch position and hold it. Bouncing while stretching will increase your chance of injury!

9. There are several factors that can influence your ability to stretch including: age, the shape of your bones (some people are just naturally going to be more flexible due to their bone structure), temperature of your body tissue, muscle soreness, how much muscle you have on your body, what types of muscle fibers you have and how tight the opposite muscle group is.

10. Always BREATHE into your stretches. Don't hold your breath while you are stretching, hold the position and every time you exhale try to relax your body and move a little bit deeper into the stretch.

11. Yoga is a great way to not only stretch but also work on balance, stability, strength, coordination and focus.

12. Stretching helps to increase your blood flow and supplies joints and muscles with more blood!

13. Stretching everyday will relieve tension on your lower back and help to eliminate lower back pain. 90% of the population suffers from lower back pain on a regular basis and the majority of these problems could be relieved just from stretching! Tight hamstrings and pelvic muscles are a major cause of lower back pain, so stretch them!

14. Stretching minimizes stress, decreases stiffness and helps your muscles to RELAX! You now have a better understanding of the benefits and techniques for this important yet often overlooked segment to your fitness plan. Start stretching today and see how much better you will feel!

by Diana Chaloux

Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI. Diana is a fitness coach as well as an NPC National Level Figure Competitor. She is co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.d2bfit.com ) based in San Antonio, TX and she is the star of the fitness DVD “Fitness Deadlines”. Diana can be contacted at contact@d2bfit.com

Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss

2006-06-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Don't Be A Big Loser - Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss by Tom Venuto

Patience. It’s the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you read and hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly.

We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the losers), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible - and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However, you must become aware of some serious problems that can occur if you try to force it and lose weight too quickly.

The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism. An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that the loss just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping the weight off” problem. Read Further . . .

Like A Mini Vacation For Your Brain? Re-Energize.

2006-06-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Why Should You Meditate?
By Paul Jerard

Everyone’s mind needs a little downtime. We all need time to focus on one task, instead of multi-tasking all day and night. In fact, your mind doesn’t take a complete rest when you sleep. Your mind moves from dream to dream for about two hours per night.

Your mind needs rest and a vacation. Have you ever noticed that when you take a vacation, you come back with fresh ideas, a better attitude, and establish clear priorities? This is due to getting some time to relax and reflect on your life. The time off allows you to think clearly.

Our problem stems from being so busy that we lose touch with our inner self. We fill our time with too many activities to realistically accomplish them. Companies do this to their employees, but we voluntarily do it to ourselves. You have the ability to take control of your own life, and the solution is as simple as daily meditation sessions.

The answers to our problems are within ourselves, but many of us don’t want to look that deep, for fear of what we might learn about ourselves. It is always easier to blame outside forces for our problems. However, closing down outside distractions and listening to our inner voice is natural medicine.

Who knows? You could actually find yourself and your identity. This could lead you to make changes and put ideas into action. All of this progress could happen as a result of you making a “meditation appointment” with yourself. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes a day for a single meditation session.

There has never been a better time to meditate than right now. People have so much “going on,” these days; the only time they stop is when they are sick. The problem is how busy will people be in 20 years from now? Now you see why having downtime is so important.

Information about meditation techniques is widely available in books, DVD’s, and CD’s. You don’t have to join a monastery, and live according to a strict moral code, with multitudes of rules, but you do need the self-discipline to continue a daily practice.

Strangely - self-discipline, alone, will keep the masses away from this ancient practice, which has survived a battery of tests and modern scrutiny. This is amazing when you think about the rewards of self-mastery, contentment, and mindfulness, which result from daily meditation practice.

He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Health and Fitness Is Not . . .

2006-06-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Health & Fitness Is Not A 12 Week Program
Copyright 2005, Tom Venuto

Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn't seen before.

"I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called the "12 week body transformation challenge." I could win money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine." "I want to lose THIS", she continued, as she grabbed the body fat on her stomach. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

Linda was not "obese," she just had the typical "moderate roll" of abdominal fat and a little bit of thigh/hip fat that many forty-something females struggle with."I think it's a great idea" I reassured her. "Competitions are great for motivation. When you have a deadline and you dangle a "carrot" like that prize money in front of you, it can keep you focused and more motivated than ever." . . . Continued On The RGG Site

Preplanning And Concentration Is Key!

2006-06-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

How to be a Bodybuilding Champion - The Art of Focusing!

Tiger Woods is the only one I know who has the ability to stop his down swing on a dime when it just does not feel right to go through with it. How does he do it? Over the years I have been able to teach myself one of the most important elements in making the most out of my workouts. What is it? It’s the ability to tune everyone, everything and every sound out in a blink of an eye.

We see it played out in movies where a baseball pitcher blocks out all the roaring fans and only concentrates on the catcher’s mitt in silence. This is the keen ability to focus with lazar like power.

One of the main reasons I became a champion bodybuilder at very young age is because I have mastered this technique. Today, I walk into a gym, step on a treadmill, or go out for a walk and the only thing I am aware of is the task at hand. I block every one and every thing out. No it is not always easy, but it is very effective.

This is not a technique you can read about in an anatomy book, it will take practice on your part. It is a discipline within itself.

Here are some general workout rules that have helped me master the art of focus during my workouts;

1. Go through your workout in your mind first before you even get to the gym.

2. Take a water bottle – eliminate all excess wasted time.

3. NO cell phones during a workout – This goes without saying.

4. Visual the muscle that is moving the weight.

5. Work the room just like a social gathering.

6. Keep a flow into your workouts.

7. Practice every single workout – over and over and over again.

If you want to get the most from your workouts you need to work smarter rather than harder. Focusing on the task at hand in a lazar like fashion may be the key to you being a champion in your own right.

by Greg Ryan

START LOSING WEIGHT THE RIGHT WAY FOR GOOD TODAY! click here www.resolutions.bz Discover the common sense way to lose weight with out dieting that the doctor’s DON’T want you to know. Greg Ryan is a best selling author, former employee of Kathy Smith, and high profile fitness expert.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The Benefits Of Wheatgrass Juice

2006-06-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice - What, How, and Why!

Since the late 1960's, wheatgrass has become frequently discussed in health and medical circles as one of natures greatest gifts. Classified as one of the most abundant superfoods known to man, wheat (and more recently barley) grass has been celebrated for its nutritional content, cleansing and cell regeneration capabilities as well as being in a form that is easily and effortlessly assimilated and digested by our bodies.

The chlorophyll content of wheatgrass alone has been enough to prompt many individuals to consume either fresh or powdered wheatgrass on a daily basis. Being approximately 70% crude chlorophyll, this can have a highly energising effect and a real boost to those looking to alkalise their body.

A discussion on the benefits of wheatgrass juice or powder could be endless - so for the purposes of brevity I have categorised these benefits into four areas. These are the areas that I have found that wheatgrass has benefitted both myself and those around me (family, friends, clients and colleagues).

1. Wheatgrass Builds Blood!

Many health experts including Dr Young (pH Miracle) and Steve Meyerowitz (Nature's Finest Medicine) have highlighted that the chlorophyll molecule in wheatgrass is almost identical to the haemoglobin molecule in human blood. The only difference is that the central element in chlorophyll is magnesium and in haemoglobin it is iron.

Due to this inherent similarity the human body can easily transform chlorophyll into hemoglobin increasing the red blood cell count as well as the blood's capacity to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the body's cells (Hagiwara, 1985).

Chlorophyll has been shown to build red blood cells quickly, normalise blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways though out the body, destroy poisonous carbon dioxide, release free oxygen and promote higher metabolism and stimulated enzyme systems. On top of all of these benefits, consuming chlorophyll from wheatgrass is a highly effective way to alkalise the blood and energise the body!

2. Wheatgrass Cleanses the Body

Wheatgrass is an extremely beneficial food in terms of both its cleansing capabilities. The contents of wheatgrass juice and powder (green drink) are reported to be within the region of approximately 100 separate elements with scientists dubbing it a 'complete food'. According to 'The Wheatgrass Book' (Wigmore, 1985), just 140g of fresh wheatgrass offers the same nutritional value as over 3kg's of fress green vegetables!

Wheatgrass is a great source of vitamins B, C, E and carotene which are hugely effective in destroying and eliminating free radicals and cleansing the body. Wheatgrass is also highly regarded for its ability to cleanse the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract.

Because it is also high in saponin, wheatgrass offers excellent support to the lymphatic system, helping to carry away hundreds and thousands of toxins from the cells of the body. Kulvinskas (Survival into the 21st Century, 1975) wheatgrass helps to 'detoxify the body by increasing the elimination of hardened mucous, crystallised acids and solidified, decaying faecal matter...It is the fastest, surest way to eliminate internal waste and provide an optimum nutritional environment'.

These are just some of the cleansing benefits of wheatgrass, and I have barely scratched the surface with regards to listing its nutritional content. Put most simply, whether you are looking to undertake a formal cleanse, or simply try to add more nutrition to your diet - these reasons alone are enough to consider adding wheatgrass to your daily lifestyle.

3. High Amino Acid Content

You may have heard the expression before that - amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They are absolutely essential to our growth and cell regeneration. It is the astonishingly high amino acid content in wheatgrass that is leading to many bodybuilders and gym-goers incorporating fresh or powdered wheatgrass juice into their daily routine.

Wheatgrass juice is a complete protein and contains, amongst others, the following amino acids: arginine, serine, absenisic, lysine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tryptophane, phenylalanine, and valine.

4. Wheatgrass Fights and Protects Against Illness

Organic wheatgrass powders and juices are an extremely effective way of boosting the body's immune system to fight against and recover from illnesses and ailments. Wheatgrass is a great source of beta carotene, contains most of the B vitamins and vitamins C, E, H and K, and also contains over 90 different minerals and 19 amino acids. It also contains several active enzymes which play a major role in breaking down fats, undertaking biological functions and assist hugely in weight loss.Of the 90 minerals found, many of these are very alkalising and include calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Many of the health benefits of wheatgrass stem from the faact that it is a living food. Being highly anti-bacterial, consuming wheatgrass will help to alkalise and detoxify the lymph and blood cells, helping the body to rebuild and transport toxins out of the body quickly and effectively.

Again, coming back to the chlorophyll content of wheatgrass - this can protect the body from carcinogens more effectively than any other food. Studies conducted on animals have shown that wheatgrass consumption has reduced the absorption of a number of very serious carcinogens whilst strengthening cells, detoxifying the liver and neutrailsing polluting elements within the blood.

Conclusion - Incorporating Wheatgrass into Your Lifestyle

Wheat and a number of other grasses are clearly very beneficial to the body and there is a very strong case for making them a part of our daily health routines. There are two principle ways to do so:

buy a growing kit/ freshly grown grass and juice at home, or
purchase an organic grass (green drink) supplement

Both have their pro's and con's, however, you do not have to do one to get the benefits of the other. Many juice bars are also now selling wheatgrass shots and are including wheatgrass as an ingredient in their other juices.

If you are looking to purchase a powdered wheatgrass supplement, please be sure to check that the ingredients are organic and 100% pure (no fillers!).

by Ross Bridgeford, Copyright

If you have any questions regarding wheatgrass juice, juicers or powdered grasses/greens, please do not hesitate to contact us at www.EnergiseforLife.com

Our Aim - To provide you with every health and nutrition resource you need to achieve optimal health and energy. We aim to provide a one-stop-shop for all of your health and vitality needs within a 100% customer focused environment.

What We Do - We provide a fantastic range of health products from suppliers such as Innerlight, Udo Erasmus and Bioforce. Our commitment to offer you the greatest possible choice ensures that you are able to reach your health goals regardless of budget or taste.

Why We're Different - At Energise for Life we bring you all of the nutrition advice you need to make the most informed decisions about your diet and lifestyle - as well as all of the benefits you would associate with the ideal online shopping experience: exceptional choice, effortless ordering, speedy delivery and excellent customer service.

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss

2006-06-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss
by Lynn VanDyke

Your goal is to lose fat and tone up. I recommend a mix of 5 tools to create and sculpt the body of your dreams.

Those 5 tools are nutrition, hydration, cardio, rest and strength training. Today’s article is all about creating a killer routine that delivers amazing results.

In my many years of experience in the fitness industry I have come across a few timeless myths. One of those myths really gets me piping mad. Have you ever heard, “Lift lighter weights for more repetitions if you want to tone up”? You probably have if you are a woman. I can already feel my blood beginning to boil!

The truth about strength training routines is . . . Continued On RGG Site

Ten Powerful Keys to Healing Yourself

2006-05-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Ten Powerful Keys to Healing Yourself

1. Be Present

Live in the now. The past is gone. You can never go back and make it right. You can never re-live a life that was yesterday. Live positively in the present moment, no matter what is occurring. It is All right and perfect. Do not look ahead and dread what may come.

Our mind creates a lot of chatter and makes us afraid in order to keep us safe. Tell your mind "Thanks for sharing" and affirm "I am here, I am present". You are always at choice and you know how to make this day beautiful.

2. Nature

Sit on the lawn or next to a tree. Feel the pulse of the earth, the grandeur of the sky, the coolness of the breeze on your face, or the warmth of the sun on your face. Smile at nature, say hello to the bugs and all the animals you meet. Take a walk in a park or hike on a trail.

3. Exercise

Daily exercise gives you a break from your mind chatter, helps pump your heart, circulates your blood, clears toxins from your body, charges you with energy and has many other benefits. Choose an activity that is fun and mix it up. Do walking one day and yoga another day. Take a Tai Chi class and meet new people. The list of possibilities is endless.

4. Spirituality

Recognize and know you are important and unique. Meditate, or sit quietly, and be in the moment. Read books that are uplifting and have positive messages. Give thanks for your health, your home, your friends, all the joy and happiness in your life and all the good that surrounds you.

5. Forgiveness

It is time to let it go. Forgive all parts of yourself to be whole and perfect. Forgive yourself for any past mistakes or shortcomings; forgive the child within for being afraid; forgive the teenager that spoke words of anger; forgive the young adult for not being a risk taker.

Forgive others in the past. Forgive your parents, your siblings and relatives. Let go of all grudges. Forgiveness is about coming to peace within yourself.

6. Bubble Bath

Give yourself permission to relax and savor quiet times. Read a book for fun. Spend that extra money and get a massage or a facial. Do something selfish for yourself.

7. Nutrition

Listen to your body. Feed it good nutritious food. Take a high quality multi-vitamin or a liquid supplement. Most health challenges can be reduced or eliminated with a dietary supplement.

8. Let Go of Judgement

Give up judgement and give up blame. Never speak critically of others or yourself. Speak words of encouragement to yourself and everyone you meet. Accept everyone for who they are and embrace their differences.

9. Service To Others

Reach out and lend a hand to a friend in need. Offer unconditional service to others. Be a great listener and really listen to people when they speak. Find ways to help others to lift their spirits and help lessen their burdens.

10. Love

Love yourself and use positive words of encouragement. Compliment strangers and make others smile. Speak from a loving heart and shine with joy.

by Wayne McDonald

Wayne McDonald is a licensed Life Practitioner and a Public Speaker and the founder of http://www.HolisticWebDirectory.com – an on-line health directory of complimentary health care professionals. Signup today for your monthly Health Ezine submit-ezine@aweber.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Wellness Products? Check them carefully!

2006-05-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Health and Nutrition
By Colin Thomson

The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples awareness of the damage they have done to their bodies over the years becomes more apparent, both physically and through scientific evidence. Whats more they want to do something about-now!!

I know, I've been there and as a Baby Boomer we, in our millions around the globe, are doing what we can to turn our health around for the better. Having read numerous articles gleaned from newspapers, magazines, advertisements, the web and from fellow ''ezinearticle'' contributors, many people are searching for a better lifestyle today.

My wife Cath and I decided to do something about it and sooner rather than later. Rather than talking about it, moaning about it, worrying about it, we chose to improve our health and our lifestyle through informed and better choices. We work from home now part time in the Health and Nutrition Industry having had our health improved with nutritional supplements and by adjusting our diets, so that we have both lost weight and feel great for it. Your health improves by first making a decision and then doing something about it.

It has been suggested that many of our ailments, sickness and diseases today, particularly in the west, can be attributed to poor nutrition in our diets. The fact that our diets are so poor due to the lifestyles we choose to live, with fast foods and rush, rush, rush, we are not allowing our bodies to rebuild itself, to repair itself properly, as it was designed to do.

I am not a scientist but I can tell you that by adding proven nutritional supplements to my diet and eating better and less, my health has improved and I have the energy to accomplish so much more in my day without the tiredness and exhaustion that were part of my life.

Obesity levels in the western world are simply staggering and if you do your own research, through various resources, you will have this confirmed in black and white.

Our bodies have been wonderfully made, by a master designer, and when we introduce a proper diet into our lifestyle, with the correct ammounts of vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly, your life can be changed dramatically. For those of you who already look after yourselves, athletes, footballers, basketballers, your lives can be improved too, your recovery rates lowered, your overall performances improved with a better diet and nutrition in your life.

If we feed our bodies properly, then it will do what it was made to do. It will repair itself, common ailments can be gone forever, as my wife can testify to you from first hand experience.

With good and proper nutritional supplements and a carefully planned and balanced diet of lean meats, fruit and vegetables, it is possible to have your health and fitness restored.

The Health and Nutrition Industry today, commonly known as the ''Wellness Industry'' is booming!!! Wherever you look, the media today, is full of health improvement tips, the internet is full of sites showing you their own products and services, advising us all that we need to improve our diets and indeed our health!!

When you decide to improve your lifestyle and your health, can I ask you to choose carefully. Look to market leaders, and there are half a dozen or so who have stood the test of time, and read about them, read testimonies about peoples health improvements, read about lifestyle improvements that have occurred both in the short and long term through the use of their products.

Don't get sucked in by all the hype and there is plenty of that, particularly on the internet. Find out about the products or the company, before you go spending your hard earned money, ensuring that you will get the results you desire. Do not just jump on the bandwagon of the latest craze that is sweeping your nation, make an informed choice of your own and enjoy the benefits to come.

Why not contact your local Network Marketer, where Home Based Distributors will have a personal interest in your health improvement and you may even want to join them and help others improve their lives also.

We all age, we all die some day, but why bring it along sooner than is necessary. Why don't you choose to do something about it today? Why don't you allow that desire inside, which is niggling away at you now, that desire to improve your health and regain that enjoyment of life, to come out.

Do yourself a favour, nobody else will. You choose. Go on, go for it and really live life to the full with your health improved, with the ones you love. It is possible. We have done it!!

Colin Thomson partners his wife Cath in a part time business that they run from. They work in the Health and Nutrition Industry and have enjoyed the health improvments mentioned above themselves. Visit one of their web sites today to read more about how you can improve your health, beginning today at http://www.cthomson.plus.com or http://www.fabnuyu.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The "Magic Word" of Goal Success and 50lb Weight Loss Challenge

2006-05-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

The "Magic Word" of Goal Success and 50lb. Challenge by Brad Isaac, Author of Achieve-IT! Goal Setting Software for Pocket PC.

Whether you have some weight to lose or not, weight loss is an important study for anyone serious about setting goals. Weight loss is a physical, mental and physiological challenge and is often met with failure due to the seemingly 'cyclical' nature of the weight GAIN process.

One tends to put on weight which makes them tired, which makes them eat more to stay awake which makes them too tired to exercise, which makes them eat more, etc. etc.

That is why how to lose weight is one of the most common questions I receive in personal consultations. I deliberately chose 50lbs for this series because coincidentally, most of my consultations request I help one lose somewhere in the 50lb range. You can apply these methods to more or less than that amount, or even apply them to other goals you may have.

If you are caught up in the cycle I describe above, where to we start to break the "cycle" of weight loss failure and trim our waistlines by 50lbs? The first place to start is with the obligatory doctor checkup. Make sure you don't have an overactive thyroid, suffer from depression or some other issue that may actually be contributing to your weight problem.

By the same token, confirm with your physician you are able to lose weight. This is a goal setting method not a consultation with your physician. Although my methods are tried and true, I can't be held responsible for any health related issues you'd have as a result.

With all of that said and out of the way, where do we begin to "take off" that stubborn weight, "lose a few extra pounds" and begin to enjoy the new you?

The Magic Word
There is a word that helps make every goal more attainable. It is one word that if used will clarify your goal and motivate you towards your desired outcome. I like to call it the "magic word of goal setting" because if focused on enough, it will stack all of the odds in your favor.

So what is the magic word? I will indeed tell you, but before I do, I want to request you take it seriously and do the simple exercise that goes along with it. You will need to apply this word to your top 1 to 3 goals and review it frequently.

By using the "magic" word it will help get you through the tough times. It will help you lose extra pounds during the not-so-tough times. It will focus your mind like a laser beam on the importance of your goal and why you need to do it.

So do we have an agreement? Are you going to take it seriously? If not, put this away until you are ready to take it seriously. This is the beginning of weeding out whether you want to really lose the 50lbs. or if you are just giving your goal lip service. Don't worry, I am not going to make you run a marathon, we are just going to review the magic word and how to use it.

BEWARE: I will play devils advocate to help you get the most out of the magic word. So stay with me.

Ok, you've gotten this far so I trust you have made the commitment to take what I say seriously even though it is simple. The magic word is WHY?

Let that sink in for a second. Why do you want to lose weight? Why is that goal even on your radar? Aren't you valuable enough as a person as you are to not need to lose 50lbs? If you did lose it, how would that benefit you? Would it really make a difference?

Many of you might be scratching your heads right now wondering why I would actually ask questions that seemingly lead away from your goal. In my defense, I'll say that if I didn't ask these questions, the anti-goal "gremlins" would. It is better we answer these questions up front and make sure we answer them before 11p.m. on a Friday night, when the gremlins are saying "Go ahead, you deserve a double helping of cheesecake, you worked hard this week!"

So why do you want to lose the weight? Pull out a sheet of paper and list out your reasons. Try to make a thorough list. Don't leave any "why?" unanswered. You need a detailed list of why this goal is important to you. Pile on the reasons! Without the reasons you'll have a tendency to be like our little gremlin above and say. "It's really not that important. I don't need to lose weight THAT bad."

Let me give you a list of 10 questions you can use to stimulate ideas as you are asking yourself the magic word. There are certainly more than 10 areas you can consider. I just want to get you started. So in the spirit of answering "Why should I lose 50lbs.?", consider the following areas and use your answers as the "BECAUSE" answers:

1. How would being 50lbs. lighter affect your mental and emotional state?
2. To what degree do you think you will feel better after it is accomplished?
3. How will others perceive you 50lbs. Lighter?
4. What will bragging to your friends, family and co-workers about losing 50lbs feel like?
5. Will you be able to help others with their weight struggles?
6. How will losing weight affect your finances?
7. Does eating smaller portions and more nutritious food cost less?
8. Is having more choices in clothing important to you?
9. How will weight loss affect your doctor bills? Medications? Risk of diabetes?
10. How will you feel overall when you accomplish your goal?

I have a confession, even though I don't need to lose weight, after writing out those 10 questions, I feel like going on a walk. :) You should feel similarly when you finish answering the questions. If so, go with it. Take your walk. Throw out the junk food, whatever. It doesn't hurt to start today.

Are you starting to get more clarity on your motivation now? Don't stop with those 10 questions, come up with more for yourself. You need a big pile of "becauses" to offset negativity when times get tough. Losing weight typically goes slower than everyone would like, so having this list will be important.

Next time we'll discuss what to do with this list so you can maximize its effectiveness. So get to work on answering "Why?" you want to achieve your goal. You promised to take it seriously so get to work!

Brad Isaac (The Goal Guru) is the creator of Achieve-IT! Goal Setting Software for Pocket PC - the goal setting software that made it to the Handango bestseller list the first year and is up for a Best Application award from Pocket PC Magazine. He has made human achievement and motivation a study for over 20 years. He is also the creator of Pocket PC Addict and runs the Achieve-IT! Goal success Blog. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two kids.

2 Meditate - Unlock Your Potential

2006-05-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential – Part 2

You can be the creator of your own manifest destiny. Through daily meditation practice and focus on changing your life for the better. In fact, you have the ability to redefine yourself in any direction you desire. The power that you can cultivate is limited only by your own imagination.

As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.

Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton’s saying: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.

How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven’t eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?

Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.

Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven’t meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats, know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality, than you both started from.

If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel, that person’s pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth.

You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness. Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; “who is right and who is wrong.”

Your new reality becomes, “how can I help?”

by Paul Jerard

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. www.yoga-teacher-training.org

1 Meditate - Unlock Your Potential

2006-05-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential – Part 1

Meditation is often misunderstood by those who do not practice it. Very often, I hear meditation referred to as, “altered states of consciousness.” That sounds more like intoxicants, rather than bringing clarity to a cluttered mind. Without going too deep into what meditation is, or is not, let’s focus on one of the many things a daily meditation practice can do for you.

Meditation is commonly seen in many Yoga classes, but it has been practiced by a variety of cultures, including Roman Catholic priests, as well as Japanese Samurai, who practiced a form of Zen meditation. I mention this so you can see the full spectrum of meditation and its many facets.

There are many varieties and types of meditation, but the easiest form to learn is, “breath awareness meditation.” Compared to many other meditation techniques, this will enable anyone to experience the benefits of meditation in much less time.

At this point, let’s consider that meditation and Yoga teachers often compare the mind to a monkey. Many thoughts are running through your brain, at the same time, and it is hard to control all of your impulses - let alone, sit still and meditate. So why go through all this trouble?

Meditation has many rewards, and we will now consider one of extreme value. Through daily practice of meditation, you will release the unlimited potential of your mind. The ability to change, or alter the universe, starts as a single thought within your mind.

One human decided to harness the power of fire, and did he/she foresee the global warming effect? How could he/she imagine where we are now? This is just one of many thousands of examples of Karma - the law of cause and effect. Therefore, one seemingly small change, of any kind, will have a ripple effect on the universe.

Some of the seeds to change the universe, rests locked up in your mind, but you have the ability to shape the future by any small changes that you make. Let’s say you have a friend, family member, or associate, who cares for you deeply, but, up to now, you have always taken it for granted. Can you imagine what would happen if you take the time to groom that relationship? The answer is you would have a loyal ally and all you had to show was kindness or appreciation.

You have the ability to alter your own personality and affect the world around you. Hopefully, your personality will always continue to change for the better; if so, this will alter everyone around you for the best.

by Paul Jerard

Cornerstones Of Nutrition

2006-05-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Four Cornerstones of Nutrition

What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on different foods containing them, but the reporters rarely provide any context in which the informaiton can be understood. To receive the benefits of good nutrition, it is important to understand how the different components fit together.

Here's one way to look at nutrition as a whole. In nutrition, we have components called micronutrients. There are different ways to group them, but I like to call the following the Four Cornerstones of Nutrition. First, the cornerstones.

Vitamins and Minerals
Antioxidants
Plant Sterols
Glyconutrients

When you eat, all of these things should be in your diet. They don’t make up the bulk of your food but instead these are the "little details" that make up the smaller parts needed for cellular function.

Here’s how I think of it. With a car you have steel, glass and rubber. That’s like the bulk of the food you eat. It’s important.

In the same car you have just one little needle to say how fast your car is going. One steering wheel. One rear view mirror. As a percentage of the parts in the car, those things seem minor, but they’re extremely important, right?

In nutrition it’s the same thing Vitamins and Minerals, Antioxidants, Plant Sterols, and Glyconutrients are those little parts that make such a critical component of the proper function of our cells.

In a car plant extra parts can be stored without any time limit. In the body, nutrients are not stored. If one day your body decides it didn’t need all the vitamin C you got in your diet, be it from food, or from supplements, it’ll be filtered by the kidneys and flushed from the body. But because you body does not store any of these nutrients, your need for them tomorrow is a whole new day.

Here’s the brief summary of the types of nutrients.

Vitamins and Minerals: These are used as enzymes, and other catalysts for chemical reactions in your body. Take Vitamin A. Every day Vitamin A is used to repair gradual degeneration of the light sensitive rods in your eyes. This is why Vitamin A is called the “eye vitamin.”

A long-term deficiency of Vitamin A causes a disease called Beri Beri. Many vitamins and minerals actually do not handle exposure to heat very well which is why having raw food in our diet is important. To make up for the vitamin and mineral losses in our food, caused by processing and cooking, we should take a supplement.

Antioxidants: Some vitamins and minerals, and even glyconutrients, behave as antioxidants. These are the neutralizers of “free radicals” in the body. Free Radicals are kind of like rust on a car, or like a cinder that popped through the screen in the fireplace. Our own ability to burn calories produces naturally produces Free Radicals and then many toxins we encounter in our environment are also free radicals.

Plant Sterols: The body, no matter how old or young, is regulated by nearly 90 different hormones. Hormones are made in your body out of cholesterol, plant sterols and some other vitamins and minerals contribute to the production of hormones.

Glyconutrients: These are the newly discovered nutrients that are all the talk in the research world. Both Harpers and Lippincott’s Biochemistry texts. which are used to teach med students biochemistry. include chapters on glyconutrients and their role as a necessary nutrient in normal cellular function.

Most doctors in practice today learned from these textbooks before these nutrients were discovered and added to these text books, but Continuing Medical Education (CME) is available for doctors to learn about glycobiology.

Glyconutrients, are sugars, but not like the refined sugars we get far too much of. In function, they are like letters of the alphabet for the cells. By building structures from these glyconutrients, our cells talk to each other. Because cells under attack, or cells in need or repair, have more to talk about than healthy cells, some people benefit greatly by consuming large amounts of the glyconutrients.

Mothers breast milk has at least 7 of the 8 known glyconutrients. It’s been shown that during pregnancy, the woman’s body does its best to manufacture extra glyconutrients for the fetus and later for feeding.

An important point should be made. All of these nutrients should be in the food you eat everyday. In fact, they always are. It’s just that they’re not in the quantities that they used to be. So when older generations say that you should be able to get all you need from diet alone, they are correct.

But the food that was available in the 40s and before is not the food we have available to us today. The rules changed. We don’t have as many of these nutrients in our food which is why taking supplements helps get them back into the body.

When you read a report on nutrition, look at how that report fits into the four cornerstones of nutrition. No nutrient stands alone so seek informaiton about balanced nutrient intake and take the reports about single nutrient studies with a grain of salt.

by David Saunders

Dave Saunders is a certified nutritional educator, wellness coach, member of the American International Association of Nutritional Education (AIANE) and author. He is also the host of a weekly, nation-wide telephone lecture on health and nutrition. For additional information, please visit his site on nutrition and glyconutrients at www.glycoboy.com or www.glycowellness.com or email Dave at dave@glycoboy.com

Have A Mocha & Fat Loss Too

2006-05-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Have Your Mocha and Fat Loss Too
By Lynn VanDyke, Master Trainer and Fitness Nutritionist

You have made a commitment to lose 10 pounds in the next 2 months. You are eating well and working out regularly. You are committed in every way possible - except one. Your specialty coffee drink of choice. Mochas, frappuccinos, breves and everything in between. You just cannot give up your daily cup of mocha madness.

I don't blame you. In fact I think the moment you begin to deprive yourself of anything you start a vicious cycle. You start craving the one thing you told yourself you cannot have. So what if we stop denying ourselves of our heavenly coffee drinks? Is it possible to still be on a diet and drink mochas?

Yes, it absolutely is. Continued On RGG Site

Optimum Fitness Is . . .

2006-04-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Fit for What?

Unless we're talking about our bodies, and the amount of exercise they can do, we usually talk about being fit in relation to something. An object is 'fit for use', clothing is 'fit to be worn at work', and food is 'fit to be eaten'. My parents used to have a running joke that they were fit - fit to drop! Everything else is fit 'for something'. So why do we insist on describing ourselves as 'fit' or 'unfit' without relating the concepts to anything else?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
It's a basic truth that the human body wasn't made to sit still for any length of time. We spent tens of thousands of years evolving in an environment that required us to move - to find shelter, to catch food, and to keep ourselves safe from predators. We've only been living lifestyles that allow us to be sedentary for the lesser part of a hundred years - not nearly enough time for evolution to adapt our bodies to this new environment. We see this constantly reflected in modern rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, chronic aches and pains, and muscular and bone deterioration in people who have become inactive as they age.

On top of this, activity has a very real effect on both stress and energy levels. Our bodies have a 'use-it-or-lose-it' way with energy - if we don't constantly use and then replace energy (with activity, followed by rest and good nutrition), we start noticing our energy levels gradually draining away. We feel tired, lethargic, and as though any amount of effort is just too much to be worth it. And if we're also under stress - for example, at work, or in a difficult relationship - we feel the energy loss and the stress even more intensely.

These are general principles that seem to be true whoever we are. But different lifestyles require different amounts of energy, and exact different prices in terms of stress. We enjoy doing, and our bodies are suited for, different kinds of activity. It makes sense then, that the amount and type of activity that will help us reach our optimum fitness, will be different.

DIFFERENT STROKES
If that's the case, then getting 'fit' without a frame of reference seems like a meaningless concept. Unless we know what we want to be 'fit for' - what fitness means to us - there's no reason for us to get or stay that way. If my life is basically calm, quiet and easy-flowing, and I'm quite happy to keep it that way, my 'optimum fitness' is going to be very different to someone who's discovered a deep fulfillment in setting themselves a goal and achieving it. Someone who'd just like to go for a walk with friends without getting puffed is going to have a different optimum fitness level to someone who wants to discover how it feels to finish a marathon.

On top of this, what people want often changes over time. Perhaps at one point in your life, you enjoyed spending a couple of hours a day exercising, but now you're finding there are things you'd like to do far more with that time. Alternatively, when you first started creating your optimum life for yourself, it might have been enough for you to just keep your body healthy. As you tried new activities though, you might have discovered you were actually enjoying some of them for their own sake, and wanting to get fitter so you could do more of them. So at different times in your life, you'd have a different optimum fitness level.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE "FIT FOR"?
Which brings us back to our original question - can we talk about being fit, without knowing what exactly we're 'fit for'? The way we see it, your optimum fitness level depends completely on what you want to be able to do in your daily life, how you want to be feeling, how much energy you'd like to have and how exercise fits in with the rest of your life. So your first step in moving closer to optimum fitness needs to be to make that all-important decision "What do I want to be fit for?"

by Tanja Gardner

About the Author:
Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Stress Management Coach and Personal Trainer whose articles on holistic health, relaxation and spirituality have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. For more information please visit check out http://optimumlife.co.nz, or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.

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8 Reasons To Lose Weight

2006-04-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a nagging, lagging goal of my own which is losing weight and increasing my energy supply. I got out of the habit late last year after a couple of injuries sidelined my fitness activity.

I never got consistent again, I have been fairly sporadic lately about my eating plans and fitness activities. So, I have been getting chunky with all the hours sitting at the computer, and not enough time spent exercising and/or walking and jogging.

It is time to get consistent in this area and by commiting to it here, I am giving myself one more reason why I must make this a habitual, routine, every day focus until I have developed the habit again. I am a big believer of having enough compelling reasons to keep myself going even when emotions are pulling me in the other direction.

I found this article which gives 8 such reasons and I will post some more when I go through my journal and find others.

8 Reasons To Lose Weight by Mark Kimathi

Obesity is the second leading cause of death after smoking. It is associated with an increased mortality rate of all ages including children. Losing weight though commercialized is still to your benefit if you carry more weight than you should.

Obesity and overweight are term often used interchangeably. However, technically they refer to two different states.

Being overweight technically means excess body mass. This includes all the body tissues. Obesity on the other hand refers explicitly to excess body fat e.g. a professional heavy weight body builder is overweight because of excess muscles but is not obese.

Obesity is what should concern you. Losing weight is no longer an issue you can afford to procrastinate, and probably a good health scare is in order.

Reason #1 to lose weight
Diabetes:- It is well known that 80 -90% of type-two-diabetes patients are overweight. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as the leading cause of adult blindness in the world. One of the direct causes of obesity is eating wrong foods. Some of these wrong foods include high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are energy dense foods that quickly increase the level of blood glucose in your body after been eaten. This results to the body reserving the unnecessarily high glucose/energy into fat. This makes losing weight very difficult.

Releasing a hormone called insulin does this. Type-Two-diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess blood glucose and store it as body fat. This will occur after straining insulin production for some time. And that’s how you end up being fat and diabetic.

Reason #2 to lose weight
Stroke:- Obesity is associated with arteriosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries through out your body. This makes them narrow slowing blood flow and among other things increases risk of the blood clotting. Arteries at risk include those supplying blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain resulting to stroke. Losing weight reduces this risk.

Reason #3 to lose weight
Cancer:- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates between 25% - 33% of cancer world wide are overweight and physical inactivity related. Body fat evidently promotes higher levels of insulin production and excess estoregens, a hormone. Both insulin and estorogens accelerate cell division.

[Probably to create adipose tissue; new fat cells to store fat, in addition to the regular cell division]

As research has indicated, the faster cells duplicate the more they increase chances of a cancerous cell developing. The situation is further complicated as the rapid cell division caused by the excess hormones lead also to rapid cell reproduction of the one cancerous cell, hence cancer starts to develop actively. In addition fat cells tend to keep carcinogenic i.e. cancer-causing agents, trapped in the body which increases chances of developing cancer.
Types of cancers you will be at high risk to get include:

Breast cancer- affecting the breast possibly in both men and women.
Colorectal cancer- affecting colon and rectum.
Prostrate cancer- affecting the prostrate gland in men.
Endometrial cancer- affecting the uterus.
Esophageal cancer- affecting the esophagus.
Renal cell cancer, the cancer of the kidney, etc.

Reason #4 to lose weight
Respiratory problems:- Obesity causes lungs to “become smaller” in size and chest wall become heavier to lift in the process of breathing in. The most common respiratory problem is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where by an individual stops breathing for some time while asleep. A soft tissue in the throat collapses around the air way probably due to weight, blocking it. For the severely obese sleep apnea may get more complicated with hypoventilation. Hypoventilation is accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide (the gas we breathe out) in the blood, due to inadequate breathing. Losing weight would be the only permanent safe and healthy solution to sleep apnea.

Reason #5 to lose weight
Urinary Incontinence:- This is involuntary release of urine. Being overweight can contribute to urinary incontinence. A heavy abdomen due to body fat deposit may cause valve of urinary bladder to be weakened. The weight also exerts pressure on the urinary bladder, trying to push urine out. This results to leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is because of a slight relaxation of the bladder valve that normally will not result to leakage. It can even result to bed wetting at night. This particular problem can be a very effective motivator to lose weight.

Reason #6 to lose weight
Varicose veins:- Also known as Venous Stratis Disease. The leg and thigh muscles assist the heart in blood circulation just like most large muscles in the body. They are involved in pumping blood against gravity back to the heart with the help of valves that close to avoid a backward flow. Pressure as a result of a large abdomen may increase the work load on the valves eventually causing damage. Damaged valves then allow for blood to back up, due to gravity, causing high pressure in these veins leading to swelling, thickening of skin and skin ulcers.

Reason #7 to lose weight
High Blood Pressure:- The BMI (Body Mass Index) and age together are the strongest indicator of risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. At least a third of hypertension is related to obesity.

Reason #8 to lose weight
Other Diseases:- Other diseases which MAY occur as a result of being overweight include;

Gout
Coronary heart disease
Lower back pains
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gall stones
Pregnancy disorders such as
Neural tube defect,
Prenatal mortality,
Maternal hypertension,
Gestational diabetes etc.
Impaired immune response
Liver disease
Pancreatitis
Bad body smell
Depression

Research shows that even modest weight loss of even 10 pound for the overweight significantly reduces the risk of developing these diseases. Weight loss is in fact a challenge taken by many every year.

Unfortunately many fail in this healthy endeavor. And all because of one thing; they lack proper information on effective weight loss. Effective weight loss is permanent, and a permanent weight loss depends fundamentally on four factors. These four are what we at Health-eMark call the ‘Top 4 Reasons for Weight Loss Failure’.

This article was authored at Health-eMark.com. Health-eMark.com is a source of weight loss information and its permanent solutions. It uniquely approaches weight loss from the perspective of the 'Top 4 Reason for Weight Loss Failure'.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Kimathi

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Achieve Your Fitness Goals

2006-04-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Achieve Fitness Goals by Being Easy on Yourself

Sometimes we get down on ourselves.

Maybe we didn’t perform the way we wanted to at a presentation for work, didn’t do all the studying we could for an exam or review, needed more time and put out a product that was only good—not the best.

When this happens, most people—myself included!—tend to get a bit down on ourselves. We feel like we have failed our expectations and didn’t live up to our standards. And maybe this is true, maybe we could have taken some more time to prepare that PowerPoint for a presentation, studied a little bit harder or spent more quality time developing a killer product—all these, we could have done and the end result would have been better.

These are our lessons, the reason we have them is to grow. So let’s look at it that way—as growing experiences—and STOP BEING HARD ON YOURSELF!

Being hard on yourself will only bring you into a dark place where the only thing around is question marks about your potential success. What is going to happen to me? Who noticed that I messed up? Will I ever do what I want to do? Get out of the negative and your life will ease up, I promise.

This is no different with your fitness and health goals. If you become your own worst drill sergeant—screaming and shouting at your last mess up—you will not build the positive support within yourself to sustain an enlightened and lasting fitness and health program. I promise you this as well.

You can see how this affects professional athletes all the time. Watch tennis and take careful notice of how the players react to their own missed shots. If a player hits the ball into the net and reacts poorly, chances are the next three or four rallies will have more errors on his or her part. What is happening is this…

His conscience is being a drill sergeant. He is screaming his head off at the player telling him to stop screwing up! While he’s still screaming, he’s still playing tennis and so now he’s listening to his drill sergeant and trying to hit a first serve that’s over 100 mph! Talk about some serious multitasking! These conversations are negative and counter-productive.

Instead, to avoid this berating, he should acknowledge his mistake and calmly peacefully let it go. How? Take a breath. Concentrate more. Don’t correct his swing or positioning, just concentrate on what his doing—in this case hitting a tennis ball. I guarantee he will not flub his next few shots.

Same with baseball pitchers. You’ve seen the guys who miss a few strikes then start getting into their heads and swearing and cursing on the mound. What happens is the same, the drill sergeant gets talking and the concentration is out the window. This is when they give up homeruns and unintentional walks.

Master pitchers have learned to shrug off bad pitches and concentrate on the task they are there to complete. I’ve seen many games where a great pitcher has missed on one pitch and given up a homerun, then come back and shut the other team out for the remaining innings. Pitchers like these are masters not only at throwing the ball hard—but of concentration.

You cannot do everything perfectly.

If you get off track, take a day to breathe, look over your goals and then refocus your concentration. For many of us, fitness and health require a lifestyle change that creates LASTING habits! You’re bound to slip up once and a while, so don’t kill yourself.

Here’s a great story my coach, Nick, told me when I was struggling with being too hard on myself.

There was a young boy named Michael, about 10 years old, that Nick had been counseling for a short period of time. Michael was overweight and was having a tremendously difficult time in school. He had trouble with his math and was a level or two behind in reading. He just didn’t feel good about himself and the other kids were starting to pick on him because of his reading deficiencies and, of course, his weight.

Nick had met with Michael a few times and now the issue they were discussing was his performance at school. After pulling some teeth to get Michael to talk about his problems in school and with the other kids, Nick was unsure of how to proceed with the session. So he asked Michael a very blunt and straightforward question. “How do you felt about yourself?”

Michael responded with this, “I feel like a big fat failure.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold on a second,” Nick said, “What makes you feel like that?”

“I don’t know, I just am.”

“Well Michael, why don’t you tell me about something that you really like.”

Michael looked up to the ceiling. “I like animals!”

“And tell me, what’s your favorite animal?”

“The Cheetah!” Michael nearly jumped out of his seat.

“Great!” Nick matched his enthusiasm, “and tell me about the cheetah.”

In double-time, Michael began to tell Nick all about the cheetah, how it walks, how it eats, how it sleeps, when it sleeps, again what it eats—to the point where a non-caring Nick would have kicked himself for asking this question at all.

When Michael seemed to be winding down, Nick gently interrupted.

“Wow, you certainly know a lot about the cheetah don’t you? You mentioned something that I want to talk about. You said that the cheetah eats zebras, right?”

“Yeah, and antelope, and…”

“Well, Michael, when the cheetah goes out and hunts, so you know how many times he gets the prey and can eat dinner?”

Michael thought for a minute then exclaimed, “All the time!”

Nick’s face became more serious, knowing Michael was wrong and he slowly gave Michael his lesson, “That’s not true, Michael. The cheetah is lucky if he gets to eat once or twice a week. He hunts many times and doesn’t catch a thing. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t”

“Michael, the Cheetah is a very special animal because it keeps trying all the time, day after day so it can eat. He may miss his dinner 4 or 5 times in a week. Now would you call the cheetah a big fat failure for not being successful every time?”

Michael got the lesson Nick was trying to teach him and started performing better in school.

We can’t be at our prime all the time, and when we aren’t we absolutely cannot punish ourselves for it. Be more like the Cheetah, go out everyday knowing that you are doing what you need to be successful.

If you fail, breathe, and come back more concentrated the next day. You will be a success, I’m sure of it!

How to be a Cheetah

Here are the tools that will allow you to tell your drill sergeant that he or she’s better off making sure we don’t forget our business appointments that interfering with our fitness and health successes!

Step One: When you start to hear the drill sergeant, listen to his speak for a short time. Listen to what he says. They will probably be similar to things like this “You stupid…” or “I don’t believe you just…” or “Why can’t you ever keep a commitment for…” For this step, just be aware that this is happening so you can recognize it when it happens again.

Step Two: Tell your drill sergeant that you are thankful he is around. Seriously. Thank him for sharing his thoughts because this same drill sergeant is the one who gets you out of bed in the morning (he’s not all negative!).

Step Three: Take a few deep breaths.

Step Four: Ask your conscience to move on to the next thought. If the next thought is just as negative and just as degrading, repeat the four steps!

When you master this, you will be able to deal with your drill sergeant easily and quickly before you begin to start the self-doubt that can destroy your chances of reaching your ultimate fitness goals!

by Kevin Gianni

Kevin Gianni is the holistic fitness expert. He is a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Lifestyle Fitness, a home workout program that gives you the tools to radically change your views on health and fitness for the rest of your life.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter that has the fitness and health tips other "gurus" are charging big bucks for.
www.yourlifestylefitness.com
kevin@yourlifestylefitness.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Cleanse For Weight Loss!

2006-04-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Cleansing the Body for a Detox Weight Loss!
By Ross Bridgeford

Cleansing: How to Kickstart your Alkaline Lifestyle

Due to the highly acidic diet that most people in the UK are used to, our bodies urgently need to be cleaned up! It is important to do a cleanse to rid the body of impurities, normalise digestion and metabolism and realign the body to an alkaline pH level of 7.365.

Cleansing eliminates acid wastes and negative microforms throughout the body, detoxifying the blood, tissues and digestive systems.

Due to the removal of so many toxins and waste from the body it is not uncommon for someone on the cleanse to feel worse before they become better. Symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and excess mucus can occur, however, it is important to remember that this is simply the body trying to flush out the excess toxins.

The levels of ‘detox symptoms’ varies from individual to individual and it is important to ensure that whilst cleansing you must remain totally hydrated with alkaline water and green drinks as this will allow the toxins to flush out more quickly.

How To Cleanse - The Basics: Step by Step

Cleansing is not a complicated process, however there are a number of simple rules that should be adhered to in order to maximise its effectiveness.

Water

It is absolutely essential during the cleanse that you consume at least four litres of high quality, alkalizing water each day. The toxins that the body is trying to expel will attempt to leave the body in a number of different ways, including through producing increase mucus, through the skin (spots) and through the waste we produce.

By remaining fully hydrated and alkalised the body is given the opportunity to rapidly flush out toxins ensuring that ‘detox symptoms’ are minimised while refreshing your body with the fluids it needs on a daily basis.

Liquid Feasting

During the cleanse the most important thing to remember is that this is not a fast! The cleanse is quite the opposite as it is designed to feed your body with all of the nutrients that will aid repair and give the body the energy and replenishment it needs during the cleansing process.

The quickest and most efficient way to alkalise and deliver nutrients to the body is through liquids as this is a form that allows the absorption of nutrients most effectively ensuring minimal waste. Raw soups, vegetable juices, green drinks are all highly alkalizing and vital to the cleanse.

Supplements and Essential Fatty Acids

Although it is not absolutely essential to use supplements during a cleanse, it is highly recommended. The two most beneficial supplements during the cleanse are the Supergreens powder (or capsules) and the Prime pH drops (or alternate brands such as Inner Balance).

These two supplements provide not only high fibre, protein, alkaline salts, and a vast array of vitamins and nutrients but are also anti-yeast, antifungal and anti-mycotoxic, making the water that you drink far more alkalizing.

Essential oils (ensure they are cold pressed oils such as Udo's Choice), including omega 3 and omega 6 are important in mobilising stored fats and toxins within the body, providing a wide range of benefits including: lower blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of stroke or heart disease increased weight loss through an increase of the metabolic rate and fat burn-off, killing of cancer cells, prevention of liver damage, improved hair, nails and skin, creation of a healthy environment for human cells, particularly brain cells, nerve synapses, visual receptors, adrenal glands and sex glands.

A good multi-vitamin is also recommended which contains a good range of minerals and preferably alkaline salts. Do ensure that any supplement you do take is vegan friendly and does not contain yeast.

A Rough Guide...

A cleanse can last anything from 1 to 7 days and beyond depending upon your level of health (although it is recommended to seek advice if undertaking a long-term cleanse). It is not a complicated process and the most important thing to remember is that this is not a fast - eat until you are satisfied!

The cleanse is quite the opposite to a fast as it is designed to feed your body with all of the nutrients that will aid repair and give the body the energy and replenishment it needs during the cleansing process. The cleanse will alkalise and super-hydrate your body setting you on the journey to optimal living health.

Nutrition advice is always readily available at Energise for Life. Experts in alkaline diets and alkalising we also supply a wide range of supplements including supergreens and ultra greens!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Healthful Flax Seeds

2006-04-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Flax Seed Eh? By Karen Butterworth

Flax seed has been popping up out of nowhere lately. Why you might ask? Well because of its many health benefits.

The first time you see flax seeds you were probably, like “ok, they look like sesame seeds, who are you trying to fool?” They may look like sesame seeds, but boy do they pack in a lot of nutrition. Flax seeds may come in different colors, but the colors don’t anything to do with the value of their nutrition. They are all equally beneficial to you.

Flax seeds are basically available everywhere. You can purchase then at a health food store to a place were you buy natural foods sold in bulk. You can either buy the seeds just like that, or you can buy the flax supplements in pill form. Whatever you fell more comfortable with.

But now let’s talk about the nutritional values of flax seed. They are the best source for Omega 3 fatty acids, which is great for the brain and concentration. Adding flax seeds to your diet can increase your ability to concentrate better and think faster.

Some of the nutrients we get from flax seeds are fiber, protein and vitamins and minerals.

The fiber in the flax seeds can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. The seeds are a great source for protein, for every 100 grams of the flax seeds you can get about 25030 grams of protein. Flax seeds contain vitamin E and B. The seeds are also rich in zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, nickel, calcium and many other essential minerals.

There are many benefits to adding flax seeds to your diet. Well for instance they can get rid of your constipation problem. The seeds are like an astringent and kind of have a laxative action. You might be surprised, but flax seeds can also help with your acne problems. The presence of fatty acids in the seeds helps to control the production of androgens, which causes acne.

There are also many ways of consuming the seeds. You can simply just chew them. You can grind the seeds to make a power. You can then mix the powder in juice, cereal or a non-dairy smoothie. If you want you can also sprinkle the powder over a salad.

But you should be drinking a lot of water after consuming the seeds. And be sure to eat just the right amounts. No more then 3 tablespoons twice a day, if you exceed that by large amounts it can cause a toxic effect. So be careful.

About the Author: Karen Butterworth is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.celebrex-n-vioxx-alternatives.com/ . Her articles have also been featured on related sites such as http://www.alternativediets.info/ and http://www.alternativehealingtips.info/

Source: www.isnare.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
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The Power Of Positive Habits

Improve Your Eating Habits

2006-04-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

Improve Your Eating Habits
By Clare Evans

1. Water. If you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated. The majority of us don’t tend to drink enough during the day. If you drink a lot of tea and coffee to keep you going then these have a diuretic effect so you should be drinking water to compensate.

Have a glass of water first thing in the morning and last thing at night – your body loses a lot of water while you’re asleep – not only if it’s warm and you sweat a lot but just going 8 hours (if you’re so lucky) without food or drink it’s going to be dehydrated.

Dehydration can also be mistaken for hunger – have a glass of water first before reaching for a snack or eating a meal.

2. Fruit & Veg. Fruit and vegetables provide you with vitamins, minerals and fibre to help keep your body healthy. Eat a piece of fruit or drink fresh juice for breakfast. Fresh berries on muesli or porridge or cereal. Have fruit as a snack during the day and salad and vegetables with your main meals.

If you can, buy organic and wash fruit and vegetables before eating unless your peeling them. Pesticide residues are more likely to remain on the skin and fruits such as apples are often treated in storage.

3. Avoid processed food. With the increased reliance on ready-prepared meals, take-aways and convenience food to save time there is an increase in the amount of processed food that people eat.

Before you buy that convenience meal – check the label. How much sugar, salt, hydrogenated fat, E preservatives, colouring does it contain? Because it’s processed – a lot of the flavour and goodness is lost and has to be added. Because it needs to survive transport, increased shelf-life and cooking fats and preservatives are added. And how much does it really cost. Cooking simple meals such as stir-fries and casseroles are just as convenient and so much better for you.

4. Fresh Juice. One great way to kick-start your day and gently wake up your digestive system is to have a fresh juice every morning. I don’t mean orange juice with your breakfast but fresh vegetable juices. Invest in a good juicer, buy local organic produce and find out how good fresh juice is.

An easy recipe you can have every day is one apple, one carrot (peeled), stick of celery, cube of ginger and thick slice of lemon (remove rind).

5. Fish. Eat fish at least once a week. It contains healthy Omega 3 oils, which are good for your joints, and nerves. Flax and hemp oils offer an alternative for non-fish eaters.

6. Eat regularly. Get into the habit of eating breakfast. Your body has been without food over night – break the fast with a glass of fresh juice (see above) and then a healthy bowl of cereal, muesli or porridge (avoid those loaded with salt and sugar). Try to eat every 2-3 hours – little and often – to avoid your blood sugar levels fluctuating too much. Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the evening. Your body will naturally be slowing down at that time and food eaten late is more likely to be stored as fat.

7. Alcohol. There’s nothing wrong with the odd glass of wine, in fact these days it’s seen to be healthy for the anti-oxidants it contains. Excess alcohol causes your kidneys and liver to work overtime to rid the body of the toxins. Know your limits and drink water to help your body eliminate the toxins.

8. Sugar and Salt. These two ingredients are added to most processed food. They add flavour and act as a preservative but they can be present even in foods you don't expect or are labelled in ways that you don't recognise. Sugar is empty calories, in it's basic form it contains little nutritional value. Natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables are all you need. Avoid adding sugar to food and drinks and avoid synthetic replacements. Watch your salt limits too.

9. Know what you’re eating. Be aware of the food that you’re putting in your body. Read the food labels if you buy tinned, processed produce to be aware of how much salt, sugar and fat is in the food you buy. Buy organic meat whenever possible to avoid the steroids, hormones and anti-biotics that are in factory farmed meat. Know how much sugar, salt and fat you should be eating.

10. Balanced diet. One of the most important ways to improve your eating habits is to have a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole food, fish and meat, nuts and seeds. Everything in moderation. Keep fatty and sugary foods low but if you enjoy chocolate, cakes and curries there’s nothing wrong with having one once in a while.

If you’d like help in putting some structure in place to organise your health – contact me through my website.

Clare Evans – Do more of what you want, less of what you don’t.
www.clareevans.co.uk.

Clare is a Personal and Business Coach who works with individuals and small business owners to help them organise their time more effectively and create a better work life balance - enabling them to spend more time doing what they want and less time doing what they don't.

Contact me today to find out how to create balance in your life.
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The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

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The Power Of Positive Habits

Key To A Healthy Diet

2006-03-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Your Best Key To A Healthy Diet: Variety
By Joan Winthorp

It has been said that variety is the spice of life, and that is certainly true when trying to eat a healthy diet. No one likes to eat the same thing day after day, and boredom is the enemy of a healthy diet.

Fortunately for those trying to follow a healthy diet, there is plenty of variety to be had in healthy foods. In addition to the hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables available at the average grocery store, there is a wide variety of beans, lentils, nuts, meat, dairy products, fish and poultry. There is no need for boredom to set in when pursuing a healthier lifestyle.’

The key to enjoying a variety of foods while eating healthy is to plan meals carefully and be sure to use the many varieties of foods that are available. Using a combination of fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and whole grains, it is possible to create a fresh, exciting and healthful meal every day of the week.

Nutritionists often stress the importance of a varied diet, both for nutritional and psychological reasons. A varied diet is essential for good health, since different types of foods contain different types of nutrients. And following a varied diet is important to your psychological well being as well, since feeling deprived of your favorite foods can lead you to give up your healthy lifestyle.

It is much better to continue eating the foods you like, but to eat them in moderation. Instead of giving up that juicy bacon, for instance, have it as an occasional treat, perhaps pairing it with an egg white omelet instead of a plateful of scrambled eggs. As with everything else in life, good nutrition is a tradeoff.

It is important for everyone to eat foods from the five major food groups each and every day. The five food groups identified by the USDA include grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy and meat and beans. Each of these food groups contains specific nutrients, so it is important to eat a combination of these foods to ensure proper levels of nutrition.

Of course simply choosing foods from the five food groups is not enough. After all a meal from the five food groups could include cake, candied yams, avocados, ice cream and bacon. Although all five food groups are represented, no one would try to argue that this is a healthy day’s menu. Choosing the best foods from within each group, and eating the less healthy foods in moderation, is the best way to ensure a healthy and varied diet.

For instance, choosing healthy, lean meats is a great way to get the protein you need without consuming unnecessary fat and calories. And removing fat and skin from chicken is a great way to eliminate extra fat and calories.

When choosing breads and cereals, it is usually best to choose those that carry the whole grain designation. Whole grains, those that have not been overly refined, contain greater nutritional qualities and fewer sugars.

In addition, many grains and cereals are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. While this vitamin fortification is important, it should be seen as a bonus, not as a substitute for a proper diet. Many foods are supplemented with important nutrients such as calcium (essential for strong bones and teeth) and folic acid (important in preventing birth defects).

Substituting healthier foods for less healthy ones is a cornerstone of a healthy diet. For instance, substituting lean cuts of meat for fattier ones, and substituting skinless chicken or turkey breast for less healthy drumsticks, is a great way to maximize nutrition without sacrificing good taste.

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, or what your ultimate fitness goals may be, you will find that a good understanding of nutrition will form the basis of your healthy diet. Understanding how the various food groups work together to form a healthy diet will go a long way toward helping you meet your ultimate fitness goals.

Whether your goal is to run a marathon, lose ten pounds or just feel better, knowledge is power, and nutritional knowledge will power your diet for the rest of your life.

About the Author: Joan Winthorp is a fitness and nutrition expert. If you ever wanted to know if the Low-Carb-Diet works or does not - than the website at http://www.low-carb-diet-secrets.com was written just for you.

Source: www.isnare.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Low Impact Swimming Workouts

2006-03-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Swimming Workout

A swimming workout can be a new and refreshing way to get or stay in shape. Swimming is a full body aerobic sport that tones muscles, improves strength and flexibility, increases circulation, controls weight and enhances body contours.

Swimming workouts give you a low impact activity that can easily be tailored to match your abilities. A good way to gain cardiovascular stamina is to exercise in a swimming pool.

The secret to a good swimming exercise program is to work with the water. To accomplish this, propel yourself through the water by using your abs, hips and shoulders.

To understand why water exercise works so well, you need to know about water's unique properties. In water, your body has almost no gravity. You're relieved of 90% of your body weight so you become very buoyant.

You can float, bob and relax without feeling like you're putting out any effort. Yet water provides 12 to 14 percent more resistance than air, so as you move through it, it's like having weights around you.

Swimming laps is great exercise in a swimming pool. Try different strokes to vary the muscles you work to keep your workout balanced.

Going vertical or upright is another very effective exercise in water. These types of water workouts include water walking, jogging, water aerobics, water toning, water therapy, water yoga and water flexibility training.

You can strengthen your muscles with these vertical water workouts because you experience 75% greater resistance than swimming horizontally. This vertical position maximizes the resistance of water against your movements.

Water based activities can provide significant benefits for older adults too. In addition to increasing metabolism, physical activity can improve cardiovascular health and increase strength, not to mention the psychological and social benefits as well.

Joining an aquatics class or just sharing a swimming workout with a friend can help you feel better about yourself. You can be more socially active, engage in community activities and tend to not lose your independence because you are more physically fit.

The bottom line is to choose activities that you enjoy and will stick with. It is never too late to introduce physical activity into your life. Swimming workouts can provide a healthy and enjoyable way to get back the fun you use to have as a child.

This article is supplied by www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

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The Power Of Positive Habits

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Start Losing Weight Today!

2006-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Start Losing Weight Today!
By Kirsten Hawkins

I'll start my diet on Monday. How many times have you told yourself that? Right after New Years', I swear. Tomorrow. Are you tired of hearing yourself say the same old excuses day after day, month after month, year after year? If so, listen up! Here are five things you can do to start losing weight today!

Activate.

The most important ingredient in your weight loss plan is exercise. If you think that's a dirty word, it's time to clean it up. Exercise is just what you do every time you move. Starting today, resolve to activate your life. Leave the car keys behind and walk to the corner store. Race yourself to get your housework done in ten minutes less time (because the more vigorous your movement, the more calories you burn). Get off the elevator one floor early and walk up the stairs. Every extra active thing you do will burn calories - and the more calories you burn, the more weight you'll lose.

When you're ready to really activate, get a physical workout designed with your interests in mind. Join a gym, take up a sport, or walk 10,000 steps a day. But don't wait until you think you can do it all. Just take a few extra steps today.

Motivate.

Grab a pen and notebook and start writing down all the reasons you should lose weight. Don't stop till you get to ten, at the very least. Here are some suggestions:

1. I’ll be healthier - losing as little as 10 pounds can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes and a host of other weight-related illnesses.

2. I’ll save money. Super-size costs more - whether it's an extra $2 for the nightgown you want or having to travel first class for the seat space.

3. I’ll be able to keep up with my kids. It takes energy to keep up with kids, and extra weight saps your energy. Lose ten pounds and see how much better you feel.

4. I’ll get back into my favorite jeans.

5. I’ll find souvenir t-shirts that fit anywhere I go.

Cogitate.

Got your ten reasons? Don't stop writing. Keep that pen and notebook with you all day and write down every single thing you put into your mouth. Just for one day. You'll be surprised at all the 'unexpected' calories you catch yourself eating. The last two French fries on your son's plate. The two bites of chicken you tasted to make sure of the seasoning. The 'just one bite' of your husband's ice cream cone. The handful of potato chips you snagged from the bowl on your way by. Write down every single bite for one day to make yourself aware of all the food that you didn't even realize you were eating. Once you find it, you can start cutting it out.

Educate.

Take a trip to the Internet and visit these educational sites:

The American Heart Association
The USDA Food Pyramid
iVillage Diet and Nutrition section
The Diet Channel
The South Beach Diet web site
The Atkins Diet web site
The Mayo Clinic web site's Diet and Nutrition pages

Educate yourself about healthy diets and weight loss, and find a diet that you believe you can live with for the rest of your life. It's the only way that you'll lose weight and keep it off permanently.

Salivate.

If you think that diet food is boring, find a good low-fat cookbook and start re-educating your taste-buds. Healthy, low-fat, low-carb cooking is delicious - prove it to yourself with a recipe for dinner. While you're at it, pick one for tomorrow night, too. You can start your diet AGAIN tomorrow!

About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.

Source: www.isnare.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Beginning An Alkaline Lifestyle

2006-03-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Beginning an Alkaline Diet: The Basic Principles - Start Alkalizing Today!
By Ross Bridgeford

Each and every person living in the UK is facing a myriad of health and lifestyle challenges every day.

We are constantly being fed new information about what is healthy and what is unhealthy while thousands of us try to deal with problems ranging from obesity to fatigue to life threatening diseases.

The alkalarian approach to diet offers a simple, basic understanding of what causes the body to become ‘out of balance’. Through what has become the typical Western diet largely based around meat, dairy, sugars, alcohol, saturated fats and caffeine, millions of us have created a hostile, acidic environment within our bodies.

The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.

When our pH level is unbalanced, almost any area of our bodies can be negatively affected creating results such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, weight problems, allergies, fatigue and premature aging as well as problems with our nervous system, cardiovascular system and muscles.

Where to Start

To begin to alkalise it is important to start consuming alkalising foods and drinks while eliminating acidifying foods and drinks from your diet. As a rough guide you should try to include some of the following:

Foods that Alkalize:

Vegetables: Spinach, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber, lettuce, courgette, cabbage, greens, swede, squash (summer, butternut, yellow etc), peppers, chili, tomato, onion, garlic, chickpeas, pinto beans, kidney beans, spring onion, root ginger

Salads: Lettuce, spinach, celery, cucumber, nuts (aside from peanuts and cashews), seeds, avocado, carrots etc.

Herbs & Spices: Basil, parsley, mint, coriander, ginger, cumin etc.

Essential Fats: Flax/Linseed, Evening Primrose, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil or an oil blend such as Udo' Choice

Fruits: ONLY - Lemons, Lime, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Tomato, Avocado - all other fruits to be used quite sparingly

Grasses: Wheat, barley, kamut, lemon, shave etc.

Sprouts: Alfalfa, mung bean, broccoli, radish, wheat, lentil, fenugreek etc.

Dips and Sauces: Pesto, hummus, tahini, guacamole etc.

Foods that Acidify:

Sugar
Dairy Products
Meat (aside from occasional coldwater fish)
Caffeine
Tobacco
Wheat (aside from sprouts or wheatgrass)
Fruit (apart from those mentioned above)
Bad fats (saturated, transfatty acids, hydrogenated)
Junk/ Processed foods
Fizzy drinks
Peanuts and Cashews
Pasta and White Rice
Condiments

The most effective way to reverse the trend of over-acidification is to ‘cleanse’ the body of toxins and rapidly create an alkaline environment in which the body can heal itself. Cleansing is a natural, holistic method of healing in which the body detoxifies itself and regenerates healthy vibrant cells, effectively becoming more alkalized.

For some people, cleansing can put an individual one year ahead in the healing process!

This is a very brief outline of the most important principles of an alkaline diet. We highly recommend you read both The pH Miracle and Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill to gain a full understanding of an alkaline lifestyle.

Nutrition Advice from Energise for Life

Energise for Life aims to bring you the very best in health and nutrition advice, resources, news and articles as well as the products, equipment, supplements and superfoods you need to achieve optimal health and nutrition.

Experts in Alkalizing and all things Alkaline

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Can't Get To The Gym?

2006-03-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Can't Get To The Gym? Do Lock & Release At Your Desk
By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

It’s easy to lose that fine muscle tone you either had, or wished you had, if you’re chained to your desk at work.

But you don’t have to just sit there and turn into a gelatinous blob.

A simple type of exercise that has been around forever can rescue you:

Isometrics.

Isometric exercise is super easy. One way to do it is to press your hands against an immovable object, such as your chair. You’ll be creating resistance, which of course is the same principle that you’ll use with weights and most exercise machines.

Do you remember seeing that picture of martial artist Bruce Lee as he grimaced, and his shredded, incredibly defined muscles seemed to burst through his skin? In that very pose Lee was doing a form of isometrics referred to as “lock & release.”

This is very similar to pushing down on or pulling up on your chair, except, there’s no chair involved. You can be standing by yourself, or sitting, and you consciously “lock” all of your muscles, or selected muscle groups.

This body-tensing can last for a second or two, or longer, depending on your fitness level and desired effect. What you’ll find, afterwards, is a feeling of tightness that’s the same as what you’ll experience by going to a gym, working the same muscles on a machine.

The toning action of isometrics is really extraordinary. Whether you’re working abs, arms, or legs, you should be able, over the course of time, to get more definition, providing your diet isn’t out of whack.

Isometrics can also provide some stress relief, which is always nice, and you can do them anywhere, without gadgetry. As with any exercise program, start gradually, adding resistance as you go.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant.

He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_S._Goodman

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Should You Exercise?

2006-02-25T02:54:00.000-08:00

If you are having trouble getting started on a fitness program, Check this out. I was over at Kevin Gianni's blog earlier and he posted a great article on just getting started with some kind of action, any kind of action, to improve your health and fitness. Take a few minutes and read some his stuff. You will be glad you did. It is here: You Don’t Have to Get it Right...You Just Have to Get it Started!. Now to our own message for today.

Exercise Fact Or Fiction
By Paul Hegarty

Did you know that the average life span of men and women is around 80 years? Unfortunately a lot of us feel that age before we get to 50. Some of us, men especially, will go out and buy a fancy car and take extreme care of it. Then when were done detailing the car, we will go and eat a burger and fries and maybe drink a beer to wash it down.

The other thing I find amusing is when I go to the gym and find myself fighting to park as close to the building as possible. Here I am paying to exercise and then I refuse to walk more than 20 paces to enter the complex.

These days there are many supplements on the market to loose weight, however what is important to note is, that they do not substitute for exercise. Many of us of course have a busy schedule, and find it hard to fit it in to our busy working days.

I heard in the news recently that a vast majority of Americans are having difficulty sleeping. This makes sense since many people do not exercise.

The human body needs to move in order to maintain and increase strength. The heart needs to beat. Oxygen needs to circulate through the body. Aside from anyone’s aspiration to look good, exercise is essential. Lack of exercise leads to premature aging, sagging skin, aches and pains, and much more.

These are the external effects; internally you could be dealing with clogged vessels, diabetes, nervous tension, and high blood pressure. The sad part is that these symptoms can set in when it is almost too late. You cannot turn the clock back, and as I have often said regrets can be extremely depressing.

The human body is mind blowing in its complexity and functionality. Take sure simple steps to fit exercise into your day. Simple things just like stretching, breathing, weather permitting a short walk. Yoga is a great way to fit exercise into your work days. Just by breathing or stretching you can help the body.

When going to the store, park far away and walk. Do the simple things, do not beat yourself over the head and make it a chore to exercise. Write down the things you like to do that involves exercise, such as hiking, golf, cycling, gardening, swimming, and then do more of that.

Vary the fitness routine. Variety promotes interest.

When traveling, if in a hotel use there gym, it is free when you stay there.

Most Importantly! Start Today!

Sign up for our monthly newsletter at http://www.learningfromdvds.com and get your free e-book on memory, along with a wide selection of fitness DVDs.

Paul Hegarty is the owner of learningfromdvds.com. A guide to educational DVDs with price comparisons, reviews, and free E-books. Read this month’s e-book on "How To Spot A fraudulent Email". Grab your free copy today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hegarty

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

5 Keys To Healthy Eating

2006-02-25T02:32:00.000-08:00

The Five Keys to Healthy Eating
By Jeremy Likness

1. Enjoy what you eat

Whether someone is following the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the advice contained in Tom Venuto's e-Book, “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” or even a program of their own design, success depends on enjoying what you eat. When you don't enjoy your food, you resist it. Resistance creates stress and stress is counter-productive to fat loss. It is important to look at eating as a part of your life, not a chore that interrupts your life.

The question ultimately becomes, “How do I learn to enjoy healthy foods?” Most people did not enjoy their first cup of coffee or can of beer. What happened is that in their environment, external pressures – stress, fatigue, peer pressure – created a desire to enjoy that steaming hot espresso or to be able to chug down a draught of beer with the best of their buddies.

Eventually, a strange thing happened – when the coffee cup was repeatedly associated with more energy or productivity, or simply the pleasure of settling down to read something while draining the cup, or when the beer became associated with fun times and great parties, they “acquired a taste.”

You can acquire a taste for healthy foods. It is important to understand how you operate, to determine if it makes sense to go “cold turkey” or transition. Many people cling to diets that allow “free days” or “gorge fests” because they never really learn to enjoy the healthy food – they need the psychological crutch of getting comfortable again (if comfortable means bloated and nauseous from overeating junk food) and live from “free day” to “free day.”

Is this you? If so, you might start transitioning and looking for an alternative. Instead of a free day, how about this: have a few free meals and then focus on enjoying the food that you consume throughout the week. Experiment with new recipes.

Don't like raw vegetables? Try steamed. Don't like them plain? Spice them up. As you lose weight and gain energy, focus on the connection between your healthy foods and your new physique. Before long, you might even “acquire a taste” for healthy foods.

2. Believe in what you are doing Belief is an important component of any lifestyle. If you don't believe what you are doing will work, why should you continue to do it? Often times, the lack of belief is not in the program you are following, but rather in yourself.

Food is an addiction that is no different than addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, or illegal drugs. To overcome this addiction, the first place to look is within you. Without faith, you are going to allow fear to maneuver you into a position to binge, overeat, and sabotage yourself.

When you don't believe, you simply “do.” It is a frustrating concept, especially for analytical people, because they want to have a simple set of rules. It is easy as an analytical person to get into your comfort zone. Find an equation that spits out a number of calories. Get a “ratio” of foods – 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat, right? Then you have that exact formula and you are ready to go. Unfortunately, if it were that simple, more people would be sharing their success story (and their formulas) with everyone else.

The fact is that it is not the calorie or the formula or the ratio that determines your success. It is you. Whether you are on a high protein, low fat, no-sugar, or other program, your success will be determined by the level of your belief. I have witnessed people achieve success using many different nutrition styles, and the common element that linked their success was belief.

If you asked them, “Will you lose your weight,” they would reply, “Absolutely.” If you cannot state that without confidence, it is time to find something you can believe in ... and more often than not, it will not be a new program, but you. Believe in you.

3. Practice moderation

Moderation is the key to everything. Many people operate in an either/or mode – either they are following a program perfectly, or they are simply going wild with their eating habits. A true lifestyle plan will be easy to follow because you won't have to worry about counting calories or weighing foods.

Why? Because you are operating from a zone called moderation. This zone is tough for many people to find, and sometimes it requires going through a strict dietary regimen in order to create the control you deserve to have over food, instead of allowing food to control you.

Moderation simply means permission to enjoy without excess. When you want a glass of wine, you pour one and savor it. You do not suddenly feel guilty and then punish yourself for having it. If you are having a slice of pizza or ice cream, you don't create a license to eat until you are stuffed. Instead, you have a slice or two and enjoy it. If you are full, you are done. If not, then you might share a dessert with your spouse or someone else at the table.

Those who are successful at keeping their weight off don't overeat and they don't create limits. Some people truly enjoy healthy foods and eat these all of the time. Others have a balance they create. What is common is that they do not become a victim when they cannot eat a certain food – if a special occasion arises, they are happy to enjoy a piece of cake. The key is that they are in control and don't overdo it ... and when it is done, they don't allow guilt to override their success.

4. Be flexible with new ideas

Change is tough. Change is scary. If change were easy, there would not be millions of dollars in books about how to face change being sold. Change in your nutrition or health is no different than change in other areas of your life. Embracing a new style of eating can feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. I know – I have been there and done that myself.

The key to success, however, is not to become so boxed into your comfort zone that you cannot open to new ideas. For example, I had been conditioned to combine protein and carbs at every meal, that when my wife suggested I attempt food-combining (a concept where you do not eat proteins and starches together – for more information, read “Fit for Life” by Harvey Diamond or “Total Health Makeover” by Marilu Henner) I simply resisted. “No way – that's not right! I've learned that ...”

Eventually, however, I came to my senses. No matter how much I have read or learned, the reality is experience. You can argue with me all day long about what color the sky is – but if it is blue in my reality, then that is the reality I will embrace. Everything productive in my life has come from being able to embrace change and try out new things.

I discard what doesn't work, and embrace what does. This ability to not fear the unknown allowed me to try food-combining even though it did not fit into my existing reality. What I found was an eating method that gave me more energy and helped me feel more comfortable. By stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying something new, I was able to integrate more freedom into my eating plan.

Don't be afraid to try new programs, new dishes, and new recipes. Don't pre-qualify your decisions by going to research and reading about calories and studying the fat content. Instead, just try it. Keep a journal. Record your feelings in the journal. Observe how your body reacts.

Create a dialogue with food that works for you rather than living in someone else's system. Don't fear change – change is required to move from overweight or obese to healthy and lean!

5. Learn to hear your body Most of us tune out our body's protests. It is a requirement in modern society. When we are constantly stuffing our bodies with foods that damage and harm us, our bodies cannot continue to sensitize us to the pain or we would be in a constant state of suffering. So instead, the brain tunes out the signals like background noise.

We no longer realize the harm that we are doing to ourselves. We confuse cravings with hunger. We think we want sugar when our body is screaming for healthy fats. It creates a state of constant stress that we are not conscious of, and it impacts the core of our health.

This is why I believe it is great to quiet and calm things down. Don't be afraid to juice fast for a few days. Try a "5-day high-fiber cleanse" to reconnect with your own health. Don't listen to your friends who will scream “starvation” and swear you are going to lose pounds of muscle.

Muscle doesn't disappear overnight, and starvation is when you have NO food, not when you go on a modified fast that provides nutrients but gives you the ability to break out of a cycle of cravings and self-abuse that modern, processed foods create.

Learn to eat when you are ready, not when it is time. This doesn't mean that if your preferred style of nutrition is consuming six meals per day that you stop. What this means is that you get in tune with your body. If you are not hungry when it is time for meal two, go back and adjust meal one so that it doesn't fill you up so much. If you are starving by meal two, change meal one so that you are satisfied – increase the portion size, add healthy fats, or introduce new foods.

By learning your body, you can break out of the cycle of measuring and weighing foods. You come into contact with yourself, and learn to flow. When you feel it is time to eat, you eat. You don't eat a pre-allotted amount of calories. Instead, you listen to yourself. Think about whether you feel like having a lot of protein.

If the thought turns your stomach, focus on salads, or fruit, or whole grains. Find what feels comfortable and then eat enough to satisfy you without leaving you stuffed. Practice this for a few weeks and you'll find that you can think yourself into the shape you desire without having to obsess over calories.

These are the five keys to successful, healthy living that I have observed. The people I know who have conquered their weight and are comfortable in their bodies used different methods. Some are vegetarians, some advocate low carbohydrate diets and others feel that high protein is important. Despite these differences, however, ultimately the plan they settled into addressed these five key points and allowed them to live in their health rather than having to work on their lack of it.

To learn more about yourself and how you can conquer the mental barriers you erect to sabotage our own progress to good health, read www.losefatnotfaith.com - this e-Book goes beyond the mainstream to focus on personal development and the success mindet. It will empower your transformation through inspiration and easy-to-understand information about nutrition and training.

Jeremy Likness, the CEO of Natural Physiques (a division of Golden Summit Inc) is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition. He has coached clients around the world to lose fat, gain muscle, and live healthy after losing over 65 pounds of fat himself. He is the author of the internationally-selling e-Book, "Lose Fat, Not Faith" that has been sold in over a dozen countries. Visit Jeremy at http://www.naturalphysiques.com and join him on his weekly coaching call at http://www.become-your-best.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Walking Back To Health

2006-02-20T21:26:00.000-08:00

Walking Back to Health
By Alan Hunter

Walking is the most natural form of movement, and an excellent all-round mode of exercise. Yet as a nation we are walking less and less. Walking can help you to:

* Improve your general health
* Get fit and stay fit
* Control your weight
* Live longer!

Walking helps protect the body from many illnesses and conditions: heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, obesity, depression, some types of diabetes, and colon cancer.

Health experts agree that 30 minutes brisk walking on most days of the week is sufficient to improve fitness. However like a lot of things in life that we are supposed to do, daily exercise can become a chore. I know from experience that repeated exercise in the same environment can be very boring. A much more enjoyable way is to vary your walks and plan different routes. If that is beyond you, why not join a walking or rambling club and then you can walk with them in the beautiful countryside, with good company.

All you need is some sensible clothing/footwear and the price of the coach fare or transport to the start of their walks (they often encourage car sharing).

This gradual start to walking can help people who feel they are not active enough to change their day to day habits through the simple activity of walking more.

If your main aim is to lose weight, you need to use more calories through physical activity than you take in as food. This means doing as much as possible: short walks, longer walks, climbing stairs – every bit of physical activity counts toward the total number of calories burned off.

If you recovering from an illness/operation and your main aim is to increase your fitness, it is important to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. This can be achieved by coming on a short walk or part of the C walk. Then as you improve your level of fitness you can take on a B walk and eventually an A walk. For most people, walking is a safe and effective form of exercise. However, if you have any concerns or are at all worried about your health, discuss this with your doctor.

Changing lifelong habits requires determination and courage. Walking with a group of people (a walking/rambling club) can make it much easier for the next generation by introducing them to walking early in life. Families and children are usually most welcome.

Do a search on the internet search engines for walking/rambling clubs in your local area. Make contact with them and get out and do some walking. You will ache a little the first few times, but eventually you will get stronger and fitter.

Go for it!!

Alan Hunter
Membership secretary of the Fylde Coast Ramblers
http://www.fylderamblers.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

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The Power Of Positive Habits

Body Sensing - Maximum Results

2006-02-16T01:14:00.000-08:00

Body Sensing for Maximum Results

(Part 4 of a 5 Part Series on Body Awareness)

I'm a runner. I've been a happy one for about 6 years now. I spend a good chunk of my week out on the trails, exploring and finding my inner peace. But it wasn't always like this.

There was a time that I would have spit at your feet if you asked me to go out for a jog. I hated to run. And now I know why.

As we all know, our bodies are pretty complex. Organs, cells, nerves, bones, muscles and everything else communicate to each other 24 hours a day. If something needs to get done, like digestion or healing a cut, your body is on the case. You don't even have to lift a finger most of the time.

For a healthy person, your body moves through these processes smoothly and efficiently. For someone who is unhealthy or out of shape, things get a little sluggish.

So this is what happened to me 7 or so years ago when I started to run again and re-live my high school fitness glory. As you can imagine, there was a slight discrepancy between what my head wanted to do and what my body was capable of at the time!

My body was not processing at the same optimal level it did when I was captain of the football team. So on the days I made it out to hit the pavement, I would run fast for 3 miles, be out of breath, hurt for 5 days and then try again the next week.

My mind was still in high school... my body was still in bed.

I'm sure you've been in this cycle before. You decide it's time to change your shape, so you burst into the most difficult spinning class, hoping you'll lose all 20 pounds of excess weight in 60 minutes and then never have to strain yourself again. Instead it leaves you tired, hurt and cursing the next time you have to sweat.

It sounds funny when you read it, but this is exactly what we do.

Just recently, I was speaking to a client about running and she said she was running 2 miles a day. Unfortunately, she told me she hated it and the minute she starts she wants it to be over. Which is certainly not any fun, right?! If I hadn't intervened she would have joined all the other ranks of disappointed and dejected, should-have-been runners.

I told her that there is a disconnect between her mind and her body. She wants to run like she did in high school. Fast and efficiently. But her body, now, is only a walker or maybe a slow jogger. The best advice for her was to start off super-slow and then build up if she feels like taking her running any further.

A few days later she thanked me for allowing her to enjoy her run the morning after our class. She felt good, realized how fast she was trying to run before and didn't think about when it was going to end until she was finished.

Wouldn't that sound good to you?

It is simple to do. The most important thing to remember is that your mind may not be in tune with your body's abilities. You may want to run a marathon, but your body is only ready for a 10K. You may want to run 4 laps around the track, but your body is only ready to run 1 1/2 and walk the other 2 1/2.

So slow down. There is no race unless you're at the starting line with a numbered bib on your shirt! And even then, don't kill yourself.

This applies to more than just running. It is important to connect to your mind. Find out what it is thinking and then make sure your body is in alignment. If it is not, then don't let your ego push you too hard. You'll get injured, physically or mentally. If you haven't done any stretching in 20 years, don't jump into power yoga. If you haven't lifted weights since college, don't try to bench 225lbs.

We all have a built in sensor that tells us what is enough. Listen to it.

A few things needed to happen to me before I started to enjoy running. First, I needed to slow down. Second, I needed to stop thinking about how far and for how long I was going to run. And third, I needed to get out there and just start running... not worry about time commitments and appointments or anything else.

This is what we'll talk about in the final article of this series on body awareness: starting. You have to start before you have any fitness success!

When I ran my first marathon, I had never run more than 10 miles. As you can imagine, I got hurt, let my ego push me too far and it took me over 3 years to recover. Don't let this happen to you!

Kevin Gianni is the holistic fitness expert. He is a certified personal trainer and co-author of "Lifestyle Fitness", a home workout program for the time and energy strapped!

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter that has the fitness and health tips other "gurus" are charging big bucks for.
www.yourlifestylefitness.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Get Exercise Motivation . . .

2006-02-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

Motivation to Exercise Secrets
By Peter Murphy

Obesity plays a big role in our society today. Exercise and eating right are a way to fight obesity. But how do you motivate yourself to exercise? Let's face it; it isn't one of the most enjoyable things do to with our time.

And time is very important to us today. There never seems to be enough of it. So how do we get exercise motivation? Setting goals is the key to this process.

The first step in achieving exercise motivation is to decide what goals you want from yourself. Do you want to lose 10 pounds? 20 pounds? Or do you just want to tone your body?

The next question to ask yourself is what are you going to gain from these goals? If you like the answers you're getting from these questions, then you are half way to exercise motivation!

When setting goals for exercise motivation, try not to set them to high. Don't set a goal to lose 50 pounds, unless you can afford to lose 50 pounds! Don't set a goal to run 5 miles a day, if you have never run a mile before.

Be realistic in your goal setting. This is so important in this process. The goals have to be both possible and realistic for you to be able to achieve them.

After the goals are set, write down what steps you are going to have to take to reach these goals. For instance, do you need to stop eating dessert every night after dinner? Do you need to give up that second cappuccino in the mornings? Can you walk to work or lunch, instead of driving? Once you come up with a plan to change the way you do things, it will be easier to lose weight.

The next step is to be creative with your exercise routine. Getting on a treadmill in a lonely room isn't going to keep us motivated for very long. Maybe you need to put a television in the room with the treadmill. Or maybe find a route outdoors for your walk or run.

Commitment is the last and final stage to achieving exercise motivation. You have lost ten pounds and are starting to eat a healthier diet, now you have to commit to doing it. Make time every day and don't let temptations get in the way. It is all in the will power.

That is not to say that you can't reward yourself with a day off of exercise once in a while, or a piece of cake now and then. That is important also, but being consistent with your exercise routine is priority. It will soon become habitual to exercise. You have just replaced your bad habits with a good habit!

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: motivation techniques

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Murphy

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Starting A Workout

2006-02-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Starting a Workout: Getting Your Body to Move
by Kevin Gianni

(Part 5 of a 5 Part Series on Body Awareness)

I want to tell you how easy it is to workout every day.

But before I begin, I want you to do one thing. I want you to grab your car keys and go out to your garage, carport, or driveway and get into your car.

Put the keys in the ignition and turn. If your car normally works, there should be no surprises here. Your car will start.

Now here's the important part.

While the car is running, I want you to think about all the possible places you could go to at that moment. The post office, the supermarket, Miami, Cancun. When you have a running car, you can go absolutely anywhere. All you need to do is get it started, then you can decide from there.

When people start an exercise program, the most important skill to develop is to learn how to get started. Just turning the key is often the most difficult thing to do.

Have you ever been overwhelmed by exercise or your exercise program? Maybe you thought you didn't have enough time to exercise 30 minutes a day. Or maybe you knew that you needed to workout for an hour and all you had was fifteen minutes.

I bet you I know what happened. You put working out off for the next day. I know, because I've done it too. The danger of this is that suddenly it is a week later and you still haven't found the one hour you needed to exercise. This is how many good intentioned people fail with their exercise programs. They think too far in advance and never find the ideal situation for their ideal workout. They get overwhelmed.

Imagine if you could replicate the action you took when you started your car--find a key that would instantly get you going--and apply it to exercise. Could you see how easy that would be?

It would start by, first, not even thinking about the type of exercises you want to do for the day. Forget about "I'll do 20 min of cardio today," or "I'll pop in the gym to do some chest and abs." What you need to do is simply get a key. Something that will get you moving.

For many people it is a single stretch or exercise that they can do. Once they've done the ONE exercise then they can decide where to go from there. Just the same as the possibilities in your car... you can take your workout where ever you want to go once you've started.

It's basically a mind trick.

Your body wants to exercise. In fact, it always wants to exercise. We are naturally and always in motion. Our minds generally out-think our instinct and then we end up on the couch for 4-6 hours watching the USA movie marathon. All the while knowing how much your body wants to move.

So we trick our bodies, by using our key exercise, and once we're moving we have the option to move more.

Sometimes you won't move after and you're body will turn off again and that's OK. On the other hand, many times you will get going and you will have great workouts.

Why does this work?

Because you've put your body in motion. Any motion creates a reaction. Once you are moving then you can decide if you want to continue.

When you never make it to the starting blocks--never get moving--you never have the option to continue or to stop. Just like the car metaphor, I used earlier. If you never start your car, how the heck are you going to get to the grocery store?

When it comes to exercise, it is very easy to out-think your goals. We get into our cars, hope we'll make it to the store and never turn the key to physically get moving.

It's really that easy. Find a key. Turn it. Get fit.

When you are overwhelmed about time and energy, you'll never, never get started. Let your key start you up and succeed with your health and fitness.

Kevin Gianni is the holistic fitness expert. He is a certified personal trainer and co-author of "Lifestyle Fitness", a home workout program for the time and energy strapped!

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter that has the fitness and health tips other "gurus" are charging big bucks for.
www.yourlifestylefitness.com

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

How Old Do You Think You Are?

2006-01-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

Aging is An Attitude - How's Yours?
By Gene D. Millen

How we age is largely dependent upon our attitude and expectations. If we think and act young we will stay younger and enjoy life to a much greater extent.

Too many people, when they think of the elderly, conjure up images of being frail, sickly, mindless and sexless. WRONG! Examples of vigorous and vital people in their 70's, 80's and 90's abound.

A biblical proverb comes to mind. "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." This principle is as true today as when it was penned more than 2,000 years ago. How we think has an enormous effect on what we become.

Lucille Thompson of Danville, Ill, an 88 year old, 4 foot 11 inch grandmother had begun to stoop and to feel the arthritis in her fingers. The exercises she was given at the local senior center didn't have any effect. So she signed up for a Tae Kwan Do class and after two years of practice earned a black belt, along with the nickname killer!

I've had the privilege of knowing dozens of older adults whose energy, enthusiasm and physical condition is the envy of their friends who are 20 years younger. Too often people think that they are getting old when all they need is more exercise and a more positive attitude.

It is estimated that 80% of the health problems of older people are preventable or postponable. They are usually the result of years of inactivity and poor nutritional choices. Research shows that inactivity will put us at greater risk for a heart attack than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

The good news is that we have a second chance to right the wrongs we have committed against our body. With the right exercise, a low carb eating program and heart vitamins you can regain the vigor, vitality and heart health that you thought were gone forever! It's never too late to start feelin' great!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The cardiologist looked up from the treadmill report and grimly stated, "You are a walking time bomb. You need to go to the hospital immediately." Two days later a heart surgeon sawed open Gene Millen's chest and stitched in bypasses to six clogged arteries.

"A six way heart bypass isn't a record" said Gene, "but it's not bad for a skinny 59 year old with normal cholesterol and blood pressure. The villains and heroes in the heart attack melodrama may surprise you as they have me."

Gene Millen reviews new research on heart attack risks that are more dangerous than high cholesterol... and how natural supplements and heart vitamins can send them packing! Check out The Heart Health website at http://www.heart-health-for-life.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_D._Millen

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

Pills VS Natural Methods?

2006-01-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

Elite Personal Trainer Blasts New Over the Counter Weight Loss Pill by Lynn VanDyke, Elite Fitness Professional

Consumers may soon be able to purchase a brand new over the counter weight loss pill.

Federal health advisors have already given their go ahead, but it still needs FDA approval before it goes on sale nationwide. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is in position to offer this fat blocking pill to the public. They are shooting for a release date by the end of this year.

Consumers want to know if this is ground breaking news or if this is another attempt to rob them of their hard earned cash. The difference between this new diet pill, called orlistat and currently being sold with a doctor's prescription as Xenical, and several others from the past are that orlistat is garnering nationwide media and public interest.

"Everyone is getting excited about taking a magic pill," states Lynn VanDyke, elite personal fitness professional and fitness nutritionist. "It all sounds brilliantly simple until we read about its side effects and cost."

In 6 month clinical trials, obese people taking orlistat lost 5.3 - 6.2 pounds more than those given a placebo. Representatives from GlaxoSmithKline also announced that at $12-$25 per week for the pill over 5 million people in America would buy the drug if it sold over the counter.

VanDyke explains, "The corporations are planning on making over $1 billion per year in sales if orlistat is sold over the counter. As consumers we must educate ourselves and hold ourselves personally responsible.

This drug has shown unpleasant side effects in half of the trial participants. That's just outrageous."

GlaxoSmithKline lists orlistat's possible side effects as loose and oily stools, gas, incontinence and oily spotting. Even the FDA panel members are concerned with how this diet pill will interact with diabetics, bulimics, organ transplant patients and those taking other prescription pills.

Watchdog groups such as Public Citizen urged the panel to reject the company's application, calling it a "desperate attempt to revive this barely effective drug by an OTC switch."

"All in all, the magic pill leaves you bloated and oily. It stops working once you stop taking it. That adds up to between $288 and $600 per 6 months. That is how long the GlaxoSmithKline recommends taking this pill before stopping for a break. I would much rather learn a few simple tools on how to eat well and live a healthy life than take this so-called miracle pill," says VanDyke.

Consumers who are in dire straits to lose fat but are concerned with the side effects and cost of orlistat are being referred to the Melt the Fat Interactive Guide (more info at http://melt-the-fat.com). It provides detailed step-by-step processes that develop a healthy lifestyle filled with fitness, eating to live and life goal setting.

About The Author:
Lynn VanDyke is an elite personal fitness professional and fitness nutritionist dedicated to helping you achieve safe and life long fat loss goals. You may learn more about her and her wildly popular program at http://melt-the-fat.com.

The Power Of Positive Habits
"Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically!"

Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

Order this program now. Start plotting the auto pilot course to your dreams! 100% Money Back, Satisfaction Guaranteed As Usual

The Power Of Positive Habits

10 Tips to Stay Motivated

2006-01-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Tips to Stay Motivated on Your Exercise Program

1. Know your Reasons

Think about why you want to exercise and write down every reason you can think of. Explain in full detail what working out is going to do for your life and your health. And reread your list whenever your motivation needs a boost.

2. Set Daily and Weekly Goals

Although it's good to think big, don't just set yourself a long-term goal because it can seem too distant from where you are now. If you have a daily or weekly challenge then you have something to achieve and motivate you right here, right now.

Make sure your goals are just a little bit stretching - doing too much too soon is a prime cause of injury and exercise drop-out.

3. Track Your Progress

Keep a log of all your workouts. It's amazing how quickly your fitness will improve and seeing your progress in black and white will help spur you on to keep going. Even in the early days when the going is tough and you might not have noticed any changes in your body and fitness levels an activity log gives you something to be proud of.

4. Plan to Succeed

You have to set aside time for working out and schedule it as if it's an appointment that can't be missed. Block out the time in your calendar and treat it like a doctor's appointment. Your health depends on it just as much.

5. Do Something Daily

Once you've got an exercise program going it helps if you do something active every day just so that you keep your mind focused on your goals. You probably don't have time to fit in a workout every day but any activity is fine - walking, dancing, housework, gardening - just something that keeps your mind and body in exercise mode.

6. Have a Plan B

The path towards fitness doesn't always run smoothly. Be flexible if muscle strain or extra work pressure prevents you from doing your usual routine. Try going to the gym before work or plan a different activity which does not affect your injured muscle to keep going when life gets in the way.

7. Don't Ask Whether Ask When

Consider working out as an important element of your life and make it part of your routine. Don't even get into a conversation with yourself about whether you'll exercise today, just make plans and do it. No matter how much you don't feel like working out, you'll be amazed how good you'll feel once you get going.

8. Find a Workout Buddy

Look for a workout partner with similar goals and level of fitness to make exercise more enjoyable and add a little healthy competition. Plus, you'll find it's harder to skip a workout if someone is relying on you. If you don't have a friend who wants to get fit, consider investing in a personal trainer to keep you motivated.

9. Make it Fun

Prevent boredom by trying new activities and using a variety of ways of working out. Just because it's fun doesn't mean you won't get fit. How about trying salsa-dancing, scuba-diving, skiing or roller-blading? Even something as simple a adding intervals to your usual routine can give you a new level of interest.

10. Believe You Can

You'll be healthier, fitter and change your whole body shape if you stick at your exercise program. Change is possible for you just as it has been for so many others before you who have transformed themselves with exercise. Acknowledge that you can experience those results for yourself just by keeping going with your fitness program. You can do it, you really can!

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janice_Elizabeth_Small

Get More Energy!

2006-01-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

Get More Mitochondria... Get More Energy
By Kevin Gianni

(Part 3 of a 5 Part Series on Body Awareness)

It kind of defies logic that you could get MORE energy from exercising.

Doesn't walking a couple of miles wear you out, not raise your concentration and get you moving?

For most people this is the case. They walk, run or exercise only to find themselves whipped, sore and bruised.

It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to go through your life with little energy--just enough to make it through the day and then crash on the couch.

I've spoken to many long distance runners and athletes who have supported what I know as a trainer and athlete--they all say that they feel GREAT after a long run or a tough workout.

So why are you feeling beat up?

I'll tell you in the simplest terms possible--your body isn't adjusted to activity.

In the first two parts of this series on body awareness, I spoke about how food affects your energy levels. Now I want to address how the physiology of exercise can tune you into what your body is doing when you workout, so your energy levels will skyrocket.

Yes, that is entirely possible.

The awareness of your body functions and how they create energy lead to a very tangible and logical connection between why you should start some exercise routine and the direct affect that routine has on your quality of life.

Increasing your body's knowledge and addressing your energy levels and how they build through exercise will take you to a level of heightened awareness and to the enriched and energized daily experience of good health and fitness.

Here's the meat of it.

When you don't exercise, you're muscles take a break. Sort of like everyone does on the weekend. Not working? Forget answering the phone. Same with your muscles, not working out? They're not doing squat.

It's a simple analogy... the only exception to it is that YOU go back to work on Monday. Your LAZY MUSCLES don't start work again until you put them to work.

So here's what happens while they are taking this extended vacation.

In each of your muscle cells there are little organelles called mitochondria. These little guys make the energy for your cells to use in their everyday functions, including your activity and exercise. That stuff is called ATP.

When you are inactive, your body gets smart and the number of mitochondria are reduced. If your not using them and don't need them all, your body gets rid of them. Sort of like corporate layoffs or downsizing for efficiency.

So here you are, inactive with fewer mitochondria, and you decide you need to do something about your health and start to exercise. What happens at first is that you feel like garbage after you exercise, because your body hasn't made the energy adjustments yet. You are still in hibernation mode.

After some time and when exercise becomes a routine, your body realizes that you're back on the go and starts to create more mitochondria to handle to workload and supply enough energy for you.

So now you have more mitochondria, more energy, feel better after you exercise and your body has adjusted to a state where your energy stores are readily available. Those mitochondria don't just stop producing energy when you stop exercising, they're now there to stay--just as long as you continue to exercise.

The most exciting part of this process is that you'll know when this all has happened. You'll feel lighter. You'll be more focused. You'll smile more. These special little mitochondria can help with depression, mood swings and binges. All you need to do is move around a bit, get your body adjusted to some exercise and you'll feel fantastic!

That feeling is something that you can really get used to.

Next time, we'll talk about how you can judge your health and fitness progress by sensing your energy levels.

I've found many people what to look in the mirror to judge how well they're progressing with a program. In Part 4, I'll tell you a better way that will keep you on your workout program and not leave you wondering what happened 3 months later when you've since stopped exercising and gained back all the weight.

Kevin Gianni is the holistic fitness expert. He is a certified personal trainer and co-author of "Lifestyle Fitness", a home workout program for the time and energy strapped!

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter that has the fitness and health tips other "gurus" are charging big bucks for.
www.yourlifestylefitness.com

Weight Loss From Exercise

2006-01-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Weight Loss from Exercise
By Frank Williams

Weight loss from exercise can be achieved by walking, running, or some sort of aerobic activity. You can exercise at home or at a gym. Other physical activity such as gardening, doing housework such as cleaning, vacuuming are also good forms of exercise.

Before engaging in any form of intense physical exercise you may wish to consult your doctor for a physical checkup. The doctor may check your blood pressure and advise on how much exercise you can do. If you are diabetic you will be advised accordingly. You can ask the doctor for your ideal weight to height ratio.

If you have not been physically active for a long time then you should start gently. Perhaps begin with a few minutes each day for a week. You can then add a few more minutes of exercise every couple of days. Once you feel more capable then you should exercise for 30 minutes continuously everyday. Activity causes your muscles to burn up surplus energy in the form of blood sugar. When all blood sugar to used up your body will turn to the energy stored in your fat cells.

Do not expect miracles to occur in the first few days of exercise. You may lose a tiny amount of weight within a week. This can be from excess water in your system. Using a measuring tape around your waist, you can determine if there is indeed weight loss.

You can increase the intensity of the exercise every week to increase the energy burn rate. Walking up and down stairs instead of using the elevator or lift is good idea. Walking up a gentle incline can help the weight loss. Wear a small backpack with a light weight such as a small book. This should help you exercise more intensely.

Make sure you drink about 8 glasses of water each day. This can help supress your appetite. Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein. Avoid eating processed food products such as cakes, cookies and candy. After exercising you can eat a small snack of fruit such as an apple or banana to help you recover.

Carbohydrates in the form of bread or pasta is ok in moderation. The secret is in the portion size. Keep it small. Meal size should be the size of two fists held together. Protein helps you feel fuller faster. Don't drink water during your meal. It will dilute your digestive juices and affect your digestion. Green leafy vegetables have fiber and help with your bowel health. Don't eat till you feel like bursting.

Training with weights can help with your exercise but should be small weights. Heavier weights will build muscle. Exercising with friends can help keep your motivation up. Praise each others efforts. Riding a bicycle is another exercise option you can explore to help lose weight.

If you have trouble with your joints you might consider swimming or wading in a pool. If walking or running proves to be difficult you could try inflating balloons by blowing air into them. Start with a small balloon. Do not over exert yourself.

Make your goal to exercise and eat regularly and you will surely move towards your desired weight.

Frank Williams is the weight loss consultant for http://www.bodyenhancer.com. Keep up with the latest health news.

Want Better Exercise Results?

2006-01-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

How to Get Better Exercise Results By Improving Hydration
By Jim Huffman

Water and Exercise

Your body excretes water in a number of ways: through urination, defecation, breathing (that’s why we always enjoyed breathing condensation on mirrors when we were kids) and perspiration. And when you are exercising, your body can lose a large amount of water. It’s important to keep replenishing that. The water loss is even more pronounced in warm weather, or during heavy exertion. In such cases, you must make provision to take care of the water. 2 or 3 glasses of water for every hour (or part of an hour) of exercise is not too much.

This is an area where you must take precautions, especially if you are older, or not used to vigorous exercise. If the weather is exceptionally hot, try to exercise during the early morning, or later afternoon, when the temperatures will be cooler, and when the sun will be less intense. But the main thing you must do is make sure you are taking in an adequate amount of water, and take steps to keep from having too much water go out. Remember, you will be losing a lot of fluid not only through perspiration, but also through hard breathing while exercising.

Having water with you is an easy habit to get into. A friend who lives in Arizona says he can always tell the natives in a crowd at a museum or sports event. The natives -- knowing how easy it is for the body to lose water in the heat and dry air -- are the ones with water bottles.

You don’t have to live in Arizona to use water bottles, though. They are a good habit to get into almost anywhere you go, and you should make use of them to keep water close at hand. When we go on a trip with our children, everyone has a water bottle. Not only does it keep them (and us!) adequately hydrated, it lessens the desire for soft drinks.

And don’t get fooled into thinking that you have to buy a water bottle every time you want to use one. We re-use our water bottles, washing them after every use, re-filling them with tap water, and putting them in a special place in the refrigerator. That way, the bottle is ready for use next time we need it.

But road trips aren’t the only time water bottles are a good idea. Carry one along when you’re hiking, playing sports, biking (any biking shop will have excellent carriers for your bike) or just on your daily commute.

Internal water is not the only thing to remember when exercising. If you aren’t used to exercising, or if you are getting older, or if you have some health compromises, consider using water to be the area where you exercise -- in a pool! Not only is the water easier on joints and muscles, it’s also the perfect spot to work out in very hot weather because while your body will get hot, the water will serve to temper that internal temperature rise.

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com