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Marathon Preparation - Staying In Your Zone

2012-05-10T06:00:00+0000

Marathon Preparation - Staying In Your Zone

By Eric G Freeman

Tapering
About three weeks from the marathon your last long run over 18 miles should be completed. From 2 weeks out decrease to 10-15 miles, and 7-12 miles at one week from the day of the marathon.Your ratio of carbohydrates to protein and fat will do the opposite as they increase. While your normal training period consisted of about 50 to 60 percent of your daily calorie intake should coming from carbohydrates. As you enter your tapering off period you should increase this to about 60 to 70 percent and during the last three days increase to 80 percent. By doing this you will fill your energy reserves and decrease your chances of "Hitting the wall" during the marathon.

Flexibility
Its important to go into your run warm and relaxed, stretching is a key component to improving your performance as well as prevent injury. There are two forms of stretching to consider for optimum results. Static and Dynamic, static stretching places a muscle group in an fixed position for a set amount of time. Dynamic Stretching incorporates a controlled swinging motion or a light springy motion to move specific muscles past their normal range of motion. After you've completed a light jog to start your warm up you may do light static stretching followed by these specific dynamic exercises: Arm Swings, Lunges, Walking Lunge, Ankle Bounce, Ankle flips, Walking High Knees, Running Butt Kicks, and Running High Knees. These stretches will prepare your body for the task at hand. Once you've made it over the finish line you'll need to cool down with a light jog/walk for 5-10 minutes followed up with moderately intense static stretching to relax your nervous system.

Running Form
During the marathon your running form is crucial to a successful race. Good bio mechanics will determine how efficient your run goes. Starting with your head make sure you gaze straight ahead and avoid looking at your feet as looking down or leading with your chin is a precursor to bad form throughout the entire body. Make sure that your shoulders are down and relaxed, if you find them hunched forward or elevated simply shake them out to release the tension and energize the area. If you notice your torso leaning forward take a deep breath, this will lift your chest naturally into an upright position. Avoid excessive leaning in either direction as this can cause your pelvis to tip forward, which in-turn can cause serious back pain. Lift your torso upright as if its floating above your hips with your elbows bent at least 90 degrees and unclenched fists. Proper arm movement helps your leg stride length, if you notice your arms tightening shake them out at your sides for a few seconds to release any tension. Remember a good leg stride length involves slight knee elevation followed by your feet landing underneath your body. Make sure your feet doesn't slap the ground hard, they should land lightly between your heel and arch rolling forward to to push off from your toes to next stride straight to the finish line.

Fueling
Fuel is Crucial be sure you prep your body with the proper nutrients before the race. At least an hour and a half before your race you should consume to 1 liter of water and a simple meal with complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal or granola. Choices like these will disperse more energy for longer periods of time. Another critical component of marathon nutrition is in race hydration. Do not wait until you are thirsty to rehydrate, as a general rule stop for water/Gatorade every 3 miles. Also gel packs such as GU are a great supplement during marathons. They contain essential B vitamins which give the body energy and extra stamina for your run. Consume one pack every 45 to 60 minutes with WATER. Gatorade and gel packs have high sugar content. Too much simple sugar at once can lead to an upset stomach.
Remember every one's needs are different be sure to prep your body with consistent training, maintain it with a good stretch routine, master your body's bio mechanics with impeccable running form, and keep your engine running all the way through the tape with strategic nutrition. Good Luck!

Eric G. Freeman NASM-CPT
Founder, The Evolution Fit Club
www.evofitnyc.com
(646) 820-0386

Pick The Right Proteins

2012-02-28T18:43:45+0000

They may not be on the covers of every single magazine now, but low-carb/high-protein diets are still popular. Athletes need a lot of carbohydrate energy to fuel their workouts and aid in post-exercise recovery so as to avoid a sluggish workout the next day. Sedentary people may not need as many carbohydrates but that doesn't mean they need zero. Needing more protein does not mean you need to eat fatty meat, however; the right kind of protein will affect your immediate and long-term health. Harvard Medical School published an informative article about picking the right proteins in their newsletter "HealthBeat" that you may want to read:

Going low-carb? Pick the right proteins

Low-carb eating plans like the Atkins diet were once so popular that they graced the covers of Newsweek and other magazines. Some experts championed these diets as the best way to lose weight. Others scorned them as the heart-clogging way that might help you shed pounds but put your health at risk. Now several large randomized controlled trials — the gold standard of medical research — have shown that low-carb diets are as good as low-fat diets for losing weight, and may even be better. But how do they fare for long-term health?

Most low-carb diets deliver more protein and fat than “regular” or low-fat diets. We know there are good and not-so-good fats and carbohydrates. Could the same hold true for protein sources? If so, then the type of protein that dominates a diet can influence health as much as the kinds and amounts of carbohydrates or fats.

The evidence

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have been following 85,000 female nurses and 45,000 male health professionals since the mid-1980s. Every few years, the participants fill out questionnaires detailing what they eat and provide other information on their health. This wealth of data is offering some insight into the long-term effects of different low-carb diets.

In one study, the researchers created scores for each nurse’s intake of protein from red meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, and beans. The findings:

The more protein from red meat, the higher the chances of developing heart disease.
Women who averaged two or more servings of red meat a day had a 30% higher risk of developing heart disease than those who had one or fewer servings a day.
Replacing one serving of meat with one of nuts reduced the risk by 30%.

In a separate study, the researchers created scores that reflected both the amount of carbohydrate in the diet and the main sources of protein. Among the nurses and male health professionals, those with a low-carb diet heavy in animal protein were 23% more likely to have died over 20-plus years of follow-up than those with “regular” diets, while those following a low-carb diet rich in plant protein were 20% less likely to have died.

Protein sources

Good sources of protein deliver different amounts of saturated fats, carbohydrates, and fiber. Here’s what 3 ounces of different protein sources contain.

Roasted chicken, white meat-130 calories, 23.1 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 0.9 Saturated Fat

Roasted leg of lamb-184 calories, 22.7 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 3.9 g Saturated Fat

Cooked ground beef (85% lean)-197 calories, 20.9 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g Saturated Fat

Baked coho salmon-151 calories, 20.7 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g Saturated Fat

Roasted chicken, dark meat-151 calories, 19.8 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 2.1 g Saturated Fat

Baked ham-151 calories, 19.2 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 2.7 g Saturated Fat

Boiled green soybeans-127 calories, 11.1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g Saturated Fat

Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat-61 calories, 10.5 g protein, 2.3 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g Saturated Fat

Boiled black beans-114 calories, 7.6 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 0.1 g Saturated Fat

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database

Putting it all together

To your body, protein from pork chops looks and acts the same as protein from peanuts. What’s different is the protein “package” — the fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that invariably come along with protein. The two Harvard studies add to a growing body of evidence that emphasizing plant protein sources is a better bet for long-term health.

If you are overweight, shedding pounds can improve everything from your blood pressure to the way you feel. Do it the wrong way, though, and shrinking your waistline could also shrink the number of birthdays you get to celebrate. Instead of having bacon and eggs for breakfast, a burger for lunch, and steak for dinner, getting more of your protein from plants may help you steer clear of heart disease and live longer.

Tips For Choosing The Right Exercise Equipment

2012-02-24T18:25:29+0000

Harvard Medical School recently published a great article in their newsletter called HealthBeat about what to look for when buying exercise equipment, covering everything from simple exercise bands to treadmills. Read it here:

Tips For Choosing The Right Exercise Equipment

You can launch an effective exercise program using only what nature gave you: your body. But because regular activity remains an elusive goal for most people, a multibillion-dollar industry has blossomed around the promise of surefire success. Health club memberships and home exercise equipment are excellent exercise solutions for many people. Do keep these cautions in mind, though:

Even the best equipment and most tricked-out gyms only produce results when used regularly.
Learn to use equipment properly to avoid injuries that could sideline you temporarily or permanently.
Exercise equipment comes in all sizes, shapes, and price ranges. It pays to check consumer ratings and follow our other tips for smart consumers before making your purchase.

Resistance bands or tubing can be used for a full-body strength workout. Attractive features include low cost, light weight, portability, and ease of storage

Following are some basics you should know if you’re in the market.

Cardio equipment

If you stop by any gym, you’ll see rows of machines designed to simulate cycling, walking and running, kayaking, rowing, skiing, and stair climbing. Whether motorized or not, sized for heavy-duty gym use or in lighter home versions, these machines offer good cardio workouts that burn calories and fat. What’s more, your workout takes place indoors, away from fickle weather.

Price varies from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending upon whether a machine is motorized or programmable, and whether it has add-ons, such as devices to measure heart rate, calories or METs burned, time elapsed, and so forth. While this information tends not to be entirely accurate, it could encourage you to step up your workouts or may be important if your doctor has advised you to limit activity. The following are some of the more popular types of aerobic exercise equipment.

Cross-country ski machine

This machine lets you exercise arms and legs simultaneously, as you would in cross-country skiing. The sliding motion is easy on the knees. On some machines, you have to move one ski forward to make the other move back. On others, the skis move independently. In addition, certain ski machines use ropes, while others have stationary handgrips. Check out all these types to see which one is most comfortable for you. Look for a wide foot bed for stability.

Elliptical trainers

These machines provide a circular up-and-down motion that’s a cross between a ski machine and a stair-stepper. They provide a nearly impact-free workout, which is easy on the joints. Resistance and grade can be adjusted automatically or manually on some models, and levers with handgrips to work the upper body may be available, too. It may take a little while to get used to the unusual motion. Look for comfortable handlebars and nonslip pedals with curved ridges. Try the machine out at varying speeds and grades to make sure it feels stable.

Rowing machines

Rowing machines work the back, arms, and legs simultaneously, offering as close to a total-body workout as available from a machine. Unless you’re used to rowing, the motion initially may feel unfamiliar, and some people find it hard on the back. When purchasing one, consider pulley models instead of piston models for a more realistic rowing experience.

Stair-steppers

These machines provide a low-impact workout that approximates climbing flights of stairs. Some modes have levers with handgrips to work arms, too. Beginners may find stepper machines strenuous, and the motion can be hard on the knees. Look for machines that provide independent foot action and are equipped with handrails and large stair platforms.

Stationary bicycle

An exercise bike takes no training and is easy to use, although it can be uncomfortable for long stints. While riding isn’t as effective in preventing osteoporosis as weight-bearing exercise, it does provide an excellent cardiovascular workout. Look for a model with a comfortable, adjustable seat and toe clips. If the seat is too hard, find out if you can replace the seat with a cushioned model bought separately.

Treadmill

This machine enables you to walk or run indoors. Some models offer a flexible, less joint-jarring surface. Opt for a motorized treadmill. When purchasing one, look for a strong motor (the machine will last longer), a belt that’s long and wide enough for your stride, a sturdy frame with front side rails for safety, and an emergency stop device. You should be able to adjust the speed and grade so you can walk at a comfortable pace.

Strength equipment

By harnessing gravity, body weight, external weight, or tension as a resistance force, these devices help you build strength. As with cardio equipment, styles and prices range widely, from expensive professional equipment most often found in gyms and health clubs to affordable, portable home models.

If you’re just starting out, you can save a fortune by selecting a few basics — comfortable walking shoes plus hand weights or resistance bands or tubing — instead of investing a considerable sum of money in weight lifting machines.

Ankle weights

These are optional for strength exercises like the side leg raise and hip extension. Look for comfortably padded ankle cuffs with pockets designed to hold half-pound or 1-pound weight bars to add as you progress. Ankle weight sets are usually 5 to 10 pounds. A single cuff may suffice, depending on the exercises you intend to do.

Exercise mat

Choose a nonslip, well-padded mat for floor exercises. A thick carpet or towels will do in a pinch.

Hand weights

Depending on your current strength, start with sets of weights as low as 2 pounds and 5 pounds, or 5 pounds and 8 pounds. Add heavier weights as needed. Dumbbells with padded center bars and D-shaped weights are easy to hold. Weighted bands that strap onto wrists and kits that let you screw weights onto a central bar are available, too. Weights are a good place to save cash by checking sports resale stores.

Resistance bands and tubing

Resistance bands or tubing can be used for a full-body strength workout. Attractive features include low cost, light weight, portability, and ease of storage. As with weights, you can measure how challenging the resistance is by how many repetitions of an exercise you can do: if less than eight, resistance is too high; if more than 12, it is too low. Positioning your hands or feet closer together or farther apart on the band or tube before starting an exercise helps vary resistance. Try different positions to learn which make repetitions easier or harder.

Bands. These look like big, wide rubber bands. They come in several levels of resistance from very light to very heavy, designated by color.

Tubing. Look for tubing with padded handles on each end. These also come in several levels of resistance from very light to very heavy, designated by color. Some brands come with a door attachment helpful for anchoring tubing in place when doing certain strength exercises.

Weight Lifting Can Enhance Your Running Program

2012-02-22T17:37:57+0000

Sometimes it just doesn't feel like you can break through a running plateau. You try to go faster, but it just doesn't happen. Maybe your form fails, maybe your lungs start to burn, or maybe you get a side stitch. How do you break through plateaus and continue to increase your pace, strength, and fitness level? Try adding weight lifting or changing your weight lifting routine if you already are lifting weights. Christine Blanchette from the Vancouver Courier wrote an article last week that you might find helpful as you try to understand why lifting weights, and not simply more running, may make you a better runner. Read the article here:

Even the heartiest of runners look at February's grey, low-hanging rain clouds and consider waving the white flag. But winter doesn't have to win. After months of running outdoors, your body will welcome a change and the benefits of diverse training will also make you a more well-rounded athlete.

For the novice jogger or veteran road racer, there are countless ways to sweat buckets and stay fit.

I'm a fan of individual sports and recommend lifting weights at the gym as a great cardio-building and fat-burning workout.

A moderate weightlifting program will help runners, including long-distance marathoners, strengthen muscles that aren't used in running. If all you do is run, certain muscles (your hamstrings, for example) will become stronger, but the quadriceps will not. This imbalance can lead to injury.

When you are working out with weights, try to use the same or similar amounts of weight for opposing muscle groups, such as the biceps and triceps, or the quads and hamstrings. The weight you lift with your hamstrings may feel easy, but that's OK. Your hamstrings get plenty of exercise from running. If the amount of weight you need to challenge your hamstrings is hard to lift with your quads, it's better to lift less weight with the hamstrings than to overtax your quads. Once you build more strength, you will feel comfortable lifting the same amount of weight with both muscle groups.

In half an hour, you can fit in two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions for a few key muscle groups, including the hamstrings and quadriceps, adductor and abductor muscles of your inner and outer hip, and the bicep and triceps. The weight should be heavy enough that your muscles start to feel tired during the second or third set.

Strength and conditioning coach Jim Talo with Vancouver's Human Motion gym recommends getting a Functional Movement Screen, a seven-test system that determines an individual's mobility, stability and movement patterns.

"Before doing any type of cross training in the gym such as weights or circuit training, get a FMS, which takes 10 minutes to do and most physiotherapists can do the assessment," he said.

Talo believes most endurance athletes should be screened before introducing new features to their workout. "Athletes are very good at compensating any of their weaknesses or injuries and with endurance sport, for the most part, the athletes are doing the same movement pattern over and over and if their movement pattern isn't efficient, it could be compensated elsewhere in the body."

He adds, "Someone who has been at it for a while may not be mobile in the hips, and you don't want to add load to that because your body will compensate for the lack of mobility."

He said many physiotherapists and trainers are now adding FMS screening to their repertoires as the test becomes more mainstream and recognized as a straight-forward method to detect red flags in an athlete's movement.

Blaise Dubois, a boundary-pushing Quebecois physical therapist who specializes in injury prevention, suggested the FMS and particularly recommended runners develop their core strength if they're planning to add weight training to their workout.

"What is important in any change in training is to be progressive and to listen to your body even if the exercises are very good," he said.

Other excellent options for cross training include swimming, which is a total body workout, and ping pong, which will leave you soaked in sweat if you're competitive and playing against a like-minded opponent.

Read more: www.vancourier.com

5 Running Workouts To Do With a Partner

2012-02-13T17:54:45+0000

Perhaps you want to spend energy on a good-for-your-health-and-heart Valentine's Day celebration this year. Rather than spend money on traditional chocolates or flowers that have to be thrown out in a few days, consider doing something this Valentine's Day like taking a run or walk with your significant other, spouse, or friend that is good for your health--including your body, mind, and spirit.

Patrick McCrann, an experienced runner, owner of Marathon Nation, and a contributing writer for Active.com wrote this article about doing running workouts with a partner. Take a look, pick one, and have a great run.

5 Running Workouts To Do With a Partner

As solo an endeavor as running can be, there's no doubt that having a companion to share your miles can help breathe the life back into your training. From sharing a few laughs to pushing your limits, the right running partner will help you grow as a runner.

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are five great running workouts that you can do with your running partner of choice. Run them as fast or as slowly as you want; you've already won simply by having someone to share the experience with

But before we begin...
Quick Running Partner Advice

Running with someone else is just that; a run. Don't feel pressure to do anything but run. It's helpful to set some expectations around average pace and distance for that specific workout. Otherwise don't place too many constraints around the session as it can really take the fun out of the workout. And don't forget that you can have as many different running friends as you like; you could have speedy partner, one for recovery days, and even one for your longer runs. The sky is the limit.

Top Partner Run Workouts

#1 -- Triple Fast Slow

A variation on a fartlek (aka speed play) run, in this session runners take turns implementing three speed surges at the pace and duration of their choice, recovering as much as needed. After these three repeats, the other runner has the chance to take the lead.

Tip: Start with one set each and build up to three as your fitness improves.

#2 -- Adventure Run

A personal favorite, this run involves one runner plotting out a brand new route and then acting as the tour guide leading the other(s). Use an online mapping tool and a GPS device to avoid getting utterly lost; but note that even diverting just a few blocks off your normal route can be sufficiently different.

Tip: This is a perfect substitute for a regularly scheduled long run, especially when your training is becoming monotonous.

#3 -- Snap-The-Whip

Similar to the Triple Fast Slow run in #1 above, only in this version you are attempting to "drop" the other runner. You can do this with a quick burst of speed, by picking a really big hill, or perhaps using sustained tempo. The latter one is usually more effective at the end.

As stated before, it's good to set some ground rules such as a good warm up and a set time for each person to lead and enough time for your both to recover. Enjoy!

Tip: The leader should stop their work interval when the other person has "snapped" instead of building up a 1/4 of 1/2 gap.

#4 -- Track Relay Runs

This is a great replacement for speedwork session that has intervals shorter than a mile. Best done on a track or a set loop, you and a partner can take turns running around the track; running is your work interval; the non-running is your recovery.

Instead of doing 8 x 800 (1/2 mile) with 400 recovery on your own, you can now run 800, tag your partner, and then jog 400 while they run 800 so you are ready for them to tag you back. You can do this with all types of distances, simply do the math on where you need to stagger your recovery to be in the right place if you are running 600s or 1200s, etc.

Tip: Feel free to add in more partners as you go; no reason why you can't do a workout like this with two or three other runners!

#5 -- Circuit Running

You might have noticed that all of the above is related to speed or pushing your body. Speed is fun, but even that can be too much sometimes, which is why a Circuit Run is a great alternative. Think of it as a boot camp on the move.

If you live near a fitness path that has stations for you to do crunches, push ups, pull ups / flexed arm hang, rows, etc., then all you need to do is get a buddy and start running. If you don't have such a resource, you can make it up! It's easy to add push ups, sit ups, leg raises, planks (front or side), dips, etc, on basic stationary objects. Simply jog/run for three to five minutes, then do an exercise, and repeat.

Save this for a shorter, easier paced run. Challenge yourself (and your partner) to beat the number of repetitions from last time, and watch each other get fitter and stronger by the week!

Tip: Consider writing down some ideas for exercises on a card so you aren't stuck brainstorming as soon as you find a nice space to do your exercise.

You can view more of Patrick McCrann's tips on running at his website, MarathonNation

Building Confidence Through Martial Arts

2012-02-09T15:50:08+0000

I do not know much about martial arts except that I want to learn more one day. Why wait? I decided to start doing research because I have no idea where to begin. I don't know what class to take, where to take it, what to look for in an instructor (as someone in my mid-30s who has been a ballet dancer her whole life, I will not take kindly to an instructor who punishes me with a half-hour wall sit or 100 push-ups drill if I forget to ask for water), nor anything else for that matter. I came across this article that was published last week in the Salina Journal and found some of the info very helpful. Read Gary Demuth's article below:

"You have to repeat a move 300 times just for memory and 3,000 times for it to be muscle memory -- that's just one of hundreds of moves," he said. "And in 20 years, you might be good. Even after 20 years of doing this, I still feel like a novice."

Growing up in a gang-infested area of Fort Worth, Texas, Ernest Lazo was bullied and harassed -- until he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Living in that culture, you have to learn to defend yourself, so I decided to train to have a self-defense mentality," he said.

Lazo began martial arts training in 1992. Twenty years later, he's running his own school, the Martial Arts Academy of Salina.

Lazo teaches classes for youths and adults at Carver Center through Salina Parks and Recreation, but his goal is to move his school into a permanent facility at 742 Duvall. He will share the space with boxing coach Cesareo Morales and Olympic weightlifting coach Dennis Espinosa under the banner "Team Salina."

"Our goal is to raise funds to renovate this building," Lazo said. "We have a vision for a recreation center for low-income families."

The Martial Arts Academy of Salina teaches a form of martial arts called American Karate, Lazo said, a system that incorporates elements of Taekwondo, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Kung Fu and American boxing. Lazo also teaches low-impact cardio and flexibility classes at Dino Strength Training Center, 703 Bishop.

"My ultimate goal is to have two locations in Salina -- a martial arts training school (at 742 Duvall) and mixed martial arts training at Dino, which is more sports training," he said.

Lazo originally came to Salina in 2000 to attend Kansas Wesleyan University as a biology major with a minor in chemistry and Spanish.

"I went to a college fair at Fort Worth and read about KWU," he said. "It appealed to me. I came from a big urban city, and I felt Salina was the type of environment I needed to succeed."

After graduating from KWU in 2004, Lazo worked two years as an admissions officer at Bethany College. After leaving Bethany in 2006, he enrolled in online graduate courses at Fort Hays State University. In December 2008, he earned a master's degree in organizational leadership.

While studying for his graduate degree, Lazo began taking martial arts classes at two schools, Sun Yi's Tai Kwon Do Academy and Absolute Martial Arts, which later became Premier Martial Arts. When the owner of Absolute Martial Arts saw how advanced Lazo was in his training, he was offered the job of chief instructor at the school.

After earning his graduate degree, Lazo started a new job in December 2008 with a work schedule that didn't allow him to continue teaching martial arts classes.

But after being laid off eight months later, Lazo was given a golden opportunity in fall 2009.

"Premier Martial Arts had moved to Wichita, and I had parents contact me wanting their children to continue their martial arts training with me," he said. "They were persistent. Because I wasn't working, I said, 'What do I have to lose?' and agreed."

Lazo went to Salina Parks and Recreation and talked to recreation program supervisor Tim Kerbs about teaching classes through the department. Lazo began teaching his first classes at Carver Center in January 2010.

Having just completed his second year in business, Lazo said he's looking forward to expanding the school in a new location and building a team of dedicated students who will continue practicing martial arts with him for years to come.

Dedication and patience is essential to being successful in martial arts, Lazo said.

"You have to repeat a move 300 times just for memory and 3,000 times for it to be muscle memory -- that's just one of hundreds of moves," he said. "And in 20 years, you might be good. Even after 20 years of doing this, I still feel like a novice."

Lazo said nothing is better than seeing a young student gain self-confidence when they begin mastering a martial arts move.

"I love seeing the kids when they can't believe they can do something, and then they find out they can," he said. "When they see they can do it, they get giddy."

To read the article online at the Salina Journal, click Ernest Lazo, Martial Arts Instructor.

Weight Loss is Key in Fighting Type 2 Diabetes

2012-02-08T20:26:57+0000

Diabetes can be genetic. Because it is on both sides of my family, I often do research on it and attempt to learn what I can to try to prevent it. I came across this article by Marion Nestle, professor at New York University, and would like to share it:

Having diabetes is no joke. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations, and premature death.

Q: I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and am very confused about insulin resistance, and what carbohydrates I can and cannot eat. So much of what I read is contradictory.

A: The first line of defense against type 2 diabetes is weight loss, but you would never know it from listening to Paula Deen, the celebrity Southern cook who recently announced that she has this disease, or even to the American Diabetes Association.

Having diabetes is no joke. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations, and premature death.

The disease comes in two forms - type 1 and type 2 - but type 2 accounts for 95 percent of cases. In both, levels of blood sugar are too high as a result of problems with insulin, a hormone that enables the body to use blood sugar for energy. But the reasons differ.

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. It causes the pancreas to stop making insulin or not make enough. Type 1 is not yet preventable and requires insulin treatment.

In type 2, insulin may be available, but body tissues resist its use.

Being overweight is the key factor in type 2. Most people can prevent it by not gaining weight. And most people with the type 2 disease can eliminate symptoms by losing some weight.

Genetics is certainly a factor - many overweight people never develop the disease - but 85 percent or more of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

In genetically predisposed people, being overweight causes insulin resistance. Metabolism does not handle excess calories very well, and this means calories from any source, not just carbohydrates.

Fast food, soft drinks

Children and adults who habitually consume fast food as well as soft drinks tend to take in more calories and weigh more and are more likely to develop symptoms than people who eat healthier diets and are more active.

This makes healthy eating and physical activity the most important approaches. The vast majority of overweight people at risk of type 2 diabetes can prevent symptoms by losing a few percent of their body weight and doing a couple of hours a week of moderate - not necessarily vigorous - physical activity. The same works for treatment. Some people will still need medications, but the drugs work better with diet and physical activity.

As the Centers for Disease Control puts it, "all diabetes-care programs should make healthy weight a priority."

Dietary advice for type 2 diabetes is the same as advice for everyone else: Eat a wide variety of relatively unprocessed foods, especially vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and don't consume too much junk food or too many sugary beverages.

Scientists may argue endlessly about the relative importance of calories, sugars and refined carbohydrates in the diets of people with type 2 diabetes, but everyone agrees that eating less of all three would help resolve symptoms.

Why isn't weight loss better recognized as a treatment strategy? Paula Deen's announcement said nothing about losing weight.

The ADA does talk about weight loss on its website ( www.diabetes.org), but you must search hard through several complicated screens before you find, "Losing just a few pounds through exercise and eating well can help with your diabetes control and can reduce your risk for other health problems."
Pharmaceuticals

I can't help wondering if the lack of prominence given to weight loss might have something to do with the influence of pharmaceutical companies.

A few years ago, I gave a talk on the importance of weight loss in control of type 2 diabetes at an ADA annual meeting. Although many conference talks dealt with drug treatment, mine was the only one on diet - except for a session on sugars sponsored by Coca-Cola.

The exhibit hall was packed with drug company representatives dispensing free pens, writing pads, books, lab coats and stethoscopes - all with corporate logos.

The influence of drug companies on diabetes advice is worth attention. Deen represents a drug that costs hundreds of dollars a month. Drug companies give the ADA millions every year.

Eating less and being active make no money for anyone (unless people can be induced to join commercial weight-loss programs).

Losing weight is a losing battle for many people. It's hard to lose weight in today's "eat more" food marketing environment.
Teachable moment

But a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes should be a teachable moment. Shouldn't the ADA more strongly urge people with the disease to eat less, eat better and move more, and help everyone find ways to cope with "eat more" messages?

The health and economic costs of type 2 diabetes, and its preventability, are reason enough to demand changes in the food environment. The ADA should be working hard to make it easier for everyone to eat more healthfully, be more active and avoid the need for a lifetime of diabetes medications.

Marion Nestle is the author of "Food Politics" and "What to Eat," among other books, and is a professor in the nutrition, food studies and public health department at New York University. She blogs at www.foodpolitics.com. E-mail comments to food@sfchronicle.com.

To read the article on sfgate.com, click here: Weight loss is key in fighting Type 2 Diabetes

Running for Beginners - 5 Tips To Get Started

2012-02-03T18:45:00+0000

When it comes to running, are you a complete beginner? Or have you at least run to catch a train or two since your days on the playground? Maybe you run once a month, decide "running isn't for me" then give it up for a long spell again?

No matter what your answer is, know this: almost anyone on the planet can run. It is inherent to being a human being. Our ancestors ran, our friends run, our offspring will run. I've seen double amputees run marathons on a single prosthetic device and crutches. I've seen bow-legged people run, pronators, supinators, short people, tall people, overweight people, 90-year-olds...the list goes on. It isn't easy. But it does get easier with consistency.

The good news is: We need no equipment to run, though it is really nice to have comfy shoes and sweat-wicking clothes. Also, it costs nothing. Finally, the results, when accomplished with consistency, are hard to argue with: runners are fit, their heart is conditioned, and they generally have a well-balanced energy level (you've probably heard of the endorphin-produced "runner's high") thus can handle stress and the "afternoon slump" much better than their sedentary friends.

The problem is this: most people who consider themselves incompatible with running go out on Day 1 much too hard without a base layer of fitness and so become discouraged and abandon their hopes. But any activity, natural or not, requires some amount of fitness in order to do it safely and effectively. Sometimes people may think that they are going to get hurt running. That may be true because you can get doing anything. However, it is usually an excuse and is not true for most people. Some people say: "it is too hard on my body". Of course it is hard! Nothing worth getting is easy! It is definitely more easy and more comfortable to sit on the couch or on a bench in the park. Cover models for Runner's World did not wake up looking that way without hard work. They worked up a sweat over and over, and woke up many a day with sore muscles and laced up their shoes anyway. If you truly have a physical problem which makes running bad for you and your doctor has advised you against running, perhaps you should pick up a bike or dive into a pool in order to work with what you have. However, after building a base layer of fitness and acknowledging that you are ready to work hard to get into running shape, almost everyone CAN run.

Running is a natural action for us that requires few, if any, fine-tuned skills or gear but that does not mean it won't be helpful to have some basic knowledge. Basic form can be learned by asking a personal trainer or a running coach for some pointers. Mainly, think of keeping your toes pointing straight ahead and heels directly behind them. Your knees should bend directly over the center of your ankle. Also, relax your arms. Your hand should almost hit your hip, then cross just in front of your nipple. Excessive twisting will cause abdominal cramps (as will being out of shape; if you get a cramp, just slow down and take deeps breaths, then pick up your pace again once your cramp is completely gone).

Where to begin? It's easy to explain (though hard to execute) so let's get started:

#1--Ask your doctor if you are ready.

This doesn't mean you have to call him or her as soon as you finish reading this article. If you just got a check-up recently and received a clean bill of health, you are probably a-okay to put on your shoes and go for a walk. Slowly, you will turn that into a light jog. We will discuss that in a minute.

If you have health issues such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, or are 20 pounds or more overweight, you might want to clear it with your physician before attempting to run for exercise. Be smart. Your health is your livelihood. A phone call isn't that hard, nor is a check-up to see your doctor. Even if you can't get an appointment for 6 weeks, you can walk every day between now and then and build up your leg strength.

#2--Start walking.

One of the things I asked my beginner half-marathoners to do before we all met as a group for the first time was start walking. No matter what the weather, you can walk. Carry an umbrella if it is raining, bundle up if it is snowing, wear a hat and sunglasses if it is hot and sunny...you get the idea. You can make an excuse, or you can do something. If you want to be fit and keep stiffness and weakness away, start walking. If you can only walk 5 minutes before things start hurting, walk 5 minutes every day. Next week, make it 6. You will work your way up to a half-mile by the end of the 1st month and a mile by the end of the second month. If you can already walk for an hour without fatigue, you are ready to start running.

#3--Start running.

Warm up for five minutes by walking. Then, pick up your pace to a slow jog. A jog is simply a slow run, and an important building block for running. If you can only jog one block, then jog one block. If you can jog for 1 minute, jog for one minute. Then, walk for one minute, run for one minute, etc. Eventually, you can work your way up to 5 minutes of running and really get a rhythm going. This rhythm is what it takes to push through plateaus. Every day that you run, it should be a little bit harder than the last day that you ran; not a ton, a little. This will keep you progressing and prevent plateaus.

How fast should you run? Do the talk-test: make sure that you can say about 7 words at once while running. If you can't, you are pushing yourself too hard which could lead to an injury or muscles that are so sore tomorrow that you can't walk properly.

#4--Eat nutrition-rich foods.

Simply put: vary your diet as much as possible. Eat colorful fruits & veggies, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and limit caffeine and alcohol. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh food is and where the processed food is not. Eat often, and stop eating when your appetite is satisfied (note the word "satisfied" here; completely full to the point where you have to lay down after a meal does not equal satisfied; that equals overeating, and unless you live in an area where there is extreme famine (which you probably do not because you are on the internet as you read this), there is food available to you and you can eat again in 3-4 hours).

You are pushing your body harder than you pushed it before. Breaking your muscles down means that they are going to automatically rebuild themselves (that is one thing you don't have to do!). You need essential amino acids to do this. If you are a vegetarian, make sure you get enough low-fat dairy in your diet such as yogurt and eggs. If you are vegan, make sure you consume all essential amino acids; for example, combine rice & beans for a complete amino acid complex, or add quinoa to your diet since it includes all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce.

In order for your body to turn food into fuel, it needs certain water-soluble vitamins and certain fat-soluble vitamins. If you think you are missing out on key nutrients, ask your doctor if you should take a multi-vitamin (be careful about taking just one specific vitamin such as Vitamin E; your body needs a balance of vitamins and nutrients and will just eliminate the extra that it does not need, which means you are not only wasting your money by overdoing it on certain vitamins, you could be taking the wrong vitamin without your doctor's advice and could be taxing your body in a negative way.

#5--Be honest with yourself and listen to your body.

If you are truly tired and overworked, take a nap or get extra sleep that night. If you have energy, go burn it up. If you need food, eat. If you need to talk, talk.

Your body is smarter than your brain sometimes. Often, we think about what society tells us to think about instead of what we personally need to think about. Perhaps your shoulders and lower back are sore from being so tight; maybe you need to stretch because all you ever do is lift weights and you sacrifice stretching to do one more set. You probably need to listen to your body and spend your workout time on some days stretching instead of lifting weights for the 5th day in a row. Balance is important. "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy." So does all of anything and nothing of something else.

Sit and read once in a while and enjoy it. Stare at out the window and just think instead of picking up your smartphone or opening your laptop. Just make sure you have made time for your walk, walk/run, or run that day.

The Truth about Protein Powder

2011-09-21T16:01:59+0000

When most people think of protein powder, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to protein powder than just the basics.

If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Protein is the fundamental building block of muscle evolution. Yeah, complex carbs and healthy fats play important roles too, but protein is the primary driver. Spurred in part by tremendous advances in research, there has been a massive explosion in the varieties of protein powders being sold-so much that it can be overwhelming and confusing. This website article will sort it all out and help you make the correct decision about which protein powders are right for you.

There are a range of different types of proteins sold as powdered supplements for bodybuilders: egg, whey, casein, milk and soy.

Egg protein is considered to be the granddaddy of all proteins and the gold standard to which other proteins aspire to be. Nutritionists agree that in terms of protein quality, egg protein is second to none. It is packed with essential amino acids (EAAs) and is ideal for persons with milk allergies or lactose intolerance. The protein from entire eggs ranks a quick higher in quality in comparison to protein from egg whites.

The next two proteins on the list-whey and casein-are both derived from milk protein, which is comprised of about 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein.

Whey protein is far and above the most common type used in the majority of powders on the market today. They're easily digested and love egg proteins, are also loaded with EAAs as well as the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). Whey proteins come in three different varieties: concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates.

Whey protein concentrates are the most economical variety but they also have the lowest overall protein level. Isolates are bit more costly but on they also have higher protein levels. The last one-hydrolysates-is whey protein that is partially broken down, which results in faster digestion and absorption.

Casein proteins comprise the bulk of the protein in milk. Casein takes more time than whey protein to digest and absorb into the body. Because of this, it's sometimes taken correct before prolonged periods of fasting such as at bedtime.

Soy protein is far less commonly taken by bodybuilders than any of the others. It has the lowest overall protein quality among the ones I've discussed and also ranks lower than the others in terms of other nutritional benefits such as EAAs.

There are five typical times when bodybuilders take their protein shakes: in the morning; before working out; after working out; in-between meals and correct before bedtime.

A protein shake taken right after you wake up provides a stable, sustained energy source after the nutritional void of sleep. It also provides a shot of amino acids that are used in muscle recovery and maintenance. The faster-acting whey proteins are favored for that "solid morning" kick.

The pre-workout protein shake primes the body for the exercises to come. Taken about an hour before, whey and egg proteins are favored here because of their rapid digestion and content of muscle-pumping EAAs and BCAAs.

The post-exercises period-about 30 to 60 minutes-is a critical time in which your body craves protein. After a good training session, your muscles are nutrient-, enzyme- and hormone-starved sponges, anxious to soak up everything they need to launch into the recovery procedure. Here, whey, casein or egg protein can do the trick.

As a between-meal snack, protein shakes are ideal. They not only knock out hunger pangs but they also assist to keep your metabolism functioning at peak level. For between meals, dairy proteins (whey, casein or milk) are the best because they supply a "full" feeling than other proteins.

Last, we come to the bedtime protein shake. Because of the long nutritional drought ahead, slow-digesting casein protein is the clear favorite. Its amino acid-rich formulation helps to fight against any muscle breakdown that can occur during periods of sleep.

There are all kinds of different protein powders from which to choose. It's especially handy that manufacturers have devised different blends to meet precise needs (pre-workout, post-workout, etc.), which can make it easy to select exactly what you require. The downside is that you can wind up spending a lot of income on all sorts of different protein powders.

In making your choice, think about your goals, your needs and your budget. If you want to economize you might examine a blended protein, which is designed to be the "middle of the road" between fast- and slow-acting proteins. In any case, you've now got the information you need to make an educated decision about what's correct for you.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Designing Your Training According to Your Body Type

2011-08-18T19:00:00+0000

Have you ever wondered why you gain weight faster, why you could not lose those fats faster, why you still have a hard time tuning your body perfectly even though you have a great workout routine? It is pretty simple actually. You just have to know your body type first before you start your training. Knowing your body type can be hard to accept for some. It can be your biggest obstacle, but it can also be your most effective tool. Whether you belong to the “skinny” types, fatty types, or the common bullies who are just naturally gifted with the great body, it will always be a great factor if you know what kind of workout your type needs.

Basically, there are three main body types. There is the Endomorph, Ectomorph, and Mesomorph. But there is no restriction to which body type a person might have. There are also others with a combination of these body types. To know which body type you have, all you have to do is look at the mirror and judge.

The Endomorph

It is a body type which usually has high levels of fat, slow metabolism, rounded body shape and always referred to as “FAT”. The Endomorphs have the biggest problem of losing weight. They have an easy time gaining muscle; however, they also have easy time gaining fat.

The Ectomorph

It is a body type which is the exact opposite of the Endomorph. Having this body type means having high metabolism, thin build, less muscle, less fat and is generally called “SKINNY”. Though Ectomorphs are having a tough time with high amount of training, it has an upside to it – they have really minimal fat gain which can be a great advantage when doing workouts.

The Mesomorph

It is the best body type in any case. Mesomorphs are naturally gifted and they are highly athletic. They do not have trouble gaining muscles and losing fat, they have low body fat amount, like Ectomorphs, they have high metabolism rate, and most of the time they are often referred to as “THE MAN”.

Preparation for the Training

Upon starting the workout routine, the obvious goal is to be able to walk proud and be The Man. To achieve the great effects in your workout and to avoid backfires, there are some points that you need to consider in the design of your workout. So here are some tips on making an effective workout routine that goes well with your body type.

Knowing the Basic Workout Exercises

To start designing the best possible workout routine suited for your body type, you should also take some time knowing about the basic workout exercises and proper executions.

The Bicep Curl – A weight training exercise which targets the biceps to develop its size, strength, and endurance. Even though there are different variations in doing this exercise, the one similarity among the many variations is the “curling motion”.

The Chin-up – A strength training exercise which is also a form of pull-up exercise. It targets the latissimus dorsi muscle, scapular downward rotator and scapular depressor. Basically, the movement starts with both arms reaching up to a gripping bar. The body is then pulled up until the chin is in respect with the bar. Finally, the body is lowered and the exercise is generally repeated.

The Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise – Also known as Toe Raises which targets mainly the Gastrocnemius. It starts by grasping a dumbbell in one hand while positioning the toes onto a platform with the heels hanging off the step. Slowly rise up on toes and make a straight line from the body to the ankle. Finally, slowly lower the body and repeat the exercise with the other leg.

The Bench Press – A weight training exercise that focuses on the development of the chest. It can strengthen the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. It starts while the lifter lies on his back while his feet are flat on the ground. Then the lifter lowers a weight down to his chest level then pushes it back till the arms are straight.

The Squat – A full body training exercise which develops the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, hamstring and hips. The exercise starts in a standing position while holding weights (dumbbell or a bar across the upper back). Then it is triggered by lowering the hips and bending the knees to lower the body while carrying the weight, and finally returning to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Shrug – A strength training exercise which primarily targets to develop the upper trapezius muscle. It is done by standing straight while holding dumbbells in both sides, then raising the shoulders as high as possible and lowering them without moving the body or bending the elbows.

Most of the basic exercises are easily done with dumbbells. This means that in order for you to attain the perfect figure, you need to start slow but start strong. It can be more optimized with the help of an adjustable dumbbell set. This will allow you to start at the right level of your strength and at the same time intensify your training bit by bit.

Summer slump with fitness?

2011-08-02T23:45:00+0000

Are you getting bored with your workout routine as the summer plods on? As summer winds down, making the most of the long days of sunlight gets more important. However, loosing the motivation to stay active is a common occurrence in late summer. If you're like me and you work better when you have a specific goal set, then try a new challenge! Set yourself up for a race that will inspire your workout! In San Diego, we never have a shortage of athletic events to participate in, but some of us feel a little intimidated by all those men with raging testosterone racing past. So, here's a list of local events for the ladies only! They're all good starter races, for those who are just beginning to set a race goal.

SheRox Triathlon

Sprint Distance
Sunday, October 16, 2011
South Shores Park
www.sheroxtri.com

4th Annual Walk a Mile in her Shoes

All participants walk the mile in high heel shoes!
6pm Thursday, October 20, 2011
Downtown San Diego
www.ywcasandiego.org
Advertisement

Make Strides to end Breast Cancer

4-Mile Walk
Sunday, October 16, 2011
14th annual event
Balboa Park
cancer.org/stridesonline

Komen Race for the Cure

5K
Sunday November 6, 2011
Balboa Park
www.komensandiego.org

The 3 Day

60-mile walk
Friday - Sunday, November 18 - 20, 2011
www.the3day.org

So grab a friend to join you on your path to fitness and well being, and have fun along the way!

Warm Up To Perform At Your Best

2011-07-12T20:29:54+0000

Warming up your muscles before you do any mild to intense physical activity will not only help you practice or perform better but will also prevent injury as well as make the actual exercise more comfortable, therefore more enjoyable. I have been telling my clients and students for years to make sure they spend at least 5 minutes warming up (more if the activity will be intense) and am thrilled to find supporting articles to share. Read the full article from fitnesspad.com here or go directly to their site by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page:

Always warming up before starting your exercise routine will lower your chances of injury and will get your muscles warmed up and ready for the exercise you are about to begin. Some warming up techniques and tips are here to help you warm up and what to do.

Many times when we do physical activity we forget to warm up and we also forget just how important it is that we do so. Strenuous activity could cause injury if our muscles and tendons are not properly stretched and ready to go. Also, warming up will improve your respiratory rate, blood flow, and oxygen levels. Doing these warming up exercises will make your routine go more smoothly and with less problems. Your body will already be ready and willing to start the exercising. You will have better results during your work out.

A person can warm up properly by doing anything that can get the heart rate to beat faster. Jogging in place, speed walking, or any other cardiovascular activity such as bicycling and or using a rowing machine will work. Start slowly and increase at a pace that is comfortable for you as you feel your heart rate increase also along with your body temperature. This pace will probably be at your current fitness level and watch how your body feels so that you do not over do it. Warming up should not leave you feeling exhausted, that is for your regular workout routine. Instead you should feel energized and ready for more.

Also, the warming up you do can be similar to the activity you are preparing for. So, preparing your body for sports or other heavy or strenuous activity will make the activity easier and not as difficult. Try to stretch the major muscles for eight seconds and to keep moving so the blood does not pool in one area. This keeps the blood flowing equally throughout the body also. While stretching, do not bounce since this could lead to muscle tears and/or pulls.

Conversely, weight lifters will want to add 50% of the weight to the machine and perform the repetitions they plan to do. Then, increase the weight to 80% and decrease to only two to three repetitions. Rest for approximately 30 seconds and repeat both steps. After all this begin your regular workout routine, this will have your body warmed up and make the rest of the work out less daunting and troublesome.

Finally, never forget to cool down also, which is not just relaxing put slowly lessening your routine. This is done in the same way as the warming up routine. Blood gathers in the muscles and can block oxygen that the body needs. In serious cases this could actually lead to a heart attack. So cooling down is just as important as warming up. Staying in good health and fitness is important for everyone and doing the proper warm ups are essential to having a successful work out with the maximum benefits.

Warm Up Before You Exercise

Fitness Tips-Make Your Fitness Plan Work

2011-07-11T19:15:42+0000

Have you ever started a new fitness program only to quit after just a short while? Do not be ashamed to admit it if you must answer yes to this question. You are not alone.

It is not uncommon to begin a fitness plan, and then become frustrated or just plain bored. It does not have to be this way. It is possible to make your healthy fitness plan work.

Set Specific Goals

Begin by setting simple goals, and then you can progress on to the longer-range goals. Keep in mind that it is important that your goals are achievable and realistic. All too often people become frustrated and just give up when the goals that they set are too ambitious.

A short-term goal may be a five-minute walk a couple of times a day. An intermediate fitness goal would be a twenty-minute walk three or four times per week, with a long-term goal of completing a 5K walk.

Have Fun

Focus on the activities and sports that you enjoy the most. It is important to vary your workout routine in order to work various muscle groups and keep you on your toes. If you do not enjoy working out, then perhaps you should try a new routine.

Take dance classes, join a ball league or take up martial arts to keep your exercise workouts fun and exciting. You may be surprised to discover just how athletically talented you really are if you just try. Working out does not have to feel like a chore and you will be more inclined to stick to your healthy fitness plan if you are having fun.

Incorporate Fitness Into Daily Life

Is it hard for you to find time to exercise? It is important that you do not fall back on a horde of excuses. Plan your workout schedule just as you would any other activity that is important to you.

In addition, you can squeeze a little physical activity in all throughout your day. All you have to do is be a little creative. While you are waiting for your child's music lesson to end, go for a walk. Opt to take the stairs at work instead of riding on the elevator. While you are watching your favorite television show or reading a good book, do a little strength training or pedal a stationary bike.

Write It Down

Would you like to sleep better, lose weight and have more energy? No matter your reasons for exercising, writing down your goals and progress is an excellent way to stay on track with a healthy fitness plan.

When you are able to look back on what you have accomplished, you will be motivated to continue moving forward with your fitness program. Try posting your goals where you can see them, such as on your treadmill, weight bench or bathroom mirror. In addition, you can keep a diary of the exercises that you do every day.

Write down everything you accomplished in your workout session. Note how long you worked out and how you felt be for and after exercising each day. Recording your efforts will help you see that you really are making progress, so you will be less likely to give up all together.

Now that you know the tricks to staying motivated to stick to a healthy fitness plan, you are ready to get moving. Keep in mind that physical fitness is important throughout life, so remember these tips that you have learned if you ever feel your motivation slipping.

About The Author:
Scott Gray is a fitness enthusiast and website publisher. He maintains a beginners fitness tips website called www.fitnesstips101.com where you can find information about cardiovascular fitness and weight loss, exercise equipment and tips for getting and staying in shape.

Neti Pots

2011-07-07T21:15:00+0000

"What is a neti pot and what can it do for you?" I asked my yoga teacher in India. She explained it to me but I was skeptical. I tried a neti pot for the first time under her supervision while in India. Though I did not love it at first, the benefits are clear. I could breathe more easily that day during pranayama practice (breathing techniques) than I ever had before. I did not have to stop and blow my nose, or skip certain techniques because one nostril was blocked.

Jala Neti means "water cleansing" and is one of the shat kriyas or "6 purification techniques" common to yoga. Warm water and a little bit of non-iodized salt is used, along with the assistance of gravity to make the water flow through one nostril and out the other nostril. It was astonishingly easier to do that I thought at first.

Here is a list of the benefits according to Ray, owner of YogaLifeStyle.com:

* Reduction of allergy problems
* Easier breathing (helps with pranayama)
* Reduction of or elimination of post-nasal drip
* Reduction of or elimination of chronic sinus infections
* Common colds are either avoided or shortened
* Improved sense of smell and taste

Ray explains, "The practice is easy and millions of people in East Asia do it every morning much like we brush our teeth. For people suffering from a sinus condition, repeated daily practice as needed up to four times is recommended."

Using a Neti Pot:

Mix 12 oz. of warm water with a bit more than 1/4 teaspoon
of salt. (Personal experimentation will reveal the right temperature
and salinity for you.) Non-iodized salt is recommended. Pour half of the
water in the neti pot. Tilt your head sideways above a sink and place
the tapered spout in your upper nostril. Tilt the pot so water runs into
upper nostril and out the lower. Sometimes when one side is very
congested the flow will be blocked in one or the other direction.
Repeated practice on the "good" side will often remove the blockage.

Breathing quietly, through the mouth is generally recommended
while practicing jala neti. Some practitioners also sniff a bit of water
into their sinuses and let it pass out the mouth while practicing.

Keep a tissue or handkerchief handy for blowing your nose after practice. Blow very very gently. Netti pots are easy to find at stores like Whole Foods, yoga gear and apparel stores, and Eastern stores, usually for about $5, though you can get a fancy porcelain one if you prefer for up to $50. Check JalaNetiPot.com for more information. They have a fairly extensive list of FAQs that may answer some of your questions.

Enjoy your clear nostrils!

Açai Berry Health Benefits

2011-05-24T20:30:00+0000

After a visit to Brazil and trying over a dozen different sucos (juice) bars' version of açai smoothies (crushed ice and açai berries and a touch of sugar), I had a new favorite. It is a purple-brownish drink that tastes so delicious that I couldn't stop thinking about them, and upon learning of the benefits of this wee berry, I began to treat myself to one every day. At only $3, it packs a lunch full of vitamins and immune system boosting properties.

According to experts, there are many açai berry benefits. The main reason açai is considered to be superfood is because it has been shown that the berries have a remarkable amount of powerful antioxidants, benefiting the entire body by protecting the cells from free radicals.

I looked into it further and found this information from www.açai-health.com:

Açai comes from the amazon regions of Brazil. The small, açai purple fruits have been used by Brazillian people for food and health for hundreds of years. Açai fruit grows on a palm tree and is harvested from September to January. It is similar in shape to a grape, and its' nut takes up 90% of the açai berry's volume. The local people consume the berry as a pulp, with sugar and tapioca on top. They depend on it as a dietary staple because of the nourishment it provides.

To read more about the health benefits of açai berries, visit www.açai-health.com or just try a smoothie and feel the benefits for yourself. It is more expensive in the United States and far away countries because it is imported, but if you have the chance, try a little and know that your taste buds and your body will thank you.

Amazing Physical Fitness Benefits Worth Noting

2011-05-11T20:23:05+0000

When people think about physical fitness benefits, they usually overlook the psychological benefits. There are numerous "mind" benefits that include both the physical brain as well as the personality and other "mind" areas. This can have the effect of giving you a more positive way of looking at life as a whole. It is difficult to describe if you have never experienced the feeling.

You can get this feeling when you know you've accomplished something beneficial. You can also enjoy enhanced blood circulation, as well as the effects from your brain releasing endorphins. But for most people, the hardest part is in the beginning. The real key is to begin doing something, whatever it may be. Make small goals and take it one day at a time. The following paragraphs are about some of the physical fitness benefits that can help to motivate you.

After working out, you feel good because of brain chemistry. Your brain release endorphins into your bloodstream after twenty or thirty minutes of exercise. The proteins of endorphins, or neurotransmitters, act like a natural pain reliever. The natural high, or euphoria, that can accompany strenuous activity is caused by these endorphins. That feeling is very pleasant when experienced, and it helps to build a strong and positive association with the workout.

We all know that life in modern society is full of stress, anxiety, frustrations, aggravations, anger, and so on. A workout is the best way for you to drive all of the negativity out of your system. Those who've experienced this first hand know. When you are done with your fitness workout, you feel totally better. Your day instantly improves. Taking a brisk half hour walk will do the trick if you're pressed for time.

The reality is that if you have days of no energy but you exercise regularly, you will have fewer days like that. Regular exercise lifts your average energy levels and keeps them there for longer. Increased circulation will keep your cells filled with oxygen longer. You have to have energy to exercise and with exercise comes energy. The key there is to get over the initial hump. Once regular exercise begins, then that low energy feeling will fade and be replaced with a higher energy level.

If you want to gain the maximum benefits from exercise, you have to do it regularly. If you choose a type of workout that you enjoy, it will be much easier for you to stick with it. It becomes much more challenging if you choose an activity just because you feel you should do it, rather than because you enjoy it. This isn't recommended, as you're not likely to keep doing something you dislike.

Visit my blog for powerful topics about Physical Fitness

Need Help in Fat Burning Diet?

2011-05-11T16:44:38+0000

The following paragraphs summarize the work of fat-burning diet experts who are completely familiar with all of the aspects of fat burning diets. Heed their advice to avoid any fat-burning diet surprises.

What would you say is the best place to begin when you’re in search of fat burning diets? Many diet packages and books are in the open today, and each of them promises that you can shed the pounds in a few weeks, advocating different kinds of diets.

Unfortunately, only a few of them really work. Although some of these diets show excellent results in the beginning, once you stop, the pounds come back on. Others are just too impossible to follow.

Apart from being practical, your goal in a fat burning diet should be to ensure that your metabolic rate remains high and your insulin levels stay low. A diet plan that can be followed for life, without the danger of it harming your health, is important. When you’re searching for a fat burning diet, keep in mind some of the following factors.

With regard to eating carbohydrates, make sure that your food has lots of fiber. In other words, you should avoid foods that are cooked or processed with bleached, enriched flour and stick to unprocessed foods and vegetables. Here’s a superb rule of thumb: The closer a food source is it's natural state, the more vitamins and minerals found in it; obviously, it’ll be healthier too.

High quality proteins such as lean red meat, skinless and boneless turkey and chicken, or a combo of rice and beans,and fish are essential; any fat burning diet that does not recommend it is useless. Why? These foods are the finest sources of complete proteins; they are crucial for the success of any diet plan. Proteins are necessary for maintaining lean muscle, and so it is important to ensure that your body gets an adequate supply of protein.

You should steer clear of refined carbohydrates and sugary foods. Why? Such foods cause a sudden step-up of glucose in the body. In turn, the sugar triggers an increase in insulin (secreted from the pancreas), which leads to high insulin levels.

The liver and muscles get sugar (in the form of glycogen) from insulin. While most of the sugar is used up this means, what’s left gets stored as fat in the form of fatty acids. Eating refined sugars causes fluctuations in glucose levels, and so you need a fat-burning diet that encourages you to stop eating foods that contains these simple sugars.

Increases in the production of insulin in the body is known as metabolic syndrome. A considerably common condition, metabolic syndrome is when you gain weight, sometimes being markedly obese. It also causes a step-up in your triglycerides, putting you at risk of contracting diabetes or heart disease. However, proper fat burning diets can be used to treat metabolic syndrome.

Remember that exercise is an equally fundamental factor, and any fat burning diet is useless without it. Exercise ensures that your metabolic rate stays high and that you can build muscle mass, which is why it is so important. Weight training and cardio are two fundamental elements in weight loss; they must be a part of your weight loss program.

Finally, sufficient sleep is also crucial, and any weight loss diet won’t work if you don’t sleep enough. A minimal of 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is a must. Sleep deprivation causes you to eat more because you feel hungrier.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Basic Bodybuilding: 6 Tips in Choosing a Gym

2011-05-09T15:45:00+0000

Basic Bodybuilding: 6 Tips in Choosing a Gym

This article explains a few things about basic bodybuilding, and if you're interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don't know.

If you don't have accurate details regarding basic bodybuilding, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.

Once you’ve decided to take up bodybuilding, you need to select a gym that can meet your requirements. When it turns to Essential bodybuilding, choosing the correct gym is essential, because it can spell the difference between success and failure.

1) Location.

Ideally you should pick a gym for Primary bodybuilding that is near your home or one that is on the means to your workplace. It is simply a matter of selecting a convenient location so that you have one less excuse not to go. On the other hand, if you pick an out of the way gym that demands a long drive, you will be more likely to skip workouts.

2) Cost.

You shouldn’t have to pay through your nose for a basic body building gym membership.

Pay close attentions to contracts and avoid signing up for long-term membership plans. You can still avail of some good discounts when it turns to memberships at the end of summer and after New Year’s Day.

See if you can avail some of the exceptional benefits such as courses, nutritional counseling, massage therapy, physiotherapy, and daycare alternatives.

Some people need to exercises at off-peak hours, such as late in the night or early in the morning, so it’s important to ensure that your chosen Essential bodybuilding gym will be able accommodate you at these times.

3) Demographics.

It’s also important to pay attention to the kind of people who frequently workout in your chosen basic gym. For example, gyms that cater mostly to women will probably lay more emphasis on cardio and yoga. Yet a gym that caters mostly to hardcore bodybuilders is not inevitably the best alternative; although you’ll find the correct equipment there, working out with the pros during your Fundamental bodybuilding phase can be a quick scary.

Ideally, in addition to having all the necessary equipment for both cardio and weight training, a gym should have an atmosphere that inspires you to exercises.

4) Trainers.

During Basic bodybuilding, a gym that has qualified trainers is a big plus. When you’re starting out, it is fundamental to learn the proper techniques so that you have a solid foundation on which to build an impressive physique. Qualified trainers are a very important part of the gym.

5) Equipment.

You should also note the kind of equipment that is present at the gym and its quality. Are there sufficient barbells and dumbbells for everyone? Are there enough weight machines for everyone? Is the cardio equipment (such as treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical trainers, and stationary bicycles) sufficient to meet your cardio needs?

Basically, your gym should have all the equipment that you will use in your Fundamental bodybuilding program.

6) Hygiene.

The hygiene and cleanliness of the facility is also important. All of the equipment in the gym should be cleaned regularly because many people have been sweating it out there everyday. It’s best if all of the equipment is cleaned with a disinfectant every night; the lockers and showering area should be clean too. Nothing can be more distracting than the odor of a smelly bench when you’re performing your Primary bodybuilding workout.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Follow the link to below to learn more about basic bodybuilding and choosing the correct gym….

"Want an unfair advantage in building the powerful, muscular new body you've always
dreamed of? Visit the following website and gain instant access to a free Muscle Building downloads jam-packed with killer muscle building tips: www.howtobebigandstrong.com."

Everything You Know About How to Get Rid Of Excess Fat Is Wrong

2011-05-08T15:45:00+0000

Everything You Know About How to Get Rid Of Excess Fat Is Wrong

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

If you don't have accurate details regarding get rid of excess fat, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.

Regaining lost weight can be frustrating.

Are you in need of a new means to keep the excess weight off?

Listed below are a few easy ways to achieve your goals, but they aren’t secret formulas. The Good news is that I can show you how to get rid of excess fat for good. The bad news is that there is no secret formula!

Keeping weight off for Solid demands a lifestyle change. Not a diet, a lifestyle change. Are you ready to make a lifestyle change?

You are what you eat…this is why diet is so fundamental. You really are what you eat!

To get rid of excess fat you will need a nutritionally sound diet.

Proper nutrition and calories are both fundamental factors in order for you to get rid of excess fat.

You must figure out the amount of calories that your individual body needs in order to get rid of excess fat.

To get rid of excess fat you do not need to drastically cut your calories.

You will be doing the opposite if you cut too many calories.

Your body will hold onto every calorie that you eat if you cut your calories too drastically because your body has a survival mode.

Your body needs a certain number of calories to maintain your current weight, and you must not cut your calories by more than 15-20% from this amount.

You do not want your body to be starving, you only want to cut out a small amount of calories at a time.

Meal frequency is fundamental when you are trying to get rid of excess fat.

You need to eat 5-7 small meals per day to get rid of excess fat.

Blood sugar and insulin levels will remain steady if you spread out your meals.

Your body needs certain macronutrients in order to rebuild.

Each day you must eat the proper number of macronutrients.

All of the macronutrients should be contained at each meal in the form of a lean protein, high fiber carbohydrate and a healthy fat.

Lifestyle changes are required of you.

To get rid of excess fat for good you must maintain these habits for a lifetime.

Your new healthy lifestyle should be permanent.

Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? And you've earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert's word on get rid of excess fat.

To get rid of excess fat once and for all you should follow all of these tips as well as add in exercise to your daily routine.

"The reality is simple: 98% of people who start a fat burning program fail miserably." Click the following link and download a free Fat Burning ebook to get that lean, sexy body you deserve: www.fatlosshardcore.com."

The Shocking Facts about Muscle Building Protein Sources

2011-05-08T02:45:00+0000

Facts about Muscle Building Protein Sources

Current info about Muscle Building Protein is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Muscle Building Protein info available. If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Protein is the most fundamental nutrient for muscle growing, and this any veteran bodybuilder can tell you. Novices take heed: If you aren’t going to supply your body with the necessary number of muscle building protein that it needs to sustain muscle growing, you will not find any significant gains, no matter how much effort you put into your workouts.

So, why is protein so important, and what are the finest muscle building protein sources? Let’s figure it out.

A chain of smaller monomers called amino acids is what clears protein, which is a macromolecule. The individual amino acids that are formed once protein is broken down, after it has been consumed and digested, are used for thousands of functions in the body. It is very fundamental for people who want to increase muscle size and strength to get the right number of muscle building protein. Protein is not only important for optimizing the muscle building procedure but also crucial for repairing damaged muscle tissue.

Now we all know that you need muscle building protein. If you want to get bigger and stronger, let’s get at the best sources of this protein.

A list of foods that not only help you maximize your muscle gains but also supply you with a powerful protein-packed punch have been listed below:

Eggs - One of the finest quality sources of muscle building protein is eggs, and they need not be consumed in the raw form.

Adding eggs (scrambled, challenging boiled, or fried) to your breakfast ensures that your muscles get their protein fix, and it’s a fantastic way to start the day.

Lean Red Meat – Don’t bother about what you’ve read in all those diet blogs; lean red meat is an excellent muscle building protein.

As compared to any other protein source, red meat contains the highest concentration of evolution-supporting nutrients. Opt for sirloin cuts or extra lean ground kick.

Poultry – Chicken and turkey are equally important. These are excellent sources of protein.

*Keep in mind that when eating poultry, you should focus on the white meat portions. The white portions are extremely high in muscle building protein and very low in fat.

Milk – Milk offers a variety of muscle-building benefits and is other great muscle building protein source. Every 250 ml cup of milk contains about 8 grams of protein. The slowest absorbing form of protein out in the market is casein protein, and milk contains 80% of it. Casein can get up to 4 hours to be fully digested, as it forms a gel in the stomach. Casein helps your body stay in an anabolic state for longer periods of time, owing to its' timed launch. Milk also contains short-chain fatty acids that help to support muscle growing and provides a fantastic spectrum of amino acids. You can add milk to your protein shake or to any other recipe, which is unquestionably an advantage.

Fish/Seafood – You can throw your body a solid 30 grams of muscle building protein by eating a can of tuna. The amazing thing is that it has zero carbs and fat. Salmon, cod, and halibut make for some of the other solid choices. Fish and seafood provide you more than just protein. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit in muscle building.

Peanut Butter/Peanuts – Peanut butter and peanuts can be beneficial to your health as the majority of fat that they contain is unsaturated. Peanuts are also a great muscle building protein source. Rather of opting for the commercial stuff, opt for natural peanut butter that does not contain saturated fat.

Cottage Cheese – Cottage cheese is also casein protein. As a result, it is digested very slowly. It also has a high content of natural glutamine, which is the most abundant amino acid in your body.

Whey Protein - Whey protein is the highest quality muscle building protein that you can put in your body, and it is one of the most popular and effective supplements in the bodybuilding industry.

Is there really any information about Muscle Building Protein that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

Check out the website below for more info on muscle building protein sources….

"Want an unfair advantage in building the powerful, muscular new body you've always
dreamed of? Visit the following website and get a free ebook “8 Things You Must Do To Build Maximum Muscle” tips at www.howtobebigandstrong.com

Best Protein? Whey vs Soy vs Calcium Caseinate

2011-01-30T18:30:00+0000

Several people have asked us which protein powder is the best match for their exercise program. But as Adam points out, that question may no longer be valid. Why pick one when you can get all three? Here is an excerpt:

"This powder eliminates the guesswork, providing you three proteins which absorb in the body at different rates of speed, while simultaneously providing their individual blends of amino acids."

Click here for a description from the manufacturer: ProteinPlus.

Yoga Regarding Fertility and Preconception

2011-01-25T15:17:14+0000

Can yoga help a woman and man to conceive a baby? From the site LotusFertility.com comes a thorough but brief article written by Debora Geary about how yoga and its' many benefits of connecting the body, mind, and spirit have led couples to conception. She cites research done at Harvard Medical School, and explains the results. Read about it below:

Yoga and Preconception

Barbara Shell* and her husband tried to conceive for more than two and a half years, with no known fertility issues. They tried fertility drugs and insemination. Then they tried something quite different.

"I started doing Kundalini Yoga classes in January, and then my husband started coming with me, too," says Shell of Delano, Minn. "In February, we decided to adopt, and I feel a large part of it was that we were doing yoga together. We were always much more in sync after the classes and much more willing to explore all our options in healthy discussion. We got very excited, picked an agency and started the paperwork. Then, we found out I am pregnant. It's still very early, but this
is our first positive test in two and a half years. Amazing."

Can yoga really impact fertility? Dr. Alice Domar, researcher at Harvard Medical School, conducted a study that took medically "infertile" women (those who had been trying to get pregnant for at least a year) and put some of them into a 10-week mind/body program that included yoga, meditation, nutrition and exercise information and help to change negative thought patterns. Fifty-five percent of participants in this program became pregnant within the next year, compared to 20 percent of women in a control group.

Dr. Domar, who uses this mind/body approach to treat women attending Boston IVF, the biggest infertility medical treatment center in the country, says that yoga is an invaluable asset in her program and the tool she would least like to lose.

So exactly how does yoga impact fertility?

A Gentler Form of Exercise

Dr. Domar has an interesting theory about one of the ways that some women seem to benefit from yoga. "I believe that vigorous exercise may reduce fertility in some women," she says. "We can't predict whose fertility is exercise sensitive. Yoga is something they can do that will reduce stress without impacting their fertility. For really chronic exercisers, my clinical impression is that at least half that stop get pregnant. Yoga is the best tool I have for these women."

Improved Physical Health

Yoga can also impact the general reproductive health of women trying to conceive. "Yoga tones and strengthens the muscles that support reproductive organs and improves spinal alignment, enabling better circulation and improved capacity and quality of respiration," says Julie Cade Bon, certified yoga teacher and owner of Partnership for Pregnancy, a company that offers retreats for couples dealing with infertility. She adds that for women who are taking infertility drugs, better breathing can also help the body fight off the toxic effects of those drugs.

Reducing the Physical Effects of Stress

Yoga is perfect for dealing with one of the most pervasive mind/body fertility challenges: stress, often stress caused by the inability to get or stay pregnant. "Women experiencing infertility are often stress- and pain-filled, saddened and angry," says Cade Bon. "These emotions generate chemicals in the body that weaken immunity and make for a less 'hospitable' environment for a new life. Yoga, because of its use of relaxation breathing techniques, combined with the flushing out of physical toxins, provides an antidote to the negative physical impacts of stress, anger and
depression."

Feeling Less "Out of Control"

Yoga can also impact a woman's fertility journey at a more psychological level. Kim Biggs of Panama City Beach, Fla., is a typical type A, over-achiever, who remains in a perpetual state of disbelief that something she wants so badly and has worked so hard for is still unattainable.

"My fertility concerns have made me feel totally out of control for the first time in my life," she says. "Yoga calms me and helps me regain a feeling of control that lasts much longer than the actual amount of time I'm spending on the mat." Biggs really appreciates the tools yoga gives her for controlling her negative thoughts. "Being in control of something at this point in my life is a feeling that is quite addictive," she says.

Strengthening Relationships

It's important that we don't forget that trying to get pregnant takes two. Cade Bon suggests that yoga can also benefit couples. "I have found that yoga, practiced with a partner, can be a wonderful way to shift away from the 'trying to conceive' stress that clouds these relationships" she says...

Where to Start?

Try a class, or read a book. "Yoga is more available and accessible than ever in this country – classes are being held in gyms, YMCAs, city recreation centers and yoga studios," says Cade Bon. To get the best initial experience, she recommends finding a class and then using tools such as videos, tapes and books to encourage home practice.

And you don't need to wait until you have a medical diagnosis of anything to try yoga! It is a tool that can help many women on their path to conception. Cristin Kamantauskas of Syracuse, N.Y., just tried her first yoga class. Her thoughts after the first class echo those of long-time yoga fans. "Some of the positions and stretches were pretty difficult for someone doing this for the first time, but the instructor was great," she says. "Even though it was a workout that required 100-
percent mental and physical focus, I walked out feeling like I was on a cloud. I can see how this would have benefits for trying to conceive, because it's good to be this relaxed as opposed to obsessing about every little thing happening with my body."

*Name has been changed to protect privacy

Meditation: What is it and how do I start?

2010-12-18T04:15:00+0000

Meditation...you've probably heard the word, maybe quite a bit recently as it is gaining in popularity and become more widestream. But what is it? How do you know if you are meditating or not? How do you know if you are doing it "right"? Christina Brown, author of "The Book of Yoga" and "The Yoga Bible", explains meditation in a clear, concise way that is easy to understand. To learn more, read this excerpt from "The Yoga Bible" and then perhaps try a few minutes of meditation for yourself. The benefits may be different for you than for your best friend or neighbor, but there is no denying that you will come away from your meditation practice with a calmer, clearer, more intuitive mind and a more intimate sense of yourself and what makes you tick.

"Throughout history and in all cultures, people have sought ways to go beyond the limitations of habitual living and discover more about themselves and the nature of reality. Meditation means "to become familiar with" and is a way of exploring the inner self. In our busy lives where the senses tend to be drawn outward, meditation is a wonderful opportunity to turn inward on a journey of discovery.

People meditate for a variety of reasons. Many of us use meditation to relax and cope with stress. Meditation does help slow or still the mind and balance emotions. People use meditation for healing. Meditation can also assist in problem solving by leading us to insights, which may range from the spiritually significant to the mundane. It can take us to higher states of awareness, peace, and clarity. Sometimes people experience visions or feelings of bliss, vitality, and an increased sensory awareness. Some have a sense of connecting with a higher aspect of themselves, or with the divine.

There are many techniques of meditation. Ask yourself what you need to achieve
and find a meditation to match that goal. It's a good idea to experiment with a range of meditation techniques until you find one that resonates with you.

While a good meditation teacher can be extremely helpful, a lot of good work can be done on your own. If you decide to find a teacher or to attend meditation classes, make sure you shop around. A great number of individuals and organizations offer training in spiritual practices and they range in quality and suitability for your unique self. Be cautious of any group that is too restrictive, controlling, or dogmatic.

Ultimately, meditation is a personal pursuit. Once you have practiced a technique as taught, feel free to experiment and adapt it to your own preferences. Avoid simply believing whatever you read or are told--test it against your own experience and intuition and come to know the truth of the matter for yourself.

Establishing a regular habit of meditation works best and is easiest to maintain in the long run. Find a time that fits into your routine, whether day or night. A daily practice session of 15-30 minutes works beautifully. If you find this difficult to achieve, start with five to ten minutes daily. Many people find that over time, their meditation time starts to extend naturally.

Soft and gentle music can be conducive to some forms of meditation, especially those that focus on relaxation and visualization. You might enjoy burning incense or aromatherapy oils--feel free to experiment. Meditation is generally easier to practice in a quiet and peaceful environment, especially while you are still learning. Setting aside a special spot in the house or garden to practice allows a peaceful energy to build up in that place. Eventually, however, you will develop the capacity to meditate more or less anywhere under any conditions.

A good prerecorded meditation tape or CD can make a big difference, especially in the initial stages of your meditation practice. Alternatively, you may choose to record your own, using the following exercises as a basis. Keeping a personal journal of discoveries and experiences will enhance your progress in meditation. There is no "right" or "wrong"-whatever you experience is just fine. Keep an open, curious mind as to what you actually are experiencing. You may need to persevere before the benefits become obvious. Be patient and accept that this is a valuable part of the process. The rewards of regular, persistent, intelligent meditation practice are two-fold. They happen not just some time in the distant future, but along the path as well.

MEDITATION POSITIONS

The most important thing about choosing a posture is to find one that is comfortable. Ideally, this posture will allow your spine to be relatively straight without undue tension. Your practice of yoga postures will be of great help in learning to sit comfortable erect and still.

Corpse pose (on your back, legs and arms straight with palms up) is a great position for meditation techniques that are based around relaxation. You may like to put a small cushion under your head or a larger one under your knees.

Full lotus Posture is a classic meditation position, but generally it is too strong for Westerners' bodies. Half Lotus Pose works for some, and many people find sitting cross-legged in Easy-Seated Pose (hands on knees, shins crossed) or kneeling are more realistic alternatives for everyday use. Be sure to use enough cushions so that your hip joints are higher than your bent knees. This will allow your back to come more to vertical.

Sitting upright in a chair is another good posture for meditation. The most comfortable height is where your knees and hips form right angles. Ensure your feet can easily reach the floor--you can place them on telephone directories if necessary.

RELAXING MEDITATION-DEEP PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION

The ability to relax on physical, emotional, and mental levels is an essential skill for maintaining health and well-being and is an important starting point for those new to meditation. Since it enhances all other forms of meditation, this practice is useful for more experienced meditators. Record the following sequence onto a tape, or ask a friend to record it for you. Allow 15-20 minutes:

Practice Corpse Pose. Mentally scan your body to become aware of any areas of tension or discomfort. Simply observe these areas--resist the urge to attach any judgment or emotionally loaded thought to them.

Next, move your attention slowly through your body from the top of your head down to your toes. Be with each part for a moment, then let that part relax.

Accept each area of your body, however it feels.

When your whole body is relaxed, become aware of your feelings. Whatever you feel is just fine. Be with each feeling for a moment, then let it go. You are the passive observer of your feelings. Imagine a stream of fresh water washing it away. This pure, cleansing water flows through you. As this clear stream washes each feeling away, you will begin to experience feelings of peace and clarity inside.

After sometime, become aware of any thoughts passing through your mind. Whatever you are thinking is just fine. Know that each thought will arise and then pass away. It is enough to be aware of each thought, like a silent witness, then let it go. Imagine a fresh breeze blowing through your mind, leaving it clear and empty.

Finally, allow yourself to rest in stillness. There is nothing to do or achieve. Simply be. You are not a human doing or acting; you are a human being. Let yourself exist in stillness. Just be.

Know that each time you practice this meditation, you will go deeper and receive more and more benefit.

To come out of this meditation, tune into your thoughts. Then move your awareness to your feelings once again. Deepen your awareness of your body as a single form, resting, relaxing. Let your body wake up, until you are ready to open your eyes. You will return restored, refreshed, and relaxed.

GUIDED IMAGERY-VISUALIZATIONS

Visualization is a powerful technique whereby you can become familiar with your imagination. The imagination is a wonderful tool that can be used to create particular states of mind and being. You can visualize colors, places, symbols, mandalas, gods, saints, or Tarot cards. People often choose an image that has a particular religious or spiritual meaning for them, or they choose something that they want to know more about. A good starting point is to find something of particular interest to you and focus on this same image over a number of meditation sessions. This allows your meditation to build momentum and can lead to stronger and more meaningful experiences. For the following meditation, you will imagine you are in nature. Keep the feeling light and playful until your imagination takes over and leads you deeper in. Allow fifteen minutes for this:

Sit or lie comfortably. Take some slow deep, even breaths. Mentally sweep over your body to relax it part by part. Start with the crown of your head and work slowly down to your toes.

Once you are relaxed, imagine yourself standing on a beach.

See the beautiful, golden sand. You have a clear blue sky above you. Notice how the sunlight glints off of the water. Observe how the branches of the trees sway in the gentle breeze.

Hear the waves lapping on the shore, the gentle swish of the nearby trees, and the call of the seagulls flying overhead.

Feel the sand between your toes, the sun warming your face and body, and the air caressing your skin.

Smell and taste the fresh sea air.

Become aware of the atmosphere or mood of this place. What does it feel like actually to be here? Take some time to explore this place. You could go for a swim, or sunbathe, or walk down the beach.

Return to the real world by becoming aware of your physical body. Take some long breaths so your body wakes up more with each inhalation. Listen to the sounds in the space around you. When you are ready, open your eyes.

To read more, look on amazon.com for Christina Brown's books. Read, think, feel, and enjoy.

Commute Helps Man Lose Weight

2010-12-14T20:40:50+0000

For a Queens, New York, resident, it was as easy as hopping onto his bike every day instead of the MTA train. He has an inspirational story, and shows how just one small change can make a big difference. Got a bike? Strap on your helmet, pedal away, and watch the weight fall off by Spring! Read more here on Yahoo! News.

Understanding Carbs

2010-11-10T03:48:48+0000

Understanding carbs, insulin and their relation to energy and body fat.

The ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) in the meals you eat is the key to being lean, muscular and maintaining optimal health. Managing your food intake is a powerful way to control the way you look and how you feel. Perhaps the greatest current controversy comes from the fight over how much carbohydrate you should eat to maintain a lean, healthy and sexy body.

Carbohydrates are different types of sugars linked together in chains of different lengths. We need carbohydrates to fuel our bodies for energy and to feed our brain, which uses glucose (a simple form of sugar) as its primary energy source.

Fact: The brain is a glucose hog, using more than two thirds of the circulating carbohydrates in your bloodstream while at rest.

This primary body fuel is mainly provided as you digest the carbs you eat, breaking them down into usable glucose molecules. Then your body rebuilds the simple glucose molecules into longer chains called glycogen for more efficient storage. The body has two places to store glycogen: the liver and the muscles. The liver acts as the reserve supply for the muscles. When the muscle glycogen gets low, the liver sends glycogen back into the bloodstream so it can be shuttled back to the muscles.

The liver's capacity to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen is very limited and can be easily depleted within ten to twelve hours. So the blood glucose (blood sugar) and the liver's glycogen reserves must be maintained on a continual basis. This is why it is necessary to eat carbohydrates regularly.

What happens when you eat too much carbohydrate?

The average person can store approximately 300-400 grams of carbohydrate in your muscles and about another 75-100 grams in the liver. For comparison, 100 grams of carbs is equivalent to about 2 cups of cooked pasta. When both the liver and muscles are glycogen full, excess carbohydrates are stored in adipose tissue or body fat.
In greater detail;

1. The carbs you eat are digested or broken down by enzymes into simple glucose molecules.

2. Your body will attempt to shuttle glucose into the muscles and liver for energy use. Moreover, excess glucose entering the blood after a meal is rapidly taken up by the liver and stored as the large polymer, glycogen (via a process called glycogenesis).

3. Whatever excess glucose is not needed by the body for energy at that time is taken from the blood by the hormone insulin and converted by the liver into a highly compact energy storage molecule called a triglyceride (fat) via a process called lipogenesis. Fat has over double the storage efficiency of carbs as it holds 9 calories of energy per gram versus only 4 calories per gram in carbohydrate form.
Why the type of carbohydrate you eat matters.

Even though carbohydrates are fat-free, excess carbs you eat can become body fat. The type of carbohydrate is also a key factor in avoiding body fat gain. In other words, the speed at which you digest carbohydrates into glucose can dramatically affect whether the food you eat becomes body fat. As a genral rule, a more refined and less fibrous carbohydrate will be broken down more easily and quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood glucose. For example, simple carbs such as cookies and candy digest quickly whereas complex carbs such as oatmeal digest much more slowly giving the body time to manage the influx of glucose more effectively.

Examples of "good" or complex carbs include:
brown rice
barley
buckwheat
beans
whole-grain pasta
leafy green vegetables

Examples of "bad" or simple carbs include:
(highly processed and refined foods, leaving them with fewer nutrients than whole grains. Refined grains also lack the fiber of whole grains, so they're not likely to fill you up quickly.)
white rice
white bread
white flour
many types of candy
soft drinks

For comparison examples:
Choose brown rice over white rice as it contains more fiber
Choose 9-grain bread over white bread as it digests 100% slower
Choose yams or sweet potatoes over white potatoes as it digests 100% slower
choose an apple as a snack over a banana as it digests nearly 65% slower

TIP: Adding vegetables to any meal adds fiber, which slows digestion and helps minimize the increase in insulin.

When your glucose level rises too rapidly after eating, your body reacts quickly to remove the excess blood sugar. As stated above, to adjust for this rapid rise, the pancreas secretes the hormone insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin then lowers the levels of blood glucose via the mechanism explained above. So, eating junk foods regularly can result in continuous, high levels of insulin. Continuously high levels of insulin can cause an aggressive accumulation of body fat. Furthermore, the constant barrage of insulin on your cells can make them insulin resistant making it difficult to maintain optimal cellular nutrient levels. This condition can also lead to the disease diabetes.

Furthermore, a high insulin level suppresses two important hormones: glucagon and growth hormone. Glucagon promotes the burning of fat and sugar. Growth hormone is vital for muscular development.

The heavy insulin reaction to a rapid rise in blood glucose can also cause hunger and cravings. What you feel is the burst of energy as your blood sugar rises following a carbohydrate meal and the resulting energy crash as insulin causes a subsequent rapid depletion of blood sugar. As your energy crashes your brain begins to crave sugary foods as the fastest way to correct your now low blood sugar. And so begins the vicious fat promoting cycle. This see-saw effect on your blood sugar can be very dangerous. So while insulin is critical to metabolism, managing it properly helps maintain optimal health.

The goal is therefore to eat more complex or slowly digesting carbs (those with a lower Gylcemic Index and higher fiber content) and limit sugary foods to help stabilize or modulate your blood sugar and the hormone insulin. As a result of doing so, you are far less likely to store body fat and help to instead utilize more body fat for energy use.

As a tip, eating good or unsaturated fats with carbs also helps slow digestion.
Examples of "good" or unsaturated fats include:
Olive Oil
Fish
Nuts and seeds

Examples of "bad" or saturated fats include:
Butter
Lard
Fried foods
Animal fat

Tips:
- Add olive oil and vinegar to your salad instead of a more saturated fat dressing such as ranch or blue cheese
- Dip vegetables in yogurt versus cheese
- Add a little natural peanut butter to rice cakes for a snack
- Add beans to any carb meal to slow digestion

References:
1. Bodybuilding.com 2003; Carbs and Insulin
2. ExRx.com 2003 ;Complex Carbs VS. Simple Carbs

Electrolytes for Endurance Athletes

2010-11-02T19:31:36+0000

Making sense of the various marketing claims by sports drink and supplement companies is confusing business. Getting solid subjective advice from elite athletes can never hurt. Check out the following article, reprinted with permission from tetonsandwasatch.com:

Essential Electrolytes for Endurance Athletes
by A OK

I’ve taken multivitamins and other dietary supplements, on and off, throughout my entire life, always keen on improving my personal nutrition levels. Still, I’d rarely, if ever, noticed a benefit from doing so. Here follows my story of the first time supplementation has provided noticeable effects for me.

It seemed every ‘sports drink’ had promoted their inclusion of electrolytes into their mix for a long, long time. One day it occurred to me that I didn’t have a full understanding of what electrolytes really were, beyond the most commonly known one, salt. We lose salt when we sweat, that’s why it’s salty to the taste. And so, we need to replenish salt when exercising for hours at a time, to avoid hyponatremia. But wasn’t there an ‘s’ at the end of the word electrolytes? What were the others, and what did they do? Did I learn this in high school and forget it all? Were these electrolights some sort of nightclub lighting system which flickered as a strobe?

I decided to do some research into this mystery to see if I could figure out some answers in an effort to improve my physical performance, as well as recovery time. After a week or two of digging through various sources, I learned more than I had originally wondered. I’ll save you the science behind it all, and instead focus on how I applied it, and to what benefit or detriment.

...read the rest of the article by clicking the following link below...

Essential Electrolytes for Endurance Athletes

Water and Your Waistline

2010-10-14T18:00:00+0000

Ever wonder what it actually does to your stomach if you drink a lot of water? It can make a big difference, according to recent research, especially at mealtimes. Read this article on the effect of water for more details, and decide what you think.

The Healthful Benefits of Tea

2010-05-12T18:15:00+0000

If you have always wondered if all of that tea drinking is really good for your health, you will want to read this article by Alyse Levine. Click here to read it on yahoo! news or simply scroll down and read it below. Maybe you even want to make a cup of tea to enjoy while you read this article.

By Alyse Levine

Concept
The media has exhaustively publicized the numerous ways drinking tea is good for you: from fighting certain cancers, to decreasing the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, to controlling cholesterol and even reducing tooth decay! Although most people are aware of tea's health benefits, they are not aware of which teas are the most beneficial. So, from a health perspective, are all teas created equal?

Nutritional Facts and Figures
What are the purported health benefits of consuming tea?

Before we begin, note that here we are talking about tea from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and not herbal teas, which are really derived from the flowers, leaves, seeds, bark, or roots of certain plants but contain no actual “real” tea (herbal teas do have purported health benefits, but they are beyond the scope of this bite).
Studies have shown that tea may promote good health in the following ways:

*Heart Health: The polyphenols (antioxidants) found in tea are very effective in preventing cholesterol from oxidizing and damaging blood vessels. Green tea has been shown to improve the health of the delicate cells lining the blood vessels, which helps lower one's risk of heart disease (1).

*Cancer Prevention: The polyphenols (catechins in particular) in tea may help prevent or decrease the growth and spread of certain cancers. They scavenge oxidants before cell injuries occur, reduce the incidence and size of chemically induced tumors, and inhibit the growth of tumor cells. In studies of liver, skin, and stomach cancer, chemically induced tumors were shown to decrease in size in mice that were fed green and black tea (2,3).

*Skin Protector: Not only has tea been shown to be effective in decreasing cancer risk when consumed orally, but it may also be beneficial when applied superficially to the skin (4). Some research has shown that when green tea is applied to sunburned skin it decreases the development of cancerous skin tumors. This evidence has led many cosmetics companies to start adding green tea to their skin care products.

*Alzheimer's Disease Arsenal: Both green and black teas have been shown to hinder the activity of two enzymes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. Although tea consumption cannot cure Alzheimer's, it may be another part of the puzzle in treating or slowing down the development of the disease (5).

*Good for Teeth: Compounds in tea protect teeth by increasing the acid resistance of tooth enamel and acting as antibiotics that kill off dangerous, decay-promoting bacteria (6). Tea also contains fluoride, which is essential for keeping teeth strong and healthy.

Which tea varieties provide the above health benefits?

All "real" teas, which include green, black, and oolong tea varieties, are beneficial to your health. As mentioned above, these teas are all derived from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and contain numerous healthful compounds including polyphenols (particularly catechins), tocopherol, vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants. The polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of tea's role in promoting good health. Although black, green and oolong teas have different polyphenol compositions due to processing differences, they all have been shown to provide the above health benefits.

The differences between the teas are depicted below. As you can see, the main difference between the "real" teas is simply in how the leaves are processed.

Green Teas (Japanese, Chinese, Gunpowder, etc...)
Green teas are the freshest and least processed because they are not at all fermented. Of all "real" teas, green tea has the lightest and most subtle taste.

Black Teas (Darjeeling, Earl Grey, China Black, Jasmine, etc...)
Black tea is simply green tea that has been fermented for around 6 hours. Fermentation turns the green leaves black and alters the polyphenol content, though it is still very high in antioxidants. Black teas have the strongest taste.

Oolong Teas
These teas are made from green teas that are briefly fermented. Therefore, they are a compromise between black and green tea in both taste and color.

To Get the Most Out of Tea:
*To get the benefits claimed above, opt for a "real" tea variety (green, black, or oolong), as opposed to an herbal tea
*Steep tea for about 3 minutes; this time allotment enables the health promoting compounds to be released; steeping for much longer turns the tea bitter and releases too much tannin, which can irritate the digestive tract, cause constipation, and decrease iron absorption.
*Hot or Cold? Go for what you like! Bottled teas, iced tea, and teas made from mixes are also all rich in polyphenols. However, keep iced tea fresh, the polyphenol content starts to deteriorate after a few days.

Note on Caffeine:
If you are worried about the caffeine content of tea, opt for the decaffeinated varieties...they provide the same health benefits without keeping you up all night.

Alyse's Advice
The next time you reach for a warm, soothing cup of tea, opt for either green, black or oolong varieties, and steep for about 3 minutes. If you prefer the iced kind, follow the same guidelines but make sure to finish it within a few days before the antioxidant content starts to decline. A few cups of tea a day may help keep the heart doctor and dentist away, as well as cancer and Alzheimer's disease at bay.
Copyright 2010 NutritionBite LLC. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. "NutritionBite LLC" should be prominently displayed on any material reproduced with the publisher's consent.

References
1. The acute effect of green tea consumption on endothelial function in healthy individuals. Alexopoulos N, Vlachopoulos C, Aznaouridis K, Baou K, Vasiliadou C, Pietri P, Xaplanteris P, Stefanadi E, Stefanadis C. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2008 Jun;15(3):300-5.

2. Dufresne CJ, Farnworth ER. A review of latest research findings on the health promotion properties of tea. J. Nutri Biochem 2001; 12(7):404–421.

3. Hakim IA, Harris RB. Joint effects of citrus peel use and black tea intake on risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. BMC Derm 2001; 1(3).

4. Non-sunscreen photoprotection: antioxidants add value to a sunscreen. Matsui MS, Hsia A, Miller JD, Hanneman K, Scull H, Cooper KD, Baron E. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2009 Aug;14(1):56-9.

5. Naturally occurring phytochemicals for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
Kim J, Lee HJ, Lee KW. J Neurochem. 2009 Dec 26. (Pub ahead of print)

6. Association between green tea consumption and tooth loss: cross-sectional results from the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Koyama Y, Kuriyama S, Aida J, Sone T, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Hozawa A, Tsuji I. Prev Med. 2010 Apr;50(4):173-9. Pub 2010 Jan 25.

Fat Burning Zone versus Cardio Training Zone

2010-04-19T05:15:00+0000

The debate has been around for years...should you exercise in the "fat burning zone" in order to lose bodyfat? Or should you exercise in the "cardio training zone" to lose bodyfat? Stephanie Green from ezinearticles.com wrote a very good explanation to this question. The magazine on the newsstand may not agree, but math is always right. Read on her website or read it here:

So often I have seen gym members spend countless hours on the treadmill strolling along waiting for the fat to melt off their bodies.

The belief is if you are in the "fat-burning zone" you are maximizing your fat loss. To get a clear understanding of whether this belief is true or false we must first define the "fat-burning zone" and what the "cardio training zone".

The fat burning zone is 'Low Intensity Cardio' where your heart rate is between 60 - 70% of your maximum heart rate. This heart rate range is reached by standing up, walking fast or jogging. Will you burn fat? Yes, but just 50% of total calories you consume are coming from fat. If you maintain that intensity level after 20 min 70-80% of calories are coming now from fat and just 20-30% from carbohydrates. But this is the time when most of the people stop anyways.

The cardio training zone is 'High Intensity Cardio' and your heart rate is between 70 - 85% of your maximum heart rate.

Maximum heart rate can be estimated by the following formula:

(220 - Age) = Maximum Heart Rate

Example: (220-28) = 192b.p.m. (beats per minute) is the maximum heart rate.

fat burning zone - low intensity zone 192 x 60% - 70% = 115 - 134b.p.m.

cardio training zone - high intensity zone 192 x 70% - 85% = 134 - 163b.p.m.

So is the "fat-burning zone" the best way to lose fat?

You better sit down for this one... the answer is no.

Although the "fat-burning zone" uses a higher percentage of fat for fuel; you need to look at the big picture which is calories burned. Below is a chart that compares the two training zones.

Low Intensity Training burns 50% fat for fuel ex: 100 calories x 50% = 50 calories from fat
High Intensity Training burns 40% fat for fuel ex: 160 calories x 40% = 64 calories from fat

Say, for example, you burn 100 calories in 20 minutes of Low Intensity exercise compared to 160 calories in 10 minutes of High Intensity Exercise, you've still burned more total fat doing High Intensity Exercise.

The bottom line:
For individuals new to exercise it is recommended to start in this low intensity zone (60 - 70% of maximum heart rate). There will be some benefit in the first 2-3 weeks, initially they can experience even some weight loss.

But after this initial stage gradually we need to increase the intensity of our routine. Remember, this increase corresponds to a 70 - 85% of Maximum Hart Rate. Maintaining a higher intensity of exercise for a longer time could be sometimes very chalanging. In this cases what is called interval training represents a powerfull tool. This means that we can increase the intensity level for a short period of time ( 30sec. - 2 min) returning after each interval to a basic intensity level. For example an initial intensity corresponding to 60% of MHR. First interval at an increase to 80% of MHR, maintaining this level for 1 minute, returning to a 60% MHR for 2-3 minutes. and starting a new cycle.

Signs Of Stress

2010-04-16T22:29:46+0000

Today in Yahoo! News, there is an informative article about the different ways stress can present itself in your body and affect your life. Read it by clicking the link below or simply reading it here:

Signs of Stress

When was the last time you went through a period of stress? Can you remember the way your body reacted? Chances are you didn't feel quite like yourself. Health experts say that stress can come with some pretty surprising symptoms-from forgetfulness to nausea to skin rashes. Is your body sending you an S.O.S. that you shouldn't ignore? Read on to find out if stress is taking a toll on you-and what you can do to reverse the effects.

1. Tweaked Muscles
The pain in your neck that you attributed to long hours at the computer could actually be a symptom of stress. "Stress definitely affects our musculoskeletal system, resulting in tight, contracting muscles and/or spasms in muscles," explains Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, MS, PT, a psychologist and physical therapist in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. "It gets us ready for fight-or-flight, although unlike our cavewomen ancestors, we don't actually need our bodies to react like this." If you're experiencing what you believe to be stress-related muscle symptoms, try this exercise: Take 5 to 10 deep breaths and focus on relaxing the tense area of your body, says Dr. Lombardo. For the neck, try gentle neck rolls or enlist your husband to give you a quick shoulder rub.

2. Eye Twitching
Have you ever had an eye twitch? The often temporary condition can be annoying and worrisome, and for some, can be triggered by stress. "This condition is known as blepharospasm," explains Debbie Mandel, MA, a stress and wellness expert and author of Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life. "Closing your eyes and visualizing your happiest place on earth will help." Also, avoid stress-related eye issues by giving your peepers a break now and then. "If your eyes get stressed from detailed work at the computer, 'stretch' them every 20 minutes by looking out the window at a larger landscape," suggests Mandel. "If you have no view, close your eyes and imagine a panorama."

3. Ragged Cuticles
Do you have ragged, unkempt cuticles or nails? Their condition could be the result of a stress-induced nervous habit. "Nervous habits like nail-biting are how we channel our stress by distracting ourselves with what is known as oral satisfaction," says Mandel, adding that picking nails and cuticles is also a common way for women to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. If you take stress out on your hands, consider keeping a stress ball in your desk drawer-something you can squeeze or knead when on the phone with a difficult client, for instance. This helps "squeeze the stress out of your body," says Mandel.

4. Cavities
We all know that slacking off on dental hygiene is the first way to get cavities, but stress can also be a culprit, say experts, especially when you're grinding your teeth at night or during the day. Mandel explains teeth grinding, which many women do, as "chewing over the day's stressors." The problem, however, is that this bad habit can erode dental work, damaging your teeth and making them more susceptible to cavities. Mandel suggests redirecting your anxiety to pen and paper. "Set aside time to write down your problems to see them objectively in black and white, and then jot down some solutions," she says. But, she adds, "If teeth grinding is severe, see a dentist about getting a mouth guard."

5. Rashes
It sounds strange, but your skin can be a pretty good barometer of your stress level. "Stress can cause a rash, usually raised red spots or hives on the stomach, back, arms and face," notes Dr. Lombardo. "While we don't know why it occurs, some experts believe that it has to do with the adverse effects of stress on the immune system-histamine is released, causing these itchy bumps." Deep breathing may keep rashes at bay, or from developing in the first place. So, next time you feel your stress level rising, place your hand right above your belly button. "Every time you inhale, you want your hand to rise; with each exhale, it lowers. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths periodically throughout the day."

6. Nausea
Have you ever been worried about a loved one's (or your own) health condition, Googled it and suddenly felt nauseated? "Stress can upset the stomach, and nausea can be a byproduct of worry," says Mandel, who warns against playing "Google MD." Worrying about your health or a loved one's is normal, but obsessing about it is unhealthy. If your anxiety is causing nausea, try this trick that Mandel swears by: Let tepid water run over your fingers; it's believed to keep nausea at bay.

7. Sleepiness
Feeling sluggish? It could be stress. "Stress hormones cause your body to surge with adrenaline and then crash into sleepiness," says Mandel. "Stress will also ruin the quality of your sleep, so you wake up tired and irritable." What to do? Go to bed earlier, says Mandel, or catch a 30-minute nap midday, and don't feel guilty about doing so. "There is great productivity in rest," she says. "You come back more focused!"

8. Forgetfulness
Ask any woman who is trying to do it all and she'll admit to a few slip-ups in the memory department (forgotten appointments, lost keys, missing cell phone-ring a bell?). "Research shows that chronic stress can literally shrink the size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for some memories," says Dr. Lombardo. "Luckily, its size will go back to normal once your stress level reduces." Want to keep your brain functioning at an optimal level? Combat the first signs of stress with exercise, she says: "Go for a walk, run up a flight of stairs or dance around to the newest Black Eyed Peas tune." Exercise, she adds, keeps your brain sharp and may even help you be more prepared for future stressful moments.

9. Confusion
You can't decide what to make for dinner, what to wear to work or which exit to take off the freeway. Stress causes distraction and lack of focus, says Mandel. "Stress hormones lodge longest in the brain," she says. To restore focus, take a walk, she says. "Move the stress out of your body by exercising large muscle groups like the legs. You will gain clarity. Walk out in the light and you'll reset your natural rhythm while you move out the stress. Sunlight helps the body release serotonin to improve mood, and vitamin D helps you improve your immune system-a great perk."

Weight Loss the Healthy Way

2010-04-12T17:15:00+0000

An ancient Tai Chi master said, "You Know, Why Don't You Do." After each and every weight loss consultation this week, I needed to repeat this saying. Why? The pattern that I was seeing and hearing was "can't I just do some of the things you suggest and improve my health and lose weight?" "Can't I just take a pill or eat something special and make this all go away?"

Well the short answer is NO! The 5 weight loss and better health suggestions listed below are not really suggestions at all. They are a formula that anyone can adopt to reduce pain, lose excess weight, have more energy, strengthen your heart, improve your quality of life and reduce your dependence on medications. This is what I practice everyday for myself. It is not a theory but reality.

So briefly, here is how the body works. All your organ systems work cooperatively. Your body requires a balance of all the organ systems. Your weight is just one of those systems. A healthy body weight cannot exist if the other systems it relies on are not working properly. So trying to just losing weight and improve health without taking into consideration the rest of your body is like trying to get your car to run better just by giving it a new paint job.

So again, make your life easier, happier and healthier and please adopt and follow these 5 suggestions. They are:

1. A daily stress reduction program including adequate rest and sleep. This helps lower inflammation caused by high cortisol and homocysteine levels reducing weight gain.
2. A diet that contains 50% fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies contain greater amounts of water and minerals with generally lesser amounts of animal protein.
3. Adequate water intake for maximum hydration. Water is very important in helping the kidneys regulate pH and detoxify the body.
4. Year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L).
This should be confirmed by 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing.
5. A safe and effective weight bearing exercise program to stimulate balance and muscle growth which is essential for weight loss

Nutrition for Fitness - Foods High in Iron

2010-04-09T19:57:35+0000

By D. Cimone Cooper

Iron is a vital mineral, used to manufacture red blood cells which carry oxygenated blood throughout the body. A deficiency in iron (anemia) may result in a pale complexion and lethargy. Iron requirements vary by gender, with males requiring 10 mg of iron per day and females of childbearing years approximately 18 mg. Eating iron rich foods with Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron into the bloodstream, which is especially important for pregnant women and vegetarians.

Meat Products High in Iron

The darker the meat, the higher it is in iron. A serving of 3 ounces of liver, kidney, heart provides about 3.5 mg. of iron. Shellfish such as muscles, clams and oysters supply similar amounts of iron. Canned sardines and cooked beef or turkey are also good sources of iron, providing just over 2 mg of iron per 3 oz serving. A large boiled egg supplies 1 mg of iron. Chicken, pork, veal and fish supply less than 1 mg of iron per 3 ounce serving. Hemo-iron (the type of iron found in red meat and other animal products), is readily absorbed by the body.

Iron Rich Grain Products

The iron found in grain products, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs and legumes is the less easily absorbed "non-hemo" iron. Oat and wheat bran, in addition to being excellent for lowering cholesterol, are also loaded with iron. A 3.5 oz serving of either Special K or Bran Wheat cereals will provide you with 13 mg. of iron, just under 75% of your daily RDA. Oatmeal provides 1.9 mg iron per cup, and Cream of Wheat a whopping 10 mg per 1 cup serving. One cup of cooked spaghetti (enriched) has approximately 2 mg of iron.

Nut and Seed Sources of Iron

Nuts and seeds tend to be higher in calories but valuable sources of iron. A one ounce serving of sunflower or pumpkin seeds or 1 cup of soy milk provides 1.4 mg of iron. One tablespoon of sesame seeds provides 1.2 mg of iron. A half-cup serving of canned lima, kidney or garbanzo beans provides approximately 2 mg of iron. If you are vegetarian or enjoy eating tofu, you'll be glad to know that each ½ cup serving of firm tofu provides 1.8 mg. of iron.

Get Iron in Vegetables and Fruit

Ingesting Vitamin C with meals boosts the absorption of iron from food as much as 400%. Vegetables such as one cup of cooked spinach, a stalk of broccoli or a medium-sized baked potato is a good source of iron, providing about 2.1 mg per serving. Dried fruit has a significant amount of iron. Four dried figs contain a whopping 3.4 mg of iron. Try seedless raisins, or dried prunes, apricots or peaches for just under 1 mg. of iron per ½ cup serving.

Try Cooking in Cast Iron Pots

Turns out the advice to cooking in cast iron cookware to increase your daily iron intake isn't an old wives tale after all. In a study published in 1986 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers cooked 20 different foods in new cast iron skillets to test the iron absorption rate.

Findings report that iron levels increased in each item, with some more than quadrupling their iron content. For example, the iron in 3 ounces of apple sauce increased from 0.35 mg to 7.3 mgs. Even eggs, already a reasonably high source of iron at 1.5 mg each, tripled their iron content to almost 4.76 mg. Cooking acidic foods such as tomato based pasta sauces or soups proved to be an ideal way to increase iron absorption. A 3 ounce serving of pasta sauce showed an increase in iron content from 0.6 mg to 5.7 mgs.

Top 10 Reasons You Are Not Losing Fat

2009-10-27T01:30:00+0000

Here are the most frequent reasons that a dieter doesn’t lose fat, as opposed to weight. Weight may not change much if you are gaining muscle mass while reducing food intake. Adding muscle will help you lose fat.

1. Menu is too high in calories from calorie dense foods like snack foods, pizza, desserts, pasta, bread, and dairy products.

2. Activity and exercise levels are too low, or non-existent.

3. Slow thyroid. Check by taking your temperature as soon as you wake up each morning. If your temperature is below 98.6 degrees for 7 days in a row, bring the results to the attention of your physician. He can run further tests. About one in two Americans has an under active thyroid.

4. Fewer than 20 grams of protein are consumed for breakfast. Protein regulates insulin levels. When a high sugar or carbohydrate meal is consumed for breakfast, insulin levels in the blood become elevated. In the presence of insulin, fat is stored for energy, not broken down. Hypoglycemia all day long is the result.

5. Too much fat is consumed. Butter, salad dressing, fried foods, fast foods.

6. Too much sugar is consumed. Did you know that juice manufacturers are allowed by the FDA to put sugar in juice and label it “unsweetened,” because they feel that much of the sugar was leached out during processing. You eat too much sugar. *Each American eats 50 lb. per year!

7. The heaviest meal is eaten at night rather than at breakfast. Way too often people eat too much right before they go to bed, or worse, they eat midnight snacks. If you eat for the activity level that will follow the meal, then you’ll know not to eat a big meal before bed. All you’re doing is sleeping and storing fat (energy). Try no food three hour before bedtime.

8. Alcohol slows down the metabolism and is processed like sugar by the body.

9. There are too few meals or calories eaten per day. The body goes into a starvation mode, where it uses muscle for energy needs while conserving fat. Eat at least three staggered meals per day. Never skip a meal, unless it’s at night.

10. Too many unhealthy snacks are consumed.

Focusing on Healthy Living

2009-09-14T14:53:37+0000

Healthy is a generic term that generally makes you think of exercise and dieting. This is most often true due to fact that we need to compensate or make up for the years that we have not been eating correctly and lack of physical activity. These bad habits weigh us down, both figuratively and literally. However, there are other areas to consider when improving ones health.

Why focus on your overall health? Besides quality and longevity of life there are many self inflicted conditions that can be avoided. Some of these types of conditions are: diabetes, cancer, congestive heart failure, gastro esophageal reflux disease, liver disease, hernia, urinary incontinence, chronic kidney failure, stroke, depression, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, alcoholism, brain damage, chronic obstructive lung disease, malnutrition, miscarriage, heart attack, recurrent infections, shortness of breath, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Many of these can be avoided by giving up bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking as well as limiting consumption of foods high in cholesterol and fat.

Your health is greatly impacted by the foods you choose to eat on a daily basis. If you are not eating enough fruits and vegetables you will be depriving your body of necessary vitamins and minerals that are needed to function properly. If you tend to eat foods high in fat, cholesterol and calories you will most likely feel sluggish and gain weight since these are hard to work off during the activities of a normal day. Many people will go on a diet when focusing on being healthy. This works for some people because it specific identifies what they should or should not be eating.

One of the best ways to improve your health is to focus on exercising. Unfortunately we do not have much physical activity during our days, which means that we need to plan time or ways to ensure we are using our bodies more. The best plan for physical fitness is doing cardiovascular exercise 20-30 minutes 2-3 days per week and lifting weights 2-3 days per week. If you currently do not do this start out slowly with 1-2 days per week for both. Exercise not only helps your health from a physical standpoint but it also helps how you feel due to the chemicals that are released during the time you are exercising called endorphins which make you feel happy. Besides this planned exercise activities you should be creative in looking for ways to add additional physical activities into your day such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

To round off your overall health it is important to focus on your mental well being. This is one area of health that many people overlook. If you have made improvements to your health by eating better and working out but still have not achieved the feeling of being healthy it might be that you are not focusing on your mental health. Here are a few ideas of what to focus on to improve your mental health:
-Get a good nights rest
-Exercise
-Try new things
-Spend time with friends and family
-Plan time to do something for you
-Listen to music
-Count your blessings
-Mediate, pray
-Talk to people
-Stretch

To get started on making improvements to your health take a look what your goals are. What areas in your health do you need to improve or improve the most? What is your current lifestyle and what can you change? Often times we must make some type of compromise to reach the goals we have made for ourselves it is usually in the terms of time or money. Becoming healthy is a life long journey. You should focus each day on becoming healthier than the day before. Set goals along the way to track your progress. If you have setbacks recognize them for what they are and move on.

Successful Weight Loss Begins in Your Mind

2009-09-11T15:45:00+0000

It is readily accepted in sport that 90% of success is in your mind. This equation is reflected in almost anything in life, and weight loss is no exception.

So many people decide over the weekend to start their diet on Monday and when Monday comes they are "good" for the first few hours…until their resolve wanes and that slice of toast or piece of cake gets bigger and bigger in your mind and you just have to have it. If you are familiar with this scenario then you know that something here is not quite right, something isn't working for you with this approach. The question therefore is what different approach is there?

From the perspective of a psychologist this approach goes about weight loss in completely the wrong way. In trying to be "good" and trying to NOT have this or that you immediately trigger of an unintentional desire to have exactly what you are planning not to have. You need to be aware of the way in which your mind works to enable you to get your mind working for you instead of against you.

Let me elaborate a little here. If I say to you now try as hard as you can NOT to think about an orange VW beetle car, what flashed into your mind? I'll bet you saw an orange car. So if I say don't think about carrot cake, what do you see? Or don't think about a glass of wine, what did you see? Do you see what I mean? Whenever you try to not do something, this effort creates a reverse effect and you get a great big picture of exactly that thing. And the harder you try the bigger, more powerful and more tantalizing that picture becomes.

This is why that diet on Mondays lasts an ever shorter time. Your internal pictures get bigger and more powerful. This at the same time knocks your confidence in your ability to succeed. The first time you dieted, you probably did quite well, and then experienced an ever lessening success as your confidence and commitment gets less and less.

To lose weight successfully you have to have confidence that you will succeed and also the ability to see what you want to see. These are two vital mental ingredients for success. A further ingredient is the ability to identify what is pure habit and to alter that habit. Habits are those sequences of behavior which happen automatically, without conscious thought. They are as automatic as brushing your teeth or tying your shoe laces. A habit is something which you do not consciously think about but is driven by subconscious thought processes. Thus you MUST access your subconscious mind in order to change habitual behavior in relation to food.

Once again this is a mental ingredient, although this time not consciously so. With hypnosis you can access the inner workings of your mind. Just as the use of hypnosis is readily accepted as essential these days in sport, it is also essential in successful weight loss. Hypnosis allows access to the inner workings of your mind, allowing you to stop the cycle of negative effect caused by old habits and instead trigger off a whole host of positive new behaviors which will before long become just as habitual to you.

You can get hypnosis weight loss downloads instantly in your own home and begin to retrain your mind to lose weight and achieve your perfect weight. Just as a sports person learns to think like a winner, you will learn to think like a slim person. Mental rehearsal is more important in sport than physical practice. This is fact. This has been proven. Mental rehearsal is also more important in your successful weight loss. Unless you learn to see yourself thin you will keep seeing instead that carrot cake, or those burgers, and those pictures will remain tantalizing to you. As you listen to hypnosis weight loss downloads you will eradicate these pictures, they will lose their attraction and their ability to tantalize will disappear altogether.

Instead, you will retrain your mind, to see powerful images of success. Just as a golfer has to learn to visualize winning the Open, or a Tennis player visualizes winning Wimbledon, you will quickly learn to visualize a super, healthy and happy you. In this way you will be 90% of the way to successful and long term weight loss.

Summer Exercise

2009-08-30T13:45:00+0000

The heat index is rising which means your motivation may be falling. It is challenging to hop up and get active during the hottest days, especially when you are sweating before you even start your workout. However, your energy is going to drop even further if you skip your summer workouts. The heat makes us slow down to stay cool, and a slower pace means a sluggish feeling; this lethargic feeling will be compounded if you turn into a couch potato and don't get your blood flowing. So, instead of wishing the cooler weather would hurry up and get here, then wishing it were still summer once the cold weather does arrive, adjust your workout and love your newfound energy.

The trick is to take advantage of cooler times and cooling activities. Set your alarm for 6 am and get to the gym or do your outdoors workout before the sun is overhead. You can take a nap during the hottest part of the day if you get sleepy. If your schedule doesn't allow for a 6 am rise-n-shine, then workout at sunset once the heat of the day has passed. Just be aware that exercising late in the day can push back the time when you are able to fall asleep.

For your workout, pick cooler activities like swimming or doing yardwork (run through the sprinkler or duck your head under the hose to dampen your clothes and hair--water helps your body to get rid of excess heat, which is why sweating with a cool breeze blowing feels so good). If your workout-of-choice is a bike ride, fill up your water bottle with ice cubes to help cool you faster. Have kids? Join them in a sprinkler dash or encourage a friendly game of catch with water balloons.

There is a lot you can wear to make summer exercise more comfy. Wicking, technical clothes will stay drier and not weigh you down like cotton clothes can. If you don't have technical wear, then you can cut holes in the front and back of an old t-shirt to allow air to get to your skin and cool you off. Maybe you can even bring that style back from the '80s, at least in your neighborhood! Splash your head and neck with water during your workout if possible. Another cooling method is to put a wet bandana in your freezer (round it into the shape of your neck beforehand) for 30 minutes then wrap it around your neck before heading outside. It will help cool you off and double as a sunshield. You can wrap it around your forehead towards the end of your workout to keep the sweat from dripping into your eyes. Remember to protect your skin from burning; apply waterproof/sweatproof sunscreen 30 minutes before you go outside so that it has a chance to dry. Wear a hat (with mesh sides if possible to allow for air flow) or a visor if you don't want sunscreen on your face (since sweating can make it drip into your eyes). Lastly, grab your shades; wearing sunglasses not only protects your eyes from UV damage but can also help prevent a headache because you won't be squinting due to the bright sunlight.

Post-workout, you should bring your heart rate down gradually by walking and then stretching, even though it's tempting to flop down into the grass the second you finish exercising. Reward yourself with a frozen fruit popsicle. To make one, just throw some strawberries, watermelon or whatever you have available into your blender, then put the blended fruit in a paper cup in the freezer for a couple of hours before your workout. When the popsicle is frozen, just tear off the top of the cup and lick to your heart's content! Follow it with a cold shower for the ultimate refreshment. That's a workout—and a feeling of accomplishment for your non-lazy approach to your day—a nutritious snack, a surge of refreshment from a cold shower, and a boost of energy from exercising all in one. Take that, heat!

10 Things Parents Can Do To Help Prevent Eating Disorders

2009-08-21T22:06:41+0000

This article, written by Michael Levine, PhD, clearly defines what parents can do to help prevent eating disorders from affecting their children or grandchildren. Read below for ten things you can do to help.

1. Consider your thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors toward your own body and the way that these beliefs have been shaped by the forces of weightism and sexism. Then educate your children about (a) the genetic basis for the natural diversity of human body shapes and sizes and (b) the nature and ugliness of prejudice. Make an effort to maintain positive attitudes and healthy behaviors. Children learn from the things you say and do!

2. Examine closely your dreams and goals for your children and other loved ones. Are you overemphasizing beauty and body shape, particularly for girls? Avoid conveying an attitude which says in effect, “I will like you more if you lose weight, don’t eat so much, look more like the slender models in ads, fit into smaller clothes, etc.” Decide what you can do and what you can stop doing to reduce the teasing, criticism, blaming, staring, etc. that reinforce the idea that larger or fatter is “bad” and smaller or thinner is “good.”

3. Learn about and discuss with your sons and daughters (a) the dangers of trying to alter one’s body shape through dieting, (b) the value of moderate exercise for health, and (c) the importance of eating a variety of foods in well-balanced meals consumed at least three times a day. Avoid categorizing and labeling foods (e.g. good/bad or safe/dangerous). All foods can be eaten in moderation. Be a good role model in regard to sensible eating, exercise, and self-acceptance.

4. Make a commitment not to avoid activities (such as swimming, sunbathing, dancing, etc.) simply because they call attention to your weight and shape. Refuse to wear clothes that are uncomfortable or that you don’t like but wear simply because they divert attention from your weight or shape.

5. Make a commitment to exercise for the joy of feeling your body move and grow stronger, not to purge fat from your body or to compensate for calories, power, excitement, popularity, or perfection.

6. Practice taking people seriously for what they say, feel, and do, not for how slender or “well put together” they appear.

7. Help children appreciate and resist the ways in which television, magazines, and other media distort the true diversity of human body types and imply that a slender body means power, excitement, popularity, or perfection.

8. Educate boys and girls about various forms of prejudice, including weightism, and help them understand their responsibilities for preventing them.

9. Encourage your children to be active and to enjoy what their bodies can do and feel like. Do not limit their caloric intake unless a physician requests that you do this because of a medical problem.

10. Do whatever you can to promote the self-esteem and self-respect of all of your children in intellectual, athletic, and social endeavors. Give boys and girls the same opportunities and encouragement. Be careful not to suggest that females are less important than males, e.g., by exempting males from housework or childcare. A well-rounded sense of self and solid self-esteem are perhaps the best antidotes to dieting and disordered eating.

Triclosan: Helping or Hurting?

2009-07-28T21:15:00+0000

There is an informative article that just came out that you anti-bacterial soap lovers might want to read just to stay informed. Click The Trouble of Triclosan or visit www.FoodAndWaterWatch.org to read the article on Triclosan, the ingredient added to household soap and other products to provide anti-bacterial properties.

The Protein Conundrum

2009-07-28T18:15:00+0000

Most fad diets, like the Atkins Diet, that promoted excessive protein consumption have lost their luster in the health and nutrition world. However, protein should still be a very important part of your diet. Whether you are an active weight lifter, a marathon runner or a lifetime walker, you need a healthy amount of protein in your diet to help maintain strong bones, repair muscle tissue, balance blood sugar levels and keep your heart healthy. It may seem like a daunting task to calculate and regulate your protein consumption, but with just a few healthy tips from some experts, you can easily commit to a diet rich in healthy and beneficial proteins.

The key to protein consumption is balance and smart choices. Maureen Callahan, R.D. in an article for Real Simple, points out that the Mypyramid site for the United States Department of Argriculture recommends individuals get 15% of their calories from protein. She also notes that the best proteins to consume are lean proteins like fish, skinless chicken, beans, egg whites and low fat dairy products.

If you don't know how to shop for lean proteins, start with this article from the Mayo Clinic about how to buy lean meat and poultry. For lean protein recipe ideas including flounder, tofu, omelete and lentil recipes, search Myrecipes.

Free Workout Advice & Fitness Tips

2009-07-21T14:00:00+0000

FitLink is on Facebook and Twitter! It's true and we want you to become our friends and followers. When you join FitLink on Facebook and Twitter, you have daily access to free, helpful, fun and interesting fitness tips, workouts, and articles.
Spread the news. Tell your friends. Comment and tell us how you're doing.

Go to www.facebook.com or twitter.com to join today!

Osteoporosis and Exercise

2009-07-20T21:18:06+0000

How can regular exercise and healthy living help prevent a disease that affects an estimated 10 million Americans?

Often we forget to consider the consequences of the choices we make in our everyday. As youngsters, we desire to play and be active, but as we get older a sedentary life sets in and our bodies begin to unknowingly weaken. Osteoporosis, or porous bones, involves the deterioration of bone tissue caused by a lack of vitamins, exercise and healthy eating. When a bone’s tissue deteriorates the bone becomes fragile ,and susceptible to breakage and fractures; most often the breaks happen in the hips, spine and wrists. Women are the highest population to be affected by the disease and are most often diagnosed with the disease after menopause, however, men are also often diagnosed. Osteoporosis is not curable, but there are many treatments available. Patients who undergo treatment for Osteoporosis are able to live active and enjoyable lives.

How do I know if I have Osteoporosis?
The best way to find out if you are suffering from Osteoporosis is to consult your doctor. If a doctor suspects you have the disease, s/he will require you to take a bone density test.

Can I prevent Osteoporosis?
Most of our bone mass is developed before the age of 30. After 30 we have to work hard to maintain the same amount of bone tissue. Bone, like muscle, is living tissue and can stay strong with exercise. Also being physically fit helps the body to be strong and balanced which lessens the chances of falls and fractures.

What can I do to decrease my chances of suffering from Osteoporosis?
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends these 5 easy steps to help prevent Osteoporosis:

1) Consume your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
2) Exercise regularly. On average 30 minutes of weight bearing exercise daily is suggested.
3) Avoid tobacco use and alcohol consumption.
4) Talk with your doctor.
5) If needed, take a bone density test

What foods have calcium and vitamin D in them?
Vitamin supplements help in rejuvenating vitamin deficiencies, but a better way to increase your vitamin intake is through healthy foods. Foods high in calcium include low fat milk, cheese, yogurt, spinach, almonds, tofu, and black beans. Vitamin D rich foods include many types of fish like salmon, oats, eggs and many breakfast cereals.

What types of exercises should I do?
Weight bearing exercises are best for building stronger bones. Weight bearing exercises encompass those that utilize your own bodyweight like running, walking or aerobics, and weight lifting exercises. If you are afraid to use weight lifting machines at the gym, there are many alternatives to the standard workout. Try using an exercise tube and stability ball in your workout. Always consult with a doctor before starting any workout regime.

Staying in shape means more than just shedding a few pounds and feeling good in your favorite jeans, it means keeping your whole body healthy, improving your quality of life and extending your life span.

Exercise Environmentalism

2009-07-16T21:45:00+0000

There are numerous ways to help save the environment. More than just recycling, consuming less and cutting down on energy usage, people can now purchase "green" items. Items are labled eco-friendly based on an analysis of the product's materials, its production process, and its distribution. Even the exercise world has begun to pick up some environmental momentum. From sustainable cotton workout clothing to recycled equipment and gear, fitness companies and manufacturers are choosing to invest in the environment too with the hopes of scoring a profit. Check out this article from the New York Times about a running sneaker made from recycled materials.

To do strength training or cardio: that is the question

2009-07-06T18:15:00+0000

Feel like there is not enough time in the day to workout, let alone do cardio, strength training and stretching every workout? If you're like me, you have about a 40 minute window to exercise every day. Maybe that window is even less, say 20 minutes. It's not the amount of time that is troubling to me; it's deciding what to do with the time that is difficult.

I'd like to have a sculpted set of abs, a trim waist and a nicely compacted buttocks, but often there are a million different opinions about the right exercise types to do for toning these body parts. Should I spend majority of my time jogging and doing jumping jacks or should I take to the weight bench and fatigue my muscles whenever possible? I recently found a great article at Womenshealthmag.com that shed some positive light on this fitness conundrum. Note that in this article they suggest keeping a log for all the reps you do during a strength training session; FitLink was built to do just that. Start tracking your workouts today with an Exercise Log.

Secret to Longevity: Flex Your Muscles

2009-07-06T18:15:00+0000

Larry Haubner, age 107, should be an inspiration to us all. When you feel like you can't get off the couch to go walking or to do some weight lifting, think of how such activity can prolong your life. Larry Haubner, in this article by The Washington Post, suggests the secret to his health and wellness is exercise and clean living. The Washington Post reported that he "takes no medication and can lift his walker over his head." Though the rest of the Washington Post article goes on to discuss the financial difficulties of living past 100, what it doesn't acknowledge is that living healthy and exercising often can reduce the cost of health care while extending your life.

Modern medicine has assisted in extending human longevity, but it is not the only nor most valuable factor. Studies done on centenarians often show that regular exercise is an important component in lengthening an individual's life span. Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, helps regulate chronic diseases, improves your mood and controls weight gain. In a time of economic hardships, taking care of ourselves on a daily basis with simple, cost-effective methods like working out and eating properly is extremely important. Do something physical today for 30 minutes in honor of Larry. Go for a 30 minute walk. Do some push-ups, jumping jacks and abdominal crunches to get your heart pumping. Stretch out your muscles with some meditative yoga. Take care of your body to ensure you live a long and happy life.

Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

2009-06-23T18:45:23+0000

Some impressive statistics regarding fruit and vegetables are listed below. Make sure you are consuming lots of fruit and vegetables, and a variety of both.

• 1 in 3 Americans will have cancer in their lifetimes; 20 years ago it was 1 in 10
• The Framingham Study demonstrated that people who eat 6servings/day of fruits and vegetables have 44% less risk of stroke; 9 servings/day yields a 66% reduction!
• A large study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that 5 servings/week of green, leafy vegetables cut the risk of macular degeneration, the most frequent cause of blindness in people age 65+, by 43%!
• The National Cancer Institute recommends 5-9 servings/day of raw fruits and vegetables to help prevent lung, breast, colon, prostate cancers (by 50% or more)!
• The American Heart Association recommends 5-9 servings /day also to slow down the atherosclerotic process and prevent heart disease and stroke.
• …Yet, 95% of Americans are not getting 5-9 servings of produce a day! And if they were, they would be spending around $5-15/day on produce.
• Actually, only $1.77/week is spent by an individual for fruits and vegetables and, worse yet, only $7.07/week for a family of 4. (1977 Produce Marketing Assoc. Statistic)
• And children? 1 in 2 will develop heart disease; 1 in 3, cancer! Degenerative diseases of the aged are now evidenced in children. ADD and ADHD are on the rise! why? A study of 3112 children grades 2-6 proved almost ½ didn’t eat even 1 fruit or vegetables in a day! Food is fuel, and they are running on empty!

ARE JUST ANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OK?
My answer is No, and here is why:

• They need to be raw because enzymes are only found in raw foods. Enzymes act as catalysts for the 10,000 functions per second that the cells themselves undergo. They strengthen the immune system, defy aging and detoxify the body. Cooking (118-122 degrees) destroys the life quality of enzymes. Meat is cooked, milks/juices are pasteurized, grains are baked and nuts are roasted. Fruits and vegetables are about the only other sources of enzymes and even then we cook most of them.
• VARIETY is important because everyone absorbs nutrients differently, kind of like medications. Your body may absorb calcium beautifully from broccoli, but I may need to get it from spinach. Kale is the #1 anti-cancer vegetables and I don’t eat it, do you? Since each fruit and vegetable has a unique composition of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and trace elements, and since most people only eat the five fruits and vegetables they like, they may be missing some important fuel.
• Not only does a vine-ripened tomato taste delicious, but also the bright red coloring is proportional to the number of phytochemicals within. Vine-ripening not only creates more nutrients, but those nutrients change so they are absorbed better.
• Produce needs to be fresh! Five days after picking approximately 75% of the nutrients are lost! Most of the produce in the market is at least 2 weeks old.

Juice Plus+ is real food: It is composed of 17 raw fruits, vegetables and grains which are grown in nutrient dense soil, allowed to ripen on the vine and picked/processed within 1-2 days.

It was developed to fill the gap between the quality and quantity of what you and I actually eat and what we need to eat for good health! “If your lifestyle does not control your body, eventually your body will control your lifestyle” Start reversing your cells today visit me at www.robinloves2sharejuiceplus.com check out all the health research and the video on my site.

Bottled Water and Glycemic Index

2009-06-22T21:45:00+0000

Sequoia Health's June newsletter has been published here for your reading enjoyment and education...

Bottled Water: 3 Major Health Concerns

Water is a Must

The safety and environmental friendliness of bottled water is back in the
news. Drinking adequate amounts of water is important to good health.
Depending on your body weight, drinking anywhere from 32oz to 100oz of
water daily helps your muscles, digestion and kidneys all work better.
However, it's also important to make sure that the water you are drinking
and the container it's stored in are safe.

An Important Report
A recent report by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI) says "The global
consumption of bottled water reached 154 billion liters (41 billion
gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from the 98 billion liters consumed five
years earlier. Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for
bottled water is increasing; producing unnecessary garbage and consuming
vast quantities of energy. Although in the industrial world bottled water
is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more.
At as much as $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more
than gasoline." About one-fourth of bottled water is actually bottled tap
water; according to government and industry estimates (some estimates go as
high as 40 percent).

Several new studies have pointed to three major health problems associated
with bottled water.

#1) Chemical Leaching From the Plastic Bottles

When it comes to water and foods, not all plastics are created equally.
Plastic can leach chemicals into whatever is stored in it especially when
heated. To make sure the plastic is safe and does not leach, check the
recycling symbol on your bottle. #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), #4
LDPE (low density polyethylene), or 5 PP (polypropylene) on your bottle are
all safe. Water is generally sold in plastic bottles market with a #1, and
is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it.

#2) High Bacterial Count in Reused Water Bottles

Several researchers in Canada and the USA have determined that refilling
your water bottle, even if washed, might not be such a good thing.
Dangerous bacteria and potentially toxic plastic compounds have been found
in water bottles with the recycle #1 on the bottom. A study of water
bottles at a Calgary elementary school found bacteria in kids' bottles that
would prompt health officials to issue boil-water advisories, had the
samples come from a tap. The better choice is to filter your water with a
Brita or Pure filter and use a refillable water bottle that is safe to wash
marked with a recycle number #2, #4 or #5.

#3) Environmental Concerns with Recycling and Landfills

After you drink your bottled water, the bottle has to be recycled or
thrown away. According to the Container Recycling Institute, "86 percent of
plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter.
Incinerating used bottles produces toxic by-products such as chlorine gas
and ash containing heavy metals. Buried water bottles can take up to 1,000
years to biodegrade. Almost 40 percent of the PET bottles that were
deposited for recycling in the United States in 2004 were actually
exported, sometimes to as far away as China, adding to the resources used by
this product."

An Environmental Nightmare
Environmentally, the plastic most commonly used to make water bottles is
polyethylene terepthalate (PET), which is derived from crude oil. A
Colorado-based company, BIOTA, bottles its spring water in a container made
from a biodegradable plastic called polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived
from corn. The bottling company says, given the right composting
conditions, the container will disappear in 75 to 80 days. So, the bottom
line is keep drinking lots of water but:

*Don't reuse (even if you wash) plastic bottles with a recycle #1 on the
bottom
*Don't heat foods or liquids in a microwave or store in plastic.
Use glass instead
*Buy re-usable water bottles that are stainless steel or BPA
FREE and filter your water with a Brita or Pure filter

Eating the right balance of foods can give you many of the antioxidants you need
for good health. Contact us to discuss how Fresh Start can help you, in a healthy way,
learn to make better food choices. You will improve energy and stamina while feeling and looking your best.

The Glycemic Index... A Valuable Weight Loss Tool

Food Affects Your Brain
The various natural substances in food have a profound affect on the way
you feel. Proper variety and "food pairings" make a big difference in your
overall health and longevity. Unbalanced eating habits can either create a
situation where you have depleted or excess blood glucose (a form of
sugar). When excess blood sugar is present, the pancreas stimulates
production of higher levels of insulin to move the excess sugar into your
cells.

The Risks to Your Health
In theory, it is these higher levels of insulin in your blood that are
implicated in increased risk to your health. Over time, an insulin
resistance builds up when your cells no longer respond normally to the
insulin circulating in the blood. When your cells do not respond to
insulin, sugar will not move into the cell to be used for energy. High
circulation blood sugar is what we refer to as type 2 diabetes. High
insulin levels also contribute to other key metabolic problems such as
obesity, high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol, predisposing
to heart disease, strokes and other health problems.

Stable is Better
Either way, your body likes blood glucose levels to remain stable.
Unstable blood glucose negatively affects your concentration, mood,
athletic ability, hormone balance, energy levels and the ability to
maintain a healthy weight. Unstable blood glucose will also affect your
hunger levels. High levels of insulin in your blood stimulate the hunger
mechanisms and make you over eat. The easiest way to keep your blood
glucose levels stable is to eat a healthy balance of foods that have a
medium to low glycemic index. Does this mean having to get obsessive about
how and what you eat? Definitely not! This is, however, much easier and
more effective than counting calories!

What is the Glycemic Index?

Simply, the glycemic index or GI is a food ranking system from 0 to 100
first invented to help diabetics control their blood sugar levels. When a
food, specifically one containing carbohydrates, is eaten and digested, the
speed with which the food raises your blood sugar is called its glycemic
index. Low GI foods (less than 55) produce a gradual rise in blood sugar
that's easy on the body. Foods between 55 and 70 are intermediate GI foods.
High GI foods (more than 70) cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar and
insulin. In 1995, Barry Sears, in his book, The Zone, went on to popularize
the glycemic index as a weight loss tool in his diet plan, The Zone.

The GI in Practical Application
The simple rule, especially for higher carbohydrate foods, is to choose
less refined foods like whole grain breads, cereals with a low GI, beans,
lentils, brown rice instead of white and plenty of fruit and vegetables.
These foods will keep your blood sugar in the healthy range. Avoiding large
amounts of high GI foods can help you lose weight more easily. High GI
foods causes a spike in blood sugar and that means you'll be hungry again
soon after eating. Studies of volunteers at buffets show people eating high
GI meals consume more calories at the next meal.

Benefits of Eating a Low GI Meal:

Helps control your body weight
Increases your body's sensitivity to insulin
Improves diabetic control
Reduces your risk of heart disease
Lowers your blood cholesterol levels
Reduces hunger and keeps you feeling fuller for longer
Prolongs physical endurance

For a good Glycemic Index tool and food check, go to
www.glycemicindex.com

A strong immune system is the key to excellent health. Building a strong immunity is
just one of 8 healthy lifestyle habits we teach. We provide the education, motivation and accountability necessary to improve your health while helping you feel and look your best.

Additional reading:

Pets and People

Loss of Appetite in Your Pet

For most pets, eating is a joyful part of their daily routine. So when a pet doesn't want to eat, it is a reason for concern for most pet owners. When loss of appetite is short-lived, it's usually nothing to worry about. But when your pet stops eating for unknown reasons for longer than 24 hours, a visit to your veterinarian might be in order.

Julie Andrus of Holistic Pet Info takes a look at what loss of appetite can mean:

Moving to a new home or the addition of a new family member can cause stress on your pet and they may not feel like eating. This type of appetite loss is usually short-lived and can be remedied with coaxing and extra attention to your pet. When your dog or cat stops eating for unknown reasons, it is time to take a closer look.

A sudden loss of appetite or one that develops over time and continues for several days could indicate a variety of illnesses, including:

Digestive Disorders - Partial blockage of the digestive tract (foreign objects or possibly tumors) can make it difficult to swallow and can result in your pet's unwillingness to eat. Parasites, ulcers or bacterial infections, even food allergies can cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract which make it uncomfortable to eat. Additional symptoms to watch for are increased salivation, diarrhea and vomiting.

Pancreatitis - Occurs when the pancreas secretes its corrosive digestive juices on itself and the surrounding internal organs and tissues rather than on the food in the intestine. The resulting inflammation causes pain and stress in the animal, eventually leading to a complete loss of appetite. Vomiting and listlessness often accompany your pet's loss of appetite when the pancreas is affected.

Kidney Disease - The kidney's job is to remove waste products from the blood. When the kidneys begin to fail, toxins begin to build up in the blood stream and sometimes cause ulcers in the mouth and stomach. You may notice your pet has stopped eating (because of the ulcers) yet they are drinking and urinating more often because of the kidney disease. With kidney disease, vomiting and lethargy are often present.

Dental Disease - One obvious but often overlooked reason for loss of appetite is that your pet experiences mouth pain when eating. Abscesses, tooth decay and gum disease can sideline even the hungriest pets.

Your pet's loss of appetite may mean something as simple as his dislike for a new brand of food or it may indicate a more serious medical condition. If other symptoms are present (difficulty breathing, vomiting, lethargy, drooling, excessive thirst), schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. A physical exam, x-rays, fecal tests and or blood work can diagnosis the problem and a treatment plan can be determined.

Remember that early intervention can mean a better prognosis for recovery and less discomfort for your beloved pet.

Julie Andrus is the owner of Holistic Pet Info. If you are looking for information on how to manage your pet's health with holistic or natural pet care products like nutritional supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals and other natural medicines, Holistic Pet Info is the place for you. They carry more than 100 natural pet products including vitamins and nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals and other natural medicines. The site also offers a wide range of well-written and researched articles and other information on animal health issues.

Ingrid King is a writer, Reiki Master Practitioner and owner of Healing Hands. She publishes a FREE E-zine with topics ranging from conscious living for you and your pets to holistic and alternative health topics. Healing Hands provides Reiki for pets and people. Ingrid also hosts a popular blog, "The Conscious Cat". She is the author of "Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher", to be published later this year. For more information about Ingrid and Healing Hands, please visit www.pethealing.net.

Help for Brittle Bones... Be Bone Strong!

We have just introduced a new Fresh Start program called Be Bone Strong! Another
in our series of healthy lifestyle programs, Be Bone Strong! is the only complete osteoporosis prevention and repair program. Unlike other programs that just
focus on medications, calcium and vitamin D to increase bone density, Be Bone Strong! works to modify ALL the lifestyle factors that lead to poor bone quality.
Included in the program are:

The "Big 5 for Healthy Bones"

1. Dietary changes that balance protein with fruit and vegetable intake.
Fruits and veggies contain greater amounts of water, minerals and antioxidants with generally lesser amounts of animal protein to reduce total body inflammation.
2. Calculate optimum water intake for maximum hydration. Water is very important
in helping the kidneys regulate pH and detoxify the body.
3. Increase daily stress reduction activities. This helps lower cortisol and homocystein
levels while reducing calcium loss.
4. Establish year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L).
This should be confirmed by regular 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing.
5. Safe and sufficient weight bearing exercise to stimulate muscle growth and balance. This is essential for increasing bone quality and preventing falls.

Test your bone knowledge and take our Strong Bones Healthy Body Quiz at sequoiahealth.com

Run and walk your way to completing any distance

2009-06-02T20:45:00+0000

Not a runner but want to go the distance? Check out this article by Tara Parker-Pope on the NY Times website or just scroll to read the content. If you want to rev up your workout a bit but don't want to risk injury, don't consider yourself a runner, or are just a little bit too overweight to start running, the run-walk method may be just the answer for adding some jogging to your walks. Read on...

"I am more couch potato than runner. But not long ago, I decided to get myself into shape to run in the NYC Marathon on Nov. 1, just 152 days from now. (Not that I’m counting.)

To train for my first marathon, I’m using the “run-walk” method, popularized by the distance coach Jeff Galloway, a member of the 1972 Olympic team. When I mentioned this to a colleague who runs, she snickered — a common reaction among purists.

But after interviewing several people who have used the method, I’m convinced that those of us run-walking the marathon will have the last laugh.

Contrary to what you might think, the technique doesn’t mean walking when you’re tired; it means taking brief walk breaks when you’re not.

Depending on one’s fitness level, a walk-break runner might run for a minute and walk for a minute, whether on a 5-mile training run or the 26.2-mile course on race day. A more experienced runner might incorporate a one-minute walk break for every mile of running.

Taking these breaks makes marathon training less grueling and reduces the risk of injury, Mr. Galloway says, because it gives the muscles regular recovery time during a long run. Walk breaks are a way for older, less fit and overweight people to take part in a sport that would otherwise be off limits. But most surprising are the stories from veteran runners who say run-walk training has helped them post faster race times than ever.

One of them is Tim Deegan of Jacksonville, Fla., who had run 25 marathons when his wife, Donna Deegan, a popular local newscaster and cancer survivor, began organizing a marathon to raise money for breast cancer research. When Mr. Galloway volunteered to help with the race, Ms. Deegan asked her husband to take part in run-walk training to show support.

“The only reason I did this is because I love my wife,” said Mr. Deegan, 49. “To say I was a skeptic is to put it very nicely.”

But to his surprise, he began to enjoy running more, and he found that his body recovered more quickly from long runs. His times had been slowing — to about 3 hours 45 minutes, 15 minutes shy of qualifying for the Boston Marathon — but as he ran-walked his way through the Jacksonville Marathon, “I started thinking I might have a chance to qualify for Boston again.”

He did, posting a time of 3:28.

Nadine Rihani of Nashville ran her first marathon at age 61, taking walk breaks. Her running friends urged her to adopt more traditional training, and she was eventually sidelined by back and hip pain. So she resumed run-walk training, and in April, at age 70, she finished first in her age group in the Country Music Marathon, coming in at 6:05.

“My friends who were ‘serious’ runners said, ‘You don’t need to do those walk breaks,’ ” she said. “I found out the hard way I really did.”

Dave Desposato, a 46-year-old financial analyst, began run-walk training several years ago after excessive running resulted in an overuse injury. He finished this year’s Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, Mich., in 3:31:42, cutting 12 minutes off his previous best.

“I run enough marathons now to see everybody totally collapsing at the end is very, very common,” he said. “You wish you could share your experience with them, but they have to be willing to listen first.”

Another unconventional element of walk-break training is the frequency — typically just three days a week, with two easy runs of 20 to 60 minutes each and a long run on the weekend. The walk breaks allow runners to build up their mileage without subjecting their bodies to the stress of daily running, Mr. Galloway said.

Many runners take their own version of walk breaks without thinking about it, he says: they slow down at water stations or reduce their pace when they tire. Scheduling walk breaks earlier in a run gives the athlete control over the race and a chance to finish stronger.

While I’m planning to use run-walk training to complete my first marathon, I’ve heard from many runners who adhere to a variety of training methods. So later this week, the Well blog will have a new feature: the Run Well marathon training tool, with which you can choose any of several coaches’ training plans and then track your progress.

Besides Mr. Galloway, plans are being offered by the marathoner Greg McMillan, who is renowned for his detailed training plans that help runners reach their time goals; the New York Flyers, the city’s largest running club, which incorporates local road races into its training; and Team for Kids, a New York Road Runners Foundation charity program that trains 5,000 adult runners around the world.

The Run Well series also gives you access to top running experts, advice from elite runners, reviews of running gadgets and regular doses of inspiration to get you race-ready.

So please join me, the coaches and other running enthusiasts every day at the Well blog, nytimes.com/well, during the next five months of training. For me, this is finally the year I’ll run a marathon. I hope it will be your year too."

Tara Parker-Pope is running the 2009 NYC Marathon on November 1. Cheer her on if you are in any of the five boroughs, along with the other 40,000 runners!

Heart Health and Bone Health

2009-05-28T15:30:00+0000

Sequoia Health's May newsletter has been published here for your reading enjoyment and education...

Feel Better... Live Better

Low Inflammation Important to Heart Health

The Inflammation Process
Until recently, most experts believed that having good cholesterol levels and a normal blood pressure were enough to ensure a healthy heart. But one disturbing fact has continued to confound researchers. Why do 50% of heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels? Clearly, if high cholesterol was the major indicator of heart disease, then these "normal" cholesterol heart attacks should not be occurring.

Inflammation and Disease
The Inflammation Hypothesis of Disease has been around for many years. It says that all degenerative disease (and aging) is the result of increased levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is first the result of tissue damage from chemicals called "free radicals". Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism; some are used by your body's immune system to neutralize viruses and bacteria. High stress living along with environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also produce free radicals.

Free Radicals Damage
Inflammation is the result of your immune system's response to free radicals damaging tissue in your body. Too many free radicals overload your body's ability to neutralize them resulting in elevated total body inflammation levels. Excess free radicals begin to attack your tissues causing tears and breaks in the cells. In an effort to defend and heal the body, your immune system responds to these attacks by releasing certain inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals create redness and swelling (much like you see on your arm if you cut it) is designed to stimulate the immune system to heal the damage.

Antioxidants and Your Health
Antioxidants are natural compounds designed to neutralize free radicals. Most antioxidants are found naturally in fruits and vegetables. Generally, any food with a nice bright color has larger amounts of antioxidants. Common antioxidants that you may have heard about are vitamins A, C, E and lycopene. Daily intake of these antioxidant loaded foods helps reduce total free radical amounts, speeds the healing for damaged cells and slows the aging process. Adults should strive for 7 servings (a serving size is 1/4 cup) of fruits and vegetables daily.

Testing for Inflammation-- C-Reactive Protein
The CRP test is a good way to determine total body inflammation levels. It gives a better assessment of your heart health than just testing cholesterol alone. Recent studies have shown people with increased CRP levels and normal cholesterol have a several-fold higher risk of heart problems. Not only that, at least one study found treating people with normal LDL cholesterol and high CRP levels led to a reduction in their risk of heart attacks.

Lowering Total Body Inflammation
There are many naturally occurring ways to reduce inflammation. A healthy diet of fruits and vegetables is the best place to start. Additionally you'll want to look at adding plant based essential fatty acids, vitamin supplements, especially vitamin D, and adequate water. Finally, don't forget to lower stress levels by participating in daily relaxation techniques and 3 hours of moderate exercise per week.

Eating the right balance of foods can give you many of the antioxidnats you need
for good health. Contact us to discuss how Fresh Start can help you, in a healthy way,
learn to make better food choices. You will improve energy and stamina while feeling and looking your best. Call Woody McMahon at 703-464-5171 to schedule your free Fresh Start consultation. You can also email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.

Bacterial Soaps-Just Too Risky

Super Clean is Not Good

In an effort to fulfill the age old saying "cleanliness is next to Godliness," the use of antibacterial soaps is on the rise. The liberal use of soap is a good thing, but antibacterial soaps present several major risks. As early as 2005, researchers at Virginia Tech found that the active chemical ingredient in antibacterial soaps, triclosan, can cause two major health problems. First, consumers who use the soaps may be exposed to significant quantities of the cancer causing substance chloroform. Also, long term use of these soaps creates an unhealthy balance of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the skin. They found bacteria resistant to some of the more popular antibiotic drugs like chloramphenicol, ampicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin.

Dr. Peter Vikesland, an environmental chemist at Virginia Tech had this to say about antibacterial soaps, "This is the first work that we know of that suggests that consumer products, such as antimicrobial soap, can produce significant quantities of chloroform. There are numerous potential exposure pathways that can be envisioned, such as inhalation and skin exposure, when using antimicrobial soaps to wash dishes or when taking a shower. There is also risk of exposure when using triclosan laden moisturizers as they may also react with chlorine in the water."

What is Triclosan?
Triclosan is a synthetic antimicrobial agent found in a wide variety of products. Its broad spectrum, bacteria fighting ability has made it popular in an ever increasing number of personal care products, cosmetics, antimicrobial creams, acne treatments, lotions, hand soaps, and dish soaps. Triclosan goes under the trade name Microban®, when used in plastics and clothing and Biofresh® when used in acrylic fibers. Even though Triclosan is effective at killing bacteria, it is registered as a pesticide with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill some type of life form. The EPA considers triclosan a high risk for human health and the environment.

Why is Chloroform so Bad?
When triclosan, the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps, reacts with the chlorine in the tap water, chloroform is created. Chloroform is a central nervous system depressant and cancer causing compound. The U.S. Department of Labor has strict guidelines when it comes to contact with chloroform. Chronic inhalation of chloroform may cause psychiatric and neurological symptoms, including depression, hallucinations and moodiness. In one study, liver enlargement was demonstrated in 17 of 68 workers exposed to chloroform at low levels for 1 to 4 years. Alcoholics are more at risk from chloroform because ethanol increases chloroform's toxic effects.

Some Bacteria are Good for You
The bacteria on your skin serve as a part of your skin's natural defense mechanism. Your skin uses healthy bacteria to keep colonies of unhealthy bacteria at bay. Without the healthy bacteria, the unhealthy ones can take over and create infections and other skin problems. Destroy all the healthy bacteria with antibacterial soap and you set yourself up for big problems. The constant use of antibacterial soaps is similar to using antibiotics for every little cold or sneeze. All antibacterial products should be used sparingly so that resistant strains of bacteria do not develop. Using antibiotics only when necessary ensures they will remain effective when the need arises.

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
When bacteria are exposed to long term, low doses of antibiotics, some of them can develop antibiotic resistance. Resistant bacteria must be treated with other, sometimes stronger antibiotics. In rare instances, there is no known medication that will kill the bacteria. It is wiser to use antibiotics sparingly and for shorter duration. The constant use of antimicrobials, as in the antibacterial soaps, creates a real long term health hazard; one that is easily avoidable with regular soap.

A strong immune system is the key to excellent health. Building a strong immunity is
just one of 8 healthy lifestyle habits we teach. We provide the education, motivation and accountability necessary to improve your health while helping you feel and look your best.
For a free consultation, please call Woody McMahon at 703-464-5171 or email to Woody@SequoiaHealth.com.

Pets and People

Stress and Your Pets

Challenging Times
You live in challenging times and external stressors abound. The economy, the swine flu and the news in general all present a source of stress. It's been long proven that owning a pet has beneficial effects on your health. Studies have shown that even a few minutes of petting a cat or dog can lower your blood pressure and release endorphins that put you in a better mood. Pets are the greatest source of stress relief and masters at showing us not only how to relax, but how to live in the moment without worrying about the future.

Stress Affects Your Pets
So we know that pets can help you be less stressed. But did you know that your stress can make your pets sick? Unfortunately stress has the same detrimental effect on your pet's body at it does on yours. Since pets are so sensitive to your emotions, they can become sick as a result of your stress. People and pets often mirror each others' physical and emotional states. Animals are natural healers and sometimes take on your health problems, often in an attempt to help you. This happens because of the deep bond shared between you and your pet. In such a close relationship, energy is shared and energetic imbalances are shared as well.

Stress Changes Behaviors
Dr. Fern Crist, of The Cat Hospital of Fairfax, says: "As a veterinarian, I frequently see cats who are urinating outside the litterbox. While this undesirable behavior may be caused by a variety of medical problems, it can also be caused or exacerbated by stress. It may be the cat's stress, such as having a new cat to adjust to in the house; but it can just as easily be the owner's stress. The emotional turmoil brought on by such difficulties as household financial problems, frequent job travel, marital differences, new babies, and home remodeling can affect our cats in very tangible ways."

She went on to say, "Our stress can induce undesirable behaviors in our cats, such as inappropriate urination. More importantly, our stress can also influence the development of actual physical illness in our cats as well as in ourselves. As responsible owners, we sometimes need to take a good look at ourselves when we ask why our pets are having problems. Stress relief for pet owners won't solve every pet health problem, but can go a long way toward alleviating many of them."

Stress Relief for You and Your Pet
This highlights the importance of stress relief not only for your own health and well-being but also for your pet. Reiki can help relieve stress in people and pets. Getting a Reiki treatment for yourself helps you and ultimately prevents your stress from affecting your pet. If your pet is already affected by your stress, joint treatments for you and your pet can often be very beneficial.

Ingrid King is a writer, Reiki Master Practitioner and owner of Healing Hands. She publishes a FREE E-zine with topics ranging from conscious living for you and your pets to holistic and alternative health topics. Healing Hands provides Reiki for pets and people. Ingrid also hosts a popular blog, "The Conscious Cat". She is the author of "Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher", to be published later this year. For more information about Ingrid and Healing Hands, please visit www.pethealing.net.

Help for Brittle Bones... Be Bone Strong!

"Healthy Bones Come From a Healthy Body"
We have just introduced a new Fresh Start program called Be Bone Strong! Another
in our series of healthy lifestyle programs, Be Bone Strong! is the only complete osteoporosis prevention and repair program. Unlike other programs that just
focus on medications, calcium and vitamin D to increase bone density, Be Bone Strong! works to modify ALL the lifestyle factors that lead to poor bone quality.
Included in the program are:

The "Big 5 for Healthy Bones"

1. Dietary changes that balance protein with fruit and vegetable intake.
Fruits and veggies contain greater amounts of water, minerals and antioxidants with generally lesser amounts of animal protein to reduce total body inflammation.
2. Calculate optimum water intake for maximum hydration. Water is very important
in helping the kidneys regulate pH and detoxify the body.
3. Increase daily stress reduction activities. This helps lower cortisol and homocystein
levels while reducing calcium loss.
4. Establish year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L).
This should be confirmed by regular 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing.
5. Safe and sufficient weight bearing exercise to stimulate muscle growth and balance. This is essential for increasing bone quality and preventing falls.

Test your bone knowledge and take our Strong Bones Healthy Body Quiz at sequoiahealth.com

To learn more about Be Bone Strong! or to schedule a Free consultation, please go to
www.sequoiahealth.com and click on Be Bone Strong!.

Continued Good Health,
Woody

Golf Equipment – How It Improves Your Game

2009-05-13T03:15:32+0000

Golf equipments and golf accessories play vital role in the game of golf. If you make a mistake to choose right golf equipments then it can effect your scoring. Wrongly selection of inferior golf equipments can make your game awful. So take great care in choosing better golf equipments while you select them. Selecting the right golf equipment can mean the difference between having grate game after great game and having not so great games. The right golf equipments means having drivers, shafts, gloves and other accessories that work with your body, your style and your capabilities. Your game, your swing, your body and your personal preferences should all be taken into account when making golf equipments purchasing. By doing so, you will ensure that your golf scores drop. Think of the big celebrities in the world of golf. Tiger Wood and Jeev Milkhasing and others, they always struggled to finds the clubs and shafts that fit just right. You may have to try out several different sizes and styles before you find the right fit. Don’t make a quick, impulse purchase, or you may have second thoughts and regrets later. These golf equipments can make your game better or worse so select them carefully. If you want take full enjoyment and satisfaction with your game of golf then choose right golf equipment which better fits you.

There are hundreds of manufactures and dealers which are selling golf equipments. Among them you have to choose right golf equipments for you. When making the choice to purchase golf equipments, you have hundreds of manufacturers and stores at your disposal. Many manufacturers carry different sets, clubs, drivers and models for you to purchase from. The making of golf equipments takes into account several factors, with the lot of importance placed on the golfer’s handicap, height, build and swing speed. Every person has different height, different shape and different swing speed. Manufactures of the golf equipments taking average height, age, average swing speed into consideration and they try to make better golf equipments fits for all. If you are a female then your golf equipments are so different from male golf equipments. If you are junior then also your kind of golf equipments are different. One can buy his or her kind of golf equipments from the market. In store all types of golf equipments and golf accessories are available. Just you have to pick the better golf equipments which better fits you. So choose golf clubs and drivers which is best fit for you and enjoy the game of golf.

If you want to purchase golf equipment online then visit www.golf247.co.uk for golf equipments better fits you.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T22:44:10+0000

Join one billion people in celebrating Earth Day: acknowledge your carbon footprint, think of ways to reduce/reuse/recycle with your family, friends, and co-workers, and take action to live a greener life overall. Check out EarthDay.net for ideas on how to be a little greener.

Some of the suggestions made on Yahoo! Green in Lori Bongiorno's article are as follows:

* Food: Follow Michelle Obama's lead and plant a vegetable garden. You can't get more sustainable, local, and budget-friendly than growing at least some of your own food.

* Food prep and storage: Replace Teflon pans with other nonstick alternatives such as cast iron and enameled cast iron.

* Personal care: Most of us use nine personal care products a day, encountering an average of 126 different ingredients a day. Most of these chemicals haven't been tested properly. Cut back on the number of products you use each day. Want to do even more? Make your own.

* Children: Spring for an organic crib mattress, if you can afford it, since your baby spends a good portion of each day sleeping. Conventional mattresses are treated with chemical flame retardants, which can off-gas and accumulate in tiny baby bodies. Balance out your budget by buying a used crib or other kid-related merchandise. Better yet, skip unnecessary items, such as diaper genies, all together, and borrow when you can.

* Cleaning: Switch to nontoxic cleaning products or make your own. Hang your laundry out to dry or use an indoor drying rack in the winter and when the sun's not shining.

* Save energy: When shopping for new appliances, buy the most energy-efficient models you can find. Also, smaller is typically better (when you have the choice). Tankless or solar water heaters are worth considering if you're in the market for a new one.

* Save water: Install low-flush toilets, especially if your toilet was made before 1992.

* Home improvement: If money is not an issue, install solar panels. Learn more about tax rebates.

* Garden: Plant meadow or prairie grass instead of traditional water-hungry grass. Choose native plants, which are low maintenance because they have adapted to local conditions over thousands of years.

* Transportation: When it's time to buy a new car, buy the most fuel-efficient car in the class of car you need.

Visit Yahoo! GREEN for more green tips.